Project 19 to 19: Day 13

Bubba's Boy

I have featured photos of these two every year for a reason - theirs is a very special bond and it makes me happy to share it!


Wonder Boy begins and ends each and every day with Wonder Mutt. They romp and play throughout the day. And it doesn't seem to matter how deeply asleep the Mutt may be, when the Boy comes downstairs between classes during the day, the Mutt is always ready for some serious attention from his favorite human ever.


The Mutt and the Puppy Princess have both seen a number of benefits of pandemic living, but by far the highlight for both of them, is having the Boy home all day, every day!

Project 19 to 19: Day 8

Bubba's Best Girl

We have had dogs in our home since before the Boy was born, so he has never known life without a canine companion. Our dogs, Ruby and Chucho took a while to warm up to the Boy after we introduced him to our little pack. They grew to accept him and even love him, but it was not the same as having a dog of your own.

The Puppy Princess was born to a local breeder in November. We took the Boy with us to make our pick of the litter and all 3 of us agreed she was the one for us! At the tail end (yes, pun intended) of 2008, just before New Years, we were finally able to bring her home!


The Boy fell for his Princes right away, but she was a Mama's girl from day one. He spent years chasing after her, but it really wasn't until the Mutt came into the house that she decided Wonder Boy was worth her time.


I am glad that she found her way to him, especially since he has given so much of himself to her over the years. Our old girl is really getting up there in age to the point where we are not sure how mcuh longer she will be with us. I have struggled to find the silver linings to this Pandemic, but having extra time with the Boy and him having extra time with the Princess is definitely one of those cases.

Project 18 to 18: Day 14

Two Boys and a Blanket

We've always had dogs in our home. Many years before the Boy came along, we had pups in the house. So the Boy has never known home without the influence of some mutt or another by his side.

But even with that said, I don't think the Boy knew what having a dog was truly like until Wonder Mutt joined our family! Wonder Mutt is Wonder Boy's dog through and through. He will allow behavior from the Boy (mostly in the form of the Boy picking up the Mutt and carting him to wherever the Boy feels is appropriate) that he would never tolerate from the rest of us.

When the Boy is home, they are together. That is just a given and it has been that way from Day One.


The other element of the equation is the blanket! These two just LOVE to snuggle up under a soft blanket. There doesn't have to be a chill in the air like our flashback photo. We're experiencing way above average temperatures this summer/fall-so-far and still, you will find these two wrapped up like burritos each and every morning!

Their favorite is the grey blankie you will see in today's snap, but any blanket will do in a pinch!

Project 18 to 18: Day 12

Bubba's Best Girl

It's been a stressful Saturday here in Wonderlandia. Wonder Boy came home with assignments from six of his seven classes. Granted, some assignments have a distant deadline, but the Boy is not one to procrastinate. So instead of enjoying some decompression time on Friday as is his habit, he put his head down and made a dent in the work. And then, as soon as his guitar lesson was over this morning, he went right back to knocking out some more before Sunday's commitments sneak up on him.

This evening once he felt he was ready for a break, I found him snuggled on the loveseat with his Puppy Princess. In her advancing age, she doesn't tolerate a lot of the play time like the Boy enjoys with Wonder Mutt, but she is almost always ready for a snuggle session and I love to see them finding comfort in one another.


In our look back to 2012, we see the two of them together before the days of Wonder Mutt wiggling his way in between them. Back then, she was the one with the excess energy that rarely stood still long enough for more than a quick hug. She's been a constant in his life for more than half of his days on this planet though. And I have always enjoyed watching them together!

Project 18 to 18: Day 8

PKS: A public service announcement ...

Most folks probably have never heard of PKS, or Photographer's Kid Syndrome. I'm not really a photographer, but I am a very proud MWAC (Mom With A Camera) - I have a camera and I'm not afraid to SHOOT YOU!

Seriously though, I've had a camera in my hand pretty much since the day Wonder Boy come into this world and I can't imagine doing things any other way. So ... for almost 18 years he has had to endure countless snaps from mom. It started off well enough ... of course, he was too small to protest, but at least 4 days of out each 7 for the first two to three years of his life, I had camera in hand to capture every smile, every grimace, every milestone, and every precious moment I could capture.

