Remember her most favorite of all the kids here? (see Kimi and the Baby) Well little Miss Kayla has grown up. Not too much, yet, she is still Kimi's favorite. Mostly I suppose because Kayla, though more mobile then ever, has not yet learned to walk. Or run. Kimi can still out run her devilish little hands. For reasons of her own Kimi still likes to hang around Kayla. Usually at lunch time, or snack time. Even more so now that Kayla is learning to feed herself, and delights in sharing the finger foods from HER lunch.

Sitting in her walker with her bowl of green beans at hand and in hand, Kayla was having a blast discovering new things. Like how green beans feel when properly squished thru a tightly clasped hand. Or how well they rub into the peach fuzz she calls hair. Ever the patient pup, Kimi sat on the floor in front of her and waited her share. Almond eyes staring intently, I think she was trying some form of canine mind control over Kayla. You know, where they stare at you unblinkingly and before you know it you are handing over a tidbit or two to them? That's mind control. Their mind over your matter. I'm sure you have all seen it before, and have been a victim of it a time or two yourselves no matter how much you believe yourself to be immune. Face it their little minds are stronger than ours when we are faced with such delicate cuteness.

So there Kimi sat, sitting up straight, little beady eyes trained intently on Kayla's face, her tiny head cocked casually to one side. She did not move, she did not blink. I'm not even sure she was breathing so focused was her attention Kayla on the other hand was not yet aware of other forces trying to over taken her inquisitive little mind. Happily she sat, playing with her food, and only occasionally getting some into her mouth. By now the tray to her walker was littered with smashed beans, not that she minded for these skated across a smooth tray pretty easily.

"RRRRrrr" Kimi said as her head cocked from right to left. Her behind scooted forward about one half inch closer to Kayla. Knowing there is an invisible line that mommy won't let her cross in getting to close, Kimi tried hard to mind her manners. Since her mind control would not work unless she had Kayla's full attention, Kimi raised her front feet slightly off the floor and shouted "GGGRRRFFF!" That did the trick. Kayla looked up, grinning and Kimi's eyes caught hold of hers. Yup...right there before my very eyes it happened.

Kayla took both hands, by now full of smushed up beans and slowly reached them out in front of her. Kimi's eyes twinkled and she backed up half a pace, her britches never quiet leaving the floor. In sort of a backwards skooch. Kayla grinned widely and said "dayabba wee!" Being an excellent student of babblonian myself I knew this meant 'Here Kimi have some'. And with this she turned her hands over and opened them. What lumps and clumps of smashed green beans did not fall to the floor on their own, Kayla proceeded to shake free from her hands. Of course when she flip-flopped her hands around beans landed on more places then just the floor. One being right on the end of Kimi's nose!

Have you ever watched a Sheltie look cross eyed at something? Quite the sight actually. Kimi stood up to all fours when the cold piece of bean landed on the end of her delicate nose. Tipping her head down slightly she tried to focus her sight in what ever it was that landed there. Not yet sure if it was friend or foe, or even edible, Kimi's eyes crossed to the corners, both trying to find a common middle ground. They did. The green bean on the tip of her nose. Kimi tried a downward jab with her nose, drawing it up again quickly. OK, that failed to dislodge it. Her next step was to try to blow it off. "FFFFT!" "FFFFFTTTTT!" To quick sneezes, and her crossed eyes looked again. Yep, still there. Taking matters into her own paws, Kimi ducked her head, laid chin to the floor and wiped it off in one clean sweep of her little white foot. Seeing it laying there, she looked up to me one, then back to the floor. Cautiously sticking her nose down to it she tried for a closer sniff.

Did you know cold green beans don't smell much? Or if they do it's not a good smell. Certainly not one even a Sheltie, who by nature is a good sniffer, could figure out. Drawing her head back up she squinted one eye at it. Changing tactics, she went in for a sneak attack. One where you get in and out quickly. One quick jab with her nose, and back up to peer at it again. hmm...oodd. It didn't move. OK, so we know whatever it is, it's dead. Ducking her head slowly, she moved lower until her chin was right near it. Rolling her eyes up to me, I watched her little pink tongue slowly and cautiously slip out. Time for the taste test. One lick... (hmm..not bad) Two licks... (could use some salt....) Three licks.... Hey! Not bad! Kimi slurped it up, sat down and grinned at Kayla. "YYIIP!", she said. Kayla grinned back and answered "YYYEEEA!" And tossed another handful of green beans Kimi's way.

