Penny Candy

A Shout Out to our FAMILY

2009-12-15T01:00:00.004-07:00

I'm pretty excited to see my Paw-Cousin, Beamer again. We didn't hit it off so well in California for Thanksgiving. We were both a little freaked out by each other during our "get-to-know-you" date. Maybe by the time Christmas Eve rolls around we'll be ready to go frolick together in the snow? Jaidyn's been on the hunt for the pur-fect matching sweaters for us to wear to the Christmas Eve Ugly Sweater Bunko Bash. (I sure hope our sweaters are more cute, than ugly!)

Turning this post over to The Mom and The Girl now....

"Now PopPop, Now Grandma, Now Michelle and Rowen
On Brittany and Mark, On Matt, On Mike, Melissa and Hannah..."

This file was too big to email so we're posting it to the blog. It's your official invite and agenda to the Third Annual ROCKIN' Christmas Bash hosted by Jason, Merrilynne & Jaidyn and Robbie & Melinda.

PS- If you want to participate in the Secret Santa exchange, email Grandma for an assignment. :)

Here's the "script" that's on the video, we had to compress it so small for the blog that it's kind of hard to read!

Jingle bell, jingle bell, Christmas will rock
Jingle bell swing and jingle bells ring
Snowing and blowing up family and fun
Now Christmas has finally begun

Jingle bell, jingle bell, Christmas Eve we won’t be tame
Ugly sweaters we’ll wear as we party and game
Stories and movies, ‘til Santa is here
Stay up late if you dare.

What a bright time, it’s the right time
To tube without a care
Jingle bell time is a swell time
To view the lights at Temple Square

Giddy-up family folk
Jump in your car
Come jingle around the clock
Mix and mingle with us in the snow
Merry Christmas
Our family Christmas
Having you here for Christmas
Will ROCK!

Paw-Kids, Pur-ties and Pet-ography

2009-11-09T14:42:00.011-07:00

While The Girl made herself at home on the sofa for five days, The Mom and I kept her entertained with movies, books and lively discussions. We found a funny article online that discussed pet-rents (people who have pets instead of kids and treats those pets like children). Sounds like my kind of family!

Some of the pet terms that made Jaidyn giggle:

Fur-kids: noun. Pets that are treated like children. Also known as paw-kids or pet-kids.

Purr-ty: noun. A party celebrating the milestone of a pet. Generally other pets and their owners are invited.
Bark Mitzvah: noun. A pet purr-ty celebrating a specific coming of age.

Latch-key Pet: noun. A pet that is allowed to roam the neighborhood without an owner in sight.

Pet-ography: noun. Posed pet photography, often professional in nature.

The idea of pet-ography prompted a fun activity to pass the hours while The Girl was in quarantine. A photo shoot starring MOI!

Enjoy the pics!

Swiney-Whiney Kisses the Paw-Kid

2009-11-09T14:11:00.006-07:00

Around here, The People don't kiss pigs, they kiss puppies. So it came as a bit of a surprise when The Girl came down with the Swine Flu last week. We don't even own one of those designer potbelly pigs...we've got a designer Yorkie instead.

We're keeping our paws crossed that no one else in this household catches it! (The swine flu that is.) It's perfectly fine by me if they catch the "puppy love" bug and want to smother me with lots of cuddles and kisses!

A Walk Down Haunted Pasts

2009-10-15T21:30:00.000-06:00

The Mom's been working on Halloween projects for work. Since this year's festivities are still a few weeks away, she's going through the photo archives and scrappin' images from the past. Too cute to spook, these are definitely worth sharing!

For two years running (and long before I was around), a little Halloween pact was made. The Mom and her twin sister decided to spend every Halloween together with their kiddo's. They even dressed them to a Halloween-theme. The first Halloween in Arizona was planned around the Wizard of Oz. Rowen was a chubby little lion and Jaidyn was none other than Dorothy. Too bad I wasn't around yet because she had to use a stuffed dog for Toto!

The following year they were matching pirates! Argh-Argh:

{Halloween 2006}

This next one features The Girls as a cute litttle witch at Gardner Village during their annual Witches' Night Out. It was a spooky soiree with cackling, haunting and witches galore! Michelle and Rowen were in town so they joined Merrilynne, Melinda and Jaidyn for the fun!

