My friend Sophie

This is my new friend Sophie. She came over for a play date on Saturday. It was pretty fun. We ran around the yard and wrestled and jumped and played ball. Sophie is only 12 weeks old, just a baby, but she's already bigger than me, because she's a Cavalier spaniel, so she's going to be a big girl when she grows up.
I like her a lot, but not as much as my boyfriend Dewey, because he's so dreamy, even if he doesn't like to play with me.
I'm a little jealous because Sophie's fur is a lot softer! But I'm more delicate!

On alert

When Mami and Papi aren't home during the day, Lulu and I spend most of our time in the guest room, keeping watch on the neighborhood. There are a lot of things going on around us, like garbage trucks, kids on bicycles, golden retreivers on leashes, a lot of important things like that.
It's a good thing we have two windows, so we can monitor two sides of the house at once. It's also a good place to watch and see if Mami or Papi are coming home, and then we can pretend that we weren't barking or growling or misbehaving. And it's also a really good place to sleep when things are calm and there's no need to keep watch. It's not easy being in charge of the house.

Arrrr

Today is International Talk Like A Pirate Day! In our house, it started at 3:30 a.m. this morning when Lulu started making growling sounds. It turns out, it was just a hairball, but it woke everyone else in the house up, and then I started barking, and Mami had to get out of bed, and then Papi started talking in Pirate, which confused Mami for a minute until she realized what day it was.
Mami knows the founders of Talk Like A Pirate Day, and she said that everyone should check out their web site at www.talklikeapirate.com. It's pretty cool!

Exhausting weekend

Let me tell you, we've been going non-stop this weekend. This whole new house thing has really kept us busy, and this weekend was no exception. On Saturday, my grandparents and my great-grandma came down to visit, the one from Portland who takes care of me when Mami and Papi go on trips. It was so exciting to get to cuddle on her lap and fall asleep.
Then on Sunday there was lots of running around and long walks and then Mami, who was feeling kind of sickish, took a nap with me on the couch. That was very nice, although I snuck down once to see what Papi was doing, and then snuck back before she woke up.
Lulu and I also tried to see if we could escape from the house. Mami caught Lulu on top of the clothes hamper, trying to open the lock to the outside door, and I was underneath, waiting to run through if she succeeded. Unfortunately, we got caught and chased off.

Miss Lulu speaks

Hello all. I thought I'd wake up for a minute to add my thoughts to this whole new house idea. I will admit, at first I resisted the idea of a new place. I liked our old apartment, with the big windowsills and the baby gate across the kitchen so the dog couldn't get to my food.
But I have to agree with Emma that this new house is pretty spiffy. The guest room has a very spacious bed with not one but two windows facing different directions, so I can look out and enjoy the view.
My food is now provided on top of the dryer, which keeps it far out of Emma's reach, and there are multiple scratching rugs. Plus, I can climb onto almost every window in the house and see something new.
I don't care for the neighbor cats wandering around the yard and looking in, and the ceiling fans kind of freak me out, but all in all, it's a pretty fine place to be.

Sticks n such

Every morning, I get to go out and run around in the back yard before Mami goes to work, and I'm supposed to be getting business done while I'm out there. But frankly, I'd rather just run around and pick up sticks. There are a bunch of trees in the backyard, and so that means there are a lot of sticks to pick up. There's also bark dust, and old cherries and lots of other things to eat and chew and throw in the air, plus my pink and green tennis ball. Usually, I don't want to go back inside until Mami tricks me into coming inside and then shuts the door.

Queen of the Mountain

Lulu and I have been getting along really well in the new house. We especially like to share patches of sunshine in the guest room, which has two windows that we can look out of. When Mami waters the garden it gives us a good view of what's going on, and also, we can see all the neighbor cats as they pass by.
Every morning at about 8 a.m. when we wake up, we play "Queen of the Mountain," in Mami and Papi's bedroom. The goal is to take possession of the wingback chair in the corner. Sometimes I win, sometimes Lulu wins. It's pretty fun. We like to race around the house after we're done, and sometimes I get real barky. That's usually when Mami gets up to feed us. She says I'm a stinkbug. I'm not quite sure that's a compliment.

Good friends

One of the nice things about having a new house is the fact that people keep coming over to visit, and everyone wants to cuddle. For instance, my Tia Chelsea stayed for a couple of nights, and she let me sleep in bed with her, which was really really nice. And next Saturday, my abuela is coming from Portland to visit. I can't wait! Meanwhile, I'm content to run races in the back yard and jump up and down on the guest bed with my stuffed snake. It's lots and lots of fun.

