Birthday Surprises

Dear friends, before I start telling you about my great birthday, I want to say I’m sorry for tricking you. I didn’t mean to. My paw hit the publish button by mistake, and I wasn’t near done. But I am now, so please don’t be mad and read about my most specialest day ~Xena

I had the bestest birthday I ever had. Of course it was the only one I ever had. On the way home from work, we stopped at the Smart Pet place. After looking around, we went home with yummy treats for me.

When we got home, there were all my stuffie friends, including Ludwig, in the kitchen with bags of pressies for me. Winter bear got tired and fell asleep while he was waiting for me to get home, so he missed me opening my pressies. This pink bag had a lot of bouncy yellow foam balls that Mommy will throw for me. I love to play fetch with balls, and I’m even getting better at catching them with my mouth and my paws.The flower bag had yummy flavored bones in it – I had to share one of them with Lucy. Mommy let us chew on them for a while before dinner, but when she saw how quickly we chewed them apart, she took them away from us and fed them to that bad old can that’s under the sink. I hate that can. It gets lots of stuff I could eat! 

Ludwig ran and got me to come open my last pressie. He whispered in my ear, “I got this one for you, Xena. You are my friend and I love you.” Sure enough, that bag held my favorite pressie of all…a bully horn sized just right for me. Lucy wanted to chew it up, so I am going to take it to work and leave it there, where she can’t get it.

Next came supper. I got a French meal called steak tartar. Instead of bacon on top, there was fresh salmon. It was on a real fancy plate that used to belong to my Grandma. Next to it is my dessert: sliced apple and strawberries and goat yogurt.

Nom, nom, nom.

Lucy got beef and chicken and egg and cabbage and a tiny bit of salmon. And she got the same dessert as me.

She ate so fast that she made all these disgusting piggy noises (sorry, Bacon). We got our desserts after we finished our meal and had licked our plate and bowl clean. You can see we both dug into the yogurt first.

So that is the story of my first birthday, and I hope everyone liked hearing about it.

I am Xena the One-Year-Old Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Bedtime

 

 

Lucy: We don’t get to spend much time with our Dad, so at bedtime, we like to cuddle with him. We both love to get our bellies scratched. And our necks, and ears, and faces, and backs, and…Xena: Put the camera away Mommy. This is my special time with my Daddy. You know I’m going to jump out of the bed soon and get in Lucy’s bed before you tell her to “get down.”Lucy: Take as many pictures as you want, Mom. Just so I get to stay in the bed. Oh, and nobody ever tells me to “get down,” Xena. They just kiss and say, “I love you,” and “I love you too,” and then it’s time for me to go to my bed. 

Xena: Uh huh. That’s when Daddy calls me over to pet me one last time before he turns off the light. He must love to pet me.

Lucy: Thanks for getting out of my bed, Xena. Goodnight, I love you.

Xena: Goodnight, Lucy, I love you too.

We’re Not Water Breeds

Why does Mom think either one of us is part lab or even Goldens, like Bonnie, Belle and Bessie over at Three Pups and a Couple of Kittens. They love their new pool!

You don’t see the part where Mom “helped” me into the pool. I just kept on going, right out the other side.

Mom was able to get a full refund.

Love and wiggles, a (still) dry Lucy

Amusement Park Fun

Memorial Day is an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the men and women who died while serving in the U.S. military. Originally known as Decoration Day, it originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official federal holiday in 1971.

It is often celebrated with outdoor barbecues, picnics, family get-togethers and doing fun things out of doors, often heralding the beginning of summer. Xena and Lucy have joined in the blogville BBQ at the amusement park today, and have their dessert already picked out. Let’s hope they don’t get upset tummies, since they definitely don’t get this kinda stuff at home! Wishing everyone a good and safe holiday.

Lucy: Hey Xena, we better hurry up. I am the official greeter for the Diva Slippers Band and aren’t you playing your accordion?

Xena: Yep, I left it over where we are playing. Maybe we better come back later for our candy.

Both: Nah!

Now hop on over to Mayor Arty’s blog to join everyone as we celebrate the day we honor our brave veterans.

Is There a Dog In There?

Hi friends. This is Lucy with another episode of Grooming with Mommy. When Bella was carried in the door, none of us were really sure if there was a dog inside all that hair.

Then she stuck out her tongue at us and Mom knew she had some tough grooming to do. Bella was here almost a year ago, and hasn’t been groomed since. Mom said she was in the same condition the first time, too – matted to the skin, nails super long, and stinky stuff stuck under her tail. Then, something like a miracle happened.