{Witches Night Out, October 2005}

Prancing Thru the Tulips

2009-05-01T14:35:00.002-06:00

"The Girl" had a big dance competition in May (she was performing her first solo!), so Grandma and PopPop came up to see us for the weekend. We spent a busy evening getting ready for their big arrival because Grandma was going to be at our house for her birthday!

So we decorated the house from head-to-toe with cupcakes!

{doggone cute, if you ask me!}

Grandma gave it all two-paws up!

After chilling at home with me in the morning, they took off for lunch at the Blue Lemon and to tour the tulip gardens at Thanksgiving Point. Grandma's birthday on May 1 is also "May Day," so being surrounded by living bouquets of flowers was the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon!

Grandma Altmyer is one of the nicest, most patient and sincere people a dog will ever have the chance to know! She's a fun grandma who's also a third-grade teacher! The Girl loves going to her school to visit and had a lot of fun this past year chatting with Grandma on the phone and via email while comparing third grade in UT to third grade in CA. Happy Birthday Grandma!

Spring break...and it's Raining Cats & Dogs!

2009-04-15T12:20:00.004-06:00

It's April 15th, the Wednesday of Spring Break.

And in case you were wondering, yes. That's two inches of snow out there and it's still falling!

I think I'll head back to my dog bed...

We've Been Doggone Busy!

2009-04-13T10:32:00.004-06:00

There are lots of ways I enjoy spending my puppy free-time. Like begging for treats, being side-kick to The Mom while she works around the house, lounging wherever the sunbeams hit when they stream through the windows, and going along for the ride when The Mom takes The Girl and picks her up from school.

It's a busy life...which is one of many reasons why this blog has been neglected since last October. But don't you fret, we're doing some frantic catching up this week! Lots of things to write about and we "back-dated" the posts so things would make some sort of chronological-sense. If you want to catch up on all our latest happenings, scroll back to October and then start reading!

Ciao, chow!

Y Penny

Sick as a Dog on EASTER?

2009-04-12T20:48:00.002-06:00

{the girl on easter sunday...post sick!}

For those of you who haven't noticed, in addition to keeping you updated on all the happenings of a not-so-doggie family, I also spend quite a bit of time continuing the whole "dog" theme I have going on this blog. All for a different angle of the same-old, same-old blog update!

Well, we didn't find it so funny that "Sick as a Dog" was the perfect post title for how The Girl spent her Easter weekend. Yep, she woke up Saturday morning with the FLU!

She missed the neighborhood Easter egg hunt, she missed shopping for last minute Easter accessories and she missed getting a pedicure so she could show off those cute tootsies in her brand-new Easter sandals.

Fortunately she didn't miss Easter because come Sunday morning she was feeling a bit better.

She was good enough to go on a special egg hunt that The Mom pulled together to make up for the missed neighborhood hunt and led to her Easter loot.

She was good enough for a delicious Easter brunch at home right before heading to church.

And she was good enough for another big hunt hosted that evening by Uncle Robbie and Aunt Melinda.

And of course, she was good enough to look just perfect as she posed on the back deck in her Easter ensemble. (Even sick, she looks adorable!)

Easter 2009 included Baa-ston the lamb...a journal, stickers to mark her new scriptures, a picture of Christ for her bedroom...favorite candy like mini cadbury eggs, good n plenty and milk duds...accessories and the soundtrack to the new hannah montana movie!

Dog Tired of Snow!

2009-03-22T19:54:00.001-06:00

I got left at home with The Dad while the gals escaped down to St. George, Utah for some fun in the sun with their BFF's. They spent their weekend...

Shopping
Sleeping In
Swimming
Soaking up the Sun
Speed Racing at the Go Kart Track
Softballing (watching McKenzie's games, that is)
Being SILLY about lots of things (particularly The Office)

And at the end of the weekend...avoiding a Scorching while eating Steak and Sushi at a {japanese} Steakhouse with the Jardine Family and Kristen & Kensley Thueson. (The funny picture of the girls on the bottom? That's them checking for their eyebrows after our chef set off some major flames!)

Deb and Charlie Bell were even there! (St. George was a hot spot that weekend!)

Green with Envy?

2009-03-17T20:33:00.001-06:00

Don't even think about pinching me...cuz I'm not Irish. (In case you didn't know, Yorkie's are actually from England even though you'll remember that my pedigree hails from Gilbert, Arizona!)

