The Furriest Chaperone Ever

All ready to go on our trip!

Hello Friend!

I had the coolest day ever last week! My mom was asked to be a chaperone for her mom’s students’ trip to Chicago. I’m not sure what a “chaperone” is, but I think it means older person who gets to help kids. I got to tag along!

We arrived at the school early in the morning. My mom’s mom has a cozy little office, a perfect spot for my morning nap before our big day. I got myself comfortable while the kids came in. I had already met the middle schoolers a week before when my mom taught them about our team. Then, my mom’s mom talked to her students for a while. At one point, the kids got really excited and clapped a lot. I figured this must be my moment, so I sprang out of the office and ran into the crowd of students. My mom was very quick to pull me back and tie me down this time. I’m not sure why she did this. I’m fairly certain that anyone cheering must be cheering for me!

We started the trip on a huge bus. This was the biggest bus I have ever seen! It was also the loudest bus I have ever been on, because it was full of my friends from the middle school! I love my middle school friends!

The kids were awesome with me. My mom had taught them that my harness means I’m working. They knew they could pet me when the harness was off. No one tried to pet me while I was working, which was very nice. I wasn’t distracted at all and could totally do my job! But within a second of taking the harness off, I was always surrounded by cuddly kids. I love my job. It really pays well in love and hugs!

We went to so many awesome places! This “Chicago” is really big. It reminded me of my training in New York City!  I was really glad to be back in the city. I think I might be a city girl.

My mom and I boarded the bus. She wanted a seat up front to give me more room. This sweet girl named Natalie let us sit by her. She was so cool! She petted me and loved on me the whole way there. We got off the bus in a huge park. My mom said it was Millennium Park. The other chaperones were taking pictures of the students. My mom is so annoying. She has to take my picture everywhere I go! Doesn’t she know I’m almost 14 in dog years? Teenagers don’t like their moms taking their pictures. I think I fit with the middle schoolers really well.

At "The Bean" in Millenium Park

After that, we went to a really old theater. It’s called the Chicago Theater, which makes total sense to me, since it was a theater in Chicago. Even I, having no sense of my ABC’s, could have named it that! The kids and chaperones were split into groups for a tour.

I HATE tours! They drive me nuts. Don’t people understand that I am the leader? I want to be first! I always go a step ahead of my mom to guide. I think I should be ahead of everyone. Make way for Renee the Seeing Eye Dog! What made this silly guy think he should be in charge? My mom said that he worked there. I guess that’s why. But I think I would have been a good tour guide as well. My mom said I had to slow down and gave me the “steady” command a lot. She apparently had never been there before, so I guess I couldn’t lead. But I think I could have taken the kids on an adventure!

Posing on stage

Do I have to pose again?

The lovely Chicago Theater

Signed poster backstage

Signed poster backstage

Despite being frustrated that no one let me lead, I helped my mom a whole lot on the tour. It was a pretty cool obstacle course. I got to go up and down all kids of stairs. They were really narrow and there were lots of overhead obstacles for me to make sure my mom didn’t bump. She’s pretty short, so she made my job easy!

After the theater, we went to a place called Navy Pier. My mom and her mom didn’t ride on the same bus to Chicago, so I hardly got to see my mom’s mom. We had lunch together, which I thought was nice. While waiting in line for lunch, we got surrounded by little children. A little guy even petted me! I could not believe my mom didn’t get upset at the boy, because she is pretty strict about not petting me when I’m working. I’m wondering if it’s because he couldn’t talk. She said he wasn’t even two years old. I thought that was a silly reason, since I am almost two and would totally talk if I was a human. My mom just knelt down next to the boy, smiled at him, and asked his grandmother and him yes or no questions. Apparently he has a dog at home, too!

After Navy Pier, we went to another theater. This one was called the Cadillac. I don’t know why, though. My mom’s Grandma Betty drives a Cadillac, but the theater looked nothing like Grandma Betty’s car. My mom seemed to be really excited for this part of the trip. She said something about loving Broadway. Who is this Broadway? Is he nice? Will he pet me?

My mom walked into the theater with her ticket. A nice lady handed her a program and asked a guy to help us to her seat. We were supposed to be in the middle of the row with middle schoolers on all sides. The kids were really nice and let my mom sit on the end to give me more room. I stretched across the row to lay on top of the kids’ feet. They seemed to like it.

Snuggled up for the show!

Ready for the show!

While we were sitting before the show, a nice man came up to visit us. He seemed to know my mom, because he gave her a hug and asked her about how she was. I hadn’t met him before, but he even asked about me! I’m just that fabulous that everyone must know how I am! After talking to my mom for a minute, he ran off. I didn’t even get to say, “Hi!” or get a pat on the head. I had my harness off, after all!

I realized that he ran off because something big was happening. My mom said that the show was starting. What’s a show? Well, this show was called Beauty and the Beast. My mom said it was one of her favorites, and I could see why! There were cool wolf noises, pretty lights, and lots of great music! I slept through most of it, though. My mom seemed really tense whenever the wolves howled. I think she thought I might join in, but I was perfectly content to take a nap. Chaperoning is exhausting!

After the show, we went to a place called Rainforest Café. It’s basically like eating outside! I liked it. There was even a thunderstorm inside! I got to sit under the table. My mom sat with some pretty cool kids. They were eighth graders, she said. I don’t know what that means, but I really liked them. There was one really funny boy sitting next to my mom. She kept picking on him. I think my mom said that she and the boy are related. I don’t know what “related” is either, but apparently being related means you can tease each other and not get into trouble.

Before we left for home, we walked around the gift shop of Rainforest. There was a lion! He was on the wall! He roared so loud that I ran between my mom’s legs. My silly mom thought I would get over it and stayed by the lion. When he roared again, I ran behind her to be safe. He was scary! My mom walked me to the bus after that. I thought that was a good idea.

My mom and I sat next to that sweet girl named Natalie again on the way home. I was so quiet the whole way that Natalie forgot I was there! My mom says that's a huge compliment. As we got off the exit to the school, Natalie exclaimed, "Oh no! I forgot to pet Renee on our ride home!" and quickly made up for it. I was not offended at all. I really enjoy napping!

We rode home and I was surrounded by middle schoolers when we returned to the school. The sat on the sidewalk in the dark, petting me all in a circle! I loved cuddling with them. Then, we even got to take the silly boy my mom was picking on and his sister home after. So I guess “related” means that you can pick on each other and ride in the same car together. I liked them. They were playing with me a lot!

I like this chaperone thing. Most of all, I like that I got to help my mom to be the best chaperone she could be. I hope I get to hang out with my friends more often!

Drooling all the way,

Renee, the Seeing Eye Dog