Memorial weekend

It's been a year since our Sasha died.  We decided to remember her by taking her on her fave kind of trip -- a road trip!  There's nothing better than a whole world full of new smells!  a drive along the Pacific would be perfect.

We decided to be Like Pug, and enjoy the trip (and the lap snuggle time), rather than the destination.

Had a chance to stop at a dog-friendly beach, and watch the fishing boats come in.

i thought u should know that i am dying. pick me up.

i am channeling my inner obi-won/ewok

The northern coast is really pug-friendly -- lots of places we could walk and bring the pugs.  They were richly rewarded by their adoring fans.  And we were rewarded with super-exhausted animals that offered no resistance to aggressive shnergling.

We are STARVING

We're back at our latest fave place to grab a bite, a glass and enjoy the company of the pugs. Deedee was surprisingly well-behaved. (may be because of all her fans who stopped by to give her luvin').  Cleo pretty much whined the entire time.  Humiliating.  Her excuse is -- she's now on steroids for her allergies, and her vet told us that it would make her really hungry.

?

A really hungry pug is, well, just a pug. I have yet to meet a pug that is not ravenous, all the time.

i am for reals super hungry, mama. feed me.

I guess she thinks they're terrible dancers

One of my guilty pleasures is the show 'So You Think You Can Dance'.  I love watching this show -- the kids are so talented; the amazing things they can do with their bodies is almost unbelievable.  It is, however, all wrapped up in a audience-voting-and-judging format, which I am not a big fan of.  

I tell you what Deedee cannot stand about this show.  The dancing.  Don't get me wrong, she still has loud opinions on the music selection, and she has a particular verbal beef with the bright flashing lights.  But she HATES the dancing.  

Funny puglet.

It's official. Deedee...

is crazy loves the vet's. Now, I knew something was up when she started to pull me into our vet's office everytime we visited.  And when she got practically giddy when we went to her eye vet.  Or when she pranced happily around the dermatologist vet's office, when she wasn't even the patient.

Well, the other day she went to go see her dentist vet.  She'd never even been to this office before, and somehow she knew.  She lunged for the door, hauled me in, yanked herself loose from my grasp and proceeded to fly like a furry black cannonball all around the office, assaulting anyone she could find with kisses.  Presumably in the hope for treats.

She was richly rewarded.

Deedee, waiting for someone to arrive and start examining her giving her love and treats

mama do u think they forgot about us?

Cleo is fervently hoping we've been forgotten, even though she's not the patient

Deedee has found a new chew toy

and his name is Giblet.

what manner of hairless wonder is this? a super-shaved pug? an animated squeaker toy?

i taste pureed peaches and oatmeal! it's a walking buffet!

Someday, you two will be best of friends.  Hopefully.  At least maybe not terrorize each other. too much.

Carwash pugs

The car was filthy.  The pugs were filthy.  Grooming day! 

Weirdly, the pugs love the carwash now.  They used to bark at everything like banshees, but now they just hang out and take it all in.

the sprayers used to make the pugs completely bonkers

mama u totally exaggerate. we r super calm non-excitable pugs

Cleo is just a little bit lighter

After a day of teeth-gnashing and nail-biting, I had my Cleo back in my arms.  Minus 3 pesky mast cell tumors -- 2 on her thigh, one on her chest.  Our wonderful vet removed them with the tiniest of incisions.  Cleo barely seemed to notice.

it still kills me that she has stitches

Oh, wait.  How could I fail to mention the pug that woke me in the middle of the night, whining?  little pathetic noises broke my heart.  I thought she was in pain.  As I went to her, she jumped off of the bed, ran to the water bowl, and drank it dry.  Then came back to bed and settled in happily to go back to sleep.  One wonders why she felt the need to be so vocal about being thirsty.

i felt u should know in case u wanted to carry me to the water bowl

Another full-body shave for Cleo

We found a couple more small mast cell tumors on Cleo.  Instead of hysterically consulting vet specialists all over the tri-county area, this time I very calmly rung up our vet to schedule surgery.  This time, instead of having to go under general anesthesia, Cleo will have the little suckers removed under local anesthesia.  Makes me feel better because my baby girl isn't a baby, anymore, and I don't like the risks of anesthesia.

Annndd, Cleo got herself another full-body shave.  Turns out our groomer hasn't had this request since, well, the last time I asked her to do it.  Funny.  It's so becoming.

shave AND a bandanna!

It's amazing to see how much fur makes the pug.  

Because without any fur, let's face it, a pug is really just a goat.

And, yes, those are more spots.  Some of them are scars from her last surgery, but I found at least 5 more nodules.

the most pathetic thing about the shave is her little rat-tail

Luckily it's summer, because she's prone to the shivers without her fur coat.  No matter.  She gets to wear cashmere day-in and day-out, now.

Rest up, little girl.  You have a big day tomorrow.

