Our Trip and Company

Xena: Wow, there is so much to tell! My most exciting news is that I finally lived up to my name, Xena Schnauzer WARRIOR Princess, (I had the Schnauzer and Princess parts perfected already). You see, Aunt Bobbi brought her dog Daisy, who is the size of like a cattle dog or something. I barked at her and chased her back into her kennel. After that, I chased her back there every time I saw her. Then my Aunt Jenny (NOT Auntie Jen) brought her Australian Shepherd type dog over, and guess what! She was scared of me too!! I am The Dominator!

I reigned from this chair.

Lucy: I spent a lot of time with my Aunt Bobbi and Uncle Dennis. And my Grandma. She loves me.

Everyone was tense and there was some raised voices over major (and minor) decisions that had to be made. I don’t like that, it’s scary. But I tried to put some of my Zen energy to work for my family.

Chia: I already told you my story of my Runabout while I was at home with our new sitter. I was good for her after that And she made sure I didn’t “escape” again. I played with Riley and took naps, dreaming up more ways to get to run the neighborhood.

Then I heard about how stressed I made everyone while I was gone on my adventure, so I decided to stay home. Or at least come right back if I got a chance to “stretch my legs.” The same night my pawrents got home, we had a visitor. Her name is Kim and she lives in the Philippines. I could tell she didn’t take to me immediately, so I made sure she knew I wanted her to hold me a lot. When she started taking just me on leashed runs around the neighborhood, I knew I had my new best friend. She “baby held” me like Mom holds Xena, and rubbed my belly and talked to me and explained why some things I growled were not nice and I shouldn’t be talking like that. Last night I put my new “come right back when I get loose” strategy to a test, and came right back when Kim called me. She left today. I may have to go looking for her…

Xena: Something sad happened, too, while I was at my Grandma’s house. I was walking around the house with my family and came across a poor chippie who had passed away.

I came up to her and sniffed her and gently nudged her, then stared for a while in case she was “playing possum,” but she had already crossed the bridge. I don’t know what happened to her…there was no sign of foul play. Mommy was assigned the task of burying her, but Uncle Dennis did it. When he came in and said he had taken care of the chippie, we asked if he had said the mourner’s Kaddish over her. He said he did. Then we asked if he gave a eulogy for her. He said he did. Then we asked if he gave her a proper burial. He said he did. May the chippie’s soul rest in peace.

Riley: I really liked our new sitter, even if she let my friend Chia get away and stopped searching for her when it got dark. She missed work that day, but hey, who let Chia get loose, right? I liked Kim who came to visit, too. She pets good. I slept with her every night. She says I snore…all night long.

Then we had another surprise. Artie, who stayed with us one other time, came over on Tuesday night to stay a few days while his folks were out of town. There sure has been a lot of shuffling dogs around. I’m glad I just got to stay here at home.

We all like Arty; he’s a good dog and a really funny boy. He came walking out of the bedroom with my Rainey Reindeer. Mom caught him and took Rainey before Arty got into major trouble with me. Instead, she gave him Winter Bear and Oscar, who was almost done-for already. He took them back to MY bed in Mom’s bedroom and played with them for a while. The next morning I finished deading Oscar. May he rest in peace.

Xena: That’s all we can think of to tell you right now. But we’re sure there will be something else soon…there always is!

XOXOX Love and licks and wags and wiggles from Riley, Lucy, Xena and Chia

How to Defeat a Big Dog by Chia

We are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!

Chia: Hi friends! You never know who you’re gonna run into out there in your own yard or on a walk or even on a runabout. So you’ve gotta be ready! Here’s what you do when you run into a big dog.

First, you grab them by the neck.

Then, you wrestle them to the ground:

Next, you make them say woof, woof, you win!

Finally, you run like H. E. Double hockey sticks when they rise from their defeat!

Xena: That was some performance, sis. So where you goin’ now?

Chia: Lookin’ for my next big dog to dominate.

Xena: Sometimes I’m just plain thankful I’m a small dog.

