First Year Retrospective - Part II

Well, I added a few things to Part I, Things that are Better, then started to think about all the stuff that we've all learned in the past year. So here is Part II - Things We've Learned.

Things We've Learned:

• Don't leave food on the counter, or anywhere else that Ray can reach it, unless you WANT it to disappear into thin air.
• Don't leave kitchen cabinets open.
• Don't leave things in the back yard in places that they weren't before.
• Don't leave shoes with tassels lying around (so far the count is 2 pair of Gregg's shoes de-tasseled, 2 pair of my shoes de-tasseled).
• Always let Ray out to pee before you go anywhere.
• Never, ever, ever leave the door to the cat room open. Ray hears the hook come out of the eye and sneaks in Ninja style every time.
• Never leave a cup of coffee anywhere. Even if you think Ray can't reach it, he can.
• Ray's neck is long enough to stretch to the bottom of the sink.
• Ray is always taller than you think. I think he may have two pair of high heels hidden somewhere that he can slip on at a moments notice.
• Ray can smell a baby a mile away.
• As far as dogs go, Ray is as stubborn as they come but sweet, sweet, sweet.
• When going out to the backyard to cut asparagus, never carry a knife in your back pocket and ALWAYS keep an eye on the spastic cannonball.
• You can't trust a blind dog with yarn or wool of any kind.
• You cannot force a friendship between a dog and a cat.

Things Ray has Learned:

• How to walk without tripping over curbs.
• How to jump into and out of cars (it's harder to get him out once he gets comfortable in the back seat).
• How to climb stairs.
• How to open the gate to the stairs.
• How to sit.
• How to stay (temporarily).
• How to flop (he is pretty good at doing this when kids are around - but only after he realizes he is not allowed to jump on them).
• How to shake hands.
• How to Go (leave the room - - and come in a different door).
• That there really is no chance that he will be allowed to help cook or be offered food that is being cooked.
• Cat food tastes better than dog food.
• There is nothing more fun than the dog park.
• If you just bide your time, the humans will slip up eventually and you can get what you want.

Things Moonie has Learned

• Ray can be avoided pretty easily but you can't trust him to not sneak up on you.
• Dehydrated chicken livers taste pretty good.
• Once the dog is asleep you can sniff his feet and he doesn't know.
• If you wait until after dinner, the dog doesn't bother you.
• Things will never be the same.

Things Hugo has Learned

• Dehydrated chicken livers taste pretty good.
• Dog food isn't too bad either.
• If you sit on the stair landing, you are invisible.
• If you wait until after dinner, the dog doesn't bother you but he steals your seat next to mom.
• Things will never be the same.