A Little Cuddle Time

Sometimes, when you've been out of town, a little cuddle is necessary.  Especially when there is snow on the ground with more coming down and (thankfully) you don't have anywhere to be...

Yes, daddy?  Don't worry, I'll make sure mommy wakes up.

Belly rubs are the. best. ever.

**Disclaimer: Chloe does NOT sleep in our bed.  She has slept in her crate ever since she came home with us.  But, you would have to be a cold-hearted wretch to push her out of a people-bed when she wants to cuddle.**

Chloe, the Graduate

Chloe and I have been taking an obedience class with a great local company, It's a Dog's Life.  I say that we both have been taking the class, since I'm being trained right along with her.

Last night was her last class at the beginner level, complete with an on-command trick, and I am so proud to say that she passed with flying colors! (even despite the fact that she was high on pain-killers from her post-spay drugs)

Here are just a couple of the things that she does on command.  She has many more up her sleeve, but without a cameraman around to capture her heeling on the leash, staying and coming, this video is it for now.  (She's wearing a cone due to her getting spayed last week.)

 

So proud of you little Chloe bear!  Next, the second level of obedience and then (hopefully) on to agility training!

Oh How You'll Grow

I realized just how much our little Chloe had grown when I took a picture of her in her crate yesterday. She's just getting so big - but still a petite ball of loving cuddles.  (Can you tell that I adore this little creature and enjoy how much she makes us laugh every single day?)  And on a related note...it may be time to get her a new crate...

On the drive home from the airport the day we got little bear back in October.

Sleepy girl who had her nap interrupted on a cold February afternoon.

How time flies!  I can't believe we will only be here in Massachusetts for another 5 months!  Where has this year gone???

What's Not To Love?

Loves to cuddle...

We have been saving up for a new camera and it arrived last night!  Needless to say, we've been playing with it non-stop.  And look at what great pictures it takes...even in low light.  Of course, the subject is super-cute, but the camera is still fantastic.  I haven't edited any of these, so they could possibly become even better...

I would kill to have those lashes...

Kong toy filled with pb = quiet afternoon...

Working on our tricks...veeeery focused on the treat.

Snow, Snow, Snow!

Snow

Snow

It won't be long before we'll all be there with snow

Snow

I want to wash my hands, my face and hair with snow

Snow

I long to clear a path and lift a spade of snow

Snow

Oh, to see a great big man entirely made of snow



Where it's snowing 


All winter through


That's where I want to be


Snowball throwing


That's what I'll do


How I'm longing to ski


Through the snow-oh-oh-oh-oh



How a Puppy Prepares You

It is a bit cliche, but I'm thinking that the idea that a puppy prepares you for parenthood, in some small way, just might be true.  While babies don't come with the advantage of being put in a cage when you leave the house or when they go to sleep, they are generally immobile for the first 6 months and do all their "eliminating" in a diaper which definitely gives babies a leg up in my mind.

I realized recently that Chloe might just be preparing us in ways greater than just being responsible for another little life.  That moment crystallized when I was sitting with Hunt on the couch watching a football game.  I heard an ominous noise that every dog owner learns to know and dread.  I leaned down just in time to put my cupped hands under Chloe's little muzzle and catch what her upset stomach no longer wanted.  Hunt sat there a little shocked and then leapt into action with paper towels while preventing the pup from helping me with the cleanup efforts.

How could you not help out 
this little cuddle bunny?

I generally like to avoid having to clean up difficult messes, so this was definitely the motivating factor to act, rather than an overriding maternal instinct. Yet, I am hoping that this will come in handy when it comes to raising little humans...or at least keep our rugs in good condition for the long run!

Chloe's Moto

"If there is laundry, dirty or clean, I shall be on top of it."
~ Chloe Anderson

"Clean clothes are such a great place to nap"

"Daddy's dirty scrubs are my FAVORITE!"

Gathering Around the Tree

One of my favorite things of the Christmas season is having the Christmas tree all lit up.  I so enjoy the evenings with all of us together in the den with the softly glowing tree.

