Armada Blog

This past weekend started earlier than usual. On Thursday, Daddy took me and the Oaf to meet up with our Aunt Cindi and Aunt LeAnn, they had Phoebe and Caly with them and we all headed down to Aunt Mama's house, so I knew some kind of big adventure was getting ready to happen! It was Phoebe's birthday (she's 2 now), which means she's a big girl, so I figured we were going to have a big fun birthday celebration. Since I'm Phoebe's favorite cousin (or at least she's my favorite cousin), I figured that's why I got invited to the big birthday celebration (of course, little brother's always have to come ruin parties, so that's why the Oaf came too). We get going on our way up the really fast road in the big Portie Van, everything was going great until we stopped to feed the van. When Aunt Cindi got back in, she seemed panicked....she said the brakes were weird. Next thing I know, we're heading to a huge garage. My Aunts took me and Caly out of the van, but left Trek and Phoebe in their crates in the van. Caly and I waited patiently in a room with some other people. We were great little waiters too! We got some pets and people were talking about us and smiling at us. I sensed my aunts were very stressed out, so Caly and I helped Therapy Dog them. After a little while we all got to get back in the van. Phoebe and Trek seemed happy to see us. Trek said the van kept moving weird while they were waiting and it worried Phoebe some.

Once we got back on the fast road again, we were on it for a really long time. Turns out our Phoebe Birthday Celebration ended up visiting Dr./Uncle Brian. Phoebe had to get her big girl x-rays and a blood test, and Caly had to get a blood test, and me and Trek had more private matters that had to be taken care of. For mine and Trek's birthday we get ice cream, so I was hoping for some, but we never got any ice cream! Instead we got to go visit our sister, Tootsie and her family!!! The Oaf and Tootsie played and played and played and played and had a good time. We got to meet a baby puppy too, her name is Cali. The Oaf played and played with that one too. After we got finished visiting with Aunt Debbie, Uncle Scott, Hudson, Reggie, Tootsie, and Baby Cali, we went to the hotel. It was about time! I was exhausted. I slept very nicely like a good boy right on Aunt Mama's feet! :)

The next morning we got back on the fast road and headed home. We didn't have any unplanned stops coming home. Our Aunts dropped me and the Oaf off to our Daddy right at our home! That was kind of cool. I was hoping Phoebe would get to come play in the backyard with me, but Daddy played with her on the driveway for a little bit and then they left. Its been a while since Phoebe has gotten to come over and play! Friday night seemed pretty well much like any night at home, but Saturday was different. Mommy and Daddy woke up earlier than usual. The packed the truck up with more stuff than usual for Saturday morning classes. Next thing I know, we're sitting in a parking lot for what seemed like forever! Apparently Mommy and Daddy took Nana out to breakfast, which is awesome. I love my Nana!!! Then we had class, and after that we didn't go home. We went to the cabin in the woods again!!!! That place is so much fun! This time there were two other dogs there besides me and Trek. Balta and her mommy was there, and Bandit came with his mommy and daddy. We all had a blast!!!! The Oaf and Balta played "The floor is Lava" game, but Balta played that game even when the Oaf wasn't playing with her. A few hours later we all got segregated, and the humans left for a few hours. They were all dressed up in pretty clothes, but not like the pretty clothes Mommy wears most mornings. These pretty clothes had flowers and all kinds of bright colors. They looked excited to head out. When they got back they kept talking about "Lifesavin' Sam" killing someone! Sounds like they had a very scary dinner, but for some reason they were all laughing and smiling. Mommy gave me and the Oaf each an ox tail before they left. I didn't eat mine until Mommy came back because I like when she holds it for me while I chew. I got bored with it eventually, so I shared the rest of it with Balta.

On Sunday morning, we packed up all of our stuff and it sounded like we were going to come home, but instead Mommy and Daddy stopped by Kanawha State Forest, and we got to go for a 6.5 mile trail run/hike. The Oaf tried to pull Daddy down a hill into the creek a few times. It was very funny! When we finally got home, we got to play with some of our neighbors and then we all rested for the rest of the night. What a fun, long, exhausting weekend!!!!

Tchau!

Yesterday was a fun filled day of really hard work! I should have known something was up when Mommy wasn't wearing her pretty clothes for breakfast. When she was getting ready to leave she didn't grab her backpack like she usually does, she grabbed me instead!!! Woo Hoo!!! She told me that I got to go to work today, and that Trek didn't get to go, double Woo Hoo!!!! I happily hopped up into Mommy's car and we headed to the Elementary School we usually go to. I got to play with my kids. They were really good too, we talked about how Mommy brushes my teeth and how my teeth stay clean. The kiddos then showed me how they keep their teeth clean. They all got to pet me and I gave a couple of them extra special kisses! After that we went down and met some more kids, who were bigger than the kids I usually visit. I got to sit out in the hallway with three kids from another class. They were super special because they got to pet me and some of the other kids didn't get too. It made one little boy feel really special. That's always my goal is to make people feel loved and special. When we were in the hallway, Mommy asked me to sit down, and I ended up sitting on one little girl's lap, she laughed and gave me a hug, just the way I like getting hugs.

