Chewbacca

There is a whole lot of guilt that sometimes goes along with being an expat parent!  You promise your children - It'll be great - What an adventure! 

Actually to be honest, as the trailing spouse (don't you love that term) - You often have to promise yourself things ,too  - - - One day I'll find the Kashi dark chocolate granola bars and they won't be $11 a box!

In Singapore, I wouldn't let our family have a dog.

Before you accuse me (like my kids did for 4 years) of being a mean mama, I had several valid reasons.  First, we have always had BIG dogs - Labs to be exact.  They are just too big to be trapped in a condo with no place to run hourly! Then, they are expensive to transport in and out of the country - we are talking thousands of dollars.  The quarantine was a factor. The boarding was a factor for whenever we took a trip or the summer holiday.  I did NOT have a helper for 2 of the 4 years we were over there.  I refused to deal with the constant care a dog requires (the shedding, the bathing, the chewing, the vet bills and the POOP) and I knew better than to listen to the children say "We'll help out and take care of him!" -HA

So I bribed them with We'll get a dog when we are back in the States!

WARNING: All you expat parents - eventually you will repatriate and will have to come through on all your promises.

I mentioned that I have a brand-spanking new house out here on the edge of Suburbia, right? New carpet, wood floors, Persian carpets bought at auction in Singapore, - working on getting rid of yucky 15 year old couches that should never have left Singapore, etc.

About a month into our new home - the promise of the DOG came up.

I will admit I was dragging my feet on the DOG issue. I tried to put it off until we were more settled - workers were still coming in and out of the house - I'm still repatriating!

For the record - I am a dog lover!  I have always had a dog (usually a lab mutt from the pound).  For me, a dog is part of the family. The Engineer Extraordinaire has always just tolerated my dog loving tendencies and hated it when I treated the "hunting dog" like a pet!  He has always believed that a dog should be outside in a pen and that the dog needed to be useful - like for hunting, herding, basically earning his dog food with useful employment! The Engineer is NOT an animal person!

So imagine my surprise when I got blindsided by the normally, practical, FRUGAL, non pet-loving, Engineer Extraordinaire! 

I think we need a dog for the kids.
WHAT???!!! I'm not ready to take on a dog right now - I'm still repatriating!.
Yes, we need a dog for the kids.
Don't you remember the constant care a dog requires - the shedding, the bathing, the chewing, the digging, the vet bills - - THE POOP!!!!
Did I mention that I have a brand-spanking new house? - -It is pristine - never been, peed, pooped or thrown-up in or on!  Our kids are tweenagers and I think we might be beyond this.
Yes -But this will teach the kids responsibility!
WHAT???!!! - - -Who do you think will end up being responsible for the dog? HUH??!!!
We won't get a big dog. Just a small one that can stay in the house - go with us on vacation.
WHAT???!! - - - Who are you?  Where is my husband?  What kind of little dog goes hunting with you?  I refuse to have some little, yappy dog!
We won't get a yappy dog!  Remember our friends in Singapore who had the cavoodle?
Yeah - sort of - Isn't that a designer breed from Austraila? Costs a ton more than a pooch from the pound.
I've been doing some research on this and in the US they are called Cavapoos - They don't shed, rarely bark, are smart and only get to 20lbs.  Oh here - look - I found some online . . .

And that's where I lost the battle - - - Once WittyGirl saw the puppies. It was over!

I have to admit that when I saw this picture I was swayed a bit.

This is how the breeder's get reluctant moms to get their kids a puppy!  We ordered him off the internet from this picture and they shipped him to us on an airplane.

I tried very hard to NOT like him, but he really is too darn cute.

He does this whole body wag and always greets me wagging.

True to the Engineer's research - he doesn't shed, rarely barks , he's very smart, potty-trained easily and as of 6 months old weighs 15lbs.  He's transportable and very friendly.
He doesn't chew everything in sight like a Lab, nor does he try to dig to China in the backyard.  The kids LOVE him, but I'm the one who is learning responsibility! - Wait - I already learned this!

Don't you just love his goatee.

Doesn't he look like a wookie?

Anyway, - Chewie is short for Chewbacca which is the name we settled on.
He is my daily companion and healer of repatriation woes.  He'll be a constant star on the blog!

BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU PROMISE!