The Girl celebrated in Green today with a festive outfit she pulled together all by herself by wearing everything in her wardrobe that was a St. Patrick's Day holiday hue. Then she was treated to a shamrock pancake for breakfast and a festive lunch that was also entirely green!

As for me, I was left to enjoy my standard kibble (which, for the record, was not dyed green)!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Maybe You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks (JJ, Part 2)

2008-12-26T10:18:00.001-07:00

Remember that Jolly Jiminy that The Girl wrote about here? Well, now it's my turn to tell you the rest of the story.

The pre-Christmas festivities came and went without any incident in the basement. (You'll recall that's where The Girl hid that Black and Decker Jr. Tool Set for the Big Elf to find and bring upstairs on Christmas Eve.)

Come Christmas morning, I had some business to take care of. (At our house, that's what my humans call taking the dog out to pee.) So I was the first one up and yapping.

I barrelled down the stairs like I normally do and came to a halt when I spotted this in the living room:

{a note, elf slippers and snowglobe from one JJ to another!}

Jaidyn,

My hero, my superstar, my everything! Girl- you saved my little elf tooshy! How can I ever repay you? I guess the best thing I can give is a piece of me- my bright, shiny elf face on your foot!

By the way...for the record...I've been off the "nog" for seven years now...yes, the long-term effects still linger...but thanks to li'l helpers like you, I'm still employed! Merry Christmas to you and me!

Y Jolly Jiminy

Every Dog Has Its Day! {edited 4/14}

2008-12-15T15:04:00.006-07:00

{And today it was Aunt Melinda's!}

For her birthday, The Mom and The Girl went to a delicious dinner hosted by Master Chef Uncle Robbie. I stayed home...

10 Things My People Luv About Aunt Melinda:

She is always up for something FUN!
She and Robbie love to spend time in the kitchen, which means that they invite My People to de-li-cious dinner parties

She married Robbie + Robbie likes to golf = Lots of fun "golf" trips (Dad and Robbie golf, The Girls do "girl" stuff like shopping, pedicures and facials)

She makes a point of calling us to "check in" at least once a week

She hosts some fun "sleepovers"...The Mom and The Dad (and me) aren't invited

She laughs alot and is lots of fun!

She's a great shopper...plan for a long day! She likes to try on, and try on, and try on!

She likes to swim and often invites us up to her clubhouse

She's a great pseudo twin (everyone thinks she's the twin sister...but she's not!) and always makes The Mom feel 10 years younger!

She is a great "dis-tah" and now, an even better "best friend."

We love you Melinda!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

{EDITED 4/14/09}
Penny wouldn't know this so I have to add to this post! Melinda commented and reminded me how funny Jaidyn was when we were taking these pictures! There were several times that I thought I had captured the perfect shot and pressed "click," only to find that when the shot previewed on my screen, Jaidyn's perfect smile had turned into a silly face! We went through this exercise 5-6 times before Jaidyn finally smiled! (Notice how perfectly photogenic Melinda is in each and every shot!) Here are the outtakes...

Y Merrilynne

JJ, You Better Watch Out! {by guest blogger: Jaidyn}

2008-12-10T09:49:00.000-07:00

The Girl is taking over My Blog today to share the story she wrote for the Altmyer Family Christmas Book. I may have the title "Watch Dog" around here, but no one can catch that Jolly Jiminy when he starts sneaking around! Ciao, chow! YPenny

Good Golly, Jolly Jiminy!
by Jaidyn Harrington, December 2008
Age 9

{jolly jiminy, by jaidyn- age 9}

That Jolly Jiminy is a CRAZY elf! In 2005, we went to St. George for New Year’s Eve. We woke up on New Year’s Day and Jolly Jiminy had filled our stockings on New Year’s Eve instead of Christmas Eve. He totally got his days confused and that’s when we realized that Jolly Jiminy was just a little off. Either that or he’s been drinking way too much eggnog!

{jaidyn and rowen in st. george, december 2005}

Ever since then, JJ the Elf has been Rowen’s special elf. He even has a camera hidden in Rowen’s room so he can watch over him. It takes one whole elf to watch over Rowen because Rowen is such a handful. All of Santa’s other elves each has to watch over a million kids. But Jolly Jiminy, he just has Rowen. And Podge. Rowen is a big handful, but Podge is a big helper. Thanks to Podge, Rowen will have a great Christmas!

