Sunny mornings

There's nothing like waking up and wandering out in the living room for a little kibble and a stretch in the sunshine. Mami took this picture of me this morning with Papi's camera phone. I was looking out the window at the traffic going by, and the people in the park across the street. Lulu likes sitting on a cushion and watching the world on a sunny day, because it makes her black fur all warm.
Hopefully, the sun will stay and Papi will take me for a walk. I'd like to do a little rolling in the grass and flexing my toes before the rain comes again. Cause it always does.

Pulgas

So, rumor has it that I have fleas. Well, actually, Papi found one flea on me, which he squished, and I figure it hopped on board at the park. But Papi is super allergic to fleas so he's not taking any chances. I have to have medicine on my back now, which is supposed to get rid of any fleas that might be lurking. I don't feel very itchy or anything, but Papi said you can' t be too careful. I think bugs are gross. Lulu says she better not get fleas from me, because she'll be very mad. But then again, Lulu's grumpy all the time, so it won' t make much of a difference.

A Crime of Passion

Mami always says when I'm quiet, she knows something is wrong.
But if it hadn't been for that blasted cat, I would have gotten away with my crime.
This morning, while Mami was getting dressed for work, I decided that I simply couldn't take it any more. A big plate of molasses cookies had been sitting on the coffee table ALL NIGHT LONG and I hadn't done a thing about it, but the smell was just getting to be too much for me. All those spices, they were calling my name, "Emmmmaaaaa."
So, I took a look around. There was no one else in the room. That's when I made my move. I hopped up towards the top of the table. Once, then twice, then three times. I think that was the moment Lulu walked in the room and caught me. Anyway, she was standing there, staring at me, and that's what Mami noticed first. The second thing she noticed was the crash I made when I hit the floor with the cookie in my mouth. The cookie was pretty heavy, and was about as big as my head, so it wasn't easy to haul off the plate.
But before I could barely even gum it, Mami was there in a flash, and scooped the cookie out of my mouth and gave me a pretty loud scolding that even woke Papi up. She threw the cookie out and put the dish in the kitchen.
I was pretty sad, but I blame Lulu for giving it away. She's no good as backup.

It's Good to be Queen

Lulu here again. I too, had a fabulous weekend. With everyone out of the house, I spent two days stretched out across the bed, sleeping, with an occasional break to eat kibble. There was no one to chase me, no one to bite my tail, no one to growl when I walked into the room. It was heavenly.
Of course, there wasn't any petting, because everyone was gone, and no warm laps, and no one to sleep next to. And it was awfully quiet. And there were no treats.
Last night, since everybody was home, I decided that it was kinda fun to run around and chase Emma a little bit. I guess that got her kind of wild, because about an hour after we stopped, I popped my head over the sofa to look at her, and she screamed. It scared everybody, even Mami, who was down having a bath but heard her scream. I don't know what goes through that dog's head sometimes.

Tired

I had a pretty wild weekend with Grandma. There was a lot of running around and barking to do. I'm not used to a fenced yard, so when Grandma lets me loose, I kind of go crazy! By the time Mami and Papi picked me up on Sunday, I was exhausted. I slept all the way home, and then took another nap! After I woke up, I chased Lulu around for awhile, because I missed her a lot. She says she didn't miss me, but I'm not so sure.

Excitement

I can't wait for tomorrow! Mami and Papi have plans in the Big City, so I get to go stay at Grandma's house again! That means treats and toys and sleeping in Grandma's bed. She has a big back yard to run around in, and then I get to sit on her lap and watch the neighborhood dogs and cats go by. It is SO much fun.
Today it's rainy and nasty out. I doubt I'll get to go for a walk. I have a blue raincoat, but I don't like to wear it because the plastic crackles. It was super sunny this morning and I sat in a patch of sunshine on the floor for awhile, but then the clouds came in real fast and now it's stormy. That's life in the Northwest I guess.

