Last week in my Love Thursday blog, I was highlighting some of the challenges of raising a toddler approaching the age of two. It had been a wild week and I as pretty much exhausted by the weekend.

So this week we started fresh, and Ella seemed like a different little girl. I’m not suggesting that we have a Dr. Jekyll and Mr.Hyde situation going on here, but her focus was on other things.

For example, Ella has taken her interaction with our dogs to a new level. For those of you who are not familiar with our canine family members, let me introduce them.

There is Orly, our fawn female Pug and alpha of the pack, who is extremely gentle but not interested in cooperating in Ella’s games. Then there is Lior, the black male Pug, who loves following Ella around and playing with her. Also gentle, he is a total hoot to watch. Nicknamed “Mr. Enthusiastic,” he is always up for some action, especially when it involves food. Last but not least, we have the amazing Sophie, our Harlequin Great Dane, who is being nominated for sainthood. Ella loves riding, patting and lying on this huge “gentle giant.”

So Ella spent many hours trying to get the dogs to play with her. Running with a cracker in her hand while they chased her was the favorite activity. She would stop once in a while, give them each a nibble as an incentive, and then continue on. All three of them were careful not to knock her over. Watching Ella take a cracker back from food crazy Pugs and out of the mouth of a Great Dane is a sight to behold.

Toys (or dolls, as in the photograph) were shared with them on their couch, and if the dogs weren’t paying enough attention she would put the toy on their head. She even offered them some of their favorite chew toys (wooden blocks) just to get them to play with her.

I praised my doggies for their endless patience and told them that they were finally earning their keep. They certainly can’t complain about boredom with Ella around, and she has three loyal friends who will always keep an eye on her and provide amusement when needed.

More Stories of Ella