The other reason Jolly Jiminy has only one kid is because if he had more than one kid, he’d be going crazy and he’d really screw things up! With just Rowen and Podge to look after, Jolly Jiminy still really messed up Christmas this year. It’s a good thing I was around to save the day.

On December 9, 2008, me and my mom were just getting home from Young Women’s. When we pulled our car into the garage, we saw a Black and Decker tool box. We thought it was for our dad but when we got up real close to it and our headlights were shining on it, we saw that it didn’t just say “Black and Decker Tool Set,” it said “Black and Decker Tool Set Junior.” It wasn’t a tool set for my dad, it was a tool set for a little kid!

{jaidyn and "the evidence," december 9, 2008}

We called Michelle and asked her if she had sent the tool box. She said, “No, I don’t know how that got there.” We asked our dad if he put it in the garage. He said “no.” We called my Aunt Bree and she said “no” she hadn’t put it in the garage when she came to visit us that day. So we were thinking and thinking about how that box got in our garage if no one put it in there and the garage door was shut all day. It was a big mystery!

Michelle called us and told us that the Black and Decker tool box was exactly what Rowen asked Santa for. Since we knew that Santa couldn’t mess this up so bad, there was only one person it could be: Jolly Jiminy!

There was still a mystery to solve. We didn’t know how the box got in the garage and why it came 16 days before Christmas and why Jolly Jiminy put it in a place where everyone could see! We thought some more, then we called Michelle back. We thought that since the more heavier your sleigh or car is, the more gas it takes. Since gas has been pretty expensive this year (over $4 a gallon!) all JJ the Elf was trying to do is help Santa save a few bucks.

Here’s what we think happened: Since Jolly Jiminy doesn’t know that my mom works from home now, he tried to bring the box, sneak down into the basement and put the whole work bench and tool set together and leave it there for Santa on Christmas Eve. Since we never go down in our basement and Rowen isn’t here to sneak around and find his presents, silly Jolly Jiminy thought he had the perfect plan! Too bad that Jolly Jiminy didn’t come yesterday; he would have eaten the Kneaders gift basket that my dad bought for our Aunt Patti!

Well, Jolly Jiminy’s plan didn’t work out so well and that crazy elf left Rowen’s present in plain sight and took off! Once we figured out what really happened, we decided that we better finish Jolly Jiminy’s business so he wouldn’t get fired. Michelle got Jolly Jiminy’s business card when he was ding-dong ditching them and leaving Rowen little presents. (See what I mean? JJ the Elf is so crazy and drinks so much eggnog that he even gets caught ding-dong ditching!)

So Michelle called JJ the Elf and told him that he had really screwed things up but Jaidyn was going to try to fix it. Michelle told Jolly Jiminy to tell Santa that he left Rowen’s present all put together in Jaidyn’s basement. All Santa needed to do on Christmas Eve was go down to the basement, bring up Rowen’s present and wrap it. No one but us had to know that I really put that tool set together for Jolly Jiminy.

After we got off the phone with Michelle, my mom and I put together the tool set and work bench. The whole time we kept thinking, “Jolly Jiminy better bring us an extra present since we saved him from getting fired by Santa! Santa would be sooo mad!” The work bench and tool set was pretty cool! I even got to test it out!

{jaidyn saves the day!}

As soon as we were done putting it all together, we heard a loud noise like glass breaking outside of our house. I saw footprints in the street and a little elf’s hat left in the snow. I think Jolly Jiminy lost his hat when he was running out of our house! Thanks to us, Jolly Jiminy still has a job and Rowen will still be surprised on Christmas Day. Even though the rest of us won’t be surprised on Christmas Day, that’s okay because sometimes it’s just as much fun to be part of the surprise! Jolly Jiminy, you may be crazy, but we’ll tell Santa to save some eggnog from our house for you!

Pimp My {Girl's} Ride

2008-12-07T19:32:00.005-07:00

On Friday night, while all My People were at the Big Birthday Bash, I was left alone at home when this showed up:

It's for The Girl, but check out the accessory on the front. That cute wicker basket was added just for moi!