OK, new game. I'm not sure who invented this one. But either way a bit on mental transference was going on here because just as Kayla tossed the beans, Kimi's mouth was in full action in trying to catch every last piece. SNAP SNAP SNAP!! Went her little jaws. No good, she missed them all. Oh well, not to worry. Kimi was pretty sure they wouldn't taste any differently in the air then they did off the floor. And she cleaned up every last piece.

As Kimi was busily hoovering up Kayla's proffered prize, she spotted the jack pot. For there under Kayla's seat was a virtual garden of beans. Kimi stopped and just stared, her little mouth open in silent wonder. She looked up at me and grinned hugely. I didn't need to hear the words to know what was vibrating through her mind JACKPOT! And with a sudden lunge, Kimi dove under the seat. Across the bars, past the wheels and between the feet. Her little tongue resembling that on an ant eater, Kimi was going to town on her lunch.

There was just one problem. One small SET of problems actually. A set of problems that moved. And swung. And kicked! Feeling Kimi's silky fur tickling her bare feet, Kayla lost interest in lunch and squealed in tickled delight. Kicking her feet back and forth giggling in joy, Kayla tried to do all she could to find Kimi with her toes. Kimi did a fair job of dodging those tiny torpe-toes, but when Kayla's toes accidentally picked up a tiny morsel and it got lodged between said toes, well..lets just say the chase was on. Nothing could taste better to Kimi then a cold mushy green bean topped with baby flavored toe jam! Wiggling her furry self all the way under the seat, Kimi positioned herself for the best possible shot of reaching those toes! Kayla sat there with a grinning and expectant look on her face as she tentatively swung her foot backwards. Kimi's tongue snaked out expertly and made a slick swipe at the passing appendages. Kayla's eyes popped open wide at the wet contact and she giggled once. So did I. Her foot flew back, passing Kimi's tongue that waited out in the open for her second chance at success. When it made contact and slid between passing toes, Kayla chuckled out loud. So did I. When her foot came back forward, Kimi was waiting. So was her foot. Slapping it out in front of Kayla's tiny foot, she landed it with perfect aim on top. THWAP! Kayla's eyes popped open bigger. Kimi's tongue quickly slide between waiting toes and SLURP! Out came the green bean. Kayla chuckled madly, her face falling forward in her mirth, and I nearly did the same.

Seeing Kayla had not so neatly cleaned up her beans, albeit with some help from Kimi, it was time to offer her the chunks of pears that came with lunch today. I cleaned up the tray which resembled a grave yard for vegetables long past their prime, and set the dish of pears in front of her, Kayla wasted no time in shoveling a handful into her waiting mouth where she set about trying to blow bubbles around them. Not being good bubble material two chucks came flying out. Landing on the floor right smack dab in front of Kimi. Kimi grinned at Kayla and said "YYAARRIP!" I personally think she was telling her nice shot and waited to she the proverbial high five. I guess Kayla was still to young to understand that, and after waiting a few seconds for her response that never came, Kimi sniffed at this strange and tiny morsel. Having never had pears offered to her before, Kimi was not sure what to make of or do with this.

So, out came the tip of her tongue again. Ah yes, the taste test again. It's the manners in which she was raised you understand. Never take much of something you have never before tasted incase you don't like it. I taught her that trick. *GRIN* One polite lick for taste. Her eyebrows climbed slightly. With an almost imperceptible toss of her head from shoulder to shoulder, I knew her opinion of this was "so-so". A second, perhaps slightly longer lick for texture. OK, it passed that, now it was time to move in for the "kill". Even Kayla waited to see what Kimi would think of this treat. She grabbed hold of the front edge of the walked and pulled herself forward as far she could stretch to lean over the side. Her little bare toes curled backwards nearly touching the bottoms of her feet in her efforts.

Kimi lifted the chink of pear with her lips, tossed her head quickly, to move the pear into a more reachable bite and spit. SPIT??! KIMI! For shame! Where ever are your manners! Kayla didn't care. She thought that spitting trick of Kimi's was pretty funny and she giggled happily around her own mouth full. Great, more food on the floor.

