Bouncing

Even though I take long walks and play a lot of fetch down the hallway, my favorite form of exercise is bouncing. Usually, I start early in the morning, when I hear someone moving in the bed, and I want to see if anyone's awake. I can bounce high enough that my head gets over the matttress and I can cast a glance to see if any eyes are open.
Sometimes I bounce so high that I shoot right onto the bed, but I'm not allowed up there without an invitation, so I get scooped up and put back down on the ground. I hate that. Once I'm invited up, I can crawl under the covers where it's warm, and take a little nap. But usually, I"m not invited, so I just have to bounce until someone notices me and gets up. Mami said I make a lot of noise for a little choodle.

What's in a name?

Lately, there's been a lot of talk about hybrid dogs, or should I say, specialized mixed breed dogs, like puggles (pug beagles) and dorgies (corgie daschunds), that are getting pretty trendy. I understand that there's even an official "Hybrid" organization that grants these mixed breed dogs their special hybrid name.
While, as a mixed breed myself, I'm pleased that we're being taken seriously, I wonder at these official organizations trying to lay claim to what is essentially a bunch of non-papered little mutts like myself, who may be cuter than your average poodle, but aren't really recognized as a real breed. I also question the names they give us. For instance, the American Canine Hybrid Club calls chihuahua poodles "Wapoos."
I think this is just silly. Who wants a wapoo? I've been called a poohuahua before, and even that's a little shaky, but it makes a lot more sense than wapoo. Frankly, as a self-identified choodle, I'm not impressed with some group trying to call me a wapoo. I was born, am now and will always be a choodle.
Viva la choodle!

Besos

I'm awfully fond of kisses, as anyone will tell you. Lately, I've developed a pretty sweet technique that I learned partly by watching Lulu. Before I sneak up and kiss Papi when he's laying in bed, I run up and slap him on the chest with one paw. That way, when he looks down to see what is slapping him, I can leap up and kiss him while his guard's down. It works every time. And then, while Mami's laughing at Papi, I jump up and kiss her too. It's awesome.

Feel the beat of the rhythm of the night

Last night, Papi went to his African drumming lessons, which he takes in the park across the street. Mami opened the living room window so I could hear the drums. They always make me dance a little bit, but if it gets too loud, I start to growl. On Wednesdays, a whole troupe of drummers plays in the park, and there are fire dancers too. I can see them out the window, or if we walk in the park around that time, I can feel the drumming in my toes. It makes me hop a little bit. Lulu doesn't like it at all. She stays away from the window when she hears it. But I think it's kind of nice. When Papi came home, his palms were calloused and red from the drumming, but he was pleased because he had learned new rhythms. Maybe he can drum for me some day and I can do my special choodle dance.

Weekend with Papi

My Auntie Chelsea bought a house up in the mountains, so Mami was gone visiting her all weekend. That meant that Papi and I had the house to ourselves. Lulu doesn't like it when Mami's gone, so she spent all weekend downstairs on the futon.
Papi and I spent all our time together. We sat on the couch and watched movies, we took naps, we even went to the park because it's so warm and sunny outside! We had a great time! All the same, it was nice when Mami came back late last night. She brought me a new carrier, it's green with flowers all over it, and she bought me a fuzzy leopard print squeaky bone, and a stuffed bear. I was very excited. And I got to sleep on Mami's lap, which is my favorite place to be. Lulu came back upstairs and sat on the couch with us too, so we were all reunited.

Shower assistant

On some mornings, I get to be a shower assistant. That means when Mami is taking a shower, I stand outside on the rug and squeak my squeaky toy in a cheerful song the whole time the water's running, so that she has music to shower to. And when she gets done and opens the curtain, then I throw my squeak into the tub, and ask her to get it for me. It's a special game.
When Papi takes his shower, I wait until he steps out onto the rug, and I lick the water off his ankles to help him dry off. He's very furry and so water sticks to him all over, and he needs all the help he can get. Also, he can't see very well without his glasses so I have to make sure he doesn't fall down on top of me before he dries his face.
Then, when he's done, I race down the hallway with my squeak and squeak it in Lulu's face. She doesn't like that part very much.