I was able to keep up my photo-journalist tendencies through the preschool and even into elementary school. But by the time we hit the mid-way point of preschool, I started having to get creative with my bribes or the Boy would run and hide (or at least refuse to look in my direction) every time I pulled the camera out of my bag. One bribe (that didn't involve high quantities of sugar) that often sealed the deal was to allow him a few moments of silly time. Snaps of him sticking out his tongue, crossing his eyes, bending over to look through his legs ... well ... let's just say I have more than my fair share of these images! But it worked! Often he would crack up at his own antics and then I was able to snap away until I was able to capture that perfect natural smile!


There came a point where even silly snaps were not enough and I was lucky if I could get him to agree to let me pull out the camera. But there were two exceptions: (1) I was allowed to take as many pictures as I wanted at events like soccer, orchestra, and judo, but I could not as him to look at me. I was generally only allowed to capture action photos at these events. But at least he didn't mind me and my camera on the sidelines. and (2) pictures with the dogs were allowed on occasion as long as I didn't go overboard and ask for it 4+ days a week.

Again, this fell somewhat to the wayside. Once his judo and soccer days were done, opportunities for action shots evaporated too. And even the suggestion of a snap with one of the dogs was met with eye rolls and protests.

BUT ... every now and then, I am able to catch Wonder Boy in a moment where he is willing to let me grab a quick snap or two. Generally, I have to agree to keep photo taking to a very limited time span - and it still doesn't hurt to involve the dogs and allow a little silly time!

This morning before school, Wonder Boy was cuddling with his Puppy Princess when Wonder Mutt got jealous and tried to worm his way in between them. The Princess was not impressed and went from cuddles to fussing in the blink of an eye and Wonder Boy couldn't resist joining in. I'm just glad he didn't object to me trying to capture the moment so we can all look back and laugh about it in years to come!

Project 17 to 17: Day 15

I love this snap of Wonder Boy taken this morning.

If you have read this blog long (or known our family for any length of time), you will understand what an understatement it is for me to say that Wonder Boy is NOT a morning person.

So it has always been a surprise to me that this Boy, who would be happiest if his day started after 10am, gets himself up every school day by 6:30am. He sets the alarm on his wrist watch and that's it. We don't have to knock on his door. We don't have to double check that he is up, dressed, packed and ready. He's got it covered.

He doesn't do these things quickly. And there is no bounce in his step as he goes about his preparations for the day. But he gets it done.

So I cannot begrudge him 15 minutes sprawled across the love seat playing some mindless phone game. Plus, he looks really cute, if you ask me.


Looking back, we see him on a chilly school morning, cuddled up on the couch snuggled up next to him is his trusty cuddle buddy, Wonder Mutt... both of them trying to prolong the quiet time before the hustle and bustle of trying to get out of the door for school and work.

Like the photo above, I don't resent him taking some "me time" in the mornings like this. I know my own mother had days where she had to work a lot harder to get ME out of the door on time and I am much more likely to be labeled a morning person than any other member of this family.

But regardless of who is or is not a morning person, the Boy has a routine and it seems to work for him. I'm glad he has worked himself into this morning schedule. I think it will serve him well when he leaves home.

Project 17 to 17: Day 9

I wasn't sure what I wanted to feature today, but then, in the last few minutes before Wonder Boy had to leave for school, I caught him sneaking in a few cuddles with the Puppy Princess.


I have always loved seeing these two together. When she was small, she didn't have a whole lot of time for Wonder Boy. He was persistent though. Through his tenacious efforts, she knew if she wanted someone who was always ready to play, he was her go-to-guy. And she always hovered around at mealtimes, just in case he needed a hand clearing his plate. But she was a little reserved when it came to snuggle and cuddle time.

Fast forward a bunch of years, when Mr. Mutt entered our lives and suddenly she warmed RIGHT UP to Wonder Boy!

So perhaps the Boy should be thanking the Mutt for these early morning cuddle sessions.

Regardless of how they got here, they both seem to gravitate to one another in this season of their lives. And it sure makes me happy to see them like this!

Project 17 to 17: Day 2

As much as I enjoy showing off the current day version of our dear Wonder Boy, another aspect of this project that I truly enjoy is digging back through old photos and finding those I had forgotten about. Today I got a full dose of both of these!


I almost didn't share this particular photo of Wonder Boy today. Technically speaking, it's not a stellar photo. But the more I looked at it, the more I felt moved to run with it. This is the Boy with HIS boy, Mr. Mutt himself! Watching these two together cannot fail to bring a smile to my face. They play, they cuddle, some times they even fuss at one another, or at least, Wonder Boy will fuss at the Mutt. But regardless of the attitude, the love cannot be contained. And THAT is what I see here. Wonder Boy is Mr. Mutt's absolute favorite in the whole wide world. He pines for him when the Boy is away from home. He cannot hide his glee when the Boy comes in each afternoon. And there is no one with which Mr. Mutt is more contented and relaxed. A boy and his dog. There is a reason that you hear that phrase - there is nothing more natural than a boy and his dog, imho. That certainly is true with these two!

