Tabatha Deans

PUPPY IN THE HOUSE
Mr. and Mrs. G returned from a weekend getaway with a new addition to the household. He’s 2 months old, has big brown eyes, wrinkly skin and ears and feet that are much too big for his little body. He torments Little J and raises the house at 5 in the morning when he’s hungry and wants to play. It’s hard to get mad at him because when he looks at you with his big, sad, brown eyes, you can’t not melt. Bartley is his name, and he’s a puppy. A Rhodesian Ridgeback. And he’s a male, because apparently there’s not enough testosterone in the house.

When I emerged from my cozy little lair downstairs to get my morning coffee, I could hear Mr. G, Little J and the Z Man talking, but none of them could be found. From the conversation they were having it sounded like they must all be huddled on the bed in the master bedroom, trying to keep their feet away from the jaws of Bartley. “You laughed when he got me, so I have no sympathy for you,” said Mr. G. “yeah, but he chased me,” said Z Man. Little J just giggled. Haha I thought, the puppy has gotten the best of them. As soon as my feet hit the main floor, Bartley heard me, and before I was halfway across the kitchen the little guy was nipping at my ankles. How cute, I thought, a little puppy play. Then the nips got a little more rambunctious, and before I knew I was hopping and jumping across the kitchen to get away from the little guy’s playful banter. Right behind him was all of the boys, Mr. G included, giggling as they watched Bartley chase his latest victim. Knowing that he was merely acting like a puppy, and not wanting to punish him too harshly, I hopped around and avoided his nips as I made my coffee, all the time being laughed at by the children. Determined not to cave and prove I was the adult human, I tried to ignore Bartley and pretend his nips weren’t hurting. After several minutes of hopping and dancing around, I threw in the towel and joined the boys on the tall stools, feet tucked under me, with Bartley sitting on the floor looking up at all of our toes longingly. The boys finished their breakfast and I drank my coffee perched on the stools, while Bartley watched from below, knowing he had won the battle for the morning.

October 20, 2010 - Posted by Tabatha Stewart | Uncategorized