Ritual

Every week day morning, after Mami makes her oatmeal and tea, we have a special ritual we go through. She sits down on the couch, I sit on her lap and Lulu sits by her side, and we watch part of an episode of "Charmed" on television while we have breakfast. I look forward to it every day. I don't actually get to eat any of the oatmeal, but I get to sniff it while I'm in Mami's lap. Lulu watches television and doesn't pay attention to the oatmeal, unless there's butter, which she really likes. Afterward, she puts me in bed with Papi and leaves for work, and Lulu goes to sleep on the guestroom bed.
For the next couple of days, I won't get to do the ritual, because Mami has to go to Portland to help move my Abuela into the retirement place. I don't get to go with her because she has a lot of packing and moving to do, and I'm kind of a distraction. Plus I take up a lot of room in the car, with my bed and toys, which she needs to load boxes. So I guess I won't get to go see the new place for a few days. It also means I won't be doing any more blogging until next week.

Update from the weekend

Well, it was a very full weekend for us, with lots of news. Mami and I went to take Grandma home from the hospital Friday, and I got smuggled into Grandma's room, because there aren't supposed to be dogs there. I was very quiet in my bag so no one knew but Mami and Grandma. We took her home and got her all settled in, but unfortunately, she had to go back to the hospital Sunday night because she took too much medication accidentally. Now Mami said she may have to move to a new place where people can help her with meals and things. So I may have a new place to visit soon.
On Saturday, we went up to Mt. Hood for my Tia Chelsea's wedding to my Tio David. It was so beautiful. It was under the trees by a big river and I really liked it a lot. Plus, I got to hang out at their house for the reception and everyone loved me. I got lots of sneaky scraps from new people, and Tia Chelsea's Papi really loved me a lot. He's a dog person.
Anyway, here's a photo of Mami, Tia Chelsea and me. I'm the one in the middle.

Worried

Today I'm a little blue. My abuela had to go into the hospital yesterday and they're doing a whole bunch of tests on her. I guess she is having some bad trouble with her memory and maybe her heart too, so they're trying to figure out what's going on. I am glad I got to go see her last week. Mami said they won't let choodles into the hospital, so I can't go visit, but maybe tomorrow she will go home and I can see her. That would make me feel better.

Happy Spring!

It is a very glorious day out. The sky is blue, the trees and flowers are blooming, and Mami mowed the lawn last night with her new push mower and so I can run through the yard without getting lost. Happy Spring, everyone!

Important work

On Friday, I was given a very important assignment by Mami. She is hoping to help her Abuela find a new place to live that is a little bit easier and safer than living by herself, but her Abuela doesn't really want to move. So Mami asked me to come with her to visit Abuela, and take her on a trip to visit some new places.
I got to sit on Abuela's lap during the drive, and I got to go inside each place and look around and sniff, and I got to sit in my carrier in the dining room and watch everybody eat. Mami even snuck me some yummy pork tenderloin when no one was looking. It was pretty tasty.
I think it would be nice if Abuela had a new place to live where she had someone cook for her and help her around. I hope that she decides to move pretty soon, then I can go up again and play in her new apartment.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Hello all! I just wanted to wish you a Happy St. P's Day. Technically I'm not Irish, I can't drink beer and I don't have anything green to wear, but I can still celebrate! Besides, as a half-chihuahua of Mexican heritage, I know all about the San Patricios, the Irish fighters who joined up with Mexican fighters a long time ago. If you haven't heard about them, look it up, it's a pretty interesting little piece of history. Viva Ireland!

Trouble and fun

The other morning, things got kind of crazy around the house. Lulu and I were chasing each other up and down the hallway, but we weren't as careful as we maybe should have been, because Lulu got excited and knocked into the baby gate and it fell and smooshed her. It's not very heavy so she took off from under it and hid under the bed for a long time. She finally came out again after she stopped being embarrassed. She said it was my fault but I wasn't even touching it so I don't see how that could be the case.
Tonight is going to be very exciting because I have a play date with one of Mami's friend's dogs. It's a big dog, but I've been told she's very friendly and likes to play with little dogs like me. Her Mami knows a lot about dogs and dog training, so maybe she can teach me a few things about how to behave. I guess I have to act real nice tonight so she'll think good things about me.

Spring sunshine and scooter balls

You know what's tasty? Little yellow scooter balls. Most people don't realize this, but they kind of taste like fuzzy lemons. The regular size tennis balls are too big for me to carry around, and can be rather frustrating. But these special little ones are just right. I can walk around carrying one for hours and hours, and I have even figured out how to bark with one in my mouth. It's kinda muffled, but it works. That way, I don't drop it and lose it under the couch if I happen to see a cat or something else barky going by.

Que fancy

Some days, I feel fancier than others. For instance, here I am sporting a fetching rainbow costume. I don't care for dressing up too much, but sometimes I just have to get my fancy pants on.

Woofin

Okay, I'm not supposed to bark, but sometimes, when I'm sitting on the back of the couch and someone goes by who I don't care for, I just have to say something.
I don't care for people walking dogs, I hate passing cats, and anyone who appears to walk in the general direction of the house has some bad words coming to him from me.

After an uneventful week, Saturday was full of excitement! Mami got up early and put me in my special green carrier bag, the one with the pretty embroidered flowers on it, and took me shopping! First I had to get my nails done, which I hate, and the groomer place is always full of big barky dogs, but it only takes a few minutes and then my nails are all nice and short.
Then we walked around inside the big pet store, and I got to look at bunnies and birds and ferrets and other dogs. They were having a pet dress up contest but Mami said I didn't have to enter because I hate wearing dresses, and I'd already gone through the whole nail thing.
Then we drove around and stopped to look at other neat stuff, like pottery and fountains, and finally, we went to go get lunch, big meat sammiches! Well, they were for her and Papi, but I got to sniff them real hard.
After lunch, we all took a really really long walk up into the hill behind the house to explore. We were gone an hour, and I was really tired when we got home. But it was so nice!
Sunday Mami spent the whole day in the yard. I got to watch her out the window, and sometimes Papi would take me out to play ball. Mami got really muddy, but everything looks nice now.

