Becoming a mom again at 47 is no easy feat.
No, no, I don’t mean a baby this time. I can’t even begin to imagine having energy for that! More power to the mamas that can! I’m talking about a puppy!!
After we lost Watson, I wasn’t sure I could open my heart again to another animal. We had rescued Watson when he was 6 months old, and had him for more than 11 years! But more than a year after Watson’s death, I was determined to try again. We needed a dog.
We wanted to rescue another dog — this time something a little smaller — that didn’t shed. I was hoping for something in the 15-20 pound range and maybe a year or two, but when we met this 8 week old puppy, the girls were determined to make her ours. Puppies are a lot of work! Everyone kept telling me this. I knew, but I didn’t REALLY know. I had never done this before.
It was like having a baby again.
As a family we went through a bunch of names. What should we call her? Baguette? Cookie? Praline? Caramel? I put it out there in social media land and asked friends on Facebook. We got a lot more suggestions and a couple of criticisms for only coming up with food names. Hmmm, does this mean we are all obsessed with food — mostly dessert? Maybe it did, but I NEVER had a dog with a person’s name and I wasn’t going to start now.
Toffee Barrett joined our family and already she is sleeping through the night, knows her name and is pretty good with sitting when asked. She’s learning the ropes of potty training, enjoys peanut butter and is wise beyond her weeks!
People have suggested books to read to help me teach her how to behave, but for the most part, just as I did with Emily and Charlotte, I am using my gut instincts. Books can be helpful (don’t get me wrong), but there is usually at least one book that contradicts another — just like with parenting. Barretts use their brains and guts to get through everything! And when our instincts fail us momentarily, we have paper towels and Nature’s Miracle to clean up the mess!
Seriously, I feel so old to be starting this, but how could anyone resist that face??
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To your success!
Sarah 🙂
Sarah is a native Los Angeleno with the heart of a Chicagoan. She loves A Cappella music, cooking, and swing dancing. When she’s not helping raise money for schools, sports teams and clubs, she is hanging out with and loving life with her husband and girls. For more information about what she does professionally, check out www.amomsguidetoschoolfundraising.com