Runnin' around

It's been super nice out the past few days, so we've been going on a lot of really long walks. Yesterday afternoon, we walked for about three miles! Mami put the pink harness on me after she got home from work, and we walked all the way from home to Papi's work, and then all the way to the lecture hall where he was going to listen to a lecture, and then Mami and I walked all the way home again. But I still wasn't tired. I wanted to snack and play!
Everyone has been cutting their grass, so there were lots of big clumps to pick up and run around with. I also got to chase some flower petals blowing across the sidewalk, and sniff the lillies of the valley. Spring is a pretty good time of year.

My amazing rescue

I'm not normally allowed to bark. Mami and Papi are always making me be quiet, and in general, there's not a lot to bark at around here, unless say, my squeak gets stuck and I can't get it out from a corner or something.
So last night, when Mami found me barking at the chest of drawers, she was very confused. She didn't understand why I kept barking and growling and bouncing up and down. I tried to tell her again and again that I could hear Lulu was stuck inside, but Mami didn't understand.
You see, Lulu likes to climb into the drawers and sleep on Papi's t-shirts. But this time, when she climbed in, the drawer shut behind her, and she couldn't get out. But instead of being scared, she just fell asleep.
I could hear her breathing and smell her, but I couldn't see her, and that got me worried, so I began to bark. But since all the drawers were shut, Mami didn't know what was going on, until finally, Lulu gave one faint "mew." Then, Mami realized that maybe I was onto something.
One by one she pulled open the drawers until FINALLY she pulled the right one out, and saw Lulu was stuck like Pooh in the rabbit hole. So she pulled one of the drawers completely out and reached in and pulled Lulu up and out of the drawers.
Lulu was not happy to be woken up like that, but I suppose she would have been upset later when she got hungry and realized she couldn't get out.
Next time, Mami will listen when I tell her something's up!

Waiting for Spring

This is me in February when we had that weird snow storm that surprised everybody. I had a good time running around in it, as you can see here. It helps that I have nice warm sweaters to put on.
It's supposed to be Spring now, and we had some good days of warm sunny weather, but then the cold and the hard rains came again. Last night, there was a little sunshine, and Mami put my coat on and took me outside, but then it started to sprinkle again!
Finally she drove me to school and we found Papi, and then we walked around campus for a little while in between showers. The flowers are nice and smelly and the grass is real tasty, but I can't wait til it's not all soggy and cold between my toes!

Easter weekend

Well, I have to say my first Easter was pretty boring. No chocolate bunnies (Mami said they're poison), and no hard boiled eggs (Mami said I'd be stinky). Mainly, I just slept. Mami and Papi went to see Mami's parents, but I didn't get to go with them because her parents have a big fuzzy Welsh corgi dog that doesn't like other dogs, and so he tries to eat me like a marshmallow peep. But when Mami got home she and Papi played with me lots. So it ended with a fun bit of bone tossing down the hall!

The big march

Well, yesterday was pretty eventful. Mami drove me to where all the marchers were rallying, and we found Papi in the crowd. All the marchers were cooing over my little Si Se Puede vest Mami made, and I had my matching red collar on. I kept pulling hard on my lead and coughing because I was excited, so when we found Papi, he carried me.
Mami went home to do chores, and I stayed with Papi. We marched all the way through the city to the courthouse, and then Papi stood up in front of the crowd and gave a big speech. He talked through a bullhorn, which sounded funny, but I didn't mind, cause I was all snuggled up in his arms and I got to see all the hundreds of people gathered around. They really liked Papi's speech about Cesar Chavez and the farmworker marches, and they clapped a lot. Then, I got to run around on the courthouse lawn and eat grass, so tasty! Afterward, Mami picked us up and I got to go home and take a real long nap. Protesting is hard! But it's important too.

Si Se Puede!

