Sasha....the wunderhund. Our Russian Sobaka!

The move to Russia was a big step. When Jess and I took the job, we thought of ways we might soften the blow of leaving Berlin. Even a little bit. We came home and told the kids we were moving to Moscow and showed them several video clips the school had provided. I think we had them at pictures of the indoor pools complex, but we went one step further!! We "mentioned" how we might even be able to get a dog. Moscow has many dogs needing good homes. We prepared them for the idea of adopting a dog, not a puppy, as puppies are more work than we can handle. Plus, who would want to potty-train a puppy in a 12th floor apartment with Moscow winters coming quickly??

Jump to Moscow and this morning as I walk out of the shower to Jesse sleeping soundly with our 8-week old puppy, Sasha. We tried. We really did. We even met a "dog". Which is how we ended up with Sasha. See, the dog we met, Lord--and yes that was his name--was a tad-bit (okay a huge bit) attached to his caretaker. She had raised him from when he was 5 days old. We knew quickly that it wasn't to be, but the daughter sent us pictures of several puppies her friend needed to find homes for.

Jesse could have hit "delete". We could have not sent a reply. Izzy could have been allergic. But none of that happened. We met "male black puppy". Izzy didn't react with allergies, even after rubbing her face in his neck many times. Jess and I figured if we got this far, we would be goners. And so we were. Puppy stayed.

Jess even had a perfect name picked already. We have met MANY Alexanders/Alexandras in our short time here. The Russian nickname for Alexander and Alexandra is Sasha--for either a boy or a girl. So Sasha it is. He's adorable, sweet, smart. It's a bit like having a baby in the house again. Early mornings, things put up high and out of reach. He puppy-nibbles everything, and when you're about to lock him in a closet, he falls asleep on you :D

So much for our "no-puppy" rule. Although we were right about potty-training on the 12th floor--highly inconvenient. We seem to have added to the chaos of moving to a new country, new school, new language, new apartment, new everything--so really, what better time to add a puppy to it all. He makes the kids happy. He makes the family happy.