These are the email "letters" between Scout and Atticus, two very special (and obviously extremely smart!) puppies, and their new Mom and Dad, Louis and Kelly.    When I initially wrote to Louis and Kelly, as Scout, I never imagined the  wonderfully loving and funny exchange that would follow.    These "letters" are very special to me. I hope you enjoy them and that they warm your heart.                   Scout with Louis Atticus with Kelly     SUNDAY, JUNE 12, 2005 "OUR ADVENTURE"  Hi mom and dad! We had a new adventure today! Maggie took us out in the yard for what  she called a "walk". We each went by ourselves and she took us around to smell things and eat dirt and stuff. At first we were not sure about it cuz things are really BIG out there, but  it all smelled good and she was making alot of funny baby noises at us (what is that about?) so we went along with her. I (Scout) was very adventurous and made Maggie have to come and get me all the time cuz I wanted to go into the woods and see things. Atticus liked to just walk with Maggie but sometimes he would run and try to eat a rock or something. He said he prefers to be a good boy and mind cuz you get more kisses that way but I think I got just as many any way!  We are both sort of tired now but wanted to write and say Hi and tell you about our fun  time. One of our sisters and one of our brothers went to their new families today, it  looked like a fun thing to do. We are thinking about you and hoping to go home soon!  Hugs, Scout (and Atticus too but he can't write as well as me yet..boys you know)

Hi Scout! This is Mom (Dad is downstairs making lattes, which make a big noise when he steams the milk, but once
you and your brother get used to it, will know that noise means we are UP and ready to do things with you two!)
Thank you for the story this morning of your adventures with Maggie! I hope that you gave Maggie some thank you
licks and nibbles for showing you how and letting you use her computer - that was very sweet of her!

Your dad and I loved hearing about your and your brother's walks. Isn't that fun? There is so much to see and taste
outside! I think it is good that you felt safe enough to explore away from Maggie, and perhaps you can take your
brother with you sometimes. But being a good dog and sticking close to Maggie (or Mom or Dad), like your brother
is also a good thing to do. We will always try to give you both equal kisses! Your dad and I are planning to take you
and your brother on many, many walks in many different places. You two will come with us on all of OUR adventures,
so the four of us will be having them together! Yesterday we got you and Addicus what we call a "baby gate" so that
you don't have too many adventures without us. We also went and looked at some new "cars" (you will understand what
those are soon and I expect you will LOVE them - you can stick your head out of the window and taste the wind, also
"cars" go really fast and far and will let us have lots more adventures than we would close to home) because you and
your brother might think the cars we have now are a little too small once you get bigger. The one we want, though, is
lots and lots of "money" (I will explain to you both what "money" is once you are here) so we are going to have to wait
for a little while. We think you will really like it, though. :)

You Dad wanted me to pass along to both of you how excited we are to see you and take you home with us in exactly
one week! We feel now that part of our family is missing because you and Atticus are not with us yet. We couldn't
get you sooner, though because we are busy busy getting ready to "move" (you will understand what that means
VERY soon) into a big house with lots of stairs that you and Atticus get to run up and down! We will have a computer
so that you can write to Maggie whenever you want to and tell her about your adventures with us and growing up
and anything else. Maybe too you can show your brother how to write. I bet Maggie will like to hear from both of you!

There is so much more to say Scout - but we will have lots and lots of time to talk and give kisses and see new things
together in a week. Until then, be a good girl for Maggie, enjoy your adventures with her, and do share the bone our
sweet, clever little girl. Lots of kisses you from both of us! Please tell your brother we have lots of kisses for him too!

Love, Mom and Dad

hi mom!

I snuck in to use Maggie's computer because I am supposed to be sleeping! Atticus is, of course.

This is a wonderful letter to us and we are going to keep it forever. I told my brothers and sisters all about it and now
they would like to come and live with you too. I told them NO, that you are mine! Well, and Atticus's too. But Maggie
assured them all that they had the best moms and dads too, so that is OK now.

