Ukraine Adoption

From chaos to crazy

Indeed. It is with mixed emotions that I say this: our house is about to change. We are getting a puppy this week. The kids are so thrilled they can barely stand it. John is reading books on how to train a dog and teach it to hunt, though I don't recall him ever hunting. I'm not a dog person. I like cats. But I have finally given in to the begging and pleading and the promises to do everything. We pick up our yellow labrador puppy on Wednesday.

The "crate" for sleeping is ready and planted smack dab in the family room next to the television. I'm told this is what you do with puppies at night, as they will cry and whine much of their first few nights. Something to look forward to. I am also told they chew. A lot. On everything. And they pee, a lot. Did I say I'm not a dog person?

Austin started this. It was his birthday a few weeks ago, and we were in the car and he looked at me with his puppy-brown eyes and said, "I only want one thing for my birthday. Just one thing." I figured it was a video game. "A puppy," he said. "I'll do everything for it." He's 13 so you figure maybe this is the year for some responsibility. How about a turtle?

John and the children have agreed to do all that needs to be done for a dog on a daily basis. And while y'all may be laughing, I'm really going to stick to my convictions that I will not take on the caregiver duties for a dog. I'm going to be sure they each have their own pooper scoopers. I think that Tara will be the most vigilant at that, actually. I may pat the puppy on the head, or maybe teach it to run with me outside, or maybe throw a ball around with it sometimes. Maybe I will grow to be more of a dog person. The little thing IS awfully cute...

Up to a point. And when I'm pointing at doggy-doo, somebody in my house better be running to pick it up. Wish us luck.