Sleeping In

Sleeping in isn't something I do very often. In fact, about 7 a.m. each morning, I get up, stretch out my toes, and go see what kind of trouble I can find.
Mami doesn't usually get up until 9 for work, which means I have a lot of time to find trouble before she wakes up. If I hear her wake up, or turn over in bed, I alert her to my presence by bouncing up and down on my hind feet as much as possible, right next to the bed. It's good exercise and it allows me to catch glimpses of her at the top of every bounce.
Usually, she growls and goes back to sleep, but sometimes, if I'm lucky, she'll pick me up and put me under the covers, and then I get to run down to her feet and curl up for a while. It's toasty under there.
If not, I go into the living room and start rooting around in the waste can. Usually I can find a tasty receipt or an old Kleenex, and then I set to work tearing it into tiny, tiny pieces. By the time Mami gets up, I've got the whole thing finished, and she has to sweep it up.
By the way, this is an old picture of me, back when I was just one pound. I'm six pounds now, and I fill up much more of my bed.

More about snacks

I've finally grown in my grown up dog teeth, after having been a little bit toothless for a few weeks. It made eating kibble kinda difficult, so Mami soaked it in water. Then it was easy, but took away some of the flavor. I like it when things are crunchy, like the snack bone I get every morning at breakfast. First Mami gives Lulu some crunchy cat treats, and then I have to sit and wait to get my snack bone. Lulu is older so she gets things first. It's hard to wait.
The other night, I got to sit on Mami's lap and eat some pretzels. It was pretty nice. Normally I don't get many people snacks. Lulu really likes mashed potatoes, so she always gets a spoonful of those. I've never had mashed potatoes, but I know I would love them.

In trouble

Last night, while Mami and Papi were at the gym, one of Papi's paper puppets from India fell off the ledge and onto the floor.
At first, I just sniffed it a little bit, to see what it was. Then, because it smelled nice, I decided just to take a little nibble, just to see what it tasted like. It was actually pretty tasty, and I got excited, and pretty soon, it didn't look like a puppet anymore. It looked like a pile of tiny green paper pieces.
When Mami and Papi got home, I didn't say anything about it. The hall light was off so I figured I'd be safe, but then Mami spotted something, and the gig was up. She swept up all the pieces and chased me down the hall with the broom when I tried to get one last little bite.
Sigh. Temptation is just too much for a very small choodle.

San Patricio

Since today is St. Patrick's Day, I thought I might take a moment to think about the history between the Irish and Mexicans. Many people don't know there even is a connection, but it's true. I started thinking about it last night.
When the Irish first started immigrating to America, they were treated very, very badly. The people living in the U.S. didn't like the Irish, and called them all sorts of names. They thought they were dirty and ignorant, and they didn't like that the Irish were Catholics. The Irish took all the jobs that no one else would work, and often lived in very poor conditions.
When a war broke out in the 1840s between America and Mexico, some Irishmen decided they were sympathetic to the Mexican cause, not only because the Mexicans were Catholics, but because the treatment Mexicans received at American hands mirrored the Irish experience.
Those Irish who deserted for the Mexican side formed a group call the San Patricio Batallion, named by the Irish leader of the group, John Riley. They fought successfully during the war, and eventually enough deserters came to the Mexican side that two battalions were formed.
Eventually, a number of the men were captured by the American side and put to death. Some of the men who escaped hanging were returned to Mexico, where they remained, settled and married.
Today, Irish immigrants and Mexican immigrants share something else in common. Many of them have started protesting a bill before Congress that would make it a criminal offense to help an illegal immigrant in need, even churches and aid organizations, as well as making being an illegal immigrant a federal crime, equal with rape and murder. Because many Irish immigrants are also in this country without documentation, the law will effect them as well as the many farmworkers who would be punished under the new legislation.
So you can see the Irish and the Mexicans, with their shared history, still have a lot of common links. Something to think about on St. Patrick's Day.

