So we've been doing that.
During the week, Solon's been working his butt off at the office, and I've been teaching a couple after school classes, doing Lunchtime Art twice a week at 2 different schools in our district, and I coached Fall softball. Quincy and Paloma are preparing for their piano and voice recital after the new year, both played Fall Ball, and Paloma recently moved up to Level 2 in gymnastics, and Quincy starts basketball this week.
Here's a brief photo recap on the last 4 months:
My friends included me on their Wine Country "Girls Trip"
Dog-sitting 2 Great Dane's: Zeus and Zoey
A visit from Holly and Makena
Our co-ed softball team - Beach Bums - winning the Championship!
A new school year begins - 2nd and 4th grade
Labor Day weekend exploring Carlin Falls and Hetch Hetchy outside Yosemite
Paloma had her first try at pitching during Fall Softball
Lisa and I went grape-stomping in Napa
Halloween Time at Disneyland
HALLOWEEN!!!!
Quincy as The Punisher
We dressed up with friends to recreate characters from
The Greatest Showman
Paloma as Lettie Lutz, the Bearded Lady
Violet as Anne Wheeler - trapeze artist
Chiaty as one Albino twin - dancer
Solon as Mr. Bennett, the theatre critic who calls the show a circus
And yours truly, as PT Barnum, the Greatest Showman
"Mr. Bennett, I am blushing!"
Marsielle came to visit for his birthday!
My mom flew in for a pre-Thanksgiving treat
We ate our weight in food on Thanksgiving
And then, last Friday night, I saw a picture that gave me the butterflies.
The kids have been ready for a puppy for a little while now. The house has been empty since we lost Forrest - it's been almost a year. The truth is, I haven't been ready. My heart has been so broken. Getting another dog too quickly seemed like we'd be trying to "replace" him, it just didn't feel right. And while I had been giving love to all the dogs that pass my way, and randomly searching dog rescue sites online, I just didn't have it in me to think of moving on. And then, the day before Thanksgiving, our piano teacher Paul (who loved Forrest very much) said to me, "You know, you have so much love in your heart to give, the best way you can honor Forrest is to share that love with another creature who needs a good home." People had been telling me some version of this for a few months, but for whatever reason, I really HEARD it this time. It was as if my heart was opened again once I heard those words - open to the opportunity of loving again.
And then, two nights later, as I was casually scrolling through Facebook, I see this post in my newsfeed.
A female puppy had been abandoned - tied to a light post, pregnant - in Tilden Park. When realizing the owner wasn't coming back, a woman working there took the dog to the vet, where it was confirmed she had a whole litter in there. The day after Labor Day, 8 beautiful puppies were born. The mom is a Rhodesian Ridgeback mix, and the dad (it's suspected) is a Labradoodle Mix.
I showed Solon, and he looked at me the same way he looked at me 13 years ago when Lisa called us from the Pumpkin Patch about Forrest. He told me to post a comment and see what happens.
I commented on the post, and interacted a couple times with the guy who posted the original message. The last I heard, he said he would have time that weekend for us to come meet the puppies that were left. Then I waited to hear back for confirmation - three WHOLE days, before I thought, "let me just try again". Paloma had been asking every day, "Has the guy written you back Mommy?" She wanted that puppy so desperately. I kept saying, "If it's meant to be, it will be. If not, we'll look again after Christmas." She was so sad that we hadn't heard back that I asked my neighbor if we could borrow her dog for an hour of cuddle time - seriously! On Monday afternoon, I sent a private message to a friend of the person who posted the original message, and asked if she knew if there were any puppies left. I plugged my phone in to charge and left it in the kitchen. I had been checking my phone every hour for 3 days, and I was tired of looking at it. We popped in a movie, and ate dinner as a family in front of the TV. Out of the blue, Solon asks me to go check it. I tell him "No, I'm tired of getting my hopes up." He asks me to check it one more time - he says, "Last time I'll ask..."
So he followed me into the kitchen, and in that moment, it all came together. Shannon put me in touch with her step-mom Suzy who had been taking care of the puppies, and when I called and heard that the little girl from the picture was the last one available, I literally burst into projectile tears. Solon looked at me like, "What is happening to you right now?" I still don't know how my kids didn't hear me absolutely hysterical in the next room. But Suzy heard my tears, and my story about losing Forrest, and about how my stomach flipped when I saw that little girl dog's face, and she said, "Oh honey, she's meant to be yours! She's been waiting for you!"
I arranged to pick her up the next day, and Solon and I decided to keep it a surprise until the kids came home from school.
It was love at first sight.
Here's the song I heard in my head the very first time I saw her:
This is SUNNY (formerly known as "Ginger"), with Forrest looking over her in the background
She is laying right beside me as I type this
So here's to new beginnings with our newest family member. She is so loving, and sweet, and fits in wonderfully to our daily rhythms.
We look forward to the joy she will bring us.
