Dog Days of Summer

Our kids have been wanting a dog forever. And I really do mean forever. I can't remember a time that they weren't asking for one. Sometimes the asking turns to begging, and that has been the case this summer. And I can't say we didn't ask for it. In an attempt to put them off a little, John told them last summer, that we could get a dog this summer.

Before I go any further, let me assure you that I have nothing against dogs. I like 'em. I don't love them the way some people do, but I like them. It's just that our house is really small, and I'm unsure about keeping one inside. And we live in Colorado, where it gets cold and snows a lot, and so I just don't know how a dog would do outside. I'm just so wishy-washy about the whole thing.

Their asking begging has intensified this week, and they've completely worn us down in the dog department, so it looks like we'll be getting a dog soon. One morning before John left, he told them to make a list of the dogs they like. It was a collaborative effort, and this is the list of breeds they came up with.



Yesterday morning I was reading on my bed, and I could hear them talking across the hallway about dogs, of course. They were in Will's room looking at his daily dog calendar, and these are some highlights of their conversation:

W: Oh, Sarah, look at this one.

S: It's adorable.

A: Yeh, it's adorable, let's get one of those.

All in unison: Awwwwwww, they're all so cute.

S: Should we get an inside dog, or an outside dog?

Long pause.

A: How about an inside AND outside dog?

All: Yeh, great idea!

W: I like this one with the sleek, black fur. (He gets bonus points with mom for using the word sleek!)

S: What should we name our dog when we get one?

A: How about Rocky?

S: No, and we all have to agree on a name.

W: We'll have to take a family vote.

And I think you get the picture. Seriously, the dog talk is non-stop.

We made a quick run to the library yesterday afternoon, and guess what kind of books they all checked out?



And sat and looked at them together for over an hour last night, while saying things like:

A: We'll have to brush our dog when we get it. Can I have that job?

W: Sure, but we can all brush him sometimes.

S: Did you know puppies have to eat 4 times a day? How will we feed him when we're at school?

W: Mom will do it for us.

Exactly! So John and I have talked about it and yeah, a dog is in our future. I think it might actually be a good thing. John travels some for his job and I think a dog would make me feel a little more secure in his absence. And Will feels left out sometimes because he's the only boy in our family, and a dog is a lot less work than a brother would be! Smile.



So our plan is to rescue a dog from the pound or the Humane Society, and bring it home and give it a lot of love and attention. John and I have started praying about the dog "for us" because we believe he/she is out there somewhere and probably needs us as much as we need him/her. So I'll keep you posted about our new addition...exciting stuff for sure!