Poor Loofa Dog....

He didn't stand a chance against the jaws of death!

Yum stuffing!

mmmmm

see, dis schtuff isn't sa-poosed to be here!

bleh! it doesn't taste so good afterall mum!

making a mess is fun!

yeah, figured documenting the first de-stuffing was more important than a fast clean up!

Loofa is still in intensive care.  We may be able to temporarily stitch him up, but death may be inevitable when Ori gets a hold of him again!

Catching Up

Where does the time go?  Life has been moving fast over here.  Lots of great and cool changes and transitions including Nick's new job going full time after Easter!  We've been getting ready for regional conference this week and then a long overdue trip up to MA next week.  In between, we've been setting up a dog walker for the longer days that the girls will have once in a while.  Good thing since things are moving a little quicker than we thought : )

The girls have been doing very well over here.  Ori turned 4 on Friday!  Not a lot of pomp and circumstance but she did sleep in bed that night, much to Molly's chagrin when she realized it!  Ori was a bit of a wiggle worm, so it was truly a birthday only event!  Molly still gets to jump up in bed in the middle of the night if she wants.  Of course last night she chose to stay in her bed all night and all 4 of us slept very soundly.  Nick's new job has meant a new schedule, an earlier schedule.  It's been quite the adjustment but overall, it's been good.  The girls are still happy to eat whether it's at 6am or 8am...of course Ori is just a tad bit slower in the earlier morning hours : )  Sunday morning both girls slept in with me until 9AM!  We almost had to push Moo out of bed to eat!  Silly girl....

The springtime weather, good food, and exercise has been doing a world of wonder for both girls.  The past 2 weeks, Molly has been frolicking and romping around outside like a little pup!  She's spunky and happy and got an excellent report from the vet yesterday.  Moo's eyes are bright and clear, her coat is shiny, and her back end has muscle!  She seems to be not quite as hungry either...of course she did do some trash picking earlier this evening, so I guess it's a give and take kind of thing. 

Ori has been letting her opinion be known and has been staging her own version of "sit-ins" when she wants to say hi to someone instead of walking.  She lays down in the road or side walk and gives us dirty looks.  She also does this at the top of the steps or on the couch... so we're speaking her language and giving her cookies for going outside to potty which kills 2 birds with 1 stone: she's more compliant and we're reinforcing potty OUTSIDE!  She doesn't go to the door all the time, but improvement is definitely noted.

I almost saw the girls play today.  Molly "went after" Ori and even did a "play bow," the first I've ever seen her do!  Of course Ori didn't see it as playing and then a stand off ensued...figures.  But it was the closest thing to playing yet!  Ori views Molly as dominant, so O backed down, but for a brief second, I thought they might play today : )  Maybe another day.

Silly girls : )

A little update

Thank heavens the rain has stopped and the sun and warm weather have returned!  The 4 of us have been going for longer walks again which has also increased the snuggle time on the couch!  We're all hanging in here pretty well for the most part.  Still working on Moo's med balance...a blowout last week, beginning to act more hungry, but doing ok.  The last double batch of food I cooked I added sweet potato in addition to the ground beef so hopefully we can continue to add a tiny bit more weight to her.  I haven't started her on the new batch, but most likely this weekend.

Ori is really getting into the routine over here.  Potty training is going the right direction, minus a rainy saturday setback.  She knows the routine and has even included snuggle time after breakfast if we can!  She's been putting her self to bed by taking loofa dog into the crate at night and then we just close the door behind her.  Poor loofa dog isn't doing so well though...I'll have to post pictures of Ori's latest adventure with Loofa.  She's had a taste of destuffing and now every stuffy has Ori on a mission for fluff!!!!  But she's cute, so before I clean up, I document the adventure.

We've had Moo 7 months yesterday and it will be 2 months with Ori on Thursday.  Ori also turns 4 on Friday.  Not sure how we're celebrating yet....maybe some yummy things to chew?  a cardboard cake for her to destroy?  A new loofa dog?  Ha, we'll see : )  I totally love life with our 2 little girls.  I was thinking on 1 of our afternoon walks though, how much simpler life was with just 1.  Not that it was easy all the time with Tink, but obviously 1 dog is easier than 2.  I viewed life as idyllic with Tink.  I know it wasn't, but if was a beautiful not-quite-4 years with her.   It amazes me where my mind wanders as I walk with the girls.  I loved to walk with Tink, wandering around the neighborhood.  I still love walking and wandering with my girls, in the sun, in the morning, afternoon, whatever.  I just love it, even when these 2 are eating rabbit poo or whatever else they try to get into....

