I am full of surprises -- 31-Aug-2010

From time to time Mom gets these wild ideas. She has had two recently. The first was that Pippi and I would have a workout on an exercise peanut/ball. She's had us up there the last two days and tells me we will have a session today. I don't know where she comes up with this stuff. The good part is that we get treats while we are up there. So it's not all bad. I am more content to sit up there on the peanut than Pippi ... that is if there is not a constant stream of treats.

The other wild idea Mom had was to have Pippi and I play on a teeter totter. Not at the same time, mind you, although someone should remind Pippi of that. Talk about your circus acts! I would be air borne the first time Pip bounced onto her end. BOL. Nothing quite that entertaining in mind here. No, just a short, low teeter totter that we could walk across. The first time Mom brought this contraption out Pippi and I were a bit afraid. And the first time one end bonked on the ground we scrambled away from it. Mom tried holding one end up, but we still weren't too sure about this. Didn't seem like one of her better ideas. So, Mom talked with a friend and got some advice on a better way to get started with this, and the first thing was to put the board flat on the ground and let us get used to walking across it that way. Piece of cake. What could be easier than walking across a short board flat on the ground and getting a treat when you get to the other end? Then Mom threw a twist in. She wanted us to stop at the end of the board with two feet off and two feet on. Whatever. These people have some weird ideas, but I can do that. In fact, I picked up on that bit faster than Pippi. It's usually the other way around. I was first to walk across the board, first to stop with my feet the way Mom wanted. I was so pleased with myself. Almost as excited as Mom was. It takes so little for her to get excited sometimes. Bless her. Well, today Mom threw in another twist and turned the board back into a teeter totter. Hmmm. Maybe we could do this. We tried it but decided it was a little slipperier than we liked. No problem. Mom took an old towel and stapled it to the board. Perfect. So after a few not so great tries and some being timid I decided to go for it. I took my time and went slowly across, let the other end drop and finished my way across, put two feet off and looked for my treat. Well if Mom was excited about us walking across a board on the floor you should have seen her when I did this. Unbelievable. And after all that excitement all I got was a Cheerio. I mean really. Where was the good stuff?!! And only one?!! Good thing I like Cheerios, and seeing Mom so excited, so I went back and forth on this teeter totter, making one end then the other drop. Cheerio after Cheerio. Oh, Pippi took some turns, too, but it took her a lot longer to get the idea of letting it drop then two feet on and two off. I'll cut her a little slack since she is heavier and the thing makes more of a bumping noise when she goes across. Mom really thought Pip would pick it up faster than me and I would be afraid of it for days, but I showed her.

All in all I think this teeter totter thing is going to be okay. I just wonder what Mom will come up with next!

Sneaky Mom -- 29-Aug-2010

Mom tricked me the other day. She was in the bathroom just standing around. A lot of time I won't go in there with her when she is lurking. It often means a bath is coming. Well, she had been loitering long enough that I decided it was safe. Then out of the blue, she reached down and got me. Oh the horror! But then I relaxed because she kissed me and put me back down. I ran out of the room as fast as I could before she changed her mind again. She stayed in there though, still loitering, so after a bit I decided to go check on her. Well, she picked me up again and I panicked. I was relieved when she kissed me and put me back down again and I quickly retreated to the bedroom. This happened a few more times with me coming back a little faster each time. This was getting to be a fun game. Get picked up, get a kiss and run away. And just when I was starting to enjoy myself, she picked me up, kissed me, held on to me and TURNED ON THE WATER! I tried to squirm, but it did no good. I didn't get the best bath in the world, but Mom says I at least got a little cleaner. Pippi must have heard all the commotion and was smart enough to steer clear of the bathroom until it was over and Mom was back in the bedroom. So not fair.

Treat Box -- 22-May-2010

Mom recently got this nice little fabric box that she has been excited about when Pippi or I would sit in it. She would give us treats just for sitting there. Parents can be so funny so we humored her and began to get used to the "treat box". After about a week of this she came home with a HUGE box and began building this big thing. When she was done she put the treat box way up near the top of the thing. I watched patiently as she did all this and I was fine with it until she picked me up and headed for the treat box. Now being in the treat box on the floor or the bed was one thing, and I could even tolerate when Mom would pick the treat box up and carry it around while I was in it. Well, I struggled and resisted a little, but Mom is a lot bigger than I am so it didn't do much good. I was in the treat box on top of this big thing she had built. I got my treats for sitting there and she let me back down. All was good. Welllll, the next day (Saturday) Mom takes the thing she built and went outside with it and rode around on it for a few minutes. Then she came back in the house. We heard her coming up the stairs, or so we thought. When the "person" got to the top of the stairs we were sure it was an alien! It had a deformed head - unusually large. Pippi and I barked and backed up so it couldn't get us. Then it spoke. It was Mom's voice. Oh the horror. Mom abducted and altered by aliens! Pippi got brave and stretched out to sniff and see if it was really Mom. I can't tell you how relieved we were that it really was Mom and not some alien. She was wearing something she called a bike helmet. Well, and relief was short lived. She picked me up and took me outside next to the thing she had built. She called that a bike. She started to put me in the treat box on the front of the bike, but I used my Chihuahua death grip to prevent that. Alas my strength failed me and I was put in the treat box after all. Maybe it was really an alien and not Mom after all. I was fastened in the treat box, Mom got on the bike and we started to move. What the heck?!! And then I felt it ... so refreshing ... kind of exciting ... the wind in my face. Oohhhhhhhh, I put my nose up a little. Just feel that breeze. So the treat box has multiple kinds of treats. Both the tasty kind and this new treat - a breeze in your face. Well, we rode around for just a short time then headed back home. Mom got me out of the treat box and took the helmet off her head, it really was her, and back in the house we went. I was jumping around and telling Pippi all about it. I hope we get to do that again soon!

