Oh, did you need me? I'm sorry, don't have time, I have to vacuum.

For any one that really knows me, you knew this day was coming.  When you read this story on December 21st, you all knew this blog post was inevitable.  The truth is, down deep inside, even through all the honeymoon bliss, I knew it too.  I was just hoping that either one of two things would happen:

1)  She would be the first long-haired dog in the history of animal life to not shed.  Ever.
2)  I would become a slob by the time shedding season was upon us and just not care.

Sorry to say, neither miracle happened for me.

The dog is SHEDDING SHEDDING SHEDDING!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I've never seen so much freakin' hair in my life!  Get this. . . I vacuum all the hardwood and tile flooring in our home

TWICE A DAY.

Once in the morning before we leave to take Zach to school and usually again in the afternoon before Daddy gets home.  That's 2500 square feet twice a day.  Thank God the upstairs is carpet and she does not go up there often.  I'm not joking.  I wish I were.  I, most days use my "could never live without" Elecrolux battery operated vacuum, as seen here (at the very bottom of this post).  Three to four times per week though I use my "could never live without" central vacuum cleaner.  God knew what he was doing when he told my husband to demand that we put a central vac in the house when we built it.  I actually argued with him at the time. . . now, I love love love it.

I have gotten it down to a well oiled process.  I can vacuum 2500 square feet of hardwood flooring in a matter of about 15-20 minutes.  If I move at the speed of lightning. . . which I have to in order to have time to do it TWICE every day.  My husband just doesn't get it.  At all.  However, he also is missing being home during the day and seeing the white fluffs swirl and blow all over the house.  It's a nightmare.  How LONG does it take the girl to shed her winter coat?  Will it ever be done?  And, on top of all the vacuuming, I BRUSH the dog OUTSIDE every single day.  Not that it does much good.  She even goes to the groomer every five weeks.  Do you realize how much time I spend on this girl?  Blows my mind how I could still be totally and completely in love with her.  But, I am.  I am her mom and I will continue to pick up after her just like I do the two-legged kind living with me.  

Here is where my heart attack comes in though.  I'm leaving this weekend.  Zach and I are going to our condo in Destin with our good friends Erin and Drew.  Paul and Chase Parker will be staying here.   Along with Bella.  Who is shedding like we've already thoroughly established.  Paul doesn't vacuum.  No one will be here to vacuum. What will my house look like when I return?  

The begging process will begin this evening.  If I could just get him to run the little Electrolux at least once every day then I think I will be able to walk into the house.  Then again, maybe I shouldn't mention vacuuming to him and by the time I return he will "get" why I vacuum twice every single day.  Hard on me but it brings much needed understanding for him of what I go through each and every day because HE wanted the dog in the house.  Let's remember that people.  He wanted her inside.  

I think as an experiment I won't ask him to vacuum and we will see how thick the fur is when I return.

Pray for me.  This is ROUGH STUFF for an OCD girl like me.

Gotta love Bella Kate.  God put her in my life for a reason I guess.  Just wished He would have waited until shedding season was much further away.

Even as I am winding up this writing I am shuttering at a new thought I just had. . . is this EVEN really shedding season yet?  Is it just beginning?  Will it get worse?  Oh my. . .

This is what comes off my central vac after vacuuming just ONE room.  Now, let's think about this.  What you see here in this picture is probably only 5% of what actually went inside the vacuum.

Before we go, let's revisit exactly why I put up with all this:

She IS the sweetest, cutest, prettiest, hairiest girl in the whole wide world!