The Three of Us

By the door in the entrance way, there is a large bucket.  It has lots of items in it. Boxes of Christmas lights, electric cords, small garden tools, dog poop bags, dog coats and my mom’s favourite pair of mittens.

Her hands are always warm, so she rarely wears the mittens when she walks us in the winter. 

She purchased this lovely pair of mittens at a craft sale and they were expensive.  They are knitted together from old sweaters and are very unique looking, just as mom likes.

Sometimes I play this game I call Take the Mitten Out of the Bin.

Tanya is never too impressed. 

On one particular day, I find momma in the living room, on the leather sectional, watching tennis. Sambuca is fast asleep beside her.

No one is paying attention to me.

“Helloooooooo!  Look at me!  Look how cute I am!”  I sit on the carpet in front of her.  My ears are in alert-mode.

Momma is focused on the TV.

I put my front paws on her legs and repeat, “Hellllloooooo!!!” 

My mom pats me on my head. “Hi Appy.  What are you doing?”

“I’m trying to get your attention.” I respond.

She shouts at the TV, “C’mon Simona! Fight!”

Who is Simona and what does fight mean?

I start to paw Tanya but there is little response as she cheers on this Simona person playing tennis on the television.

Fine.  Watch tennis.  Apparently, it is Simona Halep, one of her favourite female tennis players on TV.

I go out to the entrance way and pull mom’s mitten from the bin.

I carry it to the living room.

Tanya notices. “Appy.  What you got there?”

“A mitten.” And I spit it out onto the carpet.

“No. No. No, Appy.”  And she gets up from the couch and picks it up. 

I follow her to the entrance way as she puts the mitten back on top of the collection in the bin.

“Mittens are not for pups.  They belong to Momma.”  She tells me.

And she goes back into the living room to watch her tennis.

Doesn’t she know what’s hers is mine, and what’s mine is mine?

I grab the mitten from the bin and bring it back to the living room.

“Appy!  What did I say??  No mitten for Appy.  It is not a toy for you!”  Her tone goes up.

I spit it out and give her a loving look.  “But Momma, maybe you need the mitten to watch tennis with?”

She shakes her head and picks it up and takes it back to the bin.  I follow.

She turns her back and proceeds to walk away.

I take the mitten. It’s in my mouth.

My mom turns around and I’m busted!  “Appy?!!! No. NO. NO. NO.”

“Yes. Yes. YES!”  I love to play Take the Mitten!

She pulls the mitten out of my mouth and grabs its mate from the bin.

Not her first rodeo. Up on top of the washer they go.

Looks like I need a new game to play.

Frigg.