my own vacation

"Don't be so sad, Petra. While we're on vacation, you will be, too. Guess who's coming to stay with you? LEAH!"

Oh my dog, do you know what this means? Nothing but exciting times, let me assure you. Leah is the most fun person in the world. I'm already thinking of things she can teach me to do.
She knows how to climb trees! Look at her, I think she's showing me the way to some of your houses! Maybe we'll board the Amtrak and come see you! Leah especially likes NYC!

I won't have to be afraid of anything. (Well, maybe one thing.) But she'll protect me from Moose next door.

Scary bunnies in my yard, beware!

I can hardly wait! We are in for some seriously good times. I'm resting now so I'll be ready for her. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

little pea

She sometimes calls me Petra Pie or Little P. Little Pea.

"something resembling a pea, esp. in being small and round. –adjective" says the dictionary.

Do you think I look like one?

So if I'm small and round, do you think I'll fit in Motch's pocket when she and PA get on a boat and sail away for a week of relaxation? After my past week of suffering, don't you think I need a vacation, too?

feeling much better!

Well, I'm feeling much, much better -- like I turned around all at once. And here's proof. The boy who lives at our house came down the stairs from his bedroom. If you remember, there are jail bars at the bottom of the steps to keep me from going up. Well, the boy was in a hurry and stumbled over his backpack which was sitting on the steps and it knocked the bars down! I was quick to respond to the mishap and bounded up the stairs and went right into Leah's room where I found the kiwi! Yes, the kiwi! Woo! Of all the animals in Leah's room, I love the kiwi. But for some reason, I'm not allowed to play with it. Maybe because it's one of her favorites, I don't know. But I found the kiwi and claimed it and brought it downstairs.

Motch didn't even take it away from me. She let me roll on the ground and chew it up. "Oh puppy pie", she kept saying, "I'm so glad you're feeling better!" After laying around for 5 days, I've got a lot of catching up to do. Onward ho!

carrying on...

Thanks, everyone, for taking the time to send me get well wishes. I'm healing, slowly. I still spend my time resting. Motch put all of my toys away so I wouldn't be tempted to play, but I just don't feel like playing yet. That's why I was so excited when I saw what the Fleas Gang has been up to. These buttons made me perk up and put a smile on my face. Go to http://mydogshavefleas.com/fleasblog/ and get a button for yourself!

I'm sick

Things didn't turn out the way I expected when they took my insides out. Motch and PA took me to the breeder to get spayed because she wanted to do it. I spent the night at her house and the next morning, I didn't want to go potty because it was very cold outside,so I went into the surgery with a full bladder. As a result, the doctor cut my bladder so I've got stitches holding it together and then I have the normal ones. See my stitches?I'm eating a little and drinking a little but mostly just resting and sleeping. I am going potty all over the house, just little bits here and there because it just comes. Sometimes I shake, too. Anyway, I'm on an antibiotic and I'm getting a lot of attention right now. I like it best when I am held, all cuddled up in my blanket. When Motch can't hold me all the time, I just lay real quiet and still.

The breeder told Motch that all will be well, that I just need time to heal --- like maybe 2 weeks. Motch is nervous about me and spends her time holding me and watching me. Thank you for all of your thoughts and prayers and whatever it is that you do when you think of me. I hope to get well soon. I'll have Motch keep you posted!

my award

Look what I got! It's my very first award and it says "You Make My Day!" My friend Suki Sumo gave it to me, and it made me very happy. And then guess what? I GOT THE AWARD AGAIN! This time it was from my good friend Ruby. So how about that? The same award 2 times on the very 1st time I got an award! And now I pass the award on to Lady Kaos and Moco. Here is Fig, promising that my surgery tomorrow won't slow me down a bit. She is quite the comforter in times of stress and I love her alot because, afterall, she is my niece and my mentor all rolled into one big 25 pound boston!

two news items

OK, everybody, I have 2 news items to share and the first is happy and fabulous news: Tadpole has accepted the Presidential nomination of the International Doggie Party! Yes, he has officially entered the campaign and HE WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT! Take a look at his phenominal speech. I can sleep better tonight, knowing my future is in His hands as the IDP leader.

