Snowpacolypse 2010!

For the last two days it has been snowing. And snowing. And... snowing. It's finally ended and we're left with about three feet of snow. And what do the dogs think? They LOVE it!
It all began around noon yesterday. I was incredibly pleased that schools closed 3 1/2 hours early, so I got to come home well before the madness began. We were able to take the boys for a walk around the lake (a first!) around the time that it first started coming down. Jackson was good but Lance seemed terrified- there were lots of big loud trucks and school buses going by- these are all firsts for him!
As the day went on and the snow continued to pile up it became more difficult to let the boys out to "go potty." And unfortunately, they pee more than any dogs I have ever seen- they go at least once an hour, no matter how much (or how little) they have to drink! Besides being cold, wet and cumbersome, the snow presents another problem- the boys love to play in it so much forget that they have to go potty! We've continued to have a few accidents over the last two days, but Jackson has learned very quickly that he is supposed to go outside to do his business. He will sit in front of the door and bark to be let out. Lance, on the other hand, just goes wherever and whenever he wants.

We put the other crate together yesterday so that the boys finally have separate crates. We started feeding them in there as well- all part of making the crate seem like a comfortable, fun, happy place. I got Lance a nice comfy bed for his crate from My Organic Market- they have these great beds made from recycled bottles that are constructed in the USA (and not China)!
Lance is great in his crate- he will go right in and be perfectly content. Jackson is not so fond of his yet. He will whine, bark, cry until he either tires himself out or we let him out (we're trying to figure out which bark is for "I need to go outside" and which is "I just want attention). I said to Greg today "If we put them together- we'd have the perfect puppy!
Lance is sooo happy-go-lucky. Greg and I really thought that Jackson was the more mellow dog at first, but that is definitely not the case. Jackson loves to snuggle and be in your lap, but he also demands a lot more attention is a lot more jealous than Lance. They're both just so different.
Last night we took the boys on a tour of the upstairs of the house and let them sniff around. This was also the perfect opportunity to teach the boys how to walk down the steps. It took some convincing and a few treats- but they eventually did it! Both were terrified and so unsure about walking down- it was so cute! Lance made it down first, and Jackson was quick to follow. Once they figured out that they could do it, the ran up and down and few more times. It was another very proud moment in the Martin/Beach household!
Today was a combination of snow, shoveling, potty breaks, playtime, and of course, some wine and beer and good cooking. I shoveled out a tunnel for the boys to use in the back yard- they basement door to the backyard is the only one that wasn't blocked by 3 feet of snow. We ran around with them in the backyard (well as much running as we could do in the deep snow) and had a great time. I think we tired the boys out - hopefully they will sleep wonderfully tonight.
They haven't plowed or anything, and I wonder how long it will take for things to get back to normal around here. I'm predicting for a week off of school- which will make Greg very happy- he'll have me around to take care of the dogs during the day!