Time Out!

Are we the only pet owners that uses the time out method for pet? I hope not! Yes, we have time out in this household. No matter the young age or the old age, caught misbehaving and do some time in the time out area. Cody spent a considerable amount of time in the time out area today.

I have no clue what took place between the brothers but all of a sudden a fight erupted. Perhaps they were fighting over the best spot in the house? Which in their opinion is closest to the space heater right now. The brawl nearly took out the Christmas tree. Two ornaments went flying in opposite directions as I scrambled to separate the boys. Meanwhile Piper scrambled to the next county, putting loads of distance between herself and her squabbling brothers. I quickly realized it was Cody that was the instigator. He's always the instigator. We call him the "gator" for short!

Cody was promptly shown the way to the time out zone. Simon went back to sleeping which is what he was doing before being attacked by a pug-gator. As for Piper, what did she do? Well look at the pic below....she went to stand near the door to the time out zone. Patiently waiting for her misbehaving brother to be released from captivity. Curiosity of a cat? Or curiosity of a little sister? She was all up in Cody's face as soon as I released him. Likely asking him how it was on the "inside"! LOL!

Fur Babies Christmas Pics!

 Piper playing with her new snowman Christmas morning. Cody is so curious, but is politely being blocked by Brad. No tearing up Piper's new toy please Cody-man!

 Piper sporting a new look...wrapping paper!

 Piper watching her brothers as she sits under the tree. Clearly the cutest gift we had under our tree this year.

 Santa Simon stopped by! I truly believe Simon is so tolerate of me dressing him up so much because he believes he'll be presented with a treat. That rarely happens but I hope he never loses hope that a special treat will be given after a wardrobe change. LOL!

Photo-bombing?

 

 

 

Brad had to show Piper a few ornaments on the tree. I had to sit and record the moment. The moment should have been longer had he not objected to me recording everything. He's funny, he tells me to stop photo-bombing him. Wait, honey, do you know what photo-bombing is? I don't think so! LOL!

 

Quick Snap: Top Notch Gift

 

This year both Cody and Piper got wrapped up. Okay, actually Cody only got wrapped with a bow. He got "bowed up". He endured being "bowed up" twice. Lucky him.

 

I usually don't mess with bows. If you receive a gift from us with a bow on it, you can either consider yourself extremely lucky(we like you extra! lol!), or my husband was keeping me company while I wrapped and he placed a bow on it. Well one night last week while wrapping gifts sweet little Cody came in to lay down next to me. He is the most likely to keep me company no matter what I'm doing. He's never far from me. While he slept I decided to "decorate" him. He woke up a little while after being decorated.

 

The pic above however, you can see he's completely awake. He knew and he didn't mind being decorated with a bow I took off of one of my gifts after opening it. Aww, he's so cute wrapped in red! He's a top notch gift, for sure!

Christmas Decorating!

Much like many other people around the world we recently put up our tree. It was actually Cody's bday when we decorated. I had all the extra stuff set up before Brad got home so it was only the tree we worked on together. Which is typically how we work things. So the stockings were hung before the tree was up. Perhaps slightly odd but who said we were normal in this house?

Our fur babies I believe get into the holidays almost as much as real kids do. Simon is likely the most excited. But his little sister is close behind him with her excitement level. All 3 carefully checked all Christmas storage boxes over as soon as they entered the house. Once it comes time to decorate Cody loves standing in the way when you are trying to put lights on the tree. Simon loves looking in the storage boxes filled with decorations, even raising himself up to peer in at the ornaments. Piper, well, she's a trip. She's fascinated by the tree and wants to climb it.

Here's some pics of little Simon "helping" his daddy put the tree up. Perhaps, he was taking good notes so he can take the tree down in a couple weeks. LOL!

 Brad had to first move Piper to a better area as she was crawling all over the tree.

 This duo discussing how the tree should be put together.

 That's the look of a pug that is unsure his daddy is doing it right.

 Our helpful cutie took time to look in my direction!

 Sometimes when watching a tree be put together your chin gets heavy and you must rest it on the box, while your little sister inspects the leftover stuff in the box.

