Red Rocket Reminds No Chocolate!

Edward has just finished trick-or-treating and, of course, immediately wanted to dive into his bag full of goodies. He selected a popcorn ball and, as the photo documents, had a captive audience comprised of Maggie, Rachsie, and Red Rocket who all congregated at the foot of Edward's chair hoping that a morsel would drop. Edward's bag full of dog-toxic Halloween haul has been safely stashed on top of the refrigerator so we do not have a repeat of Red Rocket's chocolate orgy and subsequent veterinary intervention (got the credit card bill for that this morning...not pretty...).

The Emma Memorial Pumpkin

Our babysitter is having surgery this week and so August has taken the afternoons off of work to watch Edward. Late this afternoon he called me at work to tell me that he was working on a jack-o-lantern that would put his pumpkin carving portrait of Red Rocket "to shame." When I arrived home he ushered me into our bedroom (the darkest room in the house) and there was a pumpkin portrait of Emma in all her splendor copied from one of my favorite photographs of her. It took him four hours to create the stencil and execute the carving. Parts of the collar flowers were carved with toothpicks. I was speechless. I immediately photographed it for the blog.

Tuesday is August's bowling league night so we needed to go out as soon as I got home to grab some dinner. He extinguished the candle in the Emma pumpkin and placed it up on the table and we went to dinner. When we returned home and I walked into the kitchen to put our leftovers in the fridge and looked over at the table........ Red Rocket had eaten the entire bottom portion of the pumpkin and was laying in a "beached whale" posture with a massively bloated belly on the dining room floor. I have never experienced the emotions I felt at that moment. I laughed and cried all at the same time. (I was able to laugh since I am well versed in the 'foods that are toxic to dogs' list and thankfully pumpkin is NOT one of those foods.)

August, however, was not so amused. Being the "problem solving" personality that he is, he headed straight for the garbage bin where he fished out the pumpkin scraps and began a reconstructive operation on Emma's portrait using toothpicks to interconnect sections of pumpkin. I took Red Rocket and left the premises seeking refuge at Niki and Randy's house (our neighbors). Niki offered a canine psychoanalysis by diagnosing Rocket with an acute case of jealousy, after all, he didn't eat the pumpkin with his own portrait on it which has been in the house for three days. After 20 minutes we returned to discovered that August had completed a pretty decent patch job. I doubt that in the dark anyone would notice the flaws although he is concerned that as the pumpkin shrinks and shrivels over the next several days that the patch job won't hold up until Halloween. I guess we'll see.

I tried to make August look on the bright side. I said, "Just think, this will make a GREAT post on the blog." He looked at me with a deadpan expression and said, "You can start off the blog entry with a message from Red Rocket saying, 'This is my last post...'"

Well, life number seven gone - six more to go!

Pumpkin Carving

August is a superior pumpkin-carver and each Halloween we choose a theme for our jack-o-lanterns. The themes over the last several years have been selected to match Edward's halloween costume or current fascination. This year, well, you can guess the theme.

Winning the Heating Pad War

While the dachshunds may have won several of the recent battles over the heating pad I am determined to win the war. I have purchased these to heat their little sausage bodies...

How Do You Walk a Three-Legged Dog?, Part 2

The beautiful fall weather has had me longing to take the dogs walking but, of course, Red Rocket cannot tolerate movement over long distances. Thus, I have succumbed to the marketers of pet vanity products and have purchased a dog stroller. Red Rocket seemed to grasp the necessity of this mobility-assisting device and settled in immediately. This particular model is a travel stroller so we can fold it up and take it with us when we travel.

Lap Dogs

"Dachson" Tea Party

I, Red Rocket, in protest of the padlock which has been placed on the pantry door to prevent canine access to gourmet offerings - a decision that was made without canine representation at the family council meeting - hereby demonstrate my displeasure through the staging of a tea party.

Fall Break

Rachsie got her first family vacation as we hit the road and headed to Texas for Fall Break. Available lap space was limited as August was driving and I was sitting in the back next to Edward to keep him entertained. Red Rocket and Rachsie frequently perched on the center console waiting for the moment when my lap was clear so they could leap onto it.

Et tu Rachsie?

The heating pad saga continues... Now that the weather has turned really cold here the heating pad is a coveted spot for lounging or napping. In this photo Rachsie is "caught in the act" stealing the warm spot after I got off the couch to get something to drink.

Sitting Pretty

Maggie, Rachsie and Red Rocket are all voracious eaters who have no qualms about stealing each other's meals and treats. Emma, of course, enforced a strict discipline policy in this regard and monitored individual bowls to ensure each member of the family got only his/her portion. However, her absence has resulted in a food consumption free-for-all. Daddy has taken over the nighttime cookie distribution and has designated a "presentation chair" to prevent treat theft. After the dogs have gone out for their last potties of the evening they are each lifted into the chair to be presented with their cookie. He attempts to teach them "sit" and "shake" in order to earn their cookies. Obviously, Red Rocket is unable to shake - he spontaneously developed this "sit pretty" routine to earn his treat.

Lap Dogs

It's so nice to be loved.

Triple Kisses

August receives kisses from Maggie, Rachsie and Red Rocket!

Strategic Maneuvers

Last Saturday morning Edward rallied the family into battle mode. Mommy was drafted to set up troop formations of Company Star Wars, Company Gormiti and Company Little Green Men and Edward commenced war games. Rachsie and Red Rocket were tapped as Generals who watched the battle from their perch up on the hill.

Changing Weather Let's Snuggle Together

This past week the temperature has dropped dramatically and we've had lows in the 40's. The nip in the air has induced Rachsie and Red Rocket to burrow under bedcovers and blankets together.

Snooze

Edward, Rachsie and Red Rocket all crash for an afternoon nap on Mommy's lap!

Pretty Princess

Rachsie gets a new collar to match the one around Red Rocket's neck. She danced and pranced as Daddy put it on her.

Heating Pad Thief

This is all Dr. Olson's fault...spoiling Red Rocket with the heating pad (see earlier posts). He snatched it from me again this afternoon and clearly was not inclined to share.

Dirty Doggie

Rachsie offers a reproachful look while Red Rocket engages in some ungentlemanly personal grooming.

Mischief

This morning I did something rare. I taught my 8:30 AM class and then immediately came home because I had an article to work on and I knew if I stayed at the office I'd be interrupted. It's a good thing I came home early. August had forgotten to lock the pantry door after he fed the dogs this morning and in the mere 30 minutes between August and Edward leaving the house and my return our three dachshunds had "unloaded" the lowest pantry shelf onto the dining room floor. The rug was littered with apple juice bottles, canned soup, tea bags, stuffing mix, and oatmeal. The oatmeal box was the easiest to access and it had been ripped open. Packets of apple-raisin oatmeal were strewn throughout the house - I found them in Emma's sick bed (which Rachsie has adopted as a favorite mischief spot), on the couch, on the bathroom rug, in the kitchen. Interspersed with the oatmeal packets were various toys that had also suffered at the paws of Red Rocket and Rachsie: an army figure decapitated and amputated at the wrists, the yellow wings ripped off a foam rocket, and a plastic beagle mutilated around the head and chest area. I had forgotten what it's like to have puppies in the house...

Morning Cartoons

I have to leave the house in the morning well before August and Edward so they often hit the couch together after getting out of bed where Edward watches Playhouse Disney and Daddy catches a few extra minutes of sleep with the dogs.