The NERVE of that woman!

You'd think that as cute as I am, G would be a little nicer. I don't know what "blow a gasket" means but G says that's what she's gonna do if I don't shape up. I am in shape! Can't she see how smooth my coat is and how I have no bulges anywhere. HMMPH!

I left her a present next to her bed this morning so she would find it as she got up. Did she appreciate that? NO! I cleaned her nose and ears today as she was settling down for a nap. Did I get praise? NO! The worst part of the whole day was when I was outside with Coco and G and I ran into the house before they could get there. How was I supposed to know she had closed the sliding glass door. After she made sure I hadn't killed myself (would have been HER fault) she laughed at me. LAUGHED, mind you!

What a traumatic day. Happy New Year, Mom and Dad. Tell your pets to be good and give you an extra treat for the holiday.

HELP!!!!!

Mom and Dad - You have to rescue me! I'm being tortured by G! She sits in a chair at her desk KNOWING that I want to be in her lap and when I try to jump up - I hit my head on the corner of the drawer! It's sharp and makes me say YYYYIIIIPPPPPPP!!!!!!! yet she will NOT move so I can get up without bonking my head! She says I have to learn not to jump up at that spot but I'm a puppy, for crying out loud! I'm going to go try again - but if she tells you that I knocked myself out - remember - it's HER fault!

I made up a game.

The name of the game is "Drive Gramama Crazy". The object of the game is in the title but has the added benefit of exercise and fun. It takes two players. Coco and I get on the bed while G is reading (or even better, when she's sleeping.) I jump on Coco until she starts getting annoyed and starts swatting those huge paws of hers. (Have you SEEN those things? They are bigger than my head!) When Coco swats at me, I make sure I am near G's legs so that Coco's nails scrap down G's legs. You should see her jump! And SQUEAL?? What fun. This goes on till G becomes insane and jumps off the bed swinging her arms and yelling for us to get out of the room. That is the clue that the game is over for a little while.

One other game I'm having lots of fun is making Sarah and Isaac out to be big fibbers. They told G that I was house trained. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! I hide stuff from her but make sure it's somewhere she will step on or smell. She says that the house is beginning to smell like a litter box that hasn't been cleaned. I don't know what that means but I think it means I'm winning the game. She told me today that if I didn't start going in the right place she was going to give me to Brownie for a snack. Now THAT dog scares me!

Mom and Dad, there is one other fun thing to do in NC. The trees here throw their leaves on the ground so dogs can play in them! Cool, hunh? I race for the door whenever it's open so I can dig under the leaves and hide from G. She totally freaked out yesterday. You should have seen her, it was soooooo funny. She just knew I had gotten out of the yard and was owl food. She was yelling for me and running around like a crazy woman. After she had just about fallen apart, I calmly snuck out of my hiding place and sat real quiet at her feet until she looked down. She picked me up and hugged me while scolding me. I wasn't sure if she was happy or angry.

What a wonderful life!

I have a new friend.

I'm dictating this letter to G cuz I am exhausted. Yesterday morning, G took me to meet some new folks. She says you know them. Paul, Cassie, Tyler and Pepper. I'll be honest, Paul and Cassie were nice (even if Paul kept calling me a "Rat Dog"); Tyler was fun but let me tell you, Mom & Dad, Pepper was awesome! She's smaller than Coco but still lots bigger than me and once she decided I was OK she was great to play with. We chased each other, played with her private stash of stuffed toys behind the chair and just had the best time. When Tyler was on the floor, we would run around him and he would make this noise that sounded silly to me but all the adult laughed like crazy everytime he did it. G called it giggling.

G snuck me some eggs (yummy) and bacon (yummy, too) and I stole one of G's chocolate balls so between the food and all the playing, when we left I was tired. G put me in my crate and set me on the seat next to her in the car and I went fast asleep. I forgot to whine and yelp and show my displeasure in not being held in her arms. Several times through the day G would wake me up. She said she was making sure I was all right cuz I was sleeping too soundly. HELLO!!! That's a good thing. Don't wake me up because I'm sleeping to much. Hasn't she ever heard that you let sleeping dogs lie?? She's a nutcase.

