Five years ago, I made the best investment that I've ever made in my life. My dear friend, the Illustrious Finuji told me that her co-worker had some labrador puppies for sale. I had always had my heart set on having a lab, an SUV, and 4 kids...in no particular order. So, I told Fin that I wanted to see the pups. I always wanted a blonde lab...and had pre-picked the name "Brooklyn." (This was obviously in my I LOVE NY phase). (Some might argue that I'm still in that phase)

The little puppies were all snuggled together in a huge wooden crate. Among the black and blonde pups...I saw a little chocolate one with a white patch of fur on its' chest that looked like a touch of whip cream. It was pretty much love at first sight. She reminded me of the chocolate mousse with whip cream on top that I had at Serendipity Cafe in NYC just a few weeks before. I instantly named her Mousse...and waited patiently for a few weeks for her to be weaned.

The day I brought her home...she was so sweet and quiet. Then, there was day 2. She definitely had an ornery streak. She made it very evident that she was my new #1 priority...and in case I forgot that fact, she'd make sure to have newspapers shred all over my apartment to remind me....Or, even better she'd gnaw the heels off of my leather shoes. There was a time or two that I wondered if I could possibly get my money back!! But, I didn't give on her...and she didn't give up on me.
She had really bad habits....like jumping all over people as soon as they walked through the door, sleeping on the bed, sleeping on the couch, and demanding attention. Actually now that I think about it...she still has lots of these bad habits...but they're not as annoying anymore. I had bad habits too though...I neglected to walk her and didn't realize how important it was for her to release some of her ENERGY. She spent a lot of time in lock up...while I researched how to train a dog online and in books.

I have to be honest...it wasn't until Matt joined our little family that Mousse was officially trained. He practiced "spare the rod...spoil the child." It didn't take Mousse long to understand that bad behavior was no longer appreciated or tolerated. And now, there's no doubt that she's our #1 priority.
People don't really realize how much you can love a pet. It almost seems so silly. But they have character and rely on you completely, so it's really easy to fall in love with them. Mousse is way more than just my pet....she's the apple of my eye, my pwecious pwincess, and my BFFL. Happy 5th Birthday to my Moussey...