Thursday, September 13, 2007

Critters

"MOMmy! The cat's HEAD is in the TOILET."

Does this conjure up the same gruesome image it did for me? I was mildly terrified until I realized that this is just another part of Flapjack's second kittenhood. She has suddenly started behaving like a kitten again, which means that she's trying out some new things. Like drinking from toilets. I can almost see the thoughts going through her fuzzy little head. "Wow, guys! Did you know that this house has three built in water dishes and they're huge?!

This new phase of Flapjack's life has been good for us all. She's suddenly behaving herself at night which means we can dispense with the "zappy-toes" mat we'd been keeping in front of our bedroom door. We actually leave our bedroom door open at night and Flapjack sometimes comes in to snuggle. This is a marked change from the rampant destruction that led us to bar her from the bedroom at night in the first place. Good kitty!

Another family member who's a lot more pleasant these days is Beaker. I can tell it's creeping toward fall here because his afternoon shriek-fest has moved from the 5:30pm of summer to about 4:00. That means he's pretty well got it out of his system by the time Andy gets home at night, and he can settle in to just making happy noises and begging for pizza crusts when we have pizza for dinner. Good birdie!

When Elise and I wandered out to get the mail yesterday she informed me that, "Mommy, I want a dog instead." Instead of what? Well, it turns out she wants someone else to take on walks. On a leash. We've been discussing how Flapjack isn't really constitutionally disposed to such things. We're also working on our understanding of time.

"Maybe someday, Sweethart."

"Like next month, or maybe in December!"

"Well, I was thinking more like in a year or two."

"Okay-so like next week?"

"Hmmm, no we're definitely not getting a dog next week."

"How about tomorrow then?"

"Not tomorrow, Elise. In a longer time than that."

"Let's get a dog in two hours, Mommy." (As if that settles it, then.)

"I was thinking more like two years, when you're five-and-a-half."

"Oh."

At this point in our conversation a man walking by on the sidewalk busted out laughing and effectively tabled the discussion.

Two hours is a long time in our world, and two years is incomprehensibly long. Poor kiddo. Maybe Flapjack will be up for some leash training again soon...

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Who is this guy who laughs at my grand daughter? I've got a big notion to sick my incontinent wunder dachshund on him!

Anonymous said...

If it's any comfort, my cat STILL drinks out of the toilet -- and he's 19.

Tell you what - I'll get a dog when you do, and vice versa.

xxSunshine

Peter said...

It's funny, I didn't actually think gruesome thoughts when I read, "the kitty's head is in the toilet."

Anyway, that's first class. And it sounds like my niece has time figured out. Moreover, it sounds like she's figured out a key negotiating tactic--certainty in the face of overwhelming odds.

Good on 'er.