After I played with the kids in the hallway, I got to go to another class. This was a class of 4th graders, but I think there were actually two classes in one class because when Mommy got finished talked some of the kids grabbed their chairs and took them to a different classroom. They all got to pet me on the way out. These kids had lots of really good questions! Mommy talked to them about the difference between Therapy Dogs and Service Dogs, and she talked to them about Dog Safety! On our way out, Mommy stopped by the Kindergarten class too! Those kids remembered me from last time I stopped by their classroom. One little boy couldn't remember my name, but he remembered that my name started with an A. He got kisses! So many kids in one day!!! It was so much fun!!!! After we left that school, we went to a different school. This other school has a smaller class of kids, but they got to cuddle with me and play with me, then another class came to say "Hi." They all seemed to remember me from last time, but what was super cool was the little boy who was afraid of me back in October walked right up to me, and pet me. He wasn't afraid of me at all!!!! He got kisses too! The second school is close to my house, so Mommy and I went home for a little bit, and I got to play outback with the Oaf, and then took at nap under Daddy's desk.

A few hours later, or maybe minutes (I don't really know, I'm a dog) Mommy loaded me and the Oaf up into the car. I thought this was going to be an Oaf-free day of hanging out with Mommy, but turns out I was wrong! We went on the fast road and Mommy said that I was going to get to meet new people. When we pulled into the parking lot, it was a place I had been before! Mommy put my red bandana on and said "There's more people for you to meet today!" When we got in there were a few people at the front desk and they got excited to see me. They all seemed to like my new Volunteer Badge. One nice man asked if he could take my picture with my Mommy, so he did and then he posted it on HospiceCare's Facebook page, Welcoming me and my Mommy. It was really cool to get to go around and say Hi to everybody. I think I made a lot of people happy. Mommy says I'm going to get to go visit sick people and their families soon. I can't wait to help them smile.

The best part of the day was when Mommy took me and the Oaf to Petsmart. She said since I was a good boy I'd get a treat and a brand new toy!!! Mommy found beef strips for our treat, and she got me a crinkly raccoon toy. The Oaf was super excited to get back to the car for his treat! We both chewed on our new treats all the way home. Mommy showed Daddy by brand new toy, and I left it in Daddy's office so he could play with it first, but then the Oaf got a hold of it, and started running around making it squeak. It got so bad that Daddy asked Mommy to take it from Trek, since Daddy was still working. After Daddy got finished working I thought he'd want to play with my new toy before I did, but when he picked it up the Oaf took it from him. Little Brothers are the worse when it comes to sharing your stuff. Before we all went to bed Trek already destroyed MY brand new toy!!! Since the Oaf and I helped Mommy and Daddy with their workout, we got to sleep upstairs last night!!!!!

I'm still worn out, so I'm going to go back to my nap!

Tchau!

Last night when Mommy and Daddy got home from Daddy's volleybally game us pups were crazy dogs! So Mommy put us outside for a little bit, then we came back in and played and played and played some more. After awhile Daddy put us back outside. Me and the Oaf were out for a while. MamaBug was not! The Oaf decided to play in the mud hole we made a few months ago, but I knew Mommy would be upset, so I was trying to put the mud back into the mud hole and then it happened....Daddy called us inside. I didn't have enough time to properly clean off my paws, and when I came inside I jumped into Mommy's lap, and she said "Armada it smells like you've been digging..." she looked at the blanket and there were muddy Armada paw prints on it. Daddy got up and took me and the Oaf into the bathroom to do a paws and undercarriage rinse. After Daddy finished with my rinse Mommy let me out of the bathroom and I ZOOMED around the house well enough to have made Aidan proud! When the Oaf got finished with his rinse we zoomed together. Then we all cuddled up on the couch and watched the scary show that Mommy and Daddy like to watch.

Before last call Mommy told Daddy that she thought us pups were sleepy enough to be good sleepers upstairs, so me, MamaBug, and the Oaf got to sleep with Mommy and Daddy, yay!!!! I'm awesome, and cuddled up really nicely right on top of Mommy's back. Eventually she moved and I got hot, so I cuddled up beside her. The Oaf was well....an Oaf. He was his typical self, on and off the bed all night long. He wasn't quite as bad has he has been, but then it happened....he rolled right off the side of the bed. The THUD that puppy makes when he rolls off of the bed is unmistakable! Me and Mommy chuckled, Daddy asked Trek if he was okay, and I don't think MamaBug even woke up. Trek then jumped back up in bed and slept between Mommy and Daddy the rest of the night. When Mommy woke up in the morning she told me and the Oaf that we were both exactly like Aidan all in one night. Aidan used to fall off the bed too sometimes, and he used to cuddle up to Mommy like I did last night. I'm sure the Oaf will be a good sleeper one day...

Tchau!

I got to go Therapy Dog at a new place, and my sister, Caly, got to come too! She got her special certification at the Jamboree a few months ago. We went and visited our Great MeeMaw and her friends. Great MeeMaw lives kind of far away, so we all met at Caly's house before we took our little road trip.

These people were much different than where I usually visit. I usually visit with a lot of kids, so I typically lay down or sit down with Mommy sitting next to me, and the kids take turns playing with me. At this place Mommy took me to the people! It was pretty neat. I think Caly and I were awesome, we made a lot of people smile. It was pretty fun for me, but I think it might have been a little exhausting for Caly, she slept the ENTIRE way home. I don't think I've ever actually seen her pass out like that before. Therapy Dog visits were tiring for me at first too, so I'm sure she'll get used to it pretty quickly! I can't wait for my next visit! I love it when Mommy puts my red bandana on me and tells me it's time to work!

Tchau!!