Lawns and Tigers and Bears, Oh My!

It was a very chatty weekend at our house, so many new things going on, and there was a lot of conversation, explanation and repetition going on, too. By Saturday evening, I was talked out and looking forward to taking a walk with Toby and Jen's dog, Zoe, who was spending the weekend at our house. Oh, for a few minutes with just my thoughts and the quiet of walking dogs who are happy to be with me nonverbally. As it turned out, Maryn wanted to go with me, and I am well aware that's a great thing for a mother and daughter at any stage of the relationship. Besides, she is so darn cute, so I agreed. We were headed to the golf cart path behind the house, and I turned to Maryn and carefully said, "I'm going to run because I don't want Zoe to pee on the lawn." With that, I started to run, but I didn't get far. Maryn grabbed the back of my jacket, which caused me to stutter step, which caused Zoe to stutter step, which caused my foot to get caught in the flexible leash, which caused me to hop on one foot while trying my hardest to untangle my foot and keep from falling. I managed to right myself after about six large hops and finished running across the backyard. When we got to the cart path, Maryn's little hand was patting her chest signaling a racing heart. She told me I scared her. I said, "Because I ran?" She said, "No, you say lion." It didn't take me long to decipher that what she understood me to say when I told her I was going to run because of the lawn was that I was going to run because of the lion. I was slaphappy from a long day of talking, and all I could do was double over with laughter. She laughed, too. I spent a good part of the walk explaining to her that there are no lions living near us. No tigers either, no bears . . . you get the idea. We walked and we talked and talked, and if not for that I might not have remembered how special a walk with my daughter can be.