Our Morning Routine

We had to sleep in the crates last night for the first time since my operation. It was Tico's fault, though it hardly seems fair to single him out. I'm the only one in our house who can make it through the night without getting up to pee. Must be a man thing.

No matter where we sleep we go out with Anneedabus first thing every morning. We do our business and get the newspaper. I usually go back in to play with Daddy while Tico looks around the property and sniffs all the shrubs for messages.

Every morning Daddy drinks coffee and carefully inspects each page of the newspaper to make sure it's OK for the bottom of our crates. The service around here is great. If the paper in my crate gets the least bit soiled or damp, one of the daddies replaces it right away. It's rare to find an empty food dish or water bowl, either.

After coffee we have to make the bed. Usually it takes all four of us. No telling how much longer it would take without our help.

Then it's time to get ready for work. After Daddy brushes his teeth and stuff, we face the scales. This morning Tico weighed 7 pounds, I weighed four pounds, and Daddy weighed a whole lot.

Then it's time for our shower. Took me a long time to figure out the water wasn't going to hurt me. Don't know why you want to get soaking wet like that first thing in the morning but if that's what Daddy wants to do, I'm in. At first he yelled at me and told me no, but now he just laughs and calls me silly girl.

After we dry off Daddy digs through drawers, spritzes himself and combs his hair like he thinks it makes a difference. Then I get him dressed. I help him with his socks, approve his pants and shirt selection and show him which shoes to wear.

He'd look a lot better if he'd take me shopping with him. If it wasn't for Anneedabus everything he owned would come from Land's End and Kohls. The one good thing --he doesn't own a single pair of pleated plants. Unless you are thin, pleats just make your butt look big.

Then Daddy puts the sheep and a chew stick in Tico's crate, and squirrelly and a chew stick in mine. When he says "kennel up" we're supposed to jump in our crates like we don't know he's about to leave. Tico jumps right in but I won't do it without a treat.

Daddy says he'll be back in 15 minutes. Sometimes it seems a lot longer than 15 minutes. I've learned fifteen minutes goes by a lot faster when I'm asleep. As soon as the door to my crate closes, I'm in my bed with my eyes closed.

Maybe one day I'll tell you about my dreams. Until then, chi-ao!