Hooray for Camp Bow Wow and our Mardi Gras Pup!

FAT
TUESDAY!!

Gracie got her final shots from Dr. Joe Saturday morning. We were finally able to schedule Gracie's "Camper Evaluation Session" at Camp Bow Wow. She did great at the dog park, and still I was a little nervous. You see if she didn't pass the evaluation, then it was obviously a reflection on our parenting skills. We are already banned from one doggy daycare after the Willie Fiasco. Let's just say the pressure was on for little Gracie to perform. Throughout the day Ben checked the puppy cam and assured me that she was having fun. I held out until 3:00pm and at that point had to call and hear for myself. From all reports Gracie was having the time of her life and adjusted to the new routine almost immediately. We passed as parents! I recognize how utterly neurotic I am. Then again, what mother isn't at some point in time. I can't even keep bamboo alive, so technically I am not ready to care for a puppy. :) Then again, the bamboo didn't have Gracie's demanding bark.So Gracie will be spending at least three days a week in daycare. As much as I want her to like it, I have to admit I was hurt when I picked her up the first night and she really didn't miss me at all. Sure I got a couple puppy kisses and she was obviously sad to leave her new friends. I don't blame her for wanting to stay. They even celebrated Fat Tuesday. Gracie was part of a canine Mardi Gras celebration...purple beaded collar and all. (Camp Bow Wow provided the costumes.) Personally, I am looking forward to the Easter Egg hunt in April. No I am not making this stuff up... You can read all about it and even check out the puppy cam at www.mycbw.com/northglenn . What can I say, Princess Gracie deserves the best! Although at this point I am not exactly sure how I feel about them dressing my dog up. Mardi Gras or not, dressing up your pet is a little over the top, even for a neurotic mother like me.Costumes aside, day one at camp was a total success. I knew we had made the right decision when she fell sound asleep during the 10 minute ride home. She didn't even get car sick, which really was the biggest advantage to having a tuckered out pup. Let's just say that all our extra funds are going toward the "Detail Jenn's Car and Shampoo EVERYTHING fund".I have come to accept the fact that we are "those kind of people". You know, the ones that treat their pets like children. Gracie is living large being an only child in our house. And for those of you wondering, we don't see that changing anytime soon. We are still in training with puppy number one. So if, I mean WHEN you return to this blog to get an Alexander update, you can expect Gracie to play a central role in most every posting. Besides, her life really is far more exciting than ours!