Moments of Kurka

How does one so little take up an entire bed? How many holes does the backyard need? How can such a small ball of fur bring so much joy?

Kurka does not like it when Mama types at the computer. This act does not bring enough attention to the spoiled little sweetheart.

As I write, there is a puppy on the back of the couch, standing on his hind legs, and reaching around my neck on both sides with his fore legs. Warm puppy on my neck is a great feeling as December's wind chills the view out the window. I guess I can put up with the boy trying to chew my hair out of the bun it is in.

I love how he wants to touch at all times. I love when he decides to hide his treats around the house and then whine when Mama gets a little too close to the hiding spot. I love that he still can't figure out how to jump off the bed or on it, but when he forgets his fear, he can do it just fine.

I love watching him run, watching him figure out how to get in his favorite spot, and watching him wake up from a deep sleep. Listening to him dream (and kick me in the process!) is joyous.

Kurka makes my world a wonderful one.

"What part of 'give me a treat' don't you understand?"

Puppies can turn your life upside down! In the past couple years, I've gotten extremely bad at updating this site. My apologies. I cannot bring myself to just "end" blogging, but I also find it hard to put the discipline back into it as I once had. Heck, I joined Facebook and then realized that the status updates go away after awhile and got really mad at the service (well, not really mad, just disappointed) and stopped posting for over a month.

But back to Kurka. He's adorable. He's wonderful. He's a bundle of trouble and he brings a world of joy. He's a handful and the main reason my plants didn't fair so well this past summer. Kurka demands attention and gets it - rightfully so.

He is almost 7 months old now and about 14 pounds. The woman I got him from said he's be 10-12 pounds. I didn't believe her and guesstimated 20 pounds on my own. Which I'm more than okay with.

Kurka has been neutered and had his dew claws in the back removed. He has a chip in his neck in case he ever gets lost and he has plans for trick-or-treating this Saturday night.

He's smart too. Crazy smart. He picks up a new trick just about every week. Since we started working on tricks, he has added Sit, Lay Down, Sit Up, Shake, and Speak to his bag. He's doing okay with High 5. Crawl, Play Dead, Roll Over, Whisper, and Tell Me a Story are in our plans for the next month. As I type this, I might add Don't Chew on Mama's Scrapbook Supplies to the list. But he does know Give Kisses!

I mentioned crazy smart right? About a week and a half ago, I had a cold. Just an annoying sinus thing going around, but the stuffy head gave me a headache. The little bundle of joy decided that was the time to play with the loud toy that is two heads/balls attached with a plastic rope. Both heads have a squeaker in them. My head hurt and I said, "Kurka, let's pick a different toy. This one is too loud." He sat down with the toy and proceeded to rip the squeakers out of both heads! He hasn't done that to any other toy. It was an odd coincidence, but one that made Mama proud.

Kurka has started wearing bandannas now. It is really cute! Today is a new purple bandanna. He has inherited some of Taco and Chip's old items - the new dogs at "Grandma's" don't really do much playing or traditional dog activities. That's unfortunate, but the consequence of being rescue dogs who never got a chance to play as puppies. Kurka is helping each of them out of their shells. Tonight he tried to get Annie to play tug-of-war with a toy. She didn't really get the game, but he tried and tried!

I mentioned inheriting items from Taco and Chip. On Halloween, Kurka is going to be a cowboy. He's wearing Taco's old costume, the one that Grandma made years ago. We're going to put Annie in Chip's old costume too and take them around the block.

Kurka reminds me of both Taco and Chip. He'll do something every day that brings them back into my mind. I love him on his own and I love him more for helping remind me of memories I had almost forgotten.

It is life changing to have Kurka in my home. I love him more than I could ever describe and think he's the best decision I ever made. Hopefully I'll keep up with telling stories about him here.

I hope all is well in the blogosphere. Sorry I've been distant and I hope I'll find a way to reignite this passion. Until the mood strikes again.

Bullet Points of Kurka

Simply put, my life has been changed. Having Kurka here has impacted my existence so profoundly. Right now, I'm typing, but he's next to me, half on me and half on the giant penguin pillow, and he's chewing on a bone.

Everyday, he surprises me with something else. These are just a few of the things he has done that made me take a moment to smile/reflect/jump for joy inside:

• Play hide & seek under the couch
• Figure out how to sit on the back of the couch to watch outside
• Learn how to go up and down stairs at Grandma's
• Find 2 headless baby rabbits in Grandma's backyard
• Find an unborn bird under the tree in our yard
• Discover that his name is Kurka
• Get the ball and bring it to Mama over and over
• Bound through the high grass in the backyard
• Hunt for bugs and various other small animals
• Pick a favorite sleeping spot on the bed - between Mama and the giant pillow
• Steal shoes
• Cuddle in the morning - "Mama, hit the snooze button please"
• Find mazes in the basement to explore
• Steal socks (& underpants)
• Bark at Mama when she's in the shower
• Understand that "breakfast" is in the refrigerator
• Start to comprehend "No Bite"
• Watch airplanes fly overhead
• Chase moths & catch them
• Dig holes in the backyard
• Enjoy riding in the car with his head out the window
• Not enjoy getting shots at the vet (good while there, not happy when he was tired later)
• Chase Pepper, Annie, and Daffy at Grandma's
• Give millions of kisses to everyone he sees
• Figure out how to escape the backyard and follow Mama to put the trash cans out
• Let Mama know when he needs to "Go Outside"
• Go through the doggie door at Grandma's if you hold open the flap
• Eat raspberries, grapes, and gooseberries off the vines at Grandma's and Grandpa's
• Make Mama put a fence around the lilies before they were all destroyed
• Take one quick chomp and destroy Mama's wireless mouse
• Wake up Auntie Dana with kisses
• Play with Duckie, Chicken, Rope, Sheep, Monkey, Frog, and Squirrel
• Make a bed for himself out of a blanket

Life is good.

A+

Kurka had his first visit with the doctor today. He checked up all good - he got an A+ because he was good for