We're going on a trip!

When I got up this morning and walked into the living room, this is what I saw.  I'm so excited to say this means we're all going on a trip!  I'm not sure where we're going yet... mommy said something that sounded like dessert and I'm so hoping that's a real place!  I'll stay in touch and let you know once we get there.

Christmas presents from Aunty Amy

In my last update I told you guys about how Aunt Amy gave me the best Christmas presents this year and I wanted to show them to you as well!  I love her so much!

Here's me opening the first present!  (Dorothy's still waiting for hers)

Ripping the paper off is my favorite part

Dorothy got to her present first (even though she started after I did) - it was a stuffed animal

I got one too!

After lots more ripping and a big mess, turns out we got:

The boy (for me) and girl (for Dorothy) versions of the same toys

plus

A travel bed to take on trips with mommy and daddy

Dorothy's made herself comfortable already!

We also got pig ears! YUM. 

I can't believe the amount of presents I got!  I must have done something extremely right this year for this lot.  Although, mommy's hidden most of them away already because she says she wants them  to last and knows they won't as long as they're readily available; I'm ok with it because she left snoopy out for me.  He was my fav:

Dorothy's was the pigs ear which she took down the hall and chewed all night:

It really is the most wonderful time of the year! I hope all the other dogs get as many presents as we did and that every dog has an Aunty Amy like mine.

Telepathic Christmas connections

My aunt Amy and I are telepathically connected.  I always love when mom and dad go on a trip and I get to to go to her place because she knows exactly what I want and how to make me happy. Plus she gives me treats that mommy and daddy don't give me like pro-shoot-o and popcorn!!

This weekend she came to visit us and proved that despite my moving far away and not seeing her for a while: our connection's gone even further!  Not only did she buy me all the exact presents I wanted and let me unwrap them all myself (tearing up paper is one of my favorite things!) ... but she also brought along the Christmas presents I'd telepathically asked her to buy for my parents!  I'm was so happy that she'd received my messages and made good on our deal!

Here's what we got for mommy:

Since she's been spending more and more time cooking for daddy these days, I asked aunt Amy to find one of these dog biscuit making kits for me to give mommy as her Christmas present so she could make yummy snacks for me (and Dorothy too, I guess).

And for daddy we got:

 

Because everyone knows fetching balls is absolutely my favorite thing to do and this makes the balls go further!  Daddy was so impressed with my present that he took it out to test straight away and I got to chase balls until I was exhausted. 

I love my aunt Amy so much!  She's so thoughtful and has made me look very good to mommy and daddy this Christmas.  These presents will be the gifts that keep giving all year long and I owe it all to her!

A kiss to take away the pain

Both mom and dad are taking turns being sick.  Last week was mommy's turn; this week it's daddy's. Luckily Dorothy and I know just what to do in these situations to make them feel better: 

Take one brown, cuddly puppy and apply to sore belly until smile appears. Puppy will remain in position until moved.

Once brown puppy moves, it's time to apply the white puppy (me) to affected area 

You can't overdose on this medication, so apply both at once if you like. Relax and feel the love, it'll really help

Works the same way for both mommys and daddys

Finally and most importantly: don't forget the kiss to take away the pain! 

To be taken as often as you can - for immediate results in expelling negative emotions, producing warm happy feelings and of course inducing smiles

My first Christmas tree and stocking

When daddy got home after work on Monday night, mommy harnessed me up, put a sweater on me and took me along for a drive.  In the car mommy explained that we were going to get a Christmas tree and knowing I'd be terrified of it if they simply brought it inside, they took me along to see what it was and what was going on. We stopped a few times at tents that had chopped down trees inside them and got out of the warm car to inspect these trees.  They looked and smelled the same to me (expect the rosemary ones which smelled delicious!) but apparently none of them were what mom wanted.  So then we went to Lowes.

I like visiting Lowes.  Everyone is always so friendly and sometimes I get treats from the people who work there.  I was lucky that night because everyone thought my sweater was cute so I got lots of attention, plus when I thought no one was was watching, I had a play with a couple of the toys! Mom also got what she came for and we left with a Christmas tree!

