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?

 

 

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I think you need to be realistic. Which group would you miss more over Christmas - two-legged or four-legged family?  If you really wouldn't miss being with your human family that much, I say stay home this year and begin your campaign for next year for your family to accept your animals.  Sophie will also be calmer next year, and Winston will be more settled and comfortable by then.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I will miss the four legged variety more than I will the two legged. That being said, I do like seeing my extended family, cousins and aunts and unlces and all of that, so I will miss that. But I think i would miss the doodles more or at least equally as much...

[Sharon & Monty]

Sherri, its your turn, your time.  Its always an event depending upon married, non married, who's in charge.  You will find your way.  Perhaps its your turn to try and get them to come to your house?  Your house, your rules?  But be ready for the push-back.  And so they don't do THE holiday.  Do another event in between the holidays?  I'm from a family of divorce, worse than that..... I ended up divorced too, worse than that mother and father remarried and.............my current husband is a child of divorce and an adult of divorce. GUH!!!!   Unfortunately, I did not grow up with Ozzie & Harriet/Father Knows Best.  Geez us,. I wish to hell it was like that!!!  I grew up thinking that was exactly what everyone else was experiencing.  Hang in there gal.  We are rooting for you!

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

thank you Sharon.

[Jennifer and "Cooper"]

I say stay home with the doods!! The best (and most relaxing) holidays my husband and I had were the ones where we stayed in North Carolina or Ohio while all the rest of our families were in Michigan. 

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Jennifer. the only down side is I don't have a husband, so I'll have to find someone else to spend the holidays with.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Life is so precious...every minute of it. I say you need to be exactly where your heart tells you. I think it sounds like that is with your Doodles. I say follow your heart...love every single minute of Sophie's birthday...and don't look back.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Janes! That's wonderful advice!

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

I say do what feels right to you. If it is staying home then maybe there are other friends that will be spending it alone also and you could get together at least one of the days. Do what makes you happy. Every year I'm the one who has to gather everyone up to see what's going to happen, I'm plain sick of it, it really takes a lot of fun out of it. Thanksgiving is the same way, I hide out at the inlaws because I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings (my family is divorced/remarried) Hope you have a great holiday whatever you choose. I would miss them too.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

Thanks Jennifer! I hope Christmas isnt so hard on you this year!!

[Suzann, Rosey & Bandit]

I wouldn't  miss Christmas with R&B, even if it's just the 3 of us...Kennels are so crowded over the holidays, I wouldn't be able to bear the thought of them there....

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

that's true about the kennels. I can't stand the thought of it either. It makes me want to cry just thinking of poor Winnie confused and sad.