Maggie explained "moving" and that sounds like not any fun at all and we are glad that we can stay here and play in the
dirt for a little while. She said you were getting a new house for us and we will be very glad that we waited. I hope there
is good food and bones and toys and plenty of places to sleep and to pee.

I have to go now. I think I miss you, not sure what that is like, but I think I might. You had a pretty smile and Louis
smelled good too.

Maggie said you should be a "writer" and tell puppy stories to everyone.

Maggie says she will talk to you soon.

Kisses, Scout (and Atticus, he would probably send a couple of kisses if he was here)

MONDAY, JUNE 13, 2005 "HELLOH FRUM ADDIKISS"

Hi momy and Dadee,

I am Addikiss and magi is helping me to rite to you. she is teling me howe to do this and i am trieing hard to get it rite. :-) (Magi did that) Scout tole me that boyz are a litl slowr than gurls and she may be rite, huh? Butt I am a VERY
(Magi did that) FAST (that two) learner and I will ketchup to Scout in know time at all.

We went forr a nuther "walk" tonite, i am funny magi says beecuz i walk rite under her sumtimez but only beecuz I like
to be very klos and smell her so i know i am safe. i like to be pict up and give kisses alot that is what i do the best,
magi says so.

i watched scout walk with magiii and she is not paying attentshun at all she just runs in many derectshuns and makes
magi run for her all over!

magi has ben telling me all about my new home and i am so happi to be going there! she tells me i am the very most
speshal pupy ever but i shuld keep it a "sekret" so no one else feels bad. like scout i guess. not sure what a sekret
is but i think it is a speshul thing.

i am goeng to bee wurking on my spelling alot but it really dusnt matter much as magi says cuz i am the best boy
ever for sure. :-) (she did that)

i can "walk" real good so yu wont ever halv to wurry about me staying klos. spelling is not everything. see! i just did it good! magi says i spell "fonetikaly" and that is how she lerned to spel two and she can spel grate now so i will bee abl to soon to.

i kant wate to come to my new home and sleep with you real klos. i hope you hav gud food two. magi says it will be soon, i am very eksited! you will love me way two much i am sure. magi said so and she is smart i think.

pretend i am kissing yur fase! addikiss

Darling Atticus,

You are such a good dog. We want you to know that you are our favorite boy EVER! Maggie is so right you are the most
special boy of all. We won't let you forget that ever and can't wait to give you walks and treats and have you close to
us all the time - you will always feel safe. Atticus sweet boy we don't care about spelling at all - you just keep telling us about your walks with Maggie and how you want to be right next to her where you are safe and what you and your sister
are up to! Use any language at all - we'll understand most times.

It is hard these last five days to be so far away but hearing from you helps us alot.

Do you want to hear something funny? Your Dad called Maggie today by accident. He thought he was calling someone he
does business with, and instead Maggie answered. Still he thought he was talking to a business person and tried to "reschedule" a "meeting." Maggie set him right, of course - because she is so smart! They laughed a lot. Me too once I
heard. :) You can tell Scout about that - it's a good story about your silly Dad! He is really fun. You are going to like to "hang" with him a lot. I have to work a lot, so at the beginning you may be spending more time with your Dad. But you
must remember that I love you JUST AS MUCH and when we are together it will be REALLY SPECIAL TIMES. You also
need to do what your Dad tells you. He knows a lot of things and will know what is best for you and Scout. He is also
very protective and has a big big heart! Just like you (and Scout too) :)

Atticus - what is your favorite kind of bone? We got you and Scout two pork ham bones that smell absolutely delicious.
We also got you both some nice chewy toys that have a very satisfactory squeak. I am looking for the "squeaky toy" CD
that other dogs have said is really, really, great but have yet to find it. I will keep looking, though little boy. Will you
help me look when you come to live with us? Maybe you would prefer Led Zepplin. We'll put that on too.

