Thursday, May 31, 2007

It's All in My Head?

Today we came into the city with mommy & Jalen to stay at the condo. Although I (Rocco) would rather be in the country, I'll go wherever momma goes. I love my momma sooooo much.

I(Brownie) can't explain it, but I’m starting to get anxious when I’m in the condo. I start to tremor…almost uncontrollably. Maybe I’m afraid that mommy is going to leave me there. Or maybe it’s the anxiety of havin to go potty “on command”. (I’d much rather go when I want to in our big backyard in Fairfield.) Or maybe it’s just the chill and noise of the city.

Whatever it is, it got mommy scared today. So she called our vet and after explaining my behavior, was told it was probably psychological. Psychological? You mean it’s all in my head?!?

All I know is I just like the attention it gets me.

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

GOOD NEWS--Jalen is Here!

H U R R A Y !!! Our cousin Jalen is here!

This morning when mommy put us in the car, we didn't know where we were going or what was in store.

We drove awhile and when the car stopped Jalen got in. We had no idea she was coming to visit. We hadn't seen her for almost six months, but, of course we remembered her right away!

We were so excited to see her; we played together all afternoon!

We posed. She snapped pictures.




We played fetch & tug-of-war. She gave us rubs & hugs & kisses. We gave her lots of kisses back. And she gave us lots of yummy treats!





We didn't even get mad when she tried brushing our teeth with that AWFUL beef flavored tooth paste. (It was mommy's idea) Yucky.

And then after a long day of fun, we relaxed with her on the couch.



The cows may be gone, but Jalen is here.
And that makes it a happy time in Fairfield!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

More Trucks

More trucks. More trucks. We're so sick of trucks!


We bark and bark hoping they'll just go away...


...While allowing our friends 'The Cows' to stay.


But instead we grow more sad each passing day.


With more trucks. More trucks. More mean old trucks.

Monday, May 28, 2007

Cowboy

We were happy to see COWS on the hill today.

We thought they had all 'moved away'.

But apparently a few were lucky and did not stray.

Then a rugged cowboy came along;

And we forgot all sense of right and wrong.

We just want The Cows to stay.



Sorry Aunt Susie--we just don't think this is the cowboy for you.

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Ten Minutes Later...

...Mommy came back & this is what she found...






Job done.







So, I (Brownie) decided to go after Rocco's...







Bye, bye Blue birdie!

Tweet Tweet

Mommy and daddy felt bad that there were no more cows to entertain us... We scanned the hills surrounding the house periodically throughout the day, but nothing.

So when mommy and daddy went out to run errands and do a bit of shopping, they bought us a surprise.

Daddy couldn't wait to give us our new toys--a bright red cardinal for me (Brownie) and handsome blue jay for me (Rocco). We haven't had birds to toss around and tear up in a long while.

I (Brownie) immediately went to work. I let daddy toss the creature to me a couple times, but then I went into the living for some one-on-one time with my fine feathered friend.

Ten minutes later, this is what mommy found when she came to check in on me...

At the same time, I was playing like a nice boy in the family room.

Friday, May 25, 2007

The Day the Mooing Died?

This morning we awake to the sound of big, loud trucks on the street. Naturally, we ran to the front window to see what was causing the commotion. We were traumatized when we realized what was happening.

One, Two, Three, Four, Five!

F I V E livestock trucks were heading up to the cattle ranch!


We don't want our neighbors, The Cows, to move.


And apparently they don’t want to either!



Run Cows, Run!



Thursday, May 24, 2007

We Miss Daddy





It's boring when he's out of town.

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

And Now a New Idol

We're happy with the results.

There were soo many good singers this year...

Mommy had her favorites (Blake & Chris).
So did Aunt Susie (Melinda)
and so did Daddy (he picked Jordin early on).

Congratulations to the new American Idol, Jordin Sparks!

She's from the same town in Arizona as Aunt Jonalyn & our cousins Jalen, Kobie, Avrey & Boo.

Who knows...maybe some day one of our cousins will be an American Idol.

But probably not Boo.


btw, Joe Perry ROCKS!
But how did he keep a straight face when Sanjaya 'sang'?

