I got to go too...

Bode here...Abbey left out that I went to a park that same night, but with our dog friends! We are still learning new things with our trainer, Jen, and Geoff took me to a group class.

I did so good and practiced on the agility course..then I went down the slide!! I am so proud of myself and my K-9 friends! We jumped and romped while we celebrated our success...can big dogs like me do agility...YES, we can!!

I can't wait to go back and bring Abbey to show her too!

~Bode

A Day at the Park...

I love the park!! Monday I met one of our clients there. She is 4 and has really bad anxiety about playing on the jungle gym. After some session work, we decided to meet and try out the park and Tara brought me along...I think she thought Bode was too big for the park!

We got there and the client was excited to see me. We said our hellos as walked around in the sand...what fun!! I am excited again just sharing it with you. After exploring, we went to the smaller of the two jungle gym stations. I quick climbed to the top and sat down. Tara followed but our client stood at the bottom and cried. Her mom seemed scared, so Tara reassured the mother. I walked back down and sat with the client looking at her. Finally she took a step and I went with her, again sitting at her side. We did this for all four steps and then walked across a small bridge. It was so great! There were kids, dogs, people everyone...Tara says to be careful as she didnt know if I was allowed on there, but it was working!

We sat down and played a little and then gave a choice of the tunnel or a slide to get down. We walked to slide and down went our client to her mother. (I took the stairs!) I wanted to see the bigger jungle gym, so we ventured over there next. We walked around and sat at the bottom of all three slides and rock walls. We practiced picking up our feet and then off I climbed to the very top...VERY high! It was so fun. I came back down and our client asked to go with me. Off we went to the top and back down...NO CRYING! She did great!!

We came down and went to the swings were I laid down and the adults and client talked about how proud they were and recounted all the things we did...oh what fun! I want to go back!!

At the end, I got a hug and our client said that I kept her safe...this is what it is all about--showing a child how to overcome fear to have fun!

Play time for all!

~~Abbey

Allergic to playroom?

Hi, it's Abbey!

Have you ever had itchy skin and you don't know why? Well this has been happening to me lately in the office. I get itchy and a slight rash in my ears and I don't want this to happen! Tara has cleaned everything and cannot figure out what causes. I don't want to stop working!!

We cleaned every toy, carpet, blanket, pillow, chair, and more...nothing is helping! It happens in the CARES side and our offices...what is bothering my skin!! I have taken some benedryl, but that doesn't always help. I really want to be there with the kids but I itch SOOOO bad!!

Could I be allergic to my favorite thing...WORK? Tara has thought about taking me to the doctor, but 15 minutes after we leave work, my skin quickly clears up and I am not itchy anymore. Everyone is stumped! Any ideas on how to get through this?

Merry Christmas!

Abbey

We have been busy....

Sorry for not keeping up with our blog. Our life has been very busy but enjoyable. Just to get you up to date, we are working hard at our phobia of being around other dogs and starting to make new friends. Veronica, our intern, graduated and we are hoping to hire her on so that we all (Tara, too) can help more kids. Geoff celebrated a BIG birthday and they went on a cruise...did you know dog's are not allowed on cruise ships--NO FAIR! It sounded so fun, except for all that water...that part is very scary.

Baxter, Rascal, and Brooke stayed a few days with us again! We love visitors!

Oh and the biggest thing...it is almost Christmas...we love Christmas!! Our tree is up with presents under it (we can't tell if they are for us or not), but we love to sleep next to the tree! There are many new things in the neighborhood that startle us on our walks...we don't like blow up lawn ornaments! We bark at ours every night when the timer turns it on. It just doesn't seem right! The lights are so pretty though!

We hope each of your are getting ready for your winter holidays and would love to hear about your favorite things! We will try to blog more as we miss keeping up with everyone!

With love,
Abbey and Bode

Happy Halloween, a day late--priorities!

What a day yesterday was! We got to put on fun, "human" clothes and see so many kids that wanted candy from our house. We hope you all had a great Halloween and spent fun time with kids or playing pretend! Abbey was a Hawaiian ballerina and Bode a Tampa Bay Bucs player...so fun!

We know it has been a very long time since we wrote and we apologize. Have you ever had life just get away from you? It all started when Tara went to a conference and left us home with Geoff. We all missed her so much, but she was learning new things to help the kids. Then once she got back, there started to be family situations that came up and our computer broke--obviously it is fixed now!

A lesson we learned that we wanted to share was to prioritize all the things in your life. For example, is it ok to skip a meal or the laundry. The answer is the laundry! Pick what is important and cannot wait and then move on to the other things. They will all get done eventually.

We will try to post more often and share our Halloween pictures soon!
Abbey and Bode :)

Best Friends...on a rainy day!

Baxter and Rascal came to play again today. Oh what fun we had! Rascal and Abbey slept a lot, but joined in sometimes. Baxter and I made up lots of new games with the toys and created obstacle courses throughout the house--the couches, pillows, chairs, and blankets were everywhere. It was rainy all day, so we had to be creative.

Tara decided it was a no TV day, which was good because we don't really know what is happening on that talking box. I see colors and hear noises, but can't figure it out! She cleaned and did laundry with our help too--we got in trouble for taking all the socks from the basket once they were clean. I love socks--actually all 4 of us loved socks today!

Yesterday was Worldwide Day of Play and we extended it to today as well! We hope you all took time to turn off your televisions, even though there was good football on both days, and spent time playing with those you love! Play can be creative or using pre-created games such as board games...avoid anything that takes away your own thinking such as video games or toys that talk on their own.

My favorite toy right now is my stuffed Moosey...Abbey loves her Soccer ball...what is your favorite toy?

Gotta go clean up the mess....

Bode

Helping Hand

We know it has been a long time since our last post and we apologize, but we had a lot to do! Tara's aunt is in the hospital and we brought her dog to our house. This has been hard on both of us as she has never been around dogs before and we just want to help her learn the rules of the house!

It is now day 11 and she is finally catching on! She still doesn't like Geoff--or any man for that matter, but we are working on it! We have learned a very good lesson about patience in helping others. No one knew Mollie wold be here this long, so we took turns tolerating her and now we are all getting along! Mollie didn't know how to do things like sit, use the doggie door, or play with toys! Good thing we are good teachers!

We hope that when you can, you help someone in need! This means putting yourself out there and being uncomfortable at times! What a life lesson!

The picture below is one of the crazy locations we have found Mollie--on the pool table! She has also been found sitting in the bathtub, on the outside dining table, and on the ledge in front of the fireplace!

