Ever wonder why people compare their animals to kids? I am sure you have seen it; dogs wearing sweaters, shirts, sunglasses, etc. These anthropomorphized mammals are hilarious and, yes, even cute. Like looking at a toddler sit on the toilet and read the newspaper. Hilarious!It is the family set up that couples with no kids and old kids prefer. It's the in between group that I don't get, you got it, my friends WITH kids and animals. Don't get me wrong, I love animals (except the ones that growl/hiss at me for no reason or ignore me for the same reason). As an aside, I know all about the "don't show them you fear them" and "let them sniff you" routine. I do that and for the most part they like me, but I don't get the ever-angry or ever-annoyed animals, whatever. Mixing animals and little kids together are not a good mix and I mean no offense to my brother Caleb and his sweet wife, Palmyra.
So, why do I bring this up? Well, I have been thinking about reasons why I don't have any animals (and let's just remove what you are already thinking, "It's because you don't like animals."). Au contraire, I love them, but they have a time, place and season in my life. If I don't have the time, place or season right, then it's a no-go.
So, here is a list that I have come up with to help me rationalize why I don't have animals BECAUSE they are my kids:
- When my oldest was two I found her face immersed in the doggy water dish at Gma and Gpa Jeanne and Michael's.
- Likewise, this same daughter is constantly found with her face in her 'human' dish licking and lapping the remains of her meal. And, inevitably she gets food on her, I don't know how.
- They bark, growl, bite and unfortunately leave little 'surprises' on the floor ("pssss", "bleah", *concentrated look...* "ahhhh").
- They wake you up at all hours of the night when they are sick, scared, hot/cold or if they need to go potty.
- When you get a new one you take more pictures of them instead of everyone else and inevitably you miss capturing events in your life because you have a bunch of pictures of their face instead of what you were doing say at Christmas.
- They are the joy in my life and I would do anything for them.
So, there you have it, I will NOT get a dog/cat/animal until my kids can take care of themselves or are out of the house. There it is in writing and I'm not going back. I love you kids, but don't ask for a pet unless you want to move out.
*I have included some pictures, for fun, of my kids and their animal counterparts.
P.S. Case in point, listen to the beginning of the video below as I talk to Eden and Wyatt (it's short and quiet, but you'll get the point).
I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise. Palmyra would probably argue that I don't take out the dog on enough walks... probably true. But I do love my dog, she is so loving and is nice with the kids... maybe more because she is frightened of Alex.
ReplyDeleteThose pictures are great, and I totally agree with you. I am so glad you have started your blog. It is fun to hear what you are thinking about and a little of what is happening with you. You always get a slightly different view of a person through their writing. So fun!
ReplyDeleteGood idea sending a text out to announce a new entry. It's good to read about you weird Kansas folk. Ericka loves grapefruit too. Will you really do a step by step for prepari ng to eat one?
ReplyDeleteHa ha!! I'll try to answer the question. I got a dog for the same reason I added another kid even though I already had one (in your case two, ahem, what were you thinking? Wasn't it bad enough the first time?!)
ReplyDeleteYeah, and its awesome, and you wouldn't change it because they add something that you didn't know was missing until they came into your life. I'm not saying that I love my dog as I love my own children, but she is a part of my family. She is under my protection. I am committed to her well being.
In my case, I accepted Mischa because I never had pets and I was (am) cynophobic. I will forever be grateful to Mischa because she taught me to love what I fear. She is gentle and loving, doesn't ever bark, and occasionally howls (which I find fascinating). She is Alex's playmate, friend, and companion, and will teach him things that I wish I had learned as a child, mainly, not to be afraid of animals; to care for, respect, love, and appreciate the creatures that Heavenly Father created for us, to understand them as you spend time with them.
In a house full of boys, its nice to go out the back, have some fresh air, and as I look into her perfect blue eyes, I swear, I feel like she understands me, and she doesn't ever, ever talk back. :)
After having Alex, Mischa, is a piece of cake. And I actually fear the day when I'll look out the window and not find her there, waiting on us to come out and play.
*tear* I love how Mischa has become such a beautiful part of your family. I can see how a dog may add an element of learning and love that you would not otherwise have without her. Thanks for your comments, Palmyra. I have to say, the more I see my siblings with their kid-dogs I see how these furry family members can mean so much. I may change my view of dogs and our little kids in the future and when I do I am sure that it will be because of the wonderful examples of my best friends (my brothers and sisters(you, AZ, Laura and Erika). Thank you for your sweet comment. We love you guys!
ReplyDeleteYou boys were always my puppies (Azie was my dolly). Young boy scouts are called cubs for the same reason. It's exactly how they are...romping all over each other (and everything else), investigating and getting into everything leaving a wake of destruction in their path (in the name of curiosity). Like Micah, destroying the little cars so he could get the little man out, and shoving as much as possible down the drain to see how many things could disappear there. How about Bo's curiosity to see what woud happen f he shoved a kernel of unpopped popcorn up his nose? Who needs to worry about chasing after your cat up a tree when you have Caleb? Then there's the joy of run away pets who get lost and the neighbors have to help you find them (Caleb and Shane). Pets are nice for cleaning up the floor after meals, but small children and toddlers work just as well. Can a bull in a china shop really do more destruction than a bunch of little boys?....broken windows, holes in walls, holes in doors, holes in knees and toes (both clothing and the skin), stains (or burns from blown up airosol cans) on the carpet (Bo). I think I would almost prefer the constant barking of a dog to the sound of fighting children. However, there is nothing more delightful than the sound of happy children laughing and playing. I LOVED MY PUPPIES... STILL DO. :)
ReplyDeleteMicah, Michael and I completely understand and agree with you. Kids and pets in my experience don't mix so well. Every time we go to my mom's Landon torture's the poor dog. It's nice though that they can still be around animals at other people's houses, we just don't want one in ours right now. We miss you guys!!
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