Hard Time Helpers

Hi, this is Lucy, and since I’m the Ace Reporter in the family, I was asked to let y’all know where we are. Our Auntie Jen and Uncle Bill have to be out of town for a very difficult situation in the family involving someone they love very much. I’m not at liberty to give details. But I can tell you that Mom brought me and Xena with her on a three hour drive to take care of my BFF Ella, my boyfriend Achilles, and the pig Mortimer, aka Morty. Let’s see how it’s goings…

Lucy: When we arrived last evening around supper time, Ella was super excited to see me and I was grinning from ear to ear. It was past our supper time (we had driven to where it was an hour earlier than where we live) so Mom got right on with fixing everyone their meals. She read the instructions Auntie Jen left and had just scooped Achille’s food into his bowl when Morty the pig threw his nose up against the bottom of her hand that was holding the bowl. Kibble flew everywhere and we stood back while the race was on between Mom and Morty. Who would get the most kibble from the floor!? The kitchen floor is slick for someone who walks on hooves, so Mom was able to keep pushing Morty back, but he was determined. In the end, we think it was a tie.

After breakfast today, we all got to go outside for a while.

Mom knew to shake the treat bag when she called Morty to come in. He came running!

He got a treat for coming, then some more when he followed her back to his “bathroom apartment.”

Then Mom checked on the rest of us…

Mom: Ella, what are you doing?

Xena: She’s hunting chippies, like I do, Mommy.
Ella: Mmph, mmph.
Mom: Ella, please get your head out of there.
Lucy: After Mom made Ella move her head, it appeared that Ella had been licking dirt and stones. (Sounds more like a Chia move.) So Mom put something over the hole. That’s when Ella decided she wanted to go back in the house, too.

Lucy: I spent the whole day outside enjoying the sunshine and the grass and the big yard.

I rolled and watched birds and shared the yard with Morty and sometimes Xena and Mom, too. Achilles had to stay inside most of the time because of his allergies.

But when he was out here, he had a good time. Mom threw his toys for him to chase and he played keep away with her.

After Xena snoopervized Mom “cleaning” the yard, they both went inside, too.

Mom: Come on Xe, let’s get all those allergens off you with a nice bath. Wait, what are you doing?

Xena: I’m practicing my “back” for Freestyle. See how fast I can do it?

Mom: *catching Xena* I know you had a bath yesterday, but (and here comes those dreaded words) it’ll be good for you.

Achilles: What’s goin’ on? Xena, you gettin’ a bath?

Xena: What’s it look like, Achilles? Did you think I was running the 500 or something? Sheesh, you can be almost as big a dufus as Angel Lexi used to say Riley was.

Xena: Why do you keep staring at me?
Achilles: I like to watch.

*meanwhile*

Ella: Lucy, you might want to check out what’s going on in the bathroom.

Lucy: Achilles! What are you doing?

Why are you in here with Xena when she’s taking a bath?

Xena: He said he likes…

Achilles: *interrupting Xena* Uh, well, you see, she’s your little sister, and I like to make sure she’s OK. Looks like your Mom has everything under control and I can leave now.

Lucy: Mom, when are we going home?

Mom: Well, friends, it seems my Ace Reporter is done reporting today, so I’ll help her sign off with wags and hopes that Achilles and Lucy make up tonight.

Rain, Rain, Go Away Almost W.W.

Thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting (Almost) Wordless Wednesday!

Chia: I want this rain to go away so Lucy will go out in the yard and play with me.

But in the meantime, I’ve got this boss shirt that used to be Angel Lexi’s. It says, “Life’s Short, Bite Hard.”

Lucy: Mom, please make the rain go away so I can lay out in the yard in the sunshine!

Chia: Never mind the rain, Lucy, let’s play right here!

