• Bug,  Family Matters,  the dogs,  the sticks

    Spring, Puppies, Glasses.. Oh my!

    spring-in-the-sticks2016-1

    Last week was Spring Break so I took Bug out to The Sticks with me to visit my mom and dad. On the way there we stopped and took some photos in a big field. I’ve always wanted to do that but never had the time. It was the perfect combination of plenty of time, willing models (Bug was in a good mood since her best friend was along) and an amazing Spring day. The sky was so blue and clear with puffy white Care Bear-esque clouds floating along. It was beautiful.

    spring-in-the-sticks2016-2

    There were these funny yellow puff ball flowers everywhere that reminded me of tiny little Dr. Seuss trees. I was just wondering why I’d never noticed them before when my cousin (a biologist) pointed out (on Facebook) that they are a new invasive species that is choking out native wild flowers. What a bummer.

    spring-in-the-sticks2016-3

    We spent some quality time chilling at my mom and dad’s. I love that they don’t have television and there isn’t much to do but sit in the yard and play ball with the dogs. The older I get the more and more I savor boredom. It’s so nice to feel every minute go by and not wonder where they went.

    spring-in-the-sticks2016-4

    We spent the night in my parent’s travel trailer and it felt like camping but with wifi and hot showers only a few feet away.

    You might be noticing Bug’s new glasses. Yep, she’s near-sighted just like her dad. I was worried that she just wanted them because she thinks they are fashionable (which she does) but the eye doctor assured me that she couldn’t fake the test and she indeed has a significant stigmatism in both eyes. Poor kid. It’s a good thing glasses are so cute these days.

    glasses-bug

    She’s taken to making ties out of paper and clipping them onto her shirts. Then she walks around the house muttering, “Business, business, business.” as if that’s what busy business people do who wear smart looking glasses and neck ties. She’s a nut.

    Speaking of business, I am kind of impressed (and a little scared) with Bug and her leadership skills these days. She’s organized a club with her classmates called The Pusheen Club. It’s named after her favorite stuffed cat and apparently is all the rage. They use Google Docs at school and she’s taken it upon herself, as President, to require each member of the club to take a Pusheen test and write up a paper in Google Docs before they are allowed to be in the club.

    Then she started a petition, in Google Docs, to bring back the old fashioned orange juice boxes they used to have at the cafeteria. I guess they have a new juice that is watered down and not as tasty or something and she’s rallying her classmates to bring back the old juice.  I randomly get emails from her to edit her Google documents and you can imagine my surprise when I see that the principal of her school is also getting emailed these documents. She’s a mover and a shaker, that girl!

    cody

    Speaking of moving and shaking, (Groan. I know. I am the queen of clunky transitions.) we have a lot of moving and shaking going on in our home lately. Yes, we have puppies! We are insane and adopted two puppies at the same time.

    The light-colored one is an English Golden Retriever named Cody aka Cody Flufflebutt. The brown one is a Soft-Haired Wheaten Terrior named Whiskey aka Whiskey Tangopants. They are adorable and fluffy and a whole lot of trouble.whiskey

    Having two-month-old puppies is like having two toddlers in the house. There are baby gates blocking the hallway and fencing in the living room, brightly colored toys are strewn all over the floor, all magnets on the refrigerator have been pushed up two feet, knickknacks have been moved up high and all plants are up off the ground … cleaning products are stashed in cubbies for quick mop-ups, we wake up at all hours of the night, we have to make special meals for upset tummies… it’s good times!  Like new parenthood all over again!

    But we love it. And them. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Of course.

  • 15 minute posts,  Beach Bits,  Bug,  the dogs

    Holly’s Great Adventure to the Beach!

    We're thinking of taking Holly to the BEACH!!!

    Yesterday as we were putzing around getting ready for our weekly trip to Orange County so Bug could attend her ballet and gymnastics classes and I could do a photography shoot I have scheduled, we had a great idea. What if we brought Holly with us? Usually I take her to my mom’s because she is a spoiled rotten dog and she doesn’t like to be left alone in the backyard by herself over night even if the neighbors check on her. No. She likes to sleep with the humans in the nice cozy warm house. She’s not dumb.

    Toby is out of town but he gave us permission to stay at his place at the beach and bring Holly with us. The adventure was on! We piled her in the car with all our overnight luggage and we were off. It’s an hour-and-a-half drive so I was a tiny bit curious how she would do.

    She was such good dog. I wish she could talk so we could hear what she was thinking as she watched out the window silently. She’s never been on such a long trip I don’t think. She’s lived her whole life in my mom’s yard until she moved in with us. I imagine the freeways blew her mind but she didn’t even seem to raise an eyebrow. She’s just such a mellow dog.

    Holly in the OC!

    She stayed in the car during ballet and gymnastics with me checking on her every few minutes. She didn’t even seem to mind the airplanes flying over. They are super loud because Bug’s gym is right next to the airport.

    After gymnastics and ballet we took Holly right to the beach and caught the tail end of sunset. I didn’t get any photos though. It was too dark.

    It was so fun to watch her sniff the sand and then take off down the beach chasing a bird. She’s a funny dog. She is a labrador and labs are supposed to like water but she doesn’t! She hates water! If you turn on the hose or try to get her to take a bath she’ll run the other way. So the I was quite curious to see how she’d like the ocean. And in true Holly fashion she seemed completely indifferent. Nothing seems to ruffle her. Not even a cow-sized great dane that walked by. Funny funny Holly. How we love her mellow soul so.

    After walking up and down the beach in the dark we took her home to Toby’s to see how the cat’s would react to her. I didn’t get any photos again (because it was dark and you know how I feel about taking pictures with the automatic flash). We were worried that Pounce would freak out. He’s such a high strung cat. He didn’t like her but since Holly just stood there looking at him and showed no real reaction, Pounce got over it. Lily hid for a bit but now a day later they are all chilling in their respective spots and seem to be just fine.

    stand off

    good dog

    The next morning both Bug and I were up at the crack of dawn full of excitement to take Holly to the beach. Our old beach town is such a dog town. There are water bowls and treats out at most of the stores along the highway just waiting for patrons to walk in with their dogs. So of course we had to take Holly to the nearby doughnut shop so I could get a latte and Bug could get a bagel.

    Country dog on the city!

    Holly at Rose's

    At Roses' with Holly coffee shop dog

    She fit right in.

    Then back to the house to get bags (for poop, which we didn’t need afterall) and my camera!

    Pounce is pissed.

    Pounce was jealous.

    ready to go No, Holly, you can't have my bagel.

    “No, Holly, you can’t have my bagel.”

    walking down to the beach

    And then down to the beach. The old familiar route was fun and new again with somebody new!

    morning

    Good Morning old friend!

    century blooms

    I could do this regularly

    I could get used to this dog-walking business. Maybe we’ll have to find a place that accepts dogs when we move back…

    Bug and Holly at the beach

    taking it all in

    Doesn’t she look like a beach dog?

    Sighs of contentment all around.

    that look chowing on a bagel

    breakfast spot

    wave watching

    Bug got her feet wet but not Holly. She was perfectly content to sit with me on the sand, looking on.

    flirting with high tide

    up the stairs back home

    Then it was back home again before 10:30. Dogs are not allowed on the beach after 10:30, sadly.

    relaxing

    But that’s okay because home is where Holly loves to be anyway.

    pretend sleeping

    Wherever the people are is where she wants to be.