Is my family crazy?

Oh, sure. There’s no question about that. Two puppies this time? Really?

Yes, really. Meet Finn and Maggie, the newest (and adorable-est) members of my once-again-happy little family. Finn is the floppy-eared one on the left, and Maggie’s to the right with the perkier ears and daintier nose.

It should say something about owning a dog, that my family lasted about a week — a week — before we needed to fill the void that Sawyer left. Not replacing him, mind you, that’s impossible to do even if we tried, but finding a new outlet for all the love we had left over.

Plus, my mom was an absolute wreck, so she needed something to baby.

And here we are now. Sort of. I unfortunately only got about two days to spend with the new arrivals, since I probably should attend the school that I’ll be paying out of any (and every) orifice for. So now I’m four and a half hours (counting potty breaks) away from two little puffs of fur that I won’t see for about a month. But the rest of the family gets to see them, and I was more-or-less promised daily photos, because Finn and Maggie aren’t nearly as camera shy as Sawyer was.

Looking at you here, Mom. Ball’s in your court.

Luckily, I spent most of those two precious days getting to know Finn and Maggie and watch their individuality blossom.

Finn seems to be inherently lapdoggish. If you sit crossed-legged on the ground anywhere near him, he has no qualms about clambering up on your lap and making himself comfortable. Plus, he’s nice and squat and cozy, which is an asset when it comes to cuddling. He’s pretty shy, generally submissive to his sister, but has no problem roughhousing with her. However, he really began to come out of his shell as he got more comfortable with his new home, so he may just be a late(r?) bloomer. Also, he apparently hates baths.

Miss Maggie is definitely the spunkier of the two, and tends to be the leader as they play and gambol in the yard. She tolerates being held for a little while until something else invariably warrants her immediate and urgent attention. Slender and athletically built, she’s probably going to be the self-appointed scrappy defender of household when she gets bigger. She doesn’t seem to have as big an issue with baths as Finn does, but she doesn’t love them, either.

As a duo, these two little whirlwinds of fluff and teeth (such sharp little teeth…) might as well be one dog. Attached at the hip; what one does, both do.

Finn’s hungry? So’s Maggie.

Maggie’s drinking up some wah-wah? Finn is overcome by an extreme thirst.

One has to tinkle? HAH. Both have to tinkle. Always. Hopefully on the really handy pee mats that my family picked up for training purposes. Hopefully, but not infallibly.

But only half of this is new to the O’Brien family. We’ll just have to do what we did before, just twice more so. Sawyer’s legacy will continue.

Welcome to the family, Finn and Maggie O’Brien. See you real soon.

Turkey Day can’t come soon enough.