January 3, 2015

White Dog simply does NOT understand YoYoMa's, Sachi's, and Zsofia's fascination with my morning cup of coffee. Puff explains it simply, "If it weren't for that nasty smell ALL of us would love the half cup of cream that momma uses in bean water." I admit it, I like my morning cup heavy on cream, light on strong dark stuff...the color slightly darker than White Dog's bisque furs.

When YoYoMa joined the White Dog Army he founded the Good Morning Coffee Club; he and I would share a few good slurps to start the day. Curiosity won over first Quinn and then Oso. None of the girls ever even wanted a taste...one sniff and they walked away.

When Sachi came along, he added his dainty little laps to the Club but he is not a die-hard. Some days he's in the mood; others not.

From her very first day, Zsofia has been fascinated with the ritual, the smell, and the tastes she has managed to steal by diving under Yo as he dribbles. No matter how low we hold the cup, Zso manages to get her head below us, earning her the day starting nickname, Coffeehead.

I have felt she was too young to share our caffeine habit (as little as really exists in my coffee) and told her that once she was grown up she could join the Club.

This morning she came and stood next to YoYoMa as he began our ritual. She wooed clearly her desire to participate and pointed out now that she had undergone her "Big Girl" Surgery (as Candace calls it), that she now met my qualification of being grown up.

Her earnest eyes surrounded by her no-chew inflatable collar made her irresistible. "I am not sure that Dr. Julia would consider you an adult at 6 months," I told her. She re-wooed her argument. White Dog agreed that as far as SHE was concerned Zsofia should now be allowed to join the Club. I looked at Yo, the Founder...he turned and looked at her and bowed his head.

"Looks like the White Dog Army consensus is that it is time to keep my promise," I told her as I held the mug in front of her. Her tail thumped in excitement and anticipation. Every eye in the house was on her.

Zsofia inhaled deeply. This was the moment she had waited for. She slightly tipped her head back so the fragrant aroma would fill her nostrils (coffee with as much cream as I use is NEVER hot). Then she plunged her snooter into the mug...she hit the bottom hard and pulled back sputtering for only a second before I could hear the lapping sounds and see the spray fountaining out of the cup. I pulled the mug away with difficulty as she struggled to hang on to it with her chin.

"That is enough." YoYoMa stepped over and pushed her face out of the way for his final "end of the Coffee Club meeting for today" drink. Sachi was busy licking up the spillage for Zso's dive. And Zsofia, the happiest Dark White Dog in the house, was trying to see how far around her face her tongue could reach to catch the last precious drops.