Back at home, daddy screwed the tree into a container to make it stand upright and then poured water into it and wrapped a bag around it, while mommy hung big socks up above the fireplace and snuck what-looked-like small rubber toys into the two on the end that had the initials "B" and "D" on them.  I have a nagging suspicion that one of them is for me - probably the green one - and I want it!

Plus mum and dad were right to bring me along with them to get the tree, I'm not scared of it all. Now, if only I could figure out how to open one of these without wrecking the wrapping so mom would 't know...

a day at Emma Long Park

Sunday was my idea of the perfect day!  Me and Dorothy woke up, got our morning cuddles, ate our breakfast and went outside for our potty break as usual but instead of going back inside - mom and dad locked the front door, packed the car and we all set off for a drive!

As I've already said, I love the car and I was delighted to sit on mom's lap and look all about around us but where the car ended up was even better! It was a place call Emma Long Park and Dorothy and I got to do something else I love: be off our leashes, running all around for ages!

Mom and dad walked steadily behind us the whole way, bundled up in warm clothing but Dorothy and me weren't cold.  We were happy to lead the way, sniffing and running until we got to a creek with a muddy bed, then we weren't sure what to do.  Last time we jumped into one when it was this cold outside mommy wasn't too happy with us and I got a runny nose, so we just waited for them to catch up.

Daddy picked us both up and carried us over so we didn't have to get wet and cold but it was very muddy on the other side of that creek so we turned back around before long and headed back to where the path was dry.

I loved it here so much and hope we can come back again soon!  Although next time I hope it's not so muddy because I had to sit in the back with Dorothy on the way home.

My favorite thing | Being in the car

Going for drives with mommy and daddy is one of my absolute favorite things to do.  It's right up there with chewing a bone that still has plenty of meat on it; running around the park chasing squirrels; lounging around the bed in the morning getting my belly rubbed by both parents; teasing Dorothy, playing hide and seek with mommy and fetching my ball.

Any time mom or dad say 'Baxter, let's go in car' I run straight to the front door and wait for them to hurry up and go.  It doesn't matter if we're just going up the street to get milk from the corner store - I'm so excited just to be getting in the front seat!  It does tend to make me mad however when they muck around getting ready though while I'm patiently waiting and wagging my tail by the door.  I worry that they've forgotten so I leave my station and look for them.  Once I find them (usually in the bathroom putting last minute touches on their hair or clothes), I bark once to let them know they're taking forever and run back to the door.  After a minute, if that hasn't worked, I'll start yelping and crying on the spot to let them know I'm loosing patience.  If that still isn't working, I'll go right up to them and cry and bark next to them until they say 'ok, ok Bax!' then I know they're right behind me and lead the way back to the front door again.

Most of the time I don't need to resort to anything else but there has been the odd occasion where I've had to try other tactics because it seemed like they'd completely forgotten their promise to 'go in car.'  On these instances I try one of these two things: making mommy pity me or resorting to anarchy.  The pity tactic involves me slumping my shoulders,crying all the way down the hallway to the bedroom, hopping onto the bed and sighing very deeply.  The bathroom mommy's in has a full view of the bed so this always gets her attention and makes her think I'm upset - that's why this tactic is my favorite because it ensures sympathy cuddles and if I'm really lucky, even belly rubs as well as immediate departure!

The anarchy tactic is very different: it involves throwing a tantrum but doesn't always work in my favor because sometimes it makes mommy mad and say things like 'maybe you should stay home until you adjust your attitude.'  But when it does work, it also involves immediate departure. This move is basically me jumping up and down on the spot like a kangaroo I saw on TV once, barking and growling.  If I'm really mad I'll push my luck by jumping on mommy - although this may backfire entire if she's wearing pantyhose and I put a run into it!

Once we're finally in the car, I always sit in the front passenger seat on mommy's lap.  The only time I ever go in the backseat is when I'm wet, covered in mud, being silly, or needed by Dorothy who always sits buckled in back there.  I couldn't last in that spot!  Up front, I can see all around and smell the fresh air that always blows in directly from the vents.  Sometimes I get lucky and mom rolls the window down: sticking my head out of the window is the highlight of the whole trip but I'm more than happy just looking around and eventually curling up on mommy, she always holds me in a way that I can lay down and keep looking out of the window... Bliss!