One of the reasons it's important for me to get my sleep is because, sad to say, I have to go have the "surgery" done. You know, the one where they take my insides out. It sounds kind of like Humpty Dumpty when he took a great fall but I won't fall and I will be put back together again. So anyway, I found some bandaids and some kind of wrap to help hold me together when those stitches are in, and I also found my santa claus hat to chew as comfort food (the wrap things tastes good, too, actually) because I'm a little nervous. Motch and PA are taking me to where they found me on Friday night and the operation is going to be on Saturday morning. I get to come home on Saturday night if all goes as planned.

I am a little scared but mostly excited because I get to see my doggie dad and some of the dogs I lived with before. I hope I get to play with them before they cut me with the knife.

I know many of you have already been through this, so if you have any advice to share, I'll gladly listen.

hard at work

I usually spend the weekends taking it easy, but this weekend I had work to do.

We're entering the race kind of late.Lady Kaos, if your mom has time, I could use her help.Tad for President!

tagged!

I was tagged by Tanner to tell you more about myself, so here goes.

1. If I could be a different kind of animal, I would be a hippopotamus because they have great big mouths. Yesterday I was eating a bone and choked on it. PA was afraid I might not even "make it" he said. But I did, after throwing up several times during a 3-hour period. Anyway, if I had a bigger mouth, I could chew bones and not choke.

2. My favorite song is "My Favorite Things" which comes from the Sound of Music where the hills are alive! I would change the lyrics at bit:

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on Figg(ins)

Red Santa Claus hats and warm woolen mittens

Brown paper packages tied up with STRINGS! woo!

These are a few of my favorite things

3. If I could live anywhere in the world, I would live in a normal town in Illinois. I've only been here for 2 months and I like it here. If I could go visit anywhere in the world (I know, that's not one of the questions but I don't care), I would visit Petra in Jordan because my name is Petra in Illinois.

4. If I were a famous movie star or personality, I would be Joe Stains because he is my favorite movie star.

5. I would like to be a spokesperson for Tadpole Pomegranate, who should be running for President as the Dogocratic nominee. I would be his campaign manager. Tad is certainly qualified to be President. He is destined to be in public office because his name is Tadpole which you could spell Tadpoll (poll is a place where votes are taken and how could you not vote for Tad if you went to a poll?). He has style (great hair -- and I would make sure the naked Chinese guy would wear clothes while on the campaign trail), charisma, money (well, he WILL have money once he's reimbursed for the job he recently left), experience (again, the job where he learned to deal with difficult people), and HE WILL CHANGE AMERICA! Since he's not a natural born leader but he's full of wisdom, he'll probably choose Joey to be Vice President to round out the ballot. I understand that Joey wants to live in the White House. I can see it now: this will not be a campaign but a movement that will sweep across America from coast to coast.

Are you with me? Should we send Tadpole to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue?

And now, in conclusion, I tag my friends Mack and Stella and Asta.

Monster Moose

I was so scared the other day! I usually get up around 5:30 AM to go potty. Motch opens the door to the deck and I run down the stairs, do my business, and head back inside.

I was outside relieving myself when all of a sudden a big monster of a dog named MOOSE ran over to my yard! He ran right up to Motch and wanted to be scratched, and then he started to HOWL! He's a golden retriever who lives next door, but I've only seen him from a distance -- never up close -- and when he came over, I took off running.

Motch had no idea where I was, so she frantically called for PA, who came to help find me. He looked in the front yard and Motch stood in the back yard calling my name over and over again. I stayed right where I was, hiding under the deck in the pitch black early morning hour, until I could stop shaking enough to inch my way out from under cover. And once I was back inside the house, I immediately went to my crate to find more shelter in this time of storm.

I'm no dummy; I'm much more cautious when I go outside these days, especially when it's dark.

Yum!

I like to follow Fig around the house when she comes to visit. This is one of our favorite places. Whenever Fig jumps up here, I make my way up right beside her. Then we sit and wait patiently.

After waiting patiently for a minute or two, Fig starts to whine. She can really whine good. And loud. And then she focuses.

We love these things.

Eventually, if we sit here long enough, we might get one. And it's worth the wait!