Well since it was warm Saturday, Mom decided to try and give me a bath.  I hate baths!!!  She got me into the bathroom and told me to get into the shower and I suprised her, I walked in on my own.  I must have been dirty for me to want a bath.  I kept falling down as the shower floor is slick and I have a hrd time standing, so mom told me just to lay down and she would scrub me the best she could.  She ended uo having to hold my hind end up so she could rinse me.  Finally she was finished and tried to towel dry me they best she could, she yelled at dad and told him to let me out, and then she showered herself while cleaning the lab hair out of the shower.  She came out and there was water everywhere and I was laying in the middle of the livingroom.  Mom asked dad why I was still in the house, he said "I thought you said don't let her out"  Mom was not happy everything was wet from me shaking and rolling.  So mom let me out into the warm sunshine and started mopping and trying to dry things out.  Cricket was running around me like crazy.  She had never seen me act goofy.  It felt so good to be clean, so I was rolling around in the grass.  finally I had dried off rnought to kay on my bed.  I took a long nap.  Bathtimes are hard on old girls.

Well we are having typical Eastern Oregon March weather, one minute it is snowing the next the sun is shinning and the daffadils are trying to push up through the cold ground.  Two days ago Cricket and I were helping Mom pull up her lavender plant.  Well mom was pulling and cutting branches and putting them in a pile wheile Cricket and I took them out of the pile.  I stopped after a while, but Cricket continued to grab the lavender branches and take off with them, not making mom a happy camper,  She finally got it dug up and filled the hole in and raked the spot nice and level.  We went inside, and Cricket stayed outside.  Mom went in and took a shower as she was smelling quite heavy of lavender. As she stepped out of the shower, Cricket shows up in the bathroom dirty head to toe.  Mom knew she must have been digging and she did.  She dug 3 holes right where mom had just level off the spot were the lavender had been.  Oh mom was not very happy, then she notice something on the floor, it was a big night crawler, Cricket dug up a night crawler and had brought inside.  Mom was really not happy.  She yelled Cricket and of course the little turd shot outside and stayed just far enough away from mom, so she wouldn't be caught.  I tell you nothing that moves on the ground or in the ground will be safe from Cricket.  Mom said she knows we won't have a mole problem with Cricket anf I araound.  We may have hug holes in the yard, but no moles or gophers.

Well we had a quiet Easter.  The kids went camping on the coast in there new tent trailer.  Mom was sad as we always spend Easter with them.  Mom put Easter things on us and Cricket flipped out.  She had better get used to it as mom likes to do those things.  Cricket was playing outside. She came running into the house like a bat out of hell, which she does a lot of time jumps in dads lap.  Dad yelled what do you got on you.  She had the yellow liquid all over her side.  Mom looked at it and took a smell and it was urine.  What urine how did she get urine on her...the Easter Bunny???? No we are pretty sure it was the neighbors black lab Gunner.  Cricket really likes Gunner and they play through the fence.  Mom thinks Cricket was standing at the fence when Gunner decided to take a pee and got Cricket.  Of course Cricket got a bath...hehehe that will teach her to come in with some new peefume.  We got some blueberry cookies and a little slice of turkey for Easter.  Man I thought I had died and went to haven.

For Christmas we went to my human sisters house.  This was Crickets first big road trip and she did very well, better than I did.  I hyperventilated all most all the way over.  We had a nice Christmas.  Got lot's of present and goodies.  Cricket played with Hatcher the Boston Terrier and left me alone.  Cricket wouldn't open up her presents so I tore it open for here.  Actually I got tired of waiting for Bryce to finish passing out the presents and started opening one of his.  Of course I go in big trouble.  Man the kid was too slow and I wanted to open presents, it is the only time we can tear something up and get away with it.

