Maggie

Our beloved pooch turns 6 today!  Where does the time go?  We got her two weeks after moving into our new home and before we had kids. 

One of my fourth grade language arts students loved corgi’s and did a book report on Pembrooke Welsh Corgi’s.  He got an A and I was sold on Corgi’s.  I distinctly remember him telling me that they were “light shedders and good with kids.”   He was a bit off on the light shedding, but couldn’t have been more dead on about the kids.  So, thank you Dylan!

For about a year she was “our baby” and she was very spoiled.  She ate at precisely the same time every day, she went on walks, she slept on our bed, we played games with her, we took her to the dog park…in a lot of ways she helped shape they way our days went.

Gradually as first one, then two, then three kids came into the picture, she fell further and further down the totem pole.  Now she is happy just to be fed, forget about what time it is!

From the minute we brought our son home from the hospital, she has proved to be a great kid dog. 

She was very curious about this new little one we brought home.  I love these shots of her peering up curiously at him as if to ask us, “What is this thing you brought home and how will this effect me?”

Little did she know that she would be pulled, poked, sat on, not to mention overlooked thanks to this new one and his soon to come sisters.

And she has never complained.  She sits there patiently while they “love on” her and she never growls or snaps (though she is known to give a wet smooch or two). 

Granted, she has been rewarded with her fair share of Cheerios and remnant high chair food over the years.  When I took her to the vet a year after my son was born she had gained 10 lbs that year… that’s a lot of Cheerios for one dog to consume!

She still has occasional accidents on our carpet and she barks anytime someone walks in front of our house or rings the door bell, and I must confess in those moments my true inner Cruella Deville creeps out as I mutter under my breath.   But she is part of our family and though I rarely show it, I love her.

So for her birthday today we are taking her for a walk and going to Pet Smart for a bone and a new doggie bed…basically her special birthday treat is to be treated with the love and care she used to receive on a normal basis, PK (pre kids).  And after writing this post and reflecting on all of her many redeeming qualities and her charming personality, I’m convicted to make a new year’s resolution to treat Maggie with the love and attention she deserves (or at least better than I’ve been treating her).

Happy Birthday Maggie, I’m so glad you are part of our family!!

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Being a self proclaimed non dog lover and a mother of three preschoolers, I must admit that the dog is not high on the priority list.  Her needs sadly get ignored all too often. 

I honestly couldn’t tell you that last time poor Maggie had a bath. 

But, in the interest of keeping it real, I’d say it was at least last spring. 

So, today I decided to give her a bath.  Trying to bathe a 35 pound dog that doesn’t like to get wet in the tub with three kiddos peering over the edge of the tub, is hard enough to do, I could not add taking pictures to the task.   I did snap this one of the tub afterwards though, so you’d get the idea.

And, I was able to snap this action shot while blow drying her hair afterwards.

For more L-O-N-G overdue tackles, check out 5 Minutes for Mom.

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Last night we were walking along the beach in our neighborhood and someone walked by with her two dogs. One big dog passed to our right, the other between my son and I to our left. As this was happening she asked if the kids were ok with dogs. It was then that I realized how I’ve taken this fact for granted.

I am not a dog person. When I go to other dog owners homes, you won’t see me sitting on the floor playing with the dog or cuddling them on my lap. BUT, I am incredibly thankful that my kids are growing up in a house with a dog. When we are out at the park or taking a walk and someone walks by with a dog, my kids don’t shriek with fear. They don’t really even think twice of it.

Having a dog around the house, who is known to bark from time to time (ok every time someone walks their dog in front of our home), gets them used to a certain noise level. My kids don’t frighten easily. They rarely flinch at loud noises (aka the Blue Angels air show, the Circus, motorcycles) and I attribute this to the fact that we don’t live in a quiet house. Since they were in my womb, they’ve been accustomed to random loud barking from time to time.

So, while I don’t appreciate the dog hair shed all over my house, and despise when she wakes the kids when people come during nap time, I am so grateful she’s a part of our family. I appreciate her patience with my kids, her eager greeting when we come home, her eating the food that my kids drop on the floor (seriously – its amazing how messy our floor gets if she’s not around when we eat), and the life experiences she offers to my kids. I am glad my kids are being raised in a home with a dog.

If you don’t mind sub par grass in your backyard and a rug that looks like…..well…your back yard. I recommend you consider having a dog.

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