Time for a nap as she just mastered the doggie door this morning and it was a chore!!

With love,

Abbey and Bode

The Power of "NO"

This is Abbey, but I am going to share with you something that happened to Bode this week--he is embarrassed, but I think it is a good lesson!

Bode was working with Tara and our new intern, Veronica, with a young girl. They were discussing manners and having a tea party. From the sounds of it, the adults were really not following etiquette and Bode decided to follow-along. Bode threw his cup and the client asked to talk to him. Bode said he walked over to her and at the same time she asked him to do something he got an itch. It wasn't a bad itch, just one that made his head shake. The client was shocked...it looked like Bode told her "NO". Tara just sat and watched as the client worked with her feelings of being told "NO" by a dog.

What a powerful event to have happen and Bode feels horrible for telling her "NO". Tara tried to explain how helpful it was as the client was able to process how it must feel to be her parents or siblings and be told "NO" when asked to do something. Tara says you could see the "light bulb" go off and then the play turned to everyone following their best manners. Bode says he followed all directions and there were no further problems.

"NO" is a powerful word--do you know the right and wrong times to use it? There are also ways to say "NO" without words, such as Bode shaking his head. Bode and I sometimes get in trouble at home when we ignore the command to come in from the yard, ignoring is the same as "NO" too!

Have a great week!
Abbey

Familiy...they say you only get one...

Hey, How's life? Mine is great--I have been working hard and had Rascal and Baxter (our cousins) stay the week with us. We have tried hard to teach Baxter good manners since he is only a puppy and he is doing ok! Good thing I can escape at work sometimes.

It is hard today to pick which lesson to share with you. I think it will be one on the importance of family. I heard Tara telling one of the kids recently that family is important and the goal is for them to be with you through thick and thin. One of the kids said they were told you only get one family and was concerned about how children get adopted. Good thing I was there to share my thoughts on this....I don't know my biological family at all! Abbey met her mom, brother, and sister, but it is just me--that's ok though because I wouldn't trade my family for the world! Sometimes your biological family cannot take care of you by choice or because of choices they make...then you get another chance! There are foster families and adoptive families out there that help children (and dogs) feel welcomed when they cannot be with their biological parents. So you can have multiple families, but focus on those that accept you for who you are and help you become a better person!

Helping CARES Help Others

Hi to all our friends!

We are asking for help and you can help save a life with us! We help Tara with a non-profit, CARES Suicide Prevention, and love our work there. We get to go to events and sometime Board of Directors Meetings, as well as working with the support groups! They are trying to increase their membership through Facebook and raise money for the first resource center in our area for prevention and education efforts. We are looking for people in numbers and if you can, through donations, but mostly to increase our numbers!

To have your human friends join, please use this http://apps.new.facebook.com/causes/103390?recruiter_id=16905964

If you know someone that wants to donate (with or without joining) use this http://apps.new.facebook.com/causes/goals/7608?m=49eee

Thanks for your help! You can always view the CARES website for information: www.leecountycares.org!

Love, Abbey and Bode

Autism and kids...

I just got back from work, and yes we work on Labor Day! There were some kids that just needed to see me! I got to play with one of my favorite types of kids, those with Autism.

They are so much fun to work with and so unique. I like helping them with their social skills and teaching them the best way to interact with me. Today we played the sticker game as well as built houses that he used for parallel play. I got to be the "nice giant" and go into the houses...oh what fun!

We have an intern too and I had trouble not licking her today. Tara says I need to work on that because not everyone likes my kisses all the time!

If you want to support Autism research, join your local walk! These kids have so much to give!

Have a great Labor Day!

~Abbey

All Clean!

We just got back from the groomers...yes we have short hair, but we love Sue! We go visit her about once a month to get baths, nails trimmed, and ears cleaned well...we also get bandannas! I love bandannas! We are tired now, but thought we would tell you we went and had fun. If you are in SW Florida, Sue is at Dog Days Grooming. She is wonderful and loves us!

They make special arrangements for Bode. He loves to watch everyone get their baths and insists on going right in when we get there. I don't mind going second because I don't really like to be wet and it is fun to see Bode so happy! They told Tara several months ago that he has is own spot and runs directly into it when he arrives and they weren't joking. It almost looks like he is smiling and encouraging all the dogs during their baths!

We may not work today because usually we are exhausted after visits with Sue...we'll see!
Have a great week!

~Abbey

Doggyspace

We just joined doggyspace.com. If you are on, we would love to meet you and be friends! You can find us under Abbey or Bode (we have our own)!

Sorry for the delay...we are ok!

Hi Everyone! Sorry we have been away from our blog for so long. Time got away from all of us with Tara and Geoff being at a conference and then Tropical Storm Fay coming for a visit!

We missed sharing our adventures with you and hope you didn't miss us too much! We have been very busy with work and playing as we missed Tara and Geoff so much while they were away.

We experienced our first Tropical Storm and thought it was scary to have the shutters up. We couldn't go outside when we wanted and the wind made horrible noises. We new we were safe and have heard all of our clients were safe as well. The best part of the storm was all the sleeping you get to do! I think the humans don't like it as much as we do, but it is great! We love to sleep about as much as we love to work with all the kids!

We promise to keep up with our postings better as we have lot's of things coming up...we are getting an intern, we have some playdates with dogs set, and new clients to meet!

Talk to you soon!
~Abbey and Bode

Are they coming back?

We love visiting friends and family, but it seems we have been here for a long time now. Where is "here" you ask, well we are at Grandma and Grandpa Moser's and have been here for 5 human days, which for us is like a month. We were so wrapped up in playing with Dante and Gracie that we didn't realize Tara and Geoff's good-bye was for the longest time ever!! We are debating, this is both Bode and Abbey, about when we think they will get back and finally heard Monday....that is still 5 more days until we see them!!!

Have you ever had to take a break from your loved ones and away from your house? It is really hard. At first it was really fun, but we miss our house, our couches, our yard, and so on. We have stopped waiting at the window and once Abbey got to call and leave a message.....she was howling into the phone. We think Tara and Geoff miss us as they have called a few times to see how we are doing. They are at a conference and visiting our friends in Cape Cod. We heard that everything is dog friendly up there, but because of Bode's size we could not go with them. Abbey is happy she didn't go without Bode but misses them greatly! Maybe airlines will reconsider large dogs having to travel under the plane and then we can all go together...wouldn't that be mean to have Bode all alone under the airplane...sounds very scary!

