Update 2 of 2... Lucy Lou!

This past year has been full of challenges for my little Lucy Lou.  There is something about Florida that makes her itchy and scratchy all over- I am quite sorry to say.  We made several trips to see a dermatologist, with absolutely no positive results.  (Which was very good for emptying out Lucy's piggy bank, but not much else.) After 3 months of very expensive medications, and lots of frustration,  we went back to our regular vet (have I mentioned that both of my kids love their new vet?) for a very long consultation.  Our solution was somewhat out of the box, and not necessarily the solution that I was hoping for, but Lucy is comfortable, and that's really all that matters.  I just want a happy dog, with as little long term harm to her body as possible.  After months of being covered in a staph infection, and being itchy almost 24 hours a day, Lucy is hardly itching at all... And that's all I can hope for.

I am highly suspicious that the tough Florida grass is partly to blame for Lucy's allergies, although I'm sure there are other things to blame well.  We have discovered that scrambled eggs, make her break out in hives- not boiled eggs though.  (I'm still scratching my head on that one!)

Lucy is as charming as ever, although I must say it is becoming quite evident that my little girl is no longer a puppy.  Just last week, circumstances beyond our control meant that Lucy spent the day free from her kennel.  I worried the whole way home about what mischief might have found Lucy... or what mischief Lucy might have found!  But, no need to worry, no mischief found Lucy that day.  As much as it saddens me that my baby boxer is obviously not a baby anymore, I'm so proud of her!  Being able to be free in the house is a big step, and one that she's obviously earned.  Since that day, I've left her twice, with no problems when I returned home.

While Lucy is still prone to moments of boxer silliness, she is really becoming quite a little lady... if you consider drooling to the point of making bubbles ladylike, that is!  I will say that this little boxer has an intense sense of smell, and she most certainly loves her pizza!

One of the things that I've grown to appreciate the most about this new grown up Lucy is how calm, peaceful and reflective she can be.  One of her new favorite past times is watching tv.  She can sit for hours on the couch just watching, I'm starting to think she really understands what they're saying!  I wonder if she things they're talking to her?

Earlier this week, she sat on the sofa listening to CNN and the talk of the government shutdown negotiations... I swear she was madder than a hornet, but maybe that was just my imagination.  I know that there were plenty of boxer sighs.

Many mornings, I will grab a cup of coffee and pull up a seat next to her on the sofa.  I love sitting there with her!  Once I sit down, she'll move around until she's as close to me as she can possibly be without sitting on top of me!  And of course, I take advantage of the opportunity to plant lots of little kisses on top of that soft little boxer head!  I just can't resist her...

As I mentioned yesterday in my "Duke" posting, Lucy has been a very good nurse maid to her "wounded" big brother.  They certainly do love each other, who could ever believe that they haven't been together their whole lives?  They're like two peas in a pod...

This picture was taken earlier this week, Lucy was more than willing to let Duke use her head as a pillow.  It was one of those moments when I felt blessed to have had my camera handy!  I wouldn't have wanted to miss this shot.

Update 1 of 2... Duke

Gasp, I've been in Orlando for a little over a year, and life hasn't gotten any easier in the last year. Every time I turn around there is something else going on... and of course, I keep thinking, "I need to write in my blog...". Guilt consumes me as I've neglected one of my favorite past times over the last year! But, it's not the only thing- I very rarely cook, and I haven't baked anything since Christmas... Hi-ho, Hi-ho, it's off to work I go!

I digress...Life with boxers is as wonderful as ever;   Lucy & Duke are doing wonderful! They enjoy the Florida sunshine more than I ever thought possible. Even Duke who used to hate the heat, has taken to lying in the grass on sunny afternoons when his mama isn't at work.  Some days, I have a hard time getting him inside.  No big surprise for the boy who paws at me until I hit him with the heat from the blow dryer every morning.  But, don't worry, of course, this little boxer mama has a fail proof way to get him out of the heat when it's necessary.  All I have to do, is rattle the lid on the treat jar, and Duke moves as fast a race car at Indy.

Duke is a total mama's boy (and I couldn't be happier!).  This big guy's favorite past time is snuggling on top of his mama.  And as always, he's never far from me when I'm home; if I'm taking clothes out of the dryer, Duke's right beside me, if I'm taking a shower, Duke's right outside of the shower door, and of course, if I'm in the kitchen, he's right under my feet (which can be very complicated!)  I just love this big guy!  Shh... don't tell anyone, but my 90 pound boxer boy, is a total teddy bear... with a bark that will scare even the meanest toughest UPS guy enough to send him quickly scooting back to his big brown truck!