And I can't wait! It may be dead winter right now...but I'm looking forward to the spring and summer months. I can just picture it...The Girl peddling through the neighborhood with me nestled in the front, my cute little mug peeking out the top of that basket, two pointy ears and a yappy little tongue flapping in the breeze. After a ride around the neighbordhood, we'll perch ourselves on the green grass and lap up a strawberry lemonade, chase a few butterflies and bark at the neighbor kids. It feels like summer already! And we'll feel just like a 21st century Dorothy and Toto as we're out and about.

PS- In case you were wondering what the polka dot outfit and makeup is about...it's not some new 9yr old fashion statement. Jaidyn took a quick perch on her darling new beachcruiser right before The Fam headed out to the Festival of Trees for her holiday dance recital. These pj-inspired costumes were donned for a dance to the tune of "The One with the Bag." She's just starting her 7th year of dance and has quite the moves!

It's a Dog Eat Dog World!

2008-12-07T11:41:00.004-07:00

{jaidyn and her fettucine alfredo ala sunday dinner!}

My People are eating good these days because The Girl is learning how to cook! She got hooked up with a Williams-Sonoma kid cookbook for her birthday (thanks Uncle Robbie and Aunt Melinda!) and has already tried out the smoothies and fettucine alfredo. Yummy!

She's also loving Achievement Days and just learned how to make Magleby's famous pancakes with buttermilk syrup. I am even enjoying her culinary delights. (Shhh...don't tell The Mom or The Dad because it's a secret...but she often slips me crumbs under the table!)

{birthday breakfast in bed with pancakes, hot chocolate}

{new birthday pj's from the tysons and a new ag baby doll from grandma & poppop!}

Who Let the DOGS OUT?

2008-12-06T23:37:00.001-07:00

View the Birthday Album below:

For The Girl's 9th birthday, My People hosted a Rock 'n Roller Birthday Party and invited all her rockstar friends!

A Dog's Chance

2008-11-27T22:10:00.004-07:00

Christmas is coming and doggone it, we BELIEVE! The Girl took matters into her own hands and wrote a letter to Santa for all three cousins who will be in Utah for Christmas. Even though she told Santa that Rowen can be mean sometimes, this Dog knows that deep down inside she really luvs him! (There's proof here and here!)

After a letter like this, does Rowen have more than a dog's chance at waking up to a Santa-bounty on Christmas morning? Hopefully we won't have to petition Santa to get Rowen off the naughty list!

{at temple square, christmas 2007}

Dear Santa,
All I want for Christmas is a computer, Wii, DVD player, and a new bike.
Please bring something for Rowen. I know he can be mean but I still love him.
Oh and bring stuff in our stockings. Cars for Rowen, hairstuff for me and candy in both of them.

From,
Jaidyn Harrington + Rowen Christensen

P.S. I will leave milk, cookies, and carrots for the reindeer. Don't let them eat it all. Hannah will be in Utah for Christmas too and she likes clothes.

{santa's last letter, christmas eve 2007}

I've been animated!

2008-11-11T12:30:00.004-07:00

Do you like my new look? Me and The Girl got animated by the amazing Stewart Goodwin! He's our friend and neighbor and is behind some of our favorite websites like this and this! And now he's done me! Yipee!!

Trick-or-Doggie Treat

2008-10-31T23:50:00.007-06:00

{me and the girl decked out to spook!}

My Tricks are quite simple:

Trick #1: Go outside to pee. Get a doggie treat.
Trick #2: Sit. Get a doggie treat.
Trick #3: Obey the command, "Penny, go to bed." No doggie treat?

Why is it that when The People state, "Penny, go to bed," I run into my sleeping quarters (a big overstuffed bed topped off with my pink fuzzy blanket in the laundry room) and I get tied up to my leash? NO DOGGIE TREAT. Where's the justice in that and why do I keep doing it?

With Halloween upon us, The Girl is looking forward to No Tricks. All Treats.

Our Halloween week looked like this:

!Decorate the front porch (Finally!)
!Finish off the Halloween Costumes
!Ward Trunk-or-Treat Party. We're in charge of the Cake Walk with the Mia Maids
! Host the third-grade class Halloween Party (The Mom is also The Room Mom)
!A spooky dinner followed by Trick or Treating with friends and neighbors

Witches Brew
For the class parties, we mix up the following ingredients in a witches cauldran (complete with dry ice for special effects!) and recite the following poem as we go along:

We're mixing up some Witchy Witch brew
To cast a spooky spell on you
First we'll add some {insert ingredient from list below here}
Mix it up, stir it up, happy halloween!

