Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Snow

"A lot of people like snow.
I find it to be an unnecessary
freezing of water."
- Carl Reiner

It snowed again today. I just came in from shoveling our wide driveway and sidewalk. It isn't something that I enjoy doing, either. Fortunately, my son Joe brought over his ATV with the plow blade on it last week for me to use again this Winter. It makes the job a lot more tolerable, but I still have to shovel by the garage doors and the sidewalk by hand. I'm sick of the snow already, and the season has just begun! Kim and I were planning on having a 'play day' today in my studio, but because of the weather, we just chatted on the phone for about an hour instead. We're shooting for next Monday to get together (weather permitting, of course).
Little Junior has been up to typical puggie naughtiness. He has made himself quite at home already, and is constantly tagging after his new big brother, Popeye. Mugsy, the eldest of the boyz, seems rather bored with their antics, and prefers to be laying around watching them, rather than chasing them.

(Junior is quite the little chewer!)
On just his second day living here, Junior found a book that was sitting by the fireplace, and began chewing on it. When I caught him with the book, I actually had to laugh, because the book he was chewing on was the "Dogfessions" book that Jessica gave to me when Otis had to be put down.
(Junior chewed the corner of my 'dogfessions' book up!)
The funniest part is where he chewed on the book...right under the words, "I didn't do it." I just had to take a picture of the book and put it in this post.
(Closeup of the chewed book)
I guess I better go back upstairs now and see what the three little angels are up to!!!

The Official Shulse Family Portrait

"The family is one of
nature's masterpieces."
-George Santayana

(First Official Shulse Family Portrait)
l to r: Daddy Mike, Mugsy, Popeye, Mama Jill, and new Baby Junior
I've been busy yesterday and this morning putting the finishing touches on our first family portrait. This is Mike and myself, along with our three little 'love children.' I think little Babycakes has finally got a name. Mike and I have decided on 'Junior,' because he looks like a cross between our sainted pug, Otis, and our little Popeye. He's like the little kid brother who tags along after the big boys. He seems to have bonded with Popeye, and Popeye is already showing him the ropes....like running and jumping up on my recliner before I sit in it...stealing rawhide 'chewies' and hiding them from the others...chewing on things that aren't meant to be chewed on...begging for treats...etc. He has won our hearts, and fits in well with our little 'blended' family.

Monday, December 1, 2008

And Baby Makes Three (Again!)

"Pugs are like potato chips...
you can't have just one (or two)!"

I had a little surprise happen this past weekend...I guess you could say the 'pug stork' flew over our house again, and we now have a new little baby boy 'puggie' addition to our family. This adorable little guy is 5 months old, and already has a lot of wonderful wrinkles. I must say that daddy was not very excited about the prospect of being a Pug Papa yet again, but when I snuck into the house with our new baby, his heart melted. We haven't picked out a name for him yet, so for the time being I'll refer to him as little 'Babycakes.' He's happy and healthy, and is already 'learning the ropes' from his 2 big brother pugs, Mugsy and Popeye.
This is my first official portait with little 'Babycakes" Shulse.