At one point yesterday afternoon, I was cuddled up under my electric throw blanket (I'm going to be living under that thing this winter) and drifted off to sleep while Hunt was watching football and Chloe was curled up at my feet.  I woke up to find that the sun had set (that happens by 4:30pm up here!), the tree was bathing the den in a warmth of twinkle lights, football was playing in the background, Hunt was stretched out and had nodded off, and Chloe was deep asleep next to us.  It was a perfect Christmas moment in my mind.  All three Andersons warm, cozy, relaxed and napping near the tree together.

In other news about our tree and its lights: I'll give you one guess as to where Chloe decided to take a nibble on a strand and managed to pluck one bulb right off...

Jingle Jangle Fun

Here is a different kind of video all together - here is a little fun to share a little Christmas spirit from the Anderson household...

Where the Toys Come From

I am constantly picking up and putting away Chloe's toys - she loves to play with multiple at one time.  It is very common for me to catch her laying on top of one toy while furiously chewing on another.  And usually making little excited growling noises while she's doing so.  (Though nothing beats the snorts and snuffles she makes through her little nose while she is burrowing down deep into her fluffy bed.)

Today I glanced down and saw the pile of toys that Chloe had left at my feet – she had temporarily put herself down for a nap in her crate – and recognized a new addition to her playthings.  One of Hunt's nice socks seems to have made the cut of interesting items to chew and roll around on.


She's an equal opportunity offender - she has, countless times, managed to drag my heavy lug-sole Ugg slipper from the bedroom into the living room all the way into her bed so she can snuggle with it...err...tear it to bits.

You may have noticed her little striped monkey.  That came with her all way from Oklahoma and it's still one of her favorites.  I think it must still smell just a little of momma and her first home.

Big Enough to Get to the Britches

Look who all of a sudden grew big enough to be able to jump up on the couch!

Our previously-protected space marked as humans only is now being invaded by a fluffy puppy who loves nothing more than to lavish us with kisses, snuggles, and to get into everything that had previously been out of reach.

I was ironing the laundry and briefly walked out of the room.  I returned to find fur face sitting not-so-innocently next to the very clothing that she had just been pestering me to have a nice nibble on.

I love her expression - "who me?  up here?  that's ok, right?"

And the fact that it appears she is about the change the channel to something more appealing to her doggy senses.

Snow-tober

Well, we got a taste of a New England winter this past weekend.  The storm started with sudden heavy snow showers - to the point that when I was running an errand and came back out, my car was already covered in a decent layer of snow.

It snowed, and snowed, and snowed.  We watched in cozy comfort from our living room as Hunt studied and I yelled at the television for Clemson to beat Ga Tech.  And then the power went out around midnight.

And stayed off. Through one day.  And into the next.

We huddled in our bedroom with multiple down blankets and many candles.  Hunt was trying to remain focused on studying for the Cardiology boards while I was focused on figuring out a way to prevent the end of my nose from falling off due to frostbite.

Our building's emergency lights lasted for about eight hours and then our hallways and stairwells became the perfect setting for a Hollywood horror movie.  And Chloe's urge to race at full tilt down those hallways wasn't dampened one bit.  Trying to find a five pound puppy in the dark while balancing a take-out dinner and flashlight would be humorous if the irrational side of my brain wasn't convinced some rabid zombie was going to come howling down the hall after me.

At the start of the storm...

The next morning after 12 inches of snow

We decided to brave the cold one more night and then we would throw in the towel and stay at a hotel a couple towns over that had power.

In the midst of the storm

About 3:00am on Tuesday the power came surging back on.  I woke up and realized that glory, glory we had heat, hot water and light!!!!  I then promptly shook my exhausted and boards-anxiety-riddled husband to tell him the news.  And even more promptly regretted it when he bleary-eyed said that was great and he needed his sleep.  You know, so that he could be rested to take his career-defining test.  Oh, yeah, that little looming thing.

The evergreens are bent almost in half!

