Who rescued who...

Remember when we adopted our sweet puppy Ziggy Boo?  I have a confession, her name isn't Ziggy.  It was Ziggy for about four days but it just never caught on.  Everyone was calling the dog different names and it was getting confusing.  We called a family meeting and went through lots of options.   We wanted a Z sounding name because we liked having Sandy and Skoopi (S names) and now we wanted this pair of dogs to be matching. Lame?  Totally, but that is how we do things in our house.

So Ziggy Boo became...   Xena Warrior Princess (except we spell it officially Zeena Warrior Princess).  AK picked it out, it is ridiculous, and so perfect.  This dog is one tough chick and we love her mighty fiesty spirit.  When Zeena plays with Zoey, she snaps her jaws with ferocious-ness.  

When she is not snapping her jaws and roughhousing she is a mellow sweetie pie.  Zoey and  Zeena are so unlike Sandy and Skoopix.  Sandy and Skoopix were always in the middle of everything, jumping on everybody, sniffing inappropriately.  Zoey and Zeena like to find quiet places to rest and rejuevenate.  Zoey is completely antisocial when people come over and hides, while Zeena likes to climb into my lap and observe from my arms.  They aren't like any other labs I've known, they love "their people" but don't really want to get to know anyone else.  Sandy and Skoopi would force friendships on anyone who walks through the gates at the Chalet.

Zeena does this prancing-dancing-walk when she greets you and it melts my heart.  I can't resist but drop everything to scoop her up.    Having a black dog is a new experience for me.  Black dogs are really hard to photograph,  I never feel like I do her justice in photos.  She is gorgeous and her ears are full of expression. 

I often think about how lucky Zeena is to live here, from the streets as a stray to living in the hills, hiking everyday...  but I always come to the same conclusion. 

   

We are the lucky ones to have her in our lives. 

Giving Thanks for Puppy Kisses

Sweet Zoey is no longer puppy sized anymore.  She still behaves like a puppy and destroys whatever might be in her path.  Zoey gave Chelsey Handler's new book 1 star for taste, but 3 stars for holding her interest. 

She still rides in the front seat as if she were only 10 pounds.  She likes to wear a hat, which makes people do double takes because they think it's a human at first. Okay, maybe the kids like for her to wear a hat.

Mr. Man and the kids are begging for a second dog, because "that's all we ever known!"  And when I look in these eyes, I can't help but think... Ok let's get one more. Zoey has been the best thing to happen to this family.  Every single day I give thanks for her sweet and gentle nature, and her ability to love so unconditionally.

She also took good notes from Skoopi on how to be a good dog.  I can't help but smile as I watch her attentively keep an eye on the kids everywhere we go. She knows they are her "job" 

I know she is just a dog, and it may seem silly, but I am totally smitten.   Sometimes I wonder if Sandy and Skoopi are whispering in her ear... "Love the boy, he needs your love.   Be patient with the little girl, and watch over her.  Mr. Man needs to be greeted with enthusiasm when he comes home, work has been hard for him today. Nudge the woman, she needs you to remind her to pause and spread some love."   Am I crazy to think this?

Zoey, Inspired by Mr. Man, Saved by Mr. Vet

We made the decision to put Sandy to sleep after pondering the idea for several weeks.   It was a decision, neither Mr. Man or Moi wanted to make.  It didn't feel like it should be our decision.  Mr. Man especially couldn't fathom life without Sandy or Skoopi.  Unfortunately, Skoopi was starting to refuse food and we knew her time was coming to end.   Sandy's body started failing and we knew that this was the right decision for her.  We had never once imagined in the dog's lifetimes that they would go at the same time. 

 During the week of September 12th, we had an appointment for Sandy later in the week to be put to sleep.  The mood around the house was blue, and tears flowed freely.  We watched TV on the floor, spoiled Sandy with food she shouldn't eat, took Skoopi on hikes and spent every minute with our dogs. 

 

The family was a wreck, no one was handling this situation well.  I know, they are just dogs, but it still felt like we were losing our best friends.  Mr. Man woke me up late one night and said, "We need to get a puppy right now and I found one on the internet."  I went through 100 reasons why we should wait several months.  Finally, he broke down and said, "I can not walk into this house without a tail wagging to greet me, I just can't.  I don't think the kids can either, they don't know any different."  Those words resonated, especially when Mr. Boy would greet me from school with tear filled eyes and ask, "Did Skoopi come in the car to pick me up today?"

    

On  September 15th, we said goodbye to Sandy, and I'm not going to lie it was terrible.  I had underestimated how hard it would be on the children.   I hadn't planned on them reaching over to pet Sandy while playing xBox only to realize she was not there anymore.  After some sound advice from a professional on children's grief, I was reassured a puppy is not going to interrupt the grieving process, it would ease the transition.  Her professional opinion was, "Get a puppy, ASAP"

 And so Zoey, joined our family in time for Skoopi to teach her how to take the kids to school. 

And the smiles that had disappeared started to make appearances.

Among the tears of grief, there was laughter sprinkled in.

I learned there is nothing better for a grieving heart than puppy love. 

On Monday, September 19th, everything went wrong.  Skoopi was miserable, and we knew without a doubt what the right thing was to do.  Zoey had not been feeling well that morning, and by the afternoon she was limp and lifeless.  We took Zoey and Skoopi to the vet.  Immediately, the vet and his team started to work on Zoey.  The vet told us, "I am so sorry, this is a very sick puppy.  The next 24 hours will be critical, and we won't know the outcome until then." 