You've Been Schooled

There are rules in this house. There is a certain acceptable way to act and an unacceptable way to act. Now I would say most of the time I'm the disciplinarian. I remember scaring my nephew once when I was actually reprimanding Simon. I turned around to see Simon breaking a house rule, when I yelled at Simon my poor nephew nearly came out of his seat as well. Let me tell you though, I didn't even finish my sentence before Simon quickly corrected his bad behavior. Yep, they've been schooled!

Well every once in awhile class is in session and it's not me that is the teacher, it's Cody-man. Cody has rules for his siblings that need to be followed. If you are caught not following Cody's rules....good luck! He's going to growl at you maybe even chase after you. Yes, he chases his misbehaving siblings even at his advanced age. One HUGE rule in Cody's book of rules is to not touch "new" toys until he has deemed them no longer "new". Well, class was in session for Piper the other day.

Cody's birthday toys have not passed their introductory phase, they are still very much "new" to him, His little cat sister snuck up on one of his "new" toys and when she did he was fast to run over to her. His chest was puffed up, he was standing at attention, showing his intimidating side. He was like a rooster getting ready to crow. She backed up as soon as he stood in front of her with his intimidating demeanor. He began to growl at which point she backed up further. He didn't want to play with the toy he simply wanted her away from it. He stood guarding the toy. She sat back a little ways from him, staring in his direction. He stared back. It then became a stare down. Who was going to make the next move? After a few minutes she became brave enough to approach him. He growled, she retreated. Again she made an attempt, this time it was a more bold attempt. She was speeding toward him, he lunged at her with a growl coming deep from his throat, she diverted her aim speeding off to the side as he scoffed in her direction. Likely thinking to himself, 'don't mess with me, I'm bigger, older, and a whole lot grumpier'.

During this entire schooling session we turned the TV down and watched the scenario play out. LOL! Simon casually glanced at the scenes unfolding in front of all of us. He was happy and content staying out of it. Likely thinking, 'been there, done that'. Yes, he's challenged Cody a time or two as well. As the years have progressed though Cody's dominance over the toys has won out. Simon gives in almost every time. There's a few times when Simon won't back down. Well Pipe, consider yourself schooled by your big brother! No one messes with Cody's "new" toys! No one!

Our Anniversary!

On this day 3 years ago....yes it's been 3 years....I walked down the aisle to this awesome man!
There's not a day that goes by where I don't feel blessed to have found him. So proud to be his wife!

Happy Anniversary honey!

Quick Snap Sunday: Hey, Who Are You?

Hey, Who Are You?

 

When I got out our Christmas stuff last week I could hardly wait to get this stuffed dog out. I actually purchased it a couple years ago when Piper was only 2 months old. She was freaked out by it then too. This year I sat the stuffed dog down next to her, which made her go flying out of the room. LOL!

 

This morning I placed the dog in the middle of the room then pushed its music button on its paw. Piper intently watched the stuffed dog as it serenaded her. Meanwhile her brothers wondered if she knew the dog is just a stuffed dog and is not REAL. Who knows what she thinks the stuffed dog is? Most likely she believes it to be seriously annoying as it's very loud and she has sensitive ears.

 

A lot of cats are "stalkers", they stalk things they are unsure about. Piper, however, is an observer. She observes things from a safe distance then decides to proceed or split. Ninety percent of the time her choice is to peal out and head in the opposite direction.

Cody's Birthday Pics

 

Long overdue, I know! What can I say?...life gets busy! It's December, so life gets crazy busy! Here's a few of Cody's birthday. I tried to capture a timeline of events this time around.

 

First Cody cornered his gift.

Then he started tearing at it.

 Took him a minute or two to have some success!

 Sweet success! The reindeer is free!

 Simon says: "Is it my turn to open something yet?"

 He's off and running!

 Well this was a first....he was ready to start gnawing on the new rawhide through the wrapper. Crazy kid!

 Cody interceded and began checking over the new kind of rawhide candy cane. Meanwhile Simon is still licking his chops! LOL!

 

Happy 14th Birthday Cody! We love you! Your mommie loves you very much and is very proud to be your mommie! You're a good boy!

Quicksnap Sunday(on Monday): Santa Cody!

