Pawsitively Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Nine Paws

Dear Leo,

When we were on our walk today I learned all about different kinds of trucks. We saw an excavator truck, a dump truck, a miniature excavator and a flagger worker with a big sign. I focused on the smells next to the side walk that dada pointed out to me. I had a great time snuffling and sniffing at the ground. I was pretty sure that I smelled skunk, which, for the record is not a kitty cat.

Suddenly you were signing, “More and saying, boom!” The flagger person waved at you when you said, “HI!” I wagged my tail unsurely because I worry about the smells of humans that I do not recognize. You were super excited about the excavator truck and told your wolfie-stuffed animal and I about it all the way home. There was a a lot of descriptions using, “Beep beeps and boom’s,” that filled the air as we made our way back home. Thanks for always filling me in on the things I should learn about in life. You’re a good teacher Leo. Keep it up baby.

xo,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Eight Paws

Dear Leo,

Hi baby. We have had the nicest sunny weather for the last two days! I loved the sunshine so much this morning that I rolled around in it. You tried to help me roll around too. Mama laid down a towel for me on the grassy area and I decided that it would make a perfect place to roll around and model how to play, roll, and chew on a toy at the same time. We did quite well for a while, but then I got hot, so I needed a shadier spot. I absorb the heat really well because of my hair and sometimes I need to cool off and relax outside of the sun spots.

You also had so much fun going down your slide and saying, “Yay!” once you got to the grass. You’ve gotten so good at balancing on the slide. You’re an expert, but what I can tell. I love that you want to share everything with me, slide time, ball time, toy time, walk time, outside time, it’s reassuring and helpful for me to know that I am needed in this way. It gives my doggy self a purpose each day. Thanks buddy.

Love,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Seven Paws

Dear Buddy,

There is something being talked about with mama and dada, and in the air that smells of: fear. I’m not quite sure what it is all about, but I know one thing, I am taking extra naps and rest to make sure that my doggy vibe is vibrating high and helpful. I know that when mama and dada get worried about things, they need me to be there to help share calm feelings to make us all feel better. There’s no need to worry and stress, so I give extra cuddles and kisses to makes sure we’re all feeling good.

Today was the day that you were born! Yesterday was the day that the mama went into labor with you. I remember that day quite vividly. Bella and I accompanied mama upstairs and helped her nap for a little bit. Then you started moving around extra strange so we gave mama closer cuddles and she did a lot of breathing. She used this thing on her phone to click when she was breathing. I remember dada coming home and taking the bag and mama in the car. Then Uncle Tom came and got me and gave me lots of pets with my doggy bag.

I was a good doggy when I stayed with our cousins. I did my best to wear the special doggy shoe booties in their house and I didn’t bark when the Daisy dog barked. Then after a while, I don’t remember how long, grandma came and got me and brought me back home. I could smell you the minute I came in the house. I was so excited that I stood up on my hind legs and walked around your baby holder. Then I got to sniff your head a little bit and I laid down and watched you and mama. I did a lot of watching and waiting for the first few days. Then I got used to your smells and sounds. Bella took care of all the nursing details and I would boop mama awake or in general if you started making sounds for food. I helped remind her to take good care of you when you were tiny. I love you so much buddy. Keep growing and sharing your opinions. We love it, and you.

xo,

Kimmy

Sunshine on our shoulders and toys at the ready!

One Hundred and Forty Six Paws

Dear Leo,

Mama said that today we were going to do a little cleaning. That turned into a lot of loud human music, machines running, and you joyfully helping. I wasn’t so sure about all the work that was going on, so I hid under the piano and waited it all out. Every now and then I would poke my head out from the music room and look down the hallway. Sure enough, I’d still see you and the mama sucking up all the cobwebby’s from the wall and I just went back to my rest time.

I knew that I was probably just waiting it out, but I’ve been around long enough to know that once the humans start the cleaning zone, it’s going to take a while until they are finished. It’s not my favorite thing in the world. I like to play, eat my foods, cuddle, and lay in the sunshine. Speaking of sunshine, it’s sunny outside now. We’re both taking a little nap though so I know that when we wake up we’ll get to play in that sunshine. For now I am relaxing after the mornings festivities of clean zones and I look forward to our play time baby! I love you more than all the balls in the yard.

xo,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Five Paws

Dear Leo,

Today was a partially sunny start to our day. We had a nice romp about the yard and then we helped mama trim some of the plants in our garden. You helped her bring the yard debris out, glass bin, and then watch the garbage truck rumble by! You LOVE the garbage pickup day. It’s pretty exciting, if you ask me, but it is a loud experience, for sure!

When we were out on our daily walk we encountered the glass recycle bin five times! You were overjoyed to show me and your wolf stuffed animal that giant truck. You kept saying, “Boom, boom, boom!” as the truck went by us. We even saw it make a U-turn on our street.

Later, we worked in the yard again, but this time you were pretending to be a truck driver. You moved the empty glass bin around and around, and around saying, “Boom! Baby boom!” I helped you recreate things by running about and checking on you when you slid down your slide. You always call me over to the slide whenever you make it down the ramp. I think you like an audience and that you hope I’ll lick your ears. Just to keep you on your toes, I wait until you least expect it and then I’ll give you a really good slurp!

xo,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Four Paws

Dear Baby,

Today is another sunshine day in Oregon. We had a nice walk outside with the momma and your Snoopy dog this morning. You sat cuddled in your stroller with a warm blanket on you because it was super cold outside. My paws were cold, but I loved that the sun warmed my back as we walked together. We saw three dogs on our walk and I jumped up for each one of them because I was so excited to see other four legged friends. Sometimes I have a hard time remembering the rules and not jumping. Mama reminded me though, and you call for me to tell me to stay with you. I love it when you talk to me from your stroller.