The most reassuring thing is to hear they are coming back and miss us. By having a time frame, that we sort of understand, helps to know we get to go home and see our favorite people very soon. We hope that if you ever have your favorite people have to leave you behind that you are able to have a time frame and check in with them like we have! More to come once Tara and Geoff are back!!

Left Alone...

This has been a hard two weeks for me. Each week, I have had two client's scheduled to work with me and I go in and they aren't there. It is so hard because I get so excited when I get to work. We get there and get all my things set up and then wait....wait...and wait somemore. When Tara calls, they either do not answer or say they forgot. Don't they know it hurts my feelings to be "forgotten" about.



I love Tara, but I love even more to work with the kids and help them with what they are working on. I am needing to learn that I cannot pout when this happens and to understand that sometimes things don't happen the way we plan. This has been a very hard lesson because it never seems to happen to Abbey. Abbey is so easy going, so maybe it does happen to her but it just doesn't bother her.



Have you ever had something that you get excited about but then doesn't happen? How do you handle it? This feeling happens when Tara and Geoff go out of town because no where takes dogs my size, so we both stay with family while they go. There has been talk about packing, so I think they are leaving again and we will stay behind....oh wait, that also means no work--At least I will be able to play with Dante and Gracie!

Unconditional Love

What a time we have had getting settled since the CARES grand opening. Things have been so hectic and clients are requesting us more than ever. There have been some days that Bode and I both go to work, like yesterday--I worked the morning and Bode the afternoon.

I realized with the teenager I was working with how unconditional love is so important. I love everyone that wants to love me too! It is fun to figure out what they need from me, whether it be a hug, kiss, to rub my belly, or for me to just sit next to them. Sometimes I think they need a kiss and they don't want it (although Tara says it could be because I have breath that smells bad--I like it!).

I hope that you all have a canine friend or even a human that allows you to be yourself and love you no matter what. When you give someone that opportunity to be vulnerable without judgement, it is one of the best feelings for someone to experience. Imagine the validation of your feelings...it is something that I love to give and hope that each of our readers attempt to achieve by loving and receiving love from others.

Have a great rest of the weekend~~Abbey :)

Grand Opening Celebration...

Boy are we tired and that is why the lag in posting this! We finally made a dual appearance at the CARES Grand Opening that was also an open house for our counseling practice. That was 3 1/2 hours of non-stop loving. One of us couldn't get enough and the other was overwhelmed...Bode couldn't get enough!

Abbey had a rough time with all the different people wanting to say hi and just laid on the couch. People that visited us got to see our different personalities and realize that we have different feelings and reactions to things just like people. Abbey is more introverted and Bode is an extrovert!

If you are in the area and want to stop by, we both love one on one visitors and look forward to seeing you at our playroom or in the CARES side.

Way to go CARES on filling such a great need in the community and allowing us to be apart of it!

Another Therapy Dog Doing Good Things...

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/jul/06/pet-therapy-comforts-hospital-patients/

Different Interests....

Well, Coconut came to visit us again this weekend and it has been fun. None of us are so sure about those loud noises outside that Geoff and Tara say are fireworks, but we made it through the worst night. Happy 4th of July to everyone (even though it is a day late!)

We learned that we all have different interests and have to be ok with not always liking what the others want to do. This came about yesterday when Coconut decided to go swimming in our pool... he just kept jumping in, swimming around and then repeat. Well, let's just say we don't do the pool thing and hide or sunbathe when others do, however we have never seen a fellow four-legged friend swim! Tara brought us out some doggie ice cream, so we ate our ice cream and watched Coconut go and go. They taught him how to climb on the raft when he needed a break and the repeat again. I dont think any of us thought we could get him to come out of the pool for they day!

When he came in, we tried to get him to play games like chase and tug and he just ignored us as he was too tired. We learned that is ok to do your own thing and not always needing to be with others, but it is fun to find a way to share your time and do both as well.

You still won't get us in that pool thing...we can't touch the bottom...but give us doggie ice cream any day!!

To the doctor...

Hey it's Bode. Tara praised me for my patience with a client this week and I thought I would share. I don't know why this happened, but it did and it seemed to really help the 5 year old girl I was working with.

We have doctor and vet kit in our playroom and for some reason she decided to play with it yesterday. The entire session, she was giving me pretend shots, checking my ears, teeth, tail and legs. She even pretended to take an x-ray and my blood pressure. I got all three of my legs wrapped as they were "broken". I was very patient with her and she kept finding things wrong with me...I ended up with a fever too, so she gave me lots of water to drink!

After all the things that made me unhealthy were fixed, the little girl gave me cookies and laid down with me telling me that things will be great. I think she worked a lot inside of her and I was able to help her. It is amazing to see how playing doctor can make a little girl feel good...and I loved the attention I got!

You never know how playing can make things feel better for a client!

A New Friend...

Coconut came to visit --you can scroll down to see a slideshow of the fun we had together.

Coconut is our new friend. He is a 6 month old Jack Russell puppy and he has ALL puppy :) His owner, Heidi and her daughter Charli Su had to go for a long weekend, so Bode and I puppysat! Tara and Geoff think they were in charge, but we took care of everything.

We know how hard it is when you can't go on trips with your family as most of the places Tara and Geoff go do not allow dogs over 50lbs and that rules out Bode, so I always stay with him at our grandparents house. Our previous knowledge made it easy to help him settle into our routine and learn the ropes with still feeling comfortable. Bode taught him that "ice cookies" are just as good as regular cookies, but you can't fool me with those ice cube things, and to tug! I taught him how to play tag in the yard and we all played fetch and chase together (although you will see in the pictures that we wrestled too). Today is his last day with us and it took the entire four days to teach him the doggie door--I had to try and show him to let Bode go first and then wait as there is a LARGE backswing when Bode goes through!

The hardest part is that Bode and I are set in our nap and bedtime schedules, but Coconut kept fearing he would miss something so had to be awake all time time. I think Coconut caught on as he is sleeping now and Heidi will be coming soon to get him, actually Bode is asleep to and I am off for a nap after this. Remember change is hard, but if you treat it as your own vacation and not that your favorite people left you...then you can have just as much fun as those humans!

Another article on pet therapists...

http://wjz.com/pets/courthouse.dogs.2.738811.html

You're Invited!!!

We have great news!! There will be an official grand opening of our office with The Back Door Counseling and CARES Suicide Prevention...the people we share our suite with! We love to visit their clients too!