Snacks

Snacks are something I think a lot about. Maybe its because I don't get a lot of snacks. Mami says I'm supposed to stay healthy and not eat a lot of bad people food. But I don't like kibble very much. It's boring. It tastes like rice and flour and it doesn't smell very nice.
Mami and Papi buy it at the fancy independently owned pet store, and its full of organic ingredients that are supposed to make choodles grow big and strong. But I don't see what's wrong with eating what they eat. I like pasta and chicken and cheese, oh I really like cheese. I think they could save money if they just gave me a little bowl of whatever they were having.
But I guess it doesn't work that way. Sometimes I get half a grape, or a piece of carrot, or if I'm lucky they accidentally drop a piece of chip on the floor and I swoop it up. But what I really want for dinner are chicken enchiladas. Mmmm. A big bowl of them, with red chile sauce. Why can't they understand?

On smallness

I am a very small dog. Some people call me 'wee.' Some people aren't even sure I am a dog. I have been accused of being various things, including a mouse, and someone called me a rat in Spanish once (they didn't know my Papi taught me some Spanish and I knew what they were saying).
It used to make me sad when people on the street would go 'Hey killer, hey tiger,' when they saw me, because I knew they were making fun of how small I am. They think that I am not a fierce dog.
Well, it's true, I'm not fierce. I love everyone and I wouldn't want to bark and bite. That's not what makes a dog! Dogs are loving and loyal and funny and furry and they come in all different shapes and sizes. It doesn't matter that fire hydrants tower over me, or that I tremble when a big schnauzer walks by. It doesn't matter that my growl is very small, and so are my teeth.
My chihuahua ancestors were sacred to the Aztecs, and before that, they might have come over the land bridge from Asia. They are depicted in artwork, and their little tiny bones were found alongside those of great people.
My poodle ancestors were very big dogs that were bred for hunting and as companions. They were great swimmers and were very, very smart. That's why so many "hybrid" dogs are mixed with poodles, because of their intelligence. Don't let the poofy haircuts fool you.
So anyway, I'm just saying to all those people out there who make fun of small dogs, please don't. We may be tiny, but we have very big hearts.

Hurrah!

Last night, my Papi came home from a conference in Texas. He was gone four days (one for each paw), and I really missed him. He stays up later than Mami, so if I need a late night snuggle all I have to do is stand up and put my feet on his knees and he gives me a hug. When he's not home, it gets very quiet around the house. And Mami only has one lap, so Lulu and I have to fight for position.
I was asleep on Mami last night when he came home. We had been watching "Little Women," and I fell asleep. All that snow and the soft music made me very tired. But then I heard big footsteps on the stairs and there he was! It was very exciting. Now we have two laps again!

Visit from Auntie

Well this was a very exciting weekend, because we had a visit from my Auntie Chelsea. Nothing is more exciting than my Auntie, because she gives me exclusive, 100 percent attention and snuggles. She has a dog herself, a real big wiggly one, but he usually stays home when she visits because he has a tendency to think I'm a snack.
I wore my very pretty new party dress when Auntie came, because I wanted to look fancy. We took lots of photos. Auntie says I'm getting very fuzzy as I grow up. I don't mind, more fuzz means more insulation from the cold weather. On Sunday afternoon, it got so warm and sunny we took a long walk by the river together. I wore my nice trench coat. I felt very fancy, and everyone we met gave me pets and praise. It was a good day!

Lulu has something to say

Emma fell asleep instead of posting on the blog today so I thought I'd give it a go. I've been spending my afternoons lately sitting on the windowsill and watching the snow. I hear its tasty but I am not allowed outside, so I wouldn't know.
Lately, I've been doing less lounging than normal. In the old days, I got to sleep in peace when the humans weren't home, but now, with this little choodle running all over the place, I have to stay alert. You never know when I'm going to have to chase her down and steal her toys, or leap at her from the bed, or try and raid her kibble bowl. It's a very busy, very demanding job, being top cat.
Time for a nap.

