Gently easing in the husband

Me: "Remember when the kids wanted us to watch various class pets from school?"
Tom: "No, not really, but okay, so?"
Me: "So apparently Darcy's chemistry teacher needs someone to watch her class pet and some people volunteered Darcy."
Tom: "No."
Me: "No, what?"
Tom: "No we are not watching any pet."
Me: "I already said yes."
Tom: "Take it back. I'm not watching it."
Me: "No, I'll watch it. I'm actually excited about it. His name is Karl."
Tom: "No."
Me: "Stop saying that. It's a done deal. Karl's a Keurig."
Tom: "I don't care what he is we aren't watching it."
Me: "I know "we" aren't. I am. And maybe Madison. She has a Keurig at school so she has the training to care for Karl."
Tom: "Are you talking about a coffee maker?"
Me: "Yes. Apparently Ms. P. felt the need to have someone take home her Keurig for the summer. It's like taking home the class pet. How funny is that?"
Tom: "We have a coffee pot."
Me: "I know we do, that's not the point. We have a dog too, but that doesn't mean the school doesn't ask people to take home their hamsters, guinea pigs, and chinchillas for the summer."
Tom: "Whatever. I'm not watching it."
Me: "His name is Karl."

In our kitchen we have a counter top and cabinets that run across one wall, divided in the middle by the stove. To the right of the stove is where we have our kitchen stuff like the toaster oven, the blender, and the coffee pot. It is where I have my cutting boards and do all of my chopping and preparing of the meals. To the left of the stove is the office area where we have the phone, the charging station, a container for important papers like menus for restaurants, and pens and pencils. That area is only used for kitchen like behavior when we run out of room on the other side. This is where we put Karl.

Darcy and Madison felt some animosity coming from our own coffee pot, Mr. Coffee, at the arrival of Karl. We decided separating them was for the best while they got to know each other. While Karl's placement somewhat hampers our charging station, I felt we could put up with it for a summer. Mainly, because I rarely use that charging area anymore since I got a new one in another area. Mostly, that station is used by my husband, and so I braced myself for his irritation the day Karl arrived.

Me: "So did you see Karl?"
Tom: "Who?"
Me: "Karl. The class pet."
Tom: "No."
Me: "What? You didn't see Karl? You walked into the kitchen and did not notice anything new? Did you plug in your phone?"
Tom: "Yes, what does that have to do with anything?"
Me: "Because Karl is right there. How could you not see Karl?"
Tom: "Who is Karl again?"

I went out and bought Karl some food. He didn't come with anything but a couple of reusable filters for using our own coffee. Madison said her Keurig liked Donut House's double chocolate flavor. She is the expert, and boy, was she right. Karl LOVES this stuff. I just hope we can afford the cost of it. Karl is quite the expensive class pet.

Tom: "I don't like Keurigs. The coffee is never good."
Me: "Shhh..don't say that out loud in here. Karl's feelings will get hurt."
Tom: "You three need to get out of the house more."
Me: "We plan to do that. And we're taking Karl with us. He needs some adventure this summer."
Tom: "I give up."