Road Trippin'

Heather and Mr. K love a good adventure. Just one of the many things I love about them.  This weekend, we are on our way to Charlotte, North Carolina again. Next week, we will be marching in the Scottie rescue parade just north of Atlanta. Then, in May, we will likely visit Greenville, South Carolina for another Scottie parade before making a really long trek by Scottie mobile (aka the Scottie Mom car) to Washington, DC., where Heather, Mr. K and I will be attending the annual Blog Paws Conference and visiting Fala once more. After that, a full summer of currently unplanned adventures awaits.

Tonight, I am writing from the road (Scottie Dad is driving) and am reminded of the night I decided to become a Scottie Mom nearly three years ago. I remember looking at Mr. K and thinking how nice it would be to have a companion with me for my summer travels. Of course, I was supposed to be there to help a friend pick a furever friend that night but guess which one of us left with a pup walking by our side? You guessed it! From the moment he hopped in the Scottie mobile, Mr. K was a different dog - eager to see the world. He put his front paws on the steering wheel and looked over the dashboard before I even was able to get situated in the car myself. Both he and I knew we were embarking on the ride of our lives.

In closing, I invite any and all Scottie Moms and friends to share your spring and summer Scottie adventures with us by posting to our Facebook page. Also, be sure to send us a shout out if you notice we happen to be visiting an area near you. Email as at thescottiemom(at)gmail(dot)com and, whenever possible, we will arrange play dates and meetups.

March of the (Evil) Penguin

[caption id="attachment_2300" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Dream a little dream...[/caption]

There is little in this world that Mr. K is afraid of. In fact, until recently, one could argue that there was nothing Mr. K feared. That all changed the night he overheard Scottie Dad talking about a mysterious creature called a penguin. This strange bird lives in Antarctica and somehow claimed Scottie Dad's heart from afar. In fact, Scottie Dad - or should we now say Penguin Dad - adopted this strange penguin and his whole family! He even dared to say penguins are his favorite. Wait, I'M supposed to be Scottie Dad's favorite, thought Mr. K. Who does this strange penguin think he is, stealing my Scottie Dad? That night Mr. K drifted off to sleep with a heavy heart.

[caption id="attachment_2301" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Oh no! The penguins are real!![/caption]

That's when the nightmare started. Out of nowhere, a penguin invaded Mr. K's dreams. The penguin jumped onto the very bed Mr. K was sleeping in and demanded Mr. K give up his favorite green toy...or else. Mr. K, having been startled awake, was shaken at first but quickly said no to the evil penguin and rested his head down on the pillow to get some sleep. The evil penguin had taken enough from him: first, his Scottie Dad's affection and now, his toy? No way.

[caption id="attachment_2302" align="aligncenter" width="500"] What does this penguin want from me now?[/caption]

The evil penguin wouldn't take no for an answer and marched up Mr. K's back to tell him just who was boss. Mr. K's eyes shot wide open at this invasion of personal space. The evil penguin told Mr. K that Scotties no longer ruled the roost in the Penguin Dad household and that his Scottie Mom would soon replace every photo of him and Heather with pictures of the newly adopted penguin family. Vacations and blog posts and treats...all things that used to be dedicated to the Scotties would now be dedicated to the penguins. And there was nothing, the evil penguin said as he marched away, that Mr. K could do about it.

[caption id="attachment_2303" align="aligncenter" width="500"] First, he takes my Scottie Dad. Now, my toy...[/caption]

As if that wasn't enough of a nightmare for Mr. K, the poor pup realized the evil penguin walked away with his favorite green toy after all. That's it, thought Mr. K, I will have no more of this nightmare. I will show that penguin what a Scottie is made of! And while no one can say for sure what happened to that evil penguin that haunted Mr. K so, the next morning, Scottie Mom and Dad woke to find Mr. K sporting a little extra...fluff...in his beard.