Bella: I think I’m naked.

Hey, I like how my beard tastes after getting shampooed.

I can’t wait for my Mom and Dad to see me. I hear them coming up the driveway!

Love and wiggles, Lucy

Pee Ess: Xena and I hope all you mothers out there had very Happy Mother’s Day. We love you!!

Sweetheart Bear Goes on Vacation

Mom and Dad went on a weekend vacation without us. Mom said she meant to leave Sweetheart at home with us, but that naughty bear hid in the back seat of the car behind the cooler. They’re back, and I’m going to make Sweetheart tell me where they went and what happened while they were there.She ‘fessed up right away. They drove to a big cabin in the woods and slept late ’cause we weren’t there to get them up. Daddy cooked all their meals and made lots of good drinks that we aren’t old enough to drink. They were sweet and some even had ice cream in them.

Mommy made a dump cake for dessert and they broke their “no sugar” rule all weekend!

Sweetheart visited with the bear living in the children’s room. Her new friend read a Dr. Seuss book to her. It is called Oh, the Places You’ll Go!

I don’t know how she got up so high to explore the big shelf in the living room.

Daddy had to help her get down, so she stayed with him while he took a little chair nap.

Then she went upstairs to Mommy and Daddy’s bedroom and took a little bed nap herself. She said there were three beds, and this is one was ju-u-ust right.

When she woke up, she sat at the bottom of the bed looking out the window at all the trees and listening to the noisy, bubbling creek down below. She  wondered if there were any big black bears in those woods.

When she went out to check for bears she found a gnome who is related to the gnomes at Rock City. He played Sweetheart a little tune.Then he asked her to give his kinfolk his love when she goes to Rocktober Fest this year with me, Xena. Hmm, I wonder why she thinks she is going to get to go with me.Lucy: Sweetheart had a wonderful time on vacation, and she wants me to ask if you are done forcing her to ‘fess up. 

Yep. I’m done. And I don’t think we should tell the folks about how much fun we had with our sitter, Miss Christy. How ’bout if we just let them feel bad that they deserted us. After all, we are a happy pack again.

Love and wiggles from Lucy and screams of joy from the schnauzer warrior princess Xena

What I Saw Lucy Doing

Look what I saw Lucy doing:She’s DROOLING! Then she sucked it back up into her mouth! E-ewww.

And again, on our first time at the dog park: Ha, ha, ha, caught you, Lucy.

Lucy: Sometimes I don’t like you very much, Xena. You need to try to be nicer.

I am Xena the Schnauzer Warrior Princess with the Grossly Drooling Sister

Co-Authoring Hodge Podge

Xena: Lucy and I decided to try to write something together, as co-authors. You know, like Stephen King and Dean Koontz. Yep, that’s us; I’ll be King and Lucy can have Koontzies, he, he, he.

Lucy: Xena, sometimes you just give me a headache.

Xena: Did you know Mommy went and  paid to have her boobies squished? I try to do that for free for her every morning when I catch her laying on her back, but all she does is groan and turn over. Sheesh. I’ll try again tomorrow to see if she has suddenly decided she likes it. Just like she keeps putting coconut oil in my food bowl to see if I changed my mind about eating it. I bet her answer will be the same as mine.

Lucy: Maybe that’s why Mom rubbed the coconut oil all over you, since you won’t eat it.Xena: Not that it did me any good with you licking it all off of me. I couldn’t get away from you, and the folks were laughing too hard to help me.

Lucy: I heard Mom say now you know what it feels like when you lick off all the lotion she puts on her hands or legs.

Xena: Yeah, well…I like my new kennel. It’s right by the back door window so I can look outside whenever I want. And you can’t bother me or take my stuff. It’s my safe place. Lucy: You mean so you can take my stuff! I could come in there if I wanted to…I just don’t want to. *harumph* And oh yeah, I almost forgot. You go brain-dead when you’re near that kennel.

Xena: Do not, Lucy the Koontzie!

Lucy: Do too! You were playing in your kennel when Dad got home the other night and you went crazy, jumping up and down with your pogo stick legs, and screaming for him to get you out. You forgot the door was open!

Xena: Well, I…

Lucy: Oh, oh, and what about last week when the kennel door was open and you were digging at the side to try to get Brownie Bear out? All you had to do was walk in and get him!

Xena: Hey, can anyone guess what’s all over my face? Clue: I just ate lunch.It’s in my mouth, too, he, he. OK, here’s a better picture…Did you guess white wall paper? If so, you’re wrong! Ha, ha, ha. Did you guess egg shell? Yes! Mommy got some farm-fresh eggs at the farmers market over the weekend. If you guessed right, you won an all-expense paid trip to…

Lucy: Xena! Stop! You can’t promise something that you can’t deliver!