Love and wags and wiggles from the rainy day dogs, Lucy and Chia

Dear Diary by…

Xena: For Flashback Friday, Mommy said I could re-publish my very first post! But I want to start out saying Happy Birthday to my peeps brother, Andrew! OK, here we go…

The Last Picture of Me at My First Home

Dear Diary,

I, once called The Female with the Yellow Collar, just had my whole world turned upside down. I should have known something was up yesterday when The Woman took me away from all my puppy siblings and friends – and oh, we were having a grand ol’ time in our playpen – and put a pretty colored thingy on my body. She let me run around the house some, dragging a long thing attached to what I learned was called a hardness (probably because it is hard to get out of), then kept me in a wire kennel away from my buddies.

Come around supper time, a New Woman came to our door and The Woman let me go outside to meet her. I liked her right away, so I wanted to show her what I could do. I ran as fast as I could in big circles around the yard, stopping to sniff the grass and the bushes and anything else that caught my interest. Sometimes I would rip leaves off a bush, just to show it who was boss, or grab some grass and tear it out of the ground, slinging it over my shoulder. Pretty soon I forgot about the New Woman and just ran and played for the sheer joy of it. I bounced up and down and inside of me I was laughing.

    My Boring Brother

I was brought in the house and put in the wire kennel while one of my brothers went outside with The Woman and The New Woman.

He’s so boring, he just did his potty, sniffed around, and wanted The New Woman to hold him. I don’t know why he got a cookie for just doing that.

The next thing I knew, the Womans were talking and signing papers and giving each other stuff and I got put into a kennel in the back seat of the New Woman’s car. It was a little scary, ’cause I had never been in a car before this. We drove for about 87 hours – the New Woman said it was only 3 hours, but I am not sure about that – and I slept most of the way. Except, of course for when my tummy got sick and then I had to pee pee.


When we got to the New Woman’s house, a Man took the kennel out of the car and told The New Woman that I had gone pee pee all over the pillow and there was throw up there, too. He left the room while The New Woman gave me a bath. I was shivering, mostly from fear, but I was a little cold too, so The New Woman wrapped me up in a soft towel and took me upstairs to The Man. He held me and called me Littlest One and made me feel safe. I was getting sleepy – after all, the sun had gone away a zillion hours ago – when I got another surprise. A gigantic dog suddenly appeared and sniffed me! She told me her name is Lucy and asked me my name and why I was here in her Dad’s lap. I said, “My name is either The Female with the Yellow Collar or Littlest One.” I didn’t really know, but thought I should answer her. I told her, “I’m here because The New Woman brought me here. And don’t ask me anything else, ’cause I’m just as confused as you.” When The Man put me down for Lucy to see me better, Lucy ran and hid in The Man’s office. That’s where I heard The New Woman say she was, anyhow. Then I listened to The Man and The New Woman talk about where I was to sleep. The New Woman wanted me to sleep in the bed with them. The New Man said he had heard too many horror stories about what could happen. So The New Man won and I was put in the cleaned kennel where I could see The New Woman. I had a special blue and yellow blanket that used to belong to someone named Angel Lexi, and a big soft toy to cuddle with. Lucy was still all scared, so The Man and The New Woman let her sleep with them. I guess she is too big for the horror things to happen to her. I fell off to sleep wondering what new surprises would happen tomorrow.

I guess that’s it for now, Dear Diary. I think I will have lots more to write about very soon. Note to self: ask The New Woman if Littlest One is my new name. ~Me

Dr. Seuss Day 2022

Xena: Hey Lucy, It’s Dr. Seuss Day again! We’ve sure had a lot of fun in the past on Dr. Seuss Day.

Do you remember this one from last year?

Lucy: How could I forget? And it ended up just being Riley! How about the one from a couple of years ago?

That’s when you started writing your short story that turned into a series! So, what do you want to do this year?
Xena: I want to get away from Chia for the day.
Lucy: Amen to that, sister. Do you have anything in mind.
Xena: I found a new Dr. Seuss saying, “You’ll be on your way up! You’ll be seeing great sights! You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.”
I searched the internet and discovered a place that will take us up in a plane and we can jump out! We would really be soaring to great heights then! Just don’t tell Chia.
Lucy: You’ve gotta be crazy, little sis.
Xena: Well, think about it and sleep on it and we’ll woof about it tomorrow.

