You, me, a puppy and VA!

Gloria vs. the Wrong Color Kibble

2011-01-23T19:00:00.000-08:00

Gloria's made two surprising discoveries in the past month or so:
1) The red and green kibble tastes better than the brown and bone-shapped kibble and can be selectively eatten by picking up a couple of kibble at a time and dropping the non-green and non-red back in the bowl.
2) She can reach the door nob, turn it, and push it, but it still doesn't open like it does for mom and dad (the door swings in, fortunately, or we'd have a loose dog).

Gloria vs. the Wrong Couches

2010-10-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

In our move from LA to VA we, unfortunately, had to leave behind some of our most prize possessions, including our beloved teal green La-Z-Boys (RIP La-Z-Boys). It was with much sadness that we came to be in need of new couches.

For those of you who know me well, you know that I spend a lot of time on the couch. Reading, sleeping, cudding with Gloria, whatever it is, I like to do it on the couch. I'm also a little cheap. So after several weeks of shopping, when we came across Ashley Furniture's Rutherford Brindle set we fell in love. When we found it online, it was the perfect mixture of quality, stlye, comfort, and value.

Three weeks of anticipation later, these showed up at our door:

For those of who haven't bought couches lately, these fine couches are the Ashley Furniture Palmer set. Nice couches, but not what we ordered.

We're not sure how long it will take for the furniture company to come pick these up and deliver the correct couches, but everytime I turn around, Gloria seems to be making use of the new, but wrong, furniture:

Gloria vs. the Cowboy Cabin

2010-09-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

This past week, Kyle decided to take his girls (Gloria and I) for a weekend trip to the Cowboy Cabin in West Viriginia to relax, unwind and celebrate our great escape from LA. Unfortunately, Gloria didn't quite get that we were all three going at first....

Gloria, making sure she didn't get left.

After a couple of wrong turns (the GPS couldn't find it), a narrow escape from the police (there was a drunk driving check point - Gloria was NOT a fan), and having to stop to ask for directions in the surprising bustling Adult Entertainment store (the only establishment on 522 S after you pass through Berkley Springs), we finally made it to this adorable and homey cabin.

Cowboy Cabin

We, of course, let Gloria pick her bedroom first (to make up for her ridiculous idea that we might leave her):

Gloria's bedroom

Gloria really enjoyed playing fetch/chase in the yard with her dad:

My two favorites

Kyle wanted to go kayaking, so we took a little trip down (and up) the Potomac. It was gorgeous, the water absolutely clear and the perfect temperature, but given my track record, we decided it would be a terrible idea for me to bring my camera. Here are the pre and post pics:

Before Kayaking

The Potomac - The rental place didn't do drop offs so we paddled up and floated back.

We forgot to hold our Kayak Paddles Correctly

After Kayaking, we cleaned up for dinner (which unfortunately, Gloria couldn't come) and K took me to this gorgeous Scenic Overlook at sunset. You can see Pennsylvania, Maryland, W. Virginia and the Potomac all at the same time. We met another couple who took our photo and we took their's. Then we headed across the street to the romanic candle lit steak house where we were uncerimoniously denied entrance due to a lack of reseravations. We went to our backup restrant, a cute little Grill with live music on the patio, and ironically enough, we ran into the other couple, who was also turned away from the steak house. : )

Panorama Overlook

Finally, we went back to the cabin (we were missing our little girl), and decided to cuddle with her under the stars. While we were all three snuggling, we started talking about our little family and Kyle asked me what was missing from our family. I, of course, gave him my standard answer, "George," the name of the mini aussie brother we plan to get for Gloria once we have a yard. Instead of giving me his standard answer of "yeah" with the standard smile and kiss, he said "Yes, but something else is missing," got down on one knee, pulled out a gorgeous ring, then proposed! None of the night-time photos turned out well, but in daylight, here's the spot:

Where Kyle proposed

Needless to say, the Cowboy Cabin will always have a special place in our hearts (and on my finger)!

Gloria vs. the Ah Choo

2010-08-26T12:42:00.000-07:00

A year after getting her, we've just found out that Little Miss Gloria has allergies. Bad. You may wonder why we're just now noticing this. I imagine its directly related to the fact that we've lived in the desert for the past year, and she's allergic for grass.

Regardless, anytime she runs in tall grass, she starts sneezing, repeatedly. But she's a dog, so she loves to run in the grass, and especially to sniff it.