For our look back to 2002, we see the sweet baby version of Wonder Boy. And there that little cherub sits, surrounded by toys of all shapes and colors and WHAT is garnering all of his attention? The big plastic spoon that came with our rice cooker! Now, you might argue that it is obvious the little man is teething and thus objects that help to sooth the gums will always win out over something soft and squishy. BUT .... number one ... if you look close, you will see all manner of teething toys at his feet ... AND .... this spoon continued to be a favorite play thing long after those teeth burst forth! We dubbed this utensil "Spoony" so that it would sound more like a toy. And it always made us giggle just a little that he preferred it to the many diversions we tried to use to catch his attention. He carried dear old Spoony around for several years! It made a great drum stick. Sometimes he would wave it around like a baton of some sort. But mostly, he just carted it around with him. I guess he never knew exactly what need would arise that old Spoony could fill, but he kept it close .. just in case. Today poor old Spoony is back to its original function, dishing rice out of the steamer, but at least it is still part of the family. All of those other toys have long since found another home.

Project 16 to 16: Day 12

Day 12 has been a pretty sedate day around here. The first grading period is over for the boy and as such, he came home with only a few minor assignments for this weekend. So we have taken the opportunity to sit back and relax most of the day.

Just before we called it a day today, I caught Wonder Boy and his boy snuggled up on the couch with the grey blankie. They both love this blanket. It's soft and comforting. Sometimes, when they've been cuddling under the blankie and the Boy has to get up, he'll swaddle Wonder Mutt in the cover to keep him warm and toasty until he can return.


In our look back to 2012, we see the boy again working out his creative juices, this time by putting together a Harry Potter Lego set. That year, he spent his spring break working on all of the Harry Potter Lego sets he had received for Christmas. By the time spring break was over, he had all of Diagon Alley put together!

He doesn't spend much time with his Legos any more, but we kept some of his favorite sets and we hope to share them with his children some day.

Project 16 to 16: Day 7

Today marks the end of the first week of our big countdown. I am glad that I have this to distract me from the realization that my "little boy" is turning 16 in a matter of days!

I'll be honest, again today the photo of the day is not exactly what I had PLANNED to share today. I'm going to hope that I can work that idea in later in the week, but this is still something I wanted to highlight.


Just look at my boys! Wonder Boy simply ADORES his Wonder Mutt. And the Mutt most certainly reciprocates! This snap was taken just before bed tonight. The Mutt is funny, by the time he finishes dinner, he is pretty much ready to turn in for the night. He sleeps in Wonder Boy's room and if we leave the door ajar, he will sneak in there and try to turn in early. In comparison, Wonder Boy is NEVER ready for bed. Now, once he gets to sleep, he is a champion sleeper who can rack up more than 12 hours in the sack with ease (if we let him). But despite that fact, he never wants to concede to sleep. I'm not really complaining as he DOES go right on to sleep. It just strikes me as funny that a kid who likes to sleep so much would fight going to bed.

In our look back to 2007, we see our favorite kiddo doing one of his favorite things - creating! These neat building toys are called "Zoobs" and I can't even begin to tell you how much fun he had with them over the years! He and Wonder Dad were able to build all KINDS of cool creations from helicopters to a great white shark to these cool dinosaurs!

Eventually we passed on these toys to some friends with kiddos who also have a passion for creating. I hope they have gotten as much fun out of them as we did!

Project 16 to 16: Day 3

It's day 3 and today I am reminded of one of the BEST PARTS of this yearly project - when looking for my "flash back" photo, I stumbled on a photo that I had completely forgotten about and it brought a HUGE smile to my face.


Our snap from this morning is our dear Wonder Boy with his puppy princess. Neither of them are what you would call a "morning person" but the Boy has learned that the mornings are probably the best time to get in some cuddles with his best girl. She's really started acting her age as of late and I think we're all trying to soak up whatever cuddles she feels like sharing.

Our flashback to 2003 is my smile for the day though! I had completely forgotten that the Boy went through this phase where he wanted to do everything upside down! I drew the line at letting him eat while upside down, but it wasn't worth the fight to ban him from watching TV or listening to one of us read to him in this manner.

