THE BREAKFAST EPISODE

Oops!!


“Bali, don’t open that door.” My five year old grandson stood there, his hand on the knob, and asked the inevitable question.

"Why?”

“Look at Smooch and Grump. If you open it, they’ll both come rushing in here and you could get hurt.” Bali looked through the glass door. He studied the two pit-bulls, each of them at least as big as he was himself. They were staring back at him. Having imparted the warning, I turned back to the stove to continue frying eggs for breakfast. I should have known better.

If it had been the oldest boy, the very timid Nalou, no doubt my words would have had impact. But it was Bali – and he’s fearless. He also ‘pushes the envelope’. Even aware there’s a 90% chance that he’ll be scolded for it, he’ll try anything once.

Sure enough, I heard the scramble behind me. I whipped around to see
1) the two dogs barreling through the door;
2) The door’s impact pushing Bali backwards;
3) Bali getting stuck between the door and the love seat;
4) The child’s eyes grow very round and double in size;
5) Grump keep coming, but Smooch stopping right in Bali’s face.....

and giving it quite the wash!!

The top of Smooch’s head comes just under Bali’s chin; easiest licking access one could find, and Smooch took full advantage of it! Although at first startled, the boy had recovered, and was giggling and squirming and trying to get away - mission impossible backed into a corner the way he was.

The pit puppy was dancing in excitement. When Grump decided to join the play, I forgot about the eggs, and hurried to step in before things got too hectic. I hadn’t been kidding when I’d told him he could get hurt. He is such a little guy, no match for two massive, rambunctious doggies, no matter they don’t mean to harm him.

Grump obeyed immediately when I yelled “Stop! Out!”. Smooch, possessed with an attitude similar to Bali, was not paying attention, and I had to grab his collar and literally pull him away to shove him through the door before closing it swiftly behind him. I looked down at my still giggling grandson. When he saw my face, his smiles changed to ‘Oops!’ (I’m not sure how many times a day I hear him say that!).

I pointed to the breakfast table, not saying a word. Bali, aware that he was in doo doo, and biting his lip in an attempt to be as serious as warranted by the occasion, heeded my signal this time. He walked towards the table where his two brothers waited, both awestruck by the daring of their sibling....and laughing uproariously now that any perceived danger was over. He had a parting shot, of course. “See, Mmère? Smooch didn’t hurt me!”

Did I tell you I forgot the eggs frying on the stove?

Two hours later, after re-doing breakfast, completing the teeth-brushing detail, the dressing, the helping downstairs, the going back up to change because Bali, deciding to pee outside, had aimed his stream at his older brother’s shoes; then fixing into car seats, the chatty ride to the day care, comforting two year old Tao who didn’t WANT day care, and on the way back home, answering a minimum of 20 ‘why’ questions from Nalou...I was ready to begin my workday.

“Nalou, you’ll have to amuse yourself quietly for a couple of hours,” I told my oldest rug rat. “Mémère has alot of work to do today, and I’m already starting late.”

“Why are you starting late?”

I should have expected that response. There was some irritation in my tone when I answered him.

“Because there was lots of action this morning to get you all fed and your brothers off to daycare,” I said. “Mémère isn’t used to this. We’ll have to learn to streamline our mornings, so that preparation won’t take so long.”

My grandson lifted his nose and sniffed the odour still present in the house.

“Well, you could start by not burning the eggs the first time,” he suggested.

Did I SMILE? Hell, no – I laughed outright!

Luv from the Bush in Quebec.