Swinging and sickness

Yesterday afternoon, Mami and Papi and I took a walk to my favorite park, the one across from the dairy field, where you can see all the cows and smell all the weird smells. There's a playground there with sand that kind of smooshes between the toes, and a big swingset. I showed Papi how I could swing by sitting on Mami's lap. We went really high and really fast and it was fun and I didn't get sick at all.
Then on the way back, they found a big blackberry thicket and ate a lot of blackberries, and I found out I don't like blackberries at all. I spit them out. Mami said that meant more for them.
In the middle of the night last night, Papi woke up with a big headache and then he got really really sick, sicker than I got the last time I ate bad cherries. Mami was really worried. She tried to give him ginger ale but he couldn't drink it. It took him a long time to be able to go to sleep again. He felt a little better this morning, but I didn't get to climb into bed with him because Mami wanted him to have his rest. It made me a little sad.

New friends!

Last night some of Mami's friends from a far off, magickal place called Cape Cod came by to visit. They were pretty cool, especially my two new best friends, Sophie and Jackson. I even got some kisses in on their parents, Jim and Amy, but the best kisses were reserved for the smaller people. I even got to climb on top of them and jump! It was pretty sweet. I was really tired after they left, but I got in enough kisses for a whole week.

Papi's home!

Papi got home yesterday afternoon, about three hours after he was supposed to, because his plane had some mechanical problems, and then he got lost getting gas, and then there was a big accident on the freeway. He was pretty pooped when he finally got back, but now he's home and this morning I got to sleep on his belly after Mami got up for work. It's so nice to have another person to snuggle with when Mami goes off to write her stories. Plus he shares his chips. Here is a photo of me when I was a baby, snuggled with Papi at the airport on our way from Albuquerque to home. I was only a pound back then, now I'm more than six pounds and counting.

Spicy meatballs

Last night Mami and I went to Aunt Candace's for dinner, and oh, it was soooo good. Aunt C even gave me a spicy meatball, which was so yummerific. Plus she gave me some kibble that Charley gets, and it was much better than my kibble. I loved it! And Aunt C's mama played ball with me, and then we ran around the back yard, and it was really cool. When we got home, I fell asleep really hard in Mami's lap. I was tuckered out.
Papi keeps sending more pictures of my cousin Zia down in Albuquerque. She's pretty cute. I guess she's good about walking with a leash too. But she better not sneak into Papi's suitcase tomorrow morning or I'm gonna be mad!

Anticipation

Mami and I are getting excited to have Papi home again soon. He'll be back Friday, and we can't wait. It's been okay so far, because we've been super busy with summer chores and visiting. Tonight, for instance, we're going to go over and see my Aunt Candace and my good friend Charley, and tomorrow night, my Auntie Veronica is coming up to visit from southern Oregon.
But still, it's going to be awful nice to get Papi snuggles on Friday when he comes home. I am hoping he doesn't bring my cousin Zia with him, because although I really like other dogs, I don't want to share Mami's lap with anybody else. Lulu is bad enough.

Candles and crowds

Yesterday was the birthday of one of my favorite people, Miss Annie. She has a very kind heart and loves all animals, especially little pigs like me. She is going to be a veterinarian when she grows up. Right now she has a dog and a cat and a rabbit and chickens and would probably get more if she could. We have known each other since I was a wee pup and she was only 8. Now she's a big girl about to become a middle schooler. Her mama is my Auntie Becky, and her dad is my Uncle Jay, and he would like to steal me but Mami won't let him.
Last night after the party, Lulu got into Mami's lap at home, and I didn't care for that, so I got into her lap too. It was kinda crowded and we kept bumping into each other, but we finally settled down, and it was pretty nice and warm. Mami laughed at us but neither of us would budge until it was time for bed.

