Itcy itchy ears

This is Papi holding me at the vet's office this morning. I had to go see the doctor because I have been scratching my ears a whole lot and the fur has worn off, and Mami got really worried.
It turns out that I have a bad yeast infection in both ears. I guess some water got in them from either my bath or the rainy weather. Anyway, now it's all sore and swollen and full of badness down in there. So Mami has to put drops in my ears twice a day and then wash them out every other day until I get better. That's a lot of yuckiness, but I guess it's going to make me feel better. Eventually.
But anyway, the vet said I'm in perfect health otherwise. I'm just the right weight, my teeth are shiny, my coat is healthy and I have a good heart and lungs. So hurrah for me! Also, they gave me some Easy Cheese as a treat. That's the only good part about going to the vet.

A lovely weekend

Here is my new friend Wage sporting a fancy hat on Sunday. He and I have been inseparable since our introduction. Well, except for when Mami took me for a walk. It was quite nice out Saturday, so we took a stroll around the neighborhood, and I got to sniff snowdrops and look at all the things starting to pop out of the ground.
All weekend we have had loads of naps and snacks and fun. Other than a slight problem with my ears, which has made them very itchy, I've been quite in a good mood.

My new friend, Wage

Hello everyone. I want you to meet my new stuffed friend, Wage. He was a gift from my Tia Jennifer. She got a new job that takes her away from Mami's office, but she promised she is still going to be my friend, and she gave me her stuffed doll Wage so that I could chew it and think of her. Isn't he handsome? He comes with his own apron. He is supposed to be an oppressed big box store worker, but I prefer to imagine he's a baker who makes me pies.

Cesar Schmackimus

I've told you before about the biggest, boldest, nicest cat I know. His name is Cat Smacky, and he lives with Tia Jennifer and Doris. He is very well taken care of, but because of his good nature, he often finds himself in unexpected predicaments, such as being used as a fashion accessory, or cuddled to within an inch of his life. He is also very mischevious, and often ends up in unexpected places, say, fancy shopping bags, the tops of dining room tables and sometimes on top of the fridge. Here are some examples of a night in the life of Maximum Smacky.

Luff and stuff

I know February is all about fuzzy lovey dovey stuff, but when you're a choodle, everyone loves you all the time, not just on a certain day in mid February. As you can see here, even Lulu can show her love sometimes. At least, she can refrain from smacking me when we're both on the couch. Mainly I think it's because she gets sleepy, but I do appreciate it when we can sit together and not fight.

Squeaks!

When it's winter, and most of my time is spent napping, I need to get a little burst of excercise now and then to keep trim and healthy. Thats where my Squeaks come in. Those are my toys, which normally reside in a cardboard toy box in the bedroom, but I usually like them better spread all over the wood floors. My current favorite is a pink weiner dog that squeaks and honks too. It is longer than me, and fun to chase. Here I am last night, tempting Mami to throw it. I ended up hitting Lulu in the face on naccident, because she was sleeping next to Mami on the couch and my aim was off. Sort of.
I really really love pink ball but it's always under the couch and Mami says there's a limit to how many times she gets down on the floor to fish it out. Pink weiner dog is too fat to fit under the couch so I never lose him.

Late nights

I tell ya, I've been staying up too late these days. Either we're all up watching movies in the living room (last night it was that old black and white Beatles movie, something about working like a dog, I didn't get it), or if we do go to bed at a decent hour, Mami and Papi are always talking talking talking until I even dream funny things. Mami said that's what you get for living with a philosopher and a reporter, there's always something to talk about.
Why can't we all just be like Lulu, and spend our time asleep with our paws over our eyes?

Walkies, finally

Well, after absolutely weeks of rain, snow and freezing weather, Sunday afternoon it finally got nice enough for long enough to take a walk. Mami got out the leash and we headed out for a 45 minute walk, all the way to campus and then down frat row and then by the park and back home. I was so tired that on the final block, I stopped and refused to go any further, so Mami had to carry me the last few steps. Then I took a really big nap. It felt good but I think we pushed ourselves too hard. Next time we'll take it slower.

