Doggie Day Care Monday

I walk in the door and peek around the corner. I am doing a rapid and quick assessment. Labradors are bouncing at my feet. One yellow one is wiggling his way between my legs while a black one is spinning in circles glancing around for something, anything to put in his mouth to carry over to me. I pat black dog. Yellow dog barks in indignation. I pat yellow dog and give him a kiss on his cheek. So far the kitchen is in tack. My glance in the living room reveals two jars of spagetti sauce I know I put in the recycling the night before, one squished empty can of lentil soup (also in the recycling last night) with a half missing label, and lots and lots of dog fur. I stand up straighter.
"Good job boys!!" I praise.
One can never be sure.
The black lab is stealthy at finding his way into my bed no matter what traps I lay as a deterrents. We're talking two chairs, a fan and a sideways walker (folded up). Stumped. A curtain, a card table, fan, two chairs, walker and couch cushion seems to have prevailed this time so my sheets may make it another few nights.
One day I came home to my bike lock on my bed, slightly frayed but overall in tack. Yay bike lock! Labrador teeth couldn't break you!
As I move into the living room I notice they must have had a pillow fight. Lab 1 verses Lab 2. It is unclear who won but the couch certainly lost. The cushion is half on, half off. Blankets are tangled. Pillows tossed.
The dogs have found a toy and are dragging each other this way and that as they now have an audience to watch.
"Yes, hello boys, aren't you too cute?" I say and flip a cushion up to watch as I relax into my afternoon. Doggie day care, Orion Timothy/Oliver Jackson style. All is good.

(picture from Doggie Day Care Weekend Patrol...)

Snap out of it.

It occurred to me recently that the boy is turning four just around the corner. Four years old. Not a big deal to most but my, does that sound old to me. I thought about this as I lay curled up on the couch with my arm around him this morning. Four years old.
"Would you like me to tell you a story about when you were a little boy puppy dog?" I ask him. "When you were little," I begin and flash through all these images of his chubby belly, his antics, legs slipping out from under him as he learned to walk on the wood floor. "I bought this bell for you to ring when you needed to go out..." We snuggle and I tell him stories. "Can you believe you're going to be FOUR in December?" I say. I probably should start planning his birthday party.

Today I was driving home from work and it was one of those days where I just could not snap out of being exhausted and grumpy. All day long. I just wanted to stay in bed with Orion today. Skip school. As I am driving though I think about his happy self greeting me when I come home. I smile. I think about snuggling on the couch as the night rolls in and how we have scheduled only one walk and then we're free to be nice and quiet hanging out with just each other and it is a good thing, and while I hold on to that thought, I forget to be grumpy and tired.

Friday Evenings

Tonight we made pizza.

And then we read books.

I told him I kept this day free for him because I've been so busy we haven't had good hang out time. He agreed, cleaned the pizza dough off my hands, then fell asleep on my feet on the couch. It was a good night for the two of us. I reminded him he was the best thing I ever did for myself. 

Just in case he forgot.