Bruno’s Project – June

Another month of Bruno’s project brings us forward into the summer.  Back yard play and lake life are featured heavily this month.  This month also broke through a new mile stone for Bruno – his first swim.  All last year we kept him out of the lake because of his delicate tummy, but this year he is fully into the swimming, and now the dock diving.  Amazing how well they can swim, based on pure instinct alone.

Week 25 “sheep dogs” was a simple play session in the yard.  I did break out a squeaky sheep dog toy to add to the fun.  Imagined dogversation also let me play with the German idiom play “Mit dir kann man Pferde stehlen!”.    This idiom directly translates to “with you I could steal horses”, but using google translate I was able to sub in sheep for horses.  Although it makes little sense in English, it means someone you like, trust and are willing to have adventures with. Something definitely true of Bruno and Eva’s relationship.

Bruno: Eva?
Eva: Yup. What are you thinking?
Bruno: Why do people say that sheep dogs are smart and work so hard?
Eva: Because they are. Super smart. Almost as smart as bird dogs.
Bruno: What do they do?
Eva: They manage the sheep on a farm. Keep them in place, out think them, make sure they go where they’re supposed to go. Do what they’re supposed to do.
Bruno: I don’t think it’s all that tough.
Eva: Based on?
Bruno: We’ve got this guy pretty much wrapped up here. He wasn’t so tough.
Eva: Agreed. Nailed his squeaky little ass to the grass.
Bruno: Yup. That we did. That we did.
Eva: So, I guess this makes us sheep dogs too.
Bruno: Yup. And there’s no one else in the world that I would rather steal sheep with than you.
Eva: Mit dir kann man Schaf stehlen!
Bruno: Thanks. I have no idea what you said, but now I have a hankering for some german sausages.

Week 26 “post swim crazies” was a shot taken on the deck at the cabin after Bruno’s first swim in the lake.  I had planned to get a good picture of his first swim, but that didn’t prove to be a safe or good idea given everything else going on at the time.  The conversation sums up what was going on at the time.

Dave: Bruno, how was your first swim ever?
Bruno: Frankly, a little confusing.
Dave: Confusing?
Bruno: Yup. Who knew that I floated. Took me by total surprise.
Dave: So I guess that explains why you started off jumping around like a kid in a bouncy castle after they stole a few swigs of their mom’s latte?
Bruno: Yeah. I got a little freaked out when the water hit my nether regions.
Dave: I noticed.
Bruno: But, after that is was pretty cool. I even got to go in before Eva which made her cry like a wookie in heat.
Dave: She does make some pretty awesome noises.
Bruno: There’s only one issue for me about going swimming.
Dave: The wet dog smell? The wet dog spots on our bed? The risk of intractable diarrhea if you drink too much lake water on your delicate tummy?
Bruno: Those are issues for you, not me.
Dave: Ok, so what is the issue?
Bruno: Well, it seems that swimming makes me more than just a little crazy. I can’t stop running around!
Dave: Yup, we noticed. Even sent the kids inside for their own safety.
Bruno: Dave. Can I ask you a question?
Dave: Yup.
Bruno: When can I go swimming again?

Week 25 “looking for the lake” was Bruno’s first time on the dock at the cabin.  Something about the dock freaked him out, so he refused to look at the water, until we let him do an entry from the shore.  This may be the only time in his life where he is not excited to run to the end of the dock (see week 26), so this had to be his picture for the week.  Conversation as follows:

Karen: Bruno, are you ready to go swimming?
Bruno: Yup. Love the lake.
Karen: OK. This time we’re bringing out a floaty toy for you to retrieve.
Bruno: Man, this day keeps getting better and better.
Karen: Love your attitude.
Bruno: So do I.
Karen: So, are you ready?
Bruno: Yup. Just one question.
Karen: What’s that Bruno?
Bruno: Where’s the lake and the toy you were talking about?
Karen: Dude, it’s right here at the end of the dock.
Bruno: Nope. I think you’re wrong.
Karen: No, trust me on this – the lake and toy are right at the end of the dock here.
Bruno: Sorry, but I beg to differ. I’m looking at the end of the dock right now and all I can see is the grass, the cabin, and a mighty perturbed Eva locked up on the deck.
Karen: Seriously? That’s what you see.
Bruno: Yup. Deadly serious. She looks really annoyed. She keeps mumble barking something about how she should be swimming right now, and that I’m a simple scoundrel who wouldn’t recognize a chance to go swimming if it was right under my feet.
Karen: Bruno?
Bruno: Yup. What’s that?
Karen: I think you’re facing the wrong way.

Week 26 “learning to fly” was Bruno’s second week on the dock.  And this week he figured out what it was for jumping in to steal the toy from his sister.  Ok, maybe intentionally falling is a better description than jumping, but it is a big change for him!  They’re both wearing leads so we can manage them a bit better in the water (Bruno is a newbie to the rules of the lake and last week Eva did some swimming after geese towards the middle of the lake).  The leads do make them a bit tougher to manage on the dock, but don’t affect their swimming at all.  The synchronized ears did give some inspiration for another conversation:

Bruno: I’ve got a great idea – I want you to do something with me!
Eva: I’m not so sure about that. Last time you had a great idea you got in serious trouble.
Bruno: This time it does not involve eating footwear.
Eva: I’m skeptical, but why not. Let’s give it a try.
Bruno: Ok. I’ve been thinking about how you fly off the dock, and I have a plan to do it even better. First thing we need is wings.
Eva: Seriously?
Bruno: Yup. Definitely need wings. So, make your ears go up to the side like you have wings.
Eva: I’m still skeptical, but I’ll give it a try.
Bruno: Now we have to sing.
Eva: Sing? Really?
Bruno: Yup. Heard this great song on the radio. “Learning to Fly” by Tom Petty and the Heart Breakers.
Eva: I know the song, but I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with dock jumping.
Bruno: All right, I’ll just sing it by myself. Here we go: “I’m learning to fly! I love chicken wings! But coming down, makes my tummy sting!”
Eva: That was impressive.
Bruno: There’s only one problem. I don’t know the rest of the words.
Eva: Don’t worry – I don’t think anyone else knows the rest of the lyrics either.
Bruno: True that.
Eva: There is another problem though.
Bruno: Really?
Eva: Those aren’t the right lyrics in the first place.
Bruno: Well… maybe they should be.