Ok, time for bed! Only five more days until we come to get you guys and take you home! Lots and lots and lots of belly
and behind-the-ear scratchings and kisses on the top of your head! Give a nibble to Scout if you can catch her! Sweet
dreams full of chasing rabbits (close to home of course). We'll see you Sunday! Love, Mom & Dad.

Dear Scout and Add-a-kiss,

I am your new Grandmother, writing from Seattle. Your new Mommy and Daddy have been sharing with me all of your
stories of backyard adventures and I think you sound wonderfully brave (well, Scout does) and sweet and loving (well, Atticus does) and I can hardly wait to meet you. I'm coming down next Tuesday to help with the dreaded move. Actually,
and here's another secret, Atticus, I'm coming down to play with you and hold you and help you to get into trouble when
your Mommy and Daddy aren't looking. I'm very experienced at all these things, because I've been the Mommy to LOTS
of dogs and puppies and I think they're the very best things in the whole world. Some day I hope I can introduce you to
my two best friends, Tucker and Cork, who are two soft and sweet and rarely naughty wheaten terriers. I think you will
like them, but they're not real smart like you two are so you would have to be very patient if they didn't understand your signals. Cork can't spell at all, Atticus, and there's no point in his even trying. But he's always there when I need him and that's pretty important, too. I know you will like living with Kelly and Louis. Sometimes they can be very silly and I hope
they won't embarrass you too often. They already love you and will take very good care of you. Love and kisses,

Grandmother Belinda

THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 2005 "COME N GIT US!!!"

Hi Mom and Dad!

Maggie said that, if you want/can, you could come and get us on Saturday morning around 10 AM.. she has to be at the
show at about 12:30 so has to leave here about 11:00 but thought that, if, you just had to have us (!!!!) she could give us
baths and stuff and have us all smelling nice for you...

I am VERY excited about coming to live with you guys, Maggie tells me that I am the MOST special one in the entire
universe (and I am sure she is right). Atticus is going to come along too, he is pretty special too as far as I can tell, he
likes to play which is a good thing (I am told) and give kisses (I think that's a "boy puppy" thing) and he just likes the
humans alot.

Did you know that we got a letter from Grammie Belinda? When I told Maggie and the other kids, they were all SO
impressed! Maggie still isn't sure that I am using the computer so much! But I am the escape artist of all times, I just
get under my "real" mommy and follow her out of the pen and then I am FREE! I LOVE to visit with Soliel (she can be
kind of cranky but I just ignore her attitude) and with Daddy Oscar, who is so sweet and licks my face even though
he is not sure what he is doing, or why! But he likes all of us and I hear that that is very unusual, and a wonderful
thing. Maggie yells at me "SCOUT!! You are such a brat! Come here!" But I run even more, I like to do this, and she
thinks it is funny too (even though she pretends to be SO mad!!)

Uh Oh..I think I may have to go now..Maggie is looking for me.. Atticus (or Add-a-kiss as Grammie spells it) seems to
be one of Maggie's favorites these days, he is SO kissy! But I am still the most smart and adventurous!

If you can come and get us, you ought to let Maggie know, as she gets so funny about knowing things and when they are
going to happen (is that how all humans are?). We had our first shots, and didn't get sick or anything, and I hear we are
going to get "wormed" (yuck, what is that??) tomorrow. I think you better come and get us before any more weird things happen! I love you!

Scout (and Addykiss too, he is really OK)

Hey Scout!

How exciting!!!! We absolutely do have to have you as soon as we can!! Your Mom and I can't wait to pick you guys up on Saturday - we'll be there at 10 sharp - if not earlier ;).

Don't give Maggie a hard time Scout. She's very busy taking care of all of you guys and getting ready for the big show.
Your Mom and I are so proud of your cleverness and love of adventure and Atticus' affection and confidence.

