Steve was off yesterday, so we got to go out to a nice lunch. It was gorgeous outside, so we sat on the patio and had a grand time! We ran into a couple of my work friends and stopped by their table to say hello. One of them told Steve he looked like Jared Kushner, which made me laugh really hard. But, Steve was not amused. My coworker actually emailed me later to apologize if Steve was offended. I told her not to worry about it - he may be creepy AF, but Jared Kushner is good looking! And Steve just as bitchy resting face, so you can never tell if he's offended - you just have to ignore him. Since he avoids conflict, you'll never know if he's offended anyway - and will forget about said offense in an hour because he has dementia. (Now we'll see if Steve ever reads this!)
Jared? Or Steve?
Steve? Or Jared?
Steve also got Flip a super double deluxe dog bed in an attempt to lure him out of our bed. We thought he liked it based on his reaction upon seeing it:
But guess who still slept in our bed last night? Sleeping diagonally, loudly/intensely licking his wiener, twitching, snoring, and woofing grumpily at every noise outside? No, it wasn't Steve (this time). So, apparently, the dog bed is nice for relaxing, but not nice for sleeping in at night.
Wm had his audition for the Columbus Youth Symphony yesterday!! He was pretty nervous! But he rocked it!!! It was actually at the School of Music at OSU, so it was close and we knew just where to go, so that was easy. We had to arrive 30 minutes prior and Wm got to warm up in a practice room. Then, he went in and he played: A G major scale (in 2 octaves!), Minuet No. 2 by Bach, and a mystery sight reading piece. Wm said he knocked out the scale and Minuet No. 2, but messed up the sight reading piece a bunch of times. Sight reading is hard!!
We know that it's a serious long shot that he'll make it into the Symphony since there were a zillion kids there trying out who have played for YEARS (and practically since they could talk!), but I think it was very brave of Wm to try out despite the odds. This is only the second year he has played at all. And you never know! He said the lady who did his audition was REALLY nice and said that she used to live on our street and chatted him up about the 'hood and his school. So he goes, "Maybe that will give me a leg up! We had a connection!" HA!!
Steve and I were not allowed to go in for his audition, so we didn't get to hear him play. But here are some pictures beforehand and a sneaky one of his audition through the door. So proud of this little dude!!
Right before the audition
I had just told Wm I would pull the fire alarm, if he wanted!
The actual audition happening!
Steve is home from work today since he works again this weekend. But he doesn't feel good, so he's bummed. I told him he is getting the chicken pox! I hope he feels better, because he is supposed to take Flip to doggie daycare for his "temperament check." We have to get the all clear before he can officially attend. We are having our carpets cleaned next week, so Flip will get to spend the day at Park Your Paws. If it goes well, he may get to do the same thing when the cleaning ladies come! For an extra $20, they throw in a bath!
Wm is back to school today! And Flip is VERY sad about it. But, he has some friends at home with him. Well, one friend. He has learned Luna's name and they actually sort of play together. If someone says "Luna!" Flip starts sniffing all around to find her (she likes hiding from him and then darting out). She also enjoys batting at his rat tail. Here is a rundown of their relationship:
Flip: VERY INTERESTED. Luna: Not sure about this
Flip: Still very interested. Luna: Ambivalent.
Dog asleep upstairs?Luna steals his bed!
Nappin' buddies!
In my bed last night was: a child, a dog, and a cat. Steve, wisely, slept in Wm's room. He got a great night's sleep. I got very little. I started out with just a dog and cat, but the child showed up because he, too, wanted to sleep with all the animals. At least he's smaller than Steve!
Schroeder mostly remains in the basement. He's not the brightest.
Steve worked all weekend, so is very tired. He was a busy guy! I did all kinds of chores, so I was very tired. Wm, however, pretty much did nothing. So...he's useless. This is his last full week of school before camp. Honestly, I'm freaking out a bit about this whole thing. He barfed on a day trip last year. This is a 3 day sleep away camp!! I don't like it. Of course, in front of Wm, I'm all excitement and rainbows and happy times. But, inside, I'm very nervous and I don't like this! And on his birthday, no less!!! I'll be glad when it's over. There are no phones allowed, so I can't even text him and/or get pictures updates. NOT COOL.