[caption id="attachment_2309" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Penguin? What stuffed penguin?[/caption]

Defeating the Mondays

Heather knows her Scottie Mom is NOT a fan of the Mondays. However, she refuses to let the weekly recurrence of the Mondays get to her Scottie Mom and came up with a list of tips for getting through the work week that will help all working Scottie Moms feel they are being reunited with their Scotties even sooner.

5. Frame us. Take individualized photos of us, choose the best ones and place them in matching frames. Make sure we're giving off our best Scottie smiles or, if you really think you'll need a good pick-me-up during the day, dress us in work attire like a tie or some nerdy glasses. Take those frames to work and place them on both sides of your computer. It'll be like you have your Scottie team rooting you on as you type, type, type. (Plus, I bet you'll sneak in a few smiles, too!)

4. Ask yourself: what would my Scottie do? If you find yourself in an unusually tough situation, think of us and how we determined, little Scotties would handle it. After all, we're troopers and know a thing or two about getting in, out and around certain scenarios ourselves! Think: raiding the trash and "disposing" of the evidence in our tummies. You may walk away with some sound advice or simply a wide smile and a new perspective on life, especially if your Scottie's answer is usually: "Pee on it and walk away" or even "Treat?"

3. Take a break. If you're fortunate enough to live close to home, use that time to come visit us and take us for an afternoon walkie. Even if the distance is a little much and you're having a really bad day, it might be worth the journey to see us get excited about our Scottie Mom being home unexpectedly. Don't worry, our greeting will still be just as enthuastic when you do it again a few hours later. The best part is: you get TWO happy Scottie greetings for the price of one!

2. Ring, ring. Answer the phone as if you knew it was us calling. On second thought, don't. You might freak out the caller and your colleagues if they hear that high-pitched, jibber jabber Scottie Moms are notorious for. Still, just thinking about doing that made you laugh, didn't it? There. We just made your day better already!

1. Take us with you (if you can). Ok, I know our super cute Scottie-ness can be distracting but you have to admit: having your Scottie in the office not only allows you to be guilt-free (we know you hate leaving us at home) but provides you comfort and companionship as well. Plus, studies show having cute pups like us in the office makes everyone more friendly anyway. What's to lose?

When jealousy strikes...

[caption id="attachment_2286" align="aligncenter" width="500"] I was here first...[/caption]

Adding another dog to the mix changes a Scottie. Just ask Mr. K. In the matter of one afternoon - the day we brought Heather home - he went from being the alpha dog, the king of the roost and the sole proprieter of Scottie Mom's love and affection to the master of bowing out of the way to make room for the queen bee so she can get the loving that she wants, even if it means letting her beat your face with her tail. The drastic change was astounding.

Mr. K only attempted to regain his alpha status twice - both times on the very day we brought Heather home. He was shut down by an intervening Scottie Mom and he soon learned there was enough love to go around for the two of them. With that, he adjusted to life as a little brother and said goodbye to life as an only child. Sometimes I wonder what's going on in that head of his and what exactly changed to make those ears go down and for him back away when Heather passes by. Scottie Dad, in his own way of showing concern for his little man, now hosts pep talks and "guy chats" when he comes home with Mr. K to boost his sense of self and to attempt balance between the masculine and the feminine reign. (Ironically, Heather leaves me the minute Scottie Dad starts talking and pushes Mr. K out of the way so she can have his attention instead.)

There are some days, however, we see glimpses of the "old Mr. K." Take last night for example: he was sitting at the foot of the couch and I was stretched out on the other end. Heather decided it was time to join and hopped up next to Mr. K. Half in a slumber, Mr. K let out a soft growl and Heather stood there looking at me and wagging her tail. I called her over and hushed Mr. K. For a brief moment, Heather climbed onto my lap (a rarity - my girl likes her space). When she turned around to make herself comfortable, there was Mr. K, now sitting up, looking concerned and watching Heather take his favorite spot in Scottie Mom's lap. This was obviously not okay with Mr. K but that's never stopped Heather before!

