Lessons Learned
Little Sally is on the mend. She has accepted the fact that this weird place is her home now, and has figured out where in each room her favorite napping places are.
Sally sleeps a lot, more than any dog the Czar has had. She will spend at least 12 hours in a comfortable spot, and seems to resent being sent outside for a walk or even downstairs to eat. The boys have been bringing her food and water bowl to her, which frankly isn’t the best reinforcement tool. But at least she doesn’t shake and cower over everything. There has been progress.
The Царица was becoming a bit frustrated with Sally’s refusal to move off the bed. The elder Цесаревич was trying to assist mom with getting Sally down from the bed. Sally prefers to stay where she is, so the dog would simply flop over onto her other side when either of them tried to pick her up. “This is ridiculous,” said the Царица, “All you want to do is lay around all day, and expect people to pet you and bring you food and water or whatever else you need.”
“Oh no,” exclaimed the 6-year-old Цесаревич, “She’s a democrat!”
Note to self: perhaps the boy should spend less time around the Mandarin.
In better news, the boys were taken to the toy store of their choice today. Each picked out a toy of their preference, and each paid for his toy with his own money—money that was earned all summer long helping out around the house and yard. The boys agree that working hard, earning money for it, and then using the money to buy what they wanted was intensely rewarding. They got to keep the change, naturally, which allows them to start saving for the next toy. Yep, the Czar exclaimed, they are republicans.
Божію Поспѣшествующею Милостію Мы, Дима Грозный Императоръ и Самодержецъ Всероссiйскiй, цѣсарь Московскiй. The Czar was born in the steppes of Russia in 1267, and was cheated out of total control of all Russia upon the death of Boris Mikhailovich, who replaced Alexander Yaroslav Nevsky in 1263. However, in 1283, our Czar was passed over due to a clerical error and the rule of all Russia went to his second cousin Daniil (Даниил Александрович), whom Czar still resents. As a half-hearted apology, the Czar was awarded control over Muscovy, inconveniently located 5,000 miles away just outside Chicago. He now spends his time seething about this and writing about other stuff that bothers him.