Hanging out and snacking

I'm still loving it at the new house. These windows in the living room are great. They look out onto the front garden and the street, so I can watch the bicyclists go by and woof at them. Also, the neighbor cats come right up and look in the window, so I can talk to them and get the latest news.
Mami takes me out in the yard in the mornings for a run, but sometimes, I find cat snacks and she gets mad. Especially this morning, cause afterward I got really sick on the bathroom floor. I just can't help myself!

Bienvenidos a mi casa

Well, as you can see, I've moved into my new place. I put up this photo to show you how fast I can move across the hardwood floors. You can see all the cool colors in my house too, the green living room, the orange and yellow hallway and the purple bedroom. It's pretty cool. I have a huge yard where I go cracker dog every day, and so many windows to look out of. Lulu likes it too, although she wasn't too sure when we first moved in. I'll be putting up lots of photos soon!

Time off for good behavior

Hey folks! I just wanted to let you know that I'm taking a short hiatus from blogging because we're going to be moving this weekend, and Mami won't have her computer to use for a little while. They've already started painting the walls and moving boxes and I guess Lulu and I are moving in on Saturday, along with the furniture. I will have them take lots of photos of me exploring the new yard and the house and everything, and you'll be able to see all the cool things I learn about living in a house.

Love among the boxes

It's been quite a busy week, and it's only going to get crazier this week. More and more boxes are piling up, and things are getting harder to see because the walls are disappearing behind cardboard. Mami has promised she won't pack up my toys, which is a relief. I think Lulu really likes the mess because she climbs on top of everything and has a good time.
This weekend, Mami went to visit a wolf sanctuary, and she brought me back a tasty bit of wolf hair. It smelled crazy, and it was pretty tasty, although I only got to have one little bite before she took it away. Oh well!

Fresh and clean

This morning, I had to hide under the bed in an attempt to escape a bath, but Mami found me and popped me into the tub. I hate getting wet, it's so stinky and cold. Also it makes me look a lot smaller. But she is a pretty quick scrubber, so it didn't take long, and then I got to run around the house going cracker dog until I dried off.
Later on, Mami gave me a cheese and bacon dog biscuit as a reward, which made everything seem a lot better.
Hey, this is my 100th post! We should have a party!

Packing

Last night was pretty weird, because Mami started taking all these big cardboard boxes and filling them with stuff. Lulu and I weren't sure what was going on. We started circling around them like sharks, sticking our heads inside and sniffing and occasionally bumping into each other. The boxes just grew and grew, and it got all dusty, and there was newspaper all over but Mami wouldn't let me eat it. I was very confused. Finally she stopped taping things and sent us all to bed. I was tired from all that sniffing, and so was Lulu! She went right to her basket. This morning I checked, and all the boxes are still there. I wonder what's going on.

I heard some news

Mami and Papi get to move into their new house next week! I guess they found out today that they sign all their paperwork on Monday and then they get the keys. This means a lot of boxes to play around in with Lulu, and chasing the broom, and then finally getting run around my new yard. I can't wait!

Kitten talk

Lulu here once again. I haven't posted in awhile but I thought it was about time. As you can see here, I've been helping everyone with getting ready for the big move. In this photo, I was trying out the new bedspread for the guest room, to make sure it was comfortable. I think it goes nicely with my eyes, don't you? I am a little worried about moving, I hear the new house doesn't have a staircase, so how am I supposed to escape when Emma is chasing me? Also, I don't know where my food bowl is going to go, and that is of prime importance. Mama assures me that everything will work out, but I'm a cat and therefore I don't like change.

Regalitos

I had a very exciting day yesterday. Mami took me out for a drive and we visited the new house, although I didn't get to run around because the people are still moving out, and Mami was afraid I'd chase their cats. Afterward, we went home and there were two big boxes waiting for me, filled with presents from my Abuela in Nuevo Mexico.
I got so many good things, including a small wardrobe to keep all my dresses, and a big snake that crackles, and a furry stuffed chipmunk. I spent all night killing the snake and chewing on the chipmunk's feet. It was very very exciting! I love presents.

Exciting times

I know I post a lot of photos of me eating and sleeping, but honestly, that's a lot of what I do. Here's me this morning, eating my first meal of the day.
So it looks like by the end of the month, we're going to be in our new house. I still haven't seen it yet, but I hear the yard is really big and has scrunchy grass and places to dig. My abuelo is going to help put some wire fence up so I can't squeeze through the holes in the wood fence. I don't think they trust me to behave and stay in the yard, especially not if I see a cat to chase.
I can't wait to see where I'm going to be living! I'm going to run run run around the house and chase Lulu and sniff in all the corners. Woohoo! As soon as we move in, I'll show you some pictures of my new digs.

