My Little A.D.D. Child

Dear Cleo,

I want to thank you for all that you do. I want you to know that you are appreciated and your efforts do not go unnoticed.

Thank you for barking and scaring away all the bad guys. We are all safer for it.

Thank you for patrolling the perimeter of the yard on a regular basis. It's been years since we've seen an opossum.

Thank you for smelling like corn chips. You're the cleanest smelling dog I've ever had.

Thank you for teaching me how to speak Dog. I know that you have three different stares: one for food, one for water, and one for out.

Thank you for keeping our felines in line. They outnumber the canines, so it's a good thing you push your weight around or we'd really be whipped.

Thank you for peeing far away from the house. Not only do I not have to smell it, but Coco has to get up and go pee over your pee, and sometimes that's all the exercise he gets in the day.

Thank you for leaning up against me when we sit together. You make me feel like you really want to be sure I'm right there with you and I'm not going anywhere without you knowing it.

Thank you for keeping my schedule. We've got our day down to an artform: As soon as you hear the alarm, you leave your bed and cuddle with me while I hit the snooze 6 times; you know to jump back up on the bed after I've made it; after work, you come with me to feed the fish outside; you hang out with me until I turn the lights out and then you go to your own bed.

Lastly, thank you for all that love. How does all that fit inside you? Sometimes there's so much that you wiggle till you look like you're going to explode.

I love you, kiddo.