My Puppy-Update:
Claire is more like a naughty princess now. She still crosses her legs behind her when she lies on the floor, like some sort of doggy debutante, and bats her lashes with the best of them, but she is a one-dog-destruction-crew if she isn’t watched.
Of course I realize that at this age when Claire gets into trouble it’s my fault. And there’s something reassuring about that. Now that I have older kids I realize that when you stop being responsible for the mistakes you are also not in charge of the outcome. So while I still have totalitarian status over Claire I’m working on being consistent: in our walks, in feeding time, in making sure she doesn’t have an opportunity to chew my house and backyard to splinters. And I’m trying to enjoy the amazing parts about being with a puppy. The way she sticks her face up to the wind as we walk. The way she runs back and forth over the snow like a black bullet. The way she comes to the back door with snow heaped on her nose. The way she spoons up to me and the kids on the floor and starts to micro-snore.
As this year ebbs away into another, I want to remember the good and the bad of puppies, children, friends, strangers, trips, books, and the writing life. If you forget the bad the good is too quiet, too tidy and too easy. I figure if I wanted a perfect puppy I should have bought a stuffed animal. If writing or running or loving people unconditionally were easy then it wouldn’t mean so much to me.
As the new year starts I wish you all 12 months of hope, discovery and a cold nose on your cheek.
All my love,
Kris