Giving away the "kids"

Well, I had no idea how hard it would be to give away the puppies we've been raising for 8 weeks. When I say "raising" what I really mean is making me so crazy I'm about to crack. Last Tuesday I was at my breaking point. Being a single mom means I can't do it all...at once. I certainly try to do it all. :) or :( depending on who you ask.

I got off work and had to get puppy food. The 8 of them were going through 8 cups a day and I can't afford that, so I decided we'd start blending Puppy Chow and Iams. While I'm at the store, I call to check on my 15 yr old, Amber, to see if she's started her tennis match. She hasn't. BUT, they just finished a Parent Appreciation ceremony she neglected to tell me about. Sigh... I get home and I have to feed the puppies, they boys, and get back into town to watch Amber. My friend believes it'll be a while before Amber plays so I start getting food ready for the puppies. A few minute later, I get a call saying she's playing! YIKES. So, I ask my oldest to finish feeding the puppies and give the boys something to eat. Apparently, she doesn't have much time to do it either because she has her fitness class she has to work on before it gets dark outside. I'm torn. Do I stay at home to feed the boys and puppies, or do I go see Amber play. I've only seen Amber play once this season. I decide on the game, since it could be her last one this year.

I'm a mess on the way there because I realize I'm constantly failing someone and many times there's nothing I can do about it. I can't "Mulitplicity" myself. I can't ask someone to be me as a mom and go watch Amber play tennis. It's not even close to being the same. I can't call anyone to come over and feed my children or the puppies. sigh...

So, I've been getting desperate as to what to do with the puppies. I can't continue on the path that we're on with them. Most days I don't feel like I can take one more feeding. The feedings are insane. You know when a flood or typhoon happens and 3rd world countries are having a hard time getting aid. Then once they get the aid, they ambush the trucks? Well, that's what it's like EVERY single time we feed these puppies. They each get their own bowls and are only fed 2-3 at a time. EVERY single time, they run to the bowl, knock it over, and eat like it's quite possibly their last meal. There's nothing calm about it. They eat 4 times a day and altogether get a cup of food. Then outside they go, for potty time and running around time. I send Rugby, our 6 mo old BC out to play Uncle. After they wear themselves out, we let them in for some inside time and then quiet time. It all takes at least an hour to get it all done.

I finally put up signs around our rinky dink little town and on Saturday put up road signs pointing people to our house. Only 2 people came the entire day! Sunday morning I put them on Craigslist. They were on there about an hour when someone on the other side of the lake emailed us, came over and took our Tank. He was the biggest chocolate male. He was also one of our 2 favorites. Another family came to take one of the females. Today, about 2 minutes after I put up a new sign at the end of the street a guy came and took our other favorite, one we were thinking about keeping. I've been a wreck for the past hour questioning my choice to let the guy take him. The man didn't look like he could afford to even buy puppy food. He didn't even have the $25 (only $20) to buy him. My kids are upset we gave Shadow away. My 5 yr old had actually been calling him Licky since he licks ya every time you pick him up. Every time I would sit down, he'd be the first one onto my lap. The guys also said his other 8 yr old lab lives outside. So, I have no doubt Licky will be living outside, which I think at 8 weeks and our super cold overnights just isn't cool. Our puppies have been babied and only go outside to potty. Now our favorite boy will be living in the great, cold outdoors. Again, I'm a mess. Both my boys just asked me why I got rid of Licky. I don't know what to tell them since I don't have a good answer. Sigh...

Now we are down to 3 puppies, ones that I haven't connected with as much as some of the others. I want to turn back the hands of time and go back to having 4 puppies left. The guy lives about an hour from here so there's no way to find him. The 2 females will head to a no-kill shelter tomorrow and we'll have one male left. The shelter only wants the 2 females. I know that we could keep Lightening, but it's not the same. He's not Licky.

This is going to be quite the transition for the family again. Eight weeks ago, we had a relatively quiet house. Ok, we only had cats. Then life was turned upside down. Now the insanity is leaving one puppy at a time. Having 3 puppies here is so amazingly different than having 8. The puppies seem different as well. They aren't as rambuncious. Something doesn't seem "right". My world is off kilter, yet again.

Keep us in prayer as we go from a 10 doggie family down to a 1-2 doggie family. Pray for our emotional transition. I could NEVER do this again. We get too attached! ~Mimi