This was understandably hard to watch and difficult to get her through. We had kept hoping she would grow out of it, but instead, she just seemed to get worse. So we started looking around and putting out the word that we were looking for a new home for Paulie. Last Thanksgiving, we took him down to live with Scott's grandmother, who had actually owned Paulie's mother. She just planned to keep him for a week and see how it went, but he won her over and hasn't been back to our house since.
I was so relieved to have him gone that I told Scott I didn't need any Christmas gifts last year! It was so nice to come home and not be greeted by ferocious barking. It was great to have no dog poop in the backyard this summer. During the rainy spring, I breathed a sigh of relief every morning that I didn't have to let him out into the mud to do his business and mop floors after his return. But I was especially happy to have provided Big Girl with a more peaceful home to live in.
Last night we took a walk with the kids, figuring it was probably one of the last evenings the weather would be warm enough. When we got home, we suddenly spotted a puppy running around in between our yard and the neighbors. No-one else was around. This little guy was very friendly and let Scott carry him around as we looked for his owner. We had no luck, so we brought him home.
I have to confess. This puppy was so sweet. He was quiet and calm and got along with our cat and loved the kids. I actually had a bag of puppy food in the house (given during a company event this summer), so once he filled his belly, he curled up on a quilt next to Big Girl and fell asleep. He was a honey color and had really light amber eyes, with huge paws. Scott guessed he was a lab but I think he is a mix.
I have to confess. I was falling in love with the little guy. Big Girl liked him. Big Boy liked him. Little Girl was curious. I was actually hoping that we wouldn't find his owner! I was starting to brainstorm. "Let's see. We'll need a bed for him. We'll need food and water bowls, a leash and collar, a box or crate to transport him. We can take him with us to my in-laws and have him seen by my sister-in-law's vet (she's a veterinary assistant there, and their office is WAY cheaper than anything near us)."
I did have some fleeting thoughts of, "I wonder if he's house-trained? I have no idea how to house-train a dog. What if he cries at night? What if he chews up all the toys we have laying around for Big Boy and Little Girl ?" But I banished those thoughts with this one: "We'll figure it out. He's so sweet and Big Girl LIKES him!"
Then, sadly, Scott came in and said that he had found the puppy's owner. The guy was SO relieved that we had found him. And fortunately, the kids were fine saying "Good-bye" to the puppy and letting him go back to his house.
I was sad.
I have actually been imagining going to the local humane society and looking for a puppy.
I've tried telling myself about all the work of a puppy and how overwhelmed I can be right now without one. I do have 3 small children, after all! Plus we'll have poop in the backyard again. And shedding. And expenses - dog food, vet bills, supplies. And probably some barking. And the biggest reason, the one which is really convincing me, is that some day we might want to get Big Girl a service animal (kind of like a guide dog for the blind) to be her companion and assistant. I don't want two dogs. So it would be better to wait and see if she would be a good candidate for one before we make any decisions about more pets. Plus the kids will be older and hopefully I won't be dealing with diapers, potty training, and house-breaking a puppy!
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I really want to try knitting a sock. I had a coupon for 40% off one item at Michaels, so this weekend I went to two different stores looking for a book with Christmas stocking patterns. I'd like to knit one for my niece. I only found one book, and I really didn't like any of the ideas. There are kits available online, but I don't like the colors they include in the kit. I have found some patterns also, and I think that's what I'll end up doing. I'll order the pattern online and then buy the yarn I want. I'm not sure if a Christmas stocking is the best choice for a first sock, but I'm sure that Brooke can bail me out if I get into a pickle!I saw some beautiful mercerized cotton yarn at Michael's, and now I'm trying to decide what I want to use it for. It's really fine, so I'm thinking perhaps a pair of socks? Maybe I could make some nice long ones for Big Girl's birthday - she needs knee-high socks to wear under her foot orthotics.
The hat for Big Girl is coming along. I haven't gotten to the reducing section yet, though I'm close. I have to knit 4 inches of length, and I think I'm at about 3 inches.
Scott doesn't think that I'll get all my home-made gifts done in time for Christmas. I keep pointing out that Christmas is still a month away. Surely I started in enough time, especially since everything I'm making is small. If I were knitting adult-sized sweaters, then yes. I wouldn't have a prayer of getting ONE done!
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Speaking of Christmas, I am SO proud of myself. Every year we do a Christmas letter and the last two years, I've made my own Christmas cards. That was insane. Last year, as we sat at 1am on Dec 20 signing cards and stuff envelopes, Scott said that we had to simplify the process. So this year I started thinking and researching early. I am thrilled to say that I have all our Christmas cards and bought the paper for the letter. I even bought my stamps last week. All I have to do is write and print the letter, fold it, and stuff envelopes! I even discovered that my online address book will print labels! So as long as I have all the addresses I need, I should be able to print labels and address all the envelopes in a jiffy.
So for the first time since we had children, and possibly in our entire marriage, we will actually mail our Christmas cards in EARLY December! Now if I can just keep up with the laundry...
