Happy 3rd Birthday Sirius Black!

Wishing the world's best puggle a very happy 3rd birthday!

Lazy Days (at least for the dogs)!

I love it when they cuddle...

I worked from home today b/c the AC is being installed... the guys got here at 9am and are still working on it!

While I've been super productive in getting a big chunk of a work project done and even organizing upstairs a bit, the dogs have been stuck in the kitchen (to stay out of trouble)! They have definitely been enjoying alternating between playing (loudly) and napping...

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Yet another reason why my dogs need to go to camp... ASAP!

...so I don't come home from work to find messes like this! At least they got teamwork going as they must have had to work together to undo the zipper to the dogbed before tearing it to pieces! ;)

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Blast From the Past: Sirius Black Attack

I found our small camera last week... we had lost the battery charger, so it ended up sitting in the cabinet for the past year. After a quick trip to Best Buy to get a new charger and a few hours plugged into the wall... it works!

There were a few misc pictures from our trip to Puerto Plata, but I was most excited to find this gem! I'm pretty sure it was taken the night we opened Christmas gifts (2007) and I just love my boys' expressions!

Welcome to My World...

Um, yeah... this is the boys AFTER their sprint-fest around the house when you get home at night!

I'm on a boat...

Joe and I took a much needed break this weekend and ran away to Deep Creek for Memorial Day! We joined Joe, Nancy, and Granddad for a relaxing weekend on the boat and hanging out around town. Since Pat stayed home, the Ranch dogs did as well... so Sirius and Sul were the only dogs there and even got to go on the boat for the first time!

Sully was totally game for the new adventure...


Sirius played it cool and found a new friend in Granddad...


They liked being on the boat, but Sully was a bit challenged by the wind... Check out his ears!


We found a cove and took some time to relax and enjoy the sun...


...and after all of the excitement, the boys were simply worn out!

Note: This is how they snuggle up most of the time... Sirius gets comfy and Sul finds a way to wriggle himself in there!

There are really a bunch of good photos, too many to put up on here, so check out the slideshow below or go to the album to see for yoursefl!


Link to album:

Memorial Day in Deep Creek

Extreme Makeover Schnoodle Edition

There's been a lot of baby talk 'round these parts... but not today! Joe took the pups to a groomer up in Urbana yesterday to get all cleaned up. While I have enjoyed having Sully be a shaggy furball, Joe decided that it was about time Sull looked like a "real dog" and asked for a schnauzer cut!

Here's a little Sirius-love for you too...

TGIF!

Looks like the boys had a great day at camp!

Keeping up the McFatridge tradition of being the first in the pool (and last to leave)!

Snow!

I'm a little late on the update, but last week the puppies and I enjoyed a beautiful snow day! Unfortunately, Joe still had to work, but we had enough fun for everyone! :)

Here's Sul-Sul munching on the snow...


...and you know Sirius went nuts out there!


I took a bunch of photos, so here's a slideshow of everything:

This actually happened the other night when we were putting the boys to bed... This is actually Sully's crate (Sirius' is to the right), so when we told them to "Go to Bed," Sully went right into his... and Sirius decided he wanted to cuddle up with Sul! It didn't last long... I don't think they'd get much sleep crammed in there together, but it sure was cute to see Sirius cuddle up with his little bro! :)

Catching Up on the Past Few Weeks...

Joe and I decided to take a non-traditional approach to Valentine's Day this year... we essentially decided to do a nice dinner a week early, courtesy of the Melting Pot Gift Card Gmom and Gpa gave us for Xmas, and gave each other gifts as soon as they were purchased. Tous, my FAVORITE Spanish jewelry designer, opened up a store at Tyson's... Can we say GRACIAS!!?! I virtually danced into the store, basking in old memories of El Corte Ingles and the street performers that were always right outside. I, of course, spotted some new jewelry pieces that I'll eventually get, but was drawn to the handbags in the back of the store. I might as well come out and say it, Joe's not a Burberry fan. Gasp! I know... so sad. So since I've been toting around my Burberry satchel for over a year, he was kinda excited at the prospect of seeing me tote around something new. Okay, so maybe he didn't care as much about a new purse acquisition as I'd like to believe, but he did offer to get me a new bag for Valentine's Day!

Photo courtesy of my Blackberry Storm... pretty good, eh?