Alas, Heather didn't sit down and opted to go to her favorite spot at the foot of the couch instead. It was as if the two traded silent signals and agreed to switch places right away. You could almost see the relief in Mr. K's eyes that Scottie Mom's lap had not been defiled by another dog, even if that other dog was Heather. He marched over and nestled close. Within minutes, Mr. K was snoring and Heather was drifting off to sleep, too, but I had to laugh: what was that about? Did I just witness some super secret Scottie code? Did Heather just threaten Mr. K that she'd sit in my lap if he didn't leave her spot? Was Mr. K really that jealous of the thought of another dog sitting in Scottie Mom's lap? I suppose there are some thing about my Scotties I'll never know...

Up Close & Personal

Heather wanted to get a closer look at the camera that always takes her picture to show the world. She hoped to get a glimpse of those watching her every move but found it was just another picture of her. Alas, she had to admit it was a cute shot and Heather broke out her best smile to show her approval. Happy Wordless Wednesday!

Be Inspired by a Scottie

Every Scottie has a story, and Heather and Mr. K have decided it is time we open up the floor to other Scottie Moms eager to share their Scotties' inspirational tales. We've noticed a lot of our Scottie friends like Kyla, Fergus and Finlay have not been feeling well lately and we thought, what better way to cheer them up than by giving them a little Scotspiration!

Know of a Scottie who brightens the world one tail wag at a time? How about the hero Scottie who protects his hoomans from the likes of dust busters and vacuum cleaners? Did your Scottie defy the odds and defeat illness or fought a brave battle that taught you a valuable life lesson? We want to hear about these Scots! Send us an email to thescottiemom(at)gmail(dot)com and tell us about your inspirational Scottie(s). Be sure to include your Scottie's favorite picture as well. We'll be sure to post some Scotspiration at least once a week to keep you going and to raise those spirits up!

The Panty Snatcher

[caption id="attachment_2266" align="aligncenter" width="500"] How could a Scottie this cute commit such a crime?[/caption]

Laundry days for this Scottie Mom consist of about five or six piles of sorted clothes which one by one get their turn for a spin in the machine. About a quarter of what gets washed makes it to the dryer. The rest is hung around the apartment to dry (in an effort to be more "green"). When laundry days come around this Scottie Mom household, you may find two nosy little Scotties poking their heads around the corner to see what's happening and sometimes, you'll even see them climbing on top of the piles that haven't been washed yet to rest.

Of course, I know what you're thinking because it is probably exactly the same as what I think everytime I see it: awwww! However, as with any mischievous Scottie, there is always a catch. I knew something was up when I had to start washing certain personal items of clothing more often, as there simply didn't seem to be enough of them to get me through a week or so anymore - which, given my love for Victoria's Secret, seemed impossible. It wasn't until one of my favorite, new pairs went missing that I realized something really wasn't right. Surely, I would not have gotten rid of something I had just bought.

Then, it dawned on me: previously, when I had gone to shower and left the bathroom door open, I found the pajamas I had left on the floor moved around and scattered as far as down the hallway. Could this be the work of one of the Scotties? And if so, why this one article of clothing and not a tank top, a sweatshirt or even jeans? So, I began searching around the apartment for clues. I found a sock in under the couch but other than that, I did not find anything else. What did my Scotties do with all the panties?

Well, as it turned out, a few had been ripped to shreds, a few had teeth marks but had made it through the Scottie teeth test (thus far) and the rest were stashed in a pile under the hooman bed - this happened when Scottie Mom lived alone. It was as if this mysterious panty snatcher kept a reserve at his or her disposal in case the current ones were completely destroyed and therefore, suddenly useless to his or her entertainment. And how did I come to realize just who the panty snatcher was, you ask? It was another laundry day in the Scottie Mom household and I was sitting on top of the hooman bed reading a book when I heard a soft, "chomp, chomp, choming" coming from under the bed. I got up, lifted up the bed skirt and who did I see? Mr. K having a blast and, having been caught, gave me a look that said, "I swear - it wasn't me!"