Xena: I’m not delivering, silly Lucy with Koontzies. They have to go there themselves.

Lucy: This headache is getting worse. I’m going to put on my happy face, pretend I didn’t hear that, and sing everyone a song, just like you did, Xena *whispers* only better.Is everyone ready? (Oh, I’m a bit nervous.) Here we go. All y’all can sing along if you want.

(Warning: turn down your sound)

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

I come home in the morning light
My mother says when you gonna live your life right
Oh mother dear we’re not the fortunate ones
And girls they wanna have fun
Oh girls just want to have fun
The phone rings in the middle of the night
My father yells what you gonna do with your life
Oh daddy dear you know you’re still number one
But girls they wanna have fun
Oh girls just want to have
That’s all they really want
Some fun
When the working day is done
Oh girls, they wanna have fun
Oh girls just wantna have fun (girls and boys wanna have fun, girls wanna have)
Some boys take a beautiful girl
And hide her away from the rest of the world
I want to be the one to walk in the sun
Oh girls they wanna have fun
Oh girls just wanna have
That’s all they really want
Some fun
We are Xena and Lucy (and I don’t have Koontzies)

Please Be Careful

I saw this and thought I should warn everyone who lives with a cat. Please be careful.

In case you couldn’t read what’s on this picture, I will tell you, ’cause it’s impawtant:

Bringing you dead animals: This isn’t a gift, it’s a warning.

Staring contests: If you get caught in a staring contest with a cat, do not look away. Looking away will signal to your cat that you are weak, and an attack is likely to follow.

Sprinting at light speed out of any room you enter: When your cat does this, it’s actually a failed ambush.

Kneading on you: You may think this is a sign of affection, but your cat is actually checking your internal organs for weaknesses.

Hiding in dark places and watching you: Your cat will often hide in order to study you in your natural habitat.

Throwing up grass: Through this painful feeding and purging process, cats prepare their bodies and minds for combat.

Sleeping on your electronics: Humans have superior technology. Your cat knows this and will attempt to disrupt all communications to the outside world.

Pawing at your face while you sleep: Cats aren’t very good at smothering people, but this won’t keep them from trying.

Excessive shoveling of kitty litter: After using the litter box, your cat endlessly kicks litter around, most of it ending up all over the room. This is practice for burying bodies.

MOM: Lucy! What are you doing? Don’t you know a lot of our friends are cats? What about Siddhartha Henry, or Madi, or Shoko? Do you think they are like this?

What? They’re cats?

MOM: Of course they’re cats. What did you think they were, dogs?

Well…. *shame-faced* I, I guess I never thought about it. I mean, they’re nice and I like them and I never thought about them being any different than me. I hope I didn’t offend anyone.

I am Lucy, the apologetic.

Cave of the Clan Bears Part 2

Xena: Ludwig, I’m sorry it had to come to this. The All eye ants (see previous post) will be here soon to deal with you.

Ludwig: mmphmph…mmmmm.

Xena: Don’t worry, no one is going to hurt you. Oh, here they all are now.Brownie: Is it time now, Xena?

Xena: Yep. Let him have it!

Ludwig: *screaming* Mmmmmmphh!

Brownie: Even though you don’t have a honey…

Sweetheart: or a sweetheart…

Winter: or any fois gras…

Rainbow: or furs of many colors…

Everyone: God loves you!

Xena: We want to be your friends. We think that’s what’s best for everyone, including you. And no more hanky panky. What do you say?

Ludwig: Mmmph. Mmm hmmm.

Xena: I let him loose. Don’t let him get out yet.

Ludwig: *sob* Ok, I’ll tell you the truth. My Mom and Pop came over on the boat from Germany, but I was born in Boston. That’s why I sound funny to you Southern Bears…and, uh, to the bunny over there in the corner. And I know some German from my folks. What I said about being lonely, that’s true. I’m new to town, and don’t know anyone ’cause I work all the time. I just thought…*sob*

Sweetheart: Awww, don’t cry, Ludwig. We forgive you. 

Winter: And you can play with us and be our friend. 

Brownie: And part of the All lie ants.

Xena: And I will ask Mommy to release you from printer guard duty so you can spend time with your new friends.

Sweetheart: I don’t like being a lying ant.

