Friday, February 27, 2009

Mom's entry

I (Erin, Jack's 'person') update his blog just about everyday; never really knowing if people read it (which I hope they would) or enjoy it (which I hope they do). Because of all the writing I do, so many people tell me, "Erin, you should write children's books!". I think of that possibilty and I get all excited inside. Why?

a) I have never been a scholar. I have no interest in taking tests (normally I didn't pass them)
b) I like doing things my own way
c) After always enjoying writing stories, maybe I actually do have a knack for it?
d) Writing about things that I know (i.e., Jack) make me happy. My happiness seems to come across to my readers, which makes them happy
e) I could actually work in my pajamas
f) Gosh, wouldn't it just be so much fun to write children's books??

Diana, my mother in law, is a first grade teacher. She read her class the entry I wrote called, "I had a sleep over!" to her class who enjoyed it thoroughly. This got me thinking- what else could I write about with Jack being the main 'hero'?

Here is the list I came up with:
- Adventures of Jack in obedience school
- Adventures of Jack at the lake
- Adventures of Jack in the bath tub
- Adventures of Jack making new friends
- Adventures of Jack being an only puggle
- Adventures of Jack sharing Mom and Dad
- Adventures of Jack and his cousins
- Adventures of Jack at work

And that is just some of what I can remember from the list I made the other night. How fun though. I can write a whole kids series of books using 'The Adventures of Jack...' of course since I tend to embellish stories a little, they will be lots of fun for kids to read and parents to read to their kids!

Kind of like a younger, more tame Marley (from Marley and Me) but specifically geared towards kids?! Who knows...just a thought that I play around with in my head :)

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

I do yoga!


Whenever Mom pulls out her yoga mat to stretch, I know she's really pulling it out so I have a place to play with her. When she bends down, I bring her toys. And, when she's sitting, I try and sit in her lap.

Last night while Mom was stretching, I brought over my frog to chew on. Mom's very generous and shares the mat with me. I had so much fun chewing on the frog, tearing apart the loose pieces. When I was all done, it didn't really look like a frog anymore- but rather a pile of green and yellow stuff.


Dad said, "Jack has too many toys!" Mom said, "It keeps him busy, what's the harm?" Then Mom moved her elbow (she was resting on it) and realized it was wet. She looked down at the mat and realized that she had been resting on a piece of wet frog. Opps! Her whole elbow was covered in my slobber!! It was really really funny. Mom had to wipe off her elbow and then she picked up all the pieces of my frog that I worked so hard pulling off!! Time to move on to a new toy!!

I had a sleep over!



Grammy and Grampy's dog is named Winston. They rescued him from the pound a few years ago. He's an older dog and makes me feel like a baby when I'm around him because all I want to do is play and all he wants to do is sleep.

Well, Grammy and Grampy wanted to go away for a night and so Winston came over and we had a sleep over! I love having him over!! We've had lots of sleep overs before and we get along so well! Winston really likes my backyard.

Every time he comes over, he goes out back and sniffs the perimeter of the fence. He doesn't hear very well so Mom always tells me, "Jack, go get Winston!". I have to run over, rub him with my nose, and then he'll follow me inside. I really enjoy helping him. He's my buddy.


I especially like that I don't have to worry about him taking my spot on Mom's lap because he's too short to jump up on our couch! hehe. We can play 'chase' all day long- until W gets tired of course. Then he'll just sit down and watch me run. He's a silly guy!!


Thursday, February 12, 2009

Frog Leg



As I mentioned in yesterday entry, I now carry around a stuffed frog leg- that was once attached to a stuffed frog (who I tore into, grabbed all the stuffing out, ripped an eye off and, while playing tug of war with Aunt Caitlin, tore a leg off...)

Last night Mom, Dad and I were on the couch watching some television when I realized that, I didn't know where my frog leg was!

I ran upstairs with such force, scouring each room for my leg. Guest room? Nope. Office? Nada. Bathroom? Negative. Mom and Dad's bed? CHECK! I was ready to run back downstairs and snuggle with Mom again, when I realized the bedroom door had closed behind me!

I whined. "Moooooom?". She didn't hear me. I whined again, "Daaaaaad?". He didn't hear me either. I howled- and sure enough, they heard me, and I ran back down stairs, with the frog leg in my mouth, put it on Mom's lap, snuggled back up in the blanket and took a nap.

This isn't the first time I've been on the other side of the bedroom door. I like to run, fast, and the door seems to catch wind easily. If I'm not careful, I can be stuck in there, ALONE, for a few minutes! Mom always realizes when I'm not around...so I'm never trapped for too long.

But there was one time I got trapped in laundry room for about an hour. I have since learned my lesson, never go in the laundry room without a parent.

Aunt Jessica is on her way in. Mom says she's flying to come visit us. I wonder, does she fly like Artichoke? I hope she's more careful than 'Choke- she seems to run into things a lot. Like the cabinets. The mantel. Mirrors....


Wednesday, February 11, 2009

So many things to do, yet so little time to do them!

I have had such a busy week, I haven't found a spare minute to write here! Please forgive me.