We would love to have you attend if you are in SW Florida as we will both be there for the first time together. We go together but never with people there, so this is a big deal for us. We are guessing Tara will put up the gate to our play room so people can look in and pet us and look at what her play therapy room looks like.

The police chief is coming as well as one of those political guys from Tallahassee, Representative Aubuchon. We better be on our best behavior!!

Here is some more information:
Thursday, July 10th from 4:30-7:30pm with CARES having a ribbon cutting and check presentation at 5:30pm.

Please let us know if you would like to attend, the more the merrier and we can count you on the RSVP list to make sure there are enough yummy snacks for you!

CARES opening will the first resource center in SW Florida for prevention efforts and this is such a needed thing in our area. If you are interested in volunteering, we are also recruiting volunteers. For those of you that don't know, Tara is also the lead therapist/Vice President for CARES and we are mascots!

Together we can all save a life (or more!)

A Fellow Pet Therapy Dog...

Check out Buddy's story on the following link. He helps kids in court!

http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=5244356&page=1

Way to go Buddy!

Love, Abbey and Bode

National Take Your Dog to Work Day

Did you take your dog with you on Friday? We got to go to work and it was great...although we go everyday! We are so excited that someone created a national day to celebrate dogs at work.

We worked with the kids and stopped by the real estate office, where Geoff works too. We decided that real estate isn't our thing, we love working with the kids and families!!

Here is the link to the website for National Take Your Dog to Work Day: http://www.takeyourdog.com/index.php

We would love to hear what others got to do on this great day...post to us!!

Take a breath...

We decided to write this blog together...we had to take a break though because we were fighting over the keyboard :)

This week we realized how important it is to step back and take a breath. Rascal and Baxter left this week, which was happy and sad at the same time; the new therapist moved into our building; we got a window leak; and Tara got called to court--that means we can't go to work those days! And that is just the start of our week...have you ever had weeks like that? We have never been on a roller coaster, but heard Tara say that is what the week was like. Up and down, happy, sad, joyful, stressed, and on and on.

Together we learned that we cannot do it all or control it all and it is important to step back and breath. This allows the situation to move in the direction it is going and for you to view all sides of it. Sometime those breaths need to be the deep breathing kind where you breathe in for a count of 5 and breathe out for 5. This clears your head as well.

Next time you feel like you are on one of those roller coaster things that wont stop, or maybe like us-- chasing your tail round and round (we still don't realize that is part of us...)--stop and take a breath to reevaluate the situation. If we all did this, there could be less conflict and stress in the world.

Feeling left out...

Look at these pictures I took of Bode and our cousins playing. This is Abbey for those that didn't realize! Rascal is the cocker spaniel watching and Baxter is the little white dog. It's funny to watch because Bode is 120lbs and Baxter is only 10lbs!

We love to play, but sometimes I feel left out and thought I would write about that. My favorite game is tag, but all these boys like to play tug and wrestle. I was really struggling to find out how to get involved with their play and was pouting a lot instead of working at becoming a part of the group. Have you ever felt like it was easier to stay away then find a way to engage yourself in what others are doing?

Don't get me wrong, they look like they are having fun, but those games aren't my favorite. Finally I learned that we can split up and do things without it being all of us or we can share and I can play their games and they can play ours. Good think Rascal likes to sunbathe and rest (he is a lot older than us) and we can do that together! It is hard to learn that it can't always be the way you want it an that we have to share, but I do hear Tara talk to kids a lot about something called compromise and I think that is what I am learning to do this week!

Personal Time...

Hi, It's Bode! Ever feel like you can't get away, every where you go there is someone there and you just want 5 minutes by yourself? Thank goodness I can do that at work! I love that word, WORK, WORK, WORK. This week we have Rascal and Baxter staying with us and it is a lot of fun, but we keep forgetting to rest and then we get upset with each other because we are too tired.

Right now everyone is laying around because we got up early to run, play tag, tug, and wrestle, but Baxter wants to keep going. He is only 9 months old and I guess that is why. Tara keeps telling us that it is ok to take time by ourselves and Abbey keeps finding great hiding spots. I have found that I can go lay on the living room couch and no one knows for a bit. We keep rotating who goes to the office so we have playtime to run and then work with the kids. I learned yesterday that if I don't take a nap before work then I don't do very good. Good thing I love naps too!

Please remember that everyday you should take time for yourself just to get a way from everything and breathe! Also naps are great to lift your mood when you can fit them in...even 20 minutes helps!

It's Summertime...

Yes in Florida, it always seems like Summer but now it really is Summer!! We love to sunbathe when we aren't working with the kids and to relax by the pool...please don't make us go in though, we don't like to swim! Summer is a great time to spend with friends and family and cool off with well earned treats. Sometimes we hear that our clients feel they deserve things for no reason, such as expensive trips, cars, or ice cream every day. We love our doggie ice cream, especially the peanut butter kind, but we know we don't get it handed to us with out hard work. We cannot fight, have accidents, or bark too much, however if we play good with each other (our cousin's Rascal and Baxter--more on them later), walk nicely and work hard with the clients, then we earn good things. Sometimes we receive surprise treats for our hard work...Thank you Ms. Theresa for the new treats!

Remember, even though it is summer and we feeling like laying around or goofing off, not matter how old we are, we still have some responsibilities that have to be done too!

Too Big...

Have you ever felt too big to do something? If you can't tell, I didn't know I was too big to lay on the top of the couch like Abbey! Then I tried to make it look like I was fine and then I got frustrated. Now that I think about it, maybe I am this size for a reason because there are things Abbey is too small to do. We each have our own qualities and it looks nice to try things that our size doesn't allow, but there are reasons. Tara says that is like the "grass is greener on the other side" and one of our client's this week said it was like how she always wants straight hair but has curly. I think I want to be more comfortable in my size and help others do the same. If I wasn't this big, I couldn't look at the food being cooked on on the stove, I couldn't have some of the kids pretend I am a horse, I couldn't win all the tug of war games that I win and much more. There are always things we will want to change or be different that aren't possible and sometimes we have to try them out to see why. Maybe just laying on the couch and not the top is where I need to be.

Just Listen...

I always wondered why Abbey and I have big floppy ears and finally figured it out---to listen better. Maybe that is why we can't talk either, all we can do is listen and love. This has been extremely helpful this week with our clients as they just needed to talk and have someone listen with care.