Rosey surprise

Yesterday was the sixth anniversary of the day when Papi and Mami first met each other, so last night, Papi snuck a bunch of pink roses home for Mami. She likes them lots better than red ones. They are very pretty on our dining room table, so I thought this morning that I would climb up and sit next to them, because they look maybe like they'd taste good. Turns out, they don't, so I settled for a biscuit. The pink makes me think about springtime. Right now, there's not very much color in the world, so a little pink makes it nice.

Must...nap...

Okay, I've just about had it with this wacky weather. It can't decide whether it's snowy winter or warm, wet spring. All I know is, it's so nasty outside that I never get my walks any more. That means that the only thing I have to do with my time is nap. But no matter how much I nap, I'm still sleepy when I wake up! It's very frustrating. I can't wait til Spring comes and I can take big, long walks and sniff daffodils and stretch my paws out a little.
Meanwhile, Mami says I'm causing mischief because I've been cooped up for too long. Maybe I can blame that poo on the bathroom rug on cabin fever.

Heeeeeere's Yoshi!

Hey folks! Remember Yoshi, the baby pomeranian? He's gotten a lot bigger, and today, he visited Mami's office, along with his older brother, Dewey the chi (my secret boyfriend). Isn't he getting big and cute? But he's still smaller than me, and he's a big puffball.

Winter weather accessories

I can't believe how often it's snowed this month! Last night was another example, when it snowed those huge flakes that make it look like a Hollywood movie set. "Course, this morning it was just slightly white and very rainy. I wish we'd just get one huge snowfall and then be stuck in the house for a week. That would be fun!
Mami likes this kind of weather cause she gets to wear all her hats and fancy scarves. She made Papi a big ol' stripey scarf from yarn my Tia Lani gave her, it's really neat looking. And she made herself a purple and green mottled scarf the other day that goes with her green hat that Tia Candace helped her pick out. She would make me a scarf, but I think they're itchy and chokey. I prefer to run in the snow in the buff, thank you very much.

Bienvenidos, world visitors and new friends!

Hello everyone! I have noticed that a whole lot of my visitors in the last week have been from all around the world, including India, Spain, Argentina, Romania and pretty much any other place you can imagine. Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you had fun looking around my site! Please comment if you like what you see! You can do it in Spanish if you wish, Mami is really good at reading Spanish too, and she can translate for me!
Besos!
Theresa

Paw of fury

So, the scariest thing that ever happens to me is when I'm in the bathroom with the door shut. Every time I'm in there, this mysterious and very dangerous thing happens. First, I hear the sound of metal clinking against the hardwood floor outside the door. Then I hear this very low scratching noise, like something very large is scrabbling around. Then it gets quiet for a few seconds, tick tick tick, and then suddenly, this massive black, fur-covered arm comes shooting out from under the door. Sometimes it's just a paw, and sometimes it is the whole arm, all the way up to the arm pit, and the paw has these huge claws coming out of it, and it waves around, and if I get brave and try to bite it, it swipes at me.
It is the most terrifying thing ever. I totally love it. Someday, I'm going to catch it. But not yet.

Brrrrr!

It started snowing around 3:30 yesterday, and it was so cold that everything was instantly all white. It was really pretty, and I sat on the couch and watched it until I got sleepy. Then I fell asleep and dreamed about ice cream.
When Mami came home it was already getting dark, but she put on her snow boots and we went out into the back yard to play for awhile. It was really frosty but I liked jumping around in it.
This morning it was all still here, although it never got above half an inch. It's 22 degrees this morning and the snow sticks to your toes like anything. Mami took a picture of the yard while I was doing my business by the Hawthorne tree. It won't last long so enjoy!