Xena: Consider the All lie ants dissolved. We will all be best friends.Don’t worry, Ludwig. Lucy won’t really eat you. As long as we are all telling the truth now, I have a confession to make…I was jealous and didn’t want you hanging around my sister. Lucy will be the best friend you ever had! Hey everyone! Welcome Ludwig to our family!

I am Xena, the Schnauzer Warrior Princess

Xena’s Visitor

Xena: Hi Ludwig. Why are you wearing my walking vest?

It is because Das Mommy has invited me home for Easter holiday.

Xena: Really? That’s great! You’ll get to meet my big sister Lucy and, and (quietly) you might like her…more than you like me… and then… No, no, Ludwig, you wouldn’t like it at my house at all! Not at all! Lucy might eat you. You’ve gotta tell Mommy you can’t come. But that would be rude, lovely Prinzessin. You must not ask me to do that.

A few minutes later…

Xena: So this is my car, Herr Ludwig. It’s name is T-Lex after my Angel Sister Lexi. It goes really fast, but you mustn’t be afraid. You can look out the windows and see other cars and people and buildings and all kinds of stuff.

This is fun, Prinzessin Xena. I would like to have a T-Lex also.  It is wunderbar.

Xena: Ludwig, wake up! We’re almost home.

Xena: First the important stuff. This is the toy basket. Those are my toys. Understand? My toys.I have no need of toys, beautiful Xena. After all, I have you.

Lucy: Who is your friend, Xena? Can I play with him?

Xena: No! Er, I mean, I’m showing Ludwig around, so please don’t bother us right now. Why don’t you go see if our supper is ready? And ask Mommy to set a place for Ludwig, too.

 

3 hours later…

Xena: What am I gonna do, Lucy?I don’t know, Xena. He’s your problem. You brought him home and told me to stay away from him. All I know is this is my bed and you can’t sleep here.

I am Xena, the Schnauzer Warrior Princess with nowhere to lay my head.

A Vet Visit and a Lesson on DNA HW Testing

Xena: How did you like your  bath, Lucy? This is the first one I ever saw you get.

Lucy: It wasn’t bad, especially with Mom in the tub with me. And I want to be clean and smell good to go visit my friends at the vet’s. I even got a pretty scarf.Lucy and Xena: Is it time to go yet, Mom?

Xena: Hey back there! Lucy! What are they going to do to us when we get there?

Lucy: Hmm, I think they’re going to pet us and give us treats.

40 minutes later

Lucy: Hi nice vet lady. What’s your name and where did they take my little sister? Tell the other nice lady to not give her treats. She gave me a treat and Mom yelled at her. Well, she didn’t exactly yell. But Mom told her I’m not allowed to have those kind ’cause of me being on the raw diet. I don’t want the other lady to get in trouble with my Mom.

Dr. Karen: Lucy, sweetheart, you don’t have to worry about Xena getting treats. We are taking a little bit of blood from her leg, just like we’re going to do with you. It doesn’t hurt much, just a quick pinch. 

Lucy: Why are you stealing our blood?

Dr. Karen: Your Mom asked us to do a DNA Heartworm test. That way you don’t have to take heartworm prevention, because it lets us know even if there are tiny little baby heartworms in your blood. If there are, one shot will kill them. The difference between this and what’s called the occult test is the occult heartworm test only lets us know if the heartworms have grown up and are around your heart. Then it is hard and dangerous to kill them. So we are going to do this every 5 1/2 months to make sure you and your little sister are safe from the big bad heartworms.

A little later, after blood is drawn and bill is paid.

Lucy: Wasn’t that fun, Xena? We got new friends and we’re going home now. I lost over five pounds, too. I weigh 51 point 7 pounds. And I heard them say you are up to 15 pounds! You are getting to be a big girl, Xexe. 

Xena: They also squirted some medicine in my mouth (bordetella) and stuck another needle in my butt (3-year rabies). Yep. Fun. *sigh* I’m going to sleep now. Wake me when we get home.

Mom’s note: I started asking myself, “Why am I poisoning my dog every month?” And of course, my answer was so that she didn’t get heartworms, as well as fleas and ticks.  Then I found out about DNA testing for heartworms. It catches any that are present while still in the early stages (microfilea), and they can easily be killed with one shot of ivermectin. The DNA HW test must be repeated every 5 1/2 months. The cost is also less or the same as monthly heartworm prevention, depending on what your dog weighs. I urge you to read about it here. There is also a recipe for all natural flea and tick prevention, as well as mosquito repellent, using essential oils.