William is having a good spring break! But, he's still not feeling well. And, despite being vaccinated and already having it once, we suspect he may have the chicken pox...again! He has all the symptoms...again. How is someone vaccinated and still gets chicken pox twice?!? I had it twice, as well (the first time was really mild). So, hopefully this is it!!
Steve and Wm watched some weird movie on Netflix and LOVED it. Look at their faces (and Flip, who gives 0 figs):
On Monday and Tuesday, Wm hung out solo. I went home for lunch and we ate together and took Flip for a walk. But, Wm was mostly in charge of entertaining himself (though I did leave him a long to-do list!) He texted me updates throughout the day. My favorite was when he sent 2 pics to show me what he and Flip were up to:
What Flip was doing
What Wm was doing
I also enjoyed this text update about Flip and Luna!
On Wednesday, Steve had the day off since he works all weekend - so I took the day off too and we had a grand time! Wm is on the mend, so we took him out to his favorite place for lunch:
Then we went to Scioto Audubon Metro Park. We took Flip, who was VERY excited. Steve wanted him to use his doggie seatbelt, but he hates it. So I let him roam free.
FREEDOM!!!
He eventually settled down and just hung out with Wm.
Cutest, right?
Wm and Steve did the climbing wall, we went up in the water tower lookout, and then did an obstacle course. It was super fun!! Flip and Wm were WIPED OUT afterwards, though!
The lookout!
We are all back at work today. I'll head home at lunch to hang out with Wm, and he says Mimi is coming over to play some games with him. Then, for his last day, he is coming to work with me and one of our professors is doing a special lab tour for him! Wm is PUMPED. I think, despite the pox, he had a great spring break! And he leaves for his first ever sleep away camp in 2 weeks!!!!
Wm is also super cute. He was playing with Flip and he goes, "Having Flip is like having a brother to play with. But better because Flip never tries to take the computer from me."
Spring has sprung! It was a GORGEOUS weekend!! However, poor Wm is sick for his spring break! He is feeling better after resting up over the weekend, but he has a lingering nasty cough. I was sick during my spring break, so I guess it's the new thing to do! It was also a bummer because it could not have been more beautiful outside! Steve claims he doesn't feel well either, but I think he's just tired. He has 2 tournaments in a row coming up, so work is insane - and this happens every year! So it was good that we were forced to lay low due to Wm's actual illness, because Steve got to rest up.
Despite illness, we did the usual Easter shenanigans. We colored eggs, we had a really good Easter dinner - but no one was up for an Easter egg hunt, so that was canceled. Wm may be feeling a bit too old for that, to boot!
Interestingly, as I drove to Whole Foods to do the grocery shopping, there was a police car blocking the main road - which seemed totally clear. But, then I looked over and saw a cow escape! All OSU's Ag Campus cows were on the loose! I took a ton of pictures to send to Wm for his enjoyment.
Cow escape!
And I got some pictures of Wm coloring his eggs. We didn't dye them this year. I got special markers and we drew pictures. Wm said he liked doing that better!
Wm made a Wm egg!
The finished product
Flip is very happy that Wm is on spring break! He slept with Wm last night for most of the night (until Luna took his place!) And he also kept a sick Willie company on the couch as his snuggle friend:
He is also hilarious. Here he is losing his mind over his bacon flavored bone:
When I got home from work yesterday, Flip was very excited to see me! He was a super good boy and had been perfect left to his own devices!
Wild and crazy guy!
After an hour long walk with me and some intense fetch with Steve, he was BEAT last night!
Sleepy guy
He is never too tired for a belly rub and some tail waggles!
Wm is home on spring break starting today. These animals were a great GD idea. He's already spent a bunch of time hanging out with them! He sent me a ton of pictures of Flip and The Cats. He actually got a really good shot of Flip!