Santa Cody

 

 

In the words of Cody:  Look how I get treated on my birthday! I'm dressed up like a pug version of Santa Claus! Come on people! Is this how a 14-year-old pug as distinguished as I am should get treated? I think not! Someone roll out the red carpet...figuratively and literally, please!

 

Show me the toys then the cake!

A Conversation With Cody!

Me:  Hey Cody-man, do you know what is fast approaching?

Cody:  Christmas?

Me:  Yes, Christmas is coming but what always falls before Christmas? Perhaps it's something that majorly pertains to little you....

Cody:  My birthday! Simon reminded me the other day. I think it was the day my ears nearly blew off my head when you opened the door to the balcony and that icy harsh wind greeted me. And it wasn't a pleasant greeting. I growled!

Me:  Well, big man, we will mark the occasion of your 14th birthday this coming Monday. So get ready for some serious partying.

Cody:  Are you going to make me dance?

Me:  Of course, what's a pug birthday without making you shake it!

Cody:  I want toys!

Me:  I know, I know! You always want new toys. When I take you and your brother to Petsmart, you are trying to get to the toys while he is trying to find the aisles with rawhides. You two are quite the pair!

Cody:  He's crazy...toys are where its at! They are the true delight in life! They squeak and are colorful. A rawhide takes me so long to finish I get bored and irritated. Then daddy laughs at me because I start growling out my rawhide.

Me:  Well you have to admit not many dogs growl at their rawhides. You have given us many laughs over the years. Remember the time you were playing with a toy it flew out of your mouth, daddy was standing nearby and caught it. Or how about the time you decided to come get me when Piper got stuck in the spare bedroom. You were being a good big brother to let me know. You are my happy-go-lucky little puggie especially when you're warm! Right?

Cody:  I hate the cold. I'm not afraid to say it. I'm not afraid to beg to move to Florida either.

Me: Yes, we know! But give up the Florida thing unless the Dallas Cowboys become the Orlando Cowboys. That's about the only way that's happening little dude! So what about a cake? Are you looking forward to birthday cake?

Cody: Oh yes, cake and toys! I'm set! How many days do I have to wait?

Me: Monday is the big day big man!

Cody: Any chance I can get my cake early? I'm not asking for me, I'm asking for Simon.

Me: I don't believe that! But the answer is no! Your big day is Monday!

Cody: Something to look forward to....next week will be a good week filled with new toys and cake! Congrats to me!

Me: Yes, congrats to you...you're about to accomplish 14!

A Pug Wishlist!

This pizza bed is currently occupying the top spot on the pugs wish list! LOL! Although they'd settle for REAL pizza!

Quick Snap Sunday: Early Morning Leash Up!

This is a typical early Sunday morning in this Vaughn household. I go into get the trio up for the day and the only one that's fully awake and bouncing around is Piper. Simon is practically asleep while I leash him up for the morning walk. As for Cody, his body language says it all. He has his back to me, looking to bolt across the room to delay the trip outside.

Simon absolutely cracks me up on Sunday mornings. He is so tired for some reason. He reminds me of a bobble head doll, as his head bounces around as he struggles to wake up fully. In the first pic above, Cody was glancing at me to see if I'd given up taking pics yet.

They were very good little models this morning, as they unknowingly were showing off their Christmas spirit. Good boys! I love these sweaters on them. Snowmen and penguins...I'm a big fan of both.  But of course I'm the biggest fan of the little puggies in the sweaters.

Quick Snap Sunday: Snuggling Together!

 

 

Snuggling Together!

 

Of course, I couldn't resist featuring this pic. Little Piper climbed in next to her big brother. Likely in an effort to help keep warm. As you can tell, Simon is completely cool about it. 

 

I know she loves both of them but Simon might be her overall fave, by just a whisker! I truly don't believe she has a "real" favorite. However, she does certainly understand the limits with both. Cody would never let her curl up next to him in the same bed. He likes to pull rank on both siblings! He's well aware he's the oldest and rubs it in their faces! 

 

Here's the most interesting fact, Cody won't share a bed unless it's his idea to share a bed. Cody will choose to share a bed with Simon just as Piper is in this pic. But no one enters his space without written consent!

