Birthday Cones and Milk Bones

First off, Crazy Dog Lady ALERT!

So don't say I didn't warn you...

Today is Mickey's 2nd birthday! Can you believe it? I know, me either! My little boy is getting so big. He's all growed up! As long as you don't count his perpetual fear of his water bowl, the fact that he freezes in terror and urinates anytime he sees a stranger, or the fact that he still carries his stuffed spider to bed with him every night (in the guest room closet).

Yes, he's finally entering those awkward dog-olescent years where he will refuse to take doggie baths, eat enough Purina to feed a horse and be out chasing tails all night. Where does the time go? How do I communicate to my best furry friend how much he means to me and how glad I am that he's in my life? A scoop of peanut butter just doesn't seem to be enough. A lavish party seems somewhat ridiculous - atleast that was the response I got to the Evite I sent out for his party. Maybe I lost everyone at "Party hats required"... As I was willing to provide them, it seemed like a reasonable enough request.

But growing up, we always had a tradition with our dogs on their birthdays that we would take them for ice cream cones. I remember Dad loading us all up, dogs and family, and we would go up to the 31 Flavors and get a vanilla ice cream cone of which all the dogs would get to have a few bites. (And if you were ever curious as to how I got to be such a crazy dog lady, I think that little story just answered any of your outstanding questions). But it was a fun family tradition that we eventually grew out of as I got older and the dogs started getting sent off to some big farm with lots of land for them to run around. Gosh, I sure hope they are still enjoying all that acreage they are playing on!

So I thought it would be fun to start a little birthday tradition of my own with Mickey. He's a good companion to me, and arguably the biggest responsibility in my life, so I want to make sure that he knows he's loved, even if it's only to satisfy my own wants. But hopefully we can come up with something that he and I will do for the next 10 or so years of our lives, and maybe one day it will even be a tradition that we can share with our family as we expand and allow others to join us in our ridiculous ways.

I guess all I wanted to say to the goofiest, most awkward, least intimidating, longest tongued, worst balanced, silliest running, misdirected tailed, non-controlled earred, bed hogging, yet sweetest pup I know is......

Happy Birthday, Mickey! 

(And Mickey, if you're reading this...put my laptop away and go practice your power slides!)



"Balancing" on his favorite spot at the dog park



NOT helping me read in bed






It took me 30 minutes to get him to move so I could go to bed...





Mickey fought a raccoon...and lost, but he's still smiling



These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

So while Julie Andrews has the market cornered on raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, I decided that I wanted to compose a miniature ode to some of my favorite things that I use to fill my mind with when I need a smile.

I got this idea from the pilot episode of Friends where Phoebe starts singing her rendition of the infamous song to calm Rachel's nerves. Everything in life relates to an episode of Friends. I will maintain this philiosophy as long as I live.


So, without any further delay, here are a few of my favorite things and the items that I count on in my life:



My Girls

This is a photo of the first All-Star team that I coached. It lives in a frame on my dresser and reminds me constantly of my time on the field and how much I love coaching. These girls challenge me everytime I see them, even though they don't know it. But they constantly give me new problems to solve, wisdom to teach, and very often, a good laugh. So if I were to write a song about MY favorite things, I would name each and everyone of them.




My Mickey

Seriously, look at this face! His ears don't even match! And even though you can't see it, his tongue hangs down half way to the floor. I'm always afraid he's going to catch it on something when he takes off running in the woods. This sweet loving animal never ceases to entertain me and make me smile. Whether it's pulling all of his toys into the closet and building a mort (that would be a Mickey fort...Mickey+fort = mort, you following yet? Very complex math, it's ok), pawing me in the face an hour before I actually need to be awake, or chasing his tail until he falls into the wall, he's my bud and he keeps me accountable. Not to mention, he is an unlimited source of painstakingly (emphasis on the pain) hysterical jokes that you all get to read about.

Everyone should have a Mickey.






Pig

This one has to go directly after Mickey because one is not possible without the other. This is a squeeky toy that I bought at the gourmet dog market for far more than anyone should spend on a dog toy, but I pasted this as a video so that you could hear the sound that it actually makes. Funniest. Sound. Ever. The only thing that makes this sound any better than it actually is? When Mickey picks it up to play without me knowing, I always jump out of my seat. And I think he knows this and chooses his times misely (Mickey wisely...reference the previous section if you have any trouble with the math). This stupid pig makes me laugh, never fail.

My Calendar

For those of you that know me well, this makes perfect sense. I love to plan. I need to know what my next 3 weeks look like to the day. Some people appreciate this, others do not. But that's how I roll. I mean, take a look at it- I'm a busy girl. And if I ever lose this, I'm in TROUBLE. But why is this in a list of my favorite things? I take comfort in managing my calendar. I love spending time filling in dates and times and activities and having a visual representation of what I do with my time. That and it just makes me feel like I have everything in order and well organized. Not to mention, I get to use all of my colored pens, pencils, highlighters, whatever I can find. It's really a grown up coloring book.


My Friends

 

This is a constantly evolving category, but there are a few staples that I count on. The people featured have been at different times my rocks, my confidantes, my roommates, my biggest challenges, my greatest rewards, and my favorite people. I appreciate the fact that these people accept me for who I am and allow me to be comfortable in my own skin. And most of you know that if I'm cranky, all you have to do is feed me and all will be well in the world again. We've shared laughs, smiles, tears, and many other sappy emotions. So my hats off to you, you truly outstanding people. You all really are the Mickey's pajamas . And if you didn't make it into the photo collage, don't be offended, it most likely just means that I didn't have a photo on hand. Or it means I don't really like you...could go either way. If you would like, I can dedicate my next post to a photo contest. $15 entry fee. Checks payable to Mickey.


Well folks, there you have it. Just a small sampling of a few of my favorite things. I have a strong sense that there will be a Part 2 in the months to come. But I encourage you all to think about what your favorite things are. What are the things that you count on for a smile during the day? Hope a few of you will share!