Rainy Day

February 10, 2009

Dogs and Girls

1. Rain does not dissuade girls and dogs from taking a walk.
2. Rain boots and dog make girl bold to walk through puddles.
3. Carrying a shovel on a walk creates unimagined fun for girl.
4. Carrying a shovel on a walk is a tremendous distraction for a dog.
5. Dogs blow bubbles in mud puddles.
6. Girls dump shovelfuls of mucky water on dogs standing beside them in mud puddles.
7. A wet dog deprived of the blankets he did his business on will find a way to scoot the tray out of the crate to lie on the carpet.
8. Girls and dogs will interpret water coming out of a pre-maturely ended downspout to be a faucet for drinking and a shower for washing.
9. A girl in rain boots and raincoat will come inside and need every item of clothing changed except her socks.
10. How can one get water to flow inside her raincoat without getting water to flow down her boots?
11. Rain adds to the pleasure of a walk if you are a girl or a dog.
12. Mothers who allow themselves to be convinced that playing outside in the rain with a dog is a good idea because we have raincoats and boots are crazy.
13. But this mother convinced that playing outside in the rain with a dog is a good idea is so glad she went.

Afterthought, when we were expecting Abigail, we had a dog, Tippy, who had to stay in Michigan. She would delight in running through every puddle on our walks. I would laugh. Chris would become disgusted with the mess she inevitably became. When we found we were having a girl, I commented on his disgust with the dog and his trepidation of being a "girl dad".

You know boys are more like dogs than girls are. Boys see puddles the same way Tippy does. Dogs and boys just enjoy dirt and will find a way to be wet or dirty.

Apparently so does Chris's daughter. In fact I dare say she got more joy out of wading through the water and muck than George did.