Let me start with our super amazing celebration--Dia now owns her very own big girl panties! For the last day or so she has been solely using her potty chair for both number 1 and 2 so we thought a trip to buy panties was in order! She really wanted the Tinkerbell ones but they weren't in her size, so we ended up with a variety of Minnie Mouse, My Little Pony and a princess pack. She saw the Thomas the Train ones on the way out and got really excited about them, but they were only made for boys. She's pretty happy, though! And yes, I almost cried. But it is just so exciting--who can be sad?
Except for the news we recieved over the weekend. If you have known us for any length of time you know we have wonderful dogs--Roxy and Depot. We often joke that Roxy is more of a lioness than a pup and somehow possesses the widsom of Aslan and one day will open her snout and just spill out wisdom and love. Unfortunately, both of our dogs also like to race. Not just run, they race. They have been known to get out and literally race each other until their paws bleed. They always, especially Rox, return home within a few hours. Roxy is a rescue and we are confident in assuming that the man who owned her before did not treat her as she deserved as she is extremely skiddish and wouldn't even approach a doorway if a man were near it for at least the first year we had her. She also refuses to be rescued from her races. Whereas Depot will happily jump in with just about anyone who whistles for him, Roxy will hightail it the other direction.
When they got out in our new neighborhood, however, we knew there was no way they could find their way home. We put up signs, ads in craigslist (both under Pets and Lost and Found) and visited the pound and humane society. Everyday we prayed. Within a few days, some wonderful teenage girls from our new neighborhood called saying they had found Depot. When they brought him home (Dia shrieked, "Depot home! Depot home!") they also told us that they saw Roxy and had tried to bring her in, too, but she barked, growled and, of course, ran away. They continued after her and watched another man try to rescue her from the street but she nearly bit him.
On Friday, we receieved a call from a local animal hospital. Apparently, Roxy had been hit by a car and did not survive. Oh, I'm crying just writing this again! Roxy was our first baby. And like I said before, she really was a special dog. She used to jump on her back paws and gently lean into you to hug you. I am so sad to think that it's her fear that finally cost her her life. I so wish she had been treated better as a pup and would have gone with the people who tried to save her! I'm learning a lot from this sweet dog...and can't really talk about it. All Dia knows is that Roxy ran away. Death seems a little over the top to try to explain. Has anyone else had experience or wisdom to share in this?
In the midst of our sorrow, though, we do have a lot to be grateful for...and it IS Gratitude Monday. So even with a heavy heart, I count...
81. The more than five wonderful years we spent with Roxy-girl. We love and miss her so much.
82. The kindness of strangers in returning our Depot! Apparently he had his first cheeseburger and trip to the drive-thru.
83. The brilliance of growth...watching a not-long-ago newborn put on panties.
84. A husband who cooks! Dinner AND
raw vegan chocolate pudding, ooh la la!
85. The unparalleled wisdom and encouragement found at the
home-school convention (more to come soon!)
86. Wedding shoes just right for a little girl...the joy of having so much to pass on to my daughter.
87. The over-commercialized but so fun girly pictures that make panties feel extra special.
88. John Eldridge and
this book that I almost gave up on.
89. Family runs--getting to know our new 'hood while still following
this too-good-to-be-hard training schedule (taken v e r y slowly out of respect for baby #2)
90. Slow days at home...don't judge me by my housework--especially today!
We went to Dia's first carnival at a local play area and we showed her a poster of face painting. We asked her if she wanted a flower or horsey. Her eyes lit up, she pointed and exclaimed, "Tiger!" We left it on her for a few days and she would run to the mirror each morning saying, "Mama, tiger! My's tiger!" She loved being a tiger. And we loved it, too. She now uses her puzzle frame and a straw and pretends to paint our faces (including Depot), too. She can do a giraffe, a puppy and just about anything you want with just a few flicks of the straw. Each color stands for a different animal, apparently, and she is a very serious artist. :) Not to mention, adorable enough to eat.