Kimi ducked her head and looked at what she just spit out. Deciding maybe she didn't give it a fair chance, she slowly walked back over to it. Leaning down, ears laid back as though she expected NOT to like it, she picked it up gently between her lips. This time Kimi drew it slowly and careful into her mouth. Past her lips, beyond the front teeth, and rolled it with her tongue to the side of her mouth. There she chewed it. Once. Once more, and once again. By then the taste, the texture, the whole sickening thing had caught up to Kimi's brain which registered that she did NOT like pears! PETTOOEEY! Out it came again! This time when she spit it out, tiny pieces flew out or rolled off her tongue, flying everywhere. Kayla chuckled louder and squealed with joy. Kimi on the other hand had a thoroughly disgusting look on her face as she slowly and carefully backed away form the pears. OK, I couldn't help it either, I laughed at her too, but by the look of horror on her face, I had a feeling Kimi was about to toss her beans. She most definitely did NOT like the pears. Kimi laid down on the floor and with one tiny front foot proceeded to wipe the remnants of that awful stuff off her tongue. Kayla did not appear to mind Kimi's revolt, as she happily shoved another handful into her grinning bubbly face.

Then it happened. In walked Garfield. The cat. Kimi's best friend when she wants to play and arch enemy when he is getting food or attention that she's not receiving. He waddled his ample girth over to the pear on the floor. Lowering his massive fur-bearing frame to the floor, he laid down in front of one piece. Kimi's head popped up, ears perked forward. Her eyes squinted as she watched the cat approach HER food. It matter not a whit that she didn't like it, the point was it was HER food and he didn't ask! She watched him sniff it, as her eyes darkened and glowered at him. Garfield's mouth opened slowly. Kimi rose to her feet just as slowly. He leaned in toward his ...uh...her food. Kimi's little body tensed and crouched imperceptibly just as the cats sandpaper tongue reached for the food Kimi pounced!

With a mad "GRRRRFFF!" shouted at him, he turned as quickly as one so.......mmmmm...overly-built could, and they were off! Under the green leather chair, Kimi ducking, the cat scurrying. Through the kitchen, Kimi sliding out around the corner as she scrambled for traction. Into the front room and behind the couch where we all heard THUMP! THUMP! THUMP! "RRRF" Behind one couch they charged, under an end table and behind the second sofa they went. THUMP! BANG! "RRRRF"! Out from behind the couch came the cat, well in the lead, but rushing her offense, Kimi picked up the pace and was only a tail behind the cat. Around the coffee table, onto the couch, springing off the back of the couch, flying across to the opposite sofa, Garfield maintained his lead by a hair. Back onto the floor, landing neatly beside Kayla who let out a surprised screech at their passing. Narrowly averting disaster, I pulled my feet off the floor and into the chair beside me. Garfield executed a not so neat somersault down one stair and landed there, hunched and hissing like a tire going flat. Kimi set about showing off her fancy foot work like any good boxer would do. Boxer? Wait she's a Sheltie not a Boxer! Oh well, with a good imagination you can be anything you want to be. She dodged to the left, and jabbed to the right. The cat swung widely at her nose with a huge paw and Kimi slick as lightening, jumped back out of the way. Laughing in his face her yips taunted him, "Fast as fast can be you are still slower then me!" She jumped forward laughingly calling "Nanny Nanny Nanny", which ended on a surprised "YIP!" when the pad of his paw landed on the tip of her nose. Not to worry, the cat keeps his claws sheathed, and Kimi keeps her teeth to herself. Sort of unspoken rules of them game for the two of them. Garfield, deciding retreat is the better part of valor in this case, disappeared down the stairs, and Kimi returned to the food near Kayla, victorious. Figuring the spoils of war go to the victor, Kimi set about cleaning up every last one of those nasty bites of pear from the carpet. And by the time she did, a whole new look came over her. Having given the pears and her taste buds a second, or was it a third chance(?), Kimi found they weren't as nasty as she first thought. Which gave voice to this thought she wanted to share with all her friends:

Never be afraid to try something new, for one babies trash might be another puppy's treasure.

walk in beauty
Kristi & Kimi
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