worries me. Luckily, our dog won't shed and I honestly feel our kids are well prepped to take on the responsibility. We've been planning this for over a year.

I don't know whether or not to look forward to this. I tell my kids I had dog on 2 occasions when I lived in Vietnam for 6 months (which is the truth). I've threatened my kids that if they don't live up to commitments, I'll make it a 3rd time. They think I'm a monster, but I just consider it positive reinforcement.