Before we left to go to Pepper's house, G let me open my gifts. I was a little overwhelmed. I didn't know what to do first. Play with my toys, model the sweatshirt G gave me or try my snacks. I saved the pig ears for today. I shared one with Coco and before I could finish mine, the greedy dog stole it! G fixed her butt - she took me into my big crate and closed me in with another ear. Coco can't get in - so there!

Yesterday, I wound up sleeping from 12:30 pm to 9:00 pm, ate a snack, went back to sleep till 1:30 am, took a potty break and went back to sleep and slept till 12:30 pm today! After an hour of play with Coco we both crashed and slept for another 8 hours. Think I may have overdone it. YAWN

Message from Gramama

I'm having trouble deciding whether these two dogs are a joy or a pain. They also may be one dog with eight legs. One thing is for sure, they get along. Too well.

The one dog, eight legs remark - imagine the huge dog standing upright and then walking forward. Now place a little dog between her front legs. They are now walking along. In unison. The now one dog has two heads and eight legs. It is a strange sight to behold.

These two also have an ability to get in trouble together. Alone neither of them chew plastic to shreds. Together - oh my! Coco now seeks stuff for the two of them to eat/chew. I don't even want to think about the tray of cookies that somehow jumped off of the counter and made it's way to the floor so that every cookie could vanish. Wonder where they went? Yeah, right.

Well, they are a joy. And they have been a help during this stupid illness that won't go away. They snuggle and keep me warm.

OK, I just changed my mind. I just went and investigated the sudden silence and found a couple of guilty dogs surrounded by what used to be a container of floss. GRRRRRRRR

Potty Training

Either Gramama is confused or I'm confused. I think I know where to go potty. Wherever I want to go - right? She insists on interrupting me in the middle of my business and putting me on puppy pads. I'd much rather go somewhere else. ANYWHERE else! Phooey. I've started sneaking off to poop so that G can't find it. She says she's going to confine me to one room only. She can't do that, can she? It's against the puppy owner rules, right? SEND A COPY TO HER!

One plus to the hiding my poop trick - Coco likes to eat it so G really can't find it. G can smell the poopy breath though so she's flipping out. The woman needs to take a chill pill or two.

My play mate

Did I mention that I love Coco? She plays with me and she tries very hard to be gentle. Gramama is worried that I'm going to get hurt and thinks I'm insane to keep challenging a dog that is 500% bigger than me. However I'm having a blast! I get right in Coco's face and nip at her to get her to play with me. G say I was born without the fear gene. Coco pushes me with her snout and her paw and I keep coming back for more! What fun. When Coco has had enough she waits until I get under her chest and she gently lays down on top of me. Of course, I have to push it a few more times before I get the message but boy is it fun!!!!

Humans are crazy!

Could someone please explain to me why this crazy woman would take me from a place that I thought was chilly to a place that is COLD??? Doesn't she know I'm a tiny little dog with not much fur or body fat and when it's below freezing somewhere that has humidity it's even colder?

NOTE to self and anyone who allowed me to be kidnapped by this crazy lady: Fur coats, electric blankets, wood stoves, electric heaters, vacations to warm places - these are good things. Until I get one or all of the above, inside Gramama's shirt or under the covers with my nose stuck under her arm will have to do.

How to Make a Molehill out of a Mountain

Ok, Gramama says that Coco is a dog. I am a dog, my Mom and Dad are dogs. Of the three dogs I know, none of us weigh over 6 pounds. Coco is HUGE. She weighs 70 pounds, has a head bigger than my whole body and when she barks? That's a bark? Are you kidding me? That noise is deep and really, really loud. A bark is a delicate little yip that is shrill enough to bust an eardrum. Coco's bark is indescribable.

Coco is also not thrilled to have me in the house. What the heck is wrong with that dog? Everyone knows you HAVE to love me. I'm adorable, for crying out loud. When I get tired of sleeping, I trot on over to Coco and get in her face. She gets up and walks away! How rude! Who wouldn't want my sharp little nails and sharp little teeth caressing them?

