He put WHAT in his mouth?!?

Here's a story for you...

Littlemagette and I were in the back yard together this weekend, trying not to get dive-bombed by momma robin. He was "helping" me mow the yard, and at one point he disappeared behind a big clump of ornamental grass (I hate that stuff...). After a few minutes, I could hear him making spitting noises, so I turned my mower off and investigated.

Spitting is something that, unfortunately, Littlemagette has learned from watching his Daddy. It's also something that his Daddy doesn't try to encourage. With this in mind I dutifully headed across the yard to the other side of the ornamental grass (did I mention that I hate that stuff...) to talk to him once again about germs and manners and how he shouldn't do the things that I do because I'm not always the best role model.

And that's when he stopped spitting and put the blue balloon to his lips to try to blow it up.

Before I continue with this story, I need to take you back a few weeks to Easter. On that weekend, Missesmagette hosted a baby shower at our home for my sister-in-law. Since the baby is going to be a boy, the house was decorated in an according fashion including, yes, blue balloons. I never realized it at the time, but the bag of blue balloons was never seen after the day of the shower.

A few days later, deflated blue balloons started showing up in the back yard. Under the deck...over by the fence...beside the ornamental grass clump (stupid ornamental grass...) and finally a large pile of them right at the base of the deck stairs. The source of these balloons was Baily, the wonder dog. Evidently, she had decided that blue balloons would be a tasty treat (they probably smelled like scented candles or something foofy like that). Latex balloons obviously don't digest very well, so they tend to pass straight through a dog's digestive tract (or, at least we hope so...). The balloons that we found in the yard, then, were deposited there as dog crap.

Which brings me back to Littlemagette innocently finding a blue balloon in the yard, putting it in his mouth, and attempting to blow it up. That sure did explain why he was spitting...the thing couldn't have tasted good! It's funny the things that go through your mind in that moment...most notably what should I rinse his mouth with? Water? Milk? Coke? Clorox? Tequila? Would a Brillo pad cause irreversible damage to the mucosa of his mouth? What kind of dog parasites did he ingest? Has he done this before when I wasn't looking?

After a big drink of water and a long talk about "Bailey poop", we were able to return to our chore. I mowed, he helped, and the dog pooped. And I have another great story to tell when he brings home a new girlfriend...

Just another day in the life of Mistermagette.