I mean really, the dog is irreplaceable. But he set a pretty good precedence, don't you think?This is Ricardo and Farley sharing a noodle. Think lady and the tramp, except there's no lady in the picture.
It's taken me a while to be ready for another dog. I didn't think I would want one. Perhaps I even exuded the magic word, "Never". It's a very yummy word. I eat it a lot.
The process of mourning the loss of a dog as a mother was a bit tricky. First, I had to get the kids through it. And then Ricardo took it hard, and I hadn't prepared myself for that part of support in a marriage and all of that. After all that dust settled, I was sad and missed my dog and questioned whether we should have even put him down or let him live miserable. And then it just became apparent, there was a void in our lives. In our whole family. It was too quiet. No one barked when someone knocked on the door. No one greeted us with a wagging tail when we walked in the house.
When we lost Farley I was certain that I never wanted another pet again. Citing that there would never be another dog like Farley. And there won't. What I wasn't accounting for was that we are a family with love to give to another furry soul.
Can you fill a void of the loss of a dog with another dog? I think so. It's not so much a void of sadness as a shared joy we want back. For the last year, we've emoted family sympathy for our ol pal, even while he was napping next to us. Just kinda felt bad for the guy.
I firmly believe the kids deserve a family dog of their very own. To start the whole process together.
So, we have started the process. And yes, there is a process, it turns out.
We're currently awaiting our application being approved. My, how times have changed. When we got Farley, MyDaph said "I"m going to go get a dog. Wanna go?" I rolled my eyes at the idea, but jumped in the car anyway. We showed up, MyDaph paid the lady and we left with the greatest dog in all of the universe. Done.
Getting a dog now - even adopting or rescuing a dog - still requires cash. But there's a longer process. I appreciate the process as it's helping the community be respectable pet owners. But we're really ready! C'MON! There is a waiting period, an application to fill out, a home visit, and a meeting of the dog to family to make sure everyone is a match. Ricardo doesn't know what's worse - making 8 year olds wait, or making me wait. Probably the latter.
Surely I've lost my mind by adding on another breathing, mess making, eating, demanding, and pooping livestock in our house. Probably. However, I've discovered an ulterior motive to this puppy searching and waiting business though. And I'm taking full advantage of it. Remember that mommy outburst about cleaning I had?
Which one, Les? Funny, y'all.
Well there's a new sheriff in town: Puppy. The foster dog organization has to do a home visit. I've explained to the kids that if we don't pass inspection, not mommy's inspection, but puppy inspection, we don't get the dog. And then I also explained that puppy's are very different.
"They eat everything. EVERYTHING. So, if you like your shoes, socks, legos, swimsuit, homework, you should put them away."
I have never seen the house so clean so quickly in all my days. And although I'm certain the newness will wear off and the kids, as historically proven in their 8 year career, will forget and leave their stuff out. For once, it won't be my lesson to teach. The dog will simply eat it. It'll no longer be "Mommy threw away my favorite shoes that I left at the on separate stairs."
There will be no more malice. But simply a really cute puppy to face that destroyed your stuff.
In the past, Ricardo's been in charge of feeding the dog, and I inevitably get doody duty. Oh, the parallels with that one and motherhood.
Today we have our home visit and meet the puppy. I refer to her as THE puppy because we are SO going to pass this home visit & meeting. I look forward to the puppy breath, the clean your stuff up lessons, the inside jokes as a family, watching my kids love unconditionally, and sharing the joy in a family pet.
So Farley, we honor you in our quest to share love with another furry soul. You trained us well, ol boy. We'll be sure to tell the next pooch to send you thanks.
That's how we roll.
Song of the day: Hyim - D.O.G.
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