NIGHTTIME RITUAL

Every night Y’mommy and I climb the stairs for The Ritual. It begins with going into the bedroom where I wait patiently (yeah, right!) for Y’mommy to finish her bathroom duties. (How can it take anyone so long to wash her face and brush her teeth?) Finally, the moment arrives – she emerges, dressed in her pj’s and NO SHOES on her feet. The fun begins!! I chase her across the room, all the while nipping at her heels and calves. And then the best challenge of all – how many toes can I grab while she climbs into bed? On a REALLY good night, I’m able to get a bite of BOTH feet.

But the fun doesn’t end here. I race to the foot of the bed, jump up my doggie steps, and try to reach the toes, or at least the ankles, before they can get under the covers. (She’s getting wise to this part of the game though, and is getting pretty quick for her age.) At this point I have a decision to make – do I begin the cuddling up now, in which case I head for the lap while she reads, or do I play hard-to-get and start my settling down process on another part of the bed? It’s a tough decision, but when the lights go out, the choice is easy – I head over to her side to keep her company and protect her from the dark.