Chews

So this weekend I spent lots of time outside helping Mami in the garden. She had a bunch of new plants my abuela gave her, and so we got in the dirt and had lots of fun. I had my own hole to dig, behind the russian sage bushes, and Mami spent her time working on the primrose bed. It was really nice to get my toes in the dirt again.
Later on in the day we took a long walk all around, and Mami laughed at me because I guess I took a pee break right next to a big ol cat who was laying under a tree, and I never even saw her. Mami said she wonders about my eyesight sometimes, because I don't tend to notice a lot. But I think it's because I'm too busy thinking about other things. Besides, who wants to pay attention to some stinky ol cat.
In the evening, after Mami gave Lulu a good brushing, she gave me a new rawhide to keep me out of trouble. Yuuuum!

Fancy toes

This morning, Mami took me to the groomer's to get my toes done. I really really hate that. But this time, it took even longer, because not only did they trim all my nails really short, they also trimmed all the hair between and above my toes to make them less itchy, and at the very end, they rubbed peppermint cream on my pads to make them all soft and smelly. That part was kind of nice, actually.
Once my toes were all fancy, Mami took me home, and gave me a peanut butter cookie treat, and then gave me a brand new toy as a reward. It's a big pink weiner dog, and instead of squeaking, it honks. It's really cool, and it's bigger than me. I really like slinging it around and killing it. By tonight, I should have it all broken in.

Choodle update

Hey all! This just in, a photo of my cousin Zia, the jack chiweenie. Zia is my abuela's dog and lives in Albuquerque, where my Papi is visiting. She's wicked hard to photograph, so that's why the shot is a leetle dark and blurry. She and her brother Jack live with their parents, Diego and Frida, in Abuela's house. I guess they're quite the troublemakers!

Lulu in the laundry

Greetings all, it's Lulu again. Emma's decided to sleep in this morning so I thought I'd post for a change.
Things have been a little dull around here with Papi gone. Usually he's in his office late at night so I can sit on his lap, or at least hang around while he's working. Since Mami goes to bed early, I have to sleep all alone, which is kind of sad.
But I do like sitting around on the rocking chair at night and watching t.v. with Mami and Emma, and climbing around in the laundry piles when they're right out of the dryer, and watching out the window when Emma plays ball in the yard. And lately I've been getting extra snacks to help me cope with Papi being gone. It does help a little.
Still, I can't wait til he gets back and I can get more late night lap time!

Summer evenings

Summer evenings are so nice because it stays light out really late, and you can get a lot done. Last night, as soon as Mami got home from work, she put my harness and leash on me and we went out for a long walk. There's a big hill out west of our house, so we walked all over it, looking at all the big fancy houses and the gardens and the big fat cats.
Then we walked over to this little park on the other side of the hill, and after we walked all around it, Mami sat on the swing and put me in her lap and we did some swinging. I've never done that before. It's kinda fun, with the wind rushing in your ears and everything going real fast. Then I started to feel a little sick, but Mami stopped by that time.
After we went back home, Mami went over to Aunt Jen's house to have dinner. She got to visit my friend, Cat Smacky. He's a very big cat who likes to give big hugs and nibbles. Aunt Jen can spin him around and around on the kitchen floor. It's pretty funny.

Some relaxin'

We crammed a lot of fun into this weekend, including walks and snacks and ball in the backyard. Yesterday was kind of weird because the power went out right before Mami was gonna make coffee and breakfast, so she had to change plans and go find food somewhere there was power. That was okay with me because she brought me back coffeecake, yum! I helped her sort out cupboards and trim back bushes and fold laundry, and then when the power finally came back on I was so tired, I had a big long nap on the couch.

Fair time

Papi is off visiting my abuela for while, so it's just me and Mami and Lulu here at home. This morning, Lulu and I got up early and chased each other around the house for about half an hour. It was really fun, but Mami got mad cause Lulu kept running across her in bed. We finally got tired and fell asleep again.
Mami went to the fair today and brought back photos for me to see all kinds of neat chickens. There's one called a Polish chicken that looks like it's wearing a hat. My Tia Becky has 16 chickens right now and says if we want she will raise some baby chicks and give us black chickens. I would like to have some chicken friends in the back yard!