Aunt Caitlin came into town last week. It was so much fun having her to play with me all day!! She gets to work from home, so she got to watch me sleep on the couch. Then play with my toys. Then ask her to play with me and my toys. By Wednesday she understood my routine and anticipated my arrival every early afternoon with a toy in my mouth and a wiggly tail!

When she left I was upset that I didn't have a daytime play partner anymore, but it was back to business as usual and I fell into my routine really easily. The really cute frog that Mom got for me a while ago has lost his leg. Its now my favorite toy.

I greet Dad with my frog leg every night when he comes home! I'm going to ask Mom to take pictures of me and the frog leg because its just amazing- its perfect and compact so I can take it everywhere!!

Aunt Jessica is coming to town tomorrow I hear. She's not going to stay with us until Saturday night- which is okay with me. I just LOVE having people at our house so I can't wait to play with her. Mom says I have two cousins because Aunt Jessica has two dogs- Sam and Emma. I'm sure I'll sniff 'em on her luggage when she comes to the house. Ooooh, something to look forward to!

Mom and Grandma came into the house the other day with two HUUUUGE bags of stuff. Dad asked, "what are those?" and Mom said, "your birthday presents!" and Grandma said, "you can't have them until Friday!" and Dad said, "okay". He's pretty easy going. I like that about him.

So if Friday is his birthday, I wonder how I should wake him up. Jump on his head? Give him kisses?

Oh! Speaking of kisses, yesterday Mom and I went on a walk when she got home from work. I met two little girls who just ADORED me. They smelled like candy and cake, so I kept kissing their fingers. The smaller one liked the way my ears felt, she said, "they are veh-wy soft" and the bigger small girl said, "I think he loves me". I did. I loved the cake in between her fingers! Hmmm. I was really well behaved though and Mom made sure I knew it! She kept telling me how good I was and when we got home, she gave me a treat! (Which made Artichoke a little upset, but she got over it...)

I have to go get ready for Aunt Jessica's arrival tomorrow. Mom will post some pictures soon, I'm sure of it!!

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

Where I came from


I think its important that everyone gives a shout out to their families. I have realized that while I have written so much about me on this site, I forgot two important parts of my life, mom and dad.

This is my version of how we met (it might vary a little from how mom and dad tell it...but again, this is MY version)

I was born in a cardboard box with 3 sisters and 1 brother. Having so many siblings was amazing- I got to play with them all day, until my "real mom" would lay down- then it was feeding time! Sometimes I'd have to head-butt my sisters so I could get in on the buffet, sometimes I got head-butted by them!

I was taking a nap, and all of a sudden, when I woke up, I was alone! I cried for my siblings. I cried to my mom. I cried because I really needed to poo. But most importantly I cried because I'm a social dog- but there was no one to be social with! After crying myself back to sleep, I woke up because some man picked me up. He flipped me over, gave me a SHOOTING pain in my butt, rubbed it, said "he's healthy!" and then put me down.


Once again, I realized, I'm alone. Never before had I realized that my cries actually could turn into howls! First time I did it, I scared myself. Good thing there was a soft blanket under me, because I peed myself. After realizing the howling wouldn't bring my mom and siblings back, I cried, tried to made myself comfortable and took a nap.

When I woke up, people were looking at me! They looked so funny from where I was sitting. Their big noses coming thisclose to me, pointing their fingers. "WHAT IS THIS?" I whined, loudly. All of a sudden some one opened the door behind me and said, "come here little guy, there is someone who wants to meet you!"


At first I thought, "Wow- you have big hands mister!" and then I realized he was warm, so I snuggled into his arm. And then, I saw HER. For, what seemed like forever to me, I found my person. She was pretty, smelled good and had soft hands.

We sat down in the room, big-hand-man and smell-good-soft-hand-lady. I realized right away that S.G.S.H.L. and I were going to be besties for LIFE! It was the B.H.M. that I clearly needed to win over. I remember hearing something like:

S.G.S.H.L.: "He's so cute, we should take him home today!"
B.H.M.: "But what about Christmas, your going home? What about our honeymoon? You can't have him live in your apartment...yaddy yaddy"
S.G.S.H.L.: "We can figure that all out later, I love him now!"

And this is when I realized, it was do or die.

I climbed up big-hand-man's legs, into his jacket and fell asleep in his armpit.

S.G.S.H.L.: "If we get him, we could call him Jack- for 'jacket' because he just fell asleep in your jacket!"
B.H.M.: "He's so soft and snuggly! But I cannot have a dog named 'jacket'"
S.G.S.H.L.: "Fine, then we call him Jack for short"

It felt like forever that night playing with these two amazing people. I knew I had to be theirs. They would take me to their cardboard box and share it with me. I just knew it!! But then, the unexpected happened.

B.H.M.: "We have to go meet mom and dad for dinner- we've already been in here with him for 2+ hours"
S.G.S.H.L.: "I cannot give him back"
B.H.M.: "I don't want to give him back either, but we have to"
S.G.S.H.L.: "I can't watch"

She kissed me on my head and I started to howl. "COME BACK!" I said, but she walked away. B.H.M. told the lady, "I'm sorry but we can't take him". I saw him tearing up too! I howled at him. "DON'T LEAVE ME! I'LL BE YOUR BESTIE!!"


But they left. Without me. Alone. I howled all night for them to come back. The lights got turned off, and we were all supposed to go to sleep. But how could I sleep when my new mom was here today and now- she's gone? I cried myself to sleep.

Next morning, the lights turned back on and my door opened. "ARE THEY HERE FOR ME?" I asked. I guy didn't say anything to me, just that I poop a lot. He cleaned my area and put me back in. I howled all day waiting for my pack to come back to me.

Mommy would always tell us bed time stories to put my siblings and I to bed, and one night she told the story of how, when she lost daddy outside, she howled for him. That was their way of communicating that they need their pack- you howl for your pack, your family, to come back.

It seemed like forever and after howling all day, I finally had to take a nap. I was too tired and emotionally exhausted from finding my pack, and then leaving me behind. Until, the door opened behind me. "You're going home buddy! Time for a bath!"


"Did he just say home? Does home mean a cardboard box? Am I going to have the two best people in the world come back and take me to their cardboard box??" I peed in the tub I was so excited. But then something weird happened. The guy put me back in my box. Alone.

I howled. I cried. The pomeranian above me kept jumping up and down insisting I be quiet- something about "beauty sleep". And then, it happened.

Big-hand-man and smell-good-soft-hand-lady stood in front of my window! Pointing at me and showing me to some really tall man and a really short lady.

S.G.S.H.L.: "May I see the puggle please?"

I knew she was talking about me, but he handed S.G.S.H.L. this little brat-girl puggle who came in last night- she too yelled at me all night, "I need more rest" and "could you puh-lease shut my hole". How was this possible? Right infront of my eyes my person was holding this mean yappy GIRL! I started howling.

S.G.S.H.L.: "I'm sorry, this is a girl, we saw the little boy, right there (pointing to me) last night, I'd like to see him again."

The guy said, "I'm sorry ma'am but he's already sold." and he walked the yappy-girl to the back room.

S.G.S.H.L. started crying. Really loudly. "But he's right there! He's looking at me! I just called an hour ago and you said you hadn't sold any puggles tonight!!!" She was so upset. That was of course until B.H.M. said, "I'm the one who bought him".

S.G.S.H.L.: "You WHAT?"

And then she elbowed him. Hard. In the stomach.

Once he stopped coughing and the guy realized that B.H.M. wasn't lying, he pulled me out of the door, for the LAST TIME, and handed me to S.G.S.H.L. It was love at first snuggle.


I was only 8 weeks old when dad bought me for mom as an early wedding present, but I have been the coolest dog on the block since. I only wear black leather spiked colars- and have since I was 3 pounds. Mom keeps my baby colar in her car. Something about it helping to remind her when I was a baby.

As a Christmas present two years ago dad took me to obidience classes, where I received all stars on my report card. Not only did everyone in the class say how "cute" I was but they also commented on my colar :)

And so, that is the story of how I became a member of the coolest family ever- my version of course. Somethings may have been edited out that didn't affect the outcome of the story and sometimes were added for additional comedic relief. Either way...I know where I'm sleeping tonight, snuggled up with S.G.S.H.L.! Yippy!



Monday, February 2, 2009

Grandma's Fiesta!




Hi everyone!! Saturday night we had so much fun, it was Grandma's birthday party fiesta! I was such a good boy. While everyone ate I sat on the couch and watched (literally) the John Mayer dvd.

I don't know what it is about John Mayer, but his music just hypnotizes me. Dad put the dvd on so we could have "background music" (that's what Mom called it anyway) I got myself comfy with my favorite blanket on the couch and let John serenade me. It wasn't until the drinks started pouring more and more that Nicole (my next door neighbor-grandma) wanted to play with me and my goose that I got up.

Grandma Nick started yelling at me for "tearing out his stuffing". She didn't understand that this is how I play with my toys. I drag them around the house for a while, and then, if they are stuffed, I simply rip into them, pull out their stuffing and then carry around the "carcass" as Mom calls it.

When Grandma Nick started pulling out my gooses stuffings I got so upset! I didn't understand what she was doing. We were no longer playing- she was playing, WITH MY GOOSE, alone. By herself. Without me! It hurt my feelings, but only for a few minutes because then she gave me the goose back and we ran around downstairs for a while. That made me happy.

However, currently I have half the goose I once did as she has now lost all of her insides, squeaker and all. That's okay though...hopefully Mom will just buy me another toy. I love new toys!!

I also loved having so many people in the house on Saturday night! It was so exciting- everyone pet me, gave me treats, complimented my pile of toys (mom moved them into one area- rather than scattered...) It was just a great great time. When we sung happy birthday to Grandma mom called Uncle Adam and Aunt Jessica- put them on speaker phone and we all sung. I even howled a little! It was wonderful!! (That's the photo above- mom holding her cell phone).

No one wore a sombrero- too bad. I'm sure it would have been a funny picture to put it on my head! Maybe next party...below is the picture Mom took of me after we sung/howled happy birthday...