 

Here's the second most interesting fact, both siblings want to snuggle with Simmie. Perhaps there's something incredibly appealing about Simmie. Everyone wants a little Simmie time! LOL!

Good Morning Winter!

Has winter arrived? Did Autumn already make it's exit? If only I had a video camera on Cody this morning. Oh man, his expression was priceless! Then again taking video of the moment this morning then uploading it for all to see may have been considered borderline fur baby abuse.

I went over to the balcony door to check to see how cold it was. We knew the temps were going to drop dramatically overnight. Cody was of course right at my side when I walked over to the balcony door, as I opened the door the biggest gust of ice cold wind blasted into our home. I looked down immediately at Cody. His ears were standing straight up as the wind lifted them and he had this look on his face of utter disgust and confusion. His little brain was probably thinking, "what happened?...I went to bed and it was nice out and now this....THIS!". Next I struggled to overpower the wind to close the door all the way. He looked relieved once the door was shut. But next up for him was to get dressed to go out in it. He moaned and groaned, then tried to take Simon's head off. Brad came out of the bedroom to see what all the commotion was. He looked at me and asked, "Grumpy winter Cody has arrived?". I said, "Yes, the strong winds outside blew him in".

Cody is a trip. His moods are so highly affected by weather. Simon just moves along through life dealing with any weather. Cody will be grumbling from now until April. I must say though the boys look extra cute in their winter duds! Cute little jackets with hoods. Never thought I'd be out purchasing hooded jackets for dogs, but yep that has happened yearly now.

Quick Snap Sunday(on Monday): Let's Ride!

 

 

Why on earth my husband decided to bring this old Gatorade cooler on wheels into our home is beyond me. Okay so he thought it would help us move something, that was his mission. It didn't help much.

It did however, give Simon and I a fun thrill. At first I tried putting Cody in the lovely Gatorade "wagon".  He wasn't having it! No thanks was his very curt response! Well folks, that's exactly why we have 2 pugs, what one refuses to do the other one will likely do. Woo-hoo!

So on the top of the Gatorade wagon cooler I placed my Simmie. He's too much of a daredevil, I quickly deemed that to be too unsafe for him. Instead, I popped open the top and placed him inside. I then drove him around(it has a handle like a kid's little red wagon). There we were, me pulling him around and him riding. It was like a very short and rather small Simon parade! The onlookers were his siblings. The same two that were not brave enough to go for a ride. Oh how I love a Simon....he'll do anything! And not only will he do anything, he'll even let me snap a photo of the moment!

Work It Out Puggie!

 

Point me to the gym! And grab my weights for me!

Pugs Play Tennis Too!

 

Tennis anyone? I got skills! Serious skills. I'm Aussie Open bound!

Let's Do Laundry!

Oh geesh, our dryer decided to burn up on Halloween. Yep, back on Halloween. That was a fun night. I put the clothes in the dryer, about 10 minutes later I heard the dryer shut off. I went to check it since it shouldn't have been done. I opened the door and out comes a few puffs of smoke. Needless to say the dryer was a done deal. It was a bit comical as we had an entire oversized load of laundry hanging up everywhere Halloween night. It seemed like everywhere you glanced there was an article of clothing hanging up.

After a few days we decided to go look in person versus online only. We looked around but they didn't have the set we wanted. The next day it was back to square one. This time though Brad brought up an interesting point....height! He mentioned all the ones we looked at seemed taller than our current set. How was I going to get laundry in and out of the washer, since I'm such a shorty? Furthermore, his concern was how I was going to do laundry when I'm pregnant. Perhaps, he was having trouble picturing me climbing all over the place while pregnant. So we returned to the store this time we tested all the ones we were interested in. Tested them to see if I could reach down to touch the bottom inside the washer. Trust me, Brad had a few great laughs watching me attempt this feat with at least 2 of the washers at the store.