Abbey and I both have worked a lot this week and been able to rest after some of those sessions as well. It is amazing how our clients will talk to us as some of it does not require words directly from them. I watched one of the little girls put on a puppet show this week and she talked about friendship and the importance of being nice to each other with the puppets. The best part was all of a sudden she would turn it into hide and go seek and I would go peek over the make shift puppet theater to find her laying there giggling looking at me and petting me and then she would put me back on my spot in a "sit, stay" to watch again. I think she forgot Tara was there, except for when she asked to give me a cookie...yum yum!

We have noticed that the quiet pause and inability of us to respond verbally is uncomfortable for some people, however they learn to appreciate the silence and allow it to work with them in their processing. Next time you feel like you don't have anything to say or you have said too much, don't say anything and just listen as that can be the most powerful that person will experience that day.

Smiling...it's good for you!

It's Abbey...have you ever had those days were you go and go and forget to check in with yourself to see what you are going and going for? I have found that if you stop and smile about the positives you can slow down just a bit. I love to work with the kids and have found that they all smile when they see Bode and I. When they smile they usually stop and slow down to play with us and then engage us in what they are doing.

Smiling is a universal communicator with no verbal need. Smiling allows those around you to know something is positive with out it being described. I have been pulling extra hours this week, which makes me smile, since Tara can't have Bode too much around her hand or on a leash (poor Bode :( He thinks it was his fault and doesn't understand that he is just too big and heavy on the leash for Tara with only one hand--see below if you don't know about Tara's hand). Through these hours I have gotten to see more smiling and progress through some of the kids and encouraged those that who thought there was nothing to smile about to try it. There was a lot of sandplay this week, which was good since Tara went to that training, and so many of the kids took deep breathes and smiled as they looked at their sandtrays.

Here is a picture of Brooke, a family member, smiling while holding me...I was smiling but always seem to stop when that camera thing comes out :)

We're back open!

What an adventure the last week has been! Tara broke her hand right before our big move and the the city took forever for their permitting. Finally, we are back to work. It was so wonderful to see the client's reactions to our bigger space. The canal view is so soothing and some of the kids incorporated it into their play. The best news is that we are so close to home now, that we both got to work in the same day!

Abbey enjoyed her sessions and found the puppet show one of the clients put on to be enlightening. She was able to watch him role play the trauma he has experienced in his life through the bigger puppet area that we now have. After releasing his trauma, he laid with her on the floor and rolled around and giggled with all the kisses she provided him. That was the first time that little boy has bounced out of a session and a visible release was seen through his posture.

Bode worked with a family and used some sensory tools to encourage them to work together and recognize how they interpret things differently. It was amazing to see the realization that this was ok to be different and perceive things differently yet be in the same family. It was even better that a whole family, Tara and Bode could all fit in the new-improved-extra-large playroom.

We'll keep you updated on our adventures now that we have grown and have more room to work!

Abbey and Bode

One way secrets...

Hi, it's Abbey and I wanted to share about some of Bode and I's ability with the kids. Today a little boy I was working with was playing a board game and kept saying he needed to say something but was scared to tell Tara. Eventually he whispered it to me and I KNOW Tara needs to know, but I don't know what to do to tell her. The little boy said Bode and I help cause we keep his secrets for him, but he is able to share them if he wants. He called it a one way secret and I loved that name...Tara did too! It is nice to have the kids trust us and know that we can listen unconditionally.

Tara and I reinforced the safety of the play room and the ability to leave bad things there so they aren't so heavy to carry around. He definitely left me with something and I hope he shares it with Tara so he can feel better and be a happy, healthier little boy in the future!

We're Moving...

It's official, this weekend is our big move to a bigger play room for our therapy practice. Tara calls it hers, but it is really ours! There will be space for us to hang out with the kids and nap when there are sessions we aren't needed! This is such an awesome thing for us as our practice is growing and we can better serve all the kids with their therapy needs. We also will have CARES and an adult therapist in the suite with us...yea to serving more people!!

Stay tuned for updates as we settle in and get back to seeing more kids!

Bode and Abbey

Sand Therapy and Pet Therapy...

Today I worked with a client that didn't really need me in her session, but I was able to learn from her. She played with me and pet me, however she seemed more into using the sand tray. Tara allows many of the kids to play in the sand (I don't like the way it tastes or feels on my paws). Sand apparently is therapeutic for humans, but as a dog, I just want to dig in it!

This client was talking about something really bad that happened to her and as she put her hands in the sand and moved them around, she began to talk more. She then put some colored stones into the sand and buried them. As she continued to bury and then search, she began to talk more and more about things she has experienced. I sat next to her and chewed on a chewy while we listened to her processing this trauma. As she played and talked, her breathing slowed down and her shoulders relaxed---something about the sand substance appeared to soothe her and I have seen this with many of the other kids too.

What a relaxing and growing experience to be there to feel the energy change within the room while the kids use the sand...maybe we all should take beach days to relax ourselves in big sand boxes every so often!

Vote for Abbey--cutest dog/therapy dog

Hi! Abbey is in a photo contest, please vote for her...maybe I will be in one next.

Bode

http://www.cutestpetcontest.com/bigpic.php?enum=100322069

Good bye Mama...

Abbey's birthday was a good day and sad day at the same time. Mama passed away and we all began to experience our own grief that we work so hard with all the kids on. Mama was Geoff's grandmother, and we began to love visiting her at the nursing home.

We learned this week that taking your own mental health days, along with your human counter parts, is critical in being able to return to work and do the best job possible. There are many reasons for mental health days, but when you have a loss it is critical to spend time with your family and with yourself to remember the good times.

We played fetch, laid around, watched TV, and visited with family. We are noticing our own family members experiencing different grief stages and trying to cope with others being in a different stage.

We may be getting a new office, pray for us as it would be closer to home and we could go every day as we would have our own room to rest when we aren't with the kids!

Until next time~~ Abbey and Bode

Happy Birthday Abbey!

It's Abbey's 3rd birthday.....we already got to enjoy some great treats from the dog bakery...yum yum! (Tara and Geoff didn't like the mess, but they were D-Licious!)

Here is Abbey one of the first days they brought her home (before I was even born)--see how she didnt have all her spots yet? :)

Happy Birthday Abbey!

Love~~ Bode

Unconditional love...

Work, work, work...I love work!! Don't you wish we all felt that way about what we do? Today I worked with a sibling pair during individual sessions. One was for termination and the other grief. I just love all these kids that I work with and they seem to feel the same. Do you have anyone that loves you unconditionally? It is so wonderful to be able to offer love to these kids in order to help them through whatever they are working through!