Ingredients we use:
monster mash (popcorn), mini ghosts (mini marshmallows), dracula's teeth (hot tamale candy), witches nails (candy corn), frankenstein brains (halloween m&m's), spider guts (black jelly beans or gumdrops)

Happy Halloween! From our porch to yours...

The Princess and the Pea

2008-10-03T17:13:00.018-06:00

It takes a real princess to know one. And lucky me, I'm one of many princesses in the Altmyer family:

To mention a few, first, there's me:

Then of course, there's The Girl:

And you can't forget our cousin, little peanut Princess Hannah:

But perhaps most important today is Aunt Melissa because it's her birthday!

How do we know that Aunt Melissa is a REAL princess?

Well, first of all she had a princess themed wedding just like Cinderella. Jaidyn was even the mini-Cinderalla princess flower girl.

Then, don't forget the fact that like any princess, she LOVES Disneyland and she decorated Hannah's entire room to a Disney princess theme.

And of course, in true Princess fashion like Belle, she gives the best princess gifts like Princess Barbies and make-up sets. (She connects with The Girl like she's her age!)

We can't fail to mention that just like Snow White, she's kind to animals. She gives dogs special treatment. I'm especially jealous of her little Gizmo. That dog has it good!

And perhaps most important of all, just like Sleeping Beauty, she married her Prince Charming (aka Uncle Mike) and makes him soo, soo happy! And thanks to her, we FINALLY got our first girl cousin. We luv, luv, luv Princess Hannah!

Happy Birthday 'Lissa! We love you! Hope that on your special day, you're treated like the true princess you are!

Don't let the bed dogs bite...

2008-09-20T21:35:00.000-06:00

We're a family who enjoy some good quality snuggling that can only be accomplished when we stuff ourselves into one bed.

When I was just a pup, it was a little hard for me to leave my mom Daisy. Fortunately The Family was on Christmas vacation in California when they got me so staying up late, avoiding a bedtime routine and cozing the new puppy in bed wasn't a big deal at all.

{me and The Girl, Christmas Eve 2006}

Life in the beginning was great! I got tucked snug as a bug in my pink diva dog bed up at the top of their bed. I quit crying after that first night and curled right up in The Mom's hair. The only problem is that The Mom didn't like that much and swears that I was licking and chewing on her hair all night long! And besides that, she said she was really nervous that I might get squished or worst yet, pee on their bed (sigh). So my snuggle welcome wore out real quick. And from that time on, I slept alone in my cage.

As for The Girl, she's a little princess and gets to sleep wherever she doggone pleases. (Not a good thing for my puppy envy.)

Maybe it's because The Dad worked a few nights each week. Or maybe because The Mom often travelled out of town on business. Maybe it was because both The Mom and The Dad enjoyed snuggling The Girl on occassion. Either way, I've come to learn that life isn't always fair even when you're a Diva Dog.

Well, many of you readers will be shocked to know that the bedtime routine at this house has changed! And not just for a couple of nights...we're talking a few weeks here.

This is the "new" routine since school started in August:

One, take me out to take care of business.
Two, tuck me away until morning with my pink fuzzy blanket and a few snuggle toys.
Three, it's up to The Girl's room for scriptures and prayers.
Four, two good night kisses and tucking in from both The Mom and The Dad.
Five, The Mom and The Dad get to pick up the house, visit, watch movies...talk about freedom!

The Girl sleeps in a bed that's really not big eough to hold a dozen different pillows. (She takes after me...another true princess!)

So yep, no bones about it! After eight years The Girl is actually sleeping in her own bed. She's as snug as a bug in a rug....and no bed bugs (or bed dogs) are biting (chewing or peeing) in this house!

The Leader of the Pack

2008-09-16T19:01:00.000-06:00

The Girl recently bought a book about dogs. In one specific chapter it explains how we still have tendencies from our wolf ancestors. Especially the tendency to want to be a part of a pack.

In short, if a puppy such as me doesn't have other pups in the household, we'll make ourselves right at home by joing our human family's pack. If the humans trained the pup right, the pup knows its place: Bottom of the Pack.