Later…
Both: Woo hoo! Aroooo!!
Xena: We did it, we’re soaring from great heights! We’re flying over the Chattanooga Aquarium! Have you ever been there? It’s like an all you can eat buffet!

Lucy: We actually jumped out of a plane. Do you have a parachute?
Xena: Uh, no. Do you?
Both: Aeiiiiiiiiiii!

The next day…
Lucy: I had this crazy dream…
Xena: So did I…
Lucy: Let’s just stay home and play with Chia today.

Tons of thanks to Sandee at Comedy Plus for hosting Dr. Seuss Day this year!

Sunday Selfie Naps

The Mom: Since the girls were napping after a good breakfast, I helped them with their “selfies.”

If these sweeties were awake, I know they would send tail wags and wishes for a happy week.

Many thanks to  The Cat on My Head  for hosting Sunday Selfies!

New Theme and Selfies

Xena: Hey there, friends. We hope you like our new look. The truth is, Mommy was playing around and accidentally saved a new theme. When she tried to go back to the theme we’ve been using since any of us start blogging, it said that theme had been discontinued. We couldn’t get it back. But she didn’t like the new theme, so she had to find something else in a hurry. She found this new one, which may stay, or you may be seeing a different one from time to time, BOL!

Lucy: Mom’s also been playing with our pictures like some of y’all do. Well, you don’t play with our pictures, you play with your own.. ugh, you know what I mean. Anyhoo, here’s a couple she’s done.

Chia: I’m in four of them! Wait, why does Xena get five pictures and I only get four?

Xena: Let’s have a contest to settle this! Everyone comment on your favorite picture, and the dog who gets the most comments gets to take everyone who voted for me to…

Lucy: Stop! That’s crazy, Xe! No contests, no voting, no you taking anyone anywhere. Just. Stop.

Chia: *running around the house* I wanna win! I wanna win! I wanna win! (etc.)

We hope you liked our lots and lots of selfies today! XOXOXO Chia, Xena, Lucy and Riley

We are happy to join The Cat on My Head for Sunday Selfies.

It’s My Birthday!

Lucy: Hi there friends. This is my fifth Gotcha Day and the day we celebrate my sixth birthday! I had a pretty quiet day with my Dad and sisters and Riley. Mom came home from work and gave me an extra bit of meat in my supper bowl. Then I got my present…a brand new treat puzzle! It’s just like Xena’s big one that holds tons of treats. I don’t have to use her little second-hand puzzle anymore. Thanks, Xexe, and you can have it back.

I haven’t had bananas for months, so Mom filled my new treat puzzle with pieces of bananas that I had to get by lifting, sliding and finally licking out since the banana stuck to the inside. She helped me with that part.

Everyone got their treat puzzles filled and we had a party with them.

Guess who got the hand-me-down puzzle…Riley! It kept slipping on the floor, so he picked it up and carried it into the front room onto the rug.

After everyone else finished their puzzles, I was still hard at work on mine. I was taking a bit to get the hang of all the moving parts. Chia has a pointy little nose, so she began flipping it open and taking out the pieces of bananas. Since she doesn’t much care for bananas, she laid them on the floor for me to eat. Eating the snacks is what this game is all about anyhow, right?

Well, I have to go say bye to Mom and Dad now. Dad is all better from that C-19 thing and him and Mom are going dancing tonight. Tomorrow we get to celebrate Dad’s birthday! I hope he gets a nice new treat puzzle, too.

Love, wags and licks from Lucy, the birthday girl.

Sunday Selfies Show & Tell

Lucy: Hi, and Happy New Year, friends! *wiggles* When last we met, Mom was going to take me to the Smart Pet store for a new sweater. That was great! So many people pet me while I was there! I got a really pretty sweater too, and it even fits me like it was made for me (but not made by Mom, BOL!). Then I found out I had to pose for a picture. I really don’t like getting my picture made.

Chia: C’mon Lucy, you can do this! I just got lots of pictures taken and it doesn’t hurt a bit. Give Mom a good picture and it’ll all be over and you can go back to doing nothing.