Unconditional love means you can not take away the love we feel towards you. It does not matter what has happened to you or what feelings you are struggling to get through, we still love you and want you to be happy. I love doing whatever it takes to let our clients know that I love them without conditions. I will do tricks, lay on their laps, act silly, cuddle, play ball, squeak my toys, go ice-bobbing, etc. to just get a smile and let the client know that I love them and care about them.

If we all could show more unconditional love for others, this world would seem so much happier! I have lots of love to share and hope you do too! (PS this is Bode)

Tag...You're It!

Hi...Abbey here! I had some fun sessions today. One was a termination session, which means our last session with the client because they made all their goals and are doing much better. This client asked Tara to have me there as part of the session and it was great!

We were playing basketball and talking about all the progress the client made and then he started running around the play room. Tara encouraged me to do so as well and when I would get to him, I would roll on my back and beg for my belly to be rubbed! He didn't buy it and kept saying "Tag, You're It". This was a different kind of tag than Bode and I play, so I tried to play along. I kept losing because I wanted to get tagged by getting my belly rubbed...that is one of the best things in the world for me! It was fun and I got tired fast, but when the client noticed I was tired, he took care of me by giving me my water and a cookie. He was great and I cuddled with him while he and Tara played a game.

Termination sessions are hard on all of us--the client is nervous to end sessions because of the safety of the play room and losing the relationship with us (Tara, Bode, and I), but they are also great because of the progress a client has made when they reach termination time. Bode and I get sad because we can't play with those client's anymore--but it is also great to see how far some of them have come with expressing themselves through words, play, and with me (or Bode)!

In ending the blog today, I would like to say "Tag, You're It" as we would love to hear about your canine adventures or just anything you feel like sharing! Happy Easter!

Anger Management

Whoa did I have a day! (It's Bode.) After my anger situation last week for being blamed for something I didn't do, I have been very aware of people being angry and experienced it today at work. Tara said we were going to help one of our clients with anger management, but I was not sure what that meant. Guess what? That means things make him mad and he doesn't know how to address them or work with the feelings! Good thing I know how to help!

Well first let me tell you that I was not really scared, I just knew how to help this kid--I think Tara thought I was really scared though! He played with a bop bag and I jumped on the couch for Tara to comfort me and then he would call me back. I would go back and then it would happen again. Finally I pretended I was Abbey's size and climbed on the back of the couch where it touches the wall---this was a balancing act, but he figured out I was scared. I did not move for awhile and he discussed how others see him like I did. I was not ready for his ideas for anger management and tried to help Tara teach him better options such as deep breaths, like with bubbles...I love bubbles! Ideas such as hitting your pillow or screaming into it were talked about too. There are lots of options...my favorite is to walk or run! Hopefully everyone, including our neighbor and clients will learn how to control their anger so that we can all get along better!

I got blamed for something I didn't do...

Hi it's Bode. Tara and I are still trying to figure out what happened yesterday. I was so excited because Abbey and Geoff were asleep so Tara and I decided to take a walk...just the two of us! We started out and things were great. I was walking nicely and the weather was perfect!

We got about five minutes into our walk and this neighbor pulled up in a big white SUV and blocked us from continuing our walk. Tara took her music off and talked to the lady, but the lady began to yell and pointed at me. At first I was excited because I thought she wanted to be my friend, but then she kept yelling and I could tell Tara was not happy. This lady would not let us leave and Tara said she did not want to argue with her. I didn't really understand what was going on until we got home and Tara told Geoff that the lady was blaming me for "pooping" in her yard. My feelings were hurt so bad because I didn't do it. Apparently she said I do it every week, but that isn't possible because I am usually at work or playing in the backyard with Abbey. Tara and Geoff didn't know what to do because they knew that we were being falsely accused.

Have you ever had anyone falsely accuse you and not be able to speak human language to defend yourself? It is hard and seemed hard for Tara to do as well. We are always so careful on our walks not to go in people's yards, especially to do that. I wish there was a better way to prove I didn't do it because I do not like someone being upset with me, but the part that has me the most concerned is there was a little boy in the back of the car that watched his mother do this to Tara and I...I think we will find a new path to walk to be sure this lady couldn't even say we touched her yard. Let's hope this little boy does not have to witness his mother like this too often or hopefully he has a dog to help him through his rough times!

Quality Time!

Tag, you're it! Quality time with family is so important, as well as quality time with individual family members. Today we spent some quality time in the yard playing tag and running figure 8's through the palm trees. Although we tore up some of the grass from running, everyone is fine as we were doing it in fun (and not digging)!

We recommend everyone take time from the TV, computer, phones, and whatever else causes you to feel to busy to let yourself be free and PLAY with a family member. If you desire, quality time can also be had by snuggling together watching movie or TV, we just recommend being active as it also relieves stress. Another great option is to have frequent family dinners and family fun nights. Cooking dinner together as a family or simply ordering in can be fun. We have families in the counseling practice tell us they have candlelight picnics in the yard for dinner or have "no utensil nights" to encourage giggles and creativity.

The important part about quality time and family time are to do activities that those participating love to do and be creative! Family Fun nights can be at home playing board games or out playing miniature golf or throwing the ball for you dog to fetch (or even taking your dog to the dog park)...the key is no cell phones ringing or text messages arriving and focusing on each other---Laugh and smile a little too! We hope this encourages you to find some quality time with your loved ones and don't forget those canine loved ones!

A mini-person?

Hi, It's Abbey! I did lots of work this week because Tara and Geoff wanted Bode to rest after the incidents this weekend. He is going better for those of you that have asked, but he barks a lot at dogs out the front window and has been having loud dreams where he starts running and whining.

Anyhow, I am writing to let you know of a new experience I had. I was working with a pre-teen and talking about lots of "teen" stuff when all of a sudden this noise came from the other side of the door. I froze and then it stopped, so I started to chew on my chewie...then I heard it again and a laugh followed. Tara and our client didn't move. What was that? This happened and I tried to peak under the door but couldn't so I sniffed like crazy and have no idea what that smell was.

After our session we went into the waiting room and there was something there that resembled a person, but it was staring me in the eyes. I am not kidding you, this little person was just looking me at my level. All the regular sized people were looking at us and laughing and then the noise came again. The mini-person had a smile...Tara said something about "baby" and me not knowing what a baby is. Apparently that is the human word for this mini-person that does not say words but just makes noises. The smell of this mini-person was interesting too, but both she and I were scared of each other and just stared at each other and I sniffed the air. It was fun, but I am not sure how close I can get to a "baby" because it did not want to come near me and Tara let me decide to stay back...and I did. Maybe next time I will smell more and trust to get closer to explore this "baby"/mini-person.

