My kids have been saving up for a Chihuahua. They would also accept a Great Dane or any type of dog in between.
After pooling the money they've collected from the Tooth Fairy and pilfered from my purse, they have a whopping $43.00.
"This is definitely enough for something at the animal shelter," my daughter said to me this morning, fanning a wad of dollar bills across the kitchen table.
We are frequent fliers at all of the animal rescue centers in town. Petsmart= petting zoo.
"I can barely take care of the living things already in this house," I replied. "We can't get a dog right now."
Cortlen threw himself off the sofa when he heard the bad news. Kellen took the setback in stride. He chucked a library book at the wall and won a free trip to time out.
Just as I was tuning my violin in preparation for the pity party, a furry beast bounded across my deck and jumped onto a patio chair.
"A gift from the gods!" I shouted to my offspring. "Come look!"
My children stopped hating me long enough to look out the window.
"That's a squirrel," my daughter said flatly.
"It's your new pet!" I corrected.
Kellen liked my idea so much that he threw another book.
All was not in vain. After a half hour or so, my children warmed up to the idea of claiming ownership of all of the wild animals in our subdivision.
"Let's call him Squirrely," chirped Cortlen.
It's my sincerest hope that my son didn't have to dig too deep to come up with that name.
*****
Super cool! A couple weeks back, the super smart ladies at Segullah and I had a little chat. You can read the interview HERE.
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29 comments
great idea. a squirrel won't pee and poo on your floors and chew your expensive shoes. my uncle had a pet squirrel as a child, for many years actually. very sweet. take care.
Squirrely, you saved the day!
Every post of yours without fail makes me laugh out loud! Oh and P.S. don't get a dog....we got one for our children for christmas and I just keep hoping that the front door will be left open long enough that the dog will run out and find a home where children aren't shoving it in baby strollers or doing WWF moves on the poor thing.
never let it be said that god doesnt deliver miracles!
i refuse to get a dog because no matter how much my kids/husband would pledge their undieing love...in 2 weeks i will be the only one cleaning up poo.
if i wanted to do that id get pregnant again.
another thing not happening in our home.
Kellen sounds like my son. It is like he is a 15 year old EMO but he is only 9.
My son is 6... and he names everything with the same creativity.. he just adds "y" to the end of its name. He would have called him "Squirrely" too!
I will swear by my dogs. There are seldom crumbs on my floors, because they *eat everything* except for my JRT, who doesn't do veggies, but my Chi does. I love them so. They are like super robot vacs which are warm and snuggly too. Plus, they can't talk. You know that moment, when you're sooo tired and you're really appreciating that hug from your child...and then they ruin the moment by talking...loudly? Dogs don't do that.
My kids named their blue fish "Bluey" and the faster of their two hermit crabs "Speedy". . ."Squirrely" would fit in well with our menagerie.
In your defense, tell your kids the adoption fee for those shelter dogs is WAY more than $43. I should know, we just adopted a little old man (dog) for the ridiculous price of $275 at one of Petsmart's adoption fairs last week. And my mom's Humane Society charges $450 for a dog. Their logic: Paying the steep $ deters people who won't really take care of the dog or want one for the wrong reasons. I dunno know.
But I DO know that $43 is not gonna cut it -- no matter how nice of a mom you might be.
Don't get a dog. I have four kids and a dog and I haven't seen my floors clean since. No matter what your husband and kids say about how they will take care of it, the responsibility will fall on you within weeks. I don't like our dog so I am a villain in our home for not liking animals AND, I am the one who does most of the work. Don't do it.
You're lucky, you people have a squirrel! We have ants. I told my kids how lucky they were recently when we had some ants climbing up the wall to the 2nd floor. They are the really tiny black ones. I had the exterminator come to spray. He told me as he left that the spray works on every kind of ant except the tiny black ones. So I announced to my kids that we now had 100 new pets. Unfortunatly, they thought that was quite cool.
Ha! Ditto to Paige - you make me laugh, every time! Just wanted to tell you how much I enjoy your blog. :)
My three year old came up as I was reading this and she says, "Who's that Squirrely?" Like she totally knew.
By the way I love reading your blog you always make me smile!
Like Jennifer, my girls name everything with the "y" on the end. I know we've had "purpley" and all sorts of gem names like that...
Oh, if it were ONLY my kids doing all the begging...it's more painful when it comes from your soulmate, the one you pledged to go through the good and the bad with...the one you swore you'd always "back" in front of the kids...
I tried to appease him with a Christmas parakeet...He throws a book as good as your son...sigh...
I think a better name would be Rabies.
My kids have named all their webkinz with equally as creative names. I'm so proud of them. They're lucky I didn't name them "baby, infant, and miniature sized old-man"
I love your posts. Can totally just picture the moment.
We had several squirrels that used to frequent our backyard. We left some apple slices out for one once, the next day it was literally scratching and begging at the back door.. so yeah we don't feed it anymore.
We have one of those! We call him Stubs--his fluffy tail was lost in a fight with coyotes, we think. Use a portion of the $40+ cash to buy a bird feeder (cheeper than a squirrel feeder) and your Squirrely will stick around for YEARS!!!
Gwenevere
www.sewmanybooks.blogspot.com
P.S....It is my idea that if you are going to have a pet [in the house] you may as well have a cow the mess and inconvenience can't possibly be that different.
Ha, I'll send you the squirrel thats been living in my ceiling! Glad to know he'll have a good home.
Name him, Squirrely the Second.
I guess I am no better than your kids. I call my daughter 'girly', short for her longer nick name of 'Katie-girl'. I'm the only one that calls her that, but she doesn't seem to mind.
This is my first comment. Let me start by saying, I love you...I don't know you, but I LOVE you!! You remind me so much of my own mom and it makes me smile. Yes, my mother had her break downs, but with 6 kids who wouldn't? Anyway, I love your blog and I will continue to read!
violin...I really feel like I need to buy one now!
I just lost my favorite dog to cancer last month. I miss her but now know she was the messy dog. Life is easier, yet a little more lonely, without my Great Dane, Lucy. FYI, Danes are big but take up very little space in a house and add love and laughter with their shenanigans. Still, I would choose a squirrel, too! Love your blog!
My children each night tell me all bout their dog, each one with a different description as we don't have a dog. Since they are all under the age of 6, I just tell them they all need to be potty trained before a dog will find residence here. How do you postpone it after that?
We just went through the "I want a dog" drama for the 4th time. My oldest is 10. We finally settled it when we got them a Wii instead: less expensive than the shelter fee, buying a games/controllers are cheaper than the vet & dog food, no messes to clean & I don't have to take care of it. I made them promise to not ask for a dog for at least two more years. Working so far. *Knocks on wood*
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