Nurse choodle

I'm staying in bed today to take care of Papi, who is feeling very sick. He has some sort of chest thingy, and last night had chills. Mami took his temperature before work and he doesn't have a fever but he feels very icky so I am staying with him and making sure he's okay since Mami has to go to work. It's a very important job for a choodle.

Lulu steps in

Greetings! It is Lulu, up top of the bookcase to wish you a good morning. The last few days the windows around the house have been open and I've been patrolling each one, checking on the status of the local birds and talking to any cats who happen to wander past.
It was remarkable sunny earlier, but then the rains came back, and it wasn't so nice by the screen, but now the sun is back and if I can get in just the right spot on the rug, I can get some sunbathing in this afternoon. Hope it's sunny where you are.

Digging into Spring

What an exhausting weekend! I don't think I ever dug so much as I did on Saturday.
There is this big old wooden planter box out back attached to our old fence, and it's about 12 feet long or more and filled with strawberries. Anyway it started to rot and fall down so Mami spent the afternoon taking all the dirt out, putting it and the strawberries in plastic planters and tearing down the boards on the planter box. I got inside to dig out strawberries too and got covered in dirt.
The next day, she got two more whiskey barrel planters for the vegetable garden and filled those with dirt too, and I got inside and gave them an inspection. They look ready for planting!

Outdoor sports

Yesterday was so fine out that after we took an afternoon walk, Mami and I played ball in the back yard. It was a very nice afternoon. And today seems just as nice, so I'm anxious to get outside again and run around. There are butterflies and bees and little critters flying around in the sunshine, and Mami has all the windows open. Maybe now it will stop being so nasty outside.

Finally a nice spring morning

Every morning very early I go outside for my morning constitutional. For the last week or so it's been either soaking wet and puddly, or snowy. But this morning it was sunny and nice, so I thought I'd share some pictures of the pretty things I look at when I'm outside, like the cherry blossoms on our tree, and the bird feeders hanging from our euculyptus.
Tomorrow afternoon my Tio Jay and my favorite kid, Annie, will be coming over to visit and to look at our back fence. Papi and Mami are hoping to get a new fence built in the back, and Tio Jay knows how to build things so he's gonna take a look and see how much it might cost. Right now, there are holes in the back fence covered with chicken wire so I don't escape. Not that I'd want to, I like it here.

Downpour

Seems like every time I look outside this week, it just gets wetter. The front stone pathway is under about two inches of water, there's a regular stream running down the street, and when I walk past the bathroom I can hear the drops hit the skylight.
This means no walks whatsoever, and it keeps my outside visits to an absolute minimum. It's kind of boring when it rains like this. I can see how pretty and green everything is, but there's no way I wanna go out in it. I dont understand how humans walk around in it, but they always do. The boys across the street play basketball every night, no matter if it's pouring or hailing, and there's always people on bikes or people jogging by. They're crazy! It may be boring inside, but it's dry.

Mad skills

I don't know if you know this, but I am an amazing soccer player, you know, what they call futbol in Mexico. I can block any ball from anywhere at any time. You can't get anything past me. And if you throw it, I can fetch it so fast that I'm a blur.
But sometimes, if I get too crazy, they put my ball away until I calm down, which means that whenever possible, I sleep with it under my head so that they can't get it. This works some of the time, but it's not very comfortable, and usually, it rolls away after I pass out. So it's not the best plan. But it's the only one I could come up with.
I had a photo of me and my ball but it wouldn't load, so here's one of me and Mami instead.

Highs and lows

It sure was a weekend of extremes over here at the Choodle house. The weather, for instance. On Saturday morning reeeally early, it snowed! And then it got sunny, and then it rained, and then it hailed super hard. Sunday morning was the same thing. I woke up to 1/4 of an inch of white fluff in the yard. And then by 10 a.m. it was gone! And rain replaced it.
Saturday, Mami cleaned all day long. She was mopping and scrubbing and washing and going crazy, because she and Papi were busy all week and things got a little out of control. Plus Papi was gone Friday and Saturday to a conference so she was by herself, which doubles the amount of work to do.
But Sunday, Papi was home and the house was clean, so everybody slept and napped and slept again. Other than getting up for pancakes, we all spent most of the day in bed and didn't get up til night. It was nice! And then we had hamburgers. Yum!
Here's Lulu during one of the nap sessions. Doesn't she look comfy?

