I find her roaming the neighborhood, proud as a peacock until she sees my distraught face, then she run straight to me, jumps up into my arms and tries to get in my good graces by playing dumb. Acts all confused-how did I get here? Why mercy me, I have no clue! THANK GOODNESS YOU HAVE RESCUED ME, MOMMY!!!
Oh please.
My husband and I try to talk to her, play with her, buy her lots of great toys. But does she care? Nope. We let her outside for too long and POOF she digs her way under the fence.
She really is a bitch.
No really. She is. You see Bella is more of a dogter than a daughter, but I love her just the same. The girl child is 2 now, which means people have been asking me when I plan on reproducing again for...oh I don't know, 22 months now. But don't they see? I already have another child! Bella is a great sister, but she needs just as much love and attention as anything else alive (except for my bamboo plant, I abandoned it months ago yet it lives on). They both need playing with, they both need to be fed and bathed and taken on field trips.
My Furless Spawn of Love brings me pictures she has colored herself and Bella brings me dead squirrels she has killed herself, but I am equally proud of both my girls' accomplishments. (Although Bella's are much more challenging to stick on the fridge). I don't want to be like so many mommies who forget their little furry bundles of joy exist once they bring the ones that don't have butt breath home from the hospital.
It's actually surprisingly difficult. Aside from the fact that I barely have room on my lap for both of them, Little Miss Perfect requires a lot of extra attention. Clearly a human child and a dog aren't in the same realm, but they both take up a good deal of space in my heart, and I wouldn't want to hurt either one of them. That's why when Bella runs out I think it's because she is bitter she didn't get as long a bath or maybe her Bow Wow Yum Yums didn't smell as good as the peanut butter cookies at snack time. I take it personally, and get frustrated even though I know it's just how doggies can be.
But it's that crazy worry that keeps me real. That makes me a big ball of love for everything alive (again, except the bamboo plant), which I think is a nice thing about me and makes me so thrilled my little girl is growing up not just HAVING a pet, but WITH a pet.
Aside from Bella being her first word, Bella teaches her responsibility and respect for other living things. She also learns to stand up for herself whenever Bella tries to snatch away her baby pancakes and she learns compassion when she sees Bella get scratched in the nose by the cat. They actually play together quite well (but gotta be careful when one of your younglings outweighs the other by 40 pounds) and make my crazy toy and fur covered home a heck of a lot of fun to hang out in.
One day I might consider having another...but right now one fur ball that likes to dig holes under my fence is enough.
2 comments:
Your post made me miss my badboy tabby who disappeared 3 months before I left Texas. He brought me fresh squirrels every week, and everyone in the neighborhood had a name for him. Once I had to ask a random stranger to play with him while I got on the bus, because he insisted on boarding with me. I was upset that my parents refused to put his picture up among her grandchildren. He took out a metal window frame, ripped every screen in my house, and I loved him madly! I hope yours stays safe.
You should be a standup comedian, you are a riot!
HL
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