Happy Birthday to ME!

That’s right – today, June 5, 2008, is my fourth birthday! Mom says that means I only get to be a puppy for one more year, and then I have to grow up. We’ll see about that.

To celebrate my birthday, I thought I’d let you know what it’s like to be me. And so, I give you…

A Day in the Life of Sergei

I’m afraid this post is going to be quite long because I lead such an exciting life and I don’t want you to miss a moment of it. Besides, I just know you’ve all been wondering what I do with myself all day. Now you’re going to find out.

I wake up sometime between when the sun comes up and when Dad’s alarm goes off at 7:30am.

Here’s me first thing in the morning. Yes, I sleep
in the rainbox. It’s quite comfy.

Yep, another exciting day ahead.

Once I’m out of the rainbox, I get on the bed and
snuggle with my humans until they get up.

Once Mom gets up, it’s breakfast time. Here I am with Peaches,
Cooper, Captain Jack, and BJ, waiting for food.

You might notice that Raven is missing from the picture above. Sadly, Raven’s cancer came back and he has been very sick lately, so he stays in his room a lot. Sometimes he comes out to eat with us, but not on this day.

BJ and me eating our breakfast. The meal this day
was chicken leg quarters – not a particular
favorite, but still quite edible.

Everybody eats a whole lot faster than me, but that’s okay, because once I’m finished with my food, I go around to the spot where each of the other dogs ate to clean up any tidbits they might have left. I just hate to see good food go to waste.

Checking where BJ ate.

Checking where Captain Jack ate.

Checking where Peaches ate.

Cooper seems to think he’s too good to eat with the rest of us, so he always takes his food onto one of the dog beds on the back patio.

Checking where Cooper ate.

Once all of the tidbits are cleaned up, I get in the pool to
drink some water and wash down breakfast.

And then it’s time for my after-breakfast nap on the
love seat.

When Mom starts cooking breakfast for herself, I move into
the kitchen to catch any tidbits she might drop.
Mmmmm… Smell that sizzling bacon!

I’m always careful to position myself
under Mom’s chair while she’s eating
breakfast, just in case she drops
anything. Mustn’t let food
go to waste!

Once Mom finishes breakfast and goes into her office to work,
I take my mid-morning nap on my chair.

Later, I move into the hall outside Mom’s office for my
late-morning nap.

For lunch, Mom usually has one of those meal-replacement bars,
which I absolutely adore – not for the bar, but for the WRAPPER!

I don’t even know what the bars taste like, but the wrappers make
such a WONDERFUL noise when I chew on them.

Once Mom is finished, I take the wrapper away to chew on it.
I don’t eat it – I just chew it to make the nice crinkly noise.

P-too-ey! Wrapper bits on my tongue.

Once the wrapper has run out of crinkle, I get up on the love
seat for my early-afternoon nap.

Later I move into the downstairs bathroom for my
early mid-afternoon nap.

Once Mom starts prepping dinner, I move into the kitchen
to clean up any food she might drop. Looks like Mom and
Dad are having kabobs tonight.

Once dinner is prepped and marinating, I retire to the
love seat for my mid-afternoon nap.

And then it’s back to the hall outside Mom’s office for
my late mid-afternoon nap.

Eventually, I move back to the love seat for my early late-
afternoon nap. Sometimes I have to share with Cooper.

In the mid late afternoon, I move to the kitchen
to soak up some of the rays coming in
through the back door.

And then it’s back to the love seat for my late-afternoon
nap. (No Cooper this time.)

Once it cools down a bit in the early evening,
I head into the back yard to play. Sometimes
I can get one of the other dogs to
play with me.

But if no one wants to play, that’s
fine because then I just play
by myself.

After playing, I lounge on the nice green lawn and snack
on some of the yummy grass.

When the grass is this nice, sometimes just licking it tastes good.

After playing and lounging, I go back inside to my chair and
settle in to wait for Dad to get home.

YAY! Daddy’s home!

After Dad is home, it’s time for dinner. Turkey wing – YUM!

Me and Captain Jack waiting for Dad to drop some of
his dinner – or at least let us lick his plate.

After eating dinner, me and Dad settle on the love seat to watch a DVD.

When Dad goes upstairs to his office, I get back in my chair for
my mid-evening nap.

And then it’s back onto the love seat for my late-evening nap.

Eventually, it’s time for everybody to head upstairs to bed.

Come on, everyone – it’s bedtime!

On Mom and Dad’s bed for a quick nap while they get ready for bed.

And then I get into the rainbox…

…slide down the side…

…and settle in for the night.

Mom climbed up above the rainbox to take this picture straight
down on me to show you how nicely I fit.

When the rainbox gets too warm, I move into the
bathroom that’s right next to it.

And when that gets too warm, I get back in the rainbox. And that’s
where I wake up in the morning and start all over again.

So, there you have it – a day in my life. Don’t you wish you were me?

–Sergei