Saturday, December 11, 2004

Goodbye Mini Cooper!



Big year for us – we added an 8 pound girl and an 80 pound boy to the family.   The girl, of course, is Jesse…the boy is Winston – a four year old, golden retriever. 

It’s surprising how similar the two of them are.  Neither cares about where they sleep, what they put in their mouths or where they poop. Jesse is now 8 months old and is truly wonderful.  She crawls, she sits up, she waves and she loves to smile.  As far as Winston is concerned – great pet…mellow, fun loving and awesome with the kids.  Far and away the best fetch player in the house.

So, other than those small changes, things are relatively the same. 

The reality is, taking care of five others plus an animal is a big job (so I hear – wouldn’t know first hand).  Having a bigger family has forced us to make to some tough choices.  For instance, Shelly has given up on her dream of owning a Mini Cooper or ever reading for pleasure again.  I have come to realize that watching SpongeBob really is more enjoyable then the World Series.  Also, now that Shelly has decided to donate my golf clubs and skis to charity, I have more free time.  Of course, our little growth spurt has allowed us to realize several unexpected benefits. We always get to drive in the HOV lanes and Shelly has mastered the ability to juggle, outsource and multitask all at the same time.  I am also pretty sure that the eyes in the back of her head have developed peripheral vision – ‘cause, man, I can’t get away with anything anymore.