Let the games begin.

When I look into the eyes of Joey and Marley I see a little devil. They are two peas in a pod when it comes to personalities. Not a bad devil a big tease, a clown, jester, scamp just a goofy dog. Everything is a game to them.  They both play to win but will concede when I catch up to them.  They drop roll over and show me their belly.  The games they like to play are, catch me if you can, now you see it now you don’t, tag your it, keep away and can you pick up a wet noodle.  The game will begin while I am at my weakest moment the time I am running interference for the kids/other dogs, phone rings, knock at the door or I get the call from mother nature to run now. Whatever they can snag at those moments mostly paper towel, napkins or tissues is what they grab and go with. Never drop something in front of them because they can grab it faster than you can bend over to pick it up. I am not so fond of these games because I can’t begin to run as fast as these boys  and I am not so willing to smack into a wall or chair at top speeds as they do, so I must slow down on those corners.  The game will begin when I am least expecting it; because they have been here long enough I always try to keep stuff in my hand or under my butt any where they cannot get to it. The girls just lay their stuff on the end table they know I am watching them so they sneak up under the end table  between the chairs and stick their nose up on to the end of the table and grab, because they are not in my line of sight they get me every time.  I can see them coming when they are running on top of the furniture or on the floor in front of me, but that slipping in behind me thing, they found to be more conducive to the game playing. Now the game is on, they head for the basement, to hesitate for a second is the difference between getting the paper back and them eating/swallowing it. So I jump and yell “ you little bastard drop that”. Before I can finish the statement I am already in the hallway, and they are making the corner to my room. The whole time I am thinking broken bones don’t heal so well at your age….. By the time I enter the room they are shredding it and when I try to pick it up they grab what’s left and jump on the bed. Now you’re trapped give that to me.  I get the end of the paper in my fingers and look them in the eye and say give it to me, drop it, DROP IT. The eyes scream OK you win, and they will open their mouth. Then they roll over and go limp so I can’t hardly get them off the bed.  So I grab a couple of legs and drag them to the end of the bed and I swear they become a wet noodle, a limp dog becomes dead weight and it’s hard to pick them up, just getting your fingers under them between their back and the floor or bed is a job all by itself.  Once on the floor in there upright position, they take off running, by the time I get upstairs they are standing in the living room, and I swear they are smiling at me, or chewing there nylabone. Now under ware are coveted and they do not give them up so easy; we are now playing keep away and catch me if you can at the same time. Now that the door is open with the nice weather they hall butt to the back yard, once there I give: they learn so fast and change the rules as needed. When paper goes to the back yard I quit, but other things they run out with I yell at the kids to chase them.  The one good thing about the paper consumption is that even after it has been recycled through the system it is more visible in the grass and can be found easily on clean up days, so let the games begin clean up made easier.