Today is Danika's 10th birthday! She has been with me for just over 8 years now, how time flies. We attempted to celebrate last night with a trip to Petco and the Meadows, but at both places we had some challenges thanks to people with little kids and no brains.

Parenting fail #1: At Petco the little kid had a little dog who was barking at Dani and then skittering backwards. The little kid thought this was funny, so he kept getting closer so the dog would bark and scramble. In the mean time I am trying to hold our several purchases while grabbing in shorter on her leash and getting her to stand in front of me so the little dog didn't become a snack.

Parenting fail #2: At the Meadows the seats by the building were taken up. So I was going to head across the parking lot to the picnic tables. There are 4 of them and only one group was there (a mom, what I'd guess is the grandmother, and two little kids) at the left front table. I have two ice creams in my hand and a dog that is excited about this prospect and I'm half way across the parking lot headed straight for the right front table when the two little kids move over to the right of that table. I stopped dead in my tracks and the mom and grandmother do/say nothing. Great, thanks. So we stood in the parking lot by the car eating our ice cream. Seriously you need all 4 tables for the kids to play? You saw me, I know you did, did you not realized I stopped abruptly when your kids moved into my planned destination?

In both cases, no my dog isn't mean, but I also don't want to scare your kid. It would have been fine if my hands weren't full as I could have maintained 100% control of a shortened leash. I shouldn't have to be the jerk saying "excuse me" and requesting you tame your children. Be considerate.