So Much to Talk about

Where do I begin? The road trip we took (the puppies first long car trip) to New Madrid to see the Earthquake Museum? And we drive 2.5 hours and it is closed? Talk about feeling like the Griswolds!

Then there was the big trip planned the following day to the mall with my mom, to a mall we hadn't been to in awhile. Out of the entire mall, MAYBE 10% had open stores.

I could talk about the day the internet went out at home. Seems that Laclede Gas was in the neighborhood digging and the 1-800-digrite people had come out and marked the existing underground utilities. They just had the DSL line 4 foot off.

There's also my new facebook addiction to a game called Sorority Life. Yes, I am probably a bit old for that but I do so enjoy the clothes, cars, and shopping :)

We also squeezed in a trip to the vet for the final puppy shots for both of them. It seems the little one (who is now almost the big one) STILL isn't 4 months and hasn't lost a single tooth. And the vet mentions, "he could be part Great Dane."

I had my niece stay the night. She was great but stayed up till midnight. Then, because I have been wearing glasses lately (and obviously don't sleep in them), we got up at what I THOUGHT was 9:45. It was really only 5:45. Did I mention she is not quite 4?

Finally, on the first day of school I'm getting ready, taking a shower. Forgot to close the bathroom door. Rio the puppy ended up in the shower before I even knew what was happening, and of course he is SOAKED and soapy. That's what happens when you sleep/stand in the shower.

But tomorrow is Saturday. We are staying home, I am sleeping late and not showering, I'll make the puppies stay awake all night so they don't grow and I will enjoy my fixed internet cable :) and play Sorority Life!

More on the Puppies

Yes, it's been awhile.

I don't have much suitable for publishing on the internet to talk about. Unless you want to hear about . . .

puppies who fight over a dead bird in the yard and have to have their mouths washed out with soap (which they actually like) because they stink so bad from the dead bird.

a puppy who decides it ISN'T time to sleep and proceeds to chew a 1" hole in the carpet.

a puppy (same one) who pukes on the carpet, which wouldn't normally be a problem to clean up but the food is red, the carpet is off white, and the stain is rather large.

puppies who poop is filled with gravel, rocks, bark and wood because they ate everything they found in the yard after the storm.

puppies who are cooped up all day inside because of the muddy mess in the yard made by a horrendous storm.

But they sure are fun when they are sleeping :)

Addition - this page has been edited to include the following additional content:

Yes, puppies can and do and will swim in ornamental fish ponds, regardless of how many times you tell them no. They just seem to accidentally fall in on purpose.

The up side to this is that if you have any dead fish, they will bring them out for you to play fetch with.

Eyeball Milestones

In my life, because I am "sight challenged" there have been a few moments that were milestones.

I will go backwards.

Today, it became official that I needed bifocal contacts. This presents a problem because they don't make the blue ones in bifocals. So you know what I did. No, I don't even have to tell you. I stuck with the ones I have and will use "reading glasses" at least for the next year. I just couldn't give up the bright blue.

I suspected I might have some vision difficulties earlier this summer. I went to trim one of my nails and had to move it away to see what I was doing. Needless to say, it hit me like a ton of bricks when it happened. I was yelling, running around the house.

So now, let's go back to way back, when I first knew I needed glasses (or something to help me see). I would visit my mom, who lived out in the country. I kept running over turtles. Of course, each time it happened I felt horrendously horrible. So after the third turtle funeral, I headed to the eye doctor.

I sure hope I am done with all these eyeball milestones. I can't take another one.

Looks Like We Made It

That song just came in to my mind. By Billy Joel I think. And yes, I think we might have made it through. Through the constant fighting, clawing, and biting. No, not me and hubby. The puppies.

We ran upstairs to get a snack and left them sleeping down in the living room last night. When we returned, Raleigh had climbed up with Rio and they were snuggled in the chair together, sleeping.

Earlier today when I laid out a bit, they actually both walked over to visit on several occasions, together, and NOT one dragging the other by an ear, a tail, or a hunk of skin.

This is good. :)

The Boys, Pills, and Apple Pie

When we got Rio, he had kennel cough and we have been treating him for it with antibiotics. He really does NOT like things shoved down his throat. He won't eat regular people food, so forget sneaky into a piece of cheese, ham, etc. (We learned that the hard way - he spit it out and the other one got his pill one night.)

Anyway, so since the vet visit, they are both taking a different antibiotic for this to clear it up. We are on day three. Day one (which was actually day 5 for Rio of having pills crammed down his neck) was a nightmare. At 25 pounds, he can be a handful to hold and honestly can clamp his mouth shut and you can't open it.

Then "mommy" (that would be me) had a brainstorm. We don't want him to be funny about his mouth and ruin him for looking at his teeth so I had to come up with something. We had already tried dog treats, little reg. nibbles of food - nothing. Then I spy a lone cup of applesauce in the back of the fridge.

I mashed up the pills, put a teaspoon of applesauce in, mixed in a bit of water, warmed them in the microwave for seconds and "walla!" All pills going down "lickety split." (Pun intended :) They both LOVE it, so now we call it "Apple Pie Time."

Dogs are Going Back

No, we aren't tired of them. We love them. But we figure this is a conversation they had last night about 2am.

Raleigh: Dang, don't these two ever sleep?

Rio: Yeah, I know. It's late. Talk about idiots.

Raleigh: And what's with all that banging and loud music? Do they really think they are cool or in a band or something? What a couple of dorks.

Rio: Huh, yeah, and I heard that blonde chick sings sometimes when they do this. I just don't think I can handle this. The pound was so much quieter, at least at night.

Raleigh: Yeah, it would get a bit stinky but I could sleep through that, but this? I'm with ya. Let's go back.

Rio: Maybe they will accidentally leave the gate open tomorrow and we can sneak out. Are you with me? We'll head back to the pound and get some much needed rest.

Raleigh: I'm there dude. Ready to head back to peace and quiet.

The Hellhounds

They love to fight.

Wow, the two puppies are keeping us hopping. Rio loves to walk through plants and such. More like plow through, and he pretends to not hear us when we tell him no. Thank goodness his papa is bigger and much more strong willed or this little guy would turn out to be a terror.

He (Rio, not hubby) is also still having trouble with the laws of physics and hasn't quite figured out he can't walk on walls yet . . . I know, it's a long story and too confusing to try and even explain.

We made our first trip to the vet the other day - took two hours. But they were little angels. Really. Hubby and I were both shocked and wondered just who's dogs they were because they sure weren't the two we have had at home . . .

Raleigh is hilarious - he hides his bones in corners and nuzzles pretend dirt over them - in the house! He is also a stealer - anything Rio has, he wants. We also have a garden walkway that Raleigh had decided must either be a river or a lava flow - when playing and running he jumps over it every time.

Rio learned/taught himself a new trick - the big tub for water is big enough to get in and dig in. No lie, he is digging in water.

We just keep laughing at them. :)

We have also added middle names to them. Raleigh Ying and Rio Yang (we think yang is the bad element).