Her solution? Run in the grass sniffing and sneezing as long as she can stand it, then take a quick break on the concrete. She does this in about 20 second increments. 15 seconds in the grass, 5 seconds on the side walk. It sounds something like this:

*ah choo* *sneeze* *sniffle* *ah choo* *head shake* ______ *ah choo* *sneeze* *sniffle* *ah choo* *head shake* repeat.....

It's so.cute!

Gloria vs. Viriginia

2010-08-08T09:47:00.000-07:00

On July 28th, Gloria began a new adventure! She and her father took a red-eye flight out of Los Angeles and into her new home of McLean, Virginia. We specifically booked the read-eye because we were worried about the heat, and after hearing that seven dogs died due to heat on an AA flight only a week later, we were happy with our decision.

She wasn't too happy about about leaving her mom (and her mom wasn't too happy about her leaving either), but after a TAS approved long and tearful goodbye (apparently I was sad enough looking that they told me to take as long as I needed before I put her in her TAS screened crate), she was on her way.

Post - Trip Gloria giving her dad the stink eye for keeping her from sleeping.

Since moving to Virigina, Gloria's had a major change in lifestyle.

She now spends her days frolicing in the grass! She hasn't seen that stuff since she was 8 weeks old and in Ohio!

And she thoroughly enjoys her two walks daily, one before dad goes to work and one 9 hours later when dad gets home.

But most of all, she misses her mom (I'm sure) who'll be joining her August 12th, exactly one year from the day she and her mom first met! It was love at first snuggle.

A Little Confused

2010-07-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

Gloria's having a little trouble figuring out the bathroom situation in her new place. You're so close to figuring it out G!

Gloria vs. the Ice Cream

2010-02-07T22:50:00.000-08:00

We've reached a new level! Gloria found a bowl of ice cream on the coffee table and was happily eating it when I noticed (it's so cute, she balances her front feet on the table and her back on the couch). I told her to leave it from across the room and she left it!! No physical pulling, just verbal!! She obviously wasn't happy, she growled at the cup intermittently with licking her sugary chops, but I was proud!

Gloria vs. the Pineapple

2009-11-29T22:59:00.000-08:00

Some couples use marks on the wall to track their child's growth. We use pineapples. Sept. 27, 2009Nov. 29, 2009

Gloria vs. Higher Education

2009-11-14T15:24:00.000-08:00

Gloria's a graduate!

Unfortunately I had to miss the ceremony due to work (7 am Sunday inventory - ick!), but Kyle gave me an update - reenactment and all, he even took plenty of pictures for me, which still have yet to leave his camera, however, when they do make it off the camera, no worries, I'll post them.

The ceremony consisted of three parts:
1. Final competition
2. Caps and diplomas
3. The group picture

Gloria's classmates were all little shih tzus and mini poodles - non herding dogs like G, obviously she had an edge. She lost by a treat the lay and stay competition (K was bribing her to stay with a treat and he dropped it - how was G supposed to resist an un-guarded treat next to her face?). However, she redeemed herself during the relay race. Her team was an entire leg in the relay race behind when her turn came up (she was last to go). She raced across the store, around the trainer (without once glancing at the toys), and skidded to a sit several feet past the finish line (she was too excited to stop at the finish line) - all before the owner of the last dog on the other team could get his dog to sit. She won the relay race for her team!! Her prize? Doggie doo doo bags (mom and dad were thrilled).

Then the dogs all put on little graduate caps (Yes, I have a photo. It's adorable.) and were given their diplomas. And finally, Gloria and her friends from class all took a photo together.

So now we're moving on to advanced training. It deals with distractions - it's going to be an adventure, that's for sure!

Gloria vs. the Loose Tooth!

2009-10-26T21:12:00.000-07:00

Gloria lost her first tooth! We noticed she was very nippy Friday night, and Saturday morning two teeth were loose! They were gone by Saturday night, so I played tooth fairy and put a treat under the pillow of her bed. Of course she found the treat, then she spent the next hour noisely scratching at her bed trying to find the other treat. I guess she can count better than I thought, two teeth should equal two treats, right?

She was so disappointed when she didn't find one that she decided she was fighting with the bed and retreated to the couch. She hasn't slept in her bed again yet, I suppose she's still angry with it, for getting only one treat for two teeth!

Gloria vs. Halloween

2009-10-20T19:41:00.000-07:00

Kyle's mom decided to visit this weekend and it was wonderful - Kyle was outnumbered 2 to 1!
Because of this, I finally succeeded in getting to play dress up with Gloria and the Halloween costumes at PetSmart.