We finally found the right set for us. One that will work even with my short stature. It was supposed to be delivered today. However, someway/somehow we got pushed back to tomorrow. Fingers-crossed it's actually delivered tomorrow. I was able to use the washer a couple times since the dryer signed off. Had things hanging all over, like we suddenly lived in Italy. But this past Sunday Brad had a friend that wanted the washer. So that means, I haven't done laundry all week. Therefore, a laundry marathon is going on this weekend for me.

Quick Snap Sunday: Piper in the Piper Bag!

 

Piper in the Piper Bag!

 

After being given this bag last night containing a late birthday gift I couldn't resist capturing a pic of Piper in the Pipe bag. Doesn't it look like her a bit? Look at the markings on the cheek. And the little white bib in front. Yep, this kitty on the bag is Piper's twin! LOL!

 

She was a good sport posing inside the bag. Then again she is a cat, it's not hard convincing a cat to get inside a bag. They love bags, ribbons, tissue paper. Much to my dismay even wrapping paper. The wrapping paper had to be moved when Piper first came along because she couldn't control herself around it.

 

At Christmastime if wrapping a gift down on the floor, beware, Piper is likely to pounce right in the middle of the paper. Never fails just as I roll out the paper then prepare to set the present to be wrapped in the middle of it, here pounces Pipey. In this house Piper is head CEO of anything gift wrapping or gift bag associated!  

Oh No!

Something I can no longer say has never happened to me, has happened. There was a "first" that occurred today for myself and the pugs. Yes, the pugs were present for this monumental "event" too. It was a "first" for them too. The three of us got stuck in the elevator. Living in a mid-rise apartment complex like we do I have often wondered if we could get by without ever getting stuck in the elevator. Well never mind, it's happened.

There I was getting on the elevator with both boys in tow. I pushed the button to go down to the first floor. I estimate we were between floor 3 and 2 when the power went out and a sudden drop occurred. There I stood in a pitch black elevator. Couldn't see my hand in front of my face and I certainly could not see the pugs. I heard them make noises, I quickly sat down on the floor of the elevator then took each little pug face in my hands as I tried to determine which pug was which. Thank goodness for Cody's long tongue. It wasn't long before Cody was hitting the panic button. He was loudly hitting the panic button, might I add. The power came back briefly then cut out again. Once the power came back on and stayed on the elevator didn't start up, I had to use the emergency call button on the elevator door panel. We were soon freed from the elevator, being greeted by numerous people and emergency workers that had apparently gathered around the elevator on the first floor. It was slightly embarrassing as I walked out of the elevator with a panic stricken Cody. Oh good times!

Trust me folks, it was anything but a delight being stuck in the elevator with Cody. The poor thing! He doesn't handle emergencies well! Simon seemed quite calm. I certainly would have preferred for that "first" to have happened when I was alone and not with the boys. Getting Cody back on the elevator late tonight for the last walk of the day will be a true trick! I might have to lure him with peanut butter.

 

So Majestic!

Oddly enough we have a version of this in our home. Cody likely thought this way about Simon when Simmie first came on the scene. Now Simon tends to think this way about little Piper.

She's currently enrolled in the Simon Says Bootcamp! LOL! Oh yes, our little sweet kitty-pug! Came across this online and couldn't resist sharing it!

Quick Snap Sunday: More Halloween Pics

A short series of photos for Quick Snap Sunday! The "leftover" pics from yesterday! Fun times! Remember you can click on each pic to expand them!

 

 Oh my gosh....I love this pic. The look on Simon's face as Piper leans in for a kiss, cracks me up. Freak out mode! I think at that very moment he is once again questioning why this little sister "thing" suddenly arrived in his life. I've tried hard to capture this moment, it occurs somewhat frequently. I finally caught it in action, a bit blurry but what do you expect as both pets are in motion.

 Piper says, "Hey you look good as a dino." Cody says, "I know, I'm wearing this well. I'm the man...the Code-man!"

 Picture session is over, time for a snooze!

 

 Brad getting in on the Halloween action!

 

Happy Halloween!

 

 

Fur Babies In Costumes!

 

So what do we have this year? We have a cute giraffe Simmie, a piece of cheese Pipe, and a dino Code-man! They are an eclectic group! No unified theme!