After taking four bags of ruined food to the dumpster I relished a gloriously hot shower.  (We had resorted to showering in the locker rooms of the hospital, but nothing is like your own shower that you've bleached yourself.  Oh, and I managed to meet Hunt's boss for the first time while heading to said locker room *sigh*)  I threatened Chloe, who badly needs a deep cleaning, that I would take her with me in the shower, but just couldn't bring myself to handle a wet, squirmy and yelpy puppy after multiple days of cold water and dark rooms.  I don't think she minded.  In fact, I'm pretty sure she supported this decision whole-heartedly.

I'm told by our neighbors that this was a first, that they didn't lose power at all last winter during the most punishing blizzards they had had in decades.  Hopefully this won't be a repeat and is due to a freak snowstorm smothering tree limbs heavy with foliage.

Remember when I was wishing for cooler weather in the midst of hot and humid August?  I take it back.

One Hot Little Dog

Happy Halloween y'all!  We are celebrating this autumn holiday despite the fact that there is a foot of snow on the ground and no power in our home.

In the spirit of the season, Chloe insisted on wearing her Halloween costume.  In my defense, it is, in fact, keeping her warm in our chilly apartment.

Hunt is determined that we will find a squeaky toy in the shape of hot dog so that her costume will go from annoying little dog dress-up hour to a more sophisticated commentary on cannibalism.  Or hot dog on hot dog crime.

I'm pretty sure Chloe thinks her costume is edible - why else would she be furiously biting and chewing on it like it is demon-possessed and she must get it off of her back??




(Chloe was planning on looking much more coiffed for this picture, but a lack of hot water and hair dryers combined with playing in the snow has given her a more, ah, natural look.)

Boo!

And She Will Be Known As...

Well I guess since I got her name engraved on an ID tag it's official...the puppy otherwise known as Fur Face is going to be called Chloe.  Thank you to everyone for participating in the puppy's name poll!

We considered all of the different options and received some great suggestions such as Oakley since she was born in Oklahoma or Logan for the airport she arrived in.  And we were very tempted to call her Dixie since that just fit our southern sensibilities so well.

But, since she wasn't responding to Shaniqua or Chewey when Hunt tried them out, we decided that she was, after all, a Chloe.  She's a spunky little girly puppy and it just seem to fit her.  Plus, she will come when we use it....

Cradled in the Crook

I just don't know if it gets any cuter around here - my handsome hubby looking very doctorly in his scrubs while he cradles our sleeping puppy in the crook of his arm.  This makes me happy to see.

Of Corn Mazes and Puppies

We are determined to fully enjoy our time up here in New England and that included visiting a local orchard that had a corn maze.  It was such a beautiful fall weekend with temps in the 80's, clear blue skies, and fall colors just starting to pop out.

We decided to take the pup with us to experience the outdoors and see if her inner bloodhound could help us in the maze.

The farm and orchard we visited have been family-owned since the 1930's and we drove only backroads to get there, taking in the quaint architecture and small town main streets.  The maze covered 4 acres, and is a pretty complicated pattern when seen from above.

Fur face had a great time exploring, chasing after us, trying out the local variety of corn, randomly collapsing like a rag doll in the middle of the path and culminating with a ride of Lil' Sebastian.  It was pretty entertaining and definitely a departure from our typical weekend!

Phew!  Worn out already.

Got to try the local fare!

Hunt was giving her a pep talk to finish out the maze.

"What is that thing?!?"

Hunt was determined that she would get a ride on the miniature pony... aka Lil' Sebastian.

"Get me off of this thing!"

Taking a hay ride around the orchards, maze and pumpkin patch.

"Mmmmmmm....good apples."

Happy Fall!

A Little Glimpse

This is what it looks like after fur face has had a good long nap and is ready to play...

Needless to say, she provides a lot of entertainment.  The majority of the day, she is sleeping at my feet, or chewing on her toys. But every now and then the puppy energy needs to come out and a walk just isn't going to cut it.