Blech

I spent this morning not feeling too well. Something is in my tummy and it wants to get out real bad. Mami's not sure what I got into, she was home with me all last night and she didn't see me eat anything bad, and frankly I can't remember what I ate either, but this morning I spent a lot of time in the yard eating grass and getting sick. I wouldn't even take my morning biscuit, and that's when Mami knows I'm really feeling gross.
I perked up a little before she left though, and was finally able to snack a little on the biscuit she'd left in my bowl, and I think if I have a good long nap I'll be back to my old self by this evening.

Outdoor fiesta

Last night was my Tio Tony's birthday, and Tia Lisa threw a nice outdoor party in their bonita garden, with flowers and candles and music. It was so nice! Everyone had enchiladas and pork ribs and cerveza, everyone but me, that is. I had to stay on a leash so I didn't chase the neighbor cats, and so I didn't jump on Kurt's lap and steal his corn. It was kinda frustrating.
But it was nice to be outside and watch Tio Tony light the candles and hear the birds singing goodnight. Since it was a Mexican themed party, Mami dressed up special and put flowers in her hair. Tio Tony wore a big flower crown that Tia Lisa made for him. It was extra fancy.
Feliz Cumpleanos!

Cherry juice

Boy did I get into trouble last night. See, it all started out innocently enough, with me running around in the backyard while Mami visited with my Tia Jennifer. The cherries have all fallen off the cherry tree, and are all over the ground, and I think they're quite snacky.
But the thing is, they're everywhere, so when I start marching, they get in my toes. That would have been okay, I guess, except that I got kinda frisky, and I did a running leap onto Tia Jennifer's lap, and then onto Mami's, who was sitting across from her. I didn't understand what had happened at first when they yelled, I thought they were just surprised, but then I saw big red stains all over their clothes. Cherry stains.
As a result, I got carried into the house and thrown into the bathtub, and Mami gave me a big soapy bath and scrubbed my toes HARD. The water was all purple from the cherries, it was kinda pretty but I couldn't appreciate it, being as I was soaking wet and grumpy.
I'm all clean and fluffy and cherry free. For now.
I don't have a picture of the cherry incident, but here is a neat photo of my Papi in Mexico. He's so handsome.

I'm back!

Hola amigos! I'm finally back from my vacation. Well, actually it was my parents vacation, I didn't go anywhere. They went to Mexico for two whole weeks, but Lulu and I stayed home. We had a really nice pet sitter named Jon who took really good care of us. He even read us the new Harry Potter book! But I had to promise not to tell Mami how it ends because she hasn't read it yet.
Jon works at a book store downtown, so I got to hang out with all the cool book people and meet the bookstore cat, Tess. I also got to walk around on the waterfront.
I'm pretty glad Mami and Papi are home though, because they've been giving me lots and lots of extra love and biscuits. And they had lots of cool new things to sniff from Mexico. Plus they didn't bring me any stupid sombreros or t-shirts to wear. I'm really glad of that!

Blog break

Hola everyone! I just wanted to let you know that I'm going to be taking a break from the blog for the next two weeks. It's vacation time for Mami and Papi, so they won't have time to keep up my blog for me. I hope you don't mind! I will miss you all, but I'll see you in August! Besos.

Givin ya the eye

Begging is not something I'm really allowed to do, especially at the dinner table, and especially when guests are over. For example, my Auntie Jen was over having enchiladas last night, and I could tell Mami would not be happy if I stood on the chair with my paws and begged, so I had to sit and stay very very still. That is the hardest thing ever, and I get very trembly, but I found if I make eyes at people, they usually know what I want and slip me some snacks on the sly.
I do this on the couch at night too, when Mami and Papi are sitting together eating something nice like popcorn or sorbet. I know exactly how far to cock my head, and how much to wiggle my ears, but the eyes are the most important thing. That way I can emphasize exactly how hungry I am, and I am always very hungry.
Sometimes it's too much and I bark, but then I get sent off into the corner, so I try not to let it overcome me, or I blow the whole deal.

