Thing 1, Thing 2: You’re up! You’re up! The Other Boy did not feed us! Feed us! Feed us!

Mom: *feeds* (Amazed by the fact that Harley does not appear to drool. Oh. He’s chewing the rawhide chew he stole from the little dogs last night. D’oh.)

Thing 1, Thing 2: We haven’t been out either.

Mom: There’s a dog flap for that.

Thing 1, Thing 2: We couldn’t find it in the dark.

Mom: It’s light! But that would explain the wet spot on the stair, Bait. *opens door and leaves it open, grateful for teeny tiny bladders*

Thing 1, Thing 2: *race out, race in, run in circles*

Mom: Wait, no one peed.

Thing 1, Thing 2: We didn’t have to.

Mom: Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.

Thing 1, Thing 2: *race in circles inside*

Mom: Well, I see that we don’t have to walk you two. You run yourselves.

Thing 1, Thing 2: *jump* Walk! Walk!

Mom: Later. Let the food digest first.

Thing 1, Thing 2: *pout for two seconds, then run wildly about*

Several minutes pass as I clear the top of my desk.

Mom: !

Mom: Where’s Baxter?!

Thing 2: *shrug*

Harley: *shrug*

Mom: *searches inside* No Baxter. *searches outside* No Baxter. *wakes Slug*

Slug: I’ll go outside and look.

Mom: I’ve already done– *door slams* –that. *discovers Zoey is still in her box and unfed* I thought Your Boy was walking you! *releases dog from prison and feeds, while Harley drools beside her*

Slug: *reappears with Baxter in arms* He was nosing around the Middle Child’s car.

Mom: *eyes unrepentant dog who is ecstatic to see the lost Mom reappear* Like I make my kids sleep in cars. No, they abandoned you! *sottovoce to Slug* How many more days before I get to go back to school?

My wait time has now shortened to three minutes of not hearing/seeing the little dogs before I go in search of Baxter. Dammit. I’m not going to get anything done until naptime.

Couch Watch: Unchewed.

ETA: Furniture legs have sprouted on the loveseat and couch. The upside down coffee table blocks access to the couch. The upside down ottoman performs the same task for the loveseat. No, I did not do this.

ETA2: Spousling just yelled, “Baxter off the couch!” Furniture legs must not be the deterrent he thought. D’oh.

Novel update: I have three acts for each character and turning points for each. Go me. (But nothing got done while I was at Mom’s. Go figure.)