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Hurray Apolo


I (Brownie) picked him! Mommy & I think he is sooooo cute. Grandma Rita rooted for him in the Olympics.

Daddy & I (Rocco) think his partner Julianne is veryyyyy t a l e n t e d.

We love Dancing with the Stars!

Monday, May 21, 2007

Sweeps Week...

…Starts with The Bachelor: Officer and a Gentleman.

A nice guy AND a smart one too. We cried...well mommy did...when he got down on his knee and proposed to Tessa.

Grandman Rita, Aunt Jackie, Aunt Susie and mommy were all very nervous watching, but oh, so pleased with his choice. They all wanted him to pick her.

Mommy thinks they're the next Trista & Ryan.

We think daddy is very lucky he's on a business trip and didn't have to sit through the TWO hour finale!

Friday, May 18, 2007

Pretty Pups



Look how handsome we look after visiting the new groomer Kim!
She even gave me (Brownie) a pretty purple bow.

Our fur feels so soft & we smell good too.

I (Brownie) really want to go outside and roll around in the grass.

New Groomer

Today we went to a new groomer in Fairfield.


Mommy said it was time when she caught me (Rocco) biting my nails.

Kim is the groomer & owner of Kim's Groomingdales. She was recommended by the vet.


Although we realllllly dislike** the whole grooming process, she was nice and gentle with us.

**Note: We’re not allowed to say the word ‘hate’ otherwise we would have used it here.

Neither one of us like getting a bath, but I (Rocco) am especially nervous when I see the scissors…and then my tail is lifted…it brings back bad memories…

And I (Brownie) really don’t like that other thing she does back there…but I must admit, it stops me from having to scoot.

The best part is it was all over in an hour and a half and we were on our way home.

Mommy was very happy. She said she’s going to write a review on the Internet to let other mommies know it’s a good, safe place to take their pups.

Maybe Kim will get soooo busy; she won’t be able to fit us in next time!

Thursday, May 17, 2007

The Mystery of the Missing Leg

Mystery solved! (See Tuesday, May 15 posting).

This morning, as mommy was in the backyard doing her duty of ‘scooping’ up after us, she came upon the missing kitty leg.

She gasped upon examination. Much to her dismay, though still in one piece, it was clear it had gone through my (Brownie’s) digestive track.

That’s the first and last time I’ll do that. Kitty parts aren’t as tasty as they look. And definitely not as fun coming out as going in.

Now that’s what I (Rocco) call getting more fiber in your diet Brownie!

Not funny Rocco. Not funny.

Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Another One Bites the Dust

It’s no longer a new kitty.

And in case you were wondering who did it…












It was me (Brownie). See, this morning daddy and I were playing fetch with the 'new' kitty. Daddy was trying to work out, but I wanted to play. Rocco wanted to play too, but I wouldn’t let him near the YELLOW Awful Mad Kitty. I decided it was mine & only mine. …It sort of turned into a “keep away from Rocco” game.

That’s not nice. I (Rocco) always share. Mommy taught us that sharing is good.

Mommy felt sorry for me (Rocco) because you were being mean. So we played fetch AND tug of war with a different toy.

I (Brownie) admit I was a little mean. But I get so focused I just can’t help myself.

And this morning I (Brown) was SUPER focused. Usually I savor the gutting. I’ll take the kitty apart limb by limb, playing fetch and working on it for number of days before I go in for ‘the slay’. But this time I went straight for the heart…the squeaker. Before I knew it, it was over. Stuffing was everywhere. The squeaker was removed in one piece. And I was done.

Anyway, I’m sorry Rocco. You can play with the lifeless Yellow Awful Mad Kitty all you want now.

Tuesday, May 15, 2007

Another Leg Removal

Even though mommy got us a nice, new kitty, I (Brownie) wasn't quite finished with this one.

Mommy can't find the newly missing appendage...

Sunday, May 13, 2007

A really Happy Mother's Day!

Our mommy had a great day today.

She smiled really big when she saw the pretty pink roses we picked for her. She told us she loved our card and then she squealed when she learned about her special spa day. Mommy pampers us and daddy all the time, so we thought she deserved some pampering herself. She gave us each a big kiss and lots of ear rubs.

