After being away for a week on vacation, my family couldn’t wait to get home, sleep in our own beds and see our dog, Chloe. But, there was one problem. She was with her foster family a half an hour away and we couldn’t get her until the next morning. We walked into a too quiet house a little sad knowing that our entire family was not together – and wouldn’t be until we brought Chloe home. Before last summer, there were so many reasons why I absolutely never wanted to get a dog. My husband and kids were totally on board with it, but I was the last holdout. I held out for a long time. I had a lot of concerns.

• I never grew up with a dog.
• I didn’t know what to do with a dog.
• I’m allergic to dogs.
• I didn’t want to be the mom who rescued the dog, but had to give it back because of my allergies.
• I didn’t want to be the person who left parties early to go home and let the dog out.

I thought they were all valid reasons, but I knew my husband longed for man’s best friend. My kids practically campaigned monthly for us to get a dog. Every time we visited a home with a furry friend they begged for me to change my mind. So, I finally caved. Maybe it was because I couldn’t take denying the rest of my family their wish. Maybe I wanted something else to take care of now that my kids were getting older. Maybe I wanted to see what I was missing out on. It seemed like the moment I said yes to rescuing a dog, Chloe arrived. My husband wasted no time finding her. To solve the allergy problem, we needed a dog that didn’t shed at all. Chloe is a schnoodle – part schnauzer, part poodle–which was perfect for our family. I had my doubts, but the minute we brought Chloe home – there was no way she was ever going back. When we first got her, I had two hard and fast rules – she can’t lay on my favorite couch or in my bed. Guess where she is sitting as I type this post? Right next to me, of course, on my bed. And the couch—it’s her spot. She loves to lay in the sun and watch the other dogs go by. So much for my rules. She won me over on the first day she came home. After pacing the house and getting used to her new surroundings, I was the one she let pet her first. She followed me around all day long and won my heart. And now a year later, I am a total dog person. Chloe is a part of the family. I have an “I Love My Schnoodle” magnet on my car. She has an Eagles jersey for football season and a Halloween costume. I buy more treats for her than anyone else in the house. My favorite part of the day is when she greets me at the door just happy that I’m home. I have to face it – I’m a dog person.

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It is a little more than 3 weeks before Halloween and I don’t have a costume yet. While I’m well past my trick-or-treating days, I am apparently not too old to dress up in costume for the office. I have a few ideas, but I haven’t quite decided which one I am going with yet. Maybe you can help me out. Choice 1 – My alter ego – As summer changes to fall, my allergies kick in big time. I am constantly sniffling and I have tissues everywhere. I figured that I could go as Sneezy – from Snow White and the 7 dwarfs. I’m planning to skip my weekly allergy shot so my co-workers can experience the full effect of my authentic costume. Choice 2 – My true self – I can go to work in full on writer mode with a t-shirt that reads “I Am Silently Correcting Your Grammar” along with my favorite flannel, leggings, fuzzy slippers and a baseball cap. I’ll even walk around with a thesaurus, a huge cup of coffee and a handful of pens for good measure. Maybe that will be the day I distribute my organization’s updated style guide. Choice 3 – My retro self – I have a 70’s disco queen costume complete with go-go boots and peace signs, but I’m afraid very few people in my office would appreciate the effort since I mostly work with millennials. Choice 4 – The easy way out – Find a “This Is My Halloween Costume” t-shirt. Done. Choice 5 – My brilliant costume – The Invisible Woman – and stay home, but tell everyone I’m really at my desk working. Clearly I need help. Which idea do you like best? Have a better idea? Please share!

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One of my co-workers gave birth to a beautiful baby girl last week. A pretty pink card was passed around the office so that we could all write words of congratulations to her and her husband on becoming parents. Most of my colleagues signed the card with cute sayings like – “Welcome to the world” and “Can’t wait to meet the little bundle of joy.” I, on the other hand, really wanted to pass along my words of wisdom. (I didn’t – but I wanted to). I’ll never forget what a good friend of mine wrote to me right before I was about to give birth to my daughter: “First the pain, then the pleasure, then the patience.” At the time, I had no idea what she was talking about – but almost 17 years into this parenting gig and I get it. In case I need to spell it out for anyone – The pain is childbirth. The pleasure is all the cuddles and cuteness that babies and toddlers bring. The patience, well that would be the teenage years. In truth, I love this stage of their lives when they really start to grow up and realize the entire world doesn’t revolve around them and they have gifts they can contribute to make the it a better place. But, let’s face it. We need a lot of patience when it comes to raising teenagers. And full disclaimer – patience has never been one of my strengths but I am working hard to keep mine in check. If there was a “What to Expect” book for raising teenagers, I think this is what the table of contents would look like. Chapter 1 – Patience – Get Some. You are Going to Need It. Chapter 2 – The Front Seat – Birds, Bees, Smoking, Drinking, Drugs, Politics – and other conversations you will have with your child when you are driving them somewhere. Chapter 3 – The Passenger Seat – Where you sit, pray and hold on tight while they learn how to drive. Chapter 4 – Clean Your Room – Is this worth the battle? Chapter 5 – Homework – Why it’s worth the battle. Chapter 6 – Grounded! – Discipline beyond timeouts Chapter 7 –  

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