Our Friendly Neighborhood Spiderkid

There are several kids living in and around our neighborhood who like to vist with our dogs when we're out walking them. 

BigGaloot, of course, loves the attention and lets them hug all over him. 

(One little girl started calling him "Galoot the pillow." We don't really know why.) 

PerfectPup is not so thrilled with it, and tends to turn her back to the crowd and just sit down and wait for it all to be over with. 

There's this one little guy, in particular, who just cracks me up. We met him and his sister when he was five and she was seven, I believe. I think he must be about eight now. 

Shrike got to know him when she would walk PerfectPup while he was waiting for the bus for afternoon kindergarten. 

(PP was more about the petting from strangers back then.) 

One day he told her, "Don't tell anybody, but I'm really Spiderman."

Every now and then he and his sister show up at our door, wanting to play with the dogs. Sometimes we hide and pretend we're not home, because we are bad people. 

One time, before we got Galoot, Spiderman stopped by when Shrike and PerfectPup  were out walking, and asked if she (PP, not Shrike)  could come out to play. 

I told him, "I'm sorry, she's gone for a walk right now, and when they get home, we have to go somewhere, so today's not a good time." 

"Okay," he said, "Well, tell her I stopped by."

The other day, Shrike told them that we're having a baby. Evidently he was a little confused about that. 

Yesterday, a whole roving pack of children were coming down the street as we were pulling into the neighborhood, Spiderman hung back and came over to the car to talk to us. 

He asked, "How are the dogs? Are they having babies yet?"

 

Shrike said, "Oh no, they're not having puppies, she's having a baby," pointing to me.

Later, as he was leaving, Shrike said, "Sorry to disappoint you."
 

"That's okay," he said with a shrug. "I've had worse."