Puppy Love [edited]

I told the kids this year to write me a list of ideas for Christmas with no more than 10 things on it. Here was Courtney's list (age 7):

1. Puppy Place books (Bear, Lucky and Flash)
2. Dog stuffed animal
3. Dog information books
4. Dog Webkinz
5. Dog wallpaper
6. Puppy
7. Play doghouse
8. Mini play dogs

Do you detect a theme here? Courtney has been the main one begging for a dog (preferably a puppy) since our dog died over the summer. And item #6 refers to a real, live puppy. She wants her own puppy (yes, a puppy), even though I keep telling her if we got a new dog (probably not a puppy), it would need to be a family dog and not just her dog.

So this evening she sits down at my computer to start writing another story. I tell you, this girl is learning from her Writer's Workshop at school -- she is putting so many details into her stories! Here is the first part of her story, just as she has written it (hopefully you can decipher her spelling and punctuation). I don't think she's finished it yet.
[edited: Courtney finished the story today after school so I've added her ending below!]

The Christmas Puppy
by Courtney Humpherys

One snowy winter day santa was looking at all of the lists the children had sent him. on a little girls list said alive germansheeperd puppy. Santa thought he wanted to give her the puppy But how? I know! ill find a stray if not ill go to the pound. So santa truged throuw the sparkleing snow crunch! Crunch! Went santas heavy boots. he passed by the tundra with all the reindeer. Santa herd rusaling sond comeing from a bush santa wonderd what it could be?

Just then out poped a germansheepered puppy "poor thing" said santa. Arnt you cold? Well some one is waiting for you. I geuss ill bring the reindeer with me. come on Dancer, and Prancer, and Donner, and blitzen, and all you reindeer. We need to get you hooked up.

So santa and the germansheepered puppy and the reindeer walked passed throu the tundra agin. well its time to pack you on the sligh. when the germansheepered herd his name he jumped up and licked santa.

Ho! Ho! Ho! that tickles. ok we better be on our way. so they all went back to the workshop and hooked up the reindeer to the sligh. And pakced up all the presents incloding the puppy. They went to homes all over the world. at the last stop it was the puppys turn. santa gentley picked up the puppy and carefully he went down the chimney. He set the puppy under the Christmas tree. The puppy softly yipped Hm Hm Hm Hm. the little girl sprang out of her bed and their was azactley what she wanted. I got my Christmas miracle this year.

I don't know how much longer we're going to be able to hold off this little girl from getting a dog somehow!