Happy Birthday, Oogie Bear!
❤️ Happiest of Birthdays to My Stupendous Indy ❤️
Today (March 15, 2022) is Indy’s eighth birthday! I cannot believe the years have passed so quickly - quite genuinely, in the blink of an eye. She’s been at our sides for every moment, with a few very small exceptions - you know, when we couldn’t bring her with us to Italy, or France. 🤣
Otherwise, everyone knows that if we can’t bring Indy, well, we are very likely not going.
We always joke that Indy says - "MOMB and DADD, were they so surprised at da hosbital on my birthday?" Because she's such a little human. I genuinely think that Indy doesn't think of herself as a dog, because she'll look at other dogs and say "MOMB WHY I GOTTA PLAY WIF DEM?"
What can I say about beautiful Indy, and how she loves to spend her moments as a mature eight-year-old Bubba? Hmmm, to fully describe her would be impossible, but I’ll do my best…..
She loves long naps on the couch while I read or play video games (currently playing Pokemon Arceus obsessively, and rereading The Expanse series). She loves snuggling in under our weighted blanket, and will look like she's unsure of where she was if we lift the blanket up and interrupt her sleep before she's ready.
In the last year, Indy has made such a difference in the lives of the kiddos at Rice Elementary School, where we volunteer. She goes in to see the kids twice a week, and she's become quite the celebrity! We've been their therapy dog pair for three years now, since the 2019-2020 school year. This year, though, we started to do more than just the second grade reading program. We began to work with guidance office kids, and special education kiddos, now we are going to be seeing the whole school!
She has made friends and "aunties" (all the central office staff are in love with her) all around Rice, and has her weekly traditions. She even got to go see all her friends today, because Tuesdays are one of our visit days! The office staff sang to Indy, and she started barking because she was so happy and excited.
Indy is even not allowed to go out the front door during dismissal, because one of our students, Parneet - missed the bus one day. So now, on Thursdays we go out the back door, because we don't want to make anyone late again! 🤣
If this reads like a love letter, it's because it is. A love letter to my little daughter, who's my whole dang world. You light up my life, my little Oogie Bear! I love you so very much! 🥰
Last night we made a birthday cake and sang to Indy before blowing out the birthday cake candles (EIGHT OF COURSE!). She loved being able to lick some frosting off. And she even opened some early prezzies but she got too excited about the cake to think too much about those, and obsessed about getting more icing all night! Tonight her full "cake" is coming, along with the rest of her prezzies. She is getting her standard birthday fare - a stack of mini pancakes, with peanut butter in between, topped with blueberries and broccoli.
It’s a beautiful day, so we’ll probably also get her out for some quality time. She loves nothing more than to go be social on a beautiful day!
Happy birthday, Indiana! Sweet girl, you are our world and we are so lucky to be your MOMB & DADDEE. We can’t wait to see all the adventures that you get into as an eight-year-old. And all the fun you’ll have with MOMB making all types of silly art.
❤️ CHEERS TO THIS YEAR AND A MILLION MORE ❤️
Check out the gallery above for some of Indy’s most adorable moments from her seventh year around the sun!