It is really amazing how much you two are JUST like the characters in To Kill A Mockingbird. I will not be the least bit surprised if one day we hear you hollering (through barks), "Atticus! Atticus!" (as you plan to do something adventurous),
and Atticus calmly and wisely replying, "Now Scout, that's not how we do things."

We are going to have so much fun together. Your Grammie Bah-Linn-Dah is so excited to meet you two, that she is flying
all the way down from Seattle next week! What a week we will have!

Your Mom and I have been talking about all the places we can visit (that allow you guys to come along) up and down the California coast. A bigshot at your Mom's work has two Wheaton Terriers - but the boy-dog isn't trained at all - you two would be so uncomfortable around him. Anyways, he told us that there are places called "wineries" (but they don't allow
any whining - I know its a bit confusing but you'll understand when you visit one with us) down south where a few of the winemakers have standard poodles. The Standards, being so smart, and comfortable around humans, hang out with the winemakers and greet the guests who arrive to taste the yummy wine. Evidently one of the winemakers so loves his
Standards that he built a statute of them!

Gotta run. I'm sure you'll hear from your Mom or even your Grammie Bah-Linn-Dah later today! Love, Dad

Hey Scout!

I can't talk much sweet girl but just wanted to pass some tickles behind the ear and kisses on top of head to you and
Atticus. I am so glad you don't mind coming home one day early. We are so excited! We will be there at 10 sharp to get
you guys. Be sure to give Maggie extra kisses (and try not to be too much trouble, Scout) over the next few days
because she has been so good about taking you on "walks" and showing you "dirt" and letting you visit with Daddy
Oscar and Aunt Soliel, giving you your own bone to chew, and only giving you one shot. We will talk more later,
sweetie. See you in TWO DAYS!! Love, Mom

THURSDAY, JUNE 16,2005 "YIPPEE!!"

Hi mom and dad! Scout and addakiss here!

We are so very exuberant to be coming home on Saturday! yes, me two! That was Addakiss of course! He is trying very
hard to learn to write and spell things, Maggie is helping him alot. Our dad was at a dog show today (I think that is
where they show dogs, huh?). He got a blue ribbon, Maggie says he was too happy and acted goofy too much so maybe tomorrow will be better. He looks wonderful though!

It is raining so I think we may not get our walk tonight. I don't know why not, Maggie said we are water dogs and that is water. She said something about cold and wet and "frizzies"?? I still have much to learn about humans!

Addakiss (I have decided to spell it that way because it is very cute!) wants to say something..

HI!!!!! Scout allweys tries to be in frunt and bee the furst but this time I tolde her she had to let me in to rite you two!
Maggie says I am "blosuming" and she luvs to hold me and we give kisses. I am lurning new games two, like tug a wor
and fech, they are lots of fun and we all get krazie! I think about yu and try to make a pickture of yur faces in my
head cuz it makes me happy and i feel warrm two. Scout trys to akt like she knows all about "going home" but i know
she is very eksighted just like me, eksept i AKT exsighted cuz i AM!! i think magi will be sad when we leeve and she
will mis us. i will mis her a whole bunch for a litl bit but i a m lucky cuz i get two of you! so OK i am goeing now.
please dryve gud when you kome to get us (magii sayed to say that cuz she hopes you don't maake a big rush).
hear is Scout

We are going to go eat now. And Maggie has to clean up all the paper we tore up and spread all over the puppy Room
(OUR room!) That is always fun because we all grab her pant legs and bite her toes and ankles and she laughs and
tells us "ouch!!" We like it! She says we are "brats". I think that means she loves us because when she says it, she
has this look on her face that you know isn't a "mad" look at all!

We are sending you kisses right now! Scout and Addakiss

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2005 "WE'RE HOME!!"