Presents!

Yesterday I had a very fun time! Mami brought me a very snazzy fur bone with a squeaker in it, so I spent all afternoon carting it around and throwing it up in the air. She also gave me half a can of wet dog food, a rare treat, for my supper.
Since it was really hot and Mami felt kinda blech, she let me take a nap in bed with her with the ceiling fan on, which was really nice. When Papi got home, he played toy bone with me too. All in all it was quite a satisfying birthday.

It's my birthday!

That's right, today I turn 2-years-old! I'm very excited because tonight I get a special can of tasty dog food with a candle, and a present! It's really going to be a nice day.
Yesterday was not so nice, because I had to go in for my booster shots and checkup. The vet said I'm very healthy, and now weigh 6 pounds and 3 ounces. Mami thinks I'm too skinny but the vet said I'm just right. I had to get FOUR shots, which wasn't cool. One of them was an allergy shot 'cause sometimes the other shots make my head swell up, which is even less cool.
But I also got some cheez whiz from the vet tech, and I've never had cheez whiz before. That was a nice change. But I think I like pepper jack better.
Today's gonna be over 100 degrees so I think I'm gonna lay low til my party.

Heat waaaave

I know I was born in the desert and all, but it is getting way too hot out these days. It's gonna be 100 tomorrow, and I can't even imagine stepping a toenail outside in that kinda weather, which is sad, because I love being outside. Last night Mami and Papi didn't walk me until 11 p.m., when it cooled down enough for an hour walk. It's kinda fun to walk when it's dark out, there was a shooting star and everything.
I hear there are popsicles in the fridge, which is the only thing keeping me going in this weather. That and maybe spraying my belly with some water. Aahhh.

Mr Corgi

This is Teddy, my cousin in the country, that I've talked about before. He spends most of his time sleeping on a rug next to my Abuela, but he also likes to take walks in the garden and eat strawberries and blueberries when they are ripe. He has some chipmunk friends that come to visit him sometimes, but he hates squirrels and cats.
He's a pretty mellow guy except when I come over, 'cause he doesn't like other dogs in his space. It's too bad because we like all the same things, armpit scratches, cheese, belly rubs, popcorn, laying on the couch and watching movies. I think we could be friends if he'd just give me a chance.

Lulu chat

Hello everyone, it's Lulu again. I've been spending most of my days this hot week in the office, under the rocking chair. I stay out of the main part of the house when it's hot, because they have those darn ceiling fans going, and I do NOT like ceiling fans. They're too spinny and scary for me, I don't feel comfortable passing underneath them. So I just stay away altogether.
There were a lot of fireworks in our neighborhood on the Fourth, but Emma and I are pretty brave when it comes to noises, so we didn't have any trouble. In fact, Emma went to bed right in the middle of the loudest bangs. She was bored with it all.
Yesterday was so hot all I could do was wave my paws in the air and sleep. It's only going to get hotter, too. I don't like the heat. It's hard to deal with when you're wearing fur pants.

Too much fun

Here I am today lounging at my Abuelos' house for Fourth of July, after a big lunch. Papi got very sick to his stomach this morning so he stayed home and Mami and I went and picked up my Abuelita and took her to Mami's padres house. We played in the yard and then had a really big lunch including two kinds of pie! Then we took a little nap before Mami took Abuelita home and we made the long drive back to Papi. He is feeling a little better now but he's still kind of weak. Mami brought him all sorts of good leftovers, like half a pecan pie. Mmm!

Feliz Dia de la Independencia!

Hello all! I'm taking a short mid-week break to head up to the Abuelos place in the country for the Fourth. We're gonna have hamburgers and beans and lemonade and pie and I can't wait! It's a long drive and I know Teddy the Corgi won't be happy to see me, but I'm still gonna have lots of fun. And it's hot so I may jump in the creek if Mami doesn't catch me first.
Have a safe and happy holiday everyone! Even though not all of us are happy about the direction things have been going lately, the Fourth is a good time to reflect on the reasons this can be a great place to live, and how we can work for positive change.