Photo credit: Wm
Then, he texted me that he was bored, so I told him he should read. He is currently reading the Divergent series and LOVING it. We got the first movie to watch tonight for Friday Movie Night. Wm acted as if reading had never occurred to him and was 100% on board. Then he sent me this selfie of him settling in to read in Flip's dog bed! Flip has ignored his dog bed completely (except when it was in his crate and he attacked it like it was an enemy). But, Wm said as soon as he laid it in, Flip was jealous. Haha! Maybe that will encourage him to use it! Here is Wm reading in a dog bed:
Steve and I are off with him on Wednesday next week, and he'll come to work with me one day. So that should only leave 3 more "boring" days for him!
For your daily dose of Flip, please enjoy these pictures of him being cute:
Sleepy pup
Kissy pup
Flip believes he is a lap dog - he is sitting on me!
His one paw kills me!
I am actually sleeping much better because Schroeder used to yowl at his mice all night and Luna would show up and purr in my face at 2am. But, Schroeder has learned his yowling attracts Flip, so he's now silent. And Luna has taken to sleeping with Wm now that Flip is in our bed. It's glorious!! However, Wm is not as pleased. He told me this morning that he is exhausted because Luna's purrs keep him up all night. He did take this picture of her tucked in next to him!
Cute, but exhausting!
Flip was OK, not perfect, on his first day with the run of the place. The only thing he did was chew up the basket where I keep his leash by the door.
He is free again today, so I'm hoping nothing else is destroyed! Wm is home with him tomorrow and all next week for spring break, so he can keep an eye on him!
Well, Flip has won. He has conquered us. I got home from work yesterday to, once again, be greeted at the door by an escaped Flip. Only, this time, he has pretty much demolished his crate. He somehow had managed to flip the entire floor out, thus caving in the sides, so he could knock in the whole front section. He, however, seemed unscathed. And the only mischief he got into was stringing mint floss from the bathroom trash around Wm's bedroom. So, today, he is a free man. We closed all the bedroom/bathroom doors and so he has the run of the downstairs. I have my fingers crossed that it is not destroyed when I get home!!
So much for the expensive crate!
Flip for his part, was all, "sorry not sorry!" This was him when I got home from work:
I do what I want!
I gave him a talking to, but I don't think he took me seriously. No idea why.
The cats are now pretty much fully restored to their former selves. Luna slept with Wm and Schroeder slept under our bed (while Flip slept on top!) They still run from the dog, but as long as he ignores them, they just go about their cat business. We are so glad to see them again!
And Wm is still loving having a fun playmate! It's very handy for me because Wm is always grumpy about getting out of bed. I say to Flip, "go get William!" and he runs into Wm's room, leaps on his bed, and licks his face and in his ears. Works like a charm! Flip also has his own stuffed animal he enjoys attacking viciously. And Wm loooooves to play tug-o-war with him. They are really cute. Flip usually wins, but Wm is figuring out a strategy!
Getting a dog has been great for Wm! Not only does he have a buddy, but it's really helping him mature. He watches out for Flip. He's already pried stuffed animal stuffing, a cat toy, and a used tissue from Flip's mouth so he doesn't choke (or get sick!) He gives him treats and feeds him. He will NOT clean up poop, though!
The other night, I went up and found Flip sleeping across Wm's legs. It was the cutest!
Then, yesterday afternoon, Wm and I took Flip on a walk in the ravine. He had a grand time! Flip came home and collapsed.
But, he still had energy to go to the dog park later! Wm came and his job was watching Flip to make sure he wasn't running off or being evil. Wm kept a watchful eye on him. And, not only that, but I saw him happily petting a whole crew of dogs!! It seems having Flip and knowing that dogs aren't scary has finally convinced Wm not be scared of dogs! Mission accomplished!!
The dog park fun was marred a bit when Flip decided he wanted to make sweet, gentle love to the face of a fat, old beagle while a giant dog had the back end. Awk-wwward. I think he just got overly excited. Steve does the same thing. ;-)
We have not figured out how to get Flip out of our bed, either. He really, REALLY likes sleeping there with us. It's driving Steve crazy. But, how can you be mad at him? I woke up this morning, and this was laying next to me:
He also somehow Houdinied himself out of his crate yesterday. I got home from work to be greeted at the door by Flip. WHuT. But, he didn't do anything! Nothing was chewed or peed on. I think maybe I didn't get it locked all the way so he could just push it open? In any case, I made 100% sure it was locked down today, so if he gets out, he is truly a miracle worker!!
