Along Comes Christmas

Christmas finally came! I was pretty amped up all Christmas Eve, as you can imagine. It is EXHAUSTING trying to get people to notice you! I slept pretty soundly and was a-raring to go when the alarm (my pee bell) went off in the EARLY morning. Mommy #2 dutifully got up to let me out to do my BIDNESS and while I was outside, she prepared me a yummy breakfast of kibble and yogurt. She also put some Kat Kibble into Sunshine's bowl. We didn't hear a peep out of that LAZY Molly.

The house was nice and quiet as no one was up except the 3 of us. The Christmas Tree was all lit up and there were packages GALORE under, over, around and in front of it. I sniffed around a little to find mine. I was assured there were some although I did not detect any.

Then Mommy grabbed a blanket, sprawled on the couch and we snuggled while she read. It was a good hour before Molly was escorted downstairs for her morning pee and kibble. Then it was just Lil' One, Molly, Mommy #2 and me for ANOTHER hour until the rest of the household woke up.

The presents - oh the PRESENTS!!! I got some PUGZ (okay, they are shoes but they are so soft and comfortable I didn't mind wearing them)!!!! I got some fruit treats (thanks Auntie B) and a hedgehog chewie (they sell them at the humane society and they are veggie goodness) and . . . the list goes on and on. Toys GALORE!!!!

Molly got a new bed so she can STOP hogging all of mine. Just to show her who is boss, I have been laying in the bed at every possible moment. She looks at me, prances about, nibbles my ear - but I DO NOT give in to her tricks.

So that about sums up TWO THOUSAND TWELVE. The next time you hear from me it will be ALMOST 2013.

Prima DOG Alert!!!!

The present that keeps on giving - GAG!

That Molly. It does not HELP that she is cute, cuddly and portable. She also likes to play and hop around. But I think we all know she simply IS NOT cuter than me - just younger and newer.

Am I pouting a little???? You know it!

Here is was, Christmas Eve and all the 'rents were home, all the other FAMILY was over, and all the friends were likewise over. I was clean and excitedly awaiting all the adoration, cuddles and treats that I KNEW were coming my way.

After an hour or so NO ONE gave me more than a cursory pat on the head. I could not figure out what was going on. . . . that was when I happened to glance over to Uncle W and saw MOLLY on his lap being all cuddly and receiving treats from him.

I was crushed. Where was my glory? Where was my love?

Where is my MOMMY?

Mommy did eventually come to sooth me over and remind everyone what a wonderful PUG I am.

But I ask you now - how can anyone compete with this?

Post Christmas Reminiscences

It was a whirlwind of activity, I tell you that. From Friday night to this morning it was all go-go-go. I have barely had time to focus on ME much less on all the GUESTS I have had to entertain.

I am not sure where I left off in the tales of my Christmas. So let's SEGUE to the NIGHT before Christmas.
There were LOTS of creatures stirring in our house (no MOUSES, though, unless you count the MICKEY MOUSE dishes the humans ate on. . .). We had aunties, uncles, cousins, nieces/nephews and friends over to celebrate. Mommy #2 and my Aunts BandT were so busy cooking and cleaning and more cooking and more cleaning. A lot of times they shoooed us away to our pen because we were HELPING too much.

As the sky got darker, the guests arrived. We were released from JAIL OUR PEN and allowed to mingle with everybody until DINNER was ready to go to the table. Then into JAIL OUR PEN we went again! It was not too long, though, and we got lots and lots of treats to make up for being sequestered away like that.

Then there was more talking and laughing among the adults and some squealing and shouting from the kids playing the Wii. I helped there cuz I KNOW it is my sworn duty to warn my humans of approaching cars, balls, trapezes -VIRTUAL or real, does not matter!

As the evening wound down, the Christmas music was put on - a fire was lit in the fireplace - and Mommy's lap was again available. Before we knew it, it was time to close our eyes and wait for

SANDY PAWS

I think I see SANDY PAWS on the horizon!

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, and SO ON

I am not sure how much blogging I will get in before Christmas arrives. Ms Thumbs already informed me that she is OTHERWISE occupado with cleaning, cooking, last minute shopping.

