Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Willie, mom's first buddy

This is hard to believe and, at times, hard to swallow but mom had a life BEFORE me. Part of her B.J. life (Before Jack) was Willie, the family pup.

Mom grew up in a house that always had animals, cats, birds, the occasional rabbit but ALWAYS dogs.


Grandpa went to the pound one day "just looking" and came across a puffy white dog. As soon as their eyes met, they just knew they'd be forever friends. (Kinda like mom and I...but this story isn't about me- I digress)

lady: Sorry sir, there is a 7 day waiting period on him
grandpa: but why?
lady: because he was dropped in the night depository, we need to
see if he has a home

Frustrated and upset, Grandpa went home and begged Grandma for permission for another animal. (Did I mention that since I'm a dog, this whole story might not b
e factual? The parts that I don't know, I'm just making up...but it makes for a better story this way...)

Every day for seven days, Grandpa went and checked on the puffy dog. On one trip to the pound, mom tagged along to meet the white puff-ball. FINALLY, we were allowed to bring him home.


The first night he was a mess.
Grandpa and mom gave him a bath and then gave him a hair cut in the family room. A bond was formed.


Grandpa: we need to come up with a name
Aunt Cathy: why not just call him 'Dog'

Grandma: Cathy...
Aunt Cathy: well, Uncle Willie and Aunt June are coming to visit this weekend, maybe they'll have a name for him!


And that Saturday night, the white puffy dog was named Willie. Why? Because As soon as Uncle Willie sat down the puffy dog wouldn't leave him alone.


Legend has it that Willie shared his time between Grandpa's lap and mom's. (this doesn't make me too jealous...sniffle)

Willie set the bar REALLY high for me to live up to. He was a true friend to my mom, the 'original' snuggle-buddy and someone everyone liked.


Just like me, Willie had a bunch of nick names: Whoop, Wooper, Buddy, Will...

Something I don't have in common with Willie is the bond he shared with Coco.

Willie and Coco were partners in crime. Coco was (is) a prissy dog; she doesn't like to get her feet wet, she whines so be held but she was always by Willie's side.

I only met Willie once, a few years ago, but I gotta tell 'ya, if there was ever a dog I envied, it was him. Mom just turned to jello when she saw him and picked him up to give him a big hug.



We'll miss you buddy!




Monday, June 22, 2009

My new hangout

Everyone knows that it gets hot in the summer and it seems mom and dad have helped me win the battle of the heat; with a lounge chair.

I know they set them up so THEY would have a place to sit and relax, but I gotta tell 'ya, it is a perfect place for me to spend my lazy afternoons.

I get warmed by the sun and at the same time can enjoy the breeze. Ahhhh- I love summer!

(...And just in case you were wondering how the pumpkins were doing, here's an update!

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

We're growing pumpkins!

Two years ago was my very first Halloween with mom and dad. To celebrate, mom carved me a pumpkin that spelled out my name.

It was, in fact, a 'Jack' o lantern.

Dad's pumpkin on the other hand wasn't as "cute" as mine. He got the idea to turn his pumpkin on its side, pretend the stem was its nose, and show it throwing up all the insides- the seeds were EVERYWHERE.


(this picture isn't dad's pumpkin exactly- but it gets the point across...)


After grossing out all the kids in the neighborhood (and receiving accolades from the adult neighbors) dad 'cleaned up' the pumpkin throw up and that was that.

Then spring came. Flowers started blooming, grass and plants got super green and then one day, mom noticed a really weird looking weed.

mom: Hey, Eric...did you see that killer weed we have in the front yard?

dad: No. Where are you seeing a 'killer weed'?
mom: Right where you had your halloween pumpkin actually!


Turns out, we have fertile soil- and sure enough, within a few more weeks, we had a vine, then a long vine, then a SUPER long vine with flowers and then, it happened.

We grew a pumpkin. Totally by accident.

Last spring mom asked dad to get a section of my backyard ready so we could
plant a whole garden of pumpkin seeds with the hopes of having more Halloween pumpkins.

After a long day of chasing the dirt that dad threw into a pile (and then walking on top of the pile and howling...its so much fun having a platform to stand on!)
the garden was set. All they needed were pumpkin seeds.

What mom didn't know was that it was too late in the year to plant seeds. Opps!

This year however, mom has been on a mission to grow pumpkins. Last week she went to Home Depot and bought a "seed greenhouse" and planted the little guys.

Within a few days, "things" started happening.

me: mom, how long will it take to have a pumpkin?
mom: I don't really know, Jack


It was awesome to see how fast these seeds grew. (mom moved 'em to the window sill so they could get more sunlight- as per the instructions...)

me: do we have pumpkins yet?
mom: almost...just hang in there


...And exactly one week since mom and I planted the seeds, it was time to move them outside to the mulch beds.

me: is it time yet? do we have pumpkins? can we plant them yet?
mom: yes we can
me: YIPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPY!


When mom was setting up to plant the pumpkins, she got me ready to sit with her. Whenever I'm in the front yard, mom always puts on my red lead, gives me toys to play with and big bowl of fresh water (typically with ice cubes, but she was in a hurry...)


Now that the pumpkins have been planted, every night mom and I have gone outside to take photos, water them and to see how they are progressing. (this is the most recent photo of the pumpkins- mom and I took it last night)


I can't wait to show everyone when we actually have a pumpkin! Since we planted about 32 seeds in the 12 holes in the greenhouse, odds are pretty good we'll get at least one (maybe two? I don't want to be greedy) pumpkins.

Its hard to think about fall so early into summer, but I can't wait to watch them grow!!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I love parties!





