Rent-a-Pet

If there is anything in my life as a mother that brings me guilt, it is that my animal-loving children have two non-animal-loving parents.  We have tried having a dog twice, and twice it didn’t go well.  Then we had triplets and lost all desire for a pet.  We have an outside cat and I fervently hope that she gives the kids an adequate opportunity to love and care for and pet—though they assure me that she does not.

For a while the kids have wanted to start a little pet care business, and last fall we finally made some fliers and distributed them throughout the neighborhood.  They waited anxiously for someone to call, and finally a few weeks before Christmas they got their first gig.  They got to feed a dog and cat up the street for a week after Christmas—they were so excited.  Then our neighbors went out of town for two weeks and hired the kids to feed & care for their dogs, rats, fish, & chinchillas.  They were totally in heaven the whole time.  One day they took my camera next door to record their time with their temporary pets.

I know it may be a little odd that my kids are taking pictures of themselves with other people’s pets, but please don’t tell them.  It’s making them happy, and they haven’t been asking me for a dog quite as often…