Dinner time

This is me eating my birthday dinner last month. I got to have a big plate of pork dogfood, which was a special treat, because normally I'm on a dry dogfood diet.
Last night, I tried everything in my power to get Papi to give me some of his chocolate chip ice cream. He tried to tell me it was poisonous, but I don't believe it. How come he doesn't get sick then? I think it was just an excuse to keep the container all to himself.
Mami's more generous. She gives me sherbet on a spoon. I especially like raspberry. Lulu doesn't care for it, she said she likes things with cream in them. She's more of a picky eater than I am. In fact, sometimes I eat things that aren't even food at all. Like sticks and rubber bands and pen caps. Mami says it's a wonder I'm still alive.

Hangin' with Miss Lulu

We don't always get along, but Lulu and I are still pretty good friends. Most of the time, we just chase each other around and wrestle and jump out from behind doors and make a lot of noise, especially when everyone else is asleep.
But sometimes, when we're both really sleepy, we'll let our guard down and snuggle a little. Like last night. I was asleep on Mami's lap when Lulu came to lay next to her leg on the couch. At first I was nervous that she might swat me, but then I could tell she was lazy, so I leaned over and gave her some kisses on her face, just to test her, and she didn't mind, so I gave her some more. Then we both fell asleep. It was kinda nice. Until the phone rang, and Mami left the couch, and then we started chasing each other again.

Lost and found

I have the hardest time with all the bookshelves in our house. It doesn't take long before one of my favorite balls rolls under there, and then I can't get it out again. Then I lay on my belly and growl and whine and kick and wait for Mami to come over and fish it out. But sometimes, when she bends down to get it, I get too excited and I bop her in the eye with my nose. Then she gets mad and doesn't want to help me any more. Until I beg.

Cautiously optomistic

Well, it's time for me and Red Cat to celebrate. We heard this morning that the owners have accepted Mami and Papi's offer on the new house, so if everything works out, I could have a back yard by next month! I'm so excited that I have to wrestle with everything! Mami and Papi are pretty excited too, but there's a lot of paper stuff to do before it all gets done, or that's what they tell me. I like paper stuff, it's fun to tear up, but I have a feeling Mami wouldn't be happy if I took any of her papers and ripped them up on the carpet.

Just hanging around

Per usual, my weekend was pretty mellow. I got in some good walks, and a lot of time on the ol' scooter ball, and last night Mami bought me this sweet purple stuffed cat that I think is pretty fantastic.
I also tried some new foods. I'm not so hot on blueberries, but I really like Canadian bacon, and I'm keen on raw greenbeans. Mami didn't give me too many, she thought it might do something funny to my belly, but I suffered no ill aftereffects.
Tonight, Mami and Papi are going to see about a house. I've got a good feeling about it. Who knows, I may be getting a yard sooner than I think!

More napping

I love the summer, because it means Papi is home a lot more than normal, and we can take naps together. For instance, last night, I used his belly as a cushion and slept for an hour, while Mami was downstairs watering the garden.
I keep hearing talk about possibility relocating. Mami says they're looking for a house with a big yard for me, which would be fantastic. And Lulu wants a house with lots of windows and places to sleep in the sunshine. They said they're taking all of our needs into consideration as they house hunt. I'm excited, but I'll miss the old place. It's where I grew up. I won't miss the stairs though. I keep losing tennis balls down them.

Life back home

We've all settled into our routines again, Mami's back to work, Papi's writing late into the night, and I'm getting double cuddles, which is very nice. Mami's also been a little sick, leftover bug from Mexico, she says, so sometimes she lets me sleep in the bed with her when her tummy is feeling nasty. I feel bad about her tummy and all, but anything that lets me sleep on the blankets is a good thing. After all, naps are my favorite things.

Office visit

Today I'm visiting Mami's office, and I like to sniff the brand new carpet. Sometimes I think the boss gets worried that I might damage the new carpet, but I'm a big girl and don't have those kind of accidents any more. I hope that Dewey will visit today, I haven't seen him since I got back from vacation.
Earlier I went on assignment with Mami and I got to meet a whole bunch of little old people who are growing tomatoes. They were really happy to meet me. I got to kiss a lot of new noses. Now I'm settling into my special office bed for a nap.

