The Peas

These two are always cuddled up together. Instead of calling them my "kids" I've resorted to calling them my "peas"

They often sleep in the strangest of positions

But they are always together, always touching.

I think it's just the sweetest thing in the whole world. It makes even my frost-bitten heart melt.

Now what did I do with the other one? I swear there were three here at one point. . .

Poor Pocket

It's been a long time since I've posted. Partly due to the fact that nothing super interesting has been going on with us lately and partly due to the fact the my computer had been at a stand up desk for awhile and standing and typing a post after a long day of work was just too much sometimes.

Since the last time I posted, the dogs and I have been sitting around doing a whole lot of nothing. And I think that we are all the better for it. Last summer was crazy busy with classes and with sniper being around and I think that we all deserved a break. The kids really seemed to enjoy the quiet walks around the neighborhood and the "sleeping in" on our days off. I really enjoyed saving some money on gas and having afternoons/evenings free.

Things have been really crazy this past month and our lives have turned upside-down again. . .but now that it's over and we are getting settled again, I think that things will be even better than before. But getting back to "settled" can be a bit of a challenge and my dogs don't like change to begin with, so I think that we are going to have a few challenges in the next month or so.

The first challenge is getting our place set up in a way that is comfortable for the kids. We've already had one accident with poor pocket misjudging the spacing between two objects and falling in between while trying to jump the distance. Pocket came running holding up her back right leg and screaming like crazy. Luckily she didn't bite me while I tried to examine her! She had full range of motion in that leg and no obvious sore spots and no bones protruding. I figured it was just a sprain and gave her some pain meds and put her to bed. She woke up seeming normal today. She is using her leg most of the time, but still picks it up if she wants to run around. I'll give her some meds the next few days and she should be completely healed soon. Poor Pocket!

Poor Abby

Something happened to Abby's ear. She came up to me at work today asking for some attention. I mindlessly petted her head and tugged on her ears. Her ears are a bit dry and scabby due to old/healed fly strikes, but today, I felt a giant scab. When I looked, I found this



I was horrified and appalled that something like this would be on my dog and I wouldn't notice it. I immediately started picking at the scab and trying to figure out what happened to her. After scrubbing and examining it I came to the conclusion that something (or some one) bit her. There is a very tiny hole on the underside of the ear that looks like it might be from a tooth. . .a TINY tooth. . . there is only one creature in the house that has teeth that tiny.



I'm lucky that Abby is so easy going and oblivious because if she wasn't I would have some major small dog fights on my hands. Pocket HATES Abby. Everything that Abby does annoys Pocket. And if I'm not watching, Pocket will growl, snarl, snap, and apparently bite Abby. In some ways I don't blame Pocket, Abby is almost 3 times her size, and Abby is goofy and bouncy and doesn't understand boundaries. It would be like us living in a house with a 15 foot tall toddler - not fun! But Pocket is still not allowed to behave like that! Biting your sister is just not allowed in this house! I guess I'm going to have to be more vigilant about watching their interactions. . .

Poor Abby. . .

Family Photo - Lets Try This One More Time

My photo goal this year was to get a family photo with all the kids behaving themselves and looking at the camera. . .but sometimes I feel like I'm playing referee trying to keep the peace between the girls.



Pocket! Keep your tongue in your mouth!



Abby! Don't instigate! You girls better behave or I am going to separate you!



ABBY!!!! Leave. Your. Sister. Alone!



Thank you!

And poor Mole, such a good boy, gets so frazzled between my yelling at the girls and so desperately wanting the treat in my hand.



Sometimes I wonder if we are ever going to get a good photo. . .



Well, at least everyone is looking. . . even if no one is smiling. . .

And Here We Are Again

It's the end of one year and the beginning of another. This time of year always brings a lot of hope and a little bit of sadness. I read a great quote about New Years by Bill Vaughan: An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves. I feel like a little bit of both this year. 2010 was filled with a lot of downs, and only a few ups, but those ups were pretty amazing. I'm a little worried about what 2011 will bring, but I am still hopeful that it will be better than 2010.

People all over the place are writing down their new years resolutions. Some include exercise, eating better, spending less $$; but among my circle of friends the resolutions come more in the form of training goals. Goals that they will try and achieve with their dogs - these are also known as titles. Earlier in the year, I blogged about titles and that we (meaning Abby and I) don't need titles to show the depth of our training or our relationship, but this year might bring one. And I will be proud of the both of us if we get one.

But my actual goals for 2011 don't include titles. There is no training plan laid out. I'm not even sure what phase of training we are in on our old plan - phase 5 maybe??? My only real plan for 2011 is to hang out with my dogs more. I know that seems silly as all I seem to do is hang out with my dogs; but most of our time spent together in 2010 was spent driving to classes, or trials, or fun matches, or to hiking/training spots. I don't want to drive so much with my kids this year. I want to enjoy our time together doing the little things that they love to do - walk around the block, have breakfast at a cafe, go to the beach, sit in the reading chair, etc. As my kids continue to get older, I want to ensure that they are having the best time possible. And if that means fewer classes and more vacations, then so be it. Or maybe, more sick calls into work and more day trips! Regardless of how it eventually works out, I want us to be having a great time for as much as we can of 2011. And my goal for myself is to take as many photos as possible. Ideally, we would have one awesome family photo, but even if we only end up with a few out takes, that would be ok too.

For now, we say good bye to 2010 and all the tears (both of joy and sorrow) that it brought. But I think that Brooks Atkinson said it best, Drop the last year into the silent limbo of the past. Let it go, for it was imperfect, and thank God that it can go.