He really was a fun little guy who always kept us on our toes!

Project 15 to 15: Day 10

Well here we are on Day 10! We've made it double digits into the project this year and only have a few days left. I am enjoying it every bit as much this year as the past two years. And so far, Wonder Boy has been pretty supportive as well.

Today we feature the Boy with his boy:


When I look at this snap, I think Wonder Mutt looks like either a ballerina or a great white shark - I can't make up my mind. I'm pretty sure if we could read his mind, he would identify more with the shark than the ballerina though. Wonder Boy and the Mutt have a very special relationship. They share a room. And Wonder Boy was telling me just this morning that every night, the Mutt settles down on his doggy bed in such a manner that he always has an eye on the Boy. I think that is just PERFECT. The Boy will literally drag the Mutt into the computer room with him or up on the couch for a good cuddle. The Mutt is always under the Boy's foot at the dinner table. The two are just meant to be together!

In looking back to 2010, we are back to another martial arts snap. This time from the Boy's muay thai classes:


This was taken just a week or so before Wonder Boy started the 3rd grade. It turned out to be a real blessing to have him in the muay thai classes as his 3rd grade year was, unfortunately, the year he would have real struggles with a classroom bully. His years in martial arts had taught him plenty of ways to AVOID a fight and he did his level best to follow through with that. But when push finally came to shove and he had taken his fill, it also taught him how to stand up for himself. And even better than that, Wonder Boy's years in martial arts taught him how to stand up for those that cannot or will not stand up for themselves. This is one of those characteristics that make my heart swell with pride. With his academic life taking more and more of his schedule, we've had to temporarily step away from martial arts. But I hope that these are lessons he will carry with him always.

Project 15 to 15: Day 7

We've made it to the end of the first week of this project and today I was able to grab this snap of Wonder Boy with his best girl, his puppy princess, Tori.


I love that the Boy loves his dogs so much. He has a "puppy alarm" set on his watch so that he never forgets to feed them in the evenings. He plays with them, he helps us bathe and care for them, and he makes sure they are bundled up warm and snuggly when he can't be there to cuddle with them. Watching him wrap up the dogs in one of his favorite fuzzy blankets is one of those things just makes me giggle. He treats them like his little babies. And they just soak it up! In the summer, when he is away at camp, they miss him terribly. And though he loves going to camp and being out on his own a bit, I know he misses them too (so we text him regular photos to keep him connected).

In looking back to 2007, we get another glimpse of our junior adrenaline junkie in his element:


This snap was taken a few weeks after his 6th birthday on a special family trip to Sea World in San Antonio. We all had a great time on that trip! The boy got to pet dolphins and manta rays. He laughed his head off at the silly antics of the seal and sea lions show. He was amazed by the acrobatics of Shamu. But the highlight of the trip was this Shamu roller coaster built just for kids his size. I think the 2 of them must have ridden that coaster about a dozen times - long lines and all! And to this day, roller coaster rides at theme parks are one of the Boy's favorite special treats.

Project 14 to 14: Day 4

For Day 4's dose of Wonder Boy goodness, I thought I'd give you a healthy helping of puppy love!


Just LOOK at that! My boy and his best girl cuddling on the couch before school. For the longest time, they had a complicated relationship. He was probably 3rd on her list of places from which she would seek attention - unless he had food or wanted to play fetch with her. But straight up cuddling was something she mainly reserved for the cold, wet months (and we all know those are few and far between in this part of the world).

But after Wonder Mutt came into our lives, she loosened up quite a bit. Wonder Mutt garners, no DEMANDS, quite a lot of attention. And since he is usually right under foot, that left the Puppy Princess having to adjust her own expectations. And I think it's worked out pretty well for her. Wonder Boy is ALWAYS in the mood for some puppy love. He never turns her away. I think, on the whole, she probably gets even more attention now than she ever did before the Mutt came into our home. And watching their relationship grow like this has been a joy for all of us.

In our look back today, we get another glimpse of Wonder Boy's softer side:


This picture was snapped a few days after the Boy's 3rd birthday. This time in his life marks the start of his "hero phase." And one of his first heroes was Buzz Lightyear. Oh, how he loved Buzz! And you have to admit, Buzz is pretty darn COOL. The Boy would perch precariously on the edge of any chair, bed, or sofa within reach, stretch his arms out wide, and proclaim "to in-fee and benon!" (translation: "to infinity and beyond!") at the top of his lungs and then launch himself in an attempt to fly (or at least "fall with style", like his hero). And even though I knew I should chastise him for such behavior, it was just SO CUTE, that often I turned a blind eye.

