Dear family and friends,
Before children we bought a green carpet that we moved around for years. Until I had my green rebellion that is. When we moved back to America from Italy, I was all done with forest green.
Moving over the years carpets have been very necessary, although we've had wall to wall carpet several times, we've also lived on wood, marble, tile, and linoleum.
This carpet became quite infamous. Little did Ed know, but every time I turned around some child seemed to feel the need to urinate on our green carpet. I finally had to tell him so he would let me spend the money to clean it. Once I listed all of our own children, Madeline Porth and several Turner children Ed agreed.
I've not written a ton about this particular subject on my blog, but this has been the year of the dog. The first thing you need to know is I don't really like dogs. I do love my children though, beyond measure.
We got the children a dog last fall and it was a nightmare. It was far worse than having an infant and I don't want everyone who reads this to give me the whole puppy yada yada yada. This was not just a puppy thing. This dog had far more energy than my Wyatt and was quite disturbed by our children. We have four by the way.
The final straw was the day she drew blood from one of our children. The short end to a long story was God gave us an opportunity to give the dog back. The poor owner was still distraught 3 months later after having to give the puppy up and gave us a full refund.
The day after we got back from Thailand Jefferson came running in my room with delight announcing it was the best day of his life because we got a new dog. "No we didn't!" was my quick answer.
Long story short, Annie is still here. She won't be forever but that's another entire blog in and of itself.
So the green carpet problem...is now the red carpet problem. The one thing I would have done differently in the year of the dog is ROLL UP MY CARPETS.
Alas, I didn't...SIGH.
This week I've had them cleaned and once they are completely dry we are rolling them up until there is no dog in this house. I have them draped over our two tables. Annie hasn't tinkled in the house for weeks on end so she's really doing well. Poop-a whole other story.
I've pretty much fixed the poop problem though. You see, it wasn't really Annie's problem, it was my children's problem. Once I made it THEIR problem, well, it was pretty much fixed.
I made an announcement two weeks ago that if it was my fault or Annie's fault I would cheerfully clean it up. Past that, I was done. They've been MUCH more careful since then.
So this morning when I walked in the library to such a foul smell I was a little surprised and not very happy. I knew it wasn't my fault. Caroline said, "No Mom, Daddy let Annie out." "Well either way, she pooped on my carpet on TOP of the table!" I whispered. Okay, I did not whisper this, but I didn't fully yell either. This dog can jump, but seriously, she's never jumped on top of the table, much less on top of the table to poop on my carpet.
Long story short...a cat crept in last night when Wyatt came into the house from the tent to use the pottie and decided it would join Wyatt...ON TOP OF MY TABLE! Here I am trying so hard to get my carpets clean and a strange cat comes in and soils it.
I did have to laugh, but I can hardly wait to roll them up, put them away, and protect them! Some days life feels hard, but it never feels dull...
Love in Christ,
Dinah for The Troops
