Smarts Too

Diego-san often gets credit for being the smart one. This intelligence often means he's also the one that gets yelled at most. He knows the few rules of the house- no going behind the TV, no hopping on the stove, no licking dishes in the sink, etc.- and he's the one who pushes the boundaries just as far as he can before I yell at him. He then crosses the line and does indeed get yelled at.

Thompson too has some smarts to him. He's very observant. His latest 'watch Diego, see what Diego does, see what gets Diego into trouble and then go far enough with getting in trouble himself' is at meal times. Diego gets scolded for nudging Theo aside before Theo is finished eating and then finishing Theo's meal for him. Thompson has learned to watch Theo patiently knowing Theo often leaves food in his dish when he walks away. Thompson has learned I don't feel it's fair to yell at him (or Diego) once Theo walks away since I can't monitor the food all day to ensure Theo gets his share of what is distributed. I've never seen Thompson try to nudge Theo out of the way. He's very patient and his patience has paid off with a little extra food here and there.