Then we all piled in the car for a drive to Aunt Jackie’s house to surprise her and to meet our new cousin Lester. Mommy explained that Mother’s Day is a special day for grandmas and aunts too. We have not been to visit at their house in a long, long time. And when we heard our Aunt Susie was going to be there too, we got doubly excited.

Aunt Jackie was REALLLY surprised and REALLLY happy to see us. Aunt Susie was very happy too!

When we met Lester we gave him a ‘welcome to the family’ present—a SUPER Big Mean PURPLE Kitty! And even though we barked and growled at him a bit, he was really nice to us. He even let us play with his toys and drink out of his water bowl. He’s a good sharer.

And we were glad to see our Uncle Scott and to play with our other cousins Brynne and Meaghan. We were especially excited we got to play with Meaghan. She used to be afraid of us….but not anymore! She petted us and fed us treats and she even let me (Brownie) give her a kiss on her freckled nose.

It was a really great day for all of us!

Saturday, May 12, 2007

A New Kitty

Mommy thought it was time to get us a new Terrible Nasty Scaries kitty. We…well mostly me (Brown)…have worked our most recent Big Mean Kitty into a sad, sad state. Two legs are gone….One is still in tact, one with no stuffing is barely there…and it's tail is hanging on by a thread.

We have a BLUE Dirty Rotten Kitty , and although mommy & daddy have tried to encourage us to play with it, we really want NOTHING to do with the thing. Instead its buried at the bottom of our toy box.

We’ve gutted…well mostly me (Brown)…numerous YELLOW Awful Mad Kitties…and lots & lots of PURPLE Big Mean cats, but we are not the least bit interested in BLUE Dirty Rotten Kitty, and that drives mom & dad nuts. They scratch their heads and ask ‘what’s wrong with the BLUE one?’ But we’ll never tell.

We are VERY excited about our new AWFUL MAD Kitty. I’ve (Brown) already started working on a couple of its legs. And I even let Rocco briefly play with it before I snatched it back.

What can I say? It’s in my genes.

Thursday, May 10, 2007

Holy Cow


That is a lot of hamburger!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, May 9, 2007

Mother's Day

Two years ago was our first official Mother’s Day with mommy so we wanted to make it extra special. Rocco came up with a plan. Since we were living in Vallejo, we’d take the ferry into San Francisco and shop for the perfect Mother’s Day gift there.

I (Brownie) was a little nervous about the idea of going to the city alone, but Rocco said we’d be fine. We just needed to remember the rules: 1) stick together and 2) don’t talk to strangers.

So we picked a day, and that morning while daddy was getting ready for work, Rocco very carefully ‘borrowed’ a credit card from his wallet. As soon as they both were gone for the day, we were on the move. I (Brownie) got a little seasick on the boat, but I was fine once on land again.

Rocco had used Yahoo! maps to get directions to our destination. From the Ferry Building we headed up Market Street, and turned right on Kearny then a quick left on Post towards Union Square. In no time, we were standing in front of the shiny double metal doors of TIFFANY & CO.

Inside, a nice sales lady showed us lots of pretty sparkly things she thought mommy would love. She was very helpful. She even wrapped mommy’s gifts in little blue boxes tied with white satin bows.

In less than an hour we emerged from the store each with a Tiffany bag dangling from our mouth. We never thought it could be so easy to spend daddy’s money! We were very proud of ourselves as we headed home.

Mommy loved the sparkly rings we got her that year. Daddy just shook his head, and then hid the credit cards.

This year we're shopping online. Rocco memorized all the numbers on the front of daddy’s card & I (Brown) memorized the important ones on the back. What can we say? We're just two smart pups who love our momma.

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

SUN-day

Today is a perfect day to hang out by the spool.













Wait, my (Brownie) eyes are closed. Take another one.














Darn, this one is not much better. It's too bright out here for me (Brown)!

I'm (Rocco) getting hot. And at the rate we're going , we'll be here all day.