Water and more water

When it gets hot, I like a lot of water around me, but I don't necessarily want to be in it. Just close to it. Unfortunately, Mami decided that it was finally bath time again, so she threw me into the tub on Saturday before she ran off to a movie with some of her lady friends. I guess I supposedly smell better now, but it was tough going for awhile. She was in a hurry and she scrubbed hard!
On Sunday, I got to play bocce ball with Mami and Papi. It was pretty fun. I had my own special tennis ball to play with. Papi bought the bocce set on Saturday and wanted to try it out, but he got mad 'cause Mami beat him a bunch of times. He said the grass wasn't even enough.
After that, we took a long walk downtown so Papi could go to the library, and Mami and I sat on the edge of the library fountain. I drank a big cup of water they got me at the juice place, and then I sat next to the fountain to cool off. When you're wearing fur pants, it gets awfully hot!

A beautiful evening

Last night, the rain stopped and a huge rainbow came out over the neighborhood. Everyone came outside and stood on the street to look at it, and people were taking pictures. It stayed out for a really long time, and all the flowers underneath were glowy and pretty and everyone oohed and ahhed. It was a really pretty thing to see.

Wags

I didn't blog yesterday because Monday night I got a really bad tummy ache and had to be held and snuggled a lot. I think I ate something bad but I really can't remember what that might have been. I eat a lot of things, not all of them actually food.
I felt better by yesterday afternoon, so Mami and Papi and I took a big long walk for an hour around town. I got to sniff in a lot of gardens and see a lot of people out and about. It's always a little dangerous when I walk, 'cause big dogs sometimes jump at me, but last night, I actually got chased by an orange and white cat. Mami had to shoo it off. She said it thought I was a big mouse.
When we got home, Mami noticed that one of my dew claws is broken and stuck out at one side. I wouldn't let her look at it because it's kinda sore. She said I have to go in for shots at the vet anyway so I guess they'll have to clip it off for me. I don't like the sound of that one bit. I think they should just leave my toes alone.

Summer reading

Although I'm not old enough to read yet (I'm not quite two), I do like to be read to at times, as do most dogs. Mami likes to read out loud, she even volunteers during the school year for a program called SMART, Start Making A Reader Today, to help little people develop a love for books.
This summer, you should find someone who doesn't know how to read, whether it's a little human person or a fur person, and spend some time reading books, like my Aunt Candace and my friend Charley. Charley likes books about dogs and cats, ones with good exciting words and sometimes pictures. Aunt Candace has lots of books about dogs. Maybe sometime soon, I can go over to her house and she can read to me too!

Midsummer's Night

Yesterday was the first day of summer, and I got to spend yesterday evening out of doors, running around with my chew, and helping Mami water the garden. It was very pleasant and warm, and the neighbor was blasting Irish music. After we finished our chores Mami put a bowl of milk out for the fairies in the Hawthorne tree.
Then we went inside and watched t.v. and ate a big bowl of popcorn. That's my favorite late night treat. This time it was extra buttery. Lulu wanted some but we decided it might not be good for cats. But it's very good for choodles.

Happy Summer Solstice!

Just a few short minutes ago, the Summer Solstice officially took place. It's the longest day of the year! Mami opened the windows before she went to work so that Lulu and I could enjoy the sunshine and smell all the blooms.
Today is a day to celebrate the nice things about summer, like flowers and berries and picnics and naps in the sunshine. You should also leave out a bowl of milk for the fairies. They'll appreciate it. Put it under a tree for them. They deserve a party too!

