Life as a Leach

We miss Becky.  It's been two years since she died, and I still miss her terribly.  I miss the way she used to nudge her head into my hands to be petted, or the way she rolled on her back with her paws in the air to get attention.  I miss how she used to take all of the covers when she slept on our bed.  I miss how she'd lie underneath Caleb's crib, guarding him.  I miss her hysterical potty dance, or the way that she "talked back" to us when we told her no. I miss having a dog. A few weeks ago, we began the application process for Adopt a Boxer Rescue.   It's a wonderful organization that my family has used multiple times, and my parents and sister both volunteer for them.  We have completed the paperwork and they have done the vet and character references.  A volunteer came on Monday to do a home visit and make sure that our house is safe for a dog.  Everything seemed to go well!  We're waiting on the official approval, but ho...

Ever since we lost Becky, Caleb has rediscovered his love for his little stuffed Boxer.  He didn't really have a name before, but now it is most definitely Bat Dog.  Bat Dog pretty much goes everywhere with him in the house and Caleb throws a fit if you tease him about taking him or something.  I'm pretty sure the missing of Becky has a lot to do with that. Bat Dog often gets carried around in a little "pouch" like a kangaroo. I am slightly concerned that this could be foreshadowing, should we get another dog...please don't call the Humane Society on us!  I promise I would never let them do this to a real dog, much less take pictures while they are doing it! But they had a great time making Bat Dog "fly," and that's all that matters...right?? In other news:  Caleb is really missing Becky.  He'll sometimes stare out the back door at her grave and just get this face of udder sadness.  It makes he tear up every time.  Sometimes he'll voca...

I found this picture of Caleb and Becky recently.  That boy loved his dog!

It is so hard saying goodbye to a dog who has been such a huge part of your family.  It hits us at strange times...like when there is too much space between the island and the counter because her dog bowl is gone...or a piece of food drops on the floor and it's still there after dinner...or her leash is lying on the steps waiting to be hooked onto her collar.  There are no muddy pawprints on the floor, no slobber marks on the sliding door, and the kitchen floor is missing the many pieces of dog food she used to scatter.  I can't believe I ever complained about those!  To easy the missing a bit (for all of us!), we made Becky a cross out of two paint sticks.  We painted and decorated it with the colors Caleb chose.  Then Caleb wrote Becky a special note that he placed upside down on her grave so that she could read it.  We lit a sparkler in honor of Becky but were careful not to push it too far down because Caleb was concerned it might burn he...

Early this morning, our family lost our wonderful Boxer, Becky.  She lived to be 14 and was an eternal puppy.  Right up until the very end, Becky could bound into the room with the energy of a dog half her age.  Even when her bones got weak and achy and she was so thin you could count her ribs, Becky adored Caleb and endured a lot of climbing, poking, and being a pillow! My parents first got Becky when I was a junior in college, and I had an immediate attachment to her.  She loved to get "lovins" and the girl could eat!  In true Boxer form, her favorite place to sit was curled up on your lap in a chair.  She was my 80 pound lap dog.  When Becky started getting in fights with my parents' other dog, they wanted to give her away.  I begged them not to and Becky came to live with me after I graduated from college.  She was my protector during the months when I was living alone before Matt and I got married.  While Matt initially...