Happy Anniversary!

Tomorrow (Thursday) is Mami and Papi's fifth anniversary. They are going to go out and eat a fancy dinner. I'm hoping that they bring me back something in a doggy bag, but I think maybe that's not going to happen. I hear at those fancy places, they feed you even less than they do at a cheap place, so there are never any leftovers. I don't understand human rules like that.
I guess that means Lulu and I will stay home and watch Animal Planet until they get back. Then I will give them really big kisses. That's the only present I can give. At least, the only one they appreciate. They don't care for poo presents.
Here is a picture of all of us last summer. Well, not all of us. Lulu was at home. She doesn't like to go out very much.

Scooter ball time

I got a couple of really cool green scooter balls for Christmas, and I'm way into them, but they're always rolling under stuff in the house so they get throw outside a lot, which can be frustrating. Lately, after I run around and do my business in the yard, I find one of them and take it in. Mami takes it and throws it outside, but Papi sometimes doesn't notice, so I sneak it in under the radar.
Then I play ball all day long, until it gets stuck under something. This morning it got stuck under the fridge, and then the couch, and then the bookshelf. It was such hard work I got really hungry and had to eat a big breakfast. Mami said she's about ready to throw my ball back outside, but luckily she had to go to work and I got to keep it inside for the day. Woohoo!

Snaps!

I've discovered a new favorite thing, ginger snaps. I've never had them before, but Mami decided that it would be a good thing for me to try out as a special kind of people treat, so she gave me one on Sunday. Then another one accidentally fell out of the bag, so I got two. They are soooo wonderful. I've decided that I like them better than biscuits. They're one of Papi's favorite treats too, and he gets to eat more of them than I do. But he's bigger than I am, so I guess that's only fair.

Let the sunshine in

It was so sunny Saturday that I thought it was summertime. I spent a long time out in the yard, playing ball with Mami, but it got hot enough that I had to take a break a couple of times and pant. Then Papi and Mami and I took a really long walk downtown and ate lunch at an outdoor cafe, and I got to sit on Mami's lap and watch the other dogs go by. I tried to stick my head in her bowl of sauce because I thought it was my snack, but she caught me before I had a chance to eat it. Papi bought cookies for the walk back, but they had chocolate in them so I didn't get any.
Then we came back home and I took a nap while Mami did yard work and Papi graded papers. The sunshine was so warm and nice, it made my fur feel quite fuzzy. Too bad it started raining again on Sunday.

Bites and pieces

Being small has its advantages. For instance, I am lap sized, and therefore can sneak up and put myself in someone's lap very stealthy-like, and settle down and nap before they even notice me.
It's also handy for escaping tricky situations, say I'm getting yelled at for not quite getting into my litter box. I can fit nicely under the coffee table and hide.
It also allows me to escape the clutches of Lulu because I can be little and slippery when I need to be.
And sometimes, like last night, I get special small treats, like mini-pancakes, which are just my size.
But being small can also be rough, especially when I'm too small to jump on the bed without help, and I can't jump up and kiss faces when people are standing up. Also, I'm very portable, so I get picked up a lot without giving anyone permission to scoop me into the air. This is especially bad when I'm barking at something outside and I get grabbed and held up so that I can't bark anymore. That makes me pretty frustrated.
But what's worse than that is when Mami picks up Lulu and holds her instead. I HATE that. That cat is spoiled and I'm not afraid to say it. Well, at least not while she's safely in Mami's arms and not on the ground where she can get me.

Love and kisses

Today is a very important day for choodles, who are always full of love for everyone they meet. Since I can't make my own Valentines, I'm sending you virtual choodle kisses, which make me thirsty, as you can see. I never run out of kisses for all my friends and family, which makes every day Valentine's Day for me.

In the dog house

My new favorite treat is a pig skin rawhide that I carry around the house and chew on until I fall asleep. It's extremely tasty and I can't get enough of it.
But Mami said it also makes me kind of grumpy. She doesn't understand why I growl at Lulu when she gets too close to it. She says that Lulu isn't interested in my treat, but I'm not so sure. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Last night though, Mami got fed up. I kinda started jumping up and down next to Lulu's head and barking at her really fierce, and Mami picked me up and put me in the bedroom and locked me behind the baby gate. Then Lulu came over and stared at me through the bars and said "Nah nah nah nah!" It was not fair at all. I had to stay in there for ten minutes until I calmed down. Mami says next time, she's putting the raw hide up for good, so I've been trying to be a little nicer about it. But it isn't easy.

I wish I had something exciting to report, but last night I stayed all alone for hours and hours because Mami and Papi went to Portland to see a big concert by Los Amigos Invisibles. Well, Lulu was home too, but she was sleeping in the guest room so I had no company. It was really super boring. I hope there's something more exciting going on tonight, like a cheese party.

Back from blog hiatus

Well I'm back after a bit of a break. Mami had to travel to Illinois and Iowa for a conference, so she wasn't able to help me with my posting, but now she's back. Today Lulu and I got to play with the mailing boxes they're using to send presents to people, including my Tias Lilia and Carol, and my Abuela in Albuquerque. Here you can see me trying out the boxes.
I'll have more news tomorrow, but right now I have to chase Papi because he's sweeping the bathroom and I hate that broom.