It may be hard to tell, but the Boy is giving a hug to a soft, cuddly version of Buzz in this snapshot. He took that toy with him everywhere we would allow it. It sat beside Wonder Boy in the car (strapped in safely, of course). Buzz had place of honor on the bed. And we couldn't settle on the couch to watch a movie without making sure Buzz had a clear view himself.

A part of me will always see the Boy at this age in my mind's eye. It was such a precious time and I just can't make myself let go of it.

Project 14 to 14: Day 2

On day #2 of this project, I want to look at Wonder Boy and Wonder Mutt. I really love seeing these two together! The Boy loves his mutt and the Mutt adores him in return. They play and rough house together. The cuddle on the couch. Wonder Boy plays an active role in feeding and caring for his special Mutt. And the Mutt looks after the Boy, even sleeping in his room to guard against ferocious storms, savage dust bunnies, and any other perceived threat to the well being of his favorite teenager.


This particular scene ALWAYS makes me chuckle just a bit. The Mutt actually willingly submits to this - he lets the Boy grab him and cart him off to whatever couch is close by so that they can sneak in a few extra snuggles before school in the morning.

Mind you, if I were to try and lift the Mutt like this, he would wiggle and squirm and do his level best to get all 4 feet back on the floor. But when the Boy scoops him up, the most the Mutt will do is try to lick him all over - he just can't get enough!

For our look back today, we see our Boy on his first birthday. He had SO much fun that day as all manner of friends and family came to celebrate with him. There was cake (his first taste), games both inside and out, and, of course, a stack of presents higher than the Boy could reach.


I know Wonder Boy doesn't have any real memory of this day, but I sure do. It was just one of those great days that I hold onto deep in my heart. The kind I pull back out when I need to focus on something good and pure. And that, for me, is the greatest gift of all.

Quick Pupdate

It's hard to wrap my brain around it, but it just dawned on me that our dear Wonder Mutt has been part of our family for over 6 months now! He's more than 7 months old and hardly looks anything like the spunky little ball of fuzz we drove home that cool, clear November afternoon.


These days he's taller, he's longer, and he weighs a TON more than he did back then.

But we're not complaining. Along with the differences in size and weight, Wonder Mutt is now potty trained (for the most part), will sit somewhat patiently for his meals, and thankfully he also sleeps through the night - those late night potty breaks were NOT my favorite.

But most importantly there is something that has NOT changed in these first 6 months with our princely pup ...


and that is how much we all love him (especially Wonder Boy)!

Introducing: Wonder Mutt

In the last few months, our family has added a new addition. We're calling him Wonder Mutt (at least, that's what we'll call him here). Our Puppy Princess (who is all princess and not much pup any more) wasn't too thrilled with our latest family member, but Wonder Boy couldn't be more thrilled and she is adjusting.


Wonder Boy has been dreaming of a dog to call his own for longer than I can remember. And he adores the Puppy Princess with all his heart. But she thinks of him as a litter mate. They play. And cuddle. But what he was looking for, I believe, is a dog that follows his every movement and cannot wait to be with him at the end of a school day.

Enter Wonder Mutt. The little man just ADORES Wonder Boy. They cuddle on the couch and play games of chase and fetch both in and out of the house(heaven help me).

Wonder Boy has started getting up 30 minutes earlier than normal so that he can lend a hand with managing Mr Mutt first thing in the morning, he helps with feeding time and potty training and all of the other little things that are needed to help Wonder Mutt fit into the puzzle that is our family and our routine. I believe this to be the key to their special bond.

Wonder Mutt came into our home about a month after Wonder Boy's birthday, but it seems like every day is a new gift, watching the two of them together. I look forward to many more years of seeing their relationship develop.

Poor Sick Puppy

Our puppy princess is learning a tough lesson right now. She's learning that licking (or swallowing, I'm not sure which at present) a toad is not the best snack choice.

We'be been to the vet twice in the last 24 hours trying to get her tummy to stop its rumbling. And I think we've finally rounded that corner, but she sure did give us a scare. You can tell in this photo just how bad she must be feeling - not only by the sad droopy face, but by the fact that for the first time since she was a small pup, we don't have to restrain her from charging me when she see me with the camera.

Poor, poor puppy girl. Hopefully she will think twice before sampling the amphibians in the back yard next time. (One can hope, right?)