Brownie Poo gets a new Doo

On August 30, 2010September 1, 2010 By AngeliaIn A Puppy Named Brownie, Beautiful Life, FAMILY31 Comments

For all you Brownie Puppy fans…..(I know you all love my puppy, right?)…..well, she got a haircut this weekend.

Her FIRST haircut (awwwh!), I did not keep the first locks, don’t worry. I’m not that bad. Truth is, I just thought of it. Ha.

I was really worried about her being traumatized. I have tried to brush her a couple of times and let me tell you, she FREAKS out. I mean freak-a-zoid freaky freak out. Like the lambs are screaming scream. I burned that brush and she has been a furry chewbacca ever since. Until, we let a professional try.

She did fine, except for the hair dryer, according to the groomers, she screamed like a lamb. Okay I made that part up, but they did say she screamed.

I got home to see her – I was surprised. It was like meeting my four-month old baby Shih-Tzu for the first time. I could actually SEE her face. Oh my goodness! What big eyes you have….and an actual wittle face.

I couldn’t stop saying, “Hi, nice to meet you.” And I swear, she would look at me in that same way. It was darling.

I think she can see better now. It’s a whole new world.

She is just runway styling (and flowing) in her new doo. Move over Farrah.

Besides the exciting news of Brownie….we also went to a baseball game this weekend. I took my camera.

We sat in right field.

We had a good spot with a view of my favorite player.

Josh Hamilton made some amazing plays, which I mostly saw. Not so sure about these two (my daughter and her boyfriend).

Rangers win!

Does anyone else just loooove when they congratulate the other team? I get a little verklempt. Does that make me soft? Of course, that was little league. But I digress.

And then there were fireworks.

I really wanted to “try” to get a few pics. Night shots really need a tripod, and definitely a chair in-between the photographer and a bouncing leg in tune to the one-hit wonders playing with the show. I moved one chair over – no offense Jason – and it helped.

These were my favorite.

Love the spirals.

I only wish the little girls would have been with us (we did ask), but it wasn’t our weekend. They would have LOVED the fireworks set to music. The ballpark is absolutely the best place to watch them. I missed them a lot, because this was part of my birthday celebration. It was amazing and great, but just not the same as having their shining faces there too. And… I had no one to steal cotton candy from. Heh!

Jason does get the girls tonight until 7pm, I can’t wait til they “meet” the new Brownie Poo…who has a new doo.

Wonder if they will be as surprised as we were.

H-A-P-P-Y Spells Weekend

On August 23, 2010August 23, 2010 By AngeliaIn A Puppy Named Brownie, Beautiful Life, In the lives of children18 Comments

It started with my new-found passion – photography – on Saturday morning. I was lucky enough to have the joy of a one-year old DOLL as my latest participant. The best part was the hugs I got to steal. Then, showing him how to car dance while we drove behind his mom to the park. He got a kick out of that. There is nothing as enchanting as a child’s belly laugh. It’s really hard to capture a roving toddler (almost like puppies), they move and turn so quickly. I really felt I wasn’t getting any good shots, but when I got them on the computer, I was surprised. His blue his eyes turned out stunning and I ended up with about forty favorites. Here a are a few.

My second venture was to the mall – on tax-free weekend (ahhh!). I wanted to take advantage and buy the girls their flower girl dresses. Yes, they actually got to take them home. Not to mention we got the hair wreaths, hose, and shoes to match. *Today I found matching flower girl baskets for $5 a piece at Party City – squee.*

Then since the day wasn’t over……Jason took us car shopping. Yes! I know, the dreaded car shopping. Except it wasn’t that dreadful for me. I knew what I wanted. I had to get a car since Sydney will be taking my car as soon as she gets her license. She is ready. She is driving unbelievably well and can parallel park like a champ. However, our quest to the DPS didn’t pan out. Too many last-minute rushes to get their license before school and not enough DPS officers available to give road driving tests (required in Texas now). I was in TEARS. We worked soooo hard the last few weeks. Driving and parallel parking EVERY SINGLE DAY. It just killed me that she didn’t even get a chance. But, we will get try again Wednesday! In the meantime we went car shopping for me to cheer me up. Yay!

I had it narrowed down to these two. A black Toyota Prius. A gray Toyota Venza. The whole famdamily test drove these babies. We had to make sure we all fit. We did. Yes, even in the Toyota cracker car Prius. It’s actually pretty big and has a very cool dashboard. The girls LOVED car shopping. They especially loved the Scion in the showroom. It became their personal play car. They only got out of it to test drive with us. Seriously, I asked if they’d throw this sucker in with our car deal for the backyard. Heh! 🙂

After, much indecision on my part, because honestly? My practical side wanted to go with the Prius. Fifty miles to the gallon is a lot of trips home to see mom with very little cost. Gas will rise again to four dollars or more. Do I plan for the future? It’s the number one selling car that Toyota has. Obviously some people are planning. The Venza was luxury. The Venza was smooth and sleek and lush. It fit the family better, roomier; length and width. It wasn’t just good for me, but would be a good car for long family road trips as well. The cost was the same and it was more car for the money, but less savings for gas. Although, it does get very good gas mileage.

I chose…..

The Toyota Venza and it felt good to make a decision for the family. It had FIVE MILES on it when we test drove it. Bigger than what I am used to do, but I love it! Jason financed for me, I’ll make the payments. It bothers me not at all that my name isn’t on it. In fact, I am very proud of myself for being dependent on him. The old me would have tore myself to pieces for NOT taking care of myself, by myself. It takes a lot to let go of that need (fear). Letting someone else take care of me? Well – it feels pretty darn good.

