To have a dog....Or not to have a dog...

Aren't kids just hilarious? Sometimes my kids will say the funniest things and I find myself laughing long after it's over. The other week we had Grandma over for dinner and at the table we were talking about Uncle Rob passing away and how we miss him, and sometimes we're sad, but we'll see him again and yada, yada, yada. Now a quick little Epperson history lesson--frequently Andy and I find that we are discussing with the kids the topic of getting a dog. Really it was dad just telling them "No way in you-know-where are we getting a dog." The kids get upset, they say it's unfair, and I'm the one who's caught in the middle. I really don't want a dog, or any pet for that matter...why would I want one more thing to clean up after? ...BUT, they are my children and they LOVE animals. I hated and still do dislike many if not all animals I think mainly because I didn't grow up with them and don't know their behaviors etc. I don't want my kids to be like that. So...I guess I want a dog too. So, back to the story. At the moment there is a slight lull in the conversation of loss and sadness, my darling 6 year old son says, "It would be sad if dad died too", and then following one quick breathe, a huge smile unfolds as he says, "But at least we could have a dog!" Hmmm....maybe we should just give up and get a dog.