Grandma's Little Helper

  We had our 11 month old granddaughter, Taylor, stay with us for three days while her parents took a mini-vacation.  What fun to have a baby in the house!  We played, read books, sat on the porch swing and blew bubbles and had lots of cuddle time.  Our time together brought back so many memories of when Taylor's father and uncle were little ones.
  But, I also quickly realized how our lives have shifted away from little people and their needs.  All the electrical outlets have covers, of course, but I had to move the trailing plants, pick up the cats' food and water, make sure the pantry doors were closed tight.... (Grandma was pretty tired by Friday night!)
  The biggest adaptation I had to figure out was how to mesh Taylor's schedule with the dogs' schedule.    When our sons were little, we lived in a subdivision with two collies.  I would just feed them on the deck right outside the kitchen door.  But, now, our dogs are in a kennel a short distance from the house.    Taylor wakes up in the morning right about the dogs' breakfast time and her afternoon nap time is too early for their dinner.  David, my husband, has a new work schedule which doesn't mesh with the dogs' regular feeding schedule, either.  How was I going to work this out?
  Fortunately, Taylor's stroller was here.  I would carry Taylor downstairs, fix all the food bowls and place them at the back door.  Then I'd carry Taylor back upstairs, secure her in her stroller and we'd walk around to the back of the house, pick up the bowls and walk to the kennel.  There, I'd park her at the kennel door while I fed the dogs.  I'd reposition her stroller while I cleaned kennels so she could always see me.
  I have big dreams that Taylor will develop a love for dogs, collies in particular (her dad thinks a lab is in their future--where did I go wrong???) and become a junior handler.  Since I had Taylor's undivided attention, I explained everything that I was doing, why some of the dogs had long hair and some short, which dogs had their championships and which dogs were in the shows last week-end.  I'm sure Taylor will remember everything I told her!
  Taylor did enjoy her dog care chores.  She would wave to the dogs as we got close to the kennel and wave "bye-bye" when we finished.  When the dogs started playing, she'd laugh and kick her feet.  When the dogs barked, Taylor would imitate them, making funny sounds and jumping up and down in her stroller as much as the straps belting her in would allow.
  The dogs adapted to the presence of my helper very quickly.  They were curious Wednesday night about the little person and stroller outside their door.  By Friday evening, when they saw the stroller being loaded in the car for Taylor to go home, they got excited and started barking.  They thought it was dinner time!