With two of our kids recently married, people ask if I am anxious to become a grandma. I tell them, no, I am quite content being a dog-ma.
You are a dog-ma when your married son and daughter-in-law treat their mutt like a kid. It gives you a small glimpse as to what kind of parents they might one day be.
They found the dog at a Chicago pound. He had no hair on his tail due to a thyroid condition, a slipped disc, back legs that slide out of joint and is sometimes unable to climb stairs.
I see kids who may one day be accepting and patient parents.
The dog barks. A lot. He barks at flying insects, crawling insects, shadows, trucks, motorcycles, semi-trucks, tellers at the drive-through windows, people who raise their voices, anyone dressed like a thug, vacuum cleaners and burning logs that crackle in the fireplace.
When the dog's barking gets annoying, which is often, the son sometimes asks his wife to deal with it as if she has the magic touch.
This well could be an indicator of a father who will often say, "Go ask your mother."
When they travel, they carry enough paraphernalia to put a mother of triplets to shame: leash, a soft towel to put over the parking brake so the dog can cozy up between them in the front seat, prescription medicines, dog snacks in the glove box and an old plastic Steak n Shake cup filled with water that they leave in a cup holder for when he is thirsty.
I see a minivan with a DVD player in their future.
When the dog gets upset, he rips into his toy bag and tries to "finish off" the stuffed possum shaking it wildly. It is the equivalent of a 2-year-old with a combination toy xylophone and drum.
If the dog barks too much inside their third floor condo, they tend to think it's not the dog's problem as much as other people who may have a problem with dogs.
I see a school principal calling.
The last time they were here and we went out to eat, they went through an entire dogproofing routine before we could leave the house.
They blocked off the front room so he couldn't destroy furniture. They shoved the sofa in front of the French doors with mini-blinds do he didn't rip them off the window. Then they closed all the bathroom doors to eliminate any potential water hazards. Then they put purses and backpacks with gum or mints in them on top of the washing machine.
"Do you want to put safety plugs in the electrical outlets before we go?" I asked.
"Don't be ridiculous."
Then they set out a couple of treats and his favorite toy to distract him while they slipped out the door.
When we got back, they immediately both put their hands on the floor tiles in the front hall.
"Looking to see if he left a puddle?" I asked.
"No, we're trying to feel where it is warm to see where he was lying down waiting for us."
I see a young married couple who might one day be head-over-heels parents.
I also see grandkids that may be playing outside a lot when they come to visit Grandma.
