A Dog in the House

Zach, Allie and cousin Hailey play with Foxie.

Last month the kids got one of their biggest wishes granted -- at least temporarily. They've been wanting a dog for years, so when Grandma and Grandpa said they planned on bringing their new chihuahua, Foxie, on their visit, the kids were ecstatic.

As soon as they heard the news, they talked about it as often as a teen texts. And soon, it wasn't "Grandma and Grandpa are coming," it was "Foxie's coming" and "How many more days until Foxie is here?"

And Foxie didn't disappoint.

Upon Foxie's arrival, the kids (well all of them except for Blake, who's much too cool to get excited about a dog) Allie, the supreme princess of the house, kept Foxie under her sole supervision during the first day of her arrival. She took her to her bedroom, sat with her on the bed, sat with her on the couch, carried her a bit awkwardly in her arms ... all while Zach and Nick tried to nudge in a little doggy time of their own.

With all the attention, Foxie would periodically make a sudden break for her carrier, finding cover in her comfy little crate.

As the week went on, Allie grew a little less possessive. Saying good-bye was hard for all the kids, but they're looking forward to November when they'll see Foxie again.

An hour after she left, Zach said he missed Foxie.

Then, after about a week, out of the blue, he said it again.

"I miss Foxie, Mommy ... when's Thanksgiving?"