Gloria Vs. Mommy & Daddy's Hobbies

2009-10-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've never met any dog who needs attention as much as Gloria. She's discovered what Kyle and my hobbies are and it appears that she is trying to sabotage them so that we'll have more time to spend with her. See exhibits one and two below:

Exhibit 1: Gloria sitting on Kyle's xbox - effectively making him play with her instead of it.

Exhibit 2: Gloria with my running shoe, refusing to release it until I get her leash out as well.

Gloria vs. the Vet

2009-10-03T12:03:00.001-07:00

One of my responsibilities as a puppymomma is to take my little girl to the vet every 4 weeks to make sure she gets all of her vaccinations. Today was one of those days.

As she's gotten older, she's gotten more of a personality, and one of her favorite activities of the day is her morning walk/jog with mom. She wags her little butt, runs over to me with my shoe (she can only carry one, since it's almost as big as she is), and sits like a good girl for me to put her leash on so we can go.
Today, she thought she was going on a normal walk when I got out her leash, she got a little confused when I took her a different direction than normal, and by the time I put her in the car, she was more than a bit suspicious. She's on set 3 of her vaccinations, she she's very familiar with the vet and what happens there. She is not a fan.

We pulled up to the vet, I tugged her out of the car, and we checked in at the front desk, with a shaking little Gloria. Vaccinations are 1/2 off on Saturdays, and the majority of the dogs there were little puppies who needed their shots just like Gloria (Although there was one poor dog who was rushed in with a gunshot wound while we were waiting. Only in LA.). Every time one went back and yelped when it got it's shots, Gloria would nuzzle closer to me and shake a little more. To say the least it was a little traumatic.

We got Gloria her shots and headed home (she was a good girl and didn't make a sound when the vet stuck her). Since then, she's been completely lethargic, sleepy, and malleable, most likely due to the combination of the stress of the visit and the shots themselves, so I took the opportunity to play with her and get some cute sleepy puppy photos. Enjoy!

Gloria vs. the TWO walk day

2009-09-27T08:38:00.001-07:00

So Kyle and I accidently both took Gloria for 2 mile runs yesterday. This generally wouldn't be a big deal, but when your legs are seven and a half inches long and as skinny as a starving model's, 4 miles is a *lot* of steps.

Unsurprisingly, she was very tired last night (and this morning) so we took advantage of a sleepy puppy to get some cute photos.

I think somebody loves her puppydaddy.

Gloria loves to have her belly scratched, I guess this proves that even in her dreams she assumes the "please-rub-my-tummy" position. (She also wimpers in her sleep and "runs" in her sleep. It.is.so.cute.)

And I think somebody loves his puppybaby.

Gloria vs. the USC Rug

2009-09-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

And the verdict is.... guilty as charged!!

Lately, a certain furry someone has taken to chewing on a certain USC rug. Kyle blames the Washington loss and claims she's a fairweather fan, but I have a darker (and better, most likely more accurate) theory. Gloria's hatred of USC goes a long, long way back (well, as far back as a 14 week old puppy's hatred can go).

You see, Gloria is an OHIO puppy. Her first action agaisnt the rug was a dump, taken directly in the middle. We/Kyle tried our/his best, but even our/his most stringent precautions couldn't protect the ill-fated rug. It's death was destiny. She would sneak in, undected (mostly) under my feet when I'd dry my hair to get a chew or two in, then later, she'd stealthily chase in after Kyle'd go in to brush his teeth, attacking the rug merely a foot away. So while Kyle thinks she's a fair weather fan, I think she's risking the skin off her back to save her family from the evils of the USC rug. What a brave and loyal puppy. I wonder when she'll go after the shower curtain....

Gloria and the T-Bone

2009-09-19T16:04:00.001-07:00

Lately, steak has been significantly cheaper than chicken and someone has been enjoying it. The following photos are of a graphic nature and should not be viewed by the faint of heart. They are of Gloria enjoying her first t-bone.

She was actually really good when we first started taking photos, she was doing this super cute thing where she laid down with the bone and had both paws holding the top of the T with the middle sticking straight up in the air. Unfortunately, we missed that photo.

Gloria and the Popsicle

2009-09-19T12:41:00.000-07:00

I came home from my first day of work to these two guilty faces:One had left a popsicle melting on the end of the counter and the other had greedily lapped up the puddle of strawberry popsicle while the unmelted portion dripped on her head.

She was absolutely covered, her paws, her face, her head and very sticky Needless to say a shower was in order. I suppose all is well that ends well, and my two loves were happy, both of them filled with strawberry popsicle.