Taking Life One Day At A Time: 2010

So Jeremy and I are on our way to pick Rylee up from school. All of a sudden Jeremy spouts off with "Mom, you should get a new dad." I start laughing and ask "ok, why?"

Jeremy: "Because your dad is mean to you."

Me: "Well honey, that's not quite the way it works. You can't just get a new dad."

Jeremy: "Yeah huh. You need a new dad."

Me: "Well as long as we're getting new dads, should we get one for you and brother too?"

Jeremy: "NO! MY DON'T HAVE A DAD!"

Me: "Do you want one?"

Jeremy: "NO! MY DON'T NEED A DAD!"

At this point his arms are crossed and he's glaring out the window. Conversation ended....the kid does not have a dad and obviously does not want one. Just be forwarned...DO NOT ASK HIM ABOUT DADS...the resulting wrath is not pretty.

So my boys have been wanting a dog of their own since forever! I always told them that once mommy was done with school we'd buy a house and then get a dog. I've always wanted a big dog, little dogs are yappy and annoying but until you see our dog you won't understand how BIG, big actually is. So here is the story of Apollo....

A month ago, when I realized I was definitely buying our home, I decided we had to get a puppy. My philosophy is that every child should have a big slobbery puppy to greet them when they get home from school. So, taking a cue from my bestest, Laura, I decided to go to the pound. My desire was to find a puppy there. And this is how it went down....

We walk past the small kennels to go to the garage where they have a few puppies. On the way there, Jeremy stops dead in his tracks and says, "Mom what's that?" I barely glance at the dog he is pointing at and continue on my way, telling him, "no. Let's go see the puppies."

It just happens the puppies were as ugly as small rats! And they were a little breed to boot. Not happening. Now mind you, Jeremy is not at all interested. He has watched Marmaduke one too many times and is insistant that is what he wants. He doesn't want a little dog either....even if it means that little dog will grow into a big dog. Probably better that way as he can be a little rough and would probably maul a baby to death.

So we walk back to the front, a little discouraged but no worse for the wear, when once again Jeremy stops dead in his tracks. I turn to see what he is doing, and he points directly in front of him at what looks to be a miniature holstein cow, and says, "I want THAT one!" My jaw drops and I hesitate for a second but as luck would have it, one of the pound employees comes out at that moment. She sees who Jeremy is pointing at and tells us his name is Apollo. She then proceeds to get him out for us. He promptly lays down at our feet and shivers. He won't even look at us. The poor thing is just lying there shaking. I get down next to him, and after a moment he looks at me with these huge, brown, sad eyes. I was officially taken.

We went home that night and described Apollo to my mom who was entirely against it. I finally talked her in to meeting "Brutus" as she calls him, and bringing Koda as she is the baby, and if they do not get along then all bets are off. Apollo is still nervous, and it takes him a minute to actually sit up and look around, but he does, and mom is suddenly taken too. (Whether she admits it or not). This is when the animal control lady informs us that we can foster Apollo for 14 days, see how he reacts once away from the pound with the boys, Koda, mom, and I.

At this point we are on day 12. Apollo isn't going anywhere, he has become as big a part of our family as if we'd had him since he was a pup. Koda's still slightly jealous. When he tries to love on you, she will come bite his jowls and pull on them, and he just sits there. She is still the baby. Now she's just got a very LARGE big brother. They play nice. He sleeps at the side of the bed (thank gods! I was worried he'd try to sleep IN the bed!) And Koda sleeps with me, most the night (she bounces from the boys' beds, to my mom's, to mine but stays mainly with me). And sometimes they sleep by each other on the floor....

He is part Great Pyrinese and part St. Bernard (at least that is what the pound said). His name is still Apollo, but Jeremy has added Marmaduke to that, or A.M. for short. We call him Poddo, Pablo Picasso, Brutus, Cowdog, and Bubba, among other things. He is well behaved, house trained, and pretty smart when he wants to be. We didn't think he could jump the fence, due to his size, but one day with everyone in the front yard and him in the back proved that to be wrong. But when we are at work, he stays on the front porch, inside the fence, all day. He's also learned how to open the gate when we are home and the boys are playing in the field while he is in the yard. He noses the latch up, but only does it if everyone is out in the field without him. We had to put a lock through the latch and that has stopped that. All in all, he is a wonderful companion for the boys. He is mellow enough, that Jeremy and his roughness doesn't even bother him, he just lays down and lets the kid sit on his back and pretend he's a horse. Rylee tends to enjoy Koda more, as she plays fetch where Apollo just looks at him and lays down. What matters is that everyone is perfectly content, and one more dog is saved from the pound. Thank you Laura for creating a good example! If I wouldn't have taken a page from your book, we would never have found such a wonderful dog as everyone I know advised me against it. I'm glad I didn't listen.