Archie

Today was the day!!!
We went to pick up Archie and bring him home!
To say the Little Misses have been excited is an understatement - Miss E has been counting down the days and squealing "I can't wait!!!!!" for most of the last week!
After Miss E's swimming we went to Harris + Hoole with Miss A, Miss J and their dad Mr K. I don't go with them that often and it was lovely to see them all together. Miss E and Miss A sit at one table, Miss L and Miss J at another and the grown ups at another. 
When we'd finished I got them to go to the pet aisle and choose a toy each for Archie. Miss L got a purple rope man and Miss E got a purple ball on a rope. I skilfully steered them away from anything squeaky!
Then it was to Nottingham to get him!!!
I had warned the Little Misses that Archie's current owners would be very upset about seeing him go and that Archie might be scared if they were too over excited and loud. They were good as gold - calm and polite, and brilliant with Archie who loved them immediately!!
He wasn't at all yappy and puppy crazy with them - just happy to play and be cuddled. Brilliant!
It felt awful taking him away from the lovely people who've had him for a month, like we were taking their baby! But they both said now nice we were, how lovely the girls are and how obviously loved he's going to be.
And they gave us his bed, lead, collar, brush, bowls, treats, blankets, toys - dozens of them and most of them squeaky!!!!! - shampoo, worming stuff, and a huge bag of puppy food. Which has saved us a fortune!!
The journey home was brilliant. He settled on a few towels on Mr K's knee - I was driving!! - and after half an hour of looking all around and enjoying the fussing he slept most of the way.
We stopped at services on the M1 and I went in to get us some tea, coffee and Subways for lunch. When I came back towards the car he saw me and started doing that fantastic full body wag they do. He recognised me and was pleased to see me!!!!
It was so funny watching him explore when we got home. It feels so right to have a dog here!! He went straight out and did a wee, clever boy!! 
He loves the garden and spent ages out there running around like a nutter.
Miss E got a bit overwhelmed and found it difficult as she wanted him to sit on her, and play with the toy she'd bought and she thought Miss L kept "stealing him" and he preferred Mr Purple Rope Man which Miss L had chosen!! We tried to explain that he's so excited about his new home and all the new people and things that she just needs to relax a bit with him and be patient. He will love us all!
It was heartbreaking to see her fighting back tears because she feels rejected by a fourteen week old puppy. Sigh!!
But she had lots of cuddles later and Miss L got a few nips so it all evened out!! Ha ha!!
When the Little Misses had gone to bed we sat and cuddled him and he just flopped on the sofa next to us. It's like he's always been here!
At bedtime we put his bed in the dining room and shut the door to the rest of the house. He howled for a couple of minutes and then went quiet.
Let's see how the first night goes!!!