Lordy, Lordy, look who's 6-months!

Today is Claire's
6-month birthday so, as you can see in the attached photo, she's really pumped about it. Basically, she's just sitting in her Baby Papasan sucking on a nuk while waiting for her morning bottle. I don't think she even grasps the magnitude of the situation. If she were a dog, she'd be 3-1/2 years old today, which is HUGE! Anyway, I overheard Stew telling Momma that we're all going outside today (it's supposed to be 70 degrees). Claire's going to play in her Jumperoo on the patio while Stew picks up four months worth of my doggie droppings. It's going to be a blast!

In military news... I've always been a firm believer in life-long learning - bettering yourself mentally, physically and emotionally. Along those lines, in my ongoing effort to enhance my combat abilities, I conducted training maneuvers over the weekend in an undisclosed canine agility proficiency plaza (commonly referred to in layperson terms as a dog park). I felt that if I'm going to engage in battle with the Kenmore vacuum and its associated cleaning equipment comrades, then I'm going to want some additional instruction in tactical techniques from some specialists. Therefore, I asked my buddies Lily-the-Beagle and Remmy-the-Lab to provide me with coaching in enemy excavation (Lily) and seizure/retrieval (Remmy). Since Lily and Remmy are mercenaries, I'm not allowed to post their actual photographs. Not only will their expertise aid me in my crusade against the Kenmore terror network, but these new skills will also come in handy during my daily skirmishes with the loathsome squirrels, which have recently started infiltrating the backyard in greater numbers. And just this morning, I found two ducks back there! That's right - ducks. A mallard and a wood duck... and they barely made it over the fence before I got to them. The lucky ducks.

Speaking of the backyard, I've got to get going and make a safety sweep before Stew and Claire head out there. Stew's no Senator John McCain, so I don't need to have a whole platoon of mutts assist me, but I still want to make sure the perimeter is safe for Claire. You never know when a rogue squirrel might decide to attack the patio where Claire will be engaged in the recreational activity I call bouncing (in her Jumperoo).