Sunday, November 8, 2009

Opposites Don't Necessarily Attract

This is our dog Cooper. (He looks a little like Rin Tin Tin, but don't let this classic, take-on-the-world pose fool you. He has a major Napoleon complex.)


This is our other dog Jude. (Don't let his cuteness fool you either. He goes by many names: Sir Chews-a-lot, Night Stalker, and The Destroyer. You've met Jude on several occasions: here , here, here, and here.)



This is Jude's lair. It's a one foot space behind our sofa. There's always a revolving assortment of "treasures" stashed here, including shoes, pencils, stuffed animals, bras, various candy wrappers and misplaced rolls of toilet paper. Whenever something is missing, I can almost always find it here, usually half-chewed and soggy.




This is Cooper and Jude together. This snapshot says much about their love/hate relationship. Jude loves to annoy Cooper, and play. Cooper loves to hate Jude, and hide. Just look at the eyes on Cooper's face. Talk about a picture worth a thousand words.


These two pups are about as opposite as you get. Jude is a Shih-poo, and he's a cute, fluffy, bouncy bundle of mischievous fun. And Cooper. . .well, Cooper is not. He is a rat terrier, and he was just born old. . . and grumpy. Plus, Cooper has really thin skin, both figuratively and literally. I think his old-man, frumpy nature goes back to his early days with us. Cooper was a Christmas gift from Santa, and his name really should have been "Bah-Humbug." Santa brought Cooper to our house even though Mrs. Claus really didn't think a puppy was a good idea at the time, especially not an inside puppy. So Santa and Cooper formed a bond of solidarity and Cooper has been a one-person dog ever since; and that person is not Mrs. Claus.
Cooper is all about business. His sole mission on this earth is to eat as much food as he possibly can, to protect our home from squirrels, to chew holes in every blanket in our house, and to escape from Jude. Jude on the other hand is all about fun. He lives for the moment and delights in finding (or creating) mischief. He is the definition of Epicurean. One of his favorite antics, besides splashing in mud puddles and driving Cooper insane, involves running through the house with someone's shoes or underwear.

This is what I deal with/ listen to all day long. It's mostly good-natured fun, but occasionally the gloves come off and the play-fighting escalates into a real spat. It's like I've been teleported back 15+ years when I was refereeing 3 munchkins and a newborn.


Speaking of 3 munchkins and a newborn. . . (Nice segue, huh? :) This a pic of what the 3 munchkins look like now. And wonder of wonders, they really enjoy hanging out with each other. These guys have been in and out of our house a lot this fall. It's like a revolving door of college books, ipods, and laundry.





This is my newborn. (Her photo editing too.) She recently earned her learner's permit, but that is an entirely different post. :)



And this is Santa. Santa comes home for R and R from Iraq in 3 days.



Cooper and Mrs. Claus are very happy. :)

18 comments:

Nancy said...

SO HAPPY SANTA IS COMING HOME!! I loved your post and can only imagine the shenanigans that must go on with these two dogs on a daily basis. So funny!! (course I don't have to live with it, LOL!)
Enjoy your husband's visit.
XO
NANCY

Thimbleanna said...

SO fun to meet your family!!! Your kids are adorable. Bras??? That cracked me up. Um gee...I think I can tell which pup you're partial to LOL??? Have a fab time with Santa!!!

Cindy said...

So very glad to hear that Santa is home for abit. And yeah, bras? ohmygosh....LOL. Funny as always!!!

-c
yapping cat

Charmingdesigns said...

Your dogs are soooo funny! My kitty found the bag of freshly made pumpkin donuts that I got at our local produce stand...ohhhh the mess he made.lol. Glad your Mr. Santa is coming home safe and sound.

Amy said...

What a super duper post!!! I love the way you write a story!!!!
Your family is so beautiful. You are a truly blessed woman!
Amy

Debbie Miller of Onion Patch said...

ROFL!!! Cathy, you sure do know how to tell a story and draw me in! I can relate to the dogs - I have two with the same dispositions. I kind of felt like I was the only one feeling this way about them - rather therapeutic. LOL
I'm sooooo happy Mr. Claus is coming home!!
Many Blessings,
Debbie

kaniki's said...

Hi Cathy!! As always- I just love love your posts.. So fun!!

Sooo happy to hear that your hubby is on his way home Soooon!!! YAY!!!! Hope it's a grande week for you my friend!!

God Bless!!
Niki
Kaniki's Prims & Whims...

Rebecca Ramsey said...

HURRAY! I had no idea Santa was in Iraq. How'd I miss that?
Your family is absolutely beautiful. I know it will be heavenly to reunite!

......Thimblefolk.......Barb McNamara said...

Cathy, Your dog post is very funny, as usual.

Have a wonderful homecoming with Santa!!!!

Barb

Mary Isabella and Kiley too! said...

I am so happy that he is coming home. Have a great time...m.

Jann said...

Love your post and photos! Your kids are just beautiful! Love the photo of your hubby, too--I will keep him and all of you in my prayers. You are blessed!

Nancy Malay said...

What a great post, Cathy!

tipper said...

We have a rat terrier-Ruby. She looks like yours-except she is much chubbier : ) Cute dogs.

Enjoyed seeing your kids-and WHOPEE WEE I'm glad Santa is coming home!!

chess said...

Your dogs are cute especially the white one. I wish to have dogs but sad to say my son is allergic to it.

Samantha said...

Our cat is named Maddie. But she does not answer to that. Because from about her second day here I have been referring to her as "Evil" for reasons I will not get into here. She hears "Evil" and comes running!
Wow, I thought I looked forward to Santa's annual visits in December! You must be beside yourself with anticipation! Have a wonderful reunion.....

Flora said...

OH MY GOODNESS your two dogs are almost exactly like my two dogs and that picture of your Cooper, with his teeth snarl, well he is the spitting image of my Jake, my rat terrier!!!
And your Jude looks a lot like my Coco, a poodle and same demeanor you describe on both!!!Too funny!! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and
please thank your husband for my family for taking care of us and keeping our country safe!!!
Blessings,Flora

Jann said...

Such a fun post! I laughed at the dogs, smiled at the beautiful kids all grown up, and said a prayer for your hubby to come home safe. You always make me smile!

Jann said...

Oh, guess what? I'd already read this post and commented--silly me! Well, that's what happens, I guess, when you've been taking care of family and are not getting enough sleep at night!