The kids came home for Thanksgiving.  This was the first time they got to see Cricket.  She drove Hatcher the Boston Terrier nuts, better him than me.  We thought he was so high energy, hehehehe.  Was nice to have them here, but it sure was nice to get my couch back..I always have to give it up when we have company...don't get me wrong, they are always really to share the couch with me, it is I don't like to share it with anyone..I want it all to myself.  Here is a picture of all of us kids 4 legged and the two legged.

this is me...Hatcher..Bryce , the human kid and Cricket

BAD BAD DOG....BAD MOM.  Well Cricket chewed up something important.  She got ahold of moms Phone head set and chewed the soft ear cover off and the plug in wire in two.  Mom was not Happy.  Mom yelled Cricket and Cricket went running.  BAD MOM FOR LEAVING IT WHERE CRICKET COULD GET IT!!!! SHAME.. SHAME!!! Today the weather has changed big time, it is raining and the wind is blowing, so Miss Cricket does not want to go outside to pee.  Mom has been carrying her way out to the back of the yard.  Man a little rain isn't going to kill her what a whimp.  Man what is she going to do when the snow falls, which may not be to far off as it looks like and feels like it might snow today.  Mom has to work so Cricket will be kenneled up all afternoon, which gives me a big break.  I can lay anywhere without being jumped on, slapped in the face or my tail getting chewed on.  OOps the lights just blinked, we may have a power outage today.  Hope not or Cricket will feeze her hindend off.

Well not much has been happening.  Cricket has been pretty good, except when she pee'd on the carpet after mom spend all day shampooing carpets.  Mom was not happy at all with her.  It has been several months since she has had an accident in the house.  One more week and she will have her last shot and will be able to go out into public places.  Mom has been trying to leash train her.  The little stinker starts rolling when mom hooks the leash to her harness.  She rolls so fast she wraps the leash around her several times.  Mom thinks that with my help she may settle down a bit and walk with me and not fight the leash.  Mom has made her another coat as she grew out of the first one quite fast.  She hates the coat and will hardly move.  I bet when it gets to be the middle of the winter and 20F outside she will be glad to have a coat on.  Mom decided that she is going to put up the baby gate in the front door Halloween night.  Cricket gets really excited when someone knocks on the door or rings the door bell.  She is a lot like me, she has to vivit everyone.  At least she is small and can't knock anyone down, like I can. The bad thing with the baby gate up I won't be able to go out and stick my head into the kids goodie bags to see what they got.  Mom told dad that Cricket has become my ears.  If someone is at the door, Cricket runs towards the door and then I know someone is there too.  So far she isn't a big barker.  She only barks a little bit when wanting to play.  She does love to lay in Dads lap when he is home.  She also likes to go bye bye.  Mom had to work a couple of hours today and Cricket wanted to go.  Dad told mom she cried a little bit after she left and kept going to the door as Mom would come back and get her.  Mom just hopes she doesn't get seperation anxiety.  She is still in her crate if mom has to leave her at home as she is in to everything.  Tonight she grabbed dads sock just as he took it off and run off with it.  Mom caught and took it away from her.  I still go and steal my toys back then lay my big paws over them so Cricket can't have them.  After a while i get up and let her have them, but I have show her who is the boss around here!! ME!!

