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Almost three weeks after saving Daisy… she is doing great!!! Doesn’t like having her picture taken though – as soon as we pull out the camera she goes into super shy, sad puppy mode. Then when we won’t get out of her face with it – she’ll start getting angry and growl… So, we don’t have too many pictures of her – that look happy – but at least you know it is the camera pissing her off and she really is a happy little normal healthy hyper pupper uppers!

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I took her back to the vet today (8-6-09)  for a check-up to see if we need to continue the medicated dips and whatnot – the vet said that Daisy was the worst case of mange they had seen in a very long time! Poor girl! Although, the scraping he did today proved that we are on the right track and we are killing those parasites! *yay* We need to murder all the mites and her little body needs to banish them before the real healing can begin. The Vet put her back on antibiotics and she is scheduled for two more medicated dips (2 weeks) before seeing the vet again.

This super cute little girl is going to be just fine! The reason the mange was infesting her in the first place (so badly) was because she had a weakened immune system, but now she is on the road to good health! Daisy is acting like a normal puppy, chewing up everything, getting into the trash and biting the children (in play). She’s amazingly smart! Hardly ever barks! Listens when you tell her to “come” or “no.” Hasn’t run off… Daisy loves her little pack she has here with her Boyz.

Daisy’s Teddy mama is in complete love with her baby girl and for Teddi’s birthday I took her picture with Daisy – their first family portrait! This little puppy girl has it made – and every life she’s touched with her story of woe has inspired us to love life a little more…

This Barack Obama music video from Jib Jab is awesome! ????? ?????? ?? ???? ???????????

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It has been one week since we saved Daisy…

Remember her all bloody and infested with the mange parasite? That was one week ago…
This is Daisy now -

She still has the mange parasite but it is so much better! She’ll have 2 to 3 more dips before the parasite will be gone completely. When Daisy arrived here she was slow moving, lethargic, filthy, sick, and sad.  She has become this normal puppy with a ton of energy running all over the house, chewing on everything, pouncing on the other dogs and Sammy and Jack, barking at her reflection in the fridge… I could go on and on but the point is she is a happy, (almost) healthy, normal little puppy girl.

Playful barking….

Curiosity…

Hanging out with her pack of boys…

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And at the end of a fun-filled energetic day – she is still a baby who just needs to cuddle up into a warm loving lap and take a nap. Night night Daisy – we love you!

Daisy has been rapidly improving the past couple of days!

We took her in to the vet Monday morning for her medicated dip. She went in with scabs all over and some were just hanging – I know *yuck* – but when we picked her up all the nasty red was gone and she was all pink! Daisy has had three days of antibiotics and is now really showing signs of normal puppy activity!

Daisy is feeling so much better – it is really an awesome transformation from last Friday night when the poor baby girl could hardly move, couldn’t wag her tail or show any sign of happiness. To Saturday night when she started wagging her tail and jumping up a little to Sunday morning when she started running around and showing there is a hyper little puppy in there, to Monday when she started making happy puppy sounds (like a fun little bark) and staying awake more to enjoy some play time… To today where she is running around the yard with the other dogs and the Boyz, jumping all over and just showing signs of pure puppy enjoyment! We are proud of her! Carlos got to see her after her medicated dip and was amazed how much better she looked.

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After spending a few minutes with the sleepy puppy in the back seat, Carlos was careful to tuck her back into her little blanket bed she had in the back seat…

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Awww… cuddly… This is one loved puppy! Daisy came home from her long day out at the vet and her dip and she ran around with her pack and visited with her Teddi mommy and then it was crash time – and who better to crash with then the boy you’ve adopted as your brother?

Good night Daisy and Samma… Sweet dreams.

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Took Daisy to the vet today…

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Teddi mama with her little 4 – 6 month old Daisy baby. The vet said she has mange – a result of parasites that came from the dirt she was living in or another animal. Carlos and I saw the other animals and would have to say it came from the dirt. Daisy’s young age and unhealthy immune system allowed the parasites to attack, infest follicles and open them up for a breeding of infectious bacteria. Poor little Daisy has a secondary skin infection which we are treating with antibiotics. The mange is a mild from and will be treated with a medicated “dip” that Daisy will need to have once a week for the next three to four weeks. The mange parasite Daisy has is not at all dangerous to us humans and there is just a slight chance the other animals could be infected. Like I said before it is mainly due to her weak immune system and age. Daisy is on her way to a full and healthy recovery! Teddi is totally in love with her new pupper uppers!

After we got home I felt it was time for a bath – I, of course, got the “okay” from the vet first to give her a bath. She is way too ill to fight or even shake the water off in the bath, but I think she felt better… A little anway. She was so dirty and yucky but after the bath her fur was so soft!

Good girl!

I was taken aback at the sight of her…. Sitting behind the chain link, just looking up at us with her sad, hurt eyes… It is amazing how awful some people treat another living, breathing being…

Makes your heart sink – doesn’t it? I was with Carlos who has a lot of passion for “man’s best friend” and as soon as Carlos saw her he started freaking out! This little girl was living in a dirty front yard all beaten and broken. Carlos and I convinced the “owner” to let me take her.

We got her home, gave her some food and water and a big soft blanket to cuddle up in. She passed out and slept in Sammy’s room with him. Sammy didn’t want her sleeping in the garage because he was afraid she’d be scared all alone… Like a tiny infant she woke up in the middle  of the night – around 3 AM – and instead of getting up and walking around, she stayed on her blanket and barked until I arrived by her side. Her wounds were bleeding again and she just needed a little love. We gave her more water and a little more food… She seemed so much better in the morning!

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A kind, loving pat makes a world of difference – and really how hard is that?! She loves the Boyz and follows them around as if they are siblings to her new pack. Without even seeing her, my good friend Teddi adopted her. She was wanting a dog and couldn’t find the one that clicked – until my text to her last night. This is one lucky puppy girl!