Keeping watch over Lil' One is one of my duties
as Santa's Helper

Since I am Santa's Helper (remember a couple of posts back?), I told her I understood completely and will be on my bestest behavior. I MIGHT even help keep Molly in line although it is pretty hard to do with all that PUPPY energy.








So for now, I want to wish all my FURiends in BLOGVILLE (and those who just happen to find me but not follow me) The HAPPIEST of HAPPYS for no matter what you celebrate at this time of year. What matter most is sharing the LOVE with family, friends and, yes, even strangers.

Talk to you AFTER Christmas.

Top Dog in the CARD Department

These are all for ME and MOLLY

I don't mean to brag, but I am WAY ahead in the Christmas Card Regatta at our house. Look at all those cards from MY FURIENDS. . . I see Winston Wilbur and his new brother Sam Cooper, I see my buddy FURever Bellatrix, and look in the corner, there is Scarlett! So many - I loves loves loves them all.

See my SAD tail. . . no CURL!!!!!

I'd show you the PITIFULLY SMALL pile of Christmas Cards the rest of the family has received . . . but I think it would make you CRY.

Fun with Gingerbread

This is a panorama shot of the same house

Many asked if I stood under the tables during Gingerbread House construction and decoration. The answer is YES, I did. I scored a couple of pieces of candy - mostly Smarties. It wasn't my BEST score ever but was fun nonetheless. I also managed to NOT let Molly or Pablo have any. That was the best part - I had bragging rights for the rest of the day.

 Here is a video panorama of the house Mommy #2 did. Pretty cool, huh?

Now we are preparing for THE BIG EVENT of the YEAR - Christmas Eve at our house. We invite all the family and some friends to come over for a big FEAST. The house smells SOOOOOO good and is also filled with so much laughter! I love it so much. In the meantime, Molly and I find ourselves penned up a lot while the humans are cooking and cleaning and cooking some more. It is a hectic time of year.

What do you do for the Holidays? Any special traditions?

Relaxing with the Lil' One. Yes, I HAD to wear my
CONE OF SHAME because I was
scratching my ear until it was RED!!!

Construction Zone! Watch for Falling CANDY!

Just a few of the houses that were decorated

Our house became a CONSTRUCTION zone over the weekend! It was so much fun I can HARDLY describe it. It all began a few weeks back when Mommy #2 started making GINGERBREAD like a crazy woman. The house smelled divine - I tell you! The aroma plus all of the festive decorations that my Aunties put up everywhere left no doubt that SOMETHING fun was afoot!

Then on Saturday afternoon PEOPLE started arriving - AND ANOTHER DOG named Pablo also came over. He is a HAVANESE so he is all white and furry. Like Molly, he has a couple of tan spots on his back to break up the tedium of being all white. We played a little, peed a little, and mostly begged A LOT for some of the yummy food that was EVERYWHERE!

All in all there were 16 people in addition to our family of 6 humans. It got loud at times; but it was loud with LAUGHTER and funny STORIES. By the time they all left, the 25 houses my Mommy #2 had baked were mostly gone.

Then came the clean-up. I tried to help. . . I really did. . . but the best I could offer - other than to EAT all of the fallen candy - was to keep Molly occupied and out from under foot.

Sometime in the afternoon everyone in the house was looking for us and calling our names. We never heard them . . .

Auntie B's Boot Camp REDUX

As you all know, I spent Thanksgiving with Auntie B at her BIGGEST LOSER RANCH!!!!! She always makes me do lots of exercise when I am at her house. It is okay because I love Auntie B so much and she is really very very good to me.

Everyday we had the same routine - an EXERCISE ROUTINE. It helped me to keep my newly trim waist while not having to DEPRIVE me of noms. I think, since we are approaching the most FOOD-FILLED Holiday, that I will go through the routine with you so you too can benefit from my AUNTIE B'S BOOT CAMP experience.