I just want to be your friend...

I love meeting new people, but the past two days have not been so great as there are people who do not understand that their dogs do not like other dogs and should not be around people. You see, Tara took me at meeting with other play therapists and I got to relax and people watch at a local outside eatery while the educated therapists met with each other. Then this lady (who had lots of make-up on and poofy hair) came by and was letting her little dog, that is the same size as my toys. run crazy on one of those leashes that let you go far and then not so far (Tara says retractable). I was not paying attention and did not see this dog come up to me until I felt a pain in my leg. I jumped and barked and the lady would not move her dog. I wanted it to go away and did not want to be around any other dogs except my sister, but we had left her at home.--Sorry Abbey! I finally calmed down and Tara checked my leg to be sure I wasn't hurt too bad. I felt better after we were home and napped for the rest of the day.

Today I got to go help CARES at the Celebrate Cape Block Party and couldn't wait to play with all the kids. There were so many great people and I had so much fun representing CARES and inviting people to the walk next week...until this man with a black dog came toward me. That other dog did not like me and I didn't do anything to him! His owner kept coming closer and I was getting scared so I barked...maybe I was still scared from yesterday, but this dog did not seem friendly at all. I know I was not listening to Tara, but she doesn't understand that I was protecting her! After that I decided I only wanted to visit with people, especially children and encouraged other dogs to not come to our booth! I think right now Abbey and I need to work harder with the kids as we don't seem to have the same goals in life as other dogs! Thanks to all you new people I met tonight and for those that donated to CARES! Let's save as many lives as we can!

Compassion Fatigue and Dogs?

Who would have thought we could get tired from helping?!? We love to help! Don't get us wrong, we love our WORK, but we have learned that you can only work with so many emotions in one day before you are needing a long nap! We think everyone needs to find what their limit is to providing compassion and empathy...ours tend to vary on the topic the kids are processing that day. We are teaching Tara and learning ourselves when to know that our bodies and minds need to rest in order to be the best therapist we can be. Hopefully each of you reading this can find a way to identify when you can not provide the support to others without first taking care of yourself and figure out what your limit is. Rest up...we are!

Helping the famous...

Sorry it has been so long since posting, however Tara has been really sick so we all have had so calm days at home. Bode and I didn't know what to do seeing her laying around all day because she is always going and going, but we all survived and everyone is almost back to being fully healthy (and the coughing is stoppoing)! Anyhow, just a quick note to tell you that Geoff took me to see Mama (that's his grandmother) today at the Rehab center, Bode watched Tara, and I got to meet a very famous person's mother. She was very sweet and I comforted her. She invited me up on her lap and I laid right now in a ball and let her love on me all she wanted. I love meeting new people and everyone seemed excited to know who this lady was, but I just treated her like everyone else...celebrities are real people too! I am so glad I can help in the Rehab center just like I help all the kids. I hope everyone has a great week--I am going back to lay down in Tara's lap to watch some TV--Good night!

How is a walk theraputic?

W-A-L-K! I love to WALK!!! This week Tara and I went for a walk with a boy (he is 9 years old)who needed to find better ways to release his anger. I was not a good walker that day, but I think it helped him learn to keep his cool and help me learn the best way to walk down a side walk. I really wanted to visit all the cars and the guy dressed up like Lady Liberty with the tax people looked like he wanted a hug! (We usually walk in our neighorhood and this was down a big road near our office). This client did great at keeping up with me and reminding me that I had to be a good walker or we would return to the office. I heared he and Tara talking about how your heart rate increasing in productive ways helps reduce anger and stress. He did great at identiying ways to increase his heart rate and thus reduce anger within himself. Ideas he had were to skateboard, walk his dog, run with his friends, jump on the trampoline, swim in the pool, play football, and ride his bike. Remember sometimes a dog is a companion enough to work through emotions and other ideas would be to play catch with your dog, go for a run, or if you are big like me...sometimes gentle wrestling is fun and wears us both out! Another pointer for those looking for a way to talk to someone about something hard...Tara mentioned walking and driving in the car are great because you can naturally avoid eye contact in case it is a tough converesation!
Ok nap time for me...Abbey is already asleep! Thanks for reading!

Happy Birthday, Bode!

Bode is 2 today!! Happy Happy Birthday to Bode! Here is his picture the day we brought him home....he was 8 lbs and that was April of 2006! I picked him out, but now he is sooo big....Good thing we love each other! I love birthdays because we get goodies from the dog bakery...I love you Bode, Love Abbey!

Tragedy and Dogs...

We are so tired! Thank goodness for the cozy Red Sox blanket. This week has been really rough on Tara and both of us. For those of you that do not know, there has been a tragedy in our town with a man going into his estranged wife's work and shooting her. She worked at a daycare and many children saw this. Luckily we are able to work with these kids and help them through the trauma and loss, but it is very tiring after awhile and we have had to learn that we must take care of ourselves before we can take care of the clients. We have talked a lot about grief recently, however this week there has been an emphasis on trauma (and it is only Wednesday). We have worked with children that were present during the shooting, as well as our regular clients who have been exposed to the media or friends/family who were at the scene. This is so sad as many of the witness' are 2 and 3 years old and have trouble verbalizing what they saw....thank goodness for Play Therapy! We are seeing alot of normal trauma reactions such as regression, aggression, and fear. We are being supportive for the kids that just need to sit and pet us and listening to those that talk about the "Monster" at their school and the lullaby's they sung during the event. The sand tray is being utilized frequently and many telling scenes are being processed. Thank you to those that have sent their support with this as we know these kids will need as much support and prayers as they can get! Time to go back to sleep! Abbey and Bode

Working Hard...

My turn to add some insight--it's Abbey...Bode is sleeping as he worked hard this week. I worked hard too, but I didn't want to let anyone down on blogging. This week we both put in a lot of hours. I worked with a lot of kids working through their grief. This week, that meant lots of sandtray work. I am still trying to figure out why the kids like the sand, but it is fun to watch the pictures they create. One of the boys, I think he is 10 years old, created a whole tray of favorite memories of life with his father before he died. There were settings that showed trips they went on and sporting events his father watched him in. As Bode, mentioned in his previous post, grief is very difficult for some kids and Tara focuses on the dash. This particular kid preferred to show me and talk to me about his sand trays instead of Tara. The best part was the end when he just sat rubbing my belly while he sat back and looked at his work. I am glad to help, but know that sometimes that sandtray is so therapeutic that my presence is just added support! Maybe Bode will share about his anger management work with kids this week as he did a fabulous job...I will ask him when he wakes up!