Okay, so we had a fabulous Meal at the Melting Pot... I know that fondue isn't for everyone, but dear god do I love this place (it may also have something to do with the fact that it was where Joe took me on our 1st real date)! I could go on for days about the gooey yummers that we had, but I'll spare you most of them... we got the Cheddar Cheese (this is pretty much the only thing I princessily demand), garden salad (which is always amazing... as it should be if I'm wasting stomach space on rabbit food during this meal), Fondue Fusion (I think that's it... we got the platter with Chicken, Shrimp, Filet, and Teriyaki Steak) with the Mojo Broth (kinda bored with Coq au Vin, so we changed it up and were pleased with it), and the Cherry Jubilee Dark Chocolate (which was yummy and a good change from the normal turtle, but seeing that it was a limited engagement thing, we'll be back to the flaming turtle one next time)!

So, by February 8th, we were pretty much done with Valentine's Day... which meant that by the 10th I was itchy to plan to do something for the next weekend (actual VDay!). I looked up the Hershey Bears schedule and saw that they had a game at home on the 14th... and with tickets at only $22 a pop, I told Joe we were going!

Side note: On Friday night I was escorted by two handsome gentleman (Joe and Jeffo) to dinner and a movie... we saw "He's Just Not That Into You" because the boys thought there was too much girl squealing in the Shopaholic preview and E from Entourage was in this one. The movie was fine, but seeing it with two boys was just hilarious... every 5 to 20 minutes one of them would lean into me and say "Do girls really think/do that?" After my consistent answer, "yes," they just shook their heads in wonder! ;)

Okay, so you know I wasn't going to trek that whole 90 minutes to Hershey and not go to Chocolate World!?! So, we headed up a little early and had just enough time to take the Chocolate World Tour, get the song in our head ("It's a Hershey Chocolate World... Wherever I go, whatever I see, Hershey!"), slurp down some milkshakes (York Peppermint and Special Dark Chocolate), before we needed to go to the game! Once we got into the game (which took a while because Joe had to take the camera back to the car b/c it had a detachable lens... hello? Bad policy!) we had a great time! Since the Caps often call up players from the Bears, we have a decent idea of the players and team. My favorite part was seeing Simeon Varlamov (Bears goalie who is out on injury, but will be back and probably called up to the Caps as soon as he's ready) walking around the concourse with some of his friends... he was in street clothes and flying under the radar, but I totally scoped him out and followed his little entourage for a bit (because I'm too chicken to ask for a photo)! Anyway, it was tres cool! We were home by Midnight with pockets full of free samples and totally exhausted (sleeping in the car while Joe drives just takes it out of me ;) )!

We had dinner on Sunday at the Ranch with the Richardson's and ended up going back over there and hanging out on Monday... by the time Monday night rolled around, I was ready for bed! :)

Here are the few photos that I have of the weekend... including a few of our cute pups playing in the snow! :)

Merry Kissmas!

Sully hasn't gotten down the whole "sit" thing yet, so here's Sirius in front of the tree...


Our stockings were hung by the window with care...

I know this post is rather late, but it's been quite a busy holiday season! As it has become custom in our house, Joe and I exchanged gifts around December 22nd... Once there are wrapped presents under the tree, there's just no point in waiting! ;) And, yes, we will actually wait for Xmas day when we have kids... but until then, we'll do it our way! ;)

Proving that we really think alike, Joe and I both bought each other JK Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard... as Joe said, "It's the gift of the Magi for Nerds!"

We had a wonderful Christmas Eve with the Richardson's, Christmas Day at the Kilcoyne's, and Boxing Day at the McFatridge's!

Sully had the honor of being the Christmas Elf this year since he fit into Finley's costume! ;) :)


We really had a great holiday and totally lucked out with the gifts this year... a new Blackberry, Sewing Machine, Camera Flash, Alex Ovechkin FatHead, Stained Glass Window of the Caps Eagle, Melting Pot, and so much more! We are so grateful for everyone's generosity and are thankful to have been able to spend the holidays with those we love!

Here's a slideshow of our photos:

Meet Sully!

Let's start this whole story out with the fact that I have the best sister and Mom in the world... I reached out to Susan at Top Knotch about a Schnoodle (Schnauzer-Poodle) that she had on her website. It turned out that she wasn't selling this pup, but looking for someone to adopt him! Joe and I were planning on going up and bringing him back down in a day. Allison had been thinking of coming down for a visit and to see the new basement and said that she'd go pick him up and bring him down... somehow Mom got roped into the trip... and by 1:30pm today they were at our doorstep with a new bundle of fur!

Meet Sullivan "Sully" Richardson!

