Miss Mavis

Dear Baby Waider + Little Brother Too,

The weekend after Mia died Baby Waider (possibly jokingly) said, "Two old pets down, one to go." It was funny and sad all at once. The two of you were born with three old pets already established in our household. By giant dog standards Mia was very old when both of you were born. The youngest pet we had, Boo, died this past summer and was quickly replaced by two vibrant kittens. Before Mia had died we had committed to a puppy this summer because we didn't want to be without a dog after Mia died. We also thought that Mia could possibly help "train" the new puppy. Mia got the last laugh and got the hell out of here before she was tasked with that job. We tried to stay committed to waiting until we were out of school to get a puppy. That just didn't happen. 

After living with a dog for fourteen years it was really hard to be without one. We had wanted to get a Newfypoo because we had thought Mia might be a Newfoundland because of what a shelter in Denver had told us about her. But, her paperwork had said she was a St. Bernard/Weimaraner. Sadly, we will never know for sure. What we do know is that she was a giant dog and we wanted to try one out that was mixed with a poodle. Enter the St. Berdoodle. We found a female near Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. She was ready to go and even discounted because she was 10 weeks old, not 8 weeks old. Note: People will tell you that your parents were crazy about dogs. We don't care. Also, your dad will make anything happen if we want it badly enough. So, the story goes that your dad got a cheap plane ticket, rented a car, and got us a dog the first weekend in April.  He wasn't even gone 24 hours and the puppy did great in the plane. 

Mavis was the decided name for our new family member. We put it to a family vote. The name Mavis was chosen from the movie, "Hotel Transylvania." It is a family favorite and Mavis seemed like a fun name. It suits her. 

A good friend of mine told me that a puppy will go a long way to mend your broken heart. She was right. With Mia gone I am grateful to have a pup to let outside, even if it is every hour on the hour. I am so happy to have Mavis laying in or near the kitchen while I'm cooking or following me from room to room just to be near me. Mia rarely annoyed me. Her food was our the bathroom because it had to be on our level.  One of the things she did that was inconvenient  was stand and between me and the bathroom sink while I was trying to get ready to go in the morning. She was not a small dog so she was definitely in my way. It usually made me laugh and I rarely made her move because she was actually eating and drinking. The other morning Mavis did the exact same thing. Naturally, it made me cry because it reminded me of Mia. Mavis actually does lots of the same things Mia did when she was younger and even when she was older. She likes to lay on her back and act like a monster, she will hit you with her oversized puppy paw, she loves cats, she likes to chew/bite everything, and she loves her people fiercely. 

Mavis has really take to the two of you. Baby Waider, you have been an amazing trainer to her and have done really well with her puppy training class. Little Brother, I’m pretty sure Mavis thinks you are a puppy. You two love to run and play for hours. Dad is, of course, the ultimate dog boss. His high standards and expectations are turning Mavis into a dog just as awesome as Mia. As for me, I’m just glad to have a companion back. Don’t get me wrong. I still miss Mia and probably always will, but Mavis is pretty terrific in her own way. 

Love,

Mom