Now Don't Forget to Brush...!!

Last night I reminded my daughter to brush her teeth well before going to bed.  I'm sure she resents this because, after all, she is a 16 year old girl.  But she is also a girl who still has braces and forgets to brush enough.  I know this because I am her mother.  So she gripes, grouses, and generally gives me a frowny face when I point out that I had totally ragged her brother about brushing his.  She got a step, maybe two, out of my doorway when she flipped back around and casually sauntered up to the bed and petted her cat, Zaphoid Beeblebrox.  Now as we all know, Zaphy is... he's... well, there is no good way to say it, he's a bit of a petting sponge.  He's also quite vocal about having his daily brushing.

"Don't believe a word she says!!
Look at these innocent eyes!!  You are getting sleeeeeeepy.

Your eyelids are getting heavy.  You are going to the store
and buying lots of gooshy food and catnip!!"

As Jennifer is petting her cat, she cocks her face up slyly at me and says, "Mom!!  You have just not been brushing my cat as well as you should!!  I mean really, his fur feels as bad as my hair does when it's this dirty!" she thrusts out a braid for dirt-laden comparison.  "You have simply got to do a better job of brushing my cat!  And it has to be the metal side, not the boar bristle side.  You know that the boar bristle side doesn't properly reach his undercoat."  She went on in this vein for a good ten minutes, long enough for her to embroil my husband into the show.  It still didn't get her out of brushing her teeth... however, it did manage to win Zaphy two more brushings and an extra set of bedtime treats.  hmmmmmmmmmmmmm

"hmmmmmmmm indeed.  Dale's Chicken is verrrrrrrry goooood.  You don't ever really give us any.  When you go to the store, you should also buy lots and lots of chicken.  Now where's the dad-person?"

"Me-om?  You should also get this apron for dad."