Lessons from Prudence

Prudence, our beagle, wasn't named by us.  Frankly, I wonder if she'd know good judgement if it knocked her over the head.

Continually, I long for the capability to reason with her.  I'd love the chance to explain why she mustn't chase the runners that pass by our house or dig escape holes under the fence.  If only she'd be happy in the backyard, she could run around outside all day.  

Instead, she is cooped up inside where she barks at squirrels from the wrong side of the glass.  Her occasional barking fits tempts me to open the door and let her run free.  Forever.

But here she remains, proving that she does have some sense.  She's wagged her way into the hearts of my children who'll defend her no matter what she does.  To them, she can do no wrong.

If I'm going to keep the upper hand here, I think I'd better take a lesson from Prudence.  Using caution, I won't indulge in eye rolls or sighs.  Rather, I'll smile, hand the kids the cleaner, and point to wherever there is a mess to disinfect.

How to Avoid Running Craft Time

Today we celebrated my daughter's 5th birthday.  Now I like to keep parties simple.  So typically, I throw some snacks at the kids and say, "Just playing with each other is a treat.  Don't expect me to plan crafts."

But miracles do happen.  A glittery sand art project was planned, decorations for their cupcakes were laid out before guests arrived, and goody bags were packed the night before.

I wondered if this is what it felt like to be so organized?  It felt great to have the table set with food and drinks before people arrived.

Everything was humming along nicely until Prudence, our beagle, escaped.  Prudence followed the scent of some small animal that lead her from yard to yard, farther away from our house.  When my oldest didn't come back with the dog after a while, I realized this was my ticket out of craft time.  I hopped in the car to go help fetch the pooch.

Following a few failed attempts to nab her and coax her back to us,  Prudence darted into the thick, thorny underbrush behind a neighbor's house.  We could hear her barks trail off, but we couldn't see her anymore. I asked myself at what point I would just let her go. You know, explain to the kids why we don't have a dog anymore.

Luckily, a woman who runs an animal shelter heard Prudence barking from inside the house where she was pet sitting. Knowing exactly what to do, she sprinted from the house after Prudence with hardly a hello to us.  That rescuer rescued our beagle after a chase through thick thorns, over broken glass, and into the dirty creek.  When I caught up with her in the woods, far from where the chase began, she was muddy and struggling to carry Prudence back to us.

After a solid 40 minutes recovering our dog, I returned home to find kind moms finishing the craft and cleaning up the mess for me.  That's right, I didn't have to oversee little girls spilling sand all over the table and floor.

Following Prudence's hiccup, the party went back on schedule. Yet in less than half an hour after her return, Prudence dug a hole under our fence and was gone again.  After the previous ordeal and near scolding by the rescue worker, I was ready to enact plan B: let her go.  My mother talked of driving the neighborhood with my oldest daughter, but in my heart, I just felt like she was gone.

Again, I was faced with possibility of finding words to explain to the kids why we didn't have a dog anymore. By this time, everyone had left the party, and we were cleaning up. When suddenly, a mom burst through the door carrying our wayward dog.  She delivered one of Trinity's best presents of the day.

Despite almost losing a dog, the party was a huge success.  Meaning, Prudence spared me from having to run craft time.

My five year old with the cupcake that she decorated.