These days...

 These days are definitely different. Our days are filled without routine. Instead they are filled with a little work, a little play, a little service, a little time together and not enough time apart!
The snapper came out for a stroll, my camera disappears for selfies, your room got transformed with a loft from a neighbor, a trench was dug, a puppy joined the cul-de-sac, and we try to convince you to make things on your own in the kitchen. That's about it...most things still require 6ft apart even in our own house at times. I know this will pass...but its been a long month and a half.

Puppy Envy, Puppy Dreams

Remember when you were a girl who liked horses and ponies? Well now you are a girl who likes dogs. In fact you have spent the last two days with dog envy. Yesterday, you spent a good hour reading books looking at websites for free or puppies under a $500 dollar budget. Luckily the only one that got your attention was all the way in North Carolina.
As much as I would love for you to have a puppy experience, I think another person to clean up after would push me off the deep end. Your argument for the perfect time might be pretty strong, but based on the most recent animal purchase we know that the excitement will wear off.
For whatever reason you set an alarm for 6 this morning to show us that you can feed and walk Buster, but that is not what I had planned for my lazy morning. Instead you curled in bed, and made me scoot over, and that's where we spent the next two hours.

I thought it would be fun to have you do puppy duty without a puppy. So I claimed the puppy pooped which called for you to vacuum the family room and kitchen. Then you handed me a cup of water and you said now pretend he peed. That's exactly what I did and got you to clean up 1/100 of the floor with a towel.
We will see where this goes, and if the perfect puppy that doesn't leave a mess, shed or get me up in the middle of the night falls in our lap for free, then we will know its meant to be.

I'm really trying not to crush your spirit at this time-because really, you are doing so well in such a challenging time. I do wish your puppy dreams could come true. For now our sweet little Buster will have to do. Perhaps if you give him a bit more attention he will become more smitten with you.