He's a 17 week old Schnoodle who is a total cutie! He's an amazing cuddler and has jumped into the middle of the pack (of Sirius, Bailey, and Finley) with all paws! We hadn't decided on a name until today, but once we saw him and all of his furriness making us giggle up a storm, he was quickly deemed "Sully" for James P. Sullivan in Monsters Inc... my favorite pixar movie!

There's a lot more to write, but he's currently playing with the ball at my feet and I can't resist playing with him! Here are a few photos from out 1st day together:

Happy Howl-o-ween!

From Halloween 2008

Not that he had a say in the matter, but I have a feeling that Sirius enjoyed being a dragon on his 2nd Halloween! ;) I was going for the "monster" look, but this is what I got!

I think he looks psyched, don't you!? ;)



Enough of photos, I'm ready to go trick-or-treating...



Here's a slideshow of the rest for your viewing pleasure:

From one extreme to another...

This is how Mr. Black fell asleep last night... just him and his mat.

Of course, by sunrise he had reclaimed the cloud chair and had brought all of the blankets over to it... so I guess this was a fleeting "low-maintenance dog" moment! ;)

Sirius Lego Splatters

Okay, so this post is about totally different topics: Sirius Black, Lego Batman, and a very special Splatter!

First, the Splatter...
This is the gift Joe and I received for our 3rd Anniversary from the insanely talented Ms. El's of Platters & Splatters Fame (Insert Shameless Website Plug Here: http://www.plattersandsplatters.webs.com)! She painted this gorgeous monogram to match our bedding... and it's beyond beautiful! I know it's a week after our anniversary, but I really just wanted to show of my present! ;)

Second, Lego Batman...
WE BEAT IT!
Okay, I know it's so not a big deal to most people, but I beat my first video game and am kinda excited! :)

Finally, Sirius Black...Mr. Quirky Dog has been battling the toy box over the last few days... it's a little too deep for him to get into when it's facing up; so after him wimpering and howling at it, I turned it on its side. Needless to say, I took this photo about two minutes before every toy was pulled out across the kitchen! ;)

Speaking of quirk developments...
In January we bought Mr. Black a nice cushy dog bed...

Fast forward to October...
We decided that Sirius could finally handle the anxiety of being awake before we came downstairs in the morning and started letting him sleep in his bed (above) and even the couch. I have a feeling that I'm having one of those "My Dog is Taking Over My Life" moments when I tell you that he has officially taken over half of the living room...
Over the last week, my lovable puggle has slowly stolen my wubbie, two lap duvets, a full size duvet, and two Brookstone nap pillows from the couch and pulled them onto the cloud chair. He barely looked up from his new bed when I came downstairs this morning... but then again, if I could snuggle up in that bed, I wouldn't be moving either! ;)

p.s. That "scrap" of fabric on the floor is definitely the cushion from the inside of his crate... he pulled it out of his crate and brought it over to the cloud chair... somehow it didn't make the cut for his new bed! ;)

Why can't I stay in the ocean forever?!

Someone had the time of his life on the beach in Rehoboth!

10 Weeks

Okay, so I downloaded one of the cheesy baby countdown widgets that shows a little baby floating across a field, passing by pregnancy milestones as you go along... I wish I was savvy enough to create my own one with a growing Bowser (the character) dragging Princess Peach across a level of Mario World, BUT alas, I don't have such skills! ;)

Anyway, my little countdown widget tells me that today I am 10 weeks pregnant! Woo Hoo! Okay, its not a big milestone, but I feel like there was a firestorm of blogging last week and this week is looking like it's going to be a quiet one. After a little googling, theBump says that Bowser is supposedly the size of a prune. Okay, I've never actually eaten a prune, so let's find a better analogy... BabyCenter equates his size to a kumquat. Really!? Come on, people. Some more searching and (finally!) WebMD gave me the right analogy... he's the size of a Strawberry! No, not one of the juicy humungo big strawberries that you fight over, but a nice normal strawberry (0.9 inches to 1.2 inches).

Other than that tidbit, not much has changed with me... Joe thinks that the chesticles are getting bigger, but really, he's simply delusional! ;) The nausea has been okay, especially compared to the my crappy arthritic joints, and I was able to inhale a proper meal with Nancy, Joe and Joey at Ruth's Chris on Sunday... thankfully Bowser didn't decide to act up in such a nice restaurant! ;) Weight-wise, all is as it should be... not really changing! I don't object to necessary weight gain, but it's a little early for that, and I do have to fit into a Bridesmaid dress next week! :)

On Non-Baby related issues, which thankfully they still exist, Joe's preparing for St. Andrew's to come up to Mountainside tomorrow through Friday. He had Bullis up there last week and was thankful that the rain held off until Saturday. Our dinner the other night at Ruth's Chris was to celebrate the end of a successful summer at Mountainside (YAY!) and it was such a nice treat!

