Napping in the kitchen

Another work from home day for me... but all I can think about is that I need another dog bed for the puppy. Can you imagine how much I love that they are napping in here because I am working on my computer at the table??? They love to keep their mama company.

Saturday brunch with mom & dad

We took the girls with us to have brunch at one of our favorite local places. Kris and I enjoyed egg scrambles and Boddington's while the girls enjoyed pets and sweet words from other patrons. Hooray for family quality time!

Seeing double

I don't even think I could handle two Bluebonnets. Cool picture is courtesy of the FX Camera Android app.

I iz never drinking again

Working from home...

Is definitely worth it!

Not amused...

... at being on the rock, at me taking her picture, having to go for a walk on a "trail", or for being outdoors on a lovely day. She just wants to be home, on the couch with the tv tuned to a good Criminal Minds marathon.

Making "being cute" look easy since 2008

Good for absolutely nothing

Except being freakin' cute!

Sweet Clemmie Kisses

Getting a little sun

Missing my girls

Last week Kris worked from home and sent me this picture... the girls were looking at the front door, waiting for me to walk through it. Just melts my heart. Love, love, love.

OKC

I'm in Oklahoma City for work the week and wouldn't you know it... snow storm! I realize that it's not the end of the world but snow is not something I'm used to and it definitely puts a halt to my productivity since I can't train people if we can't get to the office to do it. But I'm safe, I'm comfortable, I'm warm and I can still communicate with everyone as normal so all is good.

I am missing Kris and the girls quite a bit. I'm tragically dependent upon my husband's company, Clementine's exuberance and Bluebonnet's cuddling to get me through most days and being away from them makes my heart heavy. So I have a nice little game plan for OKC to make the most of the time I have to be away from my family - local yarn store visit, Thunder game and the Memorial. Despite the weather I am still hoping to check all of those things off my list. At any rate I can add OKC to the list of state capital cities I've been to.

Sisters

These girls are so sweet to each other sometimes. It just warms my heart to see them napping together. It's a nice break from Clementine's imaginary races and Bluebonnet's food thievery.

She's already killed the santa and the penguin

And now she's after the bear.

Merry Christmas Amigos!

Bluebonnet and Clementine want to wish all of their friends a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy New Year!

Blue likes to be tucked in more than a dog should

Lost picture in the ivy

This picture makes me think of two specific things...

1. We no longer have this ivy in our backyard; it's been replaced with decomposing granite.

2. About 3 minutes after I took this picture Clementine threw up for 12 hours straight. Luckily I worked from home that day and could administer tummy rubs.

Now ready to attend holiday parties

Bluebonnet is so fresh and so clean from Groomingdale's and is now fit to be seen out in public. I had started calling her Sandy because she looked like a little street dog.

TGIF

It's finally Friday. And it's finally cold again here in Austin. After breakfast, that conatined a few surprise pieces of steak from my doggie back last night, the girls are in bed and bundled up with us. This weekend they are getting their Christmas presents... a day at the "doggie spa".

We hope everyone has a great, relaxing weekend.

Tobi

Watching old movies

I took this picture when I was home with the girls watching that dreadful Inside Daisy Clover movie. Blue and Clem are not Natalie Wood fans either.

Clementine gets some "me time"

Here is a rare moment of Clementine not in motion. She did a little sun worshipping on this nice, cool winter day in Austin.

Co-workers

The best part about working from home, besides getting to stay in my pajamas all day and not having to deal with traffic, is my super-pleasant co-workers. We take lunch and go on bathroom breaks together if they can be bothered to move from wherever they are napping... er, I mean working.

Clementine and Bluebonnet, today

The girls sometimes relax next to each other. It is rare so I always try to capture the moment. They both wish everyone Happy Holidays!

Like McRib... I'm back even after my FAREWELL tour

That's right, if for no other reason then my mother told me that she missed my blog. So... yeah... the blog is back! It's been a 9 month hiatus so many things have happened in our household for both the humans and the canine babies since I last posted, most notably Little Clementine Francine turned 2 years old! I can't go back and recap the past 9 months so I'll just jump to today. It's Christmastime, the best time of year. Here's some snapshots around the Ditmore house:

The longhorns got garland this year!

The girls in their Jingle Bell collars

Once the temp drops below 60 degrees we can have a nice fire

Bluebonnet thinks she hears Santee!

Beer coaster garland

I couldn't find traditional wooden shoes so these resin cowboy boots will have to do!

Adios, Goodbye and Farewell

After much thought I have decided that I don't want to blog anymore. Although I have loved sharing the lives of my "babies" with the friends I've made online and have enjoyed making said friends, I find that I just don't have the time, my heart isn't in it and I have really been putting too much of my business out on the Interweb. I would love to stay in touch with everyone via one portal - Facebook. So if you are on FB, please look me up and add me as a friend, because I'd love to know what's going on with your doggies and with you!

Sincerely,
Tobi Dtimore

Video: Fun @ The Dog Park

Yesterday the girls got a treat - instead of a walk, they got to get their exercise out at the new dog park in town.

All loaded up in the wagon!

At first they only played with each other...

But it didn't take them long to make friends.

We especially liked this fella - a smallish bloodhound. We didn't get a name or a number, but we know where he hangs out!

Here's a video of the girls running around the park.

Hi my name is Bluebonnet Maribelle Basset...

And I am a canned whip cream-aholic!!!

Moments in the backyard

Bluebonnet: Wait, wait... This is Spring? Hmph. Looks more like Fall.

Clementine: I foundz my frizbees.