Saturday night mom threw a birthday party for Grammy. It was so much fun setting up the outdoor furniture with mom. She was trying to clean it with a bucket of water, and kept telling me to "back up" when it would run off the side.

It reminded me of a water fall and, since I love water, I couldn't help myself and just stood there and got wet.

Since it was so nice outside, dad brought out the hammock to sit in. When we first got the hammock (a few years ago) I wasn't so sure of it. I didn't like being off the ground and moving side to side- so it was a big step for me, when dad called me "up" that not only did I jump up on the hammock, but I didn't fall off! (That has happened many times before...)

Instead, I actually enjoyed my ride! Everything looked so pretty
outside, and then, the sky turned gray. "But how are we going to grill if its pouring outside" mom said. Then dad got the lightbulb over his head, "We'll grill near the garage!"

And so they did, which meant I didn't get to stand near dad at watch (with my mouth watering) as all the meat was grilled.

Instead, I sat at the garage door, with my I'm-not-happy-face-on and watched as mom carried out meat, "staaaay" she'd say as the door opened and closed.

It wasn't until FINALLY gram opened her presents I had fun.


You see, wrapping paper might be fun for people, but wrapping paper is the ULTIMATE for a puggle-like-me! Christmas morning is all about the presents for me as well, I mean, I always sing happy birthday to Jesus with mom and dad, but the wrapping paper is really God's gift to me!

As soon as gram tore into those presents, I sat under her whining.

"Jaaaack, you want the paper?" she'd ask.

I'd do a double-whine back asking "yes please" and then she'd throw it like a tennis ball. YIPPY!


I wanted to wish her a happy birthday, but my mouth was so full of wrapping paper, I just couldn't.

Then it kept getting stuck to the inside of my mouth, hanging out...mom got lots of photos of this. "Oh, that's going in thescrapbook!" she'd say.


Needless to say, when everyone went home and all my wrapping paper-mess was cleaned up, I slept super-duper well! I wonder when the next party is going to be?

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Vote For Me (pleeeeeease!)


Turns out, Progressive.com (the insurance site) has a pet contest that mom entered me into. All I need are votes!

Here's what you have to do, go to this page, http://www.progressive.com/petphotos/pet-image.aspx?id=4596 , and vote for me.

(Aren't I cute? This photo was taken by dad the very first night they brought me home. Mom always comments on how "cute and pudgy" my paws were when I was a baby...what do you think?

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Television is for everyone (including me!)


Some people laugh about this, but I don't know why its so funny that I watch t.v. with mom and dad. You watch t.v., don't you?

My favorite thing to watch are John Mayer concerts. How do I know this? Well, when Grandma had her fiesta back in January, dad put on John for background noise. While everyone was eating and drinking, mom asked if anyone knew where I was. That's when dad pointed out that I was on the couch.
Watching John.

John Mayer (or, just John as I
call him) have a special relationship. When I'm in my crate in the back of the car, if I'm having a bad day and start whining, the only music that will calm me down, is John Mayer.

His cover of "Life is a Highway" (on the Cars soundtrack) is a favorite of mine, especially while I'm in the car!


My least favorite thing to watch? Animals on the telly.


I know it seems funny, since I am an animal, but any type of dog, cat, elephant, bear, penguin- you name it and I get upset and growl at the t.v.

Mom and dad have tried very hard over the course of my life to calm down my animal-on-tv-dislike, but its to no avail. They don't understand, if there is an animal on the television, I think they are IN our house, so I jump down and try to protect mom and dad.

Before I became a member of the family, mom would always leave Animal Planet on when she left for work so that Artichoke (my pet-bird sister) had something to watch. But, because of my animal-phobia, mom doesn't ever watch Animal Planet anymore. That's okay with me though, really- why does she need to watch animals, when she's got the cutest one in the WORLD already sitting on her lap?

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Another follwer? Yippy!

Can we talk? Just for a few minutes? Ok good.

I AM SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED! When mom and I started this blog, we (she) didn't know if anyone would ever read it, or like it, or comment on it, or even follow it. And guess what, you are!

This might seem like a mediocre deal to some- but for a little puggle in Ohio, this
is a big deal! I knew I'd make friends (or should I call you, "followers") mom says I have a very "loving personality"...

The other night I got into a bit of trouble. I wasn't bad or anything, well, maybe I was. See, mom wanted to bbq out back- but before dad started grilling, he sprayed for weeds. Well, I really like the smell of the weed killer so I rolled in it. Twice. This got dad upset because "He needs to listen!" and mom upset because "now he needs a bath".


Take two.

The next night they bbq'd again. This was my redemption time. I wasn't going to roll in ANYTHING. Except, there were no smells! The perfume from last night was gone!

Since we don't have a deck, mom and dad sat in the grass (on chairs of course) and ate their dinner. It smelled so good- but since I'm a good boy, I left them alone and wondered my backyard.


Then I thought of something, "if they are outside, they want to play!" So I brought one of my tennis balls over to dad's chair and put it on the grass and sat next to it.

He didn't seem to notice, so I nudged his leg with my nose.

Dad: Hi buddy!
me: Wanna play fetch?
Mom: we shouldn't play with him while we're eating outside
me: Hu? But mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooom

And dad caved.


Dad: Jack, mommy says 'no'
mom: You two can play, just when we're done eating
me: Himph.

And I walked away. It was at this point that I realized, I gotta go potty! As mom and dad sat at the table eating, I did my "business". I heard mom point this out to dad.

Mom: Haha, I guess it was either play fetch or go potty
Dad: I guess!
Mom: We need a deck!
Dad: Uh greed

(I know these photos don't have me in them...but they give you an idea of what mom, dad and my backyard look like!)