Category: Heart

  • Backseat Buddies

    Before Amira was born, I drove a huge eight passenger SUV.The kind of car that families buy when they expect chaos, luggage, strollers, groceries, and several small humans. But in our case, the vehicle had a very different purpose.It was for Toby. He claimed the entire second row as his personal throne.Every seat was his…

  • When Worry Met Love

    Some memories stay soft in the heart, even years later.This is one of them. It still makes me emotional every time I think about it. When Amira was little and caught a cold or fever, I was usually the one who stayed home with her. My job allowed more flexibility than Stephanie’s, and it gave…

  • Vacationing With Royalty

    I am on vacation right now, and as always, I cannot help comparing it to vacations with Toby. Travelling now feels simple. Travelling with Toby never was. Stephanie and I used to joke that we did not plan our vacations.We planned Toby’s vacations. Everything had to be dog friendly.Everything had to be comfortable for him.Everything…

  • The Weather Curse

    If there was one thing Toby perfected in his lifetime, it was choosing the worst possible moment to request a bathroom break. We live in Quebec, which means the weather does whatever it wants. One moment it is calm and sunny, the next moment it becomes a snow explosion, an ice rink, sideways rain, or…

  • The Muffin Betrayal

    There were many things Toby believed with complete confidence. He believed all couches were designed specifically for him.He believed all visitors arrived with the intention of admiring him.And most importantly, he believed that any cooking happening in the house was obviously for him. This rule had no exceptions.If a human was in the kitchen, Toby…

  • The Very Late, Very Necessary Birthday Party

    Some dogs are easygoing.Some dogs are independent.And then there was Toby. Toby had two settings when it came to being away from his humans:1. Mild panic2. Full dramatic despair Which meant he either came to work with me or stayed at the one doggy daycare he actually trusted. And thankfully, that daycare adored him as…