We're baaaaaack!

Lots of things have changed since our last post - over a whole month ago. (Can somedog please lick the egg of my incredibly handsome and slightly wrinkled face? Thanks!) My mama and pop have broken up just shy of 8 years together, and Patches and I are now living in another city with our mama. Of course we have been giving my mama lots of loving, in between barking at new sights and sounds!

We also found out that we are only .7 miles from the river! So - our walk has included sightseeing (and leaf peeping) along the waterfront.

I contemplated jumping into the water, but decided to sit and stay as told...the water is looking pretty cold, and I just had a bath.

Run dog, run

Part beagle, part cavalier king charles spaniel, part race horse? Funny thing is, he's not even breaking a sweat...he could run like that all day. I get tired just looking at this picture.

I've found the fountain of youth!

My mama came home with a new toy for me a couple of days ago - and since then I've turned into a completely crazy 4 month old puppy again!

This toy is grrrrrrrreat! It's called "Jolly Ball" and it's a soft plastic ball inside a tough outer ball, and it drives me absolutely NUTTY. Sometimes I stick my nose inside one of the holes and tongue kiss the inner ball, and sometimes I sit and bark at the whole toy until I go horse. This toy is evil and loveable all at the same time.

I even look more like a puppy! And, I didn't have to buy a jar of $1,000 face cream or go under a knife, or swim in some germy pool of water in a far off country.

Patches doesn't understand my love for this new toy, and that is A-OK with me - because it means I don't have to share. He does a perfect job of staying out of my way when I am rolling it around the house. Besides, he's still a crazy puppy and doesn't need that fountain of youth yet.

Not to worry - - we're simply relaxing

Sparky and I are both pretty upset that our mama has been spending so much time at work, because that means that she is not playing with us. We're terribly afraid that our friends at the dog park are going to forget us (or find new friends to play with)! Even worse, when she is home all she wants to do is nap. Lucky for her, I am an expert cuddler.

Really. How can you resist this mug?

No one can...it's impossible. See? That's my mama's thumb going in for a stroke on my nose. (I love my nose stroked, and so does Sparky...I also like kisses on my nose - right between my eyeballs, actually.) My pink parts are just as pink as my mama's nail! Cool!

Now you come here and let me return the favor. I didn't step in any poo today, so my paws are safe. Besides, I saw you pick that M&M up off the floor and eat it. On a side note - now everyone can see why I was named Patches...

My Party!

I'm one! I'm one! My vet lady told me that I am no longer a puppy, but my mama said that I would always be her little guy, even though I am the biggest canine in this house. Silly mama!

I asked my pawrents for a little brother, but my pop is a big meanie and said "no more dogs." I don't think that's really fair. Sparky got a little brother. I deserve one too. I did get a new collar and a new chirping bird stuffy!

Anyway, we did celebrate my birth in high style...

I posed with the traditional birthday hat. It was a little too big for me, but I'm not the kind of pup who relents to dorky displays of embarassment.

I starred intently at a Moo Tube.


And, I feasted on an Organic Frosty Paws in the dark (thanks to my grandma!) and used my own paw for balance, which every human thought was cute. You can't let a drop of those things go to waste, ya know?


Of course, I shared it all with Sparky. He did teach me all the ropes during my very first year on earth. Spark, you can thank me later by letting me win during our many rounds of bitey face tonight.

Pee S - Thank you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday!!!! It made me very happy, indeed.

Birthday Party!

Guess who is turning 1 year old tomorrow?

My baby brother Patches!

Don't tell him though, because my mama is planning a little surprise for him with some frosty paws treats and pressies. Because I am the big brother, I will show him how to properly eat a frosty paws...it's hard to believe that Patches has never had one.

My mama is a little sad that her "baby" is no more.

It's so hard to believe that Patchy has gone from this sickly and sleepy pup of 4 pounds..

to this handsome and muscular stud muffin...

Where did the time go?

Summer Photo Session

These pictures were taken this weekend at my grandma's house. Afterwards, we went for a walk to the park, and ate ice cream at the riverbank. It may be 95 degrees, but we are two cooooooooool pups!

Frisbee

I'm trying to teach my mama to play Frisbee with me. Of course, she is playing it all wrong! She wants me to try and catch it while it is in the air, and I say "no, no, no!" The proper way to play Frisbee is more like tug o' war. I grasp the side of the Frisbee with my sharp puggle teeth - pretend that I want to give it to my mama, then refuse and growl my cool gremlin play growl. Eventually, she'll learn.

Athletics

Remember pups - - the key to a good workout is a good stretch, so pratice your doga!

Tether ball. Who knew that game could be played so marvelously by a pair of puppies? My pop held the ball and swung it around at our level, and Patches and I batted it back and forth. As you can see, we really got into it. Patches started with the trash talk right away, but my mama put the kabosh on that real fast! (He's been testing his boundaries lately.)

While I consider myself a great team player, I have to admit that I can be fairly clumsy. My puggle legs are short and I often trip over myself in the heat of a match. Patches on the other hand, is a total jock. He'd be first string on the varsity team, while I would be a bench warmer on JV. He's also fearless, and doesn't mind being stomped on when hangin' with his team.

Check out his awesome b'ball skilz!

Going in for the steal...Mission accomplished!

Moments after this photo was taken, Patches was ejected from the game because he received his 5th foul. While in the locker room, he got his nails trimmed.

Night at the Drive-In

Patches and I took my humans to the drive-in last night! It was fantastic. We saw two movies: Indiana Jones and Iron Man. Now, I am an expert at behaving at the drive-in, but this was definitely a test for Patchy. This was his very first drive-in movie! My mama was a little worried because Patches barks at anything that moves - and sometimes he barks and howls just to hear his own voice. Crazy Beaglier.

He was actually really good! I think it was because we were hangin' out in mama's new car! (She got the Honda Fit Sport, in Tidewater Blue. The front seats lay flat, so we all snuggled in the back like one big happy family.)

Do we really have to wait until it's dark for the movie to start?

I was really inspired by Iron Man and his ability to fly. Then, I realized that I also know how to defy gravity as well! Look, I'm going so fast that my tail is uncurling! If I had Patches' helicopter ears I probably could've soared even higher...maybe even to the moon.