Dog Gone and Done It.

Announcing the newest member of our fam- drumroll please......Apollo Creed David Romo.

Christian has been begging for a dog for a long time now. We kept telling him that when we were in our own house, we would get a pet. Well, that was almost a year ago, and he has mentioned the deal numerous times. After Tuck the turtle baked out by the pool in the hot Las Vegas sun, we were, once again, convinced that pets are not safe around us. May Tuck rest in peace; we loved that damn turtle.

Well, Christian pleaded with Santa, in his Christmas letter, about how he wanted nothing more than a puppy of his own to love and take care of. He's been bargaining with us over all the things he would do and all the things he would give up if only we got him a dog.

John has (not so secretly) wanted a dog for a long time too. He never got over our last dog, Rocky. We had to give Rocky away because he was slowly but sweetly destroying my mother's house. She put up with him much longer than I would have if it had been my house. Rocky was a sweet dog, but he was as dumb as a doornail. I'm not a neat freak, but I am on the over-sanitary side, so the thought of a dog in my new house made me want to grab some antibacterial gel and Lysol wipes.

Obviously, I caved on this one. We have a weakness when it comes to boxers, and when we saw Apollo, it was puppy love at first sight. He is 9 weeks old, and he's from Kansas. Coy asked if he knew Dorothy, and I told him that Apollo's mom and ToTo used to hang together.

So far, so good; he's been perfect. The crate training is going well, and he never cries or whines when he has to go in. I actually think he kind of likes it. He loves to play and, of course, he likes to box with us. It's been fun so far, and the kids are so good with him. My carpet and couches are still in one piece, and nothing smells funny yet. I hope that lasts.