Eleanor

This is not at all how I had planned this going. I'm preparing a chapter explaining all the family members as the characters, so you'd know each one and have a feel for them personally.

Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately my just turned four-year-old granddaughter, Eleanor, her birthday was July 29th, gave me something to write about, and I couldn't pass it up.

This story was told to me by my son, Andrew, we FaceTime every Sunday afternoon. Andrew works at Barnes Jewish Christian Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. He takes Eleanor to the daycare provided by the hospital for their employees every morning.

Andrew had stopped at a stoplight on the way to the hospital. Next to them a car had stopped, and a fluffy spotted dog stuck its head out an open backseat window.

Eleanor sat in her car seat and said, "Daddy, do you see the furry dog?"

"Yes, I see the dog."

"It looks like a nice cuddly dog."

"I'm sure it is a nice dog."

"Isn't that dog beautiful? I like dogs."

"I know you like dogs. You like all animals."

Eleanor was silent for a few moments. "Daddy, can we get a dog?"

"Hurry up light," Andrew muttered under his breath. "No Ellie, we can't get a dog."

"Why not? Dogs are nice."

"Yes, dogs are nice. Your mom and I both work. We're not home enough."

"Charlotte and I'd play with it all the time when we get home. Charlotte likes dogs, too."

"I know you both would. Dogs poop. I don't want to clean up dog poop."

"Dogs don't poop a lot."

"Yes, they do. Remember when we were at Grandma's, and you stepped in Harley's poop. It was hard to get out of the treads on your shoes. You wouldn't like that, would you?"

"When Harley visits here he doesn't poop in the backyard."

"Yes, he does. Grandma cleans it up."

Again, Eleanor got quiet for a few minutes, before she started again, "Daddy, in Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, he asks the neighbors to help. That's what neighbors do. They help each other. We have really nice neighbors. Maybe they'd help clean up dog poop."

"El, it doesn't work that way. We do have nice neighbors, but they don't want to clean up our dog poop. Would you like to clean up their dog's poop?"

"No, but maybe our neighbors like dog poop."

As Andrew's telling this story, I'm laughing and then say, "Andrew, dogs make really good friends. You boys always had a dog growing up, remember? The girls need a dog."

"Mom, you're not helping!"