Christmas Present: Family Foto Outtakes

ummm. . .this isn't going to be easy:


Well, at least we got everyone's head in:


Looks like Mole and Abby are trying to tell me something:


Let's try a different set up:


Pocket obviously hates this pose:



well, we still have a few weeks left before Christmas. We have plenty of time for more family photo fun.

Christmas Past

Pocket decided to help light the tree up with her alien eyes.

What I am most Thankful for

My Experiment



My snuggler



The love of my life




Each of my kids teaches me something new about life everyday. I couldn't imagine my life without any of them.

Bath Time

I've been doing a lot of cleaning around here lately - even the dogs didn't escape!

Poor mole is such a great dog. He doesn't complain about the bath, but you can tell he hates it. Now that he is getting older - and brushing is becoming uncomfortable, we will probably rely more on baths to remove the hair.


Abby is very good about baths too. I think part of it is because she got them weekly when I first got her. She had this disgusting habit of licking herself all night - and she would need to be bathed to prevent bacterial infections. She doesn't do it so much anymore, so her baths are less frequent. The latelst bath news is that Abby has settled down enough to take baths by herself! She no longer needs to take showers with mommy!


One little lady escaped the whole bath scene. Can you guess who?


It's ok, though. For some reason, she doesn't get as stinky as the rest of the crew.

Family Photo

We just got back from a great vacation. We slept and walked, and slept and walked. It was the perfect vacation for a bunch of old geezers like us. As the kids are getting older, I'm trying to get a good family photo. It's much more difficult that one would think, but when you add a bunch of half-trained, treat-crazed, little dogs, and a kinda crappy camera, you get some very interesting shots.

Here are some of the out-takes:

yummy dead things on beach


welcome to the twilight zone

seriously?

Since that wasn't working, I thought that I'd do individual shots instead:

I hate that flash!!!!

alien dog!!!!

wait, that's not mole. . .


Well, this is the best I was able to manage this weekend:



It's not a great photo, but they are all looking at me and, if you really knew these guys, you can see each of their personalities in this photo.

Wordless Wednesday: Cemetery Walk

Mothers Day

I know that some people make fun of people like me - people who think of their dogs as their children. They think that having dogs can't possibly be as difficult as raising children. I beg to differ. Try having something with the brain of a two year old child living with you for 15 years. Imagine having to ask you teenager if he went potty and then walking him back into the bathroom to "make sure". Imagine having to make breakfast and dinner for your children for their entire lives. Imagine being completely responsible for every facet of your child's life - food, exercise, mental stimulation, socialization, etc for their entire life. Now, I am not saying that being a parent isn't tough, I am simply saying that being a good dog parent is also difficult. A friend once told me that I am the first "soccer mom" that she knows. . .and I often feel like that. . .but I enjoy (almost) every minute.

Here are new pictures of my kids:

My smiling old man


Abby still carrying her winter weight


Unfortunately I didn't get any new pictures of Pocket because this



Kept doing this



That was pre-surgery when he was still allowed to run and play. . .post surgery he is doing well - better than I expected. . .but spending most of his time "resting". We can't afford for him to rupture any sutures, so until we get the A-OK from the Doc, he is being crate rested with limited exercise.

Wordless Wednesday

Its Too Nice Outside

The time changed and it brought not only more light, but better weather. The kids and I have been enjoying some extra walks in the evenings - perfect to help take off all that weight we put on each winter! We still are doing training most evenings, though. Abby is practicing both her wobble board training and her rally stuff. I really wish that we had more space to practice in. . .

Here are some videos of Abby doing her Rally stuff. . . notice the chihuahua screaming in the background. I swear the neighbors think I beat my dogs! Sorry the videos aren't perfect. . .I'm still new at this. . .and I don't have a video editor!

I Have Great Dogs

. . . even if I don't always think so . . .

Things have been super crazy/busy/stressful for the past few weeks at work and I really needed a vacation. I needed to get away somewhere quiet with the dogs and completely decompress. After thinking it over and checking dogfriendly.com I found a nice little inn on a beach in northern, northern CA called Cleone Gardens Inn. It is the perfect get-away and they really are very dog friendly. Not just semi-dog-friendly... the real dog-friendly where they let the dogs up on the bed and the couch and give you bowls and towels and cookies for your dogs. The dog-friendly where they greet your dog before they greet you . . . the kind of place that makes me feel at home because that is how my own home truly is.

The dogs were perfect and had a great time. We spent a lot of time watching bad tv, reading books, and walking the beach. Pocket loves the beach. I think that it is her favorite place to be. All she wants to do is run, run, run. Mole likes the smells. Abby is no longer afraid of the beach.. and I think that is the most I can hope for on her second trip there! While there I tried to get some good photos of the kids, but I couldn't seem to get one where their tails weren't wagging constantly.






Don't expect any photos of Abby's tail wagging...she didn't wag it once on any of our walks while we were AT the beach... but it wasn't tucked up either, so I think that we are making progress...

Since I had all the time in the world (and a few cookies) I thought that I would try for a family photo. Here are the out takes:


two


plus two


equals three


wait, lets try that again


One more time

One


plus two


equals. . . one dog and two aliens.... (they're back!)



ok, ok. . .we did get ONE good photo


All in all, I had a great weekend. And it was nice having Abby along for a vacation. She hasn't gotten to come before because she really isn't trustworthy... but I had the time to take things slow with her and I really want her to start being able to come on the few vacations we actually get to take. She seemed to enjoy herself at some points, and she wasn't stressed out during the rest of it, so I think that she will be coming from now on. I really do have great dogs, and it is times like these where their wonderful personalities and great behavior, and stability really show. I did have a nice, relaxing time, but more than that, I was proud of my kids... and having the chance to get away with them means more to me than anything