All in all a decent week or so....more pics to follow....

Sunday Morning Sleepies

We learned something new about Molly this weekend: she loves soft things!!  Our comforter ended up on the floor and rather than getting into bed like Moo usually does, she just laid on the pile of softness! 

Isn't she cute?!?!

Meanwhile,  Ori was snuggled up in bed with me just like a little teddy bear.  Of course by the time we took pictures she was at the edge of the bed checking everything out

hey guys, what are we doing?!?!

Yeah, we have lots of quality snuggle time in this house!  Nick enables me to sleep in with the girls on occasion and I must say, I relish every moment, even if it means I'm almost late once in a while!

My Bell Ringer

Ori clearly knows how to get what she wants.  Yesterday after playing, she wanted/needed a drink.  Her water bowl was empty (mind you Molly's wasn't) and Ori literally clanged and picked them up in protest.  I got up, fixed the bowls and while I'm getting the Brita, she's impatiently knocking them over again!  I finally was able to fill her bowl and she drank 'til her little heart was content.  She is something else!

Beautiful Weather

The weather has been so beautiful these past 4 days!  It's been a little taste of spring with sunshine and temperatures in the 50s or 60s--  way too nice to spend all day inside.  It's been a wonderful opportunity to take Molly and Ori for longer walks and to go out and wander more often.  Nick and I realized that when Molly came to us in August we were no longer going for walks around Hickory with Tink since at that point she was walking around the apartments but not any further.  So this is really Molly's first weekend at longer walks which are fabulous for her back end.  Both Moo and Ori appear to be really enjoying the longer walks (and then the longer naps as a result!)  Ori is loving the opportunity to say "Hi" to every person she meets.  A little kid carrying a stuffed monkey came up to her this afternoon and she turned herself inside out trying to get to the monkey, even making her own monkey noises as a result!

Apparently yesterday when Nick came home, all three of them ran home from the dumpster.  Nick said that even Moo was at a full gallop!  I saw a little bit of her running foot loose and fancy free this afternoon in the warm weather and sunshine.   It makes me smile to see her happy and doing well.

Overall Molly is doing well.  She's developed this habit of joining us in bed on top of the covers in between Nick and me in the middle of the night.  She won't sleep on the side of the bed, it has to be right in the middle!  What is left of her coat is shiny and healthy looking.  Unfortunately she's still loosing hair on her back legs.  I can't seem to get her to gain any worthwhile weight and to add insult to injury, I was greeted with a blow out on the carpet in the living room this afternoon.  The first one in over 2 months, but man, what a mess to clean up!  I think we're going to be ok....clean up, vinegar, Borax, vacuum, steam clean, now baking soda then a final vacuum.  Hopefully that will do the trick.  Mid clean up, Ori decided to add her own peepee to the list of things to do!  In her defense, she was right by the front door she just didn't understand my "wait a minute" so I could get up and get my flip flops on!  Then while I'm steam cleaning, I turn around and O is chewing up the place mat that was under Molly's food and water bowl!  Oh my little monkey!

Ori is consistently going down the stairs but she is very opinionated about where she wants to go.  She's quick to put the brakes on but generally waiting her out, she eventually thinks it through and making a "sunny choice," going my way : )  We start obedience the first tuesday in April.  I'm excited as it's the first step in our formal training with O!  Her coat is beautiful and shiny.  I love her brindling and how perfect she looks when the sun shines on her.  Both girls did great in their baths on Saturday night.  Peanut butter on the tub is a great hit and help!  Ori continues to sit in the bathroom and watch Moo get her bath and dry, taking it all in!

March 5th came and almost went... I realized that afternoon that Tink had left us 5 months ago and the weight of that thought hit me pretty hard.  5 months...really? I'm attempting to grasp that length of time without her. We still have her little red hoodie with the rest of the girls' coats.  It hung there for her for so long that neither of us have been able to move it just yet.  It's currently in the wash, but I'm sure it will find its way back to the doggy coat rack.  Moo and O help us smile in so many ways and remind us of our little one every day.  It's good and wonderful, healing yet painful.  I look at Ori's smooshy little face while she is pressed tightly against me.  I listen to her snore and sigh and I feel my heart come alive in a way I didn't think it could again.  It's slight, but it's there.  I watch her roll on her back first thing in the morning and lay there "stuck" like another little one we had and I smile.  The thought of having Ori here for many years to come is exciting.  We didn't move into our little rancher with a fenced in back yard for Tink, but Lord willing, Ori will have her own place and fenced in yard to run around and play in one of these years. 