2 1/2 weeks ago, Duke had surgery to remove the bump on the top of his head.  I hadn't originally planned to do anything with it, all along we were under the impression that it was just scar tissue and nothing more.  But, when Duke saw our new vet here in Orlando for the 1st time, the vet insisted upon removing it.  So, in he went!  I took this picture of him the day after surgery.  Can you tell he was sucking it up?  Of course, he's been spoiled as much as possible, what other choice did I have?

Actually, the lump on his head was something called a dermoid sinus.  It was something that I had never heard of, but it's common in boxers, and is pretty much a birth defect.  Had we chosen to leave it alone, it probably would have just kept growing.  Our vet felt confident in removing it at this point that he could get all of it, and that Duke would only have a tiny scar, not that a scar matters much to us.  He doesn't think it's going to grow back, and thankfully, it wasn't cancerous!  We love Duke scar or no scar!

Duke has been a model patient, even though at times, I know his head was itchy as could possibly be.  He has this funny little dance of sorts that he would do every time his head got itchy.  He would dance around for a while, eventually lie down, and Lucy would come to his rescue, gently licking his head and soothing his itchies.  Thankfully, little Lucy is a gentle licker!

We had hoped to get the stitches taken out on Tuesday, but when we returned to the vet, it just wasn't meant to be.  Vet thought that we should wait another week.  I think I was more upset about it than Duke was, but no point in risking the incision opening up again... so we wait!

Wednesday evening, a soccer ball mysteriously landed in our yard.  Duke was so happy, you would have thought it was a t-bone steak.  I thought he was going to die when the neighbor kid hollered over the fence asking for the ball.  I swear I saw a total look of disappointment on his face...  I tossed the ball over the fence promising Duke a soccer ball of his very own.

On my way home from work the next day, I stopped and bought Duke a bright red soccer ball.  He was so excited, that even the sound of the treat jar opening, wouldn't lure him from the yard and the ball!

If only I had known sooner that Duke would be thrilled to the moon and back with a soccer ball, I would have bought one much sooner!

I promise to be back within the next couple of days with an update on Lucy....

Duke's Take... Happy New Year

Hello, friends! It's me Duke. I know it's been a long time, but I'm sure you're all going to understand. I am living in a house with not one, but two women with some male company from my Dad every couple of weeks. I'm sure you'll understand that I have my hands full with these two.

 Lucy's a handful all by herself. She doesn't get into nearly as much trouble as she used to, but I still have to let her think she's in charge- because when she gets mad about something, she sasses so much that both Mom and I end up with a headache... And speaking of Mom... Well, she's blonde, and she's tired, and I really have to keep an eye on her. She says she doesn't know what she would do without me, I guess that means that I'm doing a good job!

Mom says that with our crazy busy schedules, that comic relief and laughter are very important. So, I am often challenged to do my best to make Ma laugh.  Both Lucy and I do our very best to keep the human smiling, it can be tough at times and we both have to make sacrifices...

 One night she came home with a can of whipped cream! I have to admit that was a lot of fun! I will make whatever sacrifices are necessary to help my human out!

I actually noticed when she opened the fridge this morning that there is still a can of whipped cream in there, and I couldn't help but wonder when we were going to get a chance to make her laugh again?  Maybe we can all do that again tonight.

My human loves to bake and cook. She didn't get a ton of it done for the holidays like she was hoping, and as hard as Lucy and I tried, we couldn't get her to let us do it on our own.

 Of course, we found a way to participate. Not only did we taste test everything that she needed tasted, but we cleaned crumbs up off the floor, and I stood guard over the cookies when they came out of the oven. Just to make sure that none of them got away, you know how tricky cookies can be!

Friends, make sure your humans know how willing you are to be a cookie guard, it's a great job, and us canines are very skilled at it.  We are very protective of the cookie!  Especially when they're peanut butter cookies.

My mom said to make sure you know that while we did get to taste test the cookies, we weren't allowed to have any of those kiss things that were on top of them!

I may grumble a little about keeping these girls in line and how hard it is to live with 2 women, but I really do love them both! And I know they both love me a bunch! I guess I should feel lucky to be living with two girls who adore me so much! They're both always snuggling up with me... see there I go again taking care of the girls! They've gotta have some place soft and warm to rest their heads!

Lucy's Take... What I've Been Ups To!

Duke and I's human is very busy, and so's I begged to say hello to all of you for her!  And Duke's gonna gets his turn too!  We boths haves to step up to the plates and help da human outs!  She's really gots her hands full.  She's working every single day, ands trying to takes good care of us and da house and da yard.  Frankly, da bags under her eyes are getting kinda bad.  I wishes she coulds take us and run away on vacation...  but's she says she has sponsabilities, whatever those are.  We will just haves to do our best to be good little boxers.