I feel like I am slowly navigating my way through a “brave, new world,” defying all the traditional ways our veterinarians are taught to care for our dogs and cats, and learning new, safer ways to keep them safe; ways that my holistic vet wholly embraces. I feel very blessed and less alone to have Dr. Karen by my side on this new journey with my girls.

Happy Birthday Madi

Today for Madi’s 16th Birthday Celebration, Mom will tell about how she learned to drive.

Xena: *yawn*

My Grandma was afraid to teach Mom, so she hired a professional driving teacher when Mom was 17. He said she was “a natural” and she passed her driving test the first time.

Xena: Seriously? People get paid to teach people how to drive? It just doesn’t look that hard. Push a stick here, turn a wheel there, move your feet around, and voilà, we are where we are going. Kind of sounds like a Dr. Seuss story, doesn’t it? 

Don’t interrupt me, Xena. Where was I? Oh yes. Just a year or so sooner and Mom would have learned in the family ’54 Buick Century. The seats were blue, so Grandma called it Blue Belle. Grandma had to get another car because of all the salt on the roads to melt the snow. The salt killed that big, heavy car. Even its eyes fell in. This is a picture of what it looked like (credit to Mr. Google). 

Xena: No wonder Mommy doesn’t let us have much salt. Uh, Lucy, isn’t that Angel Lexi in the back seat? Was she with Mom way back then?

Um, I don’t think so, Xe. We’ll have to check with Mom about that.

Here’s a picture from January, 1960, of the actual car with my Grandma and her sister in front of the apartment where Mom grew up. 

Xena: Wait, Lucy. Who is that running from behind the bush?

*eyes wide* Let’s just keep going.

When Mom got a boyfriend…

Xena: Mommy got a boyfriend? Really? You’re fibbing, Luce. Mommy would never have a boyfriend. She’s married to Daddy.

When Mom got her first boyfriend a long time before she met Dad, he taught her how to drive something called a straight shift in his old Chevy Nova. We have another picture of what it looked like, courtesy again of Mr. Google. Mom says it was old and beat up and had red seats and didn’t look nearly that good.

Here’s the funny part. Her boyfriend lived out in the country with lots of woods. One part had a dirt track around it, so he showed Mom how to change gears and told her to just drive around the track. She got going too fast and forgot which foot to use for the brake ’cause there were now three pedals instead of two. This silly boy stood in the track waving his arms and yelling at her to stop. She didn’t want to run him over so she swerved into the woods and the car bumped over rocks and big sticks and barely missed trees until it finally stalled out on top of a log. A few days later, after he fixed his car, he took Mom into town and told her to drive his car around while he went into a store. The main road, State Street, was on a bit of a hill. Mom had stopped at a red light, and the car behind her kept running into her bumper. Finally, the man got out of his car and came up to Mom’s window. He explained that it was her drifting back into him, and did she have her foot on the break. She said no, just on the clutch. So that’s how Mom learned to drive a stick shift.

Xena: I think I will just learn to drive our T-Lex. 

Our what?

Xena: Our T-Lex. That’s what Mommy named the car she bought for Angel Lexi before Lexi was an Angel. It’s a Toyota Lexus, hence T-Lex. Isn’t Mommy funny, he, he? How old do I have to be to drive?

I think 16 years old.

Xena: Oh. Well let’s just wish Madi of Madi and Mom a very, very happy 16th birthday, and happy driving!

Lots of love from Lucy, Xena and Mom

This is a blog hop, but since Mom isn’t smart enough can never get linked up properly, just hop over to Madi and Mom’s blog to leave your birthday wishes and hop along.

Lucy’s First Valentine

Just when I was feeling really low ’cause of my (ex)boyfriend skipping out on me, a very handsome kittie with a heart as big as Texas (or Canada) put a smile on my face and wag in my tail. Purrince Siddhartha Henry sent me my first ever Valentine’s Day Card.

Yes! I will be your Valentine, Siddhartha Henry. (I think that will make me your Purrincess for the day.)

With love always,

Lucy

When It’s Over

This week, Andrew brought Riley over to spend the day with me. I think Andrew saw what I wrote about missing Riley, so he left him for the afternoon and evening to visit. I was pretty excited to see my guy.

Riley didn’t seem as happy to see me, though. All he wanted to do was chew on my bully horn…the one I got for Christmas.

 

When it got to be bedtime, I didn’t stay in the library with him like I usually do. I lifted my head and went to bed with Mom and Dad.

When it’s over, it’s over. Dad gives Mom red wine and chocolate when she’s sad or upset. Maybe I can get in on that program. For now, I think I’ll just stand in this sunbeam.

Love and wiggles, Lucy