Treats

After an exciting trip to the park with Shea, I was going shopping. In my mind, I decided that I would get Shea in his crate and give him a delicious peanut butter ball treat that my students made for him on his birthday. These specific treats were stored on a flimsy aluminum plate in the refrigerator. All of the other treats are in the freezer.

To my surprise, the plate of peanut butter ball was gone! Hmmmmm. Weird, very weird. I came to the conclusion that my uncle had thrown them out. He had a friend over last night and it was obvious he had done some prepping for that. He had done little things like putting the dog gates away, making his bed, and putting the dishes away. He must have figured if she looked in the fridge, that tacky aluminum plate would stick out like a sore thumb.

Without thinking another moment about it, I grabbed a treat from the freezer and gave it to Shea. When I got home, my uncle was playing with Shea. He informed me that the peanut butter things I had made were absolutely delicious and that he had finished the rest of them. Ohhhhhh no! My uncle ate dog food! And, he liked it! I stuttered, trying to figure out how to explain to him what he had done. My uncle is a pretty calm guy, but I didn't think he would be too happy hearing that those "peanut butter things" weren't people food!

"Oh, yeah?" I responded. "Those were pretty good, weren't they?" It just came out. I thought about the ingredients (peanut butter, honey, and Chex Mix), and decided that no harm was done. He didn't need to know that those delicious treats were for Shea. In fact, they very easily could be a human treat. Apparently they taste as good to people as they do to dogs. I know Shea has enjoyed them.

Then, I thought about it more deeply. Not only were those treats meant for Shea, but my students made them. I flashed back to Wednesday, in the classroom, as I was washing some equipment in the sink. "Shouldn't we wash our hands?" one student asked. She got an answer from a classmate that went something like this, "Nah, we don't need to wash our hands. It's for a dog." I remember laughing to myself and being okay with that answer. He justified his point further when he added, "dogs eat dirt all the time." The kid was right. I couldn't argue, so I didn't.

As a teacher, I dearly love my students. They are great kids and I would do anything for them. However, a major rule I have is to never eat anything one of them hands to me. I politely say thank you, put it aside, and throw it away when they have left the room. Kids aren't the most sanitary people out there! They sneeze all over themselves, they pass their belongings to anyone and everyone, and they stick their little fingers in their nose, mouths, and ears nonstop. This doesn't mean they are not smart and kind, it just means they are kids. So, these kids, with their unwashed, grimy little paws, hand-rolled those peanut butter balls. Yes, the peanut butter balls my uncle found so incredibly delicious.

Jeff used to taste test Shea's treats. While the peanut balls may have been hard for him to turn down, I think Jeff would have even shied away once he found out the kids made them. Oh well, what my uncle doesn't know won't kill him. Hopefully!