Every single morning we reminds her to feeds us and gives us our Fish Oil.  Ands at night, we always helps her out by reminding her dat it's time for our walk, and times for bed, and times for our marrow bones.  We's are getting very good at reminding da human to do things.  It's a good ting too, because she's not too sharp right now.  What's would she do wits out us?  I can only imagines.

We hads a wonderful Tanksgiving.  Haves you ever had turkey?  Well, our human let us have some!  She tolds us we couldn't haves a bunch, but she gave us a little bit!  It's was so wonderful.  (Thankfully, da human mades a huge turkey and we hads leftovers for days, and days, and days!).  I'm not sure whats it was, but I felt a little sleepy after I gots da turkey...  I sure do love da new sofa.  It's perfect for napping!

Daddy came from Pittsburgh to spends da holiday wits us, and we had house guests too!  Dats was a lot of fun.  They really liked Duke and I and we mades sure that we snuggled wits them a lot so dat they will come back and see us again.

We spents most of da day outs in da yard wits Daddy, he was enjoying the sunshine cause he says dat there isn't any of it in Pittsburgh and dat it's very cold there.  Sure glad dat we're in Florida...  Cause I luvs da sunshine!

I really do loves living in Orlando.  But's it hasn't been wits out it's problems.  Ever since I's got here, I's been itching and scratching. Several weeks ago, da human tooks me to meets a new vet.  She was really nice, but she gaves me a shot and pills to take.  I's started to feel betters, but den I started itching again.

Da humans been trying all kinds of stuff to help me to feels better. She says dat she doesn't wants dem to give me somethins called Steroids...  So, she's been giving me honey, grown rights here in Orlando, apple cider vinegar, and fish oil.  To be's very honest wits ya, da fish oil is my favorite.  It smells wonderful and I look forwards to getting it...

She tolds me dis morning dats she doesn't tinks its working, I tinks dat might means we're heading back to da vets.  I hopes dat after I see da vet again, da human doesn't takes my fish oil away...

Oh, ands I almost forgot... my itchiness means dat I gets to wear all kinds of cool t-shirts and hoodies.  Da human even boughts me some of my very own.  Daddy's t-shirts are my favorite though, and I love da hoodie she boughts for me for our Christmas picture...

Well, I hads better run.  I'm sure dat there is something just waiting for dis little boxer to take cares of.  A boxers work is never done!  Ifs I don't gets to talk to you all again before Christmas.... Merry Christmas!

Another Long Absence!

Lucy, Duke and their humans have not fallen off the planet, we've just gone through yet another round of life altering events. It seems to be the norm for us rather than a rarity... What can I say?

Lucy, Duke and I are in Orlando! Our dream of opening an Amish Furniture store in Orlando became reality back in July. While we love being in Orlando, I don't have to tell you that opening a business in a completely new city, isn't without it's challenges. And to make everything even worse, my darling husband is still in Pittsburgh and has been going back and forth between our stores there, and his wife, boxer-kids and store here... I don't know, maybe I would be bored without all of the chaos and stress, but somehow I think that I would adjust.

Don't worry, the boxer children are settling in well and doing a great job of adjusting to life in a very hot city with a mother who seems to be running on less than a full deck of cards (I left the house this morning without my cell phone... and it's just been downhill ever since!) 

And of course, they're keeping me entertained in their usual fashion. It's great to know that some things will never change no matter how much other things change... Lucy is still crazy and silly, and Duke is still my mild mannered, sweetheart of a boxer!  As always, Duke takes on the role of man of the house with great enthusiasm, he's very serious about protecting his mother and his little sister.  There is not a noise outside of that house that Duke doesn't investigate with complete due dilligence...

And Lucy, well, what can I say?  Mischief still seems to seek out my little boxer girl, it just seems to be one thing after another with my little darlin, but I don't mind!

 Lucy is starting to settle down a lot and has become very cuddly and sweet when she's not possessed by the tasmanian devil that is....

Lucy still loves to help me out around the house... Her favorite past time- chasing the vacuum cleaner when the hose is attached!  I have no idea what it is about that combination, but it makes my little girl absolutely crazy!

A week ago, I was finishing up some things around the house, and one of my projects was ironing a bed skirt.  Of course, Lucy wanted to help!  She got right in there too...  Don't tell Lucy, but having her sitting on the bed skirt that I was attempting to iron, really complicated the process, but didn't she look cute sitting there?

And Duke has been busy finding the best places to lounge around the house, when he's not busy chasing Lizards up the trees in our back yard!  He loves laying in the entry way and watching the traffic on our street, although I suspect he's really watching for his Daddy.  And on the days when I have time to make the bed, he loves to snuggle at the head of bed in between all the pillows....

As you can see, he's also perfecting his "I'm going to die if you don't give me a bit of that" face...  Who could resist this sweet face?  I know that I can't- even though I try to avoid passing these kids table scraps....  What's a girl to do?