Thursday, October 29, 2015

The Sitter

I just got home from a little trip to see Blair and I thought I'd share something that made me chuckle.  A new role in which I found myself. 

So, Blair needed a dress that was in her closet here at home for her Halloween sorority swap and I had something else to do up there today, as well, so I just spent the night.  Yeah, hanging with the college girls.  Life in the fast lane.  Feeling like a co-ed again.  Just Blair, her three sweet roomies, and myself.  Oh, and the two black lab mix puppies that they agreed to foster.  Did I forget to mention them? 

Well, when you're in your final year of college and have boyfriends and jobs and tests and sorority events and applications and internships and social service and projects, of course, it is obvious that what you need in your life are foster puppies who need to be formula fed, eating every 3-4 hours, and requiring burping.  Duh.   

Well, the girls had gone to the animal shelter a few weeks ago and told them they'd be willing to foster a dog if there was ever a need.....because, well, they're all sweet, animal-loving girls with great big hearts and they were all missing their dogs back home.   

Well, the need arose when someone left 10 puppies on the side of the road at 3 weeks of age and the animal shelter needed help getting them to the age that they could be adopted.

That brings us to our story. 
This is Scout.
 
This is Lucy.
 
So, last night, the girls got dressed up and they were all headed to the party except for one of them and she and I were on puppy duty.  The girls were ready in their costumes and before they walked out the door, they showed me where the formula was and the puppy pads and all manner of newborn canine necessities.  The kitchen was awash with bottles and syringes and puppy medicine.  The girls were like 3 nervous, new mothers hesitant to leave their newborns with a babysitter for the first time.  I was just waiting for them to write down the numbers of their doctor and poison control and an emergency plan for any scenario which might arise.  "Bye, babies......your mommies love you," they all said in an almost tentative unison chorus.  And with that, Audrey Hepburn, black cat, and hippie girl headed for the door.  We assured them that the dogs would be fine and promised to text pictures if they did anything extraordinarily cute. 
Scout and Lucy with their foster parents. 

The puppies had been sleeping soundly since I'd arrived, so I thought, "this will be a breeze."  We had the debate on the TV and I was working on the laptop, while Victoria carved a pumpkin and "dogsat" like a champ.  But, eventually she had to turn in for an early morning meeting. 

That's when things got interesting.

Naturally, the puppies starting stirring, made their way out of the pet taxi, walked right across the puppy pads, and took off in two directions......both squatting with various solids and liquids coming forth from them.  I grabbed one in one hand and ran over and grabbed the other in the other hand and ran to put them on the puppy pads, dripping the various substances all along the way.  I'd get one going on the pads and the other would run off to another spot on which she preferred to do her dealings.  I ran over and grabbed her, "No, no, no....not there.....over here!"  It was almost like they didn't understand what I was saying.    

"Ok, I think we're good now......everyone has relieved themselves and eaten and they will be out like a light in no time," I thought as I tucked them back into bed.  But, about the time I sat down, they stumbled back out, scattered in opposite directions, and started squatting again.  They were leaking like a couple of faucets.  Then, they'd walk through it and there were little urine-y footprints all over the laminate wood flooring.

(FYI: At this point, my Mama has fainted reading this. Out cold. On the floor.)

(Blair, expect a call from your grandmother today.)

Anyway, I threatened to tell their mothers, "Your mothers will not be happy if I have to call them and they have to leave their party and come home."  They seemed unfazed by my threats. 

Such little puppies.  Such big puddles. 

This was turning out to be a breeze, all right. 

A Fe-breeze.

After a couple of other incidences, I cleaned and "Chloroxed" and sanitized and, one whole roll of paper towels later, I thought....."Well, so this is where I am in life......the old, dog-sitting grandmother cleaning up puppy poop and soaking up dog urine while their mother is out soaking up the night life." 

Yep. 

This is what it's come to. 

I really did enjoy my stay and have to admire them for taking on such a sleep disrupting, gag inducing, patience testing job. 

Nothing like some good puppy loving though.

But, they sure are a lot of work!



Hope y'all have a good weekend! 

Sneak something good out of the children's Halloween pumpkins.    





   

 
             

3 comments:

  1. Good morning Joni, this post put a smile on my face, if not a giggle or two. How sweet of the young ladies helping the baby pups. They need a lot of care and Grandma stepping up, you're the best! Have a wonderful day and yes, I might have a little chocolate tommorrow night:)
    Happy Halloween! Kathleen in Az

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  2. We added two puppies at Christmas time last year and it was - remains - a TON of work! I'm proud of those college girls for enduring and thankful the puppies found a rescue willing to save them! Good for you, too. They sure can leak a lot!

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    Replies
    1. Oh, Missy June! The pups are 8 weeks old now and they're outgrowing their apartment. Now comes the hardest part of fostering.......giving them back. There will be a lot of tears. They've gotten so attached......the puppies and the girls!

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