A Girl and her Doggie

A Girl and her Doggie

February 19, 2020

Sometimes you choose a pet. You know, you excitedly go to the shelter or the pet store and the perfect friend snags your heart instantly.

Sometimes you are fostering a litter of puppies and one looks up at you with a connection that will never break.

(Christina and Primrose: Pretty sure this was the day she decided to keep her!)

This was the way with Christina and the little black puppy that became our Primrose (Primmy, Prim, or even Primrose Everdeen Tart – when she has chewed something).

Prim has been in our home for two baby births. Until Lucas was about 2, he was her little pup. She followed him around, protected him, and I used to say if dogs choose their people, Prim chose Christina and Lucas. The second birth she’s been here for is Theadora.

Thea loves Prim. She gets excited when Prim snuggles up next to her and squeals “my doggie!” and will either pet her gently or snuggle her whole little face into Prim’s soft fur. Thea also feeds Prim everything… if it tastes really “yummy!” then a bit of it gets dropped over the highchair after “doggie!” gets yelled. Prim knows that means – come get food.

It’s hard for me to get these as pictures because Thea knows what a phone is. If I try to take a picture while I’m sitting next to her, she drops what she’s doing and grabs said phone!

Lucas has grown away from Prim and animals – he likes things with wheels right now. He gets super excited about small animals like helping with the Guinea Pigs or Minuit, but big ones are pillow to him, that’s it.

Prim is a pillow or sleeping buddy for anyone on the couch – although she isn’t supposed to be there; she just took up Sheba’s lookout position. At night, she snuggles curled up in a little ball on the end of Christina’s, Lucas’ or Jillian’s bed. She loves her people. She’ll snuggle next to Thea’s baby pen if Thea’s sleeping there – nestled under the table but up against the baby pen.

We went to visit a friend & they had a Jack Russel puppy. When Thea got home she grabbed Prim in a hug and stroked her saying softly, “my doggie, my doggie.” My baby is thankful for her special doggie.

Type at you next time!

~Nancy Tart

Toys Versus Kitchen Tools

Have you ever wondered if your kid was the only one who chose kitchen tools over toys?

March 4, 2019

Toys Versus Kitchen Tools

Have you ever thought it was just your kid?

…You know, when you have hundreds of dollars worth of toys for them to play with yet they would rather grab every plastic container, metal pot, and baking tin and beat it like a drum set with two plastic implements of some kind.  (Spatula and cake server anyone?)

Nope.

It’s not just your kid.

Seriously, I promise.  I’ve actually studied it.

In my very scientific study, conducted over almost two full decades, with dozens of children unknowingly participating, I have come to the conclusion that a mismatched set of plasticware, baking tins, and cooking pots serves as a more desirable toy than the newest Duplo set – to everyone under the age of five… maybe take that limit up to eight or nine if they are entertaining a younger cousin, sibling, or playmate.

Ready for some proof happening as I type?

…here is the playroom.

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…and here is the front room (my kitchen and front room are divided by the couch Becky is sitting on – my photographer didn’t get the kitchen scene).

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Do you see the children?

Just where are the children?  Certainly NOT in the playroom with the actual toys.

So Becky is watching her algebra lecture videos while keeping an eye on Thea (in the bassinet), and Jillian, Mandy, Isaac, and JJ are bringing her “food” they “cooked” in the various kitchen tools.  (The “food” is actually represented by alphabet refrigerator magnets – notice in the plastic containers.) Lucas, the other toddler in the house, is still “cooking” magnets in a cupcake tin just behind the bassinet.

In this one, my photographer thought he was going to play in the playroom, but no; JJ is taking three “hot wheels” back to the kitchen… he then served them to Becky while Mandy explained that they were “chicken nuggets.”

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So, just to satisfy your curiosity: no, your kid isn’t the only one to spend hours playing with kitchen tools instead of his or her toys.  Your kid is just being normal.

Thanks for reading!

Type at you later…

~Nancy Tart

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