Waiting for the snow

That's right, I said snow. According to the weather people, it's supposed to snow here this weekend, which I am not at all pleased about. Nor is Mami. Last weekend we got to lounge out on lawnchairs in the 80 degree sunshine, and we were all ready to start planting vegetables this weekend, but now this winter storm is coming through from the coast and I may have to put on a jacket again! It's totally not fair. I mean, it's almost May out! What is going on! Mami said it's something called La Nina, which makes winters long and cold, and summers super hot, so she says this August is gonna be awful, but I'm a chihuahua, so I like the heat. It's this blasted white freezy stuff I don't like!

Miss Moosh

This is Tia Candace's cat, Moosh. She is a very serious cat who does not mess around. She is a one-woman cat, and doesn't like anyone else to be near her, especially the vet, and she only lets a few select people pet her a tiny bit. But mostly, she gives them hisses, bites and claws. If you think Lulu is stinky, you haven't seen anything until you've met the wrath of Moosh. She is also very beautiful and small and elegant. She likes to hiss at Mami, and Mami hisses back, which Moosh finds confusing. Mami is a strange human.

Dog in training

So I'm teaching my new pink dog Hamilton how to go on guard duty. I spend most of my afternoons on the back of the couch, watching the front yard, in case someone goes by on a skateboard, or with a baby carriage, or walking a dog, or if some cat comes into the garden. There's always something to be on alert for around here. So it's good to teach Hamilton the ropes, in case I fall asleep and need backup.
By the way, today is my Tia Candace's birthday. Feliz Cumpleanos!

Regalitos!

Last night there was a big heavy box sitting on our front porch, and it was full of presents from my Abuela in Albuquerque. It was very exciting! There was something for everyone, but my favorite gift was a giant pink stuffed dog that Mami and Papi named Hamilton. I carried him around all night, even though he is almost bigger than me, and I wrestled him to the ground and kissed his nose and hugged him and wrapped my paws around him on the couch. Lulu got a reddish kind of catnip mouse that she seemed to like to sniff, but she doesn't get excited about toys like I do. In fact, I may steal her mouse when she's not looking and add it to my collection.

Not getting up, not no way, not no how

I've had a really long weekend. I spent a lot of it outside, taking walks and running around in the back yard and digging in the flower beds while Mami was weeding. It got up to 80 degrees on Saturday, so hot that my nose got dry, and Sunday was cooler and cloudier but still good digging weather. That plus Mami and Papi took me for a walk Saturday night.
So this morning I didn't feel much like getting out of bed. Everyone else had to get up early for work, but I told them all to leave me alone. Besides, it's all rainy again and there's no sunshine to get up for.
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go back to sleep.

Friends!

Dewey (my secret boyfriend) and his brother Yoshi came to visit Mami at work today. It is very sunny and beautiful outside so they hung out in the courtyard and lounged in the sun. As you can see, Yoshi bounces so it's kinda hard to take a good photo of him, but Dewey looks muy guapo, no?

Post berfday stuff

Hello everyone! This morning our world was busy because Mami and Papi had to get up early and run around collecting papers to do something boring called "taxes." Apparently that's a people thing. Not really sure of the point, but Mami said she thinks we'll have enough to make a pretty new fence around our house in the back. That sounds okay. As long as it's sniffable.
Anyway, last night on Papi's birthday, my Tia Lisa and Tio Tony sung him a very cool song about politics or something, and he really liked it. So here they are singing out in the cold night air under the big moon.

Feliz Cumpleanos Papi!

Today is my Papi's birthday and I am very excited. Last night Mami gave him the presents we wrapped when it turned midnight, because she couldn't wait. Also, today Papi is very busy with work things and maybe would not have time to open them, so it was good to get them done last night. We maybe will buy him a pumpkin pie tonight to eat when he gets home because that is his favorite.
Here is a picture of me and Papi when I was a baby and still had a pink belly.

Preparations

Tomorrow is Papi's birthday so this morning after he left for work, Mami and I went and wrapped his presents. As you can see here, I helped with the ribbon. It's very difficult work. I am not allowed to help with tape, because it sticks on my fur, and I can't use the scissors because I don't have thumbs. So the ribbon is my chore. It's very tangle-y.

Permission granted

I have been granted access to the couch again after Sunday's womiting incident. I have promised to cease all womiting, and so Mami said I can be back up here again. I didn't feel so hot yesterday, and I didn't want to eat my kibble or even snacks, but I didn't get sick again, and then last night I finally ate a little bit of pork rib off Mami's plate, and then afterward kibble started to look good. This morning my appetite is back to normal, and I'm feeling just fine.