Now, for all you techy geeks like me. Check this out.

A USB plug-in for your iPhone/iPod down in the console.

It then comes up to stand that holds your phone upright.

You close the middle and it’s all hidden. Coolest thing ever. It plays all your music and has blue tooth (call by voice command) in the car. Completely hands-free, you just talk over the speakers of the car. It is VERY swift. I am still trying to figure it all out.

I drove all over the place since I got it. I put 100 miles on the car in ONE day. HA.

Finally, for all you puppy fans. I walked into the living room to see this. My black lab Salem (almost 9yrs old) being used as stool. Of course, I grabbed my camera. What a trooper she is. She wasn’t around little kids most of her doggy life and she takes it in stride. Labs are the best. Love her face on the last shot (ha).

Sunday photo shoot with my Shih-Tzu. I got Brownie a new bow at the same dress shop where I got the girls dresses. Isn’t she stinkin’ CUTE??

Four months old. At least seven pounds already. She is the fattest, fluffiest, most cuddliest pup. I just adore her.

So there you have it, a BIG weekend. A NEW CAR! Enchantment and cuddly fun. What a perfect way to kick off my 39th birthday today.

H-A-P-P-Y that spells any weekend, but especially this one.

Wordless(ful) Wednesday Puppies: Fierce and Fluffy

On August 11, 2010 By AngeliaIn A Puppy Named Brownie, Wordless Wednesday34 Comments

Because you know I can’t get enough of puppies. I wanted to share my mom’s newest addition to her animal hoarding.

Meet Tiny Rose. A chihuahua puppy.

I’m pretty sure she was smaller than my hand. Eight weeks old, maybe half a pound.

Of course, My little ~~monster~~ puppy Brownie is now three and half months old. She weighs six and half pounds already.

I finally figured out who she looks like.

Image by Google

A Puppy Named Brownie

On July 5, 2010 By AngeliaIn A Puppy Named Brownie, In the lives of children, What's one more?28 Comments

At Christmas, all Molly would ask Santa for, was a puppy. “A REAL ONE”, she would say. You see Grandma B (my mom) came to visit at Thanksgiving and she had four puppies with her. A Shih-tzu named Fred, two Papillions, named Buddy and Chevy, and Lola – a Yorkie. The girls fell hard for the “puppies”, but most especially for Fred, the Shih-tzu.

Molly and Fred – November 2009

I fell a little hard for Fred myself. He would just cuddle in your arms. He wasn’t too small, nor too big. He was fluffy and soft – and happy. What a great dog! I’m not a small dog fan. I have two big dogs for a reason, but this guy….oh my! He stole the show. I can see why the girls loved Fred and missed him when he went home, which led to Christmas, and birthday present requests for a puppy – a small one (insert sound of breaking heart).

It even went as far as, if they ever got a puppy, they would name it Brownie (if it was brown). I think I helped with that. Original and hungry – that’s me. Then one, or the other of the girls started “playing” Brownie. They would be a puppy named Brownie for about half an hour. We would go through the house calling for Brownie. Feeding Brownie. Making Brownie catch, fetch, and do tricks. It was cute, but an impossible dream, right?

We have two big dogs, a move coming up, a student in the Masters program, a teenager, and a wedding. A puppy? We just couldn’t do it. A cat….maybe…a little kitty – that was possible. But then you had the furniture being scratched up, the kids arms, hands, and fingers. The big dogs doing what nature tells them to – CHASE. I could see the scenes playing out; a big fiasco.

Then again, petting a kitty, and holding it on my lap – which I can’t do with the big dogs – seemed really nice. I got to thinking maybe a small dog would be more like a cat. Maybe it wouldn’t be too bad. No scratches, and when it chews fingers, it’s handed a toy. An outside potty that you don’t have to scoop (sorta). Hours of entertainment…..

Jason, however, is not a small dog fan. Obviously we had to convince HIM we needed a Fred. So, I tried the cat angle and convinced him how perfect it would be. It’s NOT a small yappy dog – it’s a CAT, really…. Somehow that sounded better than, let’s have THREE dogs. HA.

He finally agreed, but finding the time to find a mystery puppy wasn’t easy. The pound rarely had Shih-tzus. The ones I saw on Craigslist were too expensive. My mom didn’t know any Shih-tzu breeders. No time. No source. It would happen when it happened. Which could be years, until passing Petland on Friday night, I begged him to stop. They had a Shih-tzu puppy, a little boy – which we didn’t want since our house is 99.9% girls. But he WAS adorable and expensive! I told him the next morning I would look, just look, on Craigslist one more time.

And there she was under the title SHIH-TZU BABY. The last of the litter, ten week old Female. Oddly enough she was colored just like one of my earlier cats named Sugar (coincidence?); a tortoise calico. I looked at others but kept coming back to her. She just felt right. There was a young girl holding her and I could tell she would be okay with that. I told Jason why don’t I just call….and ask…….she might be gone already?

She wasn’t.

Not only that, but the parents were both pets bred on site. She was not a puppy mill dog. The family had three young children in which she had been picked up and handled since birth. How perfect.

I’ve come to realize that sometimes, the right times are at the wrong times. It’s all about perspective and that calling you get inside. The girls are at Jason’s for the month of July. What better time to bond with a new baby? So Brownie….became a REAL dog.

Brownie her first look at the new backyard.