Hi Maggie! It's Scout. I snuck in from the garden where Atticus and I are laying in our new beds next to Mom and
Dad while they have wine...wanted to write you and let you know that we are VERY HAPPY. :)

The journey to our new "home" was a little uncomfortable. I tried to be a good girl, but I couldn't help it - my tummy
was so upset from being in Louis's "car" - I threw up five times. Mom was there with me though, and she rubbed my
back while I threw up, and then she covered it up with towel and told me I was brave and that she was very proud of me. That made me feel better, until Dad drove over a bump and i would have to throw up again. BUt Mom was always there
with special rubs and tickles. Atticus seemed OK, but he panted a lot and had to have every part of his body touching Mom.

We saw the house we are going to move into and WE LOVE IT. We played together while Mom and Dad talked to someone
else (they both kept a careful eye on us though) who seemed like a business person and might have had something to do
with the "sale." I don't know what that means but Mom and Dad kept mentioning it.

I like it here though too. Mom and Dad's old "apartment" has a neat garden and I got to dig in the dirt and Atticus laid
down in Mom's favorite flower and flattened it and Mom wasn't mad at all - she laughed and laughed and gave us both
kisses and told us that she loved us. We got really sleepy about an hour or so ago, when Mom (finally!) brought out our
beds. We like them ALOT - they are really soft. I like both of them for myself, though, and sometimes (by accident!)
I push Atticus off and he has to sleep next to the beds on the ground. He doesn't seem to mind as long as Mom or Dad
is nearby.

Tomorrow Mom said we are going to "walk" to "Starbucks" and get "coffee." I don't know what any of that is - is that
like a bone? Mom gets all lit up when she talks about "Starbucks" and "coffee." I think it must be some kind of bone.
I get all waggy when I think about it.

I had better go - Atticus moved back onto the comfy beds and I need to take them over again so I can really stretch
out. Don't worry, I think he likes it NEXT to the beds better than on them. I like it better ON the beds.

Bye Maggie! I will talk to you later. oh - tell Oscar daddy that I hope he did really well in his "show" today. He is so
"pretty" Atticus and I both think he did really well. Licks and wags, Scout

Hi my darling Scout (and you must pass this along to Atticus too!)

I am sorry to hear about your not so smooth trip to your new home, but I know that it was worth it! Hurky-Gurky is not any fun at all, even for a human. But you usually feel a little better afterwards. I'm sure your new Dad tried very hard to miss every bump but sometimes that is just impossible. It sounds like you were VERY brave, and strong..you are such a special
girl! Just like your namesake.. Maybe one of these days you and Atticus will get to "watch the movie" that inspired your
new parents to give you your names.

Your new home sounds wonderful! A yard with dirt and plants and all! What fun! And to just be able to lay anywhere,
even if it is on top of your Mom's plants!! Ohhh, and new BEDS, that is very exciting, such a big step in your lives!!
Having one's very own bed is quite a thing, it sort of says that you are really growing up. I do hope you will let Atticus
have his bed whenever he wants it. I know he is very kind and will share his bed with you if you want, or even give it
to you if that is what you would like, but remember to play fair and not be too much of a little bed piggy!

"Starbucks" seems to be a very special meeting place for many humans, where they fill up on special water that makes
them "hum" inside. I don't think it is a comforting as having a good bone though, more like getting a cookie when you are really, really hungry and need to stop your tummy from "growling" (I know that is confusing..but it's only a word that us humans to describe the sound one's tummy can make sometimes, there isn't a dog in there or anything!) I am sure that you
and your brother will have a wonderful "walk" tomorrow. It will be such a great new experience for you! You will
have MANY of them from now on!

Your Oscar daddy was not "in the mood' for his performance today and felt much better when we got to just "hang out"
and do nothing. Some days are just like that! But he did look SO handsome, didn't he?!

Remember, things can really BIG out there but your Mom and Dad will always be right there to keep you safe and help
you in every way. You can always count on them because they love you as much as the whole world!!

I missed you both so much today, you have very special places in my heart and I will keep you both very
close to me forever.

Get all warm and snuggly with Atticus and whisper very softly in his ear that Maggie says Hello and
I love you! And to you, my brave Scout, hugs and kisses and I love you so big!! Maggie