Believe me, I know where everyone fits in around here because The Girl isn't afraid to point out that The Dad is the leader of this pack. And when The Mom says to the girl "Well, who's in charge when Daddy's not here?" The Girl doesn't miss a beat and exclaims "I am!" And she honestly believes it! The Mom and I ought to have a pity party because according to The Girl, The Mom is technically only in charge of herself and I'm in charge of no one.

Deep down in this diva dog heart of mine, I know where I should fit in. Unfortunately The Family hasn't figured it out yet...no matter how loud I bark. And as for this whole Leader of the Pack struggle? From my perspective, it's turned into a downright family fight. From theirs? It's a funny ritual and the joke's on ME!

Anytime The Girl is smothered with any PDA, I go nuts! I lose any sense of refinement and yap, bark, jump. In short, I go crazy. Well, The Family noticed and they turned it into a game! (How dare they?) Whenever I'm in the line of sight, they dramatize the PDA and giggle at my reaction! Whether it's snuggling The Mom on the sofa, hugging The Dad when he heads out for work, or curling up in a lap to read a good book, if I see it or even sense it, you can bet I'll lose control and you'll hear more than a few barks out of me!

Note to self: Find a new book the explains my tendency to like getting my hair done and dressing up in sweaters and pearls. Dignity Penny, dignity.

Warm and fuzzy...just like me!

2008-09-11T21:12:00.007-06:00

Check me out! I'm looking pretty fancy cuz I got myself groomed today! Nothing beats puppy pampering like a Blueberry Facial and Strawberry Treatment from the Doggy Day Spa. (Wanna know a secret? It's actually the Petco grooming salon!)

I love the diva treatment but I also love the cozying and cuddling that happens at home once I'm nice and clean. And the timing couldn't be better! The weather's cooled off so I'll keep those humans of mine toasty warm with a little puppy fuzz and a few licks on the face for good measure.

Speaking of warm and fuzzy, check out The Girl's old-but-new-again hip boots!

You can bet there's a story behind kicks this cool!

Two summers ago The Mom picked up these super swank sweater boots just in time for a Modbe photo shoot. Luuuv this Kenneth Linge photo. And look! There's those sweater boots!

{the girl, jaidyn on the left; cousin #7, allie in the middle; and friend madison on the right}

Visit InStudio for more of kenneth's great photography!

The Girl eventually outgrew the boots but The Nostalgic Mom couldn't part with them. So they hung around in the closet for a year while The Girl's feet grew bigger and bigger and bigger.

When school started last month, The Mom said it was time to make room for new sweater boots and we thought of the perfect little person to pass the old ones on to: Olivia! (She's our darling neighbor, a fellow dog lover and our JoBros concert buddy!)

Guess what happened one week later? A knock on the door. I start yapping. Jaidyn answers and comes back with the sweater boots in tow. We were so confused! Why was Olivia bringing the boots back? Didn't she love them as much as we did? And even stranger...The Very Confused Girl observed that they now magically fit her feet! The boots had grown by three sizes!

The Genius Mom quickly solved the puzzle: These old boots were actually new boots. Turns out that Olivia's super-cool mom had come across the exact same boots while out shopping so she snagged a pair for Jaidyn. Yep, The Girl's walking around in hip sweater boots again.

And that gives me an idea! Maybe I can get The Girl to put them on and take me for a stroll around the neighborhood. She can break in her boots while I strut my new 'do! Ciao, chow!

The Fab Four (Legged Friend)

2008-09-04T20:51:00.001-06:00

How do you know The Girl loves you? She makes you a quilt!

Jaidyn started quilting with her Grandma H about a year ago and enjoys meeting with the "Fab Four" (Grandma and the cousins) once a week after school.

The Girl's first official quilting project? A vintage-inspired puppy quilt all about yours truly! Grandma even helped put my photo on it. Bummer that I don't get to rest my bones on this thing! I guess my fancy-schmancy fuzzy pink blanket will have to be good enough for me.

After the puppy quilt The Girl worked diligently on an inside-out snuggle quilt for her cousin Rowen. Finished it just in time for Christmas.

{the only problem was that row-dawg was too busy to stop and enjoy it...}

{but aunt britt can attest to its snuggle-worthiness!}

After the snuggle quilt, there was a pink patchwork monkey quilt for new baby Hannah...

{the mom and the girl gave it to her personally when she came on a visit in march}

Lucky for us The Girl has a handful of future creations up her sleeve. The mom is trying to figure out what she's currently knitting. Apparently it's some sort of surprise or something. But to me it looks like a tangled knot of string that I'd sure like to get my paws on!