Well, the way to Coco's heart is twofold. First, persistence. I just keep coming back. Each time she tolerates me a little longer. Before long she will come find me to play. Second, and this is very important. I ignore MY food and eat hers. So what if it's as big as my mouth? One piece lasts a while and Coco doesn't want it anyway. She devising ways to get in my crate to get the food I'm ignoring. G says she's going to lock us in a room and when she comes back she'd better find two happy dogs. Hey! I'm happy!

Hey, Mom & Dad? You did tell G that my name is Willow, right? She keeps calling me another name - ummmmm - Puddles? You didn't change my name without telling me, did ya?

Day One

Dear Mom and Dad,

Just a note to let you know I'm doing fine. I miss you guys but I'm staying busy so I won't be too sad.

The trip to NC was a challenge. Gramama drove for a long time and finally let me out so I could play the "round and round Gramama's neck" game. Once I got tired, I snuggled between the back of her neck and the thing she called a headrest. It was a good snuggle.

After a LONG time in the car - SHE GAVE IT AWAY!!This really nice man who thought I was adorable, (of course) made G take all of her stuff out (me included) and he just drove the car away and left us standing there! Gramama lugged her boxes on wheels over to a bus. A bus is a much bigger car to hold more people to adore me and go "ooooo and aaaaaaa". Once I was tired of putting on a show for those folks we got off the bus and went into what G called an airport. It's an even bigger place with more people to tell me how cute I am. One man traded G some food for some paper and he told us how he had 11 chihuahuas, including one that is 19. I think that's about how old G is - are you sure it's ok to leave me with a people that is that old? Just asking.

I'm not real sure what happened next. I was playing on the floor next to G and she started playing a game with me. She had a tiny piece of something that she wanted me to put in my mouth. The object of the game was for me NOT to let it go down my throat. What a fun game. Unfortunately I finally lost the game and after a couple of minutes the world started spinning! I couldn't stand up or even hold my head up. Wow, what a feeling. I closed my eyes and woke up sitting inside G's dress with a blanket over me. I couldn't stay awake so I'm not sure why we were sitting in that chair. (Just so you know, those people are nuts. They evidently pay money so they can sit in a small seat smushed up next to other people for a few hours. They are crazy.

I woke up later and we were on a tram or train. Once again, I had to perform and show everyone how cute I was. I was really glad when G got to the room we were going to take our next nap in. She stretched across three chairs and snuggled me next to her and we went right back to sleep. This really loud voice without a body attached woke us and and told us to board. Didn't make sense to me so I went back to sleep and left it to G.

We were so sleepy that we went to sleep while others were getting on the thing G called a plane. We woke up and everyone was getting off. I guess it was just another place for a nap cause it didn't do anything. We just slept. Oh, well.

We had to take a walk to find G's boxes on wheels and a strange man pulled up in a car that G says is ours. The man (Joe) scratched me under my chin and properly adored me until I was tired so I growled and snapped at him. HE THUMPED ME ON MY NOSE!!!! And G let him!!! I was so shocked I went right back to sleep.

After another nap at the place G says is our home, we went to a place with lots of dogs and we got to bring one home with us! She's really big. My head and half my body would fit in her mouth! We sniffed each other and I growled to let her know I was the boss and we went back home for another nap. G says she's sick and that's why she needs a lot of sleep. Does that mean we won't get to take naps all the time when she gets well? Coco slept at the foot of the bed and I snuggled up under G's arm. (Mom, you were right. That is the bestest place to snuggle!)

Well, G is helping me type this so I'm going to stop now and go put her to bed so I can keep her warm and help her get well. Goodness me, will my work ever be done?

I miss you guys but I know you said I had a lot of work to do to keep my people happy. She's a lot of work but one day she will be worth it, I'm sure. If you are sure I can do it, then I will.

Love and kisses,
Your loving daughter,
Willow