Last Saturday night I went to Brandy's Bachelorette... everyone met at Clyde's in Georgetown for a nice dinner. Along with B's friends, Nancy, Charlene (Eric's Mom), and Judy (Eric's Stepmother... a very very nice one at that!) came along and joined in the girly fun! Shira, Katie, Heather, and Dorrie were at the same end of the table as me, so it was totally nice to be able to catch up and just spend some time together! After dinner, B went out on the town with her friends and Eric's sisters, and after a quick stop at H&M and an extensive search for the car, we headed home. I can't believe the wedding is right around the corner... we'll be heading up to Rehoboth next Wednesday afternoon for golf on Thursday (the Spa for me!) and the wedding on Friday!

Everyone would be amazed at Sirius Black these days... he's mellowed out quite a bit from his early days of terrorizing the house. We've decided to take down the baby gate to the stairs and see how he handles the freedom of an extra level of the house... so far, he's just super excited that the gate's not there and bolts up and down the stairs at his version of warp speed! I went to bed before Joe the other night and Sirius snuck upstairs and tried to cuddle in bed with me... he curled right up and got comfy, but it wasn't long before Joe realized that he was upstairs and he came up and got him. Sirius looked totally defeated... which happens to be totally adorable at the same time! :)

Anyway, I'm just plugging along at work... we have a big meeting in Beijing in October, not that I actually get to go to it, but I get to fill my days with coordinating logistics and getting everything ready!

Happy Birthday Sirius!

Today we're celebrating 365 Days of Sirius Black! Okay, so we he didn't join us until September 22nd, but we've had more than enough fun to make up for those first months! I convinced Joe to let him sleep with us (just tonight, for his Birthday), so right now we're all snuggled up doing what we do best... cuddling!

This Bastille Day pup will have a day full of new rawhides to chew on, a new collar for camp, some chicken flavored bubbles, and (of course) a birthday bone! :) And since we're starting a new year, we're just going to forgive and forget about all of the chewed cords, socks, and underwear and focus on all of the pure joy he's brought us! I couldn't imagine life without him and his antics! ;)

Keep an eye out for a full report on his Birthday festivities... you only have your 1st birthday once! :) Happy Birthday Buggy!

A Sirius Swimmer

Over the last few months, we've learned a few things about Mr. Black. He...

...loves to jump in creeks and chase sticks down the stream...
...won't go into the deep areas of the stream, but will find his way to a shallow area where the stick will eventually flow to...
...will find any, and every, decaying part of an animal at Mountainside. All on different days, he's found a fresh deer head, a deer hoof with some meat left on it, a deer jaw bone (including the teeth that fell off as he chewed it), and a deer leg... we're talking a femur attached to the knee bones and the shin bone dangling from it! Yes, he pulled the last one out of the woods in the middle of a challenge course training session last week!...
...can catch mosquitoes, moths, and other low flying (and crawling bugs) and loves to eat what he kills...
...hates the zip line... apparently he completely wiggs out when people are coming down- we're talking inconsolable barking and howling at the person and running after (and nipping at) their ankles when they're hanging at the bottom!...
...loves Mountainside... being there, chasing the mule, being called Pumba by Tim, and eventually falling asleep in the office with Trish and Bianca!...

Yes, we have a camp dog!! As soon as he gets out of the truck, a stick is in his mouth and he is the happiest ever! The only thing that was lacking was the swimming in the pool. He would chase a ball down the beach-entry side, but would stop once the water was up to his belly! Knowing how much he loves water, I've been anxious for him to realize that he can swim and go all over! Luckily, today was the day!
I took him in while Joe was working and he was slowly getting better... I could tell he wanted to get out there, but was just a little too hesitant. When Joe finished, he got in and held Sirius' body as he baby-swam across a small area! Yes, this is totally Water-Babies material here and it was kinda cute to see the pup freak out and then realize he could do it on his own! It only took a few minutes before we tossed the ball in the deep end and Sirius swam all the way out to get it!! We played for a while after that... he was in puppy heaven! He crossed into the deep pool a few times, but turned around and swam back to the beach entry to get out (the steps still baffled him a bit).... but he was having tail-wagging fun!