8 and a New Member of the Family

This past weekend we had Damien's 8th birthday party. The choice was his to clean his room and make sure all school work was done in order for his friends to come to his party. Unfortunately he didn't do those things and although it made me feel bad not to have his friends over, it was a good lesson for him. As a parent I knew this was the right thing to do but it does pull on your heart strings.

For awhile now Damien has been asking for a pet. I think it began the moment he could talk. Rob and I have been talking it over for a couple of years and decided that Damien was old enough for some responsibility. The day of his party I made a card saying that he could pick out the puppy of his choice.

The next day we called some ads we saw in the paper for puppies and had narrowed down the search for the perfect family friendly dog. We even took some online tests as to what breed would be perfect for us. I am not really fond of dog hair, hyper dogs, or high pitched barking - he had to fit well with our busy family. We got ready with a portable dog crate, food, dog bowls, and treats.

I talked to a wonderful woman on the phone and knew that her puppy litter would have our perfect dog. Damien, Rob, and I went to meet the litter of puppies - all 8 of them. Damien mentioned in the car how excited he was and that it was the best day ever! When we got there it was overwhelming. They all looked alike, how could he possibly choose.

Being the smart cookie that Damien is he let the dog choose him. The little puppy followed Damien around, sat staring at him, and while the others played he sat by Damien. He made one little 8 year old boy really happy. He came home with us and it feels like he has always belonged here.

Birthday boy name his puppy Buster. He has short hair, likes to cuddle up next to you, and has barked a total of 3 times since he has been home. The kids love him and he loves them back. He is the perfect dog for us - Welcome home Buster :)