Feisty Repartee

Playmates

When Sweet One was three and four years old, one of her favorite activities was to play dress up. Her idea of that game was not only to don the clothes of make believe herself, but to dress others, including me.

As she was the only child at the time, both her father and I spent a great deal of time with her reading, talking, and playing; however, I did not and do not believe that children should be "entertained" by others every moment of every day.

Thus, I encouraged Sweet One to learn to entertain herself, as much to enhance her own imagination, as to give me an opportunity to maintain my sanity.

One afternoon Sweet One was lamenting not having someone "her size" to play with. Her dress up clothes were far too small for me and she had grown tired of trying on and taking off different outfits. She complained she did not have a "friend" to play with and she had grown bored with me.

Spying my ever present canine companion Tango, a black standard poodle, I directed him to follow me into Sweet One's room and then told him to sit and stay. While she looked at me curiously, Tango gazed at me pleadingly. The dog knew what was coming next, the small daughter did not.

"Here you go," I informed Sweet One, "here is your new friend. He is here for a tea party, but is not yet appropriately dressed."

She needed no further explanation. Out came the chest of clothes and within minutes poor Tango was dressed in pink and purple finery, replete with boa and straw hat. Good dog that he was, he sat patiently while she dressed and undressed him, all the while she chatted incessantly to him, just as she would a human playmate.

When his outfit was complete, Sweet One announced "tea time" which was usually my cue to bring milk and cookies. That time I appeared with milk, cookies, and a dog biscuit.

There are eight years between my daughters. Sweet One is occasionally patient and kind to Wee One, but more often than not, each is off doing her own thing.

These days it is Wee One who complains of boredom. Just as I did with her older sister, I read, play, and talk to her, as well as encourage her to "entertain" herself.

Tango is no longer with us and Wee One has little interest in dogs. Voodoo the cat is the object of her desire. When she has tired of tormenting her older sister and me or of entertaining herself, she goes in search of Voodoo. They have their own game of hide and seek.

When she finally spots him, she immediately becomes nonchalant. She appears to ignore him as she walks by him and at the last second she will make a quick as lightening move to snag him. Usually, he resists initially, but by the time she gets both hands on him and slings him fireman style over one of her shoulders, he relaxes as he succombs to her attentions.

On those occasions Wee One is occupied with other activities, it is Voodoo who goes in search of her.

If she is watching a movie while sitting on the couch, he sneaks up on her, pounces, then runs. I have not yet decided which of them is the truer miscreant.

Watching their antics, I often wish I had a "playmate" more my size, speed, and temperament.

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