Copy Dog

I wish I had photographs to accompany this story but I forgot to bring my camera. Considering I also forgot the kid's shoes for the outing I'm actually pretty glad I forgot the camera. How bad would I feel to have remembered the camera and forgotten the shoes? On the flip side there's no photographic evidence so why did I just out myself to the parents who I know to be readers of this space? Hey, Mary Poppins I'm not but the kids seem to like me. Oh and I made up for it later by accidentally running into a Shakespeare performance later on and throwing the kid a dose of culture.

Anyway, Saturday night I was hanging with Little Seal. On my way over I remembered that there's a gelato and ice cream stand a couple of blocks from his house. Since the idea of having to entertain a toddler one on one for more than about 15 minutes strikes cold fear into my heart (it's not that I can't do it it's just that it's like, say, algebra it requires a constant vigilance that throws me into overdrive) and I was casting about for shiny distracting things I secured the appropriate permissions for an after dinner stroll to the stand.

I decided on chocolate ice cream. If I'd been on my own I might have gone with vanilla chip or mint chip but the kid is, so far, constitutionally opposed to solid foods where at all possible (whole wheat bunny crackers excepted) so, in anticipation of sharing, I went with a more classic option. We sat and I offered him the first taste or our delicacy. He closed his mouth firmly. I, somewhat guiltily, dug in and enjoyed the ice cream vocally as an enticement. After that Oscar worthy performance I offered him another bite. No go. He shoved his wrist in his mouth (his version of "I said no THANK you!") and used his other hand to point out a fuzzy puppy across the way. We watched the puppy. I ate the ice cream. The gentleman with the puppy gave the end of his vanilla cone to the dog. Little Seal gave me the quirked eyebrow. I offered him one last chance at chocolaty goodness and he liked it a lot.

So, you know, my opinion isn't worth crap but if the dog will eat it...