Always look on the bright side of life

It's cold today. I mean really, really cold. It was 22 degrees when I went outside this morning. My toes ached. It was ridiculously chilly. Painfully frigid.
But it's also very sunny. That means, as long as Papi doesn't turn the heat down too low, I can stay warm on the couch, and let the sun hit me. Lulu usually goes into the guest room for the same reasons. It's not like July sunshine, that becomes so toasty that my fur crackles. But it's still a nice little burst of light on the belly. Of course, that could change in an instance. I hear it's gonna snow tonight. If it does, I'll send you guys some pictures.

The malintent of Cat Smacky

As a rule, I am suspicious of cats. That's not to say I don't have a lot of cat friends, in fact, as you know, I live with one. But I still can honestly say I don't know what they're thinking most of the time. Take, for instance, my friend Cat Smacky. He lives with Doris and Tia Jennifer and Catters. Cat Smacky is a very gentle and loving cat, when it comes to people. But when it comes to Catters, he is the very devil. He chases her off the scratching post, leaps on her from unexpected places, and tries to bite her much harder than is friendly. Sometimes Catters calls Lulu to complain about this kind of treatment, and sometimes Tia Jennifer even sprays him with a water bottle, but he is just a big bully. You can see him in this picture, waiting for the chance to prove his malintent against poor Catters. They should just let me loose in the house. I'd show him who was boss. Maybe.

Happy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Comfort Zone

Yesterday, everyone was a little under the weather. Mami is just finally getting over her cold, Papi is just starting to get one, and I was just feeling, well, poopy. I was kind of interested in playing and eating, but I was more interested in being held. Luckily, since Papi was feeling low, he was also very still, so I had a chance to climb up into his arms and stay in a soft, warm place until I felt better. Lulu came over too, and then Mami, so pretty soon we were all on the couch together and it was nice. I feel a lot better today.

More on couches

So Mami and Papi went to this lecture tonight about how indigenous people sometimes take a communal view to property and living spaces, and how other people can take lessons from that view of shared resources. That got me thinking about the way Lulu and I use the couch. We're both about the same size, and take up about the same amount of space on the couch, and when Mami is in the middle, were good about staying on our sides.
When we're by ourselves, we each stay on our end, or one of us takes the top and one the cushions. The only time we fight is if one of us has the blanket and the other one is cold.
So I think that the couch is our version of the commons. We share our resources equally, and everyone gets what they need, no more, no less. Only I get any crumbs. Cause Lulu is too dignified for crumbs.

Sharing

I think I've talked before about how I have a problem with sharing things. For instance, laps. I don't like it when Lulu gets to sit in a lap and I don't. And snacks. If someone else is having a snack and I don't get a part in it, I get really upset.
But the one thing I do share is the couch. I know that if I don't share, I'll get in trouble, and besides, there's plenty of room for that sort of thing. As long as I have my end, and Lulu has hers, it's okay by me. But I don't want her to get too close, or there might be trouble.

Feeling small

Last night, while standing on the couch trying to steal some edamame from Mami's bowl, I got quite a surprise. Lulu, whom I thought was asleep, was actually secretly awake, and when I stood up next to her, she leaned over, upside down, stretched out her paw and smacked me across the rear end. I jumped about a foot in the air. She didn't use her claws, thank goodness, but it was still quite an unpleasant surprise. For the rest of the night, I kept my butt out of paw reach.

New tricks? No thanks.

It's been a bleak sort of weekend with lots of gray and not much going on. Mami has a chest cold and Papi has a back ache and no one is very chipper, but I have had a chance for lots of snuggling, which is pretty nice. Now we're watching a dog agility show, and Mami says I can learn some tricks, but so far I'm not impressed. Besides, there are no choodles on this show.

A group shot

Last night, because it was Lulu's birthday, everybody got to have tuna in their bowl, even me! I really love tuna, although maybe not quite as much as Lulu does. At least, I don't scream with joy when I hear the can opener. But I do think it's quite tasty.
This morning, Lulu slept in, but I hung out with Mami and Papi before they left for work. Here, you can see Papi is still reading the paper, but Mami and I are trying our cute looks.
Have a great weekend.

