Well, tomorrow’s the day. The day Chantale and I bring home a new living creature into our home. A little creature that will be with us for about 15 years. Not part time, all the time. It’s something a little difficult to have to put my head around, especially considering the various living arrangements I’ve had to put up with, fix, and re-organize over the last few years.
It is incredible. Every day since I met Chantale, she has helped me (either directly or indirectly (ie; inspiration)) to claw my way back out of the morass my life was in 99. Desparate grip by desparate foothold, we managed to rise up, lay a foundation, dream, and build a life. A life beyond my wildest dreams. And now, even amid the usual turmoil which is the crap that sometimes gets stuck to the shoes of life, we have taken a stand and laid down the gauntlet. A Bichon Frise puppy will join our household tomorrow, paving the way to a baby sometime next year… Nothing definite on that front, but the thoughts are definitely there.
For those of you wondering about our getting a puppy while my daughter is asthmatic, let me reassure you that we have given everything the utmost thought. What many fail to remember is that Chantale suffers from asthma as well. Heck, even her sister does and she’s lived through the same things my daughter did. In order to minimize Melyssa’s exposure, the following come into play:
– The puppy does not go into the Kids’ rooms.
– The puppy is not allowed on the furniture.
– The puppy stays in its cage during the day and sleeps there overnight.
– The puppy does not have an undercoat and does NOT shed or release Dander. Thus, when the puppy is NOT in the house, there is no “remains” in the house. Nothing is released into the air or on the ground in dust, etc.
– When the kids are over, the puppy will be elsewhere.
– The puppy will be bathed/ groomed regularly.
– Melyssa’s room has an Air Purifier with a Hepa filter that cleans her room 6 times per hour (every 10 minutes) removing dust, pollen, odors, dander, etc, up to 99.97% at 0.3 microns. In other words, her room is an entirely sterile environment, cleaner than any other room in the house.
– Melyssa’s Air Purifier is strong enough to clean both her and James’ room. However, it is kept only in her room.
All this, by the way, is a hell of a lot more stable, secure, and proper than the fact that my daughter lives with her mother and new/old boyfriend who smokes. Oh yeah, sure. All the “arguments” of “he doesn’t smoke around the kids, it’s always outdoors or at work, etc etc” are good for her, but that does not negate the fact that cigarette carcinogens will ALWAYS stay on his clothes, his hair, his skin, regardless of how he “airs out by walking around before coming back in the house”. Yeah, I can see you all shaking your heads as well. This, my friends and everyone else reading this journal, is the stupidity I have to deal with on an on-going basis.
I can give out so many other examples of how Melyssa’s exposure is controlled and monitored when she’s with me, but I’m sure it’s not necessary. Those of you who know me, know how much I love my kids and know how far I go to ensure they are raised in a healthy, loving, and intelligent environment/ manner.
Obviously, there’s some fallout on this new decision. No problem. I’ve got my flak jacket on and I too will gather necessary ammunition. The future will tell. And I, who’ve been engaged in this battle for more years than I care to admit, know only this: My Will is stronger than adamantium. There is an actual “end date” to when this war will finally end, but that doesn’t mean I’m willing to lose every battle between now and then.