Puppies, toddlers, and teenagers ..... OH MY!

Story #1

About 3 months ago we adopted a beagle "mix" from the local animal shelter! She is the cutest thing, and very smart! She graduated from puppy school with honors, doesn't have accidents in the house, and is really good with children, people and other animals. I don't actually remember what the house was like without her!

She does, however, have this really disgusting habit that we can't seem to break her of. She loves to go into the cat box and eat kitty poop as a snack! Yes, you heard me correctly! It is really gross! We try to keep the bathroom door closed when the cat is outside, but every once and awhile we forget and she rushes in and ..... well you really don't need the details.

Bumblebee spent a great deal of time today in puppy time-out after she had a snack this morning and then licked my husband's face (needless to say he was not amused with the puppy love).

Story #2

My 5 year-old is always a curious creature, and a little impatient, which is not always a great combination. He wanted to play a video game and asked to have it set up. I was in the middle of something so I told him to give me a few minutes and he would have my undivided attention. So he was sitting in his chair being bored for about 2 minutes when I noticed out of the corner of my eye that he was taking the top off a bottle of sun block, looking inside, and then putting the cover back on.

I asked him nicely to put the cover back on and not play with the sunblock .... and he did. I continued what I was doing and not 2 minutes later there was sunblock flying across my living room ... on his chair, on him, and making lovely designs on my hardwood floor. He of course was upset because he had sunblock on his legs and arms. I told him that since it was his own fault for not listening to me in the first place he could stand there until I finished what I was doing. I made him wait about 5 minutes (which to a 5-year-old is a lifetime) and then I plunked him in the tub and washed him up.

Story #3

The teenager had soccer practice this evening. We live close enough to the field that he usually walks to practice and walks home. As I was cleaning up the toddler, the phone rings! It is the teenager, he had managed to kick one of his fellow players instead of the ball and hurt his foot .... could I pick him up. Not a problem I say and told him I would be right there as soon as I got his brother out of the tub.

So at this point you may be asking yourself .... what is the point of these three stories? Well, let me tell you!

I get to the soccer field, the teenager gets into the car, wasn't paying attention and closed the door on his foot. I mean really closed the door, not just hit his foot with the door, closed it until it clicked and had to open it to get his foot out. After I made sure he was alright I could not help but giggle.

Then we get home and I notice that sure enough, the puppy time-outs had not worked and she was sitting in the foyer having a snack.

Not 20 minutes later we were sitting down watching Shrek and sure enough .... the toddler had gotten his sunblock and was opening  and closing the bottle!

Despite the age difference, despite the species difference I have to wonder ..... when will they learn! :)