Lucy: *gulp* OK, I’ll try. But it’s hard to look happy like Xena does in her pictures when I’m doin’ something I don’t wanna do.

Lucy: There. I hope everyone can see my pretty new sweater. I’m done.

Mom: No you’re not, sweet girl. Chia photo bombed you.

Chia: I was just giving moral support.

Lucy: Are we done yet?

Chia: Yep, it’s my turn. First, you probably noticed I’m wearing my big girl panties. It’s been a long time since I’ve had to wear them.

I managed to get them off during the night and now there’s blood on the bedsheets and Dad’s underwear. I was laying up against him. Hmmm. I didn’t know that would happen. Xena! Are you back there photo bombing my picture?
So, what I really wanted to tell you is, I got another present, too. Mom decided I needed a new collar after she put my pretty pink collar on me and I made choking sounds, sorta like, “ghagrk.” I’m a big 1 1/2 years old now and I outgrew it. Off we went to the Smart Pet store!

Can you see it? Instead of a bow it has a pretty sunflower on it. And it’s not pink, yay! No, you can’t see it? Well, that’s ok, there’ll be plenty more pictures of me wearing it other days.

Xena: My turn! I got new stairs to be able to get on the bed without hopping up and down asking Mommy to pick me up. Riley’s bed is always on the side where the rug is, and the floor on Mommy’s side is too slippery for me to try to jump up. I wasn’t too sure about these stairs at first. But when treats suddenly appeared on them, I made it the whole way up to the top.

Now the trick is to get back down. Riley’s sleeping on his bed, so I can’t jump down that way. OK, I’m gonna try this…

OK, I think I can do this. One step at a time.

I’m doing it, Mommy!

Chia: Did you see me run up and down and back up the stairs, Mom? I’m so fast, just like the Flash! You probably missed it. That’s OK, I’ll do it again!

The next night….

Xena: Mommy, Mommy, Mommy lift me into bed Mommy.

Mommy: *sigh*

We are happy to join The Cat on My Head for Sunday Selfies.

Riley Paws Says So

Riley: Shhh, everyone take a nap. We need to rest up so we can go to bed early tonight. We want Santa Paws to come.

Xena: Y’all are joking, right?
I mean, why would you have to nap to go to sleep early?

Riley: Because Santa Paws says so.

Santa’s Elf: Wow! That came outa nowhere!

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas from Santa Paws Riley, his elf, Lucy, Xena and Chia (zzzzz…)

Lovesick

We are joining The Cat on My Head for Sunday Selfies.

Achilles: Is that a Christmas present for me from Lucy?

Dad: No, Achilles, it’s my birthday present from your Mom.
Achilles: Are we going to visit Lucy over Christmas? We missed Thanksgiving, you know.
Dad: I’m sorry Achilles. Right now, it doesn’t look like we’ll be able to because of your Mom’s work schedule.

Later…

Achilles: I miss my girl so much. It’s seems like 87 months since she was here.

Ella: I miss Lucy too, but I try to not think about it.

Meanwhile…

I sure do miss Achilles. Maybe he can hitch a ride with Santa Paws in his sleigh to come visit me. I think I’ll go to sleep now and dream about my dreamy guy.

We are Achilles and Lucy, the lovesick pups.

Arty: Part of the Pack

Arty: Well, I’m still here, so I’m making the best of it. I’ve got my own pack now. Xena’s already explained that she’s in charge. Riley just laughed when she said that. We all ask to go outside a lot. I figured out the doggie door into the dog lot the first day I was here. We go in and out a lot. We all play together, too.

Hey, who’s gonna play with me this time?

Chia: I will! I will! I will!

Arty: OMD! Chia is The Flash! OMD!

Lucy: She’s more like The Blur. C’mon let’s play.

This is Arty, Lucy, and Chia the Flash wishing you a happy weekend.

Late Thankful Thursday & World Peace Day

Lucy: We all love our Dad, and are thankful he was here to feed us and take care of us and sleep with us. Uh, or let us sleep with him. I guess it’s the same thing. We surrounded him with love both nights Mom spent in the hospital with our brother Adam.