 

Just picked what I thought was cute and represented each one well! Code's the old one of the group so he had to be the dino. Simmie thinks he's eight feet tall despite his small stature, so the giraffe fit him perfect. And Piper as cheese, come on folks, all cats love cheese!

 

A great big Happy Halloween from the 5 of us! Eat candy!!!

Ready For Some Monday Night Football!

We're ready for some Cardinal football! First Cardinals game we get to see here in Big D. I've been excited all day! We're all sporting some red! Let's go!

Quick Snap Sunday: A Decorated Piper!

A Decorated Piper!

 

Piper loves tissue paper as was evidence of last week's Quick Snap post. She is also a lover of ribbons and bows. This handy work of "decorating" the cat was courtesy of Brad. He had great fun putting the ribbon over her and around her then snapping her pic. She kept moving so we have quite a number of pics with a blurry decorated Piper.

 

I was surprised how long she kept the ribbons over and around her ears. She's a good sport. That's the thing about female cats though they like being told how "pretty" they are when you "dress/decorate" them with something. Oh isn't it fun having a little Piper! :)

Rainy Days

Yes, it's been raining a lot! Yes, it's supposed to continue for a few more days. Yes, we may be washed away(lol...wink-wink). Yes, Cody has done numerous cartwheels since the wet somewhat chilly weather arrived. 

Okay if you are buying into that last statement you don't know Cody or you aren't familiar with this blog. Cody HATES water and he HATES being cold. He already slipped me a note after this afternoon's walk that read, "Can we move to Florida?". Nope, sorry little puggie-wuggie. Texas is home, more specifically Dallas is home. And besides Brad could never leave the Cowboys behind.

Now my message for Cody...get ready big man! The colder temps are around the corner. Hopefully it won't get too cold too fast. A nice long Autumn would be great! 

Quick Snap Sunday: Tissue Paper Is Fun!

 

Tissue Paper Is Fun!

 

 

Piper: See my tissue paper my grandma from AZ sent me?

 

 

Simon: Yeah, I see it. Do you realize it's not the gift? Do you realize it's not edible? Furthermore do you realize she was my grandma long before she was yours too?

 

Piper: It's cool. It's colorful. I don't want to eat it.

 

Simon: Man, you sure are weird. You want to play with a thing that's not a toy and not edible. What's wrong with you?

 

Piper: Hey, don't be mean. Nothing is wrong with me, I'm normal. You are weird. Only motivated by food.

 

Simon: Umm, excuse me, you are my protégé. You are motivated by food too.

 

Piper: Motivated but not as dependent on it as you.

 

Simon: You'll learn that food is really the only thing that matters. I eat to live! Live to eat! I'd eat a lot more if I could.

 

Piper: Well thank goodness you never tried to eat me when I was a very small Pipe.

 

Simon: Oh please I have standards. Not a lot of standards when it comes to food. But I know what's edible and what's not edible. Like when mommie dropped oatmeal all over the floor. That was like sawdust. Or what about the mushrooms she commonly drops? No way! I've heard the word on the street is mushrooms make you hallucinate. Those things are not for me. Serve me up some Snausages and champagne instead!

 

Piper: Have I had champagne yet?

 

Simon: I doubt it, you need to be older to get it in this house. 

 

Piper: Well I just celebrated my birthday so maybe this New Year's?

 

Simon: Oh geez, you really are weird. You play with tissue paper like it's a real toy and you think at age 2 you'll get champagne. (rolls his eyes and walks off)

 

Piper(goes back to playing with her tissue paper)

 

 

Piper's Birthday Pics!

Yes, I know these pics are way OVERDUE! Piper celebrated her 2nd birthday 8 days ago, I'm just now getting around to looking through her bday pics. Some pics are a little out of focus, she's a quick mover! Lots of pics with Piper in them turn out blurry. We've learned to work with it!  Here are a few:

Looking over her card!

 A big time action shot, she's playing with the new toy her AZ grandma sent her.

 Still playing with the new toy!

 Now this is her muse(tissue paper). Give her some tissue paper and she's happy with it for days upon days. She likes the crinkly sound it makes. She likes hiding under it. And she likes moving it around.   

 Cake time! Tuna and hard boiled egg! Her two faves!

 Digging in big time!