Oh, What Fun It Is

A few weeks prior to Christmas I was trying to think of a way to sum up our year for my annual scrapbook pages and Christmas letter [if I would ever get around to sending one], and I kept returning to The Dog. Dealing with dog ownership definitely dominated my attention and energy over the last year. It didn't take long to compose this rendition to the tune of Jingle Bells to illustrate our family's experience.

Zeke the Dog
Our ode to 2010

Dashing through the year
In the frenzy of life with kids
Who begged to get a dog
Each day until we did.

[Go ahead, laugh]

Now our days consumed
With Goldendoodle plight.
If life with kids was crazy then,
Now it’s way out of sight!

OHHHHH!

Chewed up walls; dug up lawn;
Torn up books from school.
“Keep your things off the floor!”
Is now the “Golden” rule.

“Take the dog for a walk!”
“Go pick up the poo!”
How is it that this great big pest
Is loved the way we do?

[We would have sent you a better letter, but the dog ate it.]

The best part of writing this was how it quickly became a theme song for the kids. Even Morgan had chunks of it memorized and sang along. Then today when the kids walked in the door from school, the first thing Caleb said to me was, "I made up a song on the way home." He proceeded to sing it for me, so I encouraged him to write it down. Here is Caleb's The Twelve Days with a Dog. [I won't subject you to the whole run-down, but you'll get the gist.]

On the first day with a dog my puppy gave to me a very, very chewed up chair.
... two wet floors ...
... three dug up holes ...
... four walks a day ...
... five stinky poos ...
... six holes in my shirt ...
... seven stolen snacks ...
... eight escapes from the kitchen ...
... nine cups of dog food ...
... ten big, loud barks ...
... eleven chewed up papers ...
... twelve lovable scratches ...

Evidently having a dog has a poetic effect on our family. I wonder what's next?