“When is Norman coming over?” Ben asks.
Norman?
“Soon.” Hannah says.
Norman is a family friend. He was my best friend until Peach came home. Norman is much bigger than Peach or me—I think seven pugs put together equal one Norman. His head is almost the size of me, and it is just as wrinkly as a pug head. We have lots of fun playing together, even if he is seven times my size. Norman comes to visit us with his family, and sometimes we go to his house. But I haven’t seen Norman in a while—Peach hasn’t met him yet!
I don’t know what to do with myself while I wait. I walk around bringing toys to everyone in the house, but everyone is busy. I find a bone and start chewing. Chewing always makes the time go by fast.
A door slams outside; I jump on the couch to look out the window.
Norman is here!
I run to the front door and wait. Peach senses my excitement. She barks a few times before joining me at the door. She starts barking as Norman’s scent approaches. We can’t see a thing through the door. Finally, Hannah opens the door, and Norman runs inside. He slides into the wall, but he keeps running. He checks out every room in the house, upstairs and down, before he greets me in the living room.
Peach approaches Norman cautiously. Norman lets her sniff him, and after a quick meet and greet, it’s off to the races. Peach grabs a toy, and Norman chases after her. I wait for them to return to the room before I jump into the fun.
I realize a few hours later that Norman’s family left him at our house. They didn’t stay like usual. When the darkness comes, I expect for his family to take him home, but they never arrive. Instead, Norman, Peach, and I head upstairs for bed.
“Where is Norman sleeping?” Ben asks.
“We haven’t worked that out, but we are guessing on the floor in our bedroom,” Nate says.
“Can he sleep in my room?” Ben replies.
“Sure, but you need to keep your door closed. We don’t want him roaming around the house at night,” Nate says.
“Okay!”
I am happy Norman is spending more time with us and even happier that he won’t be sleeping in an already crowded bed with Peach, Lucy, and me.
When I wake up, only a faint stream of light is peeking through the window. Peach and I walk to the back door to go outside. Norman must be sleeping still. The sky is gray, the air is cool, and water is falling from the sky. Peach and I hurry so we can get into the dry, warm house.
Norman bounds into the living room a few minutes later. He grabs the nearest toy and starts a round of chase with Peach. I watch from the couch; I could use a few more hours of sleep.
The day is filled with many more games of chase in the house. Peach and I team up in tug of war against Norman, but he wins every time with his huge mouth. By the time the darkness comes, Peach and I are exhausted. Norman, on the other hand, could play for another five hours straight. He is an energetic dog. I don’t know how he does it all day.
After a full day with Norman, I also notice the consequences of his huge mouth. He drools and slobbers on everything. All of our toys now are slimy and slippery. He also loves chewing and destroying our toys. I don’t think he means to do it, but our toys are designed for pug-sized mouths, not Norman’s gigantic face. It makes me realize how glad I am to have Peach as a sister since we are similar kinds of dogs. Even if she doesn’t have the curly tail or as many wrinkles, her face is still half-smashed, and she’s the same size as a pug.
The next day I wake up to bright light. I run downstairs, and Hannah lets me out into a bright, sunshine-filled day. It’s a little cold outside, but warm enough for all three of us to play outside.
We spend the morning inside, mostly napping and chewing. We wore Norman out more than I thought. Maybe he isn’t used to chasing one dog around, let alone two!
After a morning of naps, I wait by the door. Peach follows my lead.
“Can I let the dogs out?” Ben asks.
“Just Zelda and Peach,” Hannah says.
“Why not Norman?” Ben responds.
“All three of them will play in the backyard together.”
“So? I don’t understand the problem, Mom.”
“I don’t want them to come inside a muddy mess. It rained all day yesterday.”
“Oh. Let me go check the yard. It may have dried enough with the sun. If it’s dry, can I let Norman out with us?”
“Okay. Just make sure there’s no mud,” Hannah says.
A few minutes later, Ben lets us outside. I wander to the back fence and accidentally sink into a puddle. I turn around to investigate a drier area. Ben walks out the door, says a few words to Hannah, and then yells for Norman. Norman comes running outside and straight for me at a full sprint. I run the other direction, and the game begins. Peach joins us in the second lap. I am the slowest of the three but the only dog who can maneuver sharp turns without tumbling. Norman is super fast with his long legs, but he doesn’t have good control of his body. Peach is almost as quick as Norman, but she can’t corner as well as I can.
Somehow I end up in the lead of the chase. I lead them toward the back, then turn sharply before the squishy puddle area. I run the other direction. I hear Peach following behind me and turn my head in time to see Norman. He tries to make the quick turn but loses his footing. His paws slide out from underneath him, and he lands on his back. He slides for a few seconds before he regains his footing, gets up, and runs toward us. He is covered in dirt and mud and water. I stop and stare. Ben starts laughing. Norman slows down and approaches us, panting with his tongue hanging out.
“Ben!” Hannah is standing outside now. “I thought the yard wasn’t muddy!” she yells.
“I’m sorry, Mom. I didn’t think that would happen. Can you get me a towel? Maybe two or three?” Ben says. After Ben cleans Norman, we spend the rest of the day inside. Norman is pretty tired; I think he got a little banged up from his tumble. When the dark comes, Norman’s family arrives. Peach and I say good-bye to him. Even with the mud and slobber, it was a fantastic weekend.