And Now The Opposite

Thermometer showing seventy degree temperatures in early January.

From one extreme to the other! You didn’t even need a coat to be comfortable outside.

Today made for a wonderful respite from the very cold and icy weather we have been having. I did my best to make the boys go for a nice long walk because we are expecting below freezing temps and snow/rain tomorrow. They were having none of that, however. Poor Geordie has a sore paw, so he didn’t feel like walking, and Toby just wanted to be a socializing goofball.

It looks like we are going to be in the teens for the foreseeable future; that means no outdoor exercise for Mommy either. Maybe I should just start shopping online for lazy pants right now….

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The Coldest I Can Remember

Thermometer readsd zero.

This is how we started our morning. I thought it was cold the day Toby arrived at 11 degrees, but we were nearly 20 degrees colder today. I was shocked to see that by 10:00 pm, it had climbed to 30 degrees. At night! We haven’t seen mercury at night in weeks!

There have been some changes in dog laws in this area to restrict the amount of time your dog can be outside in these kinds of temps. That is a great thing, but Toby has yet to get the memo. If it were up to him, he would live outside. He LOVES snow and can’t get enough of it. His favorite thing is for someone to kick snow up in the air so he can leap up and try to catch it. If the snow is too packed, he will kindly dig to loosen it so you can create a spray for him. I have indulged His Naughtiness enough that now I am gimpy from pulled muscles.

Thanks, Snow Monster, I needed another reason for people to make fun of me.

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The Snowby

Cairn terrier pup standing in snow.

This is The Usurper. He has outgrown his green sweater, but he has a green flower attached to his collar so you can still recognize him. It turns out this little puppy enjoys snow more than most anything in life….except maybe tennis balls.

A Snow Toby that looks more like Winnie the Poo than intended.

Toby and I played for hours out in the snow. I tried to build a Snow Toby, but it came out looking more like Winnie the Poo or Mickey Mouse. (My audience is divided on that one.) It was a nearly impossible task because Toby tore up each snow ball as fast as I could roll it.

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Folks keep writing to tell me how much they enjoy it. You can get a copy for yourself, a loved one or even to donate to your local library!

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The Dog Ate Your Homework

Little Cairn Terrier chews a piece of paper.

I think Toby may have just won the Naughtiest Dog award for the month.

Over the holiday, family was visiting from out of town. My SIL is a primary school teacher and brought some papers to grade over on her Christmas break. As she was going over the children’s work, Toby decided to help himself to some papers to chew on and play “run around the house”. I told my SIL to tell the children that reindeer had gotten to their homework. Instead she took a photo of my naughty puppy caught red-tounged with papers in his mouth to show the students that the dog ate their homework! (That excuse doesn’t work for kids, but for some reason it does for teachers.)

I’m still not sure how, but Toby got toys and treats from Santa. He must have a very high tolerance for bad behavior in canines.

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Toby’s Christmas Card

Christmas card torn up by a naughty Cairn terrier puppy.

OK, so maybe Santa could forgive him for the chewed tube of toothpaste incident….but this? I have been sick all week, and today is the first time I have really been able to walk the pups in a while. After the walk, as I was taking off my hat and gloves, Toby Monster somehow managed to reach of one of my Christmas cards. Well, I guess now it is his.

I hear Santa is happy about saving $$ on all that wrapping paper.

It’s fun for the whole family (but you don’t have to share if you don’t want to!).

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Is There Any Hope For This Puppy?

Tube of toothpaste chewed up by naughty puppy.

Yup, he got another one. (The other tube made it into an Amazon review for Petrodex.) Toby is so excited about Christmas and snow that he is going nuts. I thought there might be a chance that Santa could bring him something for the holiday, but now I just don’t know….

Yesterday he was so wound up about going out in the snow that he chewed up one of my shoes, stole a sock and tore up a throw rug while I was getting dressed to take him out. His outdoor, boinging joy is so contagious, though that I love being outside with him.

Geordie, on the other paw, could do with a little less puppy.

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Toby Saves the Day

Drawing of stinky socks surrounded by flies.

Meet teeny, tiny Toby,

His toots more lethal than old socks!

And if you ever smelled them,

You’d be a pine-y box.

wooden coffin with cross on it

All of the folks around him

Looked upon his toots with fear.

On more than one occasion,

They’d been known to kill a deer.

Two deer dying of stink fumes from Toby's toots.

Then one sunny afternoon

Recruiters came to ask:

“Toby with your toots so rank,

Won’t you come augment our tanks?”

Army recruiter asks Toby to join the cause.

Toby stands atop a tank, tail pointed toward the enemy.

Then how the nation loved him

As they sang and did a dance.

You, teeny tiny Toby

You have lethal flatulence!

Toby surfs on a grateful crowd after his farts save the day.

The itty bitty monster was living up to his reputation again this week….

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What Am I?

Purple Dog Toy

Plush purple dog toy

“Santa” dropped off some gifts for me to wrap for the boys so as to lighten his load come Christmas eve. One of the gifts was this cute-yet-mysterious plush animal toy. The face seems familiar, but what is it supposed to be? It looks a little like an unspotted giraffe. Or it might be a sort of kangaroo? I am not sure, but I thought someone out there might recognize him/her.

The animal is intended for Toby, but I have a feeling he is going to be more interested in the wrapping paper than the toy. Why? He attacked the tube of paper while I was trying to wrap the gifts. Just as little humans are more interested in the box than the toy, so are tiny canines. Perhaps I should just give my boys paper and boxes and be done with all the shopping nonsense.

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grumble, grumble Sharing

Can you believe that I have to share my spot with him?!?

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Don’t forget to pick up your copy of A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy in time for the holidays! Makes a great, heart-warming gift for any dog lover in your life as well.

A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy will give a glimpse into life for Bitey B.T. (Before Toby) featuring the poems Toy of the Gods and Whispers. Also, learn the origin of Geordie’s Thanksgiving angst!

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Thanksgiving Poem

Cairn terrier puppy tears up box of tissues.

We’re thankful for tissues

to tear and destroy.

We give thanks for each other

We pesky brown boys!

Two Cairn terrier pups ride in the car.

(You may recognize the tissue incident from the boys’ book. So many of those stories are based on actual events!)

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Bitey shares many of his own stories to share from B.T. (Before Toby) in his book A Tired Mommy Is a Good Mommy. Inside, learn the origin of Geordie’s Thanksgiving angst.

Cover 8 (800x778)

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