Don't Kill The Puppy!

I know it sounds a little scary as a title, but it's just the way things happen around here sometimes.
Now I'll explain...

For ages it seems like my family (excluding me) has had an intense longing for a family dog. I have always been the resident "stick in the mud" and said NO WAY! Why do I need to potty train a dog when I have a baby to do the same with?!
It's not that I dislike dogs, quite the opposite. I've always thought that it was an important part of memory building for our children. I grew up having a dog and Brian did also. We both have such fond memories; and we wanted the same for our children. HOWEVER, I felt like we needed to wait for the "right time" to introduce a canine member to our family. Well, as you know our family has grown a bit over the years and we have settled here and moved there and then settled in again here and then moved again there. After our latest ( I won't say last) move I began to wonder "Is there such a thing as a right time for a dog to enter into our family?!" The answer was thought and prayed over for months and now a year. My question spurred another question... What, exactly stipulates it being the "right time" ?? Well, I really don't know, other than not while I'm pregnant and sleep deprived with a newborn. Now that part of things is over I guess I don't know if there will EVER be a "right time" for anything. Sometimes I think too much. The right time for a dog? So to make this long explanation stop, I decided that it's not a case of the right time for anything, it's just what is most practical.
SO, all of that to say...
About a month and a half ago we made a bargain with our children. We called it "The Puppy Deal". The bargain was that they must follow the Hayden Children Chore Chart without error for 30 days IN A ROW. (ya, right) We have a laminated checklist of different chores that must be kept up on througout the day. Their job was to use this checklist before each meal and then a final sweep before bed. If any things on the checklist were found UNDONE when check then the puppy deal was killed! So that's where our little phrase from above comes into play. The deal was killed 2 times over a period of 3 weeks so they had to start alllll over each time. I made some cute little signs with pictures of a puppy on them and strategically placed them in their bathroom, bedrooms, school room, and play room. The signs said "Don't be a puppy killer" (Which they thought was HILARIOUS) , "Don't kill the DEAL", and "Is everything where it belongs?" Just little reminders for them to do what's right. The checklist had amazing results! It is now well past the 30 days and they have kept the deal, and are continuing to keep up with their checklist. They are showing initiative in keeping things under control in between checklist check up's.
Now that they've kept up their end of the bargain, we will be keeping up our end also. You could say, We're expecting a girl. This time, Praise the Lord, it's not me that's pregnant!! We will be getting an English Springer Spaniel. We are waiting for the puppy to be born sometime in the next couple of weeks.