Risky business

My bold protection of the cherry tree has earned me some deadly enemies, in the form of two blue jays who have the same love of cherries as I do. They spend all their time bouncing up and down in the branches, or sitting on the fence giving the cherries the eye, and squawking.
Well I don't care for their noisy behavior, so I run up and bark at them. First they would get scared and fly off, which was very satisfying, but lately, they haven't moved at all. In fact, they lean down and yell insulting things at me, things that Padre Lucas has told me never to say or repeat. And yesterday morning, one of them had the nerve to swoop at my head! Can you believe it?
Papi thinks that I'm gonna get bonked in the noggin with a beak pretty soon, and Mami's worried that they'll just carry me off. I'd like to see them try!

Felicidades!

Today was a very important day. First Mami got up and made a big big breakfast with potatoes and eggs and cherry cobbler she made fresh from the cherry tree, and then Papi got all fancy in these big black robes with a very special hat, and a fancy scarf that kinda looks like a serape.
He looked very strange and official in his outfit, and Mami said he was going to lead a whole parade of students at graduation. First he let me get in a photo with him so that I would look important too.
While Papi was at graduation, Mami went to the store and bought a new comforter and sheet set, burgundy with fancy stripes, to surprise Papi, and she had it all put together before he got home. Now he is asleep on top of the new comforter because he is so tired of marching. Also he has a big red stripe of sunburn on his forehead. He forgot to wear sunscreen.
I'm chewing on a rawhide and Mami is coming in and out of the house to water the garden. Everything is so nice and bloomy. It's been a very good day. And if I'm lucky, there will be some cherry cobbler again tonight.

Rainbows and kazoos

Tonight, Papi and Mami left me at home to go to a very special celebration at Papi's school called Lavender Graduation. Sunday is the big graduation day for everybody, but there are a bunch of little graduations all over the place. Everyone played Pomp & Circumstance on purple kazoos, and then after some nice speeches, all the special graduates got to stand up and people said nice things about them. Five of the students have taken classes from Papi, so he wanted to make sure he was there to celebrate with them. Then everybody got special purple roses and rainbow sashes and they played kazoos again. Then Mami said there were snacks.
I wish I had been there. I like snacks and rainbows. I don't know how I feel about kazoos though. I've never met one.
Here is a picture of Auntie Jen and Doris playing the kazoos.
Tomorrow Mami has the day off so we're going to play in the garden some more. That means more cherries. Hurrah!

Summer snacks

Yesterday Papi came home early from school so he set up his computer on the lounge chair and got some sun while I ate cherries on the lawn. I got covered in more burrs again, but I ran so fast that Papi couldn't catch me to pull them off, so he just let me be burry. They finally fell off by themselves.
Meanwhile, I found whole branches of cherries to eat. They were soooo tasty! There were a few more jays bopping around in the branches, and they started fighting, which got me pretty mad, so I was barking and chasing them around until the finally left and I had the cherries to myself.

Guarding the goods

Now that the cherry tree is in full-fruit, I have to be especially vigilant when I go out for morning patrol. The air is full of thieves on wings, especially those pesky blue jays, who are always rooting around in my tree.
This morning, a big bold one sat on the arbor just staring at me with its beady black eyes, hopping up and down and daring me to come after it. Of course, I can't reach very high, so all I could do was stare it down.
Then it winked in a saucy fashion and hopped onto the tree and started eating cherries left and right. I hate that! It doesn't even eat the whole cherry, it just pecks one bite and spits out the rest. It's wasteful! I eat the whole thing.
Mami was nice enough to pick some cherries for me and share them, but the whole time I kept my eye on that jay, ready to give him the business if he came anywhere within a foot of the ground.

Graduation time

Around here, the world is full of people in big robes and funny flat hats, getting ready for something important. Mami keeps having to go to all these schools and ask the funny-hatted people about what they're going to do next in life, after they get special pieces of rolled up paper and throw their hats in the air.
I think that sounds really exciting, especially the throwing part. I want to go to a graduation and chase some hats. But Mami says no. Papi has his own fancy robe and special hat, and something colorful that hangs down the back like a dog hammock but Mami said I can't ride in it cause I'd fall out. He's going to be a "marshall" at the big college graduation Sunday. I thought a marshall was one of those police men in the movies, but this time it's something different.
If I were to give my own personal choodle advice to graduates, I would advise this: Take lots of naps. There's no such thing as too much sleep, and I hear it makes you more beautiful. Even though naps do something funny to my hair sometimes. If you can, take naps with the people you love, the cuddly ones, that is. And preferably the non-stinky ones.

