Does anyone else have a neurotic dog?

I have a dog who doesn't know she's a dog. Her name is Cava. That's right, Cava. For those of you who think that I just made up my dog's name, for the record, Cava is Spanish champagne. When I brought my puppy home she was a champagne color and the name Cava seemed to fit.

She's 6 years old now and has proven herself to be the worst watch dog ever but best companion. She lets the kids literally climb all over her. I was making dessert tonight and turned around to find Baby C climbing all over the dog. And there was Cava, looking at me, not moving a muscle while the baby tugged on her ears and smacked her snout. Cava kind of gave me a funny look. I swear if she could talk she would say "really, lady, I can't even lay here on the tile floor and cool my big tummy without getting beat up by the kid".

Cava is what I like to call "the clean up crew". When Baby C realizes that (a) the dog is in the kitchen and (b) he's sick of breakfast, lunch, dinner, he drops food down to the dog. He's gotten pretty good at silently sneaking food to the dog, too. The other day Baby C had his snack cup (filled with goldfish ... or has my husband likes to call it "baby crack") and he was snacking before dinner. (Now before you start getting all huffy about how the goldfish will ruin his appetite I 'd like to defend myself by saying that some days you do what you have to just get dinner on the table... enough said.) Anyway, back to the goldfish, the dog and Baby C. I was busy getting the last finishing touches on dinner when I looked down to find the baby hand feeding the dog gold fish. Of course, the dog was having a good 'ol time and Baby C thought it was hilarious that the dog was licking his fingers clean. The baby looked at me, took out another gold fish and put his hand out for me to take one.

Of course, my cold heart melted when I saw the big smile my boy had on his face. I just could get mad at either of them for their gold fish adventures.