Meet Grant, Ace Pet Sitter!

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I recently gave out a slew of awards to folks, who through their actions or through their blogs, have made this corner of the world a better place.  From young to old, they are all most deserving.

And I assume, upon hearing of their good fortune in being bestowed the Monica’s Tangled Web Award, they all met up afterwards and celebrated with noisemakers, balloons, sing-along’s and copious laughter, way into the wee hours of the morning.

Leading all the frivolity, no doubt, was Ace Pet Sitter and dog walker extraordinaire, Grant, my seven-year-old neighbor.

I know this because the next morning, I sat down with him for a little one-on-one interview, mostly to see if he was up for the job of personal assistant.  But, if you ask me, he seemed a little sleepy-eyed, as if he’d been partying all night long (wink, wink). So, here’s how the interview went:

MTW: So Grant, how does it feel to win the highly-coveted Monica’s Tangled Web Award?

Grant: It makes me feel happy for myself that I’ve accomplished something.

MTW: Surely, you’ve accomplished other things?

Grant:  I won a skateboarding race once. But I’m not that good. I won second place.

MTW: I see. So you’re okay with me interviewing you?

Grant: I’m just happy that you asked to interview me. It’s my first time.

MTW: What should my readers know about you?

Grant: They should probably know my personality and how much I love dogs and my friends. I’m a fun, nice, playful, hardworking kid. I do a lot of chores. I help my mom fold the clothes and put them away. I take care of my dog, Kona. She’s pretty hyper but she’s just a puppy, so I can take it.

MTW: You’re not getting any younger, you know. So what do you think you want to be when you grow up?

Grant: I don’t know, never thought about that. Something that involves a lot of animals and pets. Maybe a zookeeper.

MTW:  I can see you really like animals.

Grant:  I’d like to live with the animals but there’d be a few things I’d need. Maybe something like a fence to keep us apart for safety. I’d like to live with monkeys or apes because they’re most human-like and I would bring a bed. I’d put it near a lake so I’d have water. I may bring a shelter or material to make a shelter in case it rains or gets cold. I’d bring a hammer, drill, wooden boards, stuff like that.

MTW:  Would you take anybody with you?

Grant:   I wouldn’t take anyone with me because I’m sort of, I don’t know how to put it in words. I just sort of keep to myself. My mom and dad are the only people I do stuff with. I may bring them, but I think I can do it myself.

MTW: Sometimes I think I need a personal assistant. One of my readers (Georgette) suggested you might be my personal assistant, after all. So, I’m wondering what could you do for me besides feed and walk Henry and Oliver?

Grant: I could clean and do dishes. I could cook a few things not involving the stove, but we have a toaster oven just like the one you have. I could cook in the toaster oven. Maybe if you went out to dinner the day before and got pizza and put it in the fridge, I could re-heat it. I could also make toast and sandwiches.

MTW: Could you run errands?

Grant:  I could run errands on my bike. I have a bike lock and near the Vons (the neighborhood grocery store) there’s a bike rack. I could ride my bike and take a list, and someone would need to give me the money so I can go food shopping. I’ve gotten gifts on my own. But I don’t think my mom has ever let me go to the store alone.

MTW: Could you drive and do some traveling for me?

Grant: I could probably get a driver’s license when I’m 16. I can be available every night except Saturday when I have Aikido at 5:45. I’m old enough to travel on my own. I have my passport so I can go on my own as long as someone can pick me up when I get there. I’m not afraid.

MTW: Are you afraid of anything?

Grant:  I sometimes have a fear of ghosts, but I know they’re not real. I watch plenty of scary movies.

MTW:  Maybe you shouldn’t be watching so many scary movies.

Grant:  No, I’m fine with it. I’m not super scared.

MTW: Your birthday’s in a few months. Any ideas on how you’re going to celebrate it?

Grant: Could it cost a lot?

MTW: Suppose it did. What would you do?

Grant: I would do a family cruise or rent an RV for the summer.

MTW: And if it didn’t cost too much?

Grant:  Probably I’d go to the park and have birthday cake and play a few party games. No theme party, though.

MTW: What’s your favorite food?

Grant: Can it be a plain food like apples?

MTW: Sure.

Grant: Avocados. They’re good and they’re my favorite color.

MTW:  What do your parents mean to you?

Grant: Everything. They’re the only parents I have and probably ever will have.  They’re my true parents.