Two is better than one

Post for Grandma

Grammy,

I know this isn't a great picture but I wanted to show you my new hobby - I catch the frizbees. Well I don't catch it in the air. I catch it on the ground. I bring it back to mama and she throws it across the yard for me to run and get it and bring it back. This is the most fun toy I have ever had in my entire life. I love to play frizbees every day.

Love, Clemmie

P.S. Poop taste good.

Eww... It's Spring

This is the dog hair accumulated from just Bluebonnet. Spring means a collar change and a good brushing. Their coats are thinner and their accessories are now season-appropriate. Be sure to check back on Tuesday to see a horrible BlackBerry pic of Clementine enjoying her new hobby.

My sweet baby

This is Clementine. At 18 months old, she is still technically a puppy. And let me tell you that she still acts every bit of it. In fact, she is a naughty, naughty puppy. She has pulled my purse off the table and destroyed its' contents twice, she has chewed the tongue out of a nice pair of sneakers, she has ruined an entire bag of mini-logs for the smoker by removing them one by one and chewing on them in the yard... And all of this is just in the last week.

But still, around 3PM every day, I can't wait to be home and play with her. This freakin' dog is the sweetest girl, cutest thing on 4 legs and always smiling.

Sleeping beauties

The girls are exhausted from taking care of daddy all day. He worked from home today because he is sick and the little nurses dutifully brought him TLC all day long.

Post for Grandma

Dear Grammy,
I am so glad it's Friday. It's been a loong week. I am exhausted. I plan to just take it easy all weekend and sleep as much as possible. Hugs and kisses to you and Grampy and Uncle BJ and Uncle Louie.

Love,
Clemmie

P.S. Can you please tell your daughter to stop buying the cheap rawhides or I will destroy her collection of Southern Living magazines?

Post for Grandma

Dear Grammy,

I is not talking to your daughter again because she nearly hog tied me in order to give my nails a little clippy. I believe them polices call this excessive force. Will you please call her and gives her a message for me...

Thank you.

I love you and I miss you,

Clementine

Absolutely p00ped!

Tonight I cleaned out our 3rd bedroom in an attempt to get it looking more like a "guest suite" and less like a "home office". I have been needing to do this for some time. My sister, who I refer to as Lovey when speaking for the girls, and my nephew are coming to visit me this weekend and I thought it would be nice for Preston to have his own area in the house.

I had several boxes to move from the room and out into the foyer. I also had a couple of trash bags to take out. I took each box and each bag one by one. And the girls followed me with each step.

I guess it was tiring because they are absolutely exhausted.

I only hope that Lovey appreciates all their hard work!

Just checkin' Facebook and havin' a glass of wine

We love watching the Olympics

Well... I do!

Post for Grandma

Dear Grandma,

I am snug as a bug in a rug.

Clementine

I coulda been a contenda

I always dread this time of year.

Bluebonnet is drinking Wild Turkey again and won't shut up about how she could have been a world class show dog and won Westminster if we hadn't had her fixed. Every time we try to get the remote control from her to change the channel she just swats her giant paw at us.

Oh boy, it's gonna be a looong night.

Can you guess which one is which?

I snapped this picture on the way to the groomers. The girls were not White, Black & Brown or White & Orange... they were Yellow, Black & Brown and Yellow & Orange. They were loooooong over due for bathes, brushes, nail clippings and gland expressions!

We loaded them into the back of the wagon and those silly, little things gave us these pathetic looks over the back seat.

Clementine is on the left and Bluebonnet is on the right.

We iz on yur compooturz thru da yoo toobs

Life is really good

Lately, I don't have a complaint in the world. I've got a husband that I adore and two cuddly Basset Hounds that I can't quit snuggling with.

Yes, I am indeed a lucky girl.

Mommy, why are my ears so big?

I was looking back in my blog archives and found this letter to Bluebonnet. The last sentence explicitly says that she would be an only child forever... however I know in my heart that I meant the foreseeable future, for even less than one year later we welcomed Clementine into our family.

I honestly never thought I could love another dog as much as I loved Bluebonnet but I still always wanted another dog because I have a lot of love to give. Regardless of what I thought or felt, I now know that I am able to love another dog with equal sincerity and intensity because I can't imagine not having Clementine in our lives.

I've written before about how I will cuddle with Bluebonnet and tell her the story of the day we picked her up:

"You were so little and it was raining that day so I just put you inside of my raincoat. Can you believe that?! You used to be so little that you could fit inside my raincoat?!"

I never get tired of telling that story over and over. I always hoped that I'd have a story like that with Clementine. Of course I remember the day we picked her up, but it wasn't raining and she didn't even stay in my lap on the ride home, she managed to make her way down to the floorboard of the car and throw up. Ew! That's not a cute story to tell over and over again when you are cuddling. So I decided that I wouldn't force it... one day we'd have a moment and it would be a story that I would repeat while putting my arm across her and tucking it under her belly.

She was sleeping on her side and her ear was covering her entire face. I lifted it up and said "Hi, Clementine!" and put it right back across her face. She starting jerking her head and huffing as if it hadn't been there before. Then she looked right up at me as if she was asking for help to keep her ear off her face and ask "Mommy, why are my ears so big?" Even though I made the question up for her I answered it myself as well "Clemmie, God made your ears that big and I don't know why."

I don't know why but that was a touching moment because I never say things like that, I never give God credit for anything nor do I blame Him for anything. I am not sure if it was a special moment sent to me from an angel or what but I definitely feel like it was meant to happen. Anyway, I'm not running off to mass or anything, I just wanted to share that and let you know that Clementine and I now have our story that I'll tell her over and over again when we cuddle.

Tobi