Sunday was so gorgeous!! We went out to lunch with Suzanne and Graham and sat on the patio at the restaurant. Then, we took Flip for a hike at Highbanks and wore him out.
The big news is that, I think, the cats are really starting to come around. Flip was hard core asleep after his day of adventures, and the cats came out and wandered the house freely. Schroeder even got right up in Flip's face to check him out as he slept:
WHAT IS THIS THING?
Luna let me brush her and purred while Flip stuffed his nose in her butt. Flip, for his part, is pretty much amazing. He doesn't chase the cats and mostly just watches them with wagging tail. If they run, he thinks it's a game and will stick his butt in the air and hop after them (which, of course, freaks them out even more!) But, when he gets close, he just stops and whines at them to be his friend instead of invading their space. I am thinking within a week they will all be best friends!
Here is Schroeder doing another reconnaissance mission as Flip loses his mind over his bacon nylabone:
Wm was all mad because I banned him from screens for 2 days after he was all bitchy about getting off when it was time to go grocery shopping. So he was in his room pouting. I went up and told him that we were leaving in 5 minutes, so he needed to get his grumps out before then. In about 5 minutes, he came bouncing down the stairs all happy. I go, "well, I guess you managed to get your grumps out!" And he goes, "yeah, I got into Flip's crate and hung out for a few minutes and it made me feel better!" So, basically, the kid is Temple Grandin. But, whatever it takes.
Wm is on spring break next week, so it will be just him and Flip hanging out! Wm was the primary dog walker during the hike - and he did great!! I think he and Flip are going to be super best friends. He actually started crying last night as he was getting into bed and he goes, "I don't like to think about when I'm an adult and Flip and the cats will be dead!" Poor dude has a such a soft spot for those animals!!
We a really fun Saturday! It was suuuuuper sunny and it is warming up, so that was awesome! It started out, as usual, with The Boys ignoring me and doing their thing.
Flip is super bonded and as he sat, plastered against me, Steve goes, "this is your dream come true." So right!!
Speaking of Steve, he has not been able to resist Flip's charms and now they, too, are bonding!!
Buds!
Snuggling!
I knew Steve was a goner when he gently covered Flip up with a blanket as he napped on him.
Caught Steve mid-yawn!
We took Flip for multiple walks, we took him on his first trip to Pet People, and Steve got his overhead runner/trolly hooked up in the backyard. Flip is not the biggest fan of not being able to poop in the way back, but he's coming to terms!
We also had visitors. First, Guy (and Mimi!) came to see Flip in the morning. Then, our friends Melanie and Olivia came in the afternoon. And they brought us cake! Wm goes, "omg...this cake is AMAZING." He talked about it all night.
And, lastly, a couple fun movies of The Creatures.
1. Schoeder and Luna are starting to emerge in little bits. They'll come out and stare at Flip from a distance, and then scurry back to the basement as soon as he moves. He really wants to be friends, so he's excited about the progress.
2. When Flip goes into his crate in the morning before work, I fill a kong with peanut butter and throw it in there. He LOVES it and runs on in, all excited. Well, today, we had an empty jar of peanut butter. Before I threw it away, I decided a certain dog would really love licking it out. And, boy, was I right! He licked it and licked it until it was gone, then carried it up on the couch next to me and just sat there compulsively licking the empty jar. The only way I could him to leave it alone was to give him a bone. Flip is having the best morning of his life!
Wm has started writing a sci-fi novel. I asked him what it was about and he goes, "a distopian future." He has very extensive plot plans. I asked him to run through them for me and it was super complicated. Wm is writing it in Google Docs, so I asked him to share it with me so I can read it. I go, "you can be an author!" and Wm said, "that would be a waste of my mathematical ability." So I told him he can write in his spare time and he goes, "YES."
Flip had another great day! The cleaning ladies came and Flip was awesome. They even swept and he was A-OK. When I got home from work, we went on an hour long walk. Flip LOVES a walk. And I love having a walking buddy!
