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April 1, 1996

Accidents Do Happen

We've had our initiation. Rafi decided to give us a hard time yesterday. First he was incontinent last night on MY feather comforter. What did I do to make him mad? It must have been something.

One of the kids had used a chair to get a glass, and left the chair beside the counter. In the morning some time, Rafi climbed the chair to get to the sink to get to a pan of gluey broccoli and cheese that had been soaking. We're talking about a two or three pound _brick_ of broc & cheese. (Constipation underglass.) When he was done with it, that stainless hadn't been so shiny since the day it came from the store. How many times do you come into the kitchen and find a dog standing in the sink doing the dishes? His bottom half was perched on the counter in a sit, and his front half was standing. The shock on his face at being caught-- that was priceless. I should have gotten angry but all I coudl do is laugh. I wish I'd had a camera.

He left some land mines on the stairway landing. So much for new carpeting.

Broccoli bulge and all, we went to one baseball field for a run, then did 15 laps with him on a lead at a local track (with frequent pit stops) and followed up with another mile or so around the neighborhood for good measure (with more frequent pit stops) until he regained his girlish figure.

Looks like he's testing boundaries--trying to use the family blankets for his furry thingees, and trying to branch from chew toys to kiddie chew toys. It's a deliberate ploy for attention. He's not taking these things into any corner to do them furtively. This is bold, tush up, fore down, stare-you-in-the-eye-i-dare-you-to-catch-me behavior. A simple, "NO Rafi, go get your Rat," is all it takes.

We have had various Indian blankets on the carpeting, but took them up because I figured Rafi might find the fringe a tasty challenge.