Annie

Last week my friend Stacia adopted this nine-week-old yellow lab and named her Annie:

She’s had one hell of a year, Stacia, and as much work and stress as I think puppies are I think the joy of this little one will help to heal some deep wounds.

I took the girls to meet Annie on my birthday, a treat for all of us, Marlo in particular who for the last year has asked for a puppy every single day. Annie was appropriately adorable here for a few minutes and then did what I had secretly hoped she would do and put her mouth on Marlo’s arm. Puppies put their mouths on everything, it’s how they explore their world, but Marlo felt those teeth and freaked. Stacia caught Annie as Marlo shoved her off of her lap. Marlo then saw Annie put the TV cord in her mouth and then a shoe and then the leg of the couch.

On the drive home Marlo said, “Mom. I want a puppy that doesn’t bite the TV.”

“Oh yeah?” I responded from the front seat. “We already have two of those.”