My 6th Birthday

The Birthday Boy!

Happy birthday to the smartest, most handsome pup I know:  Me!  

As my loyal readers know, last Sunday was my birthday.  I am now six years old and let me tell you, as time goes by, my family and friends have really impressed me with their ability to make each birthday more spectacular than the last (though I don't believe they'll ever be able to surpass my first birthday in impressiveness--it's not every day that the entire town holds a parade for you (for those who don't remember, a summary of that day can be found here)).  So, as I was saying, this year's birthday was a real hoot.  Here's what happened:

My special day started with some quality time lounging on the deck out east.  I love deck time—lying on the wooden planks soaking in the nice warm sun and watching the world go by.  I love it so much that I’ve even worked it into a kind of tradition when we're out there.  You see, when Pa goes out first thing in the morning to buy the newspaper, I insist that Ma and I go outside onto the porch and wait for his return.  It’s a great system (and a great start to the day).

Later in the day, after Pa, Ma, and I drove home, Sister greeted me with a pretty package that Mecki and Bastille’s mom had dropped off that morning (I was a bit bummed to learn that I had missed Karin because a) she’s really nice and b) she always has a pocket full of treats).  Like the good boy I am, I waited patiently as Sister took her sweet time removing the tissue paper from the bag (I might have jumped up on her a couple of times to speed her along, but I honestly don't remember...the whole event is a bit of a blur to me now).  Anyway, once she finally got through the tissue paper, Sister reached into the bag and pulled out my birthday present!

That's right!  Mecki and Bastille gave me TWO brand new Mini-Mecks (for those not in the know, Mini-Mecks are plush squeaker toys that bear an uncanny resemblance to my bff Mecki).

Wait, Where's the Other?

My and My Mini-Meck

Sister immediately gave me the orange Mini Meck which I quickly carried into the backyard to gnaw, roll, and slobber on.  But, despite all the fun I was having, I knew that there was a second Mini-Meck waiting for me and I eventually hurried over to Sister (with the orange Mini-Meck still securely in my mouth) to retrieve it.  That's when my perfect day became a little less perfect.  Sister said I couldn't have the second Mini-Meck right then and there; she said that I'd have to wait until the next time we went out east because it was a special toy that required a big yard for an optimal playing experience (its neck is a slingshot of sorts which means Sister can send it flying across long distances).  I wasn't fond of this explanation, but I managed to get over it by concentrating on the Mini-Meck I had and my task of ripping out its squeaker which I managed to do just about 12 hours later (it's currently in the toy hospital drying out and awaiting surgery).

My Purple Hedgehog

A few hours later, Sister presented me with the birthday gift that she bought:  A purple hedgehog squeaker toy with a tennis ball stuck in its belly.  Just as I had with my orange Mini-Meck, I carried the hedgehog into the backyard and proceeded to gnaw, roll, and slobber all over it.  And let me tell you, I can't express how surprised and pleased I was when I finally managed to pry the tennis ball out of the hedgehog's belly.  My one toy had morphed into two!

Needless to say, after all that had happened, I was dead tired by the time evening finally rolled around.  But to my surprise, my birthday celebration was not over yet.  You see, after my family ate their dinner, Pa cut up some of their leftover roast beef and gave it to me along with the leftover juices and a little bit of gravy.  It was so tasty, but I couldn't help but notice that he had forgotten to give me some of the potatoes they had also had with the meal.  I'm sure it was an honest mistake.

So, like I was saying, this birthday was a particularly good one.  I got great presents, I got tasty food, and I was even given the opportunity to lounge on my porch out east.  The one thing is, I think I might have had a little too much fun as evident by the following pictures Sister took of me wearing my party hat.  What do you think?