Well having a puppy around has cut into my computer time.  She is into everything.  The last few days she has been pushing moms patiences.   You think Labs are bad, you should see what a Rat Terrier/Chihualua mix is like.  She always has something in her mouth.  I am so glad I am deaf and can not hear NO CRICKET!! DROP IT!!!  which is repeated a lot and I know the has been some rather choice words at time, just the way moms facial expression changes. Everytime she is in trouble she comes running to me.  What does she think, I am going to safe her?? Don't think so..kid!!  Today I was laying by mom and dad at the kitchen table when mom and dad were having their cup of caffine.  Miss Cricket wanted to be held and was whinning.  Mom told her no!!  Well she was determined to get into mom's lap so she jumped on me and tried to jump into moms lab, but she smacked right into the table, so she sat on my whining.  Finally she right over and laid on her pillow.  She loves to play with the neighbors black lab puppy who is  just a little older than Cricket, but a whole lot bigger, through the fence.  At one point they were both trying to dig under the fence until mom caught them and put a couple of hugh rocks to keep them from digging there.  Cricket tried to move the rocks, but they weigh a lot more than she does.  Tuesday We both are going to see the vet.  Cricket gets her 3rd shots and I am going in to have my fat tumor checked out.  It has gotten bigger than a grapefruit.  She is so worried that if I have to have it removed I may not make it through the surgery, due to my age and liver problems, so she wants to talk to the vets about it. They didn't remove it as they didn't really think I was going to live as long as I have.  I guess I showed them.  Last night I decided to play with mom, which I haven't done for a long time.  Normally I play for a few minutes then get up and walk away, but I played quite a while.  The I went and grabbed a couple of toys and laid down with my big fat paws on them.  Mom said I was teasing Cricket.  Who me??? tease the MONSTER BRAT..NOT ME (hehehehe)  Cricket has decided to follow me when I make my 2 daily trips around the property,which it quite a trip for a tiny dog, our back yard is at least 100 ft x200 ft.  Mom is concerned she will try and get out somewhere back there, so far she has found to many things in our yard to keep her occupied.  Well better go and get on my couch for now.

Sorry we haven't posted for a few days.  Mom has been having back problems and hasn't felt up to getting on the computer.  Well sweet housebrike Cricket is no more!!  She has turned into the puppy from hell.  She started pooping in the house, stealing everything that she can sink her teeth into.  She also has found out we have a very big yard and has decided to explore it, which is bad as it is so difficult to find her as she is so little.  She will not come will called.  She has a favorite toy which is a little duck that goes quake quake quake when you squeeze it.  Mom starts yelling quake quake to get Cricket to come.  I am sure the neighbors are convienced mom is crazy, but it is the only way she can det Cricket to come.  Cricket is one determined puppy.  If she wants up on the chair or couch she will find a way to get up there, including using me as a trampolene.  She even thinks she needs to stand on top of me.  I tolerant it most of the time, but there is times I have to put her in her place.

Cricket was a bad girl today.  Mom sat her outside to potty when we got up.  She darted back to the house several times.  The wind was blowing pretty hard.  Mom figures Cricket didn't like the wind.  She did pee.  Then ran back into the house and into the living room and pooped on the rug.  Mom yelled no and put her back outside and shut the door for a few moments.  Then let her back in.  The rest of the day she did good.  Mom took us both for a ride.  Cricket just curled up and went to sleep in the seat.  Mom thinks she is going to be a good dog in the car. 

Well we went camping without Cricket.  It was a good thing Cricket didn't go.  There were 2 young labs there and they knocked me down several times.  The ground was really rocky and I had a hard time walking.  The yellowjackets were really bad too.  Mom pretty much stayed in the trailer as they swarmed her everytime she came out of the trailer.  Mom hurt her lower back on top of her shoulder problem,so we came home early Sunday.  Mom went and got Cricket as soon as we got home.  She slept most of the day as she had played hard with here dog family.  She did start to pee on the carpet,  mom yelled no and grabbed her and took her outside.  Today she was back to normal, just taking powernaps off and on.  She has dad wrapped around her tiny little paw.  She sits by his chair and whimpers and he picks her up and she falls asleep on his arm or in his lap.  Don't let this get out, but I am getting soft.  Mom came looking for Cricket, she didn't see her at first then she finally spotted her, curled up by my belly and I just laid there.  Mom ran to get the camera, but the batteries were dead, so she didn't get a picture. hehehe now she has no proof of how soft I am getting.  Actually I have to admit if I had a choice of 2 rambuctous labs and Cricket, I would have to take Cricket, at least if she runs into me it doesn't hurt like those labs do. Now if she would just stop the biting.  She isn't doing it as often, but every once in a while she still gets my tail or paw.  I know that she won't be going with me on my walks even after she has all her shots.  Mom and dad say that is my special time.  Maybe we will go for other walks where Cricket can come, but not my afternoon walks. They are all MINE