Playtime!

“HA! Gotcha!!!”

“No you don’t – you’ll never catch me!!!”

(growls, yips and assorted odd noises ensue)

Mom looked cautiously around the corner of the garage. What started off as a frown between her eyebrows turned into a big grin that transformed her face. There was Lucy, of course, barking at Elbie – but Elbie wasn’t in any trouble. Oh, no – to the contrary, Elbie was dancing like a prizefighter, darting in and biting at Lucy, then backing off and turning his back to her. As soon as she got close enough, he turned around and was flying through the air, teeth flashing, his little snarls filling the air.

Mom had been really worried about Lucy playing too rough – in fact, the night before last night she’d yelled at Lucy over and over again, and each time, Lucy would look at her as if to say, “What’s wrong with you? I’m just playing!”

Tonight, Mom saw the truth. After she finished what she was doing (she’s cleaning out the area next to the garage so she can put pavers down), she went to sit in her chair in the Spare Yard, one of her favorite places. Elbie came running, with Lucy and Jo close behind. Just like the night before – but this time, Mom had caught on to what JoLee and Elbie were doing (and what they were trying to do), which was, of course, to get little Lucy in trouble!

“Dangit!” JoLee panted, after he chased Lucy into the other half of the yard. “Elbie, Mom didn’t yell at Lucy this time!”

“Yeah, I know,” Elbie said, from his Protected Place, behind Mom’s feet and just slightly under the chair. “I think she’s onto us.”

Lucy ran back into the Spare Yard, tossing a tennis ball and chasing it as she went. She ran up to Mom and dropped the ball into her lap, laughing and panting at her, and Mom threw the ball as hard as she could, into the other half of the yard.

As Lucy ran by again, she stuck her tongue out at JoLee and said, “Neener, neener, neener!”