Hi, friends! Marley here, reporting live from Auntie Em’s house, where I’m spending the week with my second family, the Pickerels. Mom decided to take a much-needed vacation to Vail, Colorado (something about mountains and skiing—I have no idea why she didn’t bring me!), so I get to hang out with Auntie Em, Uncle Mike, Frank (my dad), and Phoebe (my stepmom).
Let me tell you, life with the Pickerels is an adventure. Auntie Em is so much fun. She’s also a real estate agent, just like Mom, and they’ve been selling a ton of houses lately. Auntie Em is Mom’s littlest sister, and she’s told me all about how Mom used to take care of her when she was a baby.
“Marley, did you know your mom used to get me up, feed me, and get me dressed every morning when I was a baby?” Auntie Em said to me just the other day.
“That’s wild,” I thought, wagging my tail. Now, 30 years later, they get to spend their days working together. How cool is that?
“Enough about them. Let’s talk about me,” Frank tells me, trotting over to peek over my shoulder.
Frank is my dad. Emily says he’s such a good boy, but she also calls him a deadbeat. Apparently, when I was born, Frank didn’t want anything to do with me or my siblings. “I wasn’t cut out for parenthood,” Frank says with a shrug, lying down by the toy box. “I had squirrels to protect the yard from. Priorities, Marley.”
These days, he’s warmed up to me—sort of. He still prefers to patrol the yard solo, but he’ll play tug-of-war with me and even chase me around the shed sometimes. “I’m not anti-puppy,” Frank says as he looks out the window for squirrels. “I just like them better when they’re older. Puppies are exhausting.”
While Frank keeps the yard safe, Phoebe is teaching me all the tricks. “Sit nicely, Marley,” she says, nudging me with her nose. “You’re part of the family now. Gotta make Auntie Em proud.”
Phoebe was Emily and Mike’s first fur baby. They’ve had her for, like, five whole years! That’s practically forever. She’s also Mom’s best friend and has had some of my step-siblings. “Ruby and I are basically the matriarchs,” Phoebe says with a grin as she pulls a toy from the toy box. Snickers disagrees .... this is a continued argument mom and uncle Billy have and will probably never be resolved.
Phoebe and I spend hours digging through the toy box, picking out the best toys to play with. “This one’s my favorite,” she says, tossing a squeaky ball my way. “No, wait—this one,” she adds, pulling out a rope toy. We could play all day, and honestly, sometimes we do.
Staying with the Pickerels is like being at summer camp. There’s always something to do—chasing squirrels with Frank, learning new tricks from Phoebe, or getting belly rubs from Auntie Em. Even Uncle Mike joins in the fun sometimes, playing tug-of-war with me and the rope.
Mom says she’s so lucky to have Auntie Em and her family to help take care of me when she’s busy. I feel like an honorary member of the Pickerel family. And you know what? They treat me like one of their own. Maybe the Easter bunny will leave me a basket here with my name on it?
Until then, I’ll just keep chasing Frank around the shed, learning from Phoebe, and waiting for Mom to come back from her vacation. But honestly? I’m having the time of my life here.
Wags and slobbery kisses,
Marley 🐾