Cumpleanos

Since I wasn't able to blog during my birthday, I'm going to share a photo taken during my celebration. It was pretty exciting. I got to wear a hat, and they gave me a big plate of pork dog food with a candle in it, and then they gave me a big red rubber ball with a bell inside. It's my new favorite toy!

I'm back!

Well, I had a wonderful time visiting my Grandma in Portland while my parents were in Mexico, but I'm glad to be back home again. I really missed Lulu, and my house, and my toys, and I got to go to the office today to see my old friends again. It's super hot here today, but the office is airconditioned.
I'm going to miss my grandma but we'll see each other again soon. I will really miss her big back yard.

On holiday

Hey everybody! I'm getting ready for a two-week hiatus, so I thought I'd wish everyone a happy July, and best wishes til I return. I'm going to be spending a couple weeks with my grandma, enjoying her fenced back yard and a little big city life. Look for my return the last week of July, and I'll let you know how everything went. Oh, by the way, I turn 1 year old on July 10! Eat a piece of cake in my honor!

True love

This is my boyfriend, Dewey. Well, he doesn't exactly let me call him my boyfriend, but he lets me follow him around and walk along side him and he doesn't mind if I sniff his ears a little. He is soooo very handsome. He's a full Chihuahua, like my mom was, and he has the nicest white tip on the end of his tail. I don't get to see him very much, but when we're both at Mami's office at the same time, we take walks together. He doesn't let me get near his cushion, though, he shows his teeth at me. I think he's dreamy.

Nature

Sunday afternoon, I got to take my first nature hike. We went walking up in the forest just north of town, and it was very beautiful. I have never been in such a big, warm, smelly forest before. There was so much to sniff! I couldn't believe it! We walked around the woods on this big path for an hour, and there were birds and flowers and branches and rocks and a whole lot of other things to look at. When I got hot, Mami made a cup out of a big leaf and gave me bottled water, which was very nice. When it was time to go, I was VERY tired and fell asleep in Papi's arms on the drive back to town.

Popsicles

You know what the best thing is about summer heat waves? Icey treats. Mami and Papi both spend a lot of their time eating popsicles in the afternoons to cool down, and I always get the tail end. I like all the flavors, orange, cherry, grape, lime, and most especially, banana. I'll eat rootbeer but it's not the best. Kind of too sweet, if you ask me. But I'm not complaining.

Papi love

During the summer, Papi is home a lot more because school is out, and so we get to spend time together. Lately we've been sitting on the couch watching the World Cup, and taking walks to see Mami at her office, and taking long naps in the afternoon when it gets too warm to do anything. Papi is always there to hold me when I'm tired, or bring me more cold water or keep my kibble bowl filled up. I love summer.

Did I mention it's hot?

Seriously, I thought the Pacific Northwest was too cold until about a week ago, and then all of a sudden it's hot as blazes! There aren't enough fans to keep my belly cool, and it's too hot to even go out on walks, because the sidewalk would burn my pads. All I can do is pant and eat popsicles. It's really cramping my style. Lulu is even worse, because her fur is a lot thicker, but she spends her time downstairs where it's dark and cool, and I don't get to go down there with her, so I'm stuck upstairs, feeling muggy and sad. I can't wait til Fall!

Heat wave

Hijole! It is smokin' outside. It's going to be more than 100 degrees today, so I'm staying indoors. This week, Mami has taken me on a lot of walks, but I think we both agree that it's bettter to lay on the floor and sleep than to go out on that hot pavement and run around. Maybe tonight when it gets dark we can go run around on the grass in the park, but for now, I'm going to lick these ice cubes Mami put in my bowl and take it easy.

Sleepy

I'm pretty bushed. Papi was up really late last night running around and putting things in a big black bag, and this morning, Mami and Papi got up really really early to go to the airport. I guess Papi is taking a trip for a few days, which means Mami and I get the couch to ourselves! Unless Lulu comes and hogs it, that is. But right now I need to nap until Mami comes home. All that busyness wore me out.

Gettin' clean

Well, my weekend was fairly unremarkable, except for yesterday morning, when Mami decided I smelled like old corn chips and put me in the bath. I don't mind the bath, because the water is always warm and Mami doesn't make me stay in there very long, but the fun part comes after she dries me off and I run around the house like I'm on fire. I go up and down the hallway and around the living room and up onto the couch and back down again and then I roll around on the carpet for about a half an hour, to get the soap smell off. Then for the rest of the day I'm all fluffy.

