I am starting to understand parenting...


...a very low-grade version of "understanding", but still. We let Chloe outside today. Our apartment has a semi-enclosed patio--it's open to the outdoors but has these high (3.5-4 feet high) walls. I don't think the cat can scale them quite yet. She may be able to, but probably wouldn't try. Anyway, we let her out a couple of days ago, and she poked her nose around, but seemed equal parts "scared" and "curious". Well, today it was a nice day again, so we let her outside.

This time, she was quite enthusiastic. She did scare herself when she thought her reflection was another cat invading her house. She wanted to stay out, but I wanted to take a nap and wasn't going to let her stay out there unsupervised. (I think that given enough time, she would get up on the wall, and then be free to wander anywhere she chose. And the front entrance of the apt. complex is right outside our window, complete with crazy speed-demons and harried UPS drivers.) So I made her come inside.

She's been pouting all afternoon. Ah, the perils of parenthood. I was good, though--I didn't succumb to the emotional manipulation! I AM YOUR FATHER, NOT YOUR FRIEND. Deal with it, kiddo.