Puppy Shopping

We are about the join the traditional American family statistic of having 2 kids and 1 dog. Against every fiber of my being that believes we shouldn't. Why not? you wonder.

Poop. Steaming. Fresh. Warm. Big Dog. Poop. In my hand. Only separated by a thin sheath of plastic.

Dog fur. In my couch. In my rugs. In my clothes. Everywhere.

Dog slobber.

Dog smell.

Walks. Below freezing temperature through snow storms. Through torrential downpours. At the pre-crack of dawn, pre-workout.

Bills. Vet bills. Dog walker bills. Food bills. Accessory bills.

Non-dog-friendly vacations.

Doggy playdates. (Well, my neighbor does them.)

Something else I have to take care of.

But, we're still getting a dog. E has been dying to have a dog. DYING. For as long as we can remember. This is a child who has no interest in playing with dolls or barbies. She plays only with stuffed dogs. For as long as we can remember.

Tomorrow, we take the second step in the direction of becoming dog owners. We're meeting the breeder, and the puppy parents. The first step included a spontaneous phone interview grilling to which I unsuspectingly dialed into - the one person in the family who doesn't want a dog - had to convince the breeder that even though we are two working parents, the dog will not be left alone for very long. I swear. I spent 20 minutes "selling" us as the perfect dog parents. Then came the six 6! page application. The meet is to see if she likes us. I probably shouldn't go.

The puppies are to be born in about a month. We can take ours home 7 1/2 weeks later. A baby.

BABY!

Stay tuned.