Some bonus photos

I just got some really nice photos that my Tio Casey took at the tea party last week. Wanna see?

Walking into trouble

Yesterday was a good day for getting into trouble, even though I never mean to. It was one of those super nice days that sometimes happen in between a week of showers, and so Mami spent time outside under the cherry tree, where I always like to go, because I can eat all the cherries that fall on the ground. I don't eat the pits or the stems, I spit those out and just get the good part.
Well, while I was walking around looking for more cherries, I got back into the bushes where I normally don't go, and when I came out, I was covered in these little sticky green things.
Mami says they're burrs, although that's a funny name, cause it was hot out. Anyway, they were stuck pretty good in my fur, and I didn't like it when she pulled them out. They made tangles and I screeched. And once she got them out, I forgot and went back in the bushes again and got covered a second time. I guess Mami got pretty aggravated, because she told me if it happened one more time she was going to shave my fur off to get the burrs out. So after that I stayed out of the bushes.
That night Mami took me to have dinner with Auntie Candace and Charley. They ate outside so Charley and I got to sit near them and smell all the good food smells. Papi was supposed to come but he has the bad allergies and he stayed home in bed.
After dinner I went inside and saw Auntie's cat, and thought maybe she was like Lulu and needed a good chasing so I chased her all around the house. Mami caught me just before I got her, and then when I saw how puffy and growly and mad the cat was I realized I guess I had a lucky break. Lulu doesn't hit with her claws, but I guess this cat does. Auntie Candace says I'm lucky to still have my eyes. Next time, I'm supposed to remember not to chase cats that aren't Lulu. There are way too many things to remember when it comes to being good.

Rainy days and pixie dust

Sometimes, rainy days just make me sleepy and I crash out on the couch with Lulu. But then there are certain rainy days sprinkled with some evil pixie dust that just turn everything on its head. Yesterday was one of those days.
I'm not sure what started it, but I blame Lulu. She started running around the house in big circles, screaming and hooting, and leaping in and out of the cat door into the utility room. That got me going, so I started chasing her, and for about two hours straight, we were jumping and shouting and slapping and chasing and growling. Mami didn't know what to do with us. She stayed on the couch where it was safe from toe biting and just left us alone. She said as long as we didn't draw blood, she'd just remain a neutral party.
We didn't stop until Papi got home and we decided it was a good time for a nap. Then I got to climb into bed with everyone, and Lulu went to sleep on the bedroom chair. I guess we kinda got drained from all that slapping.

Pretending

I've been thinking about the things I learn around humans, especially when I'm at parties or other gatherings were lots of humans are bopping around and talking to each other. I've decided that the biggest difference between dogs and humans when it comes to being around each other is that dogs never pretend they feel something that they don't.
For instance, when I decided I didn't like Spanky the other day, it took me only a second or so to decide, and once I made up my mind, I started growling to show how I felt. That doesn't mean that I won't change my mind again and like him someday, and when I do, I'll give him a wag and a smile. But I showed him how I felt right away.
That's not what humans do. Mami calls it being polite, but I can smell when people don't like each other, and I can hear it in their voices, but they still smile instead of growl, and they don't chase each other or put their ears down.
Why is that? How come humans pretend they want to play and show their bellies, when actually they'd rather take a swipe or turn their backs? It seems kind of silly to me. I think dogs have a better attitude. We may make snap judgements, but at least we're up front about it.
As for me, I like pretty much everybody. I might even like Spanky the next time we meet. I'll give him a second chance. But I'll tell you right now, I won't fake it!