Professor is Three

Professor, nee Professor James Hidalgo Moriarty, turned 3 years old last weekend. He got to share some home made doggy carrot cake with his best friend, Ruby. I never imagined I would be a mom to such a big dog, but apparently, there are bigger plans out there for me. I can't believe my little puppy is 21 years old in human years. We have come a long way together since puppy hood.  There are a lot of things I would do differently as a dog mom, the second time around, but overall, things have really improved. Here is some info about Professor I know you would not want to miss:

Weight:

60 lbs- 65 lbs

Length:

I have tried to measure him while he is stretched out and sleeping, but he always sees me and curls up into a ball.  

Eating Habits:

4 cups of Royal Canin divided into 2 servings each day. He drinks a lot of water, just like his mama. 

Favorite Foods:

Professor has tried apples, bananas, lettuce, carrots, peanut butter, bacon, cheese, and chicken. I don't feed him people food much, and I try to give him all natural treats or little bits of cheese and chicken. He is destined to be a "meat and potatoes" boy, because he pretty much picks around the fruit and veggies and goes for the good stuff.  Cheese is his absolute favorite.

Sleeping:

Professor is a good sleeper. He used to sleep in his kennel each night, but he is now calm enough to be able to sleep in my room with me. He went through a phase where he would get up at 7 am on the dot every morning, but we have broken that habit for a while. He also went through a phase where he would wake up at 3 am and be ready for the day to begin. Yes, I have walked him at 3 am. And even 2 am and 4 am. Yes, I called my vet to ask her for advice, and she so graciously listened to me and even gave me her email address and told me to contact her anytime. To a frantic puppy mom, that meant so much.

Favorite activities:

Going on long walks, running the field, chasing squirrels, cats, and rabbits, playing with his toys (aka tearing up his toys), having his head scratched and belly rubbed, and getting big hugs.

Tricks and Commands:

Professor can sit, stay (when he chooses to), shake, lay down, sit up (from the laying position), and catch a treat in his mouth (when I throw it to him). I was really into teaching things to him when he was younger, but we have slacked off in this department.

Loves:

Being near people and being nosy. He thinks it's all about him.

Dislikes:

Cats, squirrels, rabbits.  I can't tell if he wants to play with them or eat them, but he gets very agitated whenever he sees any of the above.

Biggest accomplishment to date:

Graduating from Pet Smart's puppy class. They probably let everyone graduate, but lets just say he had to go to time out more than once, and was even asked to sit next to the teacher due to misbehaving. He was a little bit rambunctious as a puppy.

Best Quality:

His hair. And his smile.

Here are some pictures in no particular order:

1st beach trip to South Padre. I don't really remember him being that small. He seriously grew so fast. 

After his first stitches (his ear got bit at daycare).

At puppy class.

Posing with Ruby.

Being so sweet and sitting so still. 

Just hanging out with Ruby.

Ruby's birthday party last month.

Professor's birthday cake (I forgot to buy a candle, but no one noticed).

Thanksgiving 2014 in Lake Charles. Being loved on by everyone. 

Being sweet again.

 Everyone should get a puppy dog just like Professor. Although he has made me more of a homebody, he is a great companion and brings plenty of joy to me each day. 

Oh Hey, January

I have been told recently that as we get older, time appears to pass by quicker. I'm beginning to think this sentiment is very true. First of all...

• January is cold. For those of you that don't believe Texas is cold, it is. I live in North Texas. Sometimes it feels like I live in North Dakota. Yes, I have been to North Dakota. It is absolutely frigid there. I have been so thankful we have had no ice yet this winter. I'm waiting for you, Spring. My tank tops are ready and my toes are painted.

• I tried a new class at the gym called Grit Plyo aka push yourself until you feel like hurling. My favorite kinds of classes.  It is also my favorite when I workout next to a man that appears to be 75 years old, and he is keeping up better than I am. And he turns to me afterwards and says "We did it!" Grit Plyo is a high intensity interval class, and I fully intend to go back. (Btw, the Les Mills classes are totally the bomb. I've been a fan for the last 3+ years.) 

