Getting excited for Nana's

I am counting down the days until I get to go on a trip.  The trip isn't very long in the car, about the same as going to daycare, but this is even better.  In three days mom and I are off to Nana's.  That means playing with Dodger and Job all day long.  They have lots of toys there too!! Mom said we have to go stay at Nana's for the holidays and keep the other puppies company since Nana and Terry are going to visit my Aunt Dawn.  I don't know why Dodger and Job don't come stay with me at our house and Mom isn't talking about it.  Skylar and Hunter are going to visit their dad so they will be gone too, so I guess going to Nana should be a lot more fun than staying home alone. 
Normally, I sleep during the day when mom and the kids are at work but now I will have someone to play with everyday and not just when I go to daycare.  Job and Dodger are fun most of the time.  Job likes to play and we get to wrestle and race around the house and the yard all day long.  Dodger is just fun to tease, she is a cranky old lady and growls at me sometimes but I steal her toys and sometimes Job and I step on her because she's little but we still love her. 
So as my mom would say, Merry Christmas to everyone and don't bite the man that visits in the middle of the night this Saturday, he just might bring you news toys and treats.

A tree in my bed

Last week I noticed that a tree had grown where my bed used to be.  The entire time I have lived at my forever home my bed has been in the same place inside my house but last weekend Mom moved it and put a tree there instead.  The tree is very pointy all the way down and has all these things on it that make noise.  It seems like thing are growing underneath it, too.  At first I could have my ball go under there and I could chase it with nothing but a couple pokes but now there are a bunch of boxes in the way.

Mom said there are boxes under there for me and from me.  I don't remember putting any boxes under there but I know two things that come in boxes for me....toys and treats.  They don't smell like treats so I am voting for toys.  I haven't gotten any of them open yet but I think I might get time to open one this week and check it out while everyone is gone.

Winter time is here

This morning I got up at the usual time and went outside to take care of some early morning business and it is cold.  I mean I have a pretty thick layer of fur this time of year but jeez it was freezing out there.  I ground was so cold it hurt my feet.  It is nice and warm inside the house, sometimes I can even find a blanket to lay under.  I wonder if I could find one to take outside.
I have a life jacket I wonder if mom would put that on and it might keep me warmer outside.  When it is warmer I like to go outside and play ball and eat.  There are some many good thing to eat outside.  Skylar keeps telling me that plums, pears and apples aren't for dogs but they taste so good and they are just laying on the ground.  Now that it is cold I am having trouble find extra food outside or maybe Skylar is just getting better at picking it all up. 
I guess I will have to look for extra stuff to eat inside.  Don't get me wrong I love my kibble and get it twice a day with assorted treats throughout but I just love to eat.  Last week after everyone was gone from the kitchen I smelled this wonderful, delicious smell.  So I reached up on the counter, which is harder than you think for a dog with a bum back leg, and got it.  Oh it was soooo good at first, there was cheese and chicken, yummy!!  Then after I had finished it my mouth started to burn and my stomach didn't feel very good.  That food came back and mom laughed at me.  She told me that's what I get for eating super spicy chicken alfredo pizza.  She said she wasn't surprised because even Hunter only ate a piece and half of the pizza and that kid can put away some food. 
Today there is nothing out on the counter, I checked the trash last night and there was nothing good there either.  I guess I will just have to wait until breakfast  is over and see if there is anything under the table.  They don't really ever leave me much, unless it is veggies and then I get a special treat.

So as the weather gets colder and it is time to enjoy more indoor pursuits, I am finding more stuff to do.  What are you doing inside this winter?

New toys

Yesterday mom came back from this place called Costco.  I know they have my food and treats there but yestday I got something else cool.  TOYS.  I like to think of anything other than a tennis ball as a challenge to kill.  I have killed 3 of them as of now.  There was a fun rope that I have torn up, too!

I recommend these if you can get your more or dad to get these from Costco for you.  I have never been there but it sounds like Petsmart and I have been there and it is pretty cool, too.

Skylar said my favorite is a moose that looks like this one in the picture (or co I am told).  I am in the process of pulling his ears and horns off. 

Soccer

I don't know if I have mentioned this in the past but I LOVE SOCCER.  I play all the time with little balls, big balls, squeaky balls and fluff balls.  I play inside and outside.  Soccer is one of my favorite things to do but I can't decide if I like it more then playing with other puppies or going for walks.  Then I found something that is even better than any of those things.... All of those things together. 
Every Sunday for the last month I got to do just that.  Mom took me to all of Skylar's soccer games at the fort.  I got to play with lots of other dogs, run loose in the dog runs and sometimes I would bring my ball with me and play or I'd get to play with one there.  Mom took some pictures of me having fun (or so I am told), there would be more but she spent lots of time running and letting me chase her, too.  She said that is good for both of us, my leg and her butt.  I am not sure how she hurt her butt or if the running is good therapy for it because she is always telling the kids she has a pain in it.

Taking a bath

My dad said I find the nastiest things to roll in.  I take that as a compliment because I do.  He said it makes me smell horrible.  I think he's wrong I smell great until mom makes me take a bath.  I don't mind doing it when I am at daycare but I hate it when mom and the kids give me a bath at home.  Mostly because Skylar and Hunter yell at each other and fight. 

But it ends well, I love this part:

Barking and why mommy loves me

Last night I barked to go outside at 1:30, I know it was 1:30 because I hear grumbling about it every night when Mom lets me out. I went outside to make sure there wasn't any of those annoying, stinky, funny sounding things that invade my back yard.  (*mommy note: deer)  There wasn't any last night so I just took care of some other business and went back inside.  I just bark once and Mom comes and lets me in.  She always tries to be quiet because everyone else is sleeping but I think she bumps into stuff, maybe she is blind at night. 

I decided to nap in the hallway until breakfast and was having a wonderful dream about eating some awesome dog biscuits when I hear Mom's door open. BREAKFAST?! 

Nope. Mom just says, "Good boy" and goes back in her room and closes the door.

She does that every time you hear all the other dogs barking.  In our neighborhood there are lots of other dogs and they love to talk.  No one gets in our neighborhood without someone knowing.  I don't talk to those guys very often because I don't like to bark.  Mom and Dad hate endless barking.  So I don't bark unless it's really important.  That is not to say I don't talk, I talk to my family all the time.  Dad says I am making old man noises I don't know what that means but I really like to tell my family how much I love them.