I want to spend Christmas with my DOODLES!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Would it be crazy if I opted not to go home to the Toronto area for Christmas and instead spent Chrismtas at home in Ottawa where there will be no (human) family members and only a few friends in town, simply because I do not want to leave my doodles behind?

 

I knew that when I decided to become a dog owner that it would be tough to figure out arrangements for when I went out of town to visit family or friends. But I didn't want to let that stop me. I figured, I'll just find a good kennel, no problem! Well, little did I know just how emotionally bonded I would become to my little monkey doodlebug and what do you know? next thing I do is go out and get another one.

 

So here I am, two doodles and kitty cat that I can't stand to be away from, and not a family member in sight who wants anything to do with them over the holidays. Well, that's not entirely true... at first my brother said yes, it will be fine, we'll just have to keep them in the back yard. He didn't see me giving him the finger because we were texting at the time. Then he said we could try keeping them in the basement but Marisa, his wife, would have to agree. I told him I'd make a special visit in November with Winston so they can meet him and see how wonderful he is. Weeks went by and I heard nothing. I reached out again and told him that my kennel of choice (a cage free boarding place in the country) was booking up and I didn't have much time to decide. Finally, last night I get an email from my sister in law saying that she's too worried about her anxious cat and how he would react to the dogs so she'd rather I didn't bring them.

 

My dad's place is out of the question as he has allergies to dogs and he is a big slob and I hate staying there, and don't want to suddenly find my dogs eating something off the floor or Winston going nuts on his itch paws because his house is so dusty and moldy. Not to mention my own allergies. I can only tolerate one night at my dad's place, and don't think it'll work with the doodles.

 

I have an aunt who might take in Winston while I stay at my brothers (they live quite close to each other so I'll still be able to see Winston), but she doesn't want Sophie because she's too hyper.

 

Here's the thing, December 25 is Sophie's first birthday, and call me crazy but celebrating her first birthday is 100 times more important to me than celebrating a certain someone who was supposedly born on that day but history and science tells us is not actually the case (I'm very sorry to offend anyone but my beliefs have changed over the years and while I believe in the importance of celebrating Christmas for all the positive values that it promotes, I am simply not the good Catholic I was raised to be).

 

I'm afraid if I leave Winston with someone else he will panic. Once we went out for a walk with a friend and I asked her to hold him while I ran back inside to grab something. He freaked out and wouldn't budge an inch or take his eyes of the front door. I am so worried he will think he's been abandoned again. I would hate for him to feel that way, especially on Christmas. I cannot fathom leaving Sophie in a kennel on her first birthday.

 

And, if I go without my doodles I will be utterly miserable, depressed, resentful of my family, and worried sick about my babies.

 

So, I want to stay home and spend Christmas with my doodles. They are my family and I don't want to be without them on the biggest family holiday of the year, i.e. Sophie's birthday Christmas.

 

What do you guys think?

 

 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

BG that is really good advice. I do have a pretty good network of friends in Ottawa. Actually I have friends who have a nice big home in the country just across on the Quebec side. Last year they stayed home for Christmas and invited all the Christmas orphans in town to come over and celebrate with them for the entire week over the Christmas period. They are awesome. I'm going to find out if they are doing it again. They have two dogs and are great great cooks. Can't go wrong!

 

The meeting half way idea is great, except that it won't happen. They would never go for it. One of the reasons I'm not keen to make the sacrafice is that my brother and sister in law aren't that interested in maintaining a relationship with me. There was a time when my sister in law actively tried to keep me out of their lives. Every year I come bounding in for Christmas arms filled with gifts, food, wine etc, after a long drive or expensive flight, only to be greeted coldy, be told that I can't stay over this year because they are just too busy to have me in the house, and given some crappy re-gifted body butter or picture frame as a Christmas gift. It's really hurtful and I end up resentful and angry, especially after all i do to spoil my niece and try to encourage them to accept me into their lives. I feel sometimes like they think of me as a burden, like they have to put up with Brian's single lonely sister every year since I have no life of my own. I really hate it. Between that and my mom's serious depression every year at Christmas I just can't stand it. I always come back home with a dark cloud over my head and it takes me weeks to shake it. Every year I swear to myself that next year I am not going to spend Christmas with my family, but I always seem to cave and go back for fear of what others will think or that it will just cause more conflict and I'll  never hear the end of it from my dad, my aunts, etc. I think this year might be different though. I have the dogs as a legit excuse and as I get older I care less and less what others think anyway...