Meet Daisy.

We went to Nevada Beach at Lake Tahoe for some fun in the sun and the amazing fireworks show they put on off south shore.

We put a pool up so bebe Jack Jack could play in the water safely.

ummmmm food…

Naughty baby got daddy’s soda! *cute*

Wipe out

Keirra and Sam bundled up and chilled out in the warm soft boat between jumps into the frigid lake.

Sammy and his “munch” – such a silly boy!

What can we say?

Keirra and Jack watched the boats go by…

Daddy did his job and took a ton of pictures.

Brrrrrr – it was a chilly night but we had so much fun!
Sammy loved loved loved the fireworks show,
Keirra was wrapped up in two different blankets on the sand while Jack could not hold on and fell asleep during the show…
poor little fella.
Hope everyone had a wonderful 4th 2009!

My brother and I are fourteen months apart – I am the oldest. My mother had this thing with dressing us alike – as if we were twins. Maybe it was what you did in the the late 70′s early 80′s – I mean there could have been some weird twin trend and all parents were dressing their offspring alike. There could have been a buy one get one free deal at JC Penney but the deal only worked with the same exact clothing… Who knows? Paul and I would get asked endlessly if we were twins and the explanation would take too long, “No, we are really fourteen months apart but our mother is a whack-a-do and dresses us alike all the time.” We’d have to say that a hundred times a day (exaggeration), so we simply would answer, “Yes, yes we are.” Ohhh people thought we were the cutest kids! I mean – we were! You may pick up a hint of dorkiness but we can’t help that – that is a gene passed down to us by both parents! It was a dominant gene – there was no escape! Paul and I have taken the “dork” gene and made it cool though… *wink*

Of course I have supplied pictures as proof to the madness that was my mother and her secret desire to have spawned twins. *wink* I have to add that the trend stuck with me and in high school my BFF and I would call each other at night and organize our outfits to match… We did this into our early twenties and then we finally stopped… Of course now I have two Boyz… Yep, you can see where I am going with this! I dress them alike but not all the time – and with almost four years difference there is no mistake, they are not twins. My mother still takes home the award for best representation of having twins that were not twins…

“Here comes trouble”

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Oh boy – you just have no idea how true that was! (still is)

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“Ride ‘em cowboy!”

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Just no words…

“Where’s Vi-Jo?”
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Here’s a game the folks at Knott’s Berry Farm thought would be fun to play!

It would appear that the last two photos were from the same day – but I can assure you that we wore those clothes over and over again! The “Here Comes Trouble” shirts we wore until they fell apart – we are talking years here folks! My mother is not one for sizes – if we could still wear it… years…

Oh boy, I love being home with my Boyz! I love being able to wake up nice and slow and go for a nice long walk to the local park! I enjoy walking down my street calling a friend and meeting up with her and her little baby to walk with us to the park! It was a nice morning, but then it started to get hot, and Sammy started to complain and then Jack started to scream and cry because he was tired… I am awake! We got home – finally – and Jack took a nap. Now – after shoveling food into my starving mouth – I am totally ready to go again! I do not want to be here in this house! I doubt it would make a difference which house – although, it might be less of a panic feeling if the house I lived in was one I liked… Just saying. I think I just don’t want to sit here doing nothing – day in and day out…! It’s still fresh out of school and my brain doesn’t want to start working – so writing is like totally impossible! I have tried and tried, but it’s not going to happen right now. My brain is also freaking out because I am not used to being at home doing nothing every day either! So, all I want to do is go go go! I need to gather the Boyz and head out to another park – driving at this time in the day (late afternoon) – and just let them play for a bit. Of course it’s not them itching – it’s me. They seem fine right now playing in their room and with each other.

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I am also itching because I want to get out of here! I want the new chapter of my life to start right this second! Okay, maybe not right this second – but really soon! I want to move and I want to get things done fast fast fast! Too much to ask? I have been waiting sixteen years for this move! Come on – I cannot wait another minute! I am going nuts – I want things done and it seems like we get to a good point in life then *boom* there’s a nasty, painfully large speed bump… Really?! All I want to do is get on with this life – get myself out of the sand pit I have been stuck in for the past sixteen years. I want plush, fresh, moist – and I want it now! Deep breath – I am forced to wait – I know it will happen…

Pictures! Today, as I had said, we went for a nice walk to the park…

Bebe Jack Jack was all ready to go
- with his hat on, buckled in and cereal in a baggie in his lap – nothing was holding him back!

Walking down the street towards the park!
(notice all the brown – any green you might see is only an optical illusion – the human eye is trained to see grass in yards.)

Enough is enough when the temperature starts climbing and red ants start biting!
*ouch*

We plan to do it again tomorrow – maybe going to a different park in the area – who knows! We are unpredictable like that! You just never know what park Viola and her Boyz will walk to next! It is how we roll…. I am totally cracking up – get me outta here! *giggle*

The Boyz!

Sammy woke up singing, “Casey Jr’s coming down the track, down and down the track with a smokey stack…” as he walked down the hall into the kitchen. He stopped and asked me if I knew what day it was, I (of course) said I had no idea, and with a big smile he said, “It’s Father’s Day!” Sammy then reminded me what special Father’s Day gift he was giving his daddy – Sammy is taking his daddy to ride the train in Carson City! After they ride – Sammy is going to take his daddy inside to watch Sammy play with the Thomas the Train toys.  I am sure they are going to have a ton of fun!

*Big HUG* for Daddy!
“Happy Father’s Day!”

“Ummmm, I’d just like to say Happy Father’s Day too. Don’t mind Sammy – he’ll snap out of it.”