"A Letter to My Brother"

Please see below for a letter from Hyde...the Booblah's family pet. (Thanks to Gram Cush for writing it on his behalf...it would have been very difficult for me to read otherwise!)

Dear Sha,

I am holidaying for awhile at Gram and Grandpa Cush's. I like to sit in their sunporch and let the whole neighbourhood know when someone is walking by.

I thought you should get to know me because we are both Mom and Dad's baby boys. I have never seen you, but I have heard of you...especially when I used to jump up near Ma's belly.

Everyone tells me that you'll be the boss of me and I will have to behave for you as we grow up together. I have some hints to get you through those early times. So, this is what I have to pass on to my special brother.

1) When you are cutting teeth, don't chew and eat balloons, beads and a bar of soap all in one meal. Grandpa doesn't like cleaning it up later.
2) Avoid rawhide. Rawhide toots smell bad...all day long.
3) Gram will let you eat flies. (After she squashes them.) Especially if they have been bugging us while we are napping together. She calls them "nummy nums".
4) Uncle Kabooblah will take us for long walkys and protect us from those bad cats and shadows.
5) I understand that babies like to have favourite blankies. So do I...but I'll have to tell you about Lolita later.
6) If you eat lots and sleep lots, you will grow fast. And when you hurry downstairs, your lanky legs WILL catch up to you by the time you reach the bottom step.
7) Sit still when you go for a car-car ride, so your hair doesn't get all over. It makes Gram yack.
8) Auntie Carrie will bring you treats if you let her rub your ears and scratch your belly.

As we enjoy each other, here's what I want...
- to lick your soft hand as you hold a melted ice cream cone
- to play ball with you in our fenced yard
- to run and feel the wind on our faces
- to smell and poke at frogs and flying bugs
- to make your belly laugh, as I innocently cock my head and flop one ear back

Hey, as we get older, we can sit on the front steps and you can hug my neck and tell me stories that only we can share. We'll wait for the neighbour boy to come home from school and play with us.

Loved you before I even saw you...Your pup, Hyde

PS. Why didn't they call you "Seek". We make a great team.