Fun!

Dizzy and I are making our own fun. We have hoped that Grandma and Grandpa will take us somewhere special, but Grandpa says it is too cold. I know when I go outside my back leg doesn't want to touch the ground, so I guess it is pretty cold. I also know that going back inside feels really good.

I heard Grandpa talking to some lady named Michelle about visiting us. He said "on Friday," but I don't know when that is. It sounds like he and Grandma must go somewhere and leave us for awhile. Sounds like our life back home. So someone will come to visit us and take us out for our business. I hope Grandma and Grandpa are not gone long.

Dizzy walks around with her nose in the air. She hasn't had an accident in days and seems very pleased with herself. I need to find a way to take her down a notch. Maybe if I gnaw on her back leg.

Grandma and Grandpa had something Grandpa called "hamburgers" for dinner. The smells were wonderful! Grandma said I get some hamburger on my food, too, and it does taste pretty good, but it doesn't smell anything like as good as what Grandpa cooked. I asked really nicely, "Pretty, pretty please, can I have some of yours?" I stood on my hind legs and tried to look as adorable as I could. I whined only a little bit. I really wanted some, but no one would give me any.

I think this will be all for tonight. I need to think about bed, and thinking about bed usually means a nap beforehand. Grandpa gave me a photo to send you that I think I'll use as my official portrait when I'm elected President.

On Guard

I asked Grandpa to take a picture of me guarding the house. The kitchen stairs are really good for this. I can see all the way across the street, and I am careful to keep track of everyone walking up or down our street. (It does feel like "our" street, although I know I have another street with my mommies, and that Dizzy and I will be back on that street in a month.) If a dog is stupid enough to walk past, I really let him know he's not welcome. Grandpa should post a sign saying

ESPECIALLY FIERCE GUARD DOG
ON DUTY
BEWARE!!!!

I also asked Grandpa to take a picture of Dizzy being lazy. Maybe she's just totally relaxed when I'm on duty, however. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt.

quality time

i love my grandma...she has a soft lap...and nice hands...she takes time to cuddle me...i feel good...bedtime soon...i can tell because im yawning...a big yawn feels good...i have a full tummy...its warm inside...its cold outside...i feel good

Our Day, Today

After Grandma left, while we were resting on the stairs, someone rang the backdoor bell. At the time I did not know that's what it was, but Papa quickly told me. What excitement! A lady was at the door. I think I remember her from when we last were here. She works in the house, pushing a machine around that makes a lot of noise, making floors wet (on purpose, and it seems to be good, as opposed to when Dizzy has an accident), pushing things around on kitchen surfaces, and doing things in other rooms we are not permitted to see. Grandpa restricted us to his room while she worked in the kitchen, and then we were shut in the kitchen with him (he ate lunch) while she was in other rooms.

Here's another photo of Dizzy enjoying the sunshine this morning.



We had a tame afternoon after all that excitement. The few times we went outside it was still cold, so I'm glad we didn't have to go far.

Dizzy stole my bed at the top of the stairs, so I stole her bed in the kitchen. It is very comfortable. I napped.

More perhaps before I go to bed. Grandpa has put away his camera. I'll try not to do anything that will tempt him to get it out again.

Good Morning, Sunshine

Dizzy and I awoke at a reasonable hour this morning -- like 7:30. We started out really quietly, but after conferring, we jointly attacked Grandpa, because we knew it was his turn to walk us. Kisses all over his face from both of us! He quickly got the message, and we were off to the park.

It was a lot colder this morning. Grandpa had to zip up his jacket, and I saw that when he took Papa out after us he had gloves on. He fed us, then we settled back while the grandparents ate breakfast. Grandpa took Dizzy out twice more to see if she would poop (is that what "anal retentive" means?), and then the third time later in the morning was charmed. I know you get such a kick out of hearing about our bodily functions. ;-)

I found sunshine at the top of the stairs, and then Dizzy found it too, and then Grandpa got his camera -- this time without the flash -- and took our picture. In fact, he took lots of pictures. Maybe I can send some of the others of them another time.

Grandma is gone this morning. We're just being lazy. Life is good. Here's a picture of Dizzy trying to lick her own nose.

Last Call Tonight

I'm about to go to bed, but before I could leave my perch at the top of the stairs, Grandpa snuck up again and snapped this pic. I was so far gone I didn't even notice the flash. I thought I'd send this to you before I turn in. No rain tonight, I think, so we should all sleep soundly. Grandpa's turn to take Dizzy and me for our walk tomorrow morning. Maybe we'll be kind to him and not get up until 7 or so.

