Congratulations! It's a Boy/Girl!

We’re big on adoptions in our family … babies, animals, causes … you name it, we’re for it. Mama and her sister were adopted. The Cutest Boy in the World (TCBITW) and The Cutest Sister in the World were adopted. 

TCBITW and I adopted a three-legged rescue dog of diverse parentage. But then, one day, we found that we ourselves had been adopted by another canine, also of unknown origins. BD (Boy Dog) just arrived and moved in with us, with no advance notice and very little ceremony. It’s always surprising when that happens. You walk outside one morning to get the paper and a New Guy follows you back inside and never leaves.

Now it seems TCBITW’s parents, The Cutest Mama in the World and The Cutest Daddy in the World, have been adopted. Clearly, they have been specifically selected for this honor after great deliberation, because they live on the side of a mountain several miles past the center of nowhere. It is not easy to find them, is what I’m telling you, and yet, this four-legged GPS has homed in on them — and made himself AT home.

They feigned resistance initially: Mom blaming the dog’s continued presence on Dad when he was out of earshot, Dad returning the favor when she was in the next room. Neither of them admitted to the slightest bit of growing fondness or even interest in the mutt, but both insisting that the other one was secretly feeding and petting her. 

Oh yeah, they both constantly refer to the dog as a female — in spite of the fact that “she” just required neutering. Yes, The Dog We Are Definitely Not Keeping has now been to the vet — twice, AND she/he has been given the most sacred name from the childhood of TCBITW, the name of his “lovely,” the 45-year old stuffed poodle (with no remaining hair and the remnant of what clearly was once a fancy nylon net HAT on its head — I haven’t given him much ribbing about THAT!): “Dog-Dog.” The Dog We Are Definitely Not Keeping, even though we have taken him to the vet (twice), bought collars and leashes and beds and crates and ICE CREAM for — we are DEFINITELY NOT KEEPING THIS DOG — is named “Dog-Dog.” The moniker is embroidered on the collar that she/he will, I suppose, be wearing when she/he is finally successfully run off the premises. Uh-huh.

I told Mom they had been adopted, and that there was nothing they could do about it. She begged to differ … or at least she insisted that This Dog We Are Definitely Not Keeping will not EVER set any of those four feet INSIDE the house. No, ma’am. Nosireebobtailcat. On the porch will be good enough for This Dog We Are Definitely Not Keeping. On the porch, in the crate, with the down bed and several blankets will do just fine, especially since WE’RE NOT KEEPING HER/HIM. But, Mom, I said, HE’S KEEPING YOU, and where’s Dad anyway? Out walking Dog-Dog.

Today I called to check on Dog-Dog’s progress after her/his surgery. Mom reported that she/he is doing fine; and I quote, “BUT SHE STILL WON’T COME IN THE HOUSE! We even left the storm door propped open and put the ice cream down just inside, and she just got it and took it outside” (bwahahaha! “Outside dog,” my hind leg! I’m betting Dog-Dog is IN the bed with them by June). I told Mom I guessed they hadn’t really counted on having another baby at this point in their lives, apparently God and Dog-Dog knew better. How wonderful it is when someone picks us to love. That’s the wonder of adoption … Being Chosen.