Thursday fun

Yesterday was pretty fun, cause Mami had the day off work, so we spent most of our time together. First we had a really long walk around downtown, and I got to go shopping! We went into this neat garden store and bought my Abuela Anne a birthday present, and the clerks all loved on me, which was nice. I have learned to be very polite and quiet in stores, so that I don't get into trouble, and that way Mami lets me sniff things. There's always lots to smell in stores. Then we went home and I had a nap while Mami went grocery shopping, and she came back and brought me a new toy, a turqouise ball. I pretty much killed it immediately and tore it apart. She also bought some weird spray stuff and put it on the carpet, and now it tastes bad to chew.

Trouble

Well, I got into a little trouble yesterday. It seems that Papi wasn't too happy when he came back from the barber and found that I had taken a pillow Mami just made from India fabric and had gutted it on the floor.
He also wasnt' happy that I tore up the corner of the hall rug, and that I'd taken one of Mami's black purses and gnawed on it.
I don't think they understand that I'm a puppy, and that's kind of my job. If you don't want something chewed up, don't leave it where I can see it. I'm alone a lot during the day, and I have to find something to do with all my free time! I can't just chase the cat all day.

Bat dog strikes back

Well, now that my nails are trimmed, I've turned into stealth choodle. You can't hear me coming down the hall, and when I bounce next to the bed in the morning, there's no click click click. Mami says now I sound like a tennis ball bouncing. She likes it better that way. It's easier to ignore.
But that doesn't mean my teeth are any smoother. I'm still a good biter and chewer. In fact, I demonstrated my talents on the hall rug this morning. Papi thinks I'll grow out of it. I'm not so sure.

Relaxin'

Yesterday, while Mami was at work, Papi had bad allergies so he slept all afternoon. It looked like a really good idea, so I did to. By the time Mami came home, we were awake, sort of, but neither of us really got very peppy until the weather cooled down and the pollen went away. Today it's rainy, which makes us less sneezy. Unfortunately, Papi is taking me to the groomer's today to get my nails trimmed. I kind of get bitey when my parents try to cut them, so they're bringing in a professional. Normally I don't bite strangers.
Normally.
I'll bring you a full report tomorrow.
UPDATE: I just got back from the groomers. It went just fine. It only took five minutes, and I now have nice short little nails again, so I won't click on the hardwood floor. The big bear that trimmed my nails does a much better job than Mami and Papi. I didn't even growl.

Viva Mexico!

Papi and I got up this morning to watch the second half of the Mexico versus Iran game on Univision. It was very exciting! I liked watching Argentina yesterday, but this was even better. Papi gets very excited and shouts at the television. Mami likes to watch it too. Yesterday she made us Dutch babies with fresh strawberries, and coffee, and we watched the game and then went for a walk. I like to play with my own pelota when we're watching, it's red and yellow and it squeaks really loud! Ole ole ole ole!

Happy Friday

Hey folks! Blogger.com has been malfunctioning all week and hasn't allowed me to do any posting, so sorry about the lapse. It's been frustrating, since I had so much to tell you. On Wednesday, I was very sick with a belly ache and spent most of the morning feeling very stinky indeed. Yesterday I was much better, but I got in trouble for chewing bits out of Papi's vintage embossed leather briefcase. Tonight, I'm excited, because my Madrina Mary Ann and my Tia Theresa N. are coming by to visit and to watch the premiere of "Meerkat Manor" on Animal Planet. We looooove meerkats!

Weekend in the country

I had a great weekend! Mami and Papi loaded me into my new dog car carrier on Saturday and we drove up into the mountains to visit Mami's parents. I got to follow my abuela around as she made pancakes and bacon, and then we sat on the deck in the sunshine and then I wandered around the garden sniffing flowers. I even got to walk in the woods! It was very exciting. I've attached a bunch of photos for everyone to see! Enjoy.

Sniffing Abuelo

Getting hot on the deck

Wandering in the woods

Picnic!

Yesterday I attended my first picnic, and it was quite exciting, although the rain certainly dampened my spirits and my paws for awhile. But since Mami carried me most of the time, it wasn't too bad, and we got to be next to the barbecue, and everything smelled SO good. All of Papi's co-workers were there, and my Tio Tony brought me over a special piece of grilled burger that had fallen apart. Papi gave me little bits of it so I wouldn't get a stomach ache, and it was crazy good. I don't understand why Mami got a whole burger and I only got a little, but oh well. In this photo you can see me in my fancy picnic dress with another of my favorite people, my friend Lani. She likes to hug me and lets me lick her face, which is my favorite thing to do. Someday, I want to go to a picnic where it's warm and everyone sits in the grass and I can roll around.