Limping on Back Left Leg -- 31-July-2009

I gave Mom a scare last night. I tried to jump up on something and didn't quite make it and fell and hit the floor. I never yelped or cried out or anything but wouldn't put any weight on my back left leg. Mom petted me and carefully felt all over. I didn't seem to mind - just stood there. Wouldn't sit down or do much of anything. She finally put me on her lap and I carefully settled down and stayed very still, eventually falling asleep. Well, Mom let me sit there for a long time, but had to get up after a while. She put me down on the floor. At first I still wouldn't walk on that leg. Then after a few tender steps I started using it. The rest of the evening I went back and forth between using it and not. Same thing this morning. So Mom took me to the vet. Turns out my knee cap is slipping in and out of place. The vet said I will need surgery at some point. The good news is it doesn't have to be right away. The bad news is he said once the knee cap starts doing that it will probably start happening more often. He also said the surgery has about a 90% success rate. What they have to do is deepen the grove that the knee cap goes in ... or something like that. Mom was feeling a little sick and squeamish when the doc was talking about it and said she didn't need a whole lot of details. BOL. At this point it's anti-inflammatory/pain medication and see how I do. Mom will decide then when to do the surgery. If we can put it off a bit we will, but if I'm having a lot of trouble we'll go ahead. So far this evening, no limping, but also no trying to get up on anything at all. No tail on auto-wiggle either. :(

Ice Cream Tag -- 17-June-2009

Wilson tagged me and I have to tell what type of ice cream I am. I pick ...

bunny tracks because Mom has a picture of me where she thinks I look like a bunny. BOL

I will tag ....

Baylee
Lexy
Gibbon
Peachy Pie
Miss Jada

I'm one of the Diary of the Day picks at Diary Central -- 10-May-2009

I just found out that I am one of today's Diary of the Day picks. Woo-hoo! You can see me at http://www.dogster.com/diary/dcentral.php today. I'm so excited.

The bed is finally upstairs -- 09-May-2009

Seems like Mom has either worked late, painted or moved furniture for the last few weeks. It's been a busy time for her and boring for Pippi and I. After two years (that's before I was born!) of not having furniture in her bedroom Mom bought an armoire, a chest of drawers and FINALLY got her bed fixed where it would make it up the stairs. It's a canopy and the posts didn't come apart ... until this week. She had someone cut them and make them so they will screw back together. Boy was she nervous about that. Looks good though. Have to look close to tell where it was cut. (Whew!) Anyway, this thing sits really high off the ground now. Mom put the little doggie steps and a little table next to the bed so I can get up there. I ran right up. So much easier to get to her face and lick it when she's standing up now. Pip wouldn't come up though. So I barked and tried to tell her the way. Then I ran circles around on the bed and wagged my tail until I almost wore it out and barked and flipped around and said nah-nah to tease her .... cause she couldn't get me. Tee hee hee. She will finally come up sometimes now (after two days), but most of the time wants Mom to pick her up and put her on the bed. Not me. I have discovered I like sitting in high places.

Obsessive Kissing -- 22-March-2009

Well, lately I have been even more obsessive than usual about giving Mom kisses. She makes the most delightful noises when I sneak my tongue into her mouth while she is taking ... or waking up. BOL. Up the nose is another good spot. A tongue in her ear doesn't get quite as good a reaction, but still pretty good. Oh, and the other night I discovered a new one. Her belly button! Wish you could hear the noises she makes. I think they are just great. Does anyone else do this to their family?

Better Than Cat Nip Toys -- 03-February-2009

I have found something that is more fun and better than cat nip toys. It's a little red dot that goes all over the place! Mom called it a laser pointer. I chased it all around the room. Back and forth and round in circles, but never could catch that thing. That little red dot can move fast and disappear all of a sudden, but what a lot of fun it was. I hope it will come out and play again tomorrow. I was having som much fun when I finished playing with that dot that I chased my tail for a while. BOL

Snow! -- 2-Feb-2009

Snow! We got a little snow today, and it was still around when Mom got home. It was melting, but there was still some on the grass. So Mom bundled Pippi and I up and took us out. My first snow. Part of the grass didn't have any snow, and that's where I stayed most of the time. I was chewing on the grass. When I would walk through the snow Mom said I was walking funny. I don't even like wet grass! Pippi was really enjoying the snow. She was walking all through it and eating some. Mom tossed a snow ball over near her and she pounced on it. Then Mom was tossing more and Pippi was running and jumping up and trying to catch them in her mouth. Or she would run and eat the snow out of Mom's hand. It wasn't long before my little feet were cold and I was ready to go in. Mom carried me for a few minutes before putting me inside, but she finally did. She and Pippi stayed out and played a little more. Hopefully it won't be all ice in the morning. It was pretty wet out there and temps were dropping low enough tonight.