Mommy Hurt My Feelings -- and LuLu's, too!

Sometimes I just don't understand my mommy. Ever since we adopted LuLu and Izzy, Mommy has told me that since I am the oldest, I have to be a good role model for my sisters. Truthfully, I had no idea what she was talking about at first, but I learned.

When my sisters were little and Mommy was trying to teach them the same commands she taught me, she would call me to her. "Ethel Frances, come here for a minute, please." Then she would tell me to sit. "LuLu and Izzy," she would say, "Look at Ethel Frances. See how nicely she sits when I say sit. Isn't she such a good girl! I want you to sit just like that when I tell you to sit."

Mommy made me feel so proud. When my sisters learned "Sit", Mommy was so excited. She clapped her hands and said, "Girls, you did it! You are sitting just like your big sister, Ethel Frances." Mommy followed up her praise with treats! I always try to be a good girl and I try to teach my sisters, sometimes by telling them lessons and sometimes just by my actions.

All of these nice, proud, and warm feelings came to a halt the other day. Mommy was getting our dinner ready. It doesn't take very long, but that day I was very hungry. The sight of the bag full of my food started the drool forming. My mouth was getting full and when I got a whiff of that food, all of the drool poured out of the sides of my mouth. I have to admit that, even though I try not to, I do drool often; but, that was the most drool I had ever seen.

"Ewww! Gross, Ethel Frances! Look at all that drool! I wish you wouldn't do that. It is slimy and it is so hard to wipe up. Why do you drool anyway?" Wow! It is bad enough that I have a drool problem that I can't control. Now Mommy hurt my feelings and made me feel a lot worse. I didn't know my drool was difficult to clean up. I didn't know I was gross. I don't even know why I drool, but since I can't talk, I couldn't answer Mommy's question anyway.

As if all of this wasn't bad enough, the next day Mommy was getting ready to go to work. She put her jacket on and we knew Mommy was going to leave us. "Girls, who wants a cookie and a treat?" Mommy always gives us a cookie and a treat when she leaves without us. She came to us with her hands full. LuLu jumped up on the sofa and when Mommy held out a cookie for her, you won't believe what happened. Drool poured out of LuLu's mouth, almost right into Mommy's hand.

Mommy said, "Ewww! Gross, LuLu! I can't believe you are drooling now. I want you to be good like your big sister, but I don't want you to do every single things she does. I especially don't want you to drool." Mommy gave us our treats, kissed us, told us she loves us, and left.

As soon as we heard the door lock, LuLu looked at me with big, sad eyes filled with tears. "Ethel Frances, Mommy hurt my feelings! Now I know exactly how you feel. I didn't drool on purpose. It just poured out. I didn't even know that I am gross. What can we do about drooling and how can we make Mommy understand that we aren't gross?" Now LuLu was crying.

Izzy looked up at us and said, "I am always doing thing that upset Mommy. I chew up her socks, her underwear, her gloves. I even chewed up her eyeglasses. I get in trouble for doing those things. I deserve to get in trouble because I do it on purpose, just to get Mommy's attention. You shouldn't get in trouble for something that you can't control. Maybe I can help get Mommy to understand."

That night when Mommy came home from work, she took us all out for a quick walk. She went in the kitchen and started getting our dinner ready. Izzy winked at LuLu and me and ran out of the room. LuLu and I were so curious about Izzy's behavior that we didn't drool. Suddenly, Izzy started running back and forth in front of us. She ran until she got Mommy's attention. Mommy said, "Izzy, what do have? Bring it! Come! Get over here!"

The more Mommy called Izzy, the faster Izzy ran. LuLu and I were laughing so hard our sides were aching. Finally Mommy caught Izzy. She picked her up and said, "Give it to me right now!" Izzy opened her mouth and let drool pour into Mommy's hand!

Mommy looked in her wet, slimy hand; she looked at Izzy's smile; and, she looked and LuLu and me laughing. "You know, girls, Izzy is too smart. I think I figured this whole thing out. I am sorry I hurt your feelings, Ethel Frances and LuLu. I know you don't drool on purpose. I promise I won't say anything bad about it again. Izzy! I also know that you did just drool on purpose, but you aren't in trouble. I am very proud of you for helping your sisters! Thank you for helping me understand how they felt. I love you all very much. Let's go eat!"

Unfortunately, when Mommy said, "Let's go eat," LuLu and I drooled all over the floor. Mommy kept her promise and didn't say a word about it. That was the best dinner I ever had.