This week has flown by! I’m exhausted and this post almost didn’t get written. But I have a really good reason, and you’ll meet her later on in the post. Keep reading…

 

I spent this past weekend in North Carolina for a Plant Based Prevention of Disease conference. I flew in Friday night and met up with one of my best friends from when I lived in Durham. We went out to dinner and spent the evening catching up. It was so good to have that friend time, and then to spend the weekend learning more about the science and benefits behind a whole foods, plant based diet. I met some great people and had some thought-provoking conversations.

 

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt!

 

By the time I landed in Atlanta Sunday night, picked up my car, drove back home and got settled, it was after 11 pm. I did a full day in the office the next day, full of the usual Monday hustle and drama. But it all ended ok and I got home to spend a little time with the kids, watching Forks Over Knives on Netflix (excellent documentary on whole foods, plant based diet and the benefits on cardiovascular disease – we all enjoyed it!). But when bedtime came, we all moved quickly to bed, because Tuesday morning was the big day…

 

Bright and early Tuesday morning everyone was up and dressed. We ate, cleaned up and jumped in the car. After a short drive, we arrived at our destination, excited and ready. And there she was!

 

 

After months of discussion, planning, thinking, calculating and begging (from the kids), we were finally picking up our new puppy. We found a golden doodle (for Anora’s allergies) with a sweet and perky disposition. She had stayed with the breeder for 2 extra weeks for training and she was finally ready to come home! We spent the morning learning about her training and getting prepared to take her home. Finally, we got it all done and Riley was coming home with us!

 

 

Later that night I had to work a 16 hour overnight shift in the hospital. Sometimes I get to sleep. Not this time – I got a couple of hours here and there, but eventually the morning came. After a marathon shopping trip to Trader Joe’s, I drove my sleepy self with all the groceries home. And there was Riley!

 

I’d forgotten how much attention a puppy needs. It’s kind of like having a two year old – you better get your nap when she’s napping! Add to it that the kids had to be supervised and have to be trained to deal with Riley, and it all added up to very little sleep. When I woke up from my fog Thursday morning, I had to clean a poopy crate, make the vet and groomer appointments, get the kids off to swim practice on time, and feed and water everyone. I’ve given two puppy baths today for the crate accidents, and as I write she’s sleeping peacefully on a cushion.

 

 

It’s a lot. And I know you’re probably wondering what in the world would possess me to add a puppy to a house of four homeschooling children while I work full time and run my household. It does seem a little masochistic. Here’s what happened: After our elderly dog passed away at age 18 three years ago, it didn’t take long for the kids to start asking for another dog. At first, I thought it was just a passing request, like “can we have french fries for dinner?” I figured it wouldn’t last, but I was wrong. My kids know almost every dog in the neighborhood and their owners by name, and they know each of the cats that wander through our yard as well. When my youngest got itchy after being licked by a dog, I figured we wouldn’t be able to have a dog and I told the kids so. But she doesn’t wheeze or break out around dogs unless she is licked, so we could work around this mild an allergy. We took our time, visiting homes with dogs, reminding the kids to take responsibility for their things to prove they could handle a dog, and doing our research on the best dog for our family. When I saw how much my oldest was comforted in her preteen angst by animals, I decided that we’d better give this a try. But I wasn’t sure I’d really want to go through all the work of raising a dog. I’ve done it, and I remember how hard it was before, and I knew they had no idea! So we decided we’d talk to a breeder and visit some puppies.

I know, how could I think that after seeing the adorable puppies that I’d be able to walk away? But that wasn’t it. Yes, the puppies were super cute, but they still looked like work to me. What got me were the breeder’s own dogs. She brought them out to show the adult versions of her puppies and how they turn out with proper training, and all of a sudden I remembered how much I liked having a dog. When I told Perry that after the visit to the breeder, that was pretty much it. We were getting a puppy!

 

So here we are, now with a new fur baby and all the mess that she brings with her. But she’s smart and sweet and is learning fast! I’m looking forward to the days when the housebreaking is done and she can go on long walks with us around the neighborhood. For now, it’s shots and appointments and scheduled meals and cleaning up, along with training and treats and furry snuggles. Welcome to the Parks family, Riley!