Shumai

We've adopted an imaginary labradoodle named Shumai. After looking at some pictures of labradoodles on Instagram over the weekend and musing about what it'd be like to actually have a labradoodle puppy in our house, Greta began talking to and interacting with a labradoodle puppy who somehow came to be named Shumai, Greta's favorite kind of dumpling. This dog does not exist, but over the past few days she's become part of Greta's life. Greta makes a blanket bed for Shumai in her room each night, but sometimes Shumai winds up sleeping next to her. When we sit on her bed, Greta admonishes us to be careful not to sit on Shumai. In the morning, she carries Shumai downstairs, and puts on her leash when it's time to go to the bus stop. She holds the leash and walks Shumai to the bus stop, stopping now and then so Shumai can pee on trees and fire hydrants.

When Greta wanted to take her sweater off yesterday morning, she asked me to hold Shumai's leash while she did so. She decided to take Shumai to school with her, and carried her onto the bus.

Yesterday, when Andrew picked her up at the bus stop, she had Shumai in her arms. She walked Shumai home from the bus stop on her leash. A neighbor pulled up in his car to talk to Andrew, and as Andrew conversed with him, he realized that Greta was running around him in circles. When he asked what she was doing, she said she'd dropped Shumai's leash and was chasing after her.

If it were possible to manifest a puppy out of sheer imagination and desire, Shumai would be sitting on my lap right now. Greta is going to will her into existence.

Greta holding Shumai at the bus stop. Shumai is extremely small.