[BG and Gavin]

Any chance you could volunteer to take an extra shift around Christmas that would make it "impossible" to go home?

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

unfortunately Christmas is on a week-end this year so that won't fly.

[Donna K & Quincy]

Sherri, Is miserable, depressed, resentful and worried really how you want to spend christmas? Are you going home because you want to or because you feel you should? Stay home and throw your own christmas, invite someone who is in the same postition as you and have some fun. What would that after turkey glow be without a couple of doodles to cuddle up with.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Donna you are so right! I love throwing dinner parties. I should do just that!

[Ronna, Murphy & Wilson]

IMO it  is not a Holiday without my doods.  I would stay home.  AND since it seems you are not so much into the Christmas thing maybe you can do as Brucegirl said and meet your family for a brunch.  I also like the Toronto doodle romp idea:)  Kinda makes me wish I lived close to you!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Roberta. I do not have anyone I trust who can take both dogs, plus I think it would be particularly hard on Winston either way. My heart says stay home with the doodles.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Andrea.

[Barbara B., Sasha & Oliver]

Sherri, you are from crazy... just a concerned doodle mom !!  I go thru the same when I have to travel for business.  I am lucky that my family is close by BUT... my sister freaks out and says my BIG dogs are too high energy for her.  I went on a business trip about 5 months after I got Sasha, my sis said she would watch her.  Well Sasha freaked out when I left, she snuck out the front door, I guess she was trying to follow me, th.ey did catch her (I found out about this incident about 2 months later).  My sis called 2 a.m. in the morning and said Sasha would not stop barking, I asked "did you take her out" she said no !!!!  Then proceeds to tell me she pooped in her crate.  HELLLLLLOOOOO !!! that is why she was barking.  Mind you... I was up a 4 am to catch a 6 am flight and was going to be away for 4 days ... this was a business trip not vacation.  My niece tells me when I got back that my sis kept Sasha in the crate most of the time.  I was crushed when I heard this, all my baby wants was some human comfort because I was away - thats all !!!!  My sis is not unfamiliar to dogs she had a rotwiler (sp?) and a chowchow and currently has my Mom's Shih-Tzu since she passed away 6 yrs ago.  So its not like my sis does not know how to handle dogs.  Then we get into a little tiff while I am away, my sis and I are best friends and talk at least 3 time a day.   My sis made it thru the 4 days and had Sasha at my house waiting for me when I got home.  This upset me sooooo much I did not know what to do.  After that my dogs were not allowed over her house.  I got Oliver shortly after that and now my BF stays at my house and watches the dog.  I have the best of both worlds, my doodles LOVE him, he spoils them rotten and they do not have to leave their house.  I know exactly where you are coming from.  My advise is do what YOU want to do, no one is here to judge.  If it was me... I would be home with my doodles, I would make a nice dinner, play with them, give them their christmas toys and ENJOY the day with your doodles they need you.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thank you so much. That's too bad about your sister! I would have been really hurt too.

[Sally]

i'm bailing on thanksgiving this year because a non dog-friendly cousin is hosting and I am NOT going to be apart from the one thing i'm most thankful for....my dunca-doodle. We usually have the feast at my parent's house or my brother's house where duncan is always welcome so but the cousin taking over this year i'll be eating take out chinese food. And never happier!!!!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

awe - Dunka-doodle! What a cute nick name.

 

Good for you about Thanksgiving. Sometimes it's nice just to do your own thing.