Weekend in Pictures - Birthday Edition

My nephew celebrated his 5th birthday this weekend and my sister threw a killer party for him, complete with pizza, puppies and pie fights.

Baseball themed. Natch.

If there's one thing all pregnant women love, it's being poked in the belly.

Yay! Cute puppies!

Yay! Cute babies!

Ready! FIGHT!!!

Director of activities.

How did we never play this game in college?

Dignity is overrated.

Cheetos perms gone bad.

You have no idea what just happened, but trust me, you won.

Dear god when will these fools stop.

Ewwwww, a piece of grass in my hair.

I could get used to this look.

The aftermath.

Art

Pugs are funny.


Pug by *imaginism on deviantART

Guest Blog Today - Doug Belle

Hank 4 Life

Today I have lost.

Today I have cried.

Today I peed on the floor and ate part of a cushion.

Of course, my wife met our beloved Hank, so she understood.

I think she got angry when I licked my pee and looked cute doing it.

I remember Hank like it was yesterday, and trust me, I don't remember yesterday like it was yesterday.

I can honestly say that I became a dog lover because of Hank.

Times are changing my friend.

I guess it's just me and Jameson slugging Mickey's and watching Bring It On in French these days.

Hank 4 life.

- Doug Belle

October 25, 2007

Dog Owners We Are Not

Hank joined his new family today so that leaves us with zero pets (not counting the kittens that have now returned to our garden). Hank's new owner is terminally ill with cancer and is essentially confined to his home. His wife will take care of the dog walks and such, but the rest of the time Hank will be doing what he loves best -- radiating heat in someone's lap. For Hank, this is a return to the glory days when he lived with another invalid who had no qualms about sharing the couch with a canine 24 hours a day. (That would be Doug Belle pre-job, pre-wife, pre-life).

The house seems a little empty and quiet today, not necessarily in a bad way -- just different. I'll miss the excited greetings after work, the play fighting and I'll definitely miss the guaranteed thorough floor cleaning around Jameson's highchair.

I will not miss doo-doo crusted lawnmower wheels.

And Then There Was One...

We are officially down to one dog. Though our efforts were focused on placing Hank and Lucy together, we actually found the perfect home for Lucy alone -- with the owner of one of her litter-mates. It was meant to be. In fact, Julie arranged to meet Lucy's potential new mom at a dog park today with only the intention of finding out if Lucy would be compatible with the woman's current pooch. It was so apparent that Lucy was meant to be with them that Julie let her take Lucy home on the spot.  Lucy didn't look back. I didn't even get the chance to say goodbye to the bitch.

Which now leaves us with one lonely, miniature dachshund. We actually think we've found the ideal home for him, too. Apparently Hank and Lucy are such different dogs that a single perfect owner for them both probably doesn't exist.

I was sad to see Lucy go but it will be much worse with Hank. I've had him for over 7 years and despite his shortcomings (no pun intended) (OK, maybe a little bit) he really is a sweet dog.  I already told Julie that she'll have to be the one to actually give him away because I won't be able to do it. Doug Belle, if you're reading this, I'll give Hank a hug for you. Be good, Hank.

Free to Good Home

Well, I've been researching the "Free to Good Home" issue on the internet and it turns out that there are definitely risks with giving your pets away for free.

Dogs Update

We listed the dogs in the paper as "Free to Good Home." By 9:30 AM on the first day the ad ran, we had received three calls from people saying they wanted both dogs. By the end of the day, we were up to nearly a dozen inquiries. We're excited because it looks like we'll get to be very selective in choosing a new home for our dogs.

And then a woman called begging us not to give the dogs away for free. She said that she calls out on every "free to good home" ad she sees. According to her, free dogs are scooped up by people looking to make a quick buck by turning around and selling the dogs to research companies.

Ever heard of such a thing???

Too Much to Post

I need to blog more often. Otherwise I get behind and don't know where to start. I've got Jameson's birthday. Chandra tagged me. We've had another twins hospital visit. The list goes on. I'll keep today's short and hopefully get back at it tomorrow.

Sad news. We've finally made the decision to give up our first two babies: Hank and Lucy. We just can't give them the attention they need and it's only going to get harder when the twins get here. If you know anyone that might be interested, let me know. We'd prefer to keep them together, but I know that might not be realistic.

Hank is the Dachshund. He's full blooded but I never took the time to get him registered. Lucy is the Chihuahua/Pug or "Chug." Both are very loving, playful, indoor dogs. Unfortunately, neither is ideal for homes with small children. Hank is too skittish around kids and will nip. Lucy is too boisterous and will knock little ones over in fits of joy. Hank is getting older and is happiest sitting in someone's lap and protecting the house. Lucy just wants someone to play with.