I may not be an official member of the "Fab Four" but I think I am the most Fab Four-Legged Friend this Girl will ever have. After all, if she didn't feel the same, she wouldn't have made me a quilt, right? Ciao, Chow!

The House was a Rockin'

2008-08-05T22:27:00.001-06:00

Heard of Hannah Montana? Or Miley Cyrus? At the Harrington household, we are BIG fans, especially since Miley has two yorkies- one named Shooter and another named Roadie.

Jaidyn and the mom were lucky enough to go to the fabulous concert last fall in SLC with cousin Allie and Jaidyn's BF Kiley.

{Here we are meeting Moises Arias...aka Rico...from the Hannah Montana show on Disney Channel!}

A couple of Saturdays ago they broadcast the 3D movie on television. (It was the actual concert Jaidyn went to.) So the "girls" in the house (including yours truly) hosted a Hannah Montana movie party with cousins Kalee and Allie. Complete with pizza, a treat buffet and Hannah Montana loot, the house was a rockin' as the girls bounced, danced, sang and screamed along with the concert.

Yeah, it was a little loud for my puppy ears...but it was all good when afterwards they dressed me up to play wedding! I was the perfect flower puppy in my little pink dress, tutu and pearl necklace.

Here are some photos from both the concert last fall and our girls' night movie party. (Miley tunes courtesy of Jaidyn.) Ciao, chow!

To Lola...with love

2008-08-05T18:54:00.002-06:00

{lola and her human, michelle}

This post is dedicated to my puppy sister, Lola. I think I can technically call Lola my sister. Afterall, we have the same dog parents (she was just breeded a few years later). And, we both got adopted by kid humans whose moms are twins! You don't get more "family" than that!

Lola and I have even more in common. Besides being diva dogs, we both have a tendency to get a little jumpy.

When I was just a pup, I got all jumpity when Jaidyn arrived home from school. Just as fast as she could pick me up to give me a hug, I jumped right out of her arms and broke my leg on my way down to the floor. Boy, if that doesn't teach a puppy to learn how to "sit!"

Fast forward about 18 months and baby sis Lola breaks a leg when Rowen put her down. My humans shared all kinds of advice with Rowen and his mom about taking care of a puppy with a broken leg. But that's where our similarities end.

When I fell, I was bigger than Lola was so with lots of TLC, my leg finally healed. Wish I could say the same for baby sis. Her leg got infected and long story short, that infection ended up taking her pinky-sized leg. Her humans rushed her to the animal hospital and when the vet went in to take care of it, she died right there on the operating table! That's a lot for a four-year old boy to understand.

So this post is for Lola. The best little puppy a boy could have (even if it was just over one month!).

And it's also for Rowen. Who was a great "boy" to his dog...

...I know this because Rowen took care of me before it was time to meet my humans. You see, our mom Daisy lives with Paulette and Paulette watches Rowen every day while his mom is at work. Rowen watched me grow inside Daisy's tummy and once I was born, he took good care of me at Paulette's house until it was time for me to meet Jaidyn. Once I was big enough, he and his mom packed me up and drove me from Arizona to California just in time for Christmas.

So Row-dawg, thanks for loving us dogs like you do and next time you're in Utah, be sure to give me a squeeze! (Just don't squeeze me too hard, 'kay?)

{luv me!}

Goodbye to Summer

2008-08-04T21:48:00.002-06:00

From my domain in the kitchen, I'm sensing things are winding down for the summer. No more cute 8yr old coming down at 7:40 am in nothing but a swimsuit. No more morning walks to the swim pool. No more hanging out on the back deck while wet beach towels dry.

Swim team is officially over and for the first time since June, Jaidyn ("The Girl") slept in this morning.

I know this because The Mom had to take me out this morning to take care of "business".

The Girl and The Mom keep jibbering about Jaidyn's great swim season! She had so much fun on swim team this year and showed the most improvement in breastroke and her diving. (She even dove off the blocks for the county finals!) Jaidyn luvs swim team almost as much as she loves me.

I think it's too bad this family doesn't live in California where you can swim in sunshine year round...and diva dogs like me don't have to pee in the snow!

Photo

2007-01-01T11:00:00.000-07:00