“I’m going to Michael’s. Who is coming with me?” I asked the dogs.

“I’m in!” Cricket said and vanished. I knew I’d find him already in the car, riding shotgun. There were very few things that the boy loved more than riding around in the cart at Michael’s Craft Store, looking at all the things we could make.

Jazzy didn’t even stir in her bed. Too many rounds of fetch apparently for her to even care where I was going.

PJ yawned. “Not me. It’s nap time.” He rolled on his side, his belly full of breakfast.

G stood on the back of the couch, surveying the room. I knew she was too busy guarding the house to go anywhere.

I grabbed my list of materials for the upcoming themes and headed down to the car.

Queen blaring through the stereo, and Cricket wagged his rear end as we drove through the miles to the store.

I grabbed a cart and, as he always did, perched his front feet on the back of the seat and stood in excited anticipation.

Aisle after aisle, we looked over the sales, some of which were actually sales, others were not.

“We need more felt.” He reminded me.

“Oh yeah, thanks, I forgot to add that to my list.” I headed over to replenish my supply.

“Mom! Look! Wood burning stuff!” Cricket excitedly wiggled in the cart.

“Buddy, we don’t need wood-burning stuff.” I shook my head.

“Yeah, huh! You could make signs for the salon and for holiday gifts. Can’t we just look?” That boy is worse than I am about gathering new hobbies.

I checked the app on my phone, and I did have a few coupons I could use if I needed to. “Ok, we can look.”

Cricket’s excitement won the day, and before I knew it, I was buying everything I needed for a decent wood-burning kit.

It was only two months ago that he decided we needed to get into resin making.

“You can even make a picture of your favorite handsome Chihuahua if you want to.” He smiled shyly at me.

“I could! Maybe of him in his favorite flannel shirt.” I knew just the picture I’d be using.

I spent way more than I had planned, but I could just ask Ang to stick in a few more cats at the end of a couple of days this month, and it would be fine.

Cricket wagged his whole body in anticipation of our arrival home so I could begin learning how to use this stuff.

“You going to watch the videos with me?” I asked him, knowing his answer.

“Of course! You’ll need my help to remember all the nuances.” His tiny chest puffed.

“I will.” I was so incredibly lucky to have my sweet boy. My life would be so empty without his loving eyes and excited energy. He may have passed on, but he lost nothing in the transition except his corporeal form. Somehow, if it was even possible, his love seemed even bigger, more abundant, as if it no longer needed to be contained in a 5-pound form.

We arrived home, and I carried everything into the craft room, and we began our journey into wood burning.