Happy Birthday Lulu!

Today is Lulu's seventh birthday, so let's all give her a big kitten cheer! Huzzah!

Meal time

Last night, Mami brought home Chinese takeout after she went to the gym, and I got a bowl of steamed rice, which was pretty fantastic. I really enjoy eating a whole lot, more than is perhaps appropriate, but I never gain any weight because I move around so much.
I was thinking about how much I like sitting with people who are eating, and realized I never posted any photos from Thanksgiving, so I thought I'd share one now. You can't see me, but I'm sitting under the table, waiting for someone to accidentally knock some turkey off their plate.

Captain Courageous

So this morning it wasn't raining or snowing outside, and I got to have the run of the yard. But just as I was finishing up business, I heard something suspicious in the bushes. Turns out, some strange and stripey neighbor cat was doing his own business in MY yard! Well, I was going to have none of that.
I burst into those bushes as puffy and growly as possible, and that cat didn't know what hit him. He was up on the top of the fence before he even knew what was happening, and then Mami finished him off by clapping at him. She said that I was lucky I didn't lose an eye, going after a cat twice my size, but I think I put the fear of Choodle into him.

Choodles are magic

It is so squishy squashy rainy outside right now that it's not even funny. I took one step out into the mud this morning and came right back inside to use my box, because I am not going out in this. Last night around midnight it snowed a real wet cold snow and Mami went out onto the porch and brought me a handful of snow to eat, but even then, I wouldn't go outside. It's ridiculous. Choodles need a lot of sunshine to warm their ears and bellies and keep them cheerful. January is not my favorite month.

Snowy paws

We've had two mornings of snow in a row, and it's been mighty chilly out there during my morning constitutional in the yard. It's hard to find a clear spot not covered with brr! Yesterday, it was snowing these huge flakes bigger than my head, and I got all covered with the stuff. It was okay though, because it made the grass extra crisp and tasty.
But it's also cold as heck, so when I get inside, I dry off and then snuggle on the couch, that is, after my biscuit reward. I also got a bath yesterday, so I'm pretty curly again, but not for long. Usually a few naps and I'm back to fuzzy again.

My friend Chuy

I always like expanding my list of small dog friends, and this is a brand new one. His name is Chuy, and he is a dog of uncertain origin, but is very handsome and only a little bit bigger than me. He lives outside of Santa Fe in a fancy Southwestern house, and he has a habit of getting into trouble. For instance, the other night, he snuck into the kitchen and stole a steak off a plate, and ate the whole thing! He got in a lot of trouble about that. And he didn't feel very good either. I wish people would leave steak lying around my house.

Lucky!

So this is my cousin Lucky. I posted a picture of him when he first came into the family. He lives with my Papi's cousin, Nicole, and Mami and Papi got to meet him on Christmas Day. He is a very soft and sweet little guy, and unlike me, he likes to wear clothes. For Christmas, he got a little jacket that says "Punk" on it, and he thought it was very stylish. I suppose he looked pretty good in it, but frankly, I'd rather be nekkid. Here he is with Mami.

My cousin Zia

This is my little cousin Zia. She is a Jack Chiweenie, because her Mami Frida is a chihuhua daschund and her Papi Diego is a chihuahua Jack Russell. She is very shy, and very fast, and she only lets my Abuela pet her. She is very pretty and sweet but she is shy of strangers. She gave my Mami a kiss but she wouldn't let her snuggle. That's too bad, because Mami is a very good snuggler. Anyway, here she is!