Choodle woes

Yesterday morning, when I went outside for my morning constitutional, I found something tasty under the leaves, and ate it up before I could really tell what it was. Mami caught me at the last minute, and called me inside, but she couldn't tell what I ate either.
I was okay for awhile, but then around 1 p.m., I started feeling really funny while Mami was in the kitchen doing chores. Then the world got kinda blurry, and the next thing I knew, Mami was picking me up off the couch, and I realized that I had hurled all over one of the cushions.
Mami cleaned everything up, and got me all settled in again, but about an hour later, I did it again, this time on the afghan. Then I got really shaky, so after Mami put it in the laundry, she took me to bed, and made me a nest out of a polar fleece bathrobe, and she put me next to her so I could sleep.
After about two hours, I finally felt better and stopped shaking, and then a little bit after that, I felt like playing ball. Finally, when Papi got home and made dinner, I felt a lot better, and even ate some chips.
Now I feel fine, although really hungry because my tummy is a lot more empty than usual. I guess next time I should really think about the consequences before I eat things I find in the yard.

Ooh

Papi and Mami went up to the big city last night, and they found out that Papi's book is for sale on the shelves at Powell's City of Books! That is very exciting, especially because it's such a famous bookstore, and Mami has been going there ever since she was a little girl. They are back now, and Mami and I are doing a lot of Spring Cleaning because it is so rainy and miserable outside. We cleaned out the bedroom closet and the drawers and the pantry in the utility room and even the fridge, which was full of stinky old food. Now it is so clean and nice, and the windows are open to let the rain smells in. Its time to take a nap!

Un grito a mi tia

Today is my favorite Tia Chelsea's cumpleanos, I mean birthday. She is a very special tia and so I sent her a birthday message this morning in my fez, to show her that today I am going to be very festive in her honor. She will be coming to see me next month when it is Mami's turn to have a birthday. Mami and Tia Chelsea are nearly the same age, only Tia Chelsea gets there a little faster.

Another new amigo

This is Treble, a Hungarian sheepdog called a Pumi. There aren't many of them in the U.S., but seeing how cute this one is, I can imagine there's gonna be a growing demand. Treble is owned by a friend of my Tia Candace's. She knows all the cute dogs.

Amigos de amigos

So today my blog is about doggie friends of human friends I know. A lot of people send me photos of dogs they've met, so I thought I'd post a few throughout the day today.
This first photo was sent to me by my abuela in New Mexico. It is a Yorkie puppie that I think is named Buddie Bob, but I'm not sure. Anyway, he was adopted by my Abuela's good friend from work. He is cute, no? I wonder if he has my kind of accent since he was born in New Mexico too.

One of those mornings

I am really tired this morning. I can barely keep my head up to look out the window. Last night everyone went to bed early but I just wasn't tired, so after they turned out the lights, I just paced around the room, back and forth, trying to wear myself out. Finally I put myself to bed, but I still couldn't sleep, so I made a lot of loud sighing noises. I could hear Papi telling me to go to sleep but it just wasn't working. I kept thinking about April Fool's Day, and the trick Lulu played on me. It was night time and I had walked into the bedroom to look for one of my toys. What I didn't know is that Lulu came into the hallway behind me and hid herself behind the basket that has all the newspapers in it.
When I walked back out into the hallway, I stopped for a second to look around, and all of a sudden, Lulu leaped out from behind the basket. I jumped about a foot in the air! Then I tried to chase her, but she chased me instead, and I had to run and hide on Papi's lap, and he laughed and me and called me names. So I got mad and went to chase Lulu again, and she chased me AGAIN! So I had to run back on Papi, despite his meanness. It was a really rough night. I could hear Lulu laughing too, in her little cat way. I hate April Fool's Day.

Viva Cesar!

Monday was the birthday of the very important hero Cesar Chavez. I know this because Papi wrote a book about him, and we have big posters of Sr. Chavez in Papi's office (also known as our library). Last night, Papi gave a speech at his school about the kind of things that Sr. Chavez talked about, like how little people like me can make a big difference in the world. They had a candlelight vigil, but it was too cold for me to go because I refuse to wear sweaters. Anyway, here are some pictures. In one of them you can also see my friend Steven with Papi. He makes really good muffins.

Do not disturb

After a long day of barking out the window, chasing my stuffed football, and snacking, I'm usually ready to settle down about 8 p.m. and take a long, long nap. All it usually takes is a warm lap, or even a polar fleece blanket, and I settle in for a few hours before bed.
Lulu does the same, usually on the arm of the couch or occasionally, if there's room, one of the cushions. Sometimes she tries to shove onto Mami's lap, but I don't let her. I will allow her one paw, maybe, but not her whole big furry self.
Then, if we're not disturbed, we can usually sleep til 11 p.m., when it's time to really go to bed. We leave Papi out in the living room and head into the bedroom, and I'm usually asleep in my bed about five minutes after the baby gate goes up. It's a good life.