• Last Tuesday, the Dallas/Ft. Worth area experienced a multitude of earthquakes. I felt two of them. One was around 3:10pm-3:12pm. I think it lasted a few seconds. I was actually laying down on my couch half asleep, and I woke up to my house shaking and saw Professor on his feet losing his balance. I was SO confused for a few moments. Professor then ran upstairs to hide, so I knew something was up. The second one occured that evening around the 8pm hour. The water in my glass began quivering and I felt like I was in Jurassic Park. I hope that was the last of our earthquakes for a while. 

• Yung and I went to Fort Worth last weekend.  We picked the coldest and rainiest day to venture one hour west. Our first stop was the Water Gardens. Some of the fountains were frozen over, so I don't think we got the full effect of the gardens. My favorite part of the afternoon was sitting in front of the fire place at the Omni, and relaxing for a few minutes before we walked around in the rain downtown. We had an early dinner at Bird Cafe, which is somewhat of a tapas style restaurant, and tried several unique dishes. Our favorite was the shrimp & grits with a jalapeno gravy.  Our activity for the evening consisted of attending a show at Four Day Weekend comedy theater. It featured a comedy group (6-8 men) performing different improv acts. They collected suggestions from the audience, and it is similar to Who's Line is it Anyway? As someone who is terrible at thinking on her feet, I admire those who can conjure monologues on the spot while simultaneously rhyming and being funny. Afterwards, we may or may not have gotten a second dinner at the Cheesecake Factory (get the tiramisu cheesecake, ya'll!!). And we may or may not have gone to The Golden Corral for dinner the next night. It was my very first time there, and I enjoyed everything I tried. I mean, where else can you get cotton candy, pizza, salad, and chocolate fondue all in one place? Win win win for all. 

I realize I did not get the memo about eating clean and starting on a fresh new diet for the new year, but at least I have joined the crowds and made it to the gym most days. It's a start. Gotta work for the king cake :) 

New Year Musings

Happy New Year, everyone! I have been reflecting on all the events that have happened over the course of 2014, and it really has been an incredible year. I am most proud of finishing my masters, passing boards, starting a new job, and leaving Professor to take a couple of trips. Yes, I am very attached to my dog, and I would rather sit in my living room with him each night than do anything else. Just kidding...but not really.

I have decided not to make any new years resolutions this year, but rather vow to slow down and truly live in the moment. I have somehow adopted a busy life style of list making and accomplishing task after task. I blame it on the past 3 years of my life. Life changes + new-dog-when-I'm-not-really-a-dog-person + grad school + work = Connie turns Type A. I am, however, working on a 30 before 30 list. It is filled with mostly fun (some practical) things that I hope to fulfill in the next 2 years.

I would also like to document and share more. Yung and I collectively take many photos, but only a small snippet is documented online. I often forget about the rest. We have been trying to organize our photos into books, though, which helps, and they are a lot of fun to look back on.

Pictures! Here we are showing off our "Ugly Sweater" gear. I'm loving tacky sweaters, and hope to one day own enough to wear them every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas. So far I have 3. One that I've inherited from my mother (so it's truly vintage) and 2 more that I have purchased. We had a lot of fun working on Yung's cool light up sweater. It was very easy. Sweat shirt from Walmart, battery pack lights from Lowes, safety pins, ornaments, and he was good to go! Maybe next year, we'll even put lights on his pants! I'm sure he'll be very excited about that. 

We had a silly moment at Yung's company Christmas Party. It was my first time at a corporate Christmas bash, and I definitely felt pampered. Yummy food, uplifting speeches, fun giveaways, and lots of dancing. 

Last but not least, our Christmas card photo for 2014. This photo was taken by my very talented friend, Heather. We got lucky. Sweet Professor doesn't stay still very long, but somehow Heather got a good shot. I think his life goal should be to become a therapy dog. What do ya'll think? Yes, I make goals...even for my pet. 

Happy 2015. Here's to a year of happiness, healthy decisions, and being brave. And love and peace and maybe some list making too.

Love,

Connie