Several years ago, Michael gave out a survey to our children, asking them the best things about being a part of our family, and any regrets they may have about our family. Logan's only regret was not having a dog.
 |
| Logan with his hamster |
 |
| Ethan with his hamster |
 |
| Jameson with the hamster |
So through the years, we have had some fish (never lasted long and kept getting bizarre tumors), two hamsters (surprise, they were not both girls) which turned into 8 hamsters, a couple of hermit crabs and a crested gecko. Each of these required some upfront purchases and were met with tremendous enthusiasm.
 |
| Surprise! One of the baby hamsters |
 |
| Logan loving every minute of this! |
 |
| Ethan with his crested gecko, Ebay |
 |
| Jameson with Ethan's gecko |
But as it turns out, it's very hard to cuddle with a fish or take a hermit crab on a walk.
For the past 8 Christmases and Birthdays, Logan has put a dog on his Wish List.
Both Michael and I held our ground regarding a dog, though. We did not want fur everywhere, stained carpets and early morning wake up calls (been there done that with our 5 children plus several foster children through the years).
Despite some childhood allergies to certain breeds of dogs, I had a change of heart late last fall. I still did not want the "inconveniences" of a dog, but was beginning to see the value of having one. Some of my reasons included:
Lauren and Justin (our biggest "not-dog-lovers" in the family) were off to college. And while they may come back for visits and some extended stays, they most likely will not reside here anymore (not that I would want that! Justin is home for the summer and I am thrilled!).
Logan only has two more years before going to college. He would go off, not having one of his greatest desires for his childhood met. On one hand, I am okay with that since we do not believe we should give our children their every request or supposed "need." But there is another part of me that was beginning to see how very much Logan longed for a dog as a companion!.
More so than the rest of us, God created Logan and Ethan to be lovers of all things nature. They love hiking, campfires, gardening, and most recently "hammocking" in a variety of beautiful settings around our area. And they both love dogs. But it has always been other people's dogs and not their own.
 |
| Logan with his Grandma's dog, Hercules |
And then there is Jameson...our sweet boy with boundless energy and desires to be played with and entertained! With some of the special needs he has, I began to see the benefit that a dog could have in his life. I have long known the therapeutic impact a dog can have on some children. But as I did more research into this, I discovered that there have already been several studies documenting the positive impact a dog can have on a child with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
Once I got Michael "on board" with this plan, we made plans to get a small, hypoallergenic dog this Spring. :)
 |
| Even Lauren tries to love him! |
 |
| Jameson's first time holding Otis |
 |
| Finally, Logan gets a dog! |
 |
| Otis handles Jameson's constant hugs quite well! |
 |
| Such good buddies! |
So...that is the background on the newest member of our family, Otis. And he has proven to be a great companion for our children. I have gotten used to having him around and factoring his needs into my day. And not surprisingly, Michael has grown to love him! In fact last night as he laid on the floor with him, he actually said, "I really adore Otis!"
 |
| Even Michael adores Otis |
Perhaps one of the most amazing realizations I have had these past few months with Otis in the home, is how strikingly similar Otis and Jameson are! Seriously, these two were made for each other!
Here are some preliminary similarities I have noticed between Jameson and Otis:
1. Both of them are hyper! In fact on Otis's third day with us, Jameson told Michael, "Otis is just like me. Whenever somebody comes home he gets all jumpy and excited!" I am not sure if it is possible for a dog to have an ADHD diagnosis, but I am pretty sure our Otis does!
2. Neither of them like to be alone or play alone.
3. Both of them are easily distracted by surrounding noises.
4. Both of them are very extroverted.
5. Both of them lose interest in toys very quickly.
6. Both of them love to be outside (next winter better not be as bad as this past winter!).
7. Both of them like to be the center of attention.
8. Neither of them handles being told, "No!" very well.
9. Neither of them liked to be rocked and cuddled as babies. Jameson used to let us do this when he was running a temperature over 104 and Otis will do this late at night when he is exhausted. But that is it!
10. Both of them like chewing on ice.
11. Both of them love food. Now Jameson is a very picky eater, but Otis loves almost everything he has tried!
12. Both of them touch things they should not be touching.
13. Neither of them has any concept of "personal space." They are both all over people, to the point of being overwhelming.
14. Both of them nag and whine when they do not get what they want.
15, Both of then were in foster care! And just as is the case for foster children, Otis has different qualities than what we were originally told (We were told he is a Shitzhu Yorkie mix, but he is way to big for that now. We were also told he did not shed. Wrong! We were also told he was a very "chill" and cuddly dog.)!
16. Both have been adopted and are now a forever part of our family!
There you have it...my many reasons for thinking they are so alike!
So my days have become a bit fuller as I tend to these two "kids," but I am so thankful they have each other!
 |
Best friends! |
No comments:
Post a Comment