Snow!!!

Well, I woke up early this morning and you'll never guess what was outside. SNOW! I've never seen snow before, so you can guess I was very excited. I knew it was cold in the air, but I wasn't prepared for what I found when I went out into the yard.
Mami had put on my warm winter sweater and my harness, and I was all ready to take a walk, but then when my feet hit the ground, man it was cold! Hijole! But it felt kind of good between my toes. I started to run really fast around the yard and I licked up all the white stuff to taste it, and I sniffed and sniffed and sniffed. The snow only covered my feet, so it wasn't too deep, and it was nice and crunchy.
Papi tried to take pictures on his camera phone but I was too fast. I think Mami got some on her camera, we'll have to wait and see.
Anyway, after a little while running around I got really really chilly and I started to whine a little bit, so they took me inside where it was warm again.
I like snow, and maybe the next time it happens, I can roll around in it for a bit. But only if they buy me some boots.

Celebrate!

Today is International Women's Day. For us dogs, gender isn't really a big deal. No one ever tells me I can't catch a ball or run as fast as a boy dog, that doesn't make any sense. Dogs are dogs, toys are toys, and snacks are snacks, and that's the way we like it. But some humans still haven't figured that out. Sometimes, people don't believe that women should get paid as much, or be allowed to do the same things, that men get to do. Sometimes, it's very tough and very scary to be a woman. That doesn't seem fair to me. Mami and Papi may smell a little different, and Papi may be a little bit fuzzier, but other than that, I don't see the big deal.
So today, maybe all us dogs should get together and wag at the women we love, and maybe give them a little bit of a nuzzle and say "Thanks." Just because.

My style icon

Last night, after a bit of trouble regarding a stolen piece of barbecued pork, I settled onto Mami's lap, with one eye on Papi, and we watched a movie called "Breakfast at Tiffany's." Mami said it was a very important film, and that I could learn a lot about style and grace by watching Holly Golightly.
I learned that black and white are very important and classy colors, which is lucky for me, because I'm already wearing black! I also learned that it's okay to be long and skinny, and that being individual is better than looking like everybody else.
Lulu really likes the movie because there's a cat in it, and she said too many movies feature dogs and leave cats out all together. But I cried at the end when the cat got all wet. It seemed very sad to me.
Mami said Audrey Hepburn was a very important person, who did a lot to help the world. So today I'm going to share a quote with my blog fans.
"For attractive lips, speak words of kindness. For lovely eyes, seek out the good in people. For a slim figure, share your food with the hungry. For beautiful hair, let a child run her fingers through it once a day. For poise, know that you never walk alone." Audrey Hepburn

Mini-break

Sorry for not blogging in a while. I've been out of town. Mami and Papi took me up to the big city to stay with my great-grandma, so that they could have an anniversary break. I LOVE staying with my great-grandma. She has a big backyard that's all fenced in so I can run around like crazy, and there's this big dog next store that I can bark at, and there are little kids on the other side that I can sniff.
Grandma plays with me all day long. We have races around the house and we play tug of war, and when I'm tired, I sit in her lap and look out the window. It is so much fun. There are a lot more things to see in the big city than at home. Sometimes I miss Lulu a little bit when I'm away for a few days, but not too much.
When I came home from Grandma's, I was so tired that I fell asleep on top of some laundry. Mami said that I am spoiled when I get home from seeing her. I'm not sure what spoiled is, but I can't wait to go visit her again!

Life is good

I have a pretty cushy life these days. I get biscuits every morning, I play scooter ball every night, and when the sun's out, I get to stretch out on the hardwood floor and soak it up. Spring is coming so I can hear the birds bouncing up and down in the chestnut tree outside the bedroom window, and there are buds on the leaves. I still have to wear a sweater when I go outside, but by next month, I may be able to run around with just a harness. I can't wait! Happy March everybody!