The family

As promised yesterday, I'm going to be posting photos of family and friends down in New Mexico that Mami and Papi brought back from their Christmas trip. Today, I thought I'd introduce you to Frida and Diego, my abuela's dogs. I met Frida when I was very tiny, but she didn't like me too much. In fact, I think she would have smacked me if no one would have been looking. But I guess I was kinda annoying back then. Frida is a chihuahua-daschund, and her husband Diego is a chihuahua-Jack Russell. They have a daughter, Zia, who you'll meet tomorrow. Frida is actually pretty nice, but Diego is very fiesty and barky and jumpy, and he doesn't like Papi too much. He let Mami pet him though, although he jumped the whole time. They like to spend their days in the back yard, and then come in at night.

Happy New Year!

Hello everyone! After a pretty uneventful week with the housesitter, my padres finally returned and now we're all back together as a family. I'm very pleased to see everyone again. I guess they had a good time in New Mexico. They brought back lots of photos which I will share with you this week. This photo is of the new scarf my Abuela sent me as a Christmas present. How was your holiday?

Holiday hiatus

Happy Holidays everyone! Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice, and Christmas is coming next week, and we're all wound up around here. Mami and Papi are getting ready for their holiday trip to see my abuela in Albuquerque, and the housesitter is coming tonight to learn the ropes. Although he's a blogger too, he has his own blog to take care of, so I'm going on holiday hiatus until January. So I hope you all have a wonderful time with friends and family, and I'll see you all next year (or a few days before, if I'm feeling peppy!).
Con carino! Emma

Knitwear

This is me modeling something Mami's working on this week. No, it's not a dog sweater, although I think I look really good in cranberry. Actually, it's something for humans to keep them warm, and it's a gift for one of my abuelas, but I can't tell you which one in case she reads this. Mami really likes to knit, and even though she's just learning and can't make complicated things like socks yet, she is getting pretty good at scarves and hats and blankets. She has to hurry up on this project though because Christmas is right around the corner!

Cousins in the house

Here are some pictures of my cousins in North Carolina. They are Meggie the peek-a-poo and Molly the cocker spaniel. They live with my Mami's cousins out there. I have never met them but they sent me a very nice e-mail. Hello, y'all!

Meet Yoshi

Okay everyone, my new friend has a name. Remember the Pomeranian puppy I introduced you to last week? Well, his Mami and Papi have now named him Yoshi. As you can see, it's a short fuzzy name, like him! Welcome, Yoshi! Maybe we can have Yoshi do a guest blog when he gets a little more acquainted with the world.

Holiday time

Well, it seems like the season has officially started. Mami spent two hours wrapping gifts yesterday, and getting them ready to pass out to various friends and family. Lulu helped, but I was cold so I stayed on the couch in my blanket. Then last night Mami and Papi got all dressed up and went out to a Christmas party, and they came back full of rum cake and tamales. Not fair.
I get to go visit my Tia Candace later this week for a dinner and gift exchange, and get to see Charley too. I bought her a present, but it's a surprise, so shhh.
Next week Mami and Papi will be visiting my Abuela in Albuquerque, but we have a nice house sitter coming to stay with us. He is nice, and sometimes he takes care of Tia Lisa and Tio Tony's house and cat too. I hope he likes to give out biscuits.

Back again

Hello! You're probably wondering where I've been. Well, what happened was that my Abuelo had to have surgery on his eye because he had a cataract, which is the same thing sometimes I hear dogs get but I guess people get it to. Anyway, Mami had to go drive him to the hospital for surgery and then stay up there with him and Abuela and Teddy and take him around to appointments and things for a few days. She got back yesterday but today she had to work all day long, so she finally got around to helping me with my blog tonight. Here is a photo of Abuelo. He's feeling much better now and Mami said he only has to wear his patch at night. I think they should put one of those collars on him so he doesn't itch, like when I got fixed.

Another new friend!

This is my brand new friend, a tiny baby Pomeranian owned by my Mami's friend Wendy, who is also Dewey's Mami. You may remember that Dewey is a handsome chihuahua who is also my secret boyfriend. He is so new that he doesn't even have a name yet. He came in to visit Mami's office the other day. He is as tiny as I was as a baby, only more fluffy. His Mami is still considering names.