Bode is Back...

I am back to work and feeling a little better! I only worked with two kids this week but it was great! I got to go for a walk with a little boy and then have a sword fight with the nerf swords. He talked to me about how he used to do these things with his father before he died. I think I am a big help for grieving kids because they tell me all sorts of stories about their loved one that died and I can almost picture that person. It is also ok when they want to sit and cry as I just curl up on the floor with them and allow them to pet me with during the sadness. Tara helps them to remember the good things about that person, she calls it the time in the dash. It reflects the tombstone dash of the years they lived instead of birth and death dates. What a great thing to focus on!! I hope everyone remembers the great things Abbey and I do to help children in our dashes! I hope all of you remember good times of friends, family, and pets you have lost instead of focusing on not having them anymore!

No dogs allowed :(

Abbey and Bode together this time! We decided to write a blog about dog discrimination. Did you know that just because we help with mental health and not other needs that dogs are trained for that we cannot go everywhere people go? We are not happy about this! We love to be with Geoff and Tara so much that we have recently learned we are not welcome some places. How would you feel if you were not welcomed somewhere? Did you know that they go to places to have dinner with other people and sit outside by the beach, but no dogs allowed? Did you know that they go sit in chairs and watch big TV screens that they call the movies, but no dogs allowed? Can you believe that if we want to visit all our friends in other places by airplane that we would have to be put in with luggage and not comfortable? How will we ever see our friends in Boston, Ohio, etc?

There are some client's that talk to Tara about feeling excluded and now we realize what they mean. This is not fair. Everyone should be treated the same, well at least us dogs as we are really spirited like humans...please don't include cats in this discussion as Tara is very allergic and they really aren't like us. Wait, is that discriminatory? We are really trying to figure this out and it seems so easy to get caught in bias'. Anyhow, Tara has been gone a lot this week and we learned that it has been for C.A.R.E.S. at some fun-raiser (We think that is what was said, which isn't fair...fun without us does not work!!) We even learned Brooke has been there...we love Brooke so much that Tara and Geoff have started to spell her name too! It sounds like such fun to watch all these kids perform and we can't go because schools don't like dogs on their properties. Really, what could we do?

Ok, enough complaining. We hope this fun thing raises good money so no one else feels their life should end, but remember dogs can be therapeutic in our comfort and companionship to help prove life is worth living. Try to remember to include us as much as possible and encourage business' to be dog friendly!

PS Bode is recovering and thanks everyone for his prayers. A few more days of medicine and hopefully this "doggie flu" will be gone!

Sick days for Bode...

It's Abbey again...I just wanted to fill you in that Bode is sick. He is feeling really bad and had to miss two sessions that were scheduled for him today. He has not left the couch since getting back from the doctor. I hope he gets better soon because I don't know what to do when he is sick. Mom said the kids missed him and wished him well, luckily we both worked earlier in the week. Prayers are welcomed as I heard he had x-rays, they took his blood, and got a shot today. It sounds like we have to wait and see how he does in the next few days, but today was not a good day for him!

I know Bode really wanted to work and tell you about his sessions, but I will share mine this time instead. I helped a little girl in foster care learn that we have commonalities...we were both chosen and "rescued". She seemed excited to compare what we came from and where we are now and she will be adopted soon to her family like I was! We played dolls together and I listened as she talked and role-played and sometimes she included me in this play, but other times she gave me a cookie to sit and watch her play and talk, which was just as good! I love to help. Ok, I am off to check on Bode...hopefully he will be on next week to share a counseling story with you!

How do dog's help in Therapy?

Hi, It's Abbey...Bode is sleeping near the tree trying to protect it from being taken out...I don't think he wants Christmas to end! I will put a picture so you can see!

I decided to write a quick blog about what we do when we get to go to W-O-R-K. I spelled it because I have figured out that if our mom and dad don't want us to know they are going to work without us that they put those letters together and then I get sad!

Anyhow, Bode and I are big helpers in the playroom. The playroom is where the counseling takes place with all the children at work. We know that when the sound machine is kicked on that we are in work mode and we cannot be wild and silly anymore. For me, that means I need to stop jumping and licking and for Bode, it means no jumping and to be careful with his big tail (it knocks over people and toys sometimes, but he doesn't mean to). We never get to go together, unless it is a paperwork day because we like to play with the toys together and then there is no room for the kids!

Each session is different, as every child likes to play with different things and talk about different things. Sometimes there are silly things that happen during a counseling session; like the dress up clothes being put on me and then other times, the kids just want me to curl next to them on the couch or floor. I know a lot of tricks, so some of the kids like to give me "cookies" if I will do things like shake their hand or lay down on command. We also get play outside with some kids and even go for walks during the therapy time.

My favorite thing is helping kids smile and letting the ones that are crying know that I am there for them and it is okay to be sad sometimes. I get nervous if someone is angry, but I think that when I get scared of the bop bag that the kids learn that there are better ways to show their anger so others around them don't get fearful. Bode and I always leave a session happy and see smiles on the children's faces when they leave too--our biggest job is to be supportive and help them play through their situation!

We will share more about some of our jobs a therapy dogs soon...

Happy New Year and Welcome to Our Blog!

Happy 2008! It is going to be a great year and we are looking forward to sharing our adventures with you through our blog. We hope to have this be the area in which we can tell you about our fun work. You see, we get to go to work with Tara (our owner/mom) in her Play Therapy practice. We LOVE it! We get to work with many great kids who are struggling to overcome situations in their lives.

Because the children range in ages from three to eighteen, only one of us get to go at a time. We get very jealous if the other gets to go and we have to stay home, but it is so exciting to share our day with each other when we get home. Usually Abbey gets to meet the new clients first because she is smaller and not so clumsy. I sometimes seem intimidating to some kids because I am so big, but Abbey says she tells the kids about me so they will not be afraid and they can work with both of us. Once the children meet us, they always ask for us and we smile in knowing that sometimes they prefer us to Tara (even though she went through all that long schooling to be able to help them).

We decided to create this blog to share with you because Tara has written a few articles about our counseling work and has had a lot of people ask to keep updated on what we do. We hope you enjoy hearing about us and our adventures and look forward to sharing with you.

May 2008 bring lots of love to each of us and remember if you have a canine friend, we love our bellies rubbed!

PS That is me, Bode at the laptop!