Dizzy says she wrote you. I hope it was a nice letter.

I'll write more tomorrow.

dizzy here

hi mommies and auntie em...dizzy here...im writing this time...ella said i could...she even offered to help...i said NO WAY i can write by myself...ella says she told you about the big baddaboom last night...i was scared for a minute...grandma and grandpa didnt seem concerned...i went back to bed...i like their bed...i like snugglin with grandma...i like snugglin with grandpa too but somehow i always seem to end up on grandmas side...i like it here...we are having fun...i like the long hallway for running...ella is sometimes mean to me...im bigger than her...i tell her where she can stuff it...oops...im not supposed to say things like that...grandmas gone today...she goes out that door in the kitchen and disappears...i wish i knew how that works...sometimes i wish i could disappear too...when ella is mean to me...grandpa was here all the time in his office...working on the computer...i think hes writing something...he gets up regularly to come see us...we are at the top of the stairs...except when im in my bed...thank you for that...i love my bed...sometimes when grandpa comes to see us he takes us outside...so i wont have an accident...except i had one today...i try but sometimes i just have to go...im taking a long time to write this letter...it is taking all day...grandpa was gone for part of tonight...grandma says he went to teach stuff about cameras...he seems to know a lot about cameras...now hes back...grandma will take me into the bedroom...so i need to finish this...was this a good letter? love...dizzy

Boom!

Last night started routinely. We went to bed more or less simultaneously. I found my favorite spot under the covers in the crook of Grandpa's knees, and the only problem as usual was that Grandpa kept shifting the position of those knees. But I adjusted.

Later I was sleeping on top of the covers between grandparents when suddenly, "BOOM" shook the house. Well, I went straight upright, leapt from the bed, and barked to warn all and sundry: "Man the barricades! Alert! Alert! Repel boarders! To arms, to arms!" After a moment's riot, and no repeat of the sound, I calmed down, but just to be sure I sniffed all around the room to detect any aliens who might have snuck in. Finding none, I was back on the bed. In the meantime, Grandpa had said, "Well, that's something you don't often hear in late November." I'm not sure what he was referring to. I could hear that it was raining outside, and I was glad to be snuggled in with grandparents and Dizzy.

Later I got off the bed and curled up next to Papa, but Grandpa saw me and lifted me back into bed. I accepted this for awhile, but then returned to the floor near Papa for part of the night.

The night's excitement must still have been affecting me, however, since I woke everyone at 6 a.m.. Grandma took Dizzy and me out, but it was raining, so we didn't get much of a walk. Then all of us (including Papa) returned to bed for another couple hours.

The morning has been largely lazy. Grandma is gone, and Grandpa has taken us out a couple times. Otherwise, we're still just recovering from the night's excitement and sleeping a bit. Grandpa did let a Met Museum catalog slip to the kitchen floor. Yum! It tastes good. He later retrieved it, however; what a spoilsport.

I'll talk to Dizzy about her guest-writing some of these blog entries. I may have to coach her a bit. Watch for it, perhaps soon.

I Think I Hate ...

... telephoto lenses. Grandpa has developed this tendency to sneak up on me at the most embarrassing moments. Like here. I was engaging in a perfectly good backrub, self-administered, and Wham! there's that bright flash again. Shocked me right out of my reverie. I sat up straight and just couldn't get back into the mood again.

Otherwise, life is good. We ate well tonight, and then slept close by as Grandma and Grandpa ate. I think they called it turkey. And dressing. And squash. Actually, I think they called it leftovers.

We're looking forward to bed. In fact, I think I'm always looking forward to bed. It's quality time, big time.

I miss my mommies. So does Dizzy, when she slows down long enough to think about it.

Walk, Nap, Etc.

Dizzy and I did indeed walk this morning, but not so far as we did when our mommies took us out. Only to the Lake Harriet bandstand and back. It is still kind of dreary out, and much colder than it was over the weekend, but that doesn't diminish our fun when prancing along the walkway.

We were a bit pooped after returning, so a short nap was in order. Silly Dizzy loves her bed down in the kitchen, but I like much better to lie on the big dog cushion at the top of the back stairs, because then I can see everyone going by outside. I love being the house guard-dog; I bark even louder than Papa! Since I can see Grandma sitting in her chair at the island, I'm sure she can at least see my one eye and a pair of ears sticking up.