Then we said goodbye to the world's best dog.  Skoopi eagerly and peacefully left this world.  I'm convinced her first stop on the way to heaven was to get a bite to eat.  She had lost half her body weight in 4 months. Then we went home, empty handed to a house with "no wagging tails there to greet us."   The silence in our house that night was deafening.

The next 24 hours were miserable, waiting for word from Mr. Vet. This is the same vet that saved Sandy from Parvo 14 years ago.  The vet told me later, that he did not sleep at all, knowing Zoey's life was in the balance.  "This family cannot lose three dogs within five days."  Zoey showing signs of Sandy's determination and Skoopi's loyalty to our family, pulled through.  Mr. Vet saved her and she came home to rejoin the family she was meant to be with.

And when Mr. Man came home that night from work, there was this little tail there wagging to greet him.

 Just like how it should be.

Meet Miss Puppy

Meet Zoey,  an impulse decision, made by Mr. Man who thought that she was a lot cheaper than all the therapy the kids are going to need after what they have experienced in the last year, or even just the last week.  The kids have learned to grieve enough this year, they don't need to wallow anymore.

 I'm not gonna lie, Mr. Man was right on this one.   She is providing a whole lot of love to those who are hurting the most.  There are broken hearts, in need of mending.

 For me, this was the moment where I exhaled for the first time in a week.  Thank goodness for puppy love.

Where the Red Fern Grows

 

Dearest Skoopix, 

There has been a terrible twist of fate in our house this year.  Sandy was "circling the drain" for 2 years, but too stubborn to succumb.  Around April we started noticing you were slimming down,  you had just returned from a month with my dad, and we thought it was just the extra exercise. 

 

After a few months we realized you were getting very thin and we started the process of trying to figure out what was going on. Every morning you would wander out the back gate and go off on your own adventure.  Pretty soon, you stopped doing that, and we knew something was very wrong.  Every single test came back normal.  The only thing they could guess is stomach cancer. Damn Cancer.  It robs me of my mom and now you.  I wouldn't allow them to do the invasive procedures to confirm it and for that I am sorry but I didn't think it was fair to subject you to that. 

 Skoopix, you are the sweetest most loyal dog.  I wish I could clone you... I wish I could fix you, but you are losing your battle. You have not eaten for a few days and you are miserable.  

Even the deer have noticed the change in our house, and have been keeping a vigil for the last few days.

 Skoopi, I just don't know how we are going to live without you.  You are the sweetest dog, and you are my dog.  You follow me everywhere, and are very content being part of the family.   Shortly after we moved to Los Angeles, sensing my anxiety about sending the kids off to school, you decided to get a job.  Your job was to take the kids to school, and you did it well.  Every morning you sat by the car waiting to take the kids to school.  You rode in the back and made sure each one got there safely.  You would be right there by the car when it was time to pick up too.  It was uncanny that you knew the timing of pick ups, especially considering some days I was confused on the timing. 

 Skoopi you are the most obedient dog.  You never needed a leash on walks and you never jumped on people unlike Sandy.  You never attended obedience school, but you were the most well behaved dog I've ever met.  Some might say it was because your brain was too small, but Mr. Man is convinced it's because your heart is so big, you wouldn't ever want to disappoint.

Skoopi, you have been the most loyal companion and I wish I could clone you.  I would love to have a whole herd of dogs like you.  On my worst days you would come up and give me a little nudge to show me you care.  I loved that, you were very in tune with my mood. 

 I could always count on you Skoopi to watch over the kids.  With the exception of the last few weeks, you have been always keeping a watching eye over the children.  You love them and know that they are your responsibility.  You are the ultimate family dog, anxious to join in the fun.  

 Oh Skoopi, if I could somehow make this all go away, I would wave a magic wand in a heartbeat. I would give anything to heal you, and we tried Skoopi.

I don't know how our little family is going to go on with out you.  I know in my heart it is the right thing to do, you are so miserable. It's not fair to let you suffer.  When we brought you home 11 years ago, we had no idea you would and Sandy would go at the same time.   You and Sandy were bonded and never liked to be apart.  On vet days, you would both be kenneled together, Sandy would keep you calm and you kept Sandy out of trouble.  The two of you remind me of the book Where the Red Fern Grows.  I love you both so much, it is going to take a long time to heal from your passing.

 Skoopi, thank you for being the most loyal faithful friend.   I will miss you with all my heart, please watch over us.  Until we meet again my friend.

Mii

If you haven't discovered the joys of owning a Wii, you really must get one. One of our favorites is that you get to make "Mii's" They are video game versions of yourself. I love it, and the family all has their own Mii's. Mr. Boy loves making and tweaking his Mii, he also loves tweaking other people's Mii's like making my Mii Fat. It cracks us up, that this is what Mr. Boy thinks he looks like. No need to adjust the color on your monitor, his Mii is very dark skinned with Silver hair and sunglasses. Apparently, no one has told him that he is Irish and German..Also, just because it's adorable and shows Mr. Boy's true character. Skoopi is going to the vet tommorrow for the whole day. When I told Mr. Boy, he was worried that Skoopi will miss us and does not want her to go. He insisted on petting her and sitting by her for the entire evening. Eventually they both fell asleep on the couch together completely content comforting each other.
** Update: We dropped Skoopi off this morning and the kids gave Oscar-worthy performances. Mr. Boy and AK were in tears, there was weeping and there was wailing. For goodness sakes, she is going in for a checkup and shots, no big deal. Mr. Boy is so worried that Skoopi will miss us. In reality, Skoopi on the other hand gets to met other dogs, look at cats, and get rubbed down by several different vet techs. She is stoked!