Pugs are not allowed on the furniture

Wildly unfair, but true.  Actually, no one at this posh restaurant told us, 'No Pugs Allowed', but since I did want a repeat invitation, I kept the beggars on the ground.

dada i am dying

Well, I don't think I need to tell you that the Weak Link amongst us (otherwise known as the husband) totally caved, and ended up with 2 pugs on the lap by the end of dinner.  I can only hope the restaurant has a short memory and allows us back in the door.

Pug-friendly venues are the best!

ESPECIALLY places that also serve wine.  Not that the pugs get any.  or much, anyway.  Sasha had always been a champagne kinda girl, but Cleo and Deedee are more interested in the breadsticks.

Anyway, one of our favorite wineries in Sonoma has a lovely outdoor porch area from which one can sip wine and gaze out upon the vineyards.  It also has tons of breadsticks of the unsalted variety, all the better for a sensitive pug stomach.

mama. is there any BEER???!?!?

that is bona fide glacier-melt bottled water in the background, my friends

Never fear.  The puglets were fully compensated

u will submit to my pugly stare

This pretty much sums it up

You learn quickly, young grasshopper.  The Force of Pug Love is strong in you.

Summer nights....

Summer has officially arrived!  and with it, long lazy evenings on the deck, snuggled up on the pugs' fave lounge chair.  

Cleo always manages to find the comfiest spot.

Now that Miss Deedee is officially an adult (5 years old!), she also seems to better appreciate the joy of sitting still and contemplating her lucky life.  

look carefully and you can see the grey hairs on her chinny chin chin

One thing the pugs do NOT get to enjoy with me are my mojitos.  

mama u never feed us

Lazy afternoon

Now that the days are a bit longer and stretch well into the evening, the pugs have proved themselves again to be excellent lounging companions.  If you can use the quality 'unconscious' as a pre-requisite for 'excellent'.

mama do not forget to wake us for dinner

Tummy time

As I alluded to before, the pug-cousins, Bunni and Rikki, handled the arrival of their new fur-less brother with grace.  and patience.  and tolerance.  and a little bit of shrill, uncontrollable barking when the baby decided to engage in Level 5 screaming.

ever adept at creating a position for themselves on a lap, no matter who or how many occupants there are

Rikki is still as brazen about demanding her belly rubs, as ever.  Albeit perhaps a bit confused as to the function of the diaper-changing mat.

do i need to be changed, too? 

Rikki has shown great interest in participating in and supporting Giblet during Tummy Time.

see, when u put ur head down like this make sure you look cute and pathetic

i'm worried this fur-less brother of mine will not be able to lift his enormous head

Pugs are truly amazing.  Their capacity to give and receive love is just boundless.

Happy Birthday, Deedee!

Technically, the puglet's birthday was yesterday but I'm a bit late in posting.  As a matter of fact, we almost forgot (AGAIN).  Luckily I remembered just as I was passing the girls' fave doggie store so that I could pick up some birthday cookies.

The cake is for the birthday pug, obvy, and of course we couldn't not give the other pug something, too

Deedee may or may not have also gotten her fill of her latest fave garden snack -- strawberries!

Note the nearly stripped bare strawberry plant in the background

Happy 5th birthday, my little girl.

it's a pug-celebration!

How big does a lap need to be?

Only large enough to fit as many pugs as want to be there.  Cleo always wants to be in a lap.  Sometimes she's not that choosy about whose.  Small children half her size have been given the honor, much to the parents' chagrin.

Deedee then needs to be where Cleo is.  Luckily in this particular instance, it is an adult-sized lap.

pay attention to me, too

**urk** 

I'm not sure this is what dada had in mind when he sat down to do some work, girls.

Napping beauties

Or, napping buddies, as the case may be.  Truly, wherever Cleo is, Deedee has to follow.

mama there is something attached to my bum

and her name is deedee

I cannot possibly fathom how this is comfortable.

Cleo's shadow

In a rare moment, Cleo settles into a good resting spot from which to contemplate her life.  Sun streaming in through the window washes over her thoughtful mien and casts a long shadow behind her.

i am existential pug

hm.  Cleo's shadow appears to have bulked up a bit.

Best spot to nap

Trust a pug to always be able to find the best spot to rest her sleepy head.  Cleo, who spends 99% of her day either sleeping or thinking about it, is the most reliable.

i like the sun to gently warm my fur during a nap

mustn't neglect the belly

mama i think i can still feel that pea

Happy Easter!

So much excitement in this house for one weekend -- first Cleo's 11th birthday, and now it's Easter!  Although I'm guessing the pugs don't know what day it is, they just know that it's yet another day on which we dress them up and give them treats.

I couldn't resist these bunny ears.  The pugs couldn't either -- they were unable to shake them off.  And they may have had some incentive to keep them on.

with what is Deedee so enraptured?

CARROT!!!!

Carrots for the Easter bunnies :)