flea

Saturday we spontaneously geared up and took Casper to Tae Kwan Do (she goes at afterschool twice a week, but is allowed to attend a third session per week at the center any old time, as part of her tuition). It was fun to watch. There was a mix of ages (Casper was at the lower end, although she was at the middle as far as height went) and belt levels (mostly white but two yellows and a green). Casper was at a loss when the teacher was working with other kids and she was supposed to be practicing her forms; she looked at me through the window and made comedic shrugging faces. The other hilarious part was when they did a game in pairs, in which each partner had a short piece of belt tucked into her actual belt and they were trying to steal each other's. Casper was matched three different times with kids who were at least 8, and each time her belt was stolen in approximately 3 seconds. She was so completely non-cagey it was funny, and then she'd make a comedic sad face at me when her belt got taken. Anyway, I'm glad she likes this and I hope she continues to do so.

After TKD we went to look at the puppies and kittens up for adoption at the pet store, which hosts rescue groups on the weekends. We do this many weekends, since the pet store is in the same mall as the Kroger, where we grocery shop. This weekend, however, mr. flea fell for a puppy, and that made Casper really fall for a puppy, and so there were tears. The puppy in question was a very submissive male border collie mix, about six months old, already mid-sized and with big feet still, incredibly soft fur, heart-melting eyes. A very sweet dog, but a family with a 5 year old and a 2 year old and a cat, with adults who have never owned a dog before, with nobody home 10 hours a day 5 days a week, really does not need a large puppy of a notoriously intelligent and high-energy breed as a first dog. The animal rescue woman and I together were able to communicate this to mr. flea, but by this point Casper was far gone with the idea of getting a puppy. She started with rational argumentation: "You said when we moved and were settled in we could get a puppy," and then moved on to drama and sobbing.

I am fundamentally not a dog person (I am a cat person); I think puppies are darling, but I know how much work they are. Since mr. flea and Casper are really into the idea of a dog, I am okay with us going there. However, it's got to be a sensible choice for us and the dog. An adult, already trained, smaller, preferably a low-energy breed, maybe a breed that is less sheddy and dog-smelly. My ideal is Lulu - luluminion's mid-sized poodle, who is sweet and good with kids and isn't going to tear the house apart or need 5-mile runs to stay in shape (okay, now she is elderly and blind, but a young adult version of Lulu is my ideal).

That was a damn sweet puppy, though. Who I am sure will find a good home with someone who jogs and works from home.