Our First "Baby"

Dear Mom and Dad:

Remember when it was just us?  Just the three of us, and I got your undivided attention and all your extra time?  That was awesome.  And then you brought Pixie home.  I was a little nervous, but we all quickly realized that I was smarter and stronger and obviously still in charge.  So I could put up with her.  And then the mini-human came home.  Doggone it.  I dropped considerably in the rankings in terms of time and attention.  But still, as long as I maintained a perimeter she pretty much left me alone at first.  Now, however, she has grown.  And she has decided it is her job to take care of me.  Mom and Dad, if there is anything more humiliating than having to put up with this, I don't know what it is.  (See pictures below.)  And if the rumors and my doggie sixth sense are right, you're bringing another one home this August.  Oh, Mom and Dad.  What did I ever do to deserve this?

Maya 

I was inside cleaning and Miss Iz was outside with the girls playing on the patio.  The windows and doors were open so I could monitor their activities, and Iz had been out for awhile when I heard her say, "S'okay Maya.  I give you a bath."  This felt like something I needed to check on, so I peeked around the corner and saw poor Maya sitting on the step, her eyes filled with irritation and restraint, saying "Save me, please!".  And there was Iz, poking her with a stick (she thought she was "brushing" her, apparently).  At first it didn't look that bad.  However upon further inspection it seemed that Izzie had dumped potting soil all over Maya's back, and then followed that with a good dosing of water from the doggie bowl.  What resulted was a lovely paste that she then tried to brush off with a sharp stick.  Poor, poor Maya.

She might be misguided in her care of the puppies, but oh how Iz loves them!