We've been blessed with some fabulous little doggies in our home.  I asked Nick last night: How do we get all the cute doggies?  His reply:  We keep 'em!

My Social Butterfly

Ori loves everyone!  She wants to greet every person we see on a walk and goes to great lengths to be "noticed" by said passer-byers.  She turns herself inside out, if/when they say hi and pet her, finally she is ready to continue the walk happy as a little clam.

Her social attitude continues to grow.  She hears the other apartment doors and knowing there are dogs in 2 of the other 3 apartments she wants to go and see what is going on!  She can be so persistent!  She went to the door many many times this evening.  So of course, I took her outside.  Finally, I let her stand by the door and sure enough, the little monkey rang the potty bells we've been trying to get her to use for weeks!  She knew that I wouldn't turn that down.  Ha!  She didn't want to go outside, she wanted to go across the hall!

Earlier this evening, as some girl scout cookies were being delivered, Ori slipped out into the hallway and then ran into the apartment across the way from us.  She ran so fast and boogied her way right into the kitchen and helped herself to a drink!  I guess she figures they have better water over there?  Crazy girl!  I can't wait to see her, Penny, and Jazz together when we go up to MA over Easter.  It is going to be crazy fun to see her play, play, play with them!  (Nick and I decided that Stretch will be the ref and bark at the game and Moo will be on the hunt for food oblivious to the rest of the world...)

Oh my silly pretty girl, we are so glad that you are ours!

not so random musings...

Molly came into our lives last August 15 and for less than 2 months our little home felt complete with the 2 pups we had.  Even though I knew it took Tink many many months to really settle in, I didn't stop to consider that it might be the same for Moo as she fell into our routine with ease.  Unfortunately, Tink's health faded quickly after Molly arrived and much of my time and attention was spent caring, doting, and loving on my heart dog in every way possible.  After Tink crossed the rainbow bridge, we stuttered and stammered our way through the usual routines.  Molly did a fabulous job helping me smile, but often I still ended in tears.  Fortunately the strongest grief intensity cannot be maintained forever and we slowly but surely slipped into a new routine that included pieces of the old and familiar and pieces of the new as we continued to move forward.
Molly has been with us over 6 months already.  And in that time, we have been through much grief and excitement.  Molly's medical issues, while not cured, are for the most part under control and do not impede her day to day activities.  Nick and I laugh now, but it was no laughing matter waking up or walking through a mess of explosiveness.  The cushing's is real and while not quite as regulated as we would like, we continue to press forward working with her diet, supplements, and medications as much as we can.  She lets me roll her on her back, cradled like a baby while I rub oil into her tummy in hopes of helping her paper thin skin.  She has love in her eyes and seems to know that her best interest is in mind.
I love when the snuggly side of Molly comes out and she presses in close to me.  We share thoughts and secrets that can only be shared with a little golden girl such as she.  While not a fan of baths and nail clipping, she tolerates them both much better than when she first came here, knowing that she will be treated kindly and with lots of cookies (or peanut butter on the bathtub wall) for her cooperation.  She even lets me blow dry her thin little coat.  She has taught both Macy and now Ori the ropes of the house and how to be a fairly well behaved little BT in our home.  She does like to "yell" at me in the evening when she wants a cookie.  She stands there and looks at me with mischief in her eyes.  Then her tail and butt slowly begin to move and before I know it, we're both dancing in the kitchen to her yodeling tune.  I have a very hard time saying no to her in moments like that so, she continues to yodel at me in the evenings and before bed for an extra snack or 3.
Ori's presence oddly enough is creating a balance between play and sleep over here.  She actually arrived in our home 4 years after Tink did to the weekend.  She likes to shake things up and have fun, always on the hunt for a new adventure or snuggle opportunity.  She's a smart little girl and the more she learns the quicker she picks up the next new item.  Some days I still can't believe that we adopted her and that she is ours to keep.  Usually that excites me, but sometimes I feel sad knowing that we have Ori because Tinker is no longer here.  But because of Tinker, we are better equipped to love and care for both our girls.  There is still such a wide range of emotions inside of me... but again, each dog, especially one with a history like O, takes time to blossom and grow.  It also will take time over here for us to adjust as well, more emotionally than physically at this point.  Her smooshy little face and upbeat personality are just what the doctor ordered most days.
Ori and Moo are really quite the pair and we are so blessed to have them as part of our little family...