Xena: We are all thankful that our brother Adam made it through the surgery OK and is in a hospital room recovering. Every day he gets a little better. I sure wouldn’t like to have a hole in my stomach letting icky stuff out into my body or something called an ulcer leaking lots of blood into my stomach. *shiver* He had both those things! That was the scariest Halloween ever for Mommy and Adam. But he’s going to be alright. We want to thank everyone for your prayers and POTP and purrayers and good thoughts and wishes. It all helped!

Riley: I will be super thankful next week when I get the stitches out of my ear and hopefully the ear wrap and the cone of honor removed. Right now I’m thankful for good food and my pack.

Chia: Mom has decided I’m way too thin and has started giving me more food. Yay! Thanks, Mom!

Xena: You oughta be thankful Mom even gives you food after you unstuffed Riley’s bed and Mom’s bed quilt and chewed up the zipper on Daddy’s favorite fleece.
Chia: *Grrr*. You can’t prove any of that!


Lucy: Girls, this seems like a good time to finish up our post with World Peace Day. I’ll start. I think if everyone could just agree to disagree, and to accept each other’s differences, there would be peace in the world.

Chia: Ummm, let me think…I know! If everyone played nice together, there would be peace. So, who wants to play with me?

Xena: I think life would be more peaceful if little sisters didn’t bug their older sisters; if everyone was held and loved; and if everyone’s tummies were full.

Riley: Peace be with you.

Lucy, Xena and Chia in unison: And also with you!

We are joining Brian’s Thankful Thursday, with special thanks to Brian for hosting it!

Waiting for Mom and a New Groom

Many thanks to Comedy Plus for hosting Happy Tuesday.

Xena: We’re still waiting for Mommy to come home. She’s still at the hospital with our brother Adam. We haven’t seen her since Sunday morning. We are all going to be sooooo happy when she walks through that door. It’s true, she sent instructions to Daddy about how to feed each one of us, and what supplements or medicines we get, and how to cut the aloe plant and who gets it rubbed on their poor tummies. He’s trying really hard. We even saw the email she sent him saying, “Now, don’t you wish you had let me teach you how to feed them their raw diets?” And we all curled up tight next to him in bed last night.
Anyhoo, I guess — no, I know — we’re all very happy that Daddy is still here with us. Lucy, haven’t you been wanting to introduce a new groom?

Lucy Ace Reporter here with another episode of Grooming with Mom

Today I want to introduce our newest groom, Katie. Katie is a peach-colored miniature poodle. Her 5th birthday is coming up this month. Groomer Mom loves doing the poodle cut, and only has one other pooch she can subject to this, so she was tickled to get this pretty girl in for a groom. Katie’s Mom asked for what Groomer Mom refers to as a modified puppy cut. Groomer Assistant Dad was recruited to hold Katie while she had her front paws shaved and nails cut. Groomer Mom is quoted as saying, “He’s extremely good with the dogs.”

Since Katie was not in bad shape to begin with, there is no “before” picture. Here she is after her groom.

We want to thank Lily Parker’s Mom for the referral! If you missed Lily, you’ll get to see a real before picture by clicking here. I also want to report that Lily has been back twice since her initial groom in August. She was still covered in fleas, but her Mom’s working on that, and ordered the special collar her excellent groomer told her to get after the first visit! After her last groom, her Mom texted Groomer Mom: “Perfect! I really love the way you do her cut. Keeps her looking like a sweet little baby pup!” Groomer Mom said it made fighting all those fleas worth it.

Lucy, Ace Reporter, signing off with a promise to keep you updated on our brother Adam’s progress.

Sleepy Selfie Sunday: The Couch Slowly Fills

We are happy to join The Cat on My Head for Sunday Selfies.

Lucy taking a lazy Sunday nap.

Chia joins her.

Chia gets her new, organic flea collar on. They both turn around, and Chia decides Lucy is more comfy to lay on than the pillow.

Riley completes the trio.

Happy Sleepy Sunday.