"Success!" she yelled, standing in pouring rain next to the potty area they'd created for the puppy.
"She peed?" he asked, coming to the back door.
"Yep," she said triumphantly, bending over to pick the puppy up and get her inside with minimum mud accompaniment.
"Yay!" he shouted. Then, to the puppy, in a high voice: "Good girl!"
"Can you please just wipe her paws for me?" she asked, holding the puppy's legs up towards the towel hanging on a hook in the mud room next to the kitchen door.
"One paw!" he bellowed, taking the towel and wiping. "WAH HA HA HA HA HA!"
"Two paw!" he went on, channeling the Count from Sesame Street. "WAH HA HA HA HA HA!"
"Excellent!" she whispered, starting to giggle, rain dripping off her glasses.
"Three paw! WAH HA HA HA HA HA!" They were both laughing.
"FOUR PAW!" he cranked up the volume for his final guffaw. "WAH HA HA HA HA HA!"
"I don't think she gets it," she snorted.
"Never mind," he said, smiling, "we do."