This is Jojo
When all is said and done, grades won't reflect it, but I'll know Mila was the "smarter" of the two girls. They're both smart and wonderful in their own unique ways, but Mila is that kid who plays dumb because she has figured out it benefits her. IN KINDERGARTEN. Alexis may have purposely failed the gifted placement test (true story), but Mila will figure out how to not have to take the test. The girl is smart.
That's why she has been playing exactly one parent for the past several months with this whole hamster thing. There is but one parent who will drop everything and run out to buy another pet and IT'S NOT ME. I have no problem saying, "No." Mila knows that. In fact, she knows I am the Queen of No-landia and the Patron Saint of Awwhellnah. She mentioned it enough to me to make sure that I wouldn't shoot down her scheme at the 11th hour, but she also made sure not to require explicit permission from me at any point. She really handled the whole thing in quite the genius way.
For what it's worth, I saw what was happening. This is one of those cases where Mom is on to your scheming, but she sits back and watches the show. It's a trap. A terrible Mom Is Too Smart Trap.
I let the game stretch out for months. It became a running joke. Mila would ALMOST sleep through the night in her own bed, the condition under which the hamster thing was supposed to be a reward, but she could be counted on to screw it up every single time. And every time the other people in the house would try to convince me that close counts, but then I'd pull out my Awwhellnah paraphanelia and we'd be all good.
MONTHS. I think the so-called deal was first put into place in March. I wrote about it here in August. And then came the end of September.
There was nobody who was more surprised than Mila that she finally managed to pull it off. For what it's worth, I was awake waaaaaay before her and could have ruined the whole thing for her, but decided to let her win the little game. It seemed like a good idea at the time ...
And then Jojo moved in.
Mila is a level of excited about this development that can best be described as PLEASE STAAAAAAAHP.
Poor Jojo.
He doesn't stand a chance.
Mila loves him so very much. She is going to pet him and smother him and basically he should just chew off his legs now because he is doomed to a life of being loved too much. I'm working on tempering the enthusiasm, but HOOBOY. There is a lot of it.
So that's Jojo's story. He's Mila's hamster who was an award for her FINALLY sleeping in her own bed the whole night. It only took her five years to get there.
Monday, September 23, 2019
Reader Comments (1)
Way to go Mila! Jojo is adorable. Who picked out the name? I have a feeling Mila did. Somehow I don't think she would let anyone name her beloved animal. I also would like to know if she has continued the trend of sleeping in her bed? For your sake, I hope it has stuck. Enjoy Jojo.