MTW: I bet they’d love to hear that. Any thoughts on how you’d make the world a better place?

Grant:  Less oil drilling, clean up more, no littering. More thinking about other people, like people who are homeless. Give to charities. Whenever we pass people holding signs that say, ‘We need food’ or ‘Hungry family,’ I always ask my mom if she has a quarter or a dollar.  I think of other people, not all the time, but I do.

MTW: You seem very compassionate.

Grant: Everybody’s got to believe in something.

MTW: Well thank you, Grant, Ace Pet Sitter, for allowing me to interview you.

Grant: Okay to say hi to Henry and Oliver now?

30 thoughts on “Meet Grant, Ace Pet Sitter!”

  1. Okay, I am LOVING this young man, Grant! “No theme party, though.” I love it! He sounds like such a sweet, compassionate soul; that he knows enough about himself to want to be by himself, yet care enough about others, that he’d want to see less oil drilling, kindness those less fortunate, makes for love at first sight! He is beyond deserving of a MTW Award! Go Grant! And he likes avocados, like me! 🙂

    • SomerEmpress, I feel very lucky to have him as a neighbor and to have his help with the dogs. He is very sweet and polite and the fact that he cares so much about the environment and people is a testament to his parents. They are just as nice. By the way, I loved when I asked him what his favorite food was and he responded, can it be something plain like apples? I replied yes, thinking he was going to say, apples. But then he did a bait and switch on me, and said avocados. I can’t explain it, but I had to laugh. What a kid!

  2. You certainly know how to pick one! ACE is right. First, Pet Sitter then on to Personal Assistant. Thank you for introducing him to us. Oliver and Henry could really benefit with Cook 1 and Cook 2, not to mention Cook 1 who could enjoy the sandwiches and pizza he would serve up.

    • Grant’s really moving up in the world at record speed. After serving as my personal assistant for a spell, the next logical step will be President of the US of A, don’t you think? Makes sense to me!

  6. What a precious kid! And how cute that his favorite food is avocado. He’s a total hit. Ask Ace Pet Sitter, if he’d mind traveling to Ecuador to do some pet sitting for me and Sara. We have a pet sitter, but not an ACE pet sitter. He could grow his business internationally! I mean, he has his passport and all.

    Hugs from Ecuador,
    Kathy

    • Kathy, I loved that he asked me if it can be something simple like apples, which I thought he was going to say is his favorite food. So when he said, avocados, I had to chuckle. Precious.

      Anyway, if he’s going to travel, one of his criteria is, as you may have noticed, he has to be met at the airport upon arrival. Make sure you’re ready to commit to that. Otherwise, no deal!

  7. Well, this is a young fella who’s gonna be all right in life. He’s a keeper of a kid ’cause I know some who aren’t, sad to say. I like that he’s compassionate and has a sense of empathy. He articulates well and smiles a lot. I can tell. 🙂

  8. I hope you’ve pointed out your interview (and Grant’s delightful answers!) to his parents, Monica. They’d be plenty happy to know they’re raising such a considerate young man — and you’d do mighty fine to hire him as your personal assistant!

    • Oh yes, Debbie, they read and loved it. I think they even found out stuff they didn’t know about him. I mean you always think you know your own kid, until you discover how they see themselves. It can be a bit of an epiphany.

  9. I love this kid! So caring and thoughtful. Its easy to see why Henry and Oliver love him so much. He’s so cute.

    • Yep, he’s friendly, respectful and courteous. Responsible, too. I wish I could take the credit, but the credit is all due to his parents. You should meet his little brother. He’s a cutie, too.

  11. What a truly charming and caring young man. Thanks for sharing his story,. I think we all would love to have him as our neighbor!

  12. Grant sounds like a delightful young man. I would definitely hire him as a personal assistant! I hope he is able to meet his dream of working with animals. One of the charter schools (high school) in our area is the Zoo school – cosponsored by the Minnesota zoo. One of my friends attends there because she really likes animals better than people.

  14. Grant does seem like an ace pet sitter and an all around great kid. I love his birthday plan ideas and his dreams for the future, not to mention his priorities. I’m inspired!

    • Talking to Grant gives you hope for the future. Not all kids are absorbed in electronics, tech world, reality TV, etc. There are those that still play outside, still ride bikes and go exploring. Grant is proof that, despite the sometimes absurd pop culture society we live in, kids can be raised to be caring, respectful adults. With Grant, and his brother, too, our future is in good hands.

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