Fat chance

We are making some major changes around here in the new year.

Lilly the Beagle has no idea what’s coming, but I am resolute. Resolute, I tell you. You see, she has a little, er…..food problem.  Every moment of Lilly’s waking hours are dedicated to begging for People food. Even when she’s sound asleep, she can hear the pantry door open and she bolts (BOLTS!) upstairs to see what she can beg off of the human in the kitchen sneaking a snack. She is a little food addict and we are her enablers. Why, you ask? Well, let’s see. She’s small and funny and pretty much runs the joint.  The kids are appalled that we have lowered our standards so much. Lilly is just two years old. In people years, that makes her a teenager. If she was a human, based upon our poor parenting, she’d probably be staying out all night or shoplifting from stores, their disapproving looks practically scream at us.

It’s true. We are terrible empty nest dog parents. We live with a short, fat, begging tyrant and it isn’t really even her fault because beagles have no thumbs and cannot open pantry doors on their own. She really isn’t tall enough to steal anything off the counter, either. And if we leave the door to the closet where the garbage is and she just so happens to discover something just waiting for her there,  well then that’s on us, too.

So, my first resolution of 2017 is to put the dog on a diet. No more “last bites” of toast. No more “just one won’t hurt” for her no matter how much she complains. And so, it’s going to be ugly around here for a while, I’m afraid.  If there was a twelve step program for chubby little dogs and their owners, I’d sign us all up. It might be easier than what’s heading our way.

But I have faith that we can do this. We can.

As for other resolutions not having anything to do with the fat little dog who lives here?

Who knows? I’ve got my hands full.

Happy New Year!