I have failed to give adequate time and attention (on this blog and in real life) to our first child, and probably the only “girl” I will ever have, if you can call her a girl anymore. She is a bit demanding but full of personality. Like right now, she is whining at me. She wants water. At 3 AM, last night, she needed to go outside to relieve herself. Yesterday, she puked Mr. Smiley’s poop (who wouldn’t) on the carpet (I haven’t figured out what she is missing nutritionally). In the winter, she insists on sleeping under the covers, OUR covers. She rides in the front seat, and fits comfortably on the driver’s seat should I run inside a store. She is more efficient and quicker than a vacuum; and works well as a substitute washcloth on children’s food filled hands. She can be more annoying than a fly at a picnic. She doesn’t shed. She loves to snuggle on the couch. She will play dress up. She rolls her eyes, barks in her sleep, and allows the boys to sit on her like a horse. She thinks that she is a 75 pound lap-dog.

By this point, I hope that you have figured out that I am talking about our faithful companion, the Granola Family’s best friend, Mussoorie, the Rhodesian Ridgeback.

Her full name is Mussoorie यहोवा की स्तुति करो or Mussoorie Jai Masih Ki. (No your eyes aren’t doing funny things. I just wrote in Hindi.) Mussoorie is where we lived in India and Jai Masih Ki means “Praise the Lord” in Hindi.

We discovered this particular breed of lion hunting dogs while I was helping a family homeschool in Colorado. It was at their home that I got hooked on Starbucks Breve’s and Rhodesian Ridgebacks. This particular family had an amazing dog that snored loudly, Zuri. Zuri was a Rhodesian Ridgeback. Zuri had a lot of personality. (But I suppose you need some personality if your ancestors stood up to lions. You see, it was discovered that the dogs with more prominent ridges on their backs were faster and more adept at hunting lions.)

When the Lord revealed to us that we would be moving back to the Midwest, our dog was our concession prize, our entertainment. We wanted an unusual dog. And we figured that since we couldn’t ski and backpack in the mountains, we needed a new hobby to occupy our time and teach us responsibility. We figured that if we could keep her alive, then it was probably safe for us to have children.

Mussie mostly likes to sleep. However, she loves to go camping, backpack, and chase rubber balls. (I should say, destroy rubber balls.) She can hear a tuna can being opened from a long distance away, yet ignore attempts to get her to go potty one last time before nighty-night. Did I mention that she will ring a bell to go outside, play dead when shot with a pretend finger trigger, get dizzy when you spin your hand, and shake-a-paw when offered a palm?

I love our dog. She can be pretty annoying. But she really cleans the kitchen floor well. I don’t know how young families live without a dog to pick up crumbs!

Oh and lastly, she also loves to go to Farmer’s Markets! It is a great place to smell other dog’s butts and get some free dog bones. Speaking of which (free, I mean, not dog’s butts) don’t forget to go get your tub of free Romesco from Country Mouse City Mouse!

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