Here goes

•  Hide the Lamb Chop

           For this exercise, a toy is placed ON THE BACK - preferably in a spot not easily reached (which for a PUG is the WHOLE backside). The vic. . . uh. . . client is supposed to run around, twist at the waist, and hop until the toy is dislodged. Repeat 5 times.

•  Yoga Ball

             Take DOGYA one step beyond with the help of the DOGYA ball. No playing fetch here. The             object is to balance and strengthen one's core. Is that something like an apple core - Auntie B?

• Walk the Town

           As the name implies, every chance you get GET OUTTA THE HOUSE! We walked a lot over the 5 days and it was so fun. The air was crisp and the falling leaves made a satisfying crunch under my feet. It was a fun way to exercise and see the town.

• Concentration Burn

          You may not be aware of it, but using that muscle called a brain actually burns calories. At least once a day, Auntie B would place something DELECTABLE in front of me and NOT let me eat it. I had to sit there for hours WILLING the food to come to my mouth. I never mastered THAT feat, but I sure broke a sweat trying.

Good luck with these power exercises. If you stick with them, you will be able to enjoy a holiday morsal or two WITHOUT worrying about your waistline. All thanks to Auntie B's Boot Camp.

Wednesday Flashback

I was just learning to stand.

Broken Promise

Dear. . . whoever is listening. . .

I am SO UPSET!!!! This is such a betrayal I cannot even fathom it! And it is NOT ME who is perpetrating this crime. Oh no. . . it is my MOMMY #2 who is to blame. I figured if I RAT her out, she will come clean and amend her NOW EVIL ways. Time will tell.

What, you may ask, are you TALKIN' about Noodles? Well, simply put, my MOMMY #2 signed a COVENANT when we started this blog - a covenant that stated she will write a POST a DAY for my blog. And SHE HAS to do it - I am thumbs-challenged.

And WHAT has happened????? Under the guise of "BUSY" and "SICK" and "VACATION," she has slacked off to MAYBE 3 a week. . . sometimes even 1 post a week. That is totally and outrageously WRONG.

I am NOT going to let this go on. It is up to ME - Noodles the conscientious PUG to make this right. I promise that by the end of 2012 my blog will again be MAINTAINED at ONE POST a DAY.

It better - or I might go back on MY COVENANT to not pee in the house.

Chew on THAT for a while MOMMY #2

Santa's Little Helpers

So. . . when I signed up to be one of Santa's Helpers, I did NOT expect to wear special clothes and do a lot of SECRET things. I was told (by Molly, harrrrummph!) that it would involve a little time and A LOT of treats. Well, as you can see from the above photo, it also involved SHOES.

SHOES, you ask? Why shoes to help Santa. Well even though we live in SUNNY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA where it sometimes rains a lot but mostly is just sunny, it seems that Santa's Helpers have to, on occasion, tromp through the SNOW! I DO NOT know what snow is but I hear it is pretty cold and can mess up one's delicate PAWS.

This was news to me and next thing I knew, I WAS TRYING ON SHOES. Not just any shoe, either. . . but RED waterproof shoes.

What is this world coming to??????

Look at this picture. . . Do I look HAPPY!

I am still awaiting my orders but I overheard the BOSS (S.C.) saying something about a SLEIGH RIDE.

Molly seems oblivious to all of the activity. But then again, she has that PUPPY energy which left me long ago. 

Oh, and BTW. . . I have not seen a treat yet.

I Looked Over My Shoulder. . .

I looked o'er my Shoulder

And WHAT did I see

I saw CHRISTMAS staring back at me

I really need to find my LIST because

I need to give it to SANDY CLAWS

Then I've got SOME shopping to do

A coupla nice GIFTS for Mommys 1and 2

Then I NEED to enlist some thumbs

To do the wrappin' and pick up CRUMBS

I mean from ALL THE COOKIES I will gift

Not that I ATE them all, AS IF

Time's a-wastin' so CHAT wi'ya soon

So much to do - it makes me SWOON

Gotta GET Those Cards Out

OMD OMD!!!
The days are closing in on me sooooooo FAST and I have YET to complete my Christmas Cards!

What's a PUG to do?????

Love Noodles