Monday, May 7, 2007

The Most Important Meal of the Day

Mommy likes to make sure daddy has a healthy breakfast to start the work day. His favorite is granola, with fruit & yogurt, juice and coffee.

It’s our favorite too because daddy always gives us a taste. He’s a good sharer.

Recently mommy has been preparing ‘breakfast’ for us at the same time she’s making daddy’s. This way she knows he’s giving us equal size portions. Mommy is really into fairness among siblings. We think her mommy was probably the same way.

We have to wait until daddy is ready to eat, but when he is, he always feeds us first. We get wound up and our mouths start watering as soon as he goes to the kitchen counter. Some days we get a small slice of delicious banana, other times we’ll get a couple licks of rich creamy Greek yogurt. But everyday we get yummy, crunchy granola! Mommy says its lowfat, and that’s good for all of us.

Daddy loves feeding us breakfast. But he has to be careful with me (Brown). I get so eager & am so fast, I’ve been known to mistake a finger for the food. Sometimes he’ll hold it just out of my reach so I have to really stretch for it.

Daddy starts out with the smallest pieces and works up to the “big payoff”, as he calls it. A nice sized nugget of whole grain rolled oats & wheat, puffed rice, and corn flakes all held together with honey & molasses & other good stuff. Tasty!

He is a really good daddy. Really good.

Sunday, May 6, 2007

Sweet Cocoa


This is our ‘cousin’ Cocoa. She is a teacup Chihuahua. She is very small and delicate. She usually wears a sweater to keep warm because she’s always cold. We think she has a pretty smile.

She has a baby sister named Calleigh who sleeps in a crib and wears diapers. Cocoa is a big girl. She goes potty on the ‘puppy pads’…well, most of the time.

We don’t get to see Cocoa very often. Daddy is afraid we’d toss her around like a rag doll. And that would make Aunt Stephanie cry. We wouldn’t want to do that…but Cocoa does sound like a sweet and delicious treat to us!

Wait a minute, so does Brownie

Saturday, May 5, 2007

Post Derby Thoughts

Brownie & I (Rocco) both ‘bet’ on Cowtown Cat to win. What are the odds that ONE horse would be named after TWO of our favorite things!

He came in last. What are those odds?

Congratulations to Derby winner Street Sense. You sure do run fast!!

And at the end of the day, I (Brownie) like daddy’s hat the best.

Derby Day








Today is the 133rd running of the Kentucky Derby. And mommy decided we should have a little Derby party.




Daddy and I (Rocco) are busy watching the pre-race hype, checking out the odds in the paper and sipping mint juleps...










...while mommy & I (Brownie) are hard at work picking out just the right hat for me.

Thursday, May 3, 2007

We're Bored

Mommy is in the city tonight, so we're bored...

Wednesday, May 2, 2007

Take your Medicine

Yesterday was a tough day for us. Since it was the first of May mommy gave us our monthly medicine.

She starts with the heartworm pill. It’s little and hard and have an awful beef taste. Every month she tries to tell us it’s a treat. And we’ve fallen for that for over a year.

I (Rocco) always do what mommy says. So I chewed it & swallowed it. And then waited for her to say “good boy Rocco”. Which, of course, she did. And besides, I don’t mind the taste nor the texture.

But I (Brownie) don’t like treats that are hard to chew. Especially if they are FAKE treats, so I spit it back out. It was the first time I did that. So momma tried giving it to me again. I moved it around on my tongue and then shot it out again.

By this time, I (Rocco) came over to make sure Brownie wasn’t getting more ‘treats’ than me. Mommy quickly picked up the pill before I could get it. She didn’t want me to overdose.

She cut the pill in two and tried again. This time I (Brownie) was able to get the pieces down. At least that’s what she thinks.

Then it was time for the dreaded flea treatment. Mommy has to apply it to our back right between our shoulders. We don’t like it. It feels strange and smells even stranger! It makes me (Rocco) sneeze. I (Brownie) want to reach back there and rub it off, but I can’t quite get to it.

We ALL dread this medicine…including daddy and mommy. The rest of the day they try to not pet us. But they forget, and every time they do, their hand smells like Advantage. And then they rush to wash it off.

We wish we could reach the sink.