After our short nap, while Grandpa was eating lunch, Dizzy came up the stairs and started working on one of the bone fragments that are scattered around the house. I was content to just stay were I was. Grandpa took the photo shown above, which I think is particularly nice since it shows all three of us in our favorite location. Grandpa is getting pretty good at sneaking up on us to snap a photo.

Now Grandma is upstairs working in her studio, Grandpa is at his PC, Dizzy is still working on the remnants of that stuffed toy, and I've returned to my stair-top lair. Grandma has promised a nap later. Super! Another snuggle!

Restless Night

Another strange bed. Grandma promised us we'd sleep in the same place for five weeks now, but last night was our first sleeping with Grandma and Grandpa in their bed. I couldn't quite find the right location; they are so different from our mommies. Dizzy pretty much settled in on one side of Grandma, and Grandma moved over to make sure Dizzy had about five times more space than she needed, which meant that Grandma was in the middle of the bed, which then also meant that Grandpa and I had about a third of the bed to share. That meant that Grandpa was constantly shifting to find a comfortable position, which in turn meant that my night was spent adjusting to Grandpa adjusting to Grandma adjusting to Dizzy. I think only Dizzy got a good night's sleep!

I made two circuits from above the covers to underneath the covers, and least those are the ones I remember. Grandpa yelped once when I was crawling over his legs looking for open space into which to curl.

We slept in until about 7:45, but then Papa got up from his bed, and his toenails on the hardwood floor spelled the end to our restless night. Both Dizzy and I were up immediately, shaking all over to banish sleep, and we were ready for our walk.

It was cold outside, but I remember freezing my tootsies last winter, and it is nowhere nearly as cold as that. It also rained last night, so everything was a bit soggy underfoot. We had a nice walk, however, and met some new people (briefly). Now the morning is well underway, and Grandma has promised us a walk around the lake. First, however, Dizzy and I had to remove all the stuffing from a toy that somehow had been overlooked during Thanksgiving weekend.

Crazy Sister

Sometimes I just don't understand my sister. Dizzy can be just plain crazy sometimes. Take this evening.

There I was minding my own business at the top of the back stairs, peacefully working away on a bone (yum! after dinner treat!), when Dizzy came to the top of the stairs and started barking at me. Like she had some kind of right to my bone! Well, I ignored her as long as I could, but finally I just gave her back as good as she was giving me. Which is apparently what she was waiting for, because she darted in, grabbed that bone, and hightailed it down the hall.

I thought maybe she'd settle in at the other end. No, instead she got there, turned around, and ran just as fast back toward me, taking the three steps at the top of the stairs in a single bound. Then she wheeled, and ran back the other way! She did this circuit three or four times, finally stopping next to me, sounding winded. Then she lay down and started working on that bone.

Dizzy is so weird!

Naptime

A little while after we returned from the airport, Grandma took a nap. That was too good to resist. So Dizzy and I crawled up with her, just like old times. (Oh, yes, I forgot to mention Papa in the Introduction. Grandpa says he's named after Papageno in Mozart's opera, The Magic Flute, but I've never been to the opera so wouldn't know. He's much bigger than us, and is very, very old -- almost 16.) Anyway, Papa also settled in, making it a quartet -- a total of fourteen legs -- all asleep for a couple hours this afternoon. Papa was careful not to lie on either of us small ones.

Grandpa didn't take any pictures. He said we were all too cute, but he didn't want to disturb the sleeping angels.

Introductions

My name is Ella. I'm named after Ms. Fitzgerald. My sister's name is Dizzy. Her namesake is Mr. Gillespie. I know, he's a guy and my sister's a girl, but she doesn't seem to mind. Anyway, my mommies, Bethany and Megan, named us, so we didn't have much to say about the matter.

We're on vacation! Our mommies had to return to NYC to work, but they brought us for Thanksgiving to my grandparents' house in Minneapolis (all of us were there, including my aunt, and my uncle and his boyfriend). It wasn't exactly the over-the-river kind of trip -- I really don't like flying awfully much. Now that we're here, we get to stay until after New Years! If I remember the last time we did this, Grandma and Grandpa spoiled us silly! I hope the next month has lots of food, treats, and cuddles.

We just returned from the airport where we kissed our mommies and aunt goodbye. I think they were sad to leave us, but they were all grown up about it. Grandpa drove us home.

So, this is just an introduction, for anyone who might stumble across this blog. I've promised to write frequently to let Mommy Megan and Mommy Bethany know how we're doing. And Aunt Emily.

Goodbye for now!