Found out

As has been mentioned in these pages, we have several Puppies. We bought them so that Puppy could be laundered in a crisis-free environment, and to stave off a complete breakdown in the event of loss. Puppy is available on eBay, and five seemed like a good number.

There have been a few Double Puppy sightings in the past months. Once MZ was playing with Puppy as I walked downstairs with an armful of laundry poorly concealing Puppy. That's Puppy! she exclaimed. No, sweetie, that's not Puppy, that's a sweater I lied pathetically as I darted down the stairs. Another time she spotted one in the dryer, and I said pretty much the same thing as I practically knocked her down to close the door.

But the other day, somehow there was Puppy on the dining room floor when she came downstairs with Puppy in her hand to make a bottle with her Dad (no, she hasn't suddenly converted, that's what she calls a sippy of warm milk, ironically enough). There was really nothing to be done but tell the truth, although that didn't stop us from hedging through a few terribly executed lies on our way.

Turns out MZ doesn't give a fig if there's one Puppy or 101. She cuddles whatever Puppy she has, and when that Puppy is bofouled in her estimation, she drops him like a bad habit and moves on to the next. When it's time to exchange Puppies, I irrationally encourage her to kiss the dirty Puppy goodbye while R. stages an auction for Top Puppy honors.

The whole thing is an exercise in cognitive dissonance.