I am so excited because today I am going on a march with my Papi. He and many other people are marching in support of immigration reform and against a bill in Congress that would make migrants without papers into felons. Papi works with many sons and daughters of immigrants, and he knows how important it is to protect the vulnerable, especially those who are already treated with such disrespect and have to work so hard and under such poor conditions to try and help their families.
Mami made me a white vest with "Si Se Puede" written on the back in big red letters. I don't like to wear it but Mami said it's importnant so ok! I will try and post a picture tomorrow!

Windows

Sometimes, in the early morning, Mami and I like to snuggle up together and look out at the traffic that goes by the window. This morning, she wrapped me in a big polka dot kerchief, and we stood in the living room and looked at the fog for awhile. The windows are pretty high up so normally I can't see out very well, and I can't jump on the sills like Lulu can. She reports what she sees to me, especially if it's birds, because she hates birds, but I'd rather look myself. At Grandma's house, I can jump on the chair and look out the window, but that's not the case at home. So usually, I just have to wait til we take a walk, and then I can see the whole world.

Yummmy!

Last night, for the very first time ever, I got a very, very special treat. It was something that Lulu told me about once, but it wasn't something I ever dreamed I'd get to try.
As part of Papi's birthday celebration, Mami made him his favorite meal, basil chicken and mashed potatoes, and after they were finished, and Mami put away the leftoevers, she gave me a spoonful of mashed potatoes!
At first, I wasn't sure what to do. They were so light and fluffy and filled with butter and cream, that it was like eating a piece of pillow stuffing (and I should know, I've snuck bits of that out of my stuffed elephant before). But this was better than any stuffing I've ever come across. It was pure heaven. I licked that spoon for ten minutes, even when it was gleaming and clean. Oh, it was so good! How can I go back to kibble after that?

Feliz Cumpleanos!

So today is my Papi's 35th birthday, and it's my nine-month birthday as well, so there's going to be lots of celebrating today. Mami is going to make Papi's favorite chicken dinner, and there are presents and perhaps pie. I am very excited. This morning, while Papi was asleep, Mami took this photo of me and saved it as the wallpaper on his cell phone, so when he opens his phone today, that's what he'll see. It's a birthday surprise. I am thinking about making him a present, but Mami won't let me use any paint or crayons, so I'm not sure what to do. Maybe I'll just give him a kiss instead.

Sleepy time

Normally, Lulu and I don't care to be too close to each other, but at night, when it's time to relax on the couch, sometimes we don't mind being a little closer, although, not too close. In this photo, you can see that Lulu is sleeping all balled up in the lefthand corner, but I've taken a spot on the silk pillow, which keeps me elevated, and I can keep an eye on her if she wakes up and decides to smack me. I've got my rawhide next to me too, so that I can snack on it if I get hungry or bored.

Breakfast

Every morning Lulu and I have a little ritual of snack distribution that we like to stick to. It's very important to our routine. Usually Mami gets up first, and she knows this routine very well, because she designed it. But this morning, Papi got up first, and he didn't quite know what to do. He didn't even know where my biscuits were! Luckily, Mami shouted instructions from the bedroom, and he was able to kinda do what he was supposed to. Lulu always gets kitten treats first, then I get half a biscuit, then she gets kibble, then I get the second half of a biscuit. I have to sit for each half. Lulu doesn't have to sit, but she says cats don't sit. But she does sing a morning snack song to Mami until she gets her first treat. It's more of a yowl, really, but it's cheerful.

Tejas cousin

I know this looks like Lulu, but it's actually my cousin Emi, who lives in Austin, Texas. Emi lives with my aunts Lilia and Carol, and she is a very beloved cat.
She is much tougher than Lulu, because she has lived on the streets, and she still gets to roam around outside, unlike Lulu. She's a great hunter, and very brave, and likes to get up on roofs and high places.
Her favorite collar is the rainbow striped one she's wearing in this picture. We buy them for her and mail them down to Texas, because the aunts can't find them down there. She keeps wearing them out, so we just bought a third one to send down. It's very pretty, and I wish I had one like that. My new collar is red, which is pretty, but not as fancy as a rainbow.
I've never met my cousin Emi, but someday I'll go to Austin and see her. And then I want to go see roller derby and get a tattoo, but Mami says no.