Jeep the Dog

That is right, friends!  Our fluffy girl was formally recognized last night by the Lake Villa 41 Board of Education as a Lake Villa Citizen of the Year 2018!  What an honor, especially for a four legged friend!

Here is what some of Jeep’s second grade friends had to say about her:

“Jeep gives me confidence to try my best on what is hard for me.” – Penny

“Jeep helps me feel happy when I am worried.” – Lily

“I like to hug her and lay on her a bunch!” – Jackson

“Jeep always makes my day brighter.” – Casay

When I am having a bad day, and I see Jeep, I think everything is going to be ok.” – Landen

“Jeep makes me feel like I can do it!” – Katie

“Jeep makes me feel good on the inside and the outside.” – Frankie

“Jeep gives me confidence when I do not know words in a book.” – Angelo

“Have you ever needed Jeep in your life? Well, I have! Jeep keeps me focused instead of not doing my work.” – Lucas

“There was a Halloween parade and I was nervous about walking in front of the whole school.  Jeep was there and made me feel all better.” – Lavinia

“I love you Jeep and thank you for helping me get through all of the hard stuff that I was working through.” – Evan

“When I feel frustrated, I pet Jeep and I feel calm again.” – Merek

So, now do you need a Jeep friendship fix?  If so, click on this special video Martin teacher Mrs. Carter made about Mrs. Fuzzypants.  It is sure to make you feel all better!  Who knows? You might even see yourself or one of your friends!   A Friendship Story – Jeep

A lot of kids ask me how our friend Jeep got her name.  For starters, my husband and I are Jeep fanatics. We own a fully restored 1947 Willys Jeep pictured here. Some of you have also probably seen the white Jeep I drive to school that has our fluffy white Jeep inside.

We think Jeeps are cool and we all know Great Pyrenees are one of the coolest dogs on the planet.  Jeep owners also like to play in the mud with their Jeeps and slosh around in the snow just like you-know-who.  I also remember reading once that dogs pay more attention to words with a long e vowel sound.  (Don’t ask me why, I am not a dog.) Finally, we wanted a name that was unusual.  “Jeep” fit the bill.  Of course, we have since come up with a LOT of nicknames for her like  Mrs. Fuzzypants, Mrs. P (for pyrenees), Baby Jeep Jeep, Mrs. Beep Beep, and Mrs. Fluff n Stuff just to name a few!

Thinking about Jeep’s name started me to wonder what my own name be if I was a dog. Would I be called Bella? Lucy? Lola? Princess? Rover?  What do you think? Oddly enough, the folks at Rover.com have a way you can find out.  Rover.com has the largest database of dog names.  On this link you can find out what your name would be if you were born a dog.  I am NOT kidding!  Try it! This site compares the popularity of your first name in the year you were born and matches it with a dog name of equal popularity.     What’s Your Dog Name?

By the way, I am happy to report my dog name is Sophie which makes me smile.  I am so relieved my dog name isn’t Queenie or Tulip.

Last year, Jeep released her first book Jeep Practices the Seven Habits.  If you are a Lake Villa 41 kid you have seen copies in your libraries and classrooms.  For those of you who don’t know, Jeep describes how she is learning to be a super leader dog by practicing the 7 Habits of Healthy Kids.  Jeep and I are tickled pink that the book is the #1 checked out book in the school library! I think it’s because everyone likes to see Jeep be a little bit naughty from time to time.

Since then, kids have been asking me, “When is Jeep’s next book coming out?”  Well, the LONG wait is over!  Friends for Mrs. Fuzzypants: Just Another JEEP Adventure has just been released!  In this book, Jeep describes her work as a therapy dog (as many of you know, THE most important job on the planet) and how wonderful it is to make friends.  Jeep reminds us how important it is to always be yourself and that friends come in all sorts of shapes and sizes.  You can order your own Jeep book thru blurb.com with a simple search for Mrs. Fuzzypants.  (Warning – this will cost you $3.99 for postage.)

Better yet, if you are a Lake Villa 41 student or staff member you can purchase Friends for Mrs. Fuzzypants for $10 by filling out this form and bringing to to your teacher.  Hey Kids and Parents   This way you save the postage.

The best part is that ALL proceeds from the sale of this book go directly back to the school to help fund the new Leader in Me program that teaches kids about the 7 Habits.  Kids get a Jeep book with a very special message and the schools get money for this incredible program.  That is what our friend Jeep calls a win-win!  Good girl Jeep!

Jeep and I heard from a lot of kids today who traveled during Spring Break.  Kids and teachers shared stories of visiting Florida, California, Minnesota, Alabama, New Mexico, Tennessee and even Wisconsin Dells for indoor water parks.  Many of them wondered where Jeep went during break.

Jeep did nothing more than chill out at home with Dot Com last week.  They had plenty of fun running around and play fighting although Jeep missed her kid friends.   Jeep also had four other dogs visit and stay overnight so you can imagine how much playtime all SIX dogs had!  (Our kids call our house Disney World for Dogs because it is so much fun to be a dog there – plenty of steak bones, plenty of room to run and of course, plenty of dirt to dig.)

Last week, Jeep also visited her very good friend and groomer the wonderful Lisa Doane.  Lisa is the owner of the stress-free Dirty Dogs Grooming Salon in Lake Geneva.  Lisa and her husband take such special care of our girl Jeep!  Jeep always looks and smells AMAZING when she has time with Lisa. We love Lisa and Dirty Dogs!!!

Just look at Jeep’s fluff! It so white, it glows!

Who is the pretty girl?

Don’t let this white fluffy leprechaun fool you!  Jeep is celebrating St Paddy’s Day a wee bit early with her friends.  I hope her supersonic nose will sniff out the hidden pot of gold the leprechauns left behind, but I ‘m sure Jeep would prefer a pot of yummy beef liver treats instead.  There is just no accounting for taste, is there?  Happy St. Patrick’s Day!!

Did you have a hard time waking up for school and work today?  Cheer up!  Today is National Nap Day!  Jeep is making sure to take full advantage, in fact she has been napping in all four schools today.

She is a bit of an over-achiever, you know.

Be sure to grab a book and join Jeep and all of her Lake Villa friends by celebrating Dr. Seuss’s birthday.  Dr Seuss would turn 108 years old on Friday had he still been alive.  I wonder how old that would make him in dog years…..

Jeep is looking forward to visiting schools wearing something special for the occasion.  She also thinks that someone should write a Dog in the Hat book – what’s so great about the Cat anyway?

Chinese New Year starts February 16th and Jeep couldn’t be happier to celebrate the Year of the Dog!  You may not know this, but Chinese New year takes place on a different date each year because it is based on the lunar calendar.

Legend has it that back in ancient days a Chinese emperor ordered 12 animals to become part of the calendar.   The dog was chosen to be one of the animals.  (Seems like an obvious choice, right?) Some Chinese believe that if a dog comes into a house it is symbolizes the coming of a fortune.  What do you think it means if a dog comes into a school?

We all know that most dogs (especially our friend Jeep) are loyal, friendly and kind.  With a little luck (and with the help of dogs everywhere) we will have an entire year of kindness!  That’s pretty dog gone great!

Jeep and Dot Com love to chase each other.  The chase game is even more fun in the snow.   In this short video Dottie looks pretty snazzy in her new red coat.  (Jeep put a couple holes in her old one.  I am sure it was just an accident, right Jeep?) Jeep, of course, doesn’t need a coat.  If you look closely, you can see that Dot actually has a yellow tennis ball in her mouth that she is showing off to Jeep.  What a tease you are Dot!