When my husband and I first got married, we moved into a very family-friendly neighborhood where everyone either had a dog or kids. We had neither. We just didn’t have time (not the kid part, the dog part, we were at the time trying for the kid part). To have a dog, you needed to be home at certain hours to walk him or her. And, too often, we just were not home. So we had a cat.

Flash forward a few years and our first kid … who was allergic to cats. So our beautiful Maine Coon cat had to go.

And now flash forward even more years to last November. We knew we wanted a dog, and it wasn’t for the “let’s teach the kids responsibility” reason either. We wanted one because both my husband and I grew up with pets and wanted our kids to learn that love that you have only for your pet. I want them to be older and have families of their own and talk about the dog from when they were kids.

So we adopted a Dachshund dog named Tootles from a rescue organization. And my kids? Couldn’t love her more. Audrey, my two year old, literally bear hugs her any chance she gets. I do draw the line on the various times she has decided she wants to return the licks Tootles gives her by licking her back. And Tootles loves our four-year-old Ashley. She will follow her and wait for Ashley to acknowledge her with a quick pet.

But this dog business? It is a heck of a lot of work. I am the one who gets the kids from school. When I get home, I am already thinking about dinner, herding the kids and all of their stuff from the day in the door, checking the answering machine, getting the mail. And now to add to my list? Take a dog for a much needed walk.

So when you see me walking a dog, carrying a two year old who should really be walking and not clinging to me, and coercing a four year old from heading down the street to her friend's house, just wave a friendly hello. Or offer to take the dog or kid, whichever one you want.

Read more about Amy at her blog, A Family Story.