I took a video of him as he goes. His ears KILL me. Watching them and tell me that Flip is not the PERFECT name for him!
Then, Flip waited very impatiently for Wm to get home from school. He sat at the window and whined every time a kid walked by who wasn't Wm.
His excitement knew no bounds when Wm finally got home! Look at his tail go!
Then he was VERY HAPPY to receive Wm attention. Look at his face - it's a blur of excited motion as he gets belly scratches (notice the huge boxes from amazon that were just delivered and filled with things for Flip - dog bed, pooper scooper, trolly).
Steve (and the cats) are making slow progress in their warming up. The cats now come out, but hiss at Flip every time he goes near them. And, while Steve seems to like Flip well enough, he goes, "Why does he keep licking me? What is he after?" Like Flip is tricking him in some way with kisses.
Then, yesterday evening we took Flip to the dog park. We were a bit nervous about how he'd do and didn't want to take him off the leash. But, a bunch of neighbors were there with their dogs and encouraged us to see how he did. And, Reader, I kid you not: he was the best behaved dog there! He ran around like a maniac, but came back and checked in every few minutes, always came when I called him immediately, and was, overall, a bit hit! There was a 1 year old toddling all around and Flip looooved him. He kept going over and sitting in front of him and letting the little guy pet him and grab on his ears. There was also a 6 year old who kept going, "I love you, Flip!" and he was so sweet and gentle with her. Flip loves him some kiddos!
But, he ran around like a lunatic with the other dogs most of the time. Then, he came home and slept like a log. Here he is on the couch with me after we got home:
I'm sure there will be new and exciting Wm and Flip adventures this weekend!
Flip did great yesterday! He didn't mind his crate at all and was good as gold when I got home. He went right outside and did his business and then went back and checked his crate to make sure his kong was still there. :) Then, he had lots of visitors! Mimi came over to meet him - and got some great shots! Here is a Mimi shot of Flip:
Cutest pup!
Then, Suzanne came over and we took Flip on a very short walk (it was freezing, windy, and raining). BUT, Flip did take a walk poo that I had to pick up. I was very nervous about this because it looks gross as hell. But we had special poop bags that I got at Pet People. They are thick (and biodegradable!) so I barely felt anything through it. It was a piece of cake!
Cuddle snooze.
The cats remain leery and have set up residence in the basement. They will come out at night while Flip is in bed and they will come out during the day when he is crated. Progress!
Flip is working on a few things. First, he is a puppy, so he can be mouthy. He doesn't chew anything, but when he gets overly excited, he enjoys nibbling on people's gizzards and/or hands as you pet him. Apparently we are supposed to yell, "OW!" and stop giving him attention for a minute or so when he does it. Luckily, he never, ever nibbles Wm. He seems to know that he needs to be extra gentle with Wm. So Wm never gets excited nibbles. Flip also loves other dogs. I mean reeeeeeally loves them. So much that he jumps all over them. So the feeling is not mutual. We will have to work with Flipster on that too! I am signing up him some dog training classes, so he should be good as gold soon!
He is smart and he's a fast learner! He has already mastered 2 things:
1. When it was time to go out or come in, he jumped all around and I couldn't get the leash on or off. After just a few times of refusing to take him out or let him in until he was sitting, he now sits nicely to get his leash on and off (and paws cleaned off now that it's wet!)
2. After being told "no," he immediately stops what he is doing very nicely. So he doesn't really jump on people or beg for food at the dining table while we are eating after he's been told not to. He's a people pleaser!
We are still figuring this sleeping thing out, too. Flip really enjoys sleeping with Steve and I. But, he also enjoys laying diagonally across the bed and chasing rabbits in his sleep. I spent one night on the couch after Flip stole my spot. And, last night, it was great for me, but he was all over Steve. His dog bed arrives today. Hopefully he takes to that!
Sunday is supposed to be sunny and in the mid-70's. So, Flip gets to go hiking!! Wm is SUPER looking forward to that!
And here is Flip trying his best to contain his puppy excitement after I got home from work yesterday:
