Thank heavens they are back!!

These past two weeks have been hard on me. First, the suitcases came out. I know what that means- and so, I jumped into mom's and took a nap (my secret technique for stalling the packing process!) Alas, she woke me up and replaced me with folded shirts and pants.

This made me sad, so I took refuge on mom's pillow and slept my pain away.

The next morning I knew something was "up". All the bags, except for two, were gone! "Yippy, they aren't leaving!" I told myself, but then mom took me for a walk.

mom: I know your going to be sad, but daddy and I will be back in just a little while

me: How long is a little while?

mom: About two weeks

(I stopped walking)

me: TWO WEEKS? WITHOUT YOU? WHO WILL I SNUGGLE WITH? WHO WILL FEED ME? YOU'RE GONNA LEAVE ME ALONE? I'M GOING TO DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIE

mom: Jack, you'll be fine. Grammy and Grampy are going to come pick you up

me: YOUR TAKING DAD WITH YOU TOO? I WANNA COME! DON'T LEAVE ME!

mom: You're going to spend time with Winston

me: I DON'T CARE ABOUT WINSTON, I WANNA BE WITH YOUUUUUUUU

mom: Jack, this isn't how I want to spend mother's day either- I will miss you very much. Let's go inside now, Grammy and Grampy will come pick you up in a little while.

me: no. (I sat down next to the car)

mom: Jack, come on. (she tugged on my leash)

me: nu uh. (she tugged harder) (I moved next to dad)

dad: Come on buddy, its okay

me: Trader!

And I lost that battle. Mom put so many treats in my house it looked like an Easter basket, but then they were gone and I was alone. In our house, with all the blinds closed. I cried. Loudly.

I'm pretty sure mom heard me because she said, "I can't leave him! I'm sure there is room in a suitcase for him!" but then the garage door closed and it was just Artichoke (my bird-sister) and I.

I cried myself to sleep and then, I heard the garage door come up! "They are back for me! I knew they'd be back- mom couldn't go that long without me!" but it wasn't mom and dad. It was Grammy and Grampy.

I could have been upset, but I just wanted outta here. I don't like being in the house alone without mom and dad! We drove over to Casa de la Grands and Winston was there. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad!

Winston: why so glum Jack?

me: (fighting back tears) because mom and dad left me. alone. to diiiiiiie.

Winston: but, if they left you, why are you here?

me: I don't know!

Winston: well kid, if your gonna be here, just be quiet okay? I'm gonna go take a nap

me: (sniffle) Okay.

So I left Winston and walked over to the front door. Grammy and grampy's door isn't like ours. Its see through; like a window to the world!

me: heeeeeeeeeeey, this is our front yard, back off (bark bark bark)

(30 seconds later, another person walked by)

me: HEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEY! (bark bark bark)

All this barking woke up Winston- he joined me at the door and barked along side me! We were partners in crime-fighting! No one was gonna walk in our front lawn this week! (or so we thought).

I guess I barked too much because Grampy got a little upset with me.

Grampy: Jack, enough barking.

(30 seconds later)

Grampy: Jaaaaaaaaaaack, stop.

(then Winston started)

Grampy: Enough!

He got these brown square pieces of stuff and put it in the front windows so I couldn't see out!

me: Heeeeeey! That's not fair!

But I out smarted him! See, there is a window ABOVE the front door that he didn't block! So, I did what any good watch-dog would do. I went half way up the staircase, just enough to see outside, and went back on watch-duty!

Grampy wasn't thrilled about this, so after he gave me some treats, I stopped. But since he didn't say the windows in the family room were off limits, I sat on the back of the couch most days watching for mom and dad to pull in; and finally, one day, they did!

Mom walked in and I heard the angels sing! HALLELULIA! HALLELULIA! SHE'S HOME!!

me: Mom I missed you so much! Lemme lick you here...and here...and on your face....and here...and here....ahhhhh, your really home? Your not going to leave me again, ever will you? Hmmm, and lick here, and here....

mom: MY BOY!!!! OOOOOH Jack, I missed you so much!!

me: ...and here and here and here

mom: You ready to go home buddy?

me: Do you really have to ask?

mom: Okay, up in your house (I sat.)

(Was she serious? I wasn't going to sit in the back of the car the WHOOOLE way home!)

mom: Jack, go on, "up-up"

me: nope. (I walked over to her door- obviously I had to take charge of the situation!)

mom: You wanna sit on my lap?

me: ...you can lead a horse to water- but you can't make him drink...YEEES!

And so I rode home on her lap while dad drove us home. Once home, I couldn't stop smelling the suitcases. Boy did their laundry smell!

Mom made biiiiiig piles in the laundry room and I got to walk on them! For the whole day I followed mom around, when she sat, I sat on her. When she went into another room, I went into another room. And FINALLY, when she went to sleep, I snuggled up so tight against her, I thought, for a second (or two) that we were one :)

Don't get me wrong, I was glad dad was back too! We played fetch in the backyard- it was fantastic.

Mom couldn't understand though why, even though I was sitting in the front windows I wasn't barking. She just doesn't understand- I wasn't barking at the people walking by at grammy and grampy's, I was barking for mom and dad to come home! And they did!