1:30, 3:30, 5am and 6. This is why I love my dogs,

though they drive me crazy!  My babies right now are four-legged and furry with tails that wag, tongues that slobber, noses that are wet, and personalities so different and distinct it's crazy.  They might be dogs, but they are my children, *our* children, and aside from the obvious physical differences and the fact that I can leave them at home with a bone and a kiss while I go off to work, they are a great training aide towards the future.

*Nobody get excited.  I'm not pregnant, nor do I plan to be in the near future; still have Chemo to get out of my system.* 

I grew up a cat person, at one point we had 5 cats in the house.  From left to right: 
Me holding "Pussums" (such a regal girl)
My sister Romanda holding "Pip" aka "Fabio" (honestly the *best* cat ever)
My mom holding "Miss Mona Mae" (such a lover)
My dad holding "Hunka Munka" (I miss the ol' b!tch)
My sister Julie holding "Rasta Pasta Rosie" (she's the only one left)

So it came as no surprise when we moved in together, we got a cat, Booger (aka every bad word you can think of *laugh* no. really. he's one bad #MuthaTrucka).  There was definite hesitation when Tim announced he wanted a dog.  I'd always known this, he grew up with dogs *obviously* he'd want one, but there were still a few years to go before we could actually get one so I had time to get used to the idea.  

We got married, a year later we bought our house and not more than a couple of months later, this precious girl entered our lives.  Her official name is "Peter & Patty's Lillian Black Stout".  We call her Lilly, Sweet Girl, Niller-bean and other variations.  She is truly spoiled rotten and a sweet heart down to her core who sounds ferociously vicious but knew about the cancer before I did.  She was amazingly easy as a puppy and we had her housebroke and trained in no time.  She's definitely the princess of the house and defers, really, only to me the Queen ;)  She had us both wrapped around her little paw the day we saw her and it's been that way ever since. 

Two years after starting our family with Lilly, we brought "Buckley's Sweet Grass Stout" home.  This guy...*wow*.  We had completely forgotten about the puppy stage when we took him on and he took complete advantage of the situation. *laugh*  Lilly was so easy and we started out doing the same thing with Buck that we did with her.  It wasn't until I came home to find a 2" wide by 6" long strip of felt torn up out of the middle of the pool table in our basement (which we had completely emptied of everything but furniture during his "destruct-o mode") that things had to change with how we were training this guy.  Into a kennel he went during the day and it's been nothing but pink hearts and butterflies since then (he's been out of the kennel for about a year and a half now).  He's incredibly smart yet amazingly dumb.  His head has to weigh 100lbs, we should know cause he's smacked us both in the face with it on numerous occasions, he gets beyond fixated on items (a #B.A.double L, or #K R A F T c h e e s e) and he's like a bull in a china shop most of the time but we love the dumb oaf and he loves us unconditionally in return.


They've tested our relationship, who can forget the great recycling bin argument of '07 *laugh*, they've made us worry *midnight run to the emergency vet because Lilly woke up scratching with hives* and *Buck and his broken pelvis* and I still get woken up at 130, and 330am during the week for Buck's potty breaks, then throw in 5am and 6 on the weekends where I inevitably give up and get up to start my day catering too and entertaining my children...my dogs.  We've watched them grow, and given them baths, administered medicine, and cleaned up their trash.  Toys and vomit, treats and balls, rides in the car, they always follow me wherever I go.  They're our companions, our shadows, our entertainment, and our joy and we can't imagine life without them.  

So here's to our children, our four legged darlings may they live a long and wonderful life with us and our future child, whenever that may be.