A lot of the time you want me to walk right up next to you so you can see me, but momma holds my leash so that I am secure and following directions. I do my best to be there for you both. When we got home I relaxed in the sunshine spot on the carpet and soaked up some rays while you and momma got ready for your play date at the park.

When you got home you smelled like sand, sunshine, and outside. I’m not sure how long you were gone, because to be honest, I fell into a long, deep, nap sleep while you were out. You told me all about the park when you came inside though! It sounded like there was a big sandbox, bark dust, and lots of trucks. You kept saying, “Boom, boom, boom and rawer!” I inferred that all meant that there were a lot of fun trucks for you to play with and that you had the best time outside! I’m glad that you got to soak up the shine too. We’ll play more together in our yard and explore some nature later. I love you buddy!

xo,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Three Paws

Dear Leo,

Hi buddy! Today it was so cold outside that the tips of the grass, the plants, and our slide was all frosty. Mama read a book about, “Jack Frost,” once and I was listening. I’m not really sure how all of this nature stuff works, but this I know: it is cold on one’s paws when the ground is frosty. Never the less, we persevered and PLAYED hard. You were super busy pulling the red bin around and I raced a bit in the yard while you worked on scooping dirt and placing it into the bin.

Next up was exploring time! We investigated the long grass, old hops, and twine in the yard. It was quite interesting if I do say so myself. I loved when you patted my back and held onto me while we took some steps to inspect the territory together. You and Mama are going to take me on a walk later today, I hope, the sunshine is out! We couldn’t have our normal walk time in the morning because you had your swim class. You came back from that place with a semi-wet head and whining about your foot. So you took your stuffed rabbit and had him kiss your boo-boo. I didn’t see any boo-boo though…neither did mama. We both checked it out for you lil’ dude.

Speaking of little dudes, that’s what we used to call you when you were in the mama belly and were first born. You’re still my little dude, but we don’t call you that as much anymore. You are a big-little, or little-big, I’m not sure which way around is the correct to say. I love you!

Nap on buddy,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Two Paws

Dear Leo,

Today was one of those days where we are reminded of just how rainy it can be outside. I went out in the rain two times. Once by myself and then once with you and momma. I stood on the tiny little stoop by the door waiting to come inside first thing this morning, momma towel dried me off, which I much appreciated. Most of the time the rain kind of slides off of me, but I still feel wet!

Later when we were outside together, I kept standing and trying to get my smells, but everything was magnified by the rain. I had a hard time picking out the squirrel scents in the yard. I watched you plop about in the rain with your froggy suit on. You loved that the puddles were back in the yard. You said, “Yay!” and then stomped in them.

After that you decided to sit on the side of the garden box and hang out, so I waited some more in the rain. Momma didn’t like that I wanted to lick the water you were investigating, but it got me a fast tracked route back inside to the dry towels, so that was great! I watched you and momma check out all the front yard gnomes and puddles. You said hi to me from our secret spy window, that was super fun! I could hear you say, “Hi-hi! Hiiii!” You’ve got a very distinctive voice when you’re talking, I love it. Thanks for playing inside with me. Maybe we’ll take a less rainy walk this afternoon together? Who knows? Love you buddy.

xo,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty One Paws

Dear Buddy,

The sunshine was out again this morning. It shone down on us when we were romping about in the backyard. I loved it when mama was weeding in the garden box thing because then you grabbed your trowel and helped with the gardening. So invariably, so did I! We like to check out all the blooms, the flowers that pop up each day, and where the squirrels have been digging. Sometimes we find new squirrels spots and we fill those up with dirt.

Your balance has gotten really good lil’ dude. You can carry a trowel full of dirt from one garden box, all the way across the patio, and bumpy ground to your castle. I’m not really sure why you want to put dirt on your castle, but never the less, it’s a fun time! Then we were blowing the dirt and it flew all over me when I got next to you. I guess I should have known that something was up when you got super quiet and focused on the dirt you had poured on the steps of the castle. Mama knows this song from a guy called Sondheim. There’s a line in it that goes, “On the steps of the palace!” Sometimes she sings it when you climb up the castle. I don’t always understand why the humans do the things that they do, but I enjoy them. I like the music and the songs. I even like the dancing you all do, but sometimes I get really excited about it and then I want to run around, so I do! I love you baby. See you after our nap time!

xo,

Kimmy

One Hundred and Forty Paws

Dear Leo,

Today we had a surprise in the backyard when we had our morning play time! Grammie came to visit us! I was so ecstatic that I jumped like a Lipizzaner stallion again and again and again. Then the greeting time came to an end and I needed to cool my jets, as momma says. We showed Grammie all the tricks and trades we do outside. You showed her all the baby plants, the blooms, the purple flower, the balls and your trowels. I showed her how to run figure eights around the castle slide. Then we moved onto moving the balls along the fence and climbing down to retrieve them. Sometimes I will follow you when you get into this project, most of the time I watch you and hope that you’ll throw the ball back to me once you get it into your hands. Sometimes you share the ball or sometimes not. It all kind of depends on where we are in the game time.

I have learned how to be patient about toys. Every now and then I’ll come up and gently grab the toy with my mouth and race around as if to say, “I got it! I got it! It’s mine!” Then I’ll usually give it back when I’m told to drop it. Momma and dada will have to help with the sharing of toys occasionally. We’re both still working on that skill together.

Anyway, then we moved to the inside games and toys with grammie. You showed her where to put your rain suit, boots, and how to wipe my paws. I assisted in the dumping of the stuffed animal bin and toy bin in our piano room. I love it when there are things all over the place because then, invariably, I find something to nibble on or snuffle. I’ll even sneak away and sit with it, just mouthing it and getting it to smell just right. It’s time for a rest now little guy. I love you!

xo,

Kimmy