Our neighbors got a puppy.
A teeny tiny puppy.
I was torn between: "Oh, great, now our kids will really want a dog" and "Thanks, now we don't have to get one, they'll play with yours."
And play they did.
Especially Thomas. He is such a dog kiddo. We go on walks around the neighborhood and he'll usually find a dog to visit. We are lucky to know nearly everyone in our neighborhood, so it's easy. He used to love stopping at a huge german shepherd's house. He's not scared of any dogs, even if they're HUGE or jump.
Anyway, Thomas talked of two things all week: the new puppy, and the dog at swimming lessons who will jump into the pool.
He knocked on the puppy's door wanting to play, and frequently got to.
He learned to smack his lips or pat his lap to call the puppy, who didn't know his name yet. He got nipped by the very excited puppy and didn't mind. He went for a 'walk' (where the owner's kid carried the puppy) with him and came out in his pj's to play first thing in the morning.
True puppy love.
After one week, the family sold the puppy.
Their son told my boys during church right before Sacrament meeting. They came in saying 'Cody's gone?' and I knew this would be bad. Monkey sat next to me, blinking his eyes really fast with a lip quiver. Thomas started crying louder, so I took him out to the foyer.
It took half an hour to calm him down. He was completely heartbroken. He was sobbing and sobbing and asking 'Why did they sell him?' and 'Where did he go?' and saying 'My heart is broken' and 'I don't like dogs anymore'. He was also very concerned about he puppy's safety at his new place: 'Robbers will come!' and 'There will be a fire!'
One of those times where I wanted to cry with him, but I also wanted to laugh.
I reminded him of the other dogs* on the street that he loves to play with and the swimming dog. The former owner was in the foyer too, so he was trying to answer the 'why' question and tell about the puppy's new big brother dog, and someone walking by us stopped to tell him to come visit her dog.
The rest of the day was a nightmare. Tantrum city. That continued Monday. Tuesday was better, but not good. Finally he calmed down. I really think he was grieving.
It kinda sucked.
I have frequently felt guilty about not getting this kid a dog. Because he LOVES dogs and because supposedly it's good for spectrum kiddos. But I just can't do it. Up till now I don't know if Thomas was ready, but mostly I just can't handle that on top of everything else. Also, I hate touching animals, and going down the pet aisle at the grocery store makes me want to gag. I am the farthest thing from a dog person.
I wish I could, that puppy was adorable. And for the first time I'm saying 'Maybe someday'.
*We visited the best and most favorite dog on our street the other day and the owner told me that poor Bailey has cancer. Great. I think I need to prepare Thomas for this one so it doesn't come as a shock. Poor kid.