Momservation: Love may conquer all, but sleep deprivation puts up a mighty fight.

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My little satellite dish, Darby

Took Darby the dog in yesterday to get spayed. I felt bad for inflicting surgery upon her without her consent and depriving her of motherhood (I’m thinking she will thank me later for keeping her from becoming the next 19 Kids and Counting).

All that guilt went away, though, the second I stepped back into my quiet, peaceful house. It was a California furlough day from my current job (add it to the list) of being a puppy mom. And it was glorious.

I had a one day reprieve from the “Twelve Days of Christmas” version of WAHM with an energetic Labrador Retriever puppy. Sing along with me:

♪ One long walk...

 two games of Where’s Your Squirrel?...

three interventions from drinking out of the toilet…

four demands to get out of the kitchen or off the table…

five games of Chase You With Your Chicken…

six requests to drop retrieved shoes/socks/stuffed animals/underwear…

seven training exercises with treats…

eight games of shove the squeaker toy in my lap…

nine games of Fetch…

ten lapses in supervision…

which led to 11 chewed up household items…

12 trips up and down to let the dog in and out of the house ♫

Sound familiar toddler moms?

So I had a day of unrestricted free agency. I tasted again the sweet freedom of an empty house. I got a well-needed break from the rigors of being a hands-on parent. But you know what? I still picked up the dog instead of telling them to keep the little underwear sniffer.

Happens every time. Just when you’re ready to put them up for auction on eBay, their sweet little faces, charming playfulness and easy, unconditional love sucks you back in.

Either that or seeing your poor little fuzz-butt in an anesthesia induced stupor and pathetic cone encasing her head will do it.