The Benefits of Brotherhood (and a guest blogger)

Being a big brother is very cool and it comes with a LOT of benefits!
1. You get double the attention that you got before!
2. You get to do everything first! When Mom and Dad come home, they say hello to you first, you get let out of the crate first (although I could do without being stuck in the crate first), you get your food and water first...
3. People bring you presents. Yesterday Grandma Linda came over and brought me an awesome stuffed squeaky toy! Since I am the older brother now, I was polite and did not rip it to shreds in front of her. (I waited until she went home). Now it is on Mom's sewing pile. Mom came home with a huge (or maybe Rigby sized!) dog biscuit for me from Grace! It was super tasty!

I'm starting to get used to my little brother. He keeps freaking me out though. I'll be hanging out by his pen sniffing around and keeping an eye on him, and he will suddenly pop up and say hi! It is quite disturbing! Plus he keeps trying to lick me. Doesn't he know about air kisses! I will have to teach him. Mom seems to be settling in although she woke me up at 4am this morning. Apparently Bastille was crying and she went to take him downstairs-only she is very uncoordinated and after she got him out, she tripped over his crate (knocking his door off) and then fell into the tv. Fortunately Bastille was ok, but a little scared. Anyway, Mom took a lot of videos  (as usual) so here they are. After the videos, I told Mom she could write something for Bastille.

Hi, my name is Bastille and my big brother Mecki said I could share his blog. As I am very new to the family, I don't have that much to say. Mom scared me this morning but I got over that. Right now I am just trying to get used to everyone, especially my big brother. I've been practicing my bouncing so I can pop up in the pen to see him. Sometimes he sticks his head in to say hi. At night he gets to sleep in a big big crate. Mine is smaller but it faces his so if I get scared at night I can see him and I feel better. He is very noisy, so I have been practicing being  noisy too. Last night when everyone went away, I practiced my noises. I said, "OW OW OW OW OW!!!" all very loudly. Dad said that the police were going to break down the door to see who was getting a beating! So far I have been hanging out with Mecki and AT. At night I get to snooze on Mom or Dad. Yesterday I met my Grandma Linda who brought me a blue teddy bear to chew on. And Mom gave me a green crocodile from Grace. Mom said that I would like Grace's brother Rigby, but that poor Rigby wouldn't know what to do with 2 rats jumping all over him!

and introducing my new little brother, Bastille Tessier!

Today everyone went out, and when they came back, they brought me back another  little brother! (Besides my little bro AT!). His name is Bastille. I tried desperately to introduce myself by barking constantly at him-he seems very unimpressed.

 This morning when I saw Dad and AT putting this box together it brought back memories. I wonder why they want to put me back in a box, I pondered. Apparently it is for Bastille.

 I wasn't allowed to come this time. But AT took these photos in the car.

 

Here he's winking!

 

 

 

He keeps bouncing up in the box and making me jump. I think I kinda like him. I've sniffed him all over and licked him a bit. Mom says she doesn't think she will be sleeping much tonight! And I don't think he is anywhere close to being as cute as me!
  Yesterday though was a MUCH better day. I saw Julien and my Grandma from the Poconos! And then Dad had a huge party with a lot of people (and 3 kids) so I got to run around and bark at everyone! I was very angry when Mom dragged me upstairs to bed, cause everyone was still outside having fun!

Sick as a Me!

Before we discuss the horrible events of my sickness, Mom finally found photos of me from my first baseball game in Cleveland!

 Me and my "little brother" AT walk around the field.

Puppy Palooza! Walking around the field!

 The typical bottom shot! With AT and Dad! (Who was wearing a Mets shirt to an Indians game)

 As everyone knows, I HATE water. But it was so hot that I was forced to throw myself into the water bowl.

Now on to my sad sad night. I have not been feeling well. Be warned that this post will be disgusting! I had thrown up several times and was therefore banished to the kitchen. Mom and Dad came home at the same time last night.  I really really needed to go outside, I was NOT feeling well. Dad thought all my noise meant that I wanted to come into the living room, so he let me out (Mom was not happy and then she got even less happy). I ran into the living room and threw up behind the couch. Mom did not appreciate that. She chased me out and started cleaning, but then something horrible happened! My other end exploded too-all over the living room floor (I have only done that once before as a very little pup, and this time it was much much worse). Mom was really unhappy and scooped me up as AT had wisely exited the room! She put me outside and started cleaning the other mess.
Then she came outside to see me. My stomach was still hurting a lot and I was trying really hard to get rid of it. (Now for the yucky part). Mom saw some blood and freaked out (You know how she is with AT's nosebleeds!). She made Dad call the vet and she scooped me up in  towel and we went to the vet.  The vet squeezed my belly, took my temperature (which was quite rude) and then gave me shot! Then they weighed me and I am back to 25 lbs. They said I seemed ok and probably had  just broken some blood vessels when straining (I tried not to listen) and had probably eaten something gross (I'm sure it had nothing to do with the Captain Crunch that AT dropped on the floor for me). I got some special canned food and a bottle that makes noise when you shake it and also gives me cheese. Canned dog food is WAY better than kiibble! And I got some rice and after Mom shook the bottle, I got some cheese (which was yummy but seemed to have something crunchy in the middle). Then I got to lie on Mom and Dad's lap the entire night until we went to bed.
P.S. Mom wasn't mad at me, she said it wasn't my fault. 

It's a heavy load I bear

I'm not embarrassed to say that this antler is wearing me out! It is very heavy and I constantly have to move it away from people (like AT) who try to steal it! Finally I just lay down under the table with the antler (keeping it within safety range!).

The biggest antler ever!

Wednesday night was very sad for me. I was lying there gnawing on my antler when I broke it in half! Mom made Dad take it away cause it was too small. I sighed forlornly. Life is quite sad minus an antler to chomp on! Last night however, Mom came home with the biggest antler ever! It is huge!
Here is a picture of the antlers next to each other. Mom couldn't find the flip, so we only have photos this time! Look how big and tasty my new antler is!

Here are AT and Dad so you can see the antlers being compared!

 I'm saying goodbye to the old antler!

 Hello new, tasty, enormous antler! I did all my tricks for it!

Finally Dad gave it to me. It was so heavy that I dropped it!

Then I dragged it under the table for safekeeping!

This might be the best antler ever! Mom said next time she might just buy me an Elk!

Mom,Dad and AT dragged me to Cleveland and all I got...

was a chance to play at the BEST place ever! Yup, I went to doggie day care!
   When I saw Dad take out my harness and put it on me I knew we were going somewhere and I was very happy, but then I saw the evil airplane crate come out of the kitchen! I hate that crate. I hurled myself at it and barked and barked until Dad put it in the car. AT and I got in the back seat and went on a really long ride. We stopped a lot and I got out to sniff at a lot of new and exciting smells, but then we always got back in. AT asked how many sniffs per hour we were going. We stopped in a place called Niles, Ohio and Mom and Dad got out and went to take photos for my bff's sister Grace. Apparently someone named William McKinley lived there-I wonder if they named our road after him?  Finally, we arrived at our destination: CLEVELAND, OHIO! We got out and piled all our stuff on a big cart. Mom walked me around the grounds so I could check everything out. We went inside and took the weird moving room and entered our room. Sadly, Mom and Dad stuck me in my crate and left me in the room so they could go eat. I was very sad, but then they came back! Without any tasty food for me of course! I had trouble sleeping that night cause it was all so new and different.
   Day 2: Back in the car. But a short ride this time.

We went inside and someone came and took me away. I toddled off with them, didn't look back at Mom or anything, cause I could smell that there was going to be fun in my future! I was there for a whole day while Mom, Dad and AT did less interesting stuff like-going to the zoo, visiting the Christmas Story House and visiting Mom's Uncle, Aunt and Cousin. As I said, not that interesting. I was very sad when they finally came to get me. I wanted to play some more!
Day 3: Back in the car- after an exhausting trip downstairs. We were on the 4th floor and the elevator was broken. I had already been down once with Mom and she carried me back up. As soon as we pulled up at Doggie Day Care, I got really excited. I dragged Mom towards the building so I could go play. I hope they forget to pick me up I thought. They went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the USS Cod and then out for a steak dinner (which I was sorry to have missed) with Uncle Dave! Once all the other dogs started to leave, I wondered if they had forgotten about me! Finally they showed up and took me home. I was so exhausted from all the fun, that I ran right into the evil airplane crate (collar and leash still on!) to rest.
Day 4: Yup, Doggie Day care! Mom and Dad picked me up really early this time. Two of my new friends tried to leave with me! We went to visit Uncle Dave (cause I hadn't met him yet) and then went to a baseball game! It was Puppy Palooza at the Cleveland Indians game. There were a LOT of dogs around! Dad and AT took me for a walk with all the dogs around the field. It was very hot outside. Now those who read my blog know of my extreme aversion to water. Well it was so hot that at the end of the walk, I plopped down in the pool of water they had for dogs to drink out of. There were way to many people around and I was trying desperately to leave. Every time Mom took me to the grassy area I tried to pull her out of the stadium. Finally I just collapsed under the table and barked angrily whenever dogs and people walked by. I thought I saw my friend Max, but Mom said it was just another Great Dane.

I did get a cool certificate though. Mom said she would hang it by my crate upstairs. I was really hot and tired when we got back to the hotel.
Day 5: The Looooooooooooooooooong ride home. We got up really early and packed the car. Then Dad put on my harness and stuck me in the car. It was raining so we had to drive slowly and carefully. Eventually we got home where I collapsed on the living room floor. Vacations are exhausting!

A birthday present for my BFF!

Saturday was my bff Rigby's birthday! After a lot of thought (and a lot of chewing on said thought, both literally and figuratively) I came up with the perfect present! I had to test it out first and make sure it was suitable as you can see:

Daddy's old sneaker! Vintage Summer 2013! These sneakers have been outside since last year! They survived the snow! Whenever it melted a little, I would find a sneaker peeking through the snow. They are broken in-I've chewed on them some.... I just know that Rigby would love it!

Sadly, Mom has said NO! So instead we went to the pet store to find a more appropriate (otherwise known as boring!) present. I'm sure that Rigby will like it, but it won't be as much fun as the sneaker!