Not at all sorry

Dobby and Zuzu make quite a team. Yesterday they were playing together in the living room, tugging a toy back and forth and chasing each other around while I was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher and in the laundry room matching socks. I was listening to some Christmas music and kind of humming along to myself when I noticed that all the noise of the dogs playing had ceased. That set the Mommy Alarm a-whirling and I went to the living room to see what they were up to, with a strong and clear remembrance of Meelyn falling suddenly quiet at age two and going in to my bedroom to find that she'd drawn quite a large picture on our newly painted bedroom walls with my tube of mascara.

The two dogs had somehow managed to snitch a peppermint candy cane off the tree and were so absorbed in eating it, they didn't even noticed when I came into the room and took their picture.

I plan on telling Santa to bring them each one piece of coal and a big, big bottle of violet-scented dog shampoo for Christmas.