If it ain't the kids. . .it's the pets!

Dh threatens at least 10 times a day that he is going to shoot the dog, or poison him with antifreeze, or run over him. He is just over a year (still in the puppy stage) and chews up EVERYTHING!!! About $100 worth of garden hoses, brings up trash from the pit way behind the corrals (I constantly have dirty diapers in the yard. EWWW!!), chewed up extension cords, tools, bikes, tubes, EVERYTHING!!!

I'm now down to just 2 cats (2 went to their maker the other day when they crawled up under the hood of FIL's truck to get warm). They are not house cats. I can't get DH to let me have a cat in the house after the last one 6 years ago. He and housecats don't mix. Unless he wants to try out his aim with pepper spray. I know the kids would LOVE a housecat (though Chance just may want to drown it in his new obsession, the toilet). But it's the marriage or the cat (sometimes, I'm leaning towards the cat! LOL!!!).

Fern, at least the horses are all being good, right?

We're renovating our house (we in year six of the project) and last summer I finally got tired of the dogs (an 80 lb black lab and a 60 lb chow mix) sleeping in the remnants of the kitchen (blocked in with baby gates. Everything was filthy and I spent every morning mopping and cleaning up the kitchen. So they were banished outside. Which is fine in Texas but it does occasionally get cold in the winter. Last night, 28 degrees so in come the dogs. Of course while we're all sleeping the dogs get out and Sugar (the chow) gets into the bread on top of the pantry counter and has a nice long leisurely snack while he relaxes on my couch and Penny (the lab) sleeps in my new chair. So this morning hubby cleaned up the garbage that was strewn about. I loved those dogs when we got them (right before I got pregnant both times) but I could just wring their necks now. Penny Pickle

Well, I guess they are all spoiled. I can relate to your stories. At times, I wonder why I "burden" myself with pets. Somehow, I always find myself wanting more and more. I think I could have 25 cats and (if someone else cleaned the litterbox) I would be in perfect bliss. My dog, on the other hand, barks, pees and poops (in all places other than the yard), scratches at the door, chews things, and whines. He barely ever listens and just can't seem to potty train. He even wakes our neighbors up early in the morning at our new home because he doesn't want to be outside without a human member of our family. It all comes to light, though, when that sweet little face looks up lovingly at me while he's cuddled up in my lap. What a companion he is, even if he is a pain in my rear.... I couldn't bear to get rid of him. As for the children (who drive me crazy on a daily basis), I couldn't ask for two better little boys in the world. They are just awesome!! I can't bear to complain when I see parents that have children with terminal illnesses. ( I am a Pediatric RN) They can only wish to have children that can run, jump, and get into things.

Oh and I thought I was the only one with the animal/pet problem. Well it feels good to know that I am not the only one. And yes as for us and our boys, we are blessed to have 3 healthy boys and I agree about not complaining about them because I hate it when they get sick and have to just not do much. I feel for those parents who long for that. I would much rather have my boys pester me 24/7 with their wonderful ideas and chatters. We also have 2 x mini fox terriers that mainly stay on the verhanda and yes at the time we got them it seemed good. But in the mean time I pleaded with hubby to pull down the back fence and do something different with the back yard ( we are reom Australia ) and now everytime we open the front door in come the dogs and out through the back door and out up the road.....ARGH.........The boys used to have one of them on his bed every night but we have banned that due to health reasons. And yes hubby wouldn't have animals at all if it were jsut up to him. I pleaded with him tonight to build just a small fence out the back to keep the dogs locked up in. I got a real bad responce but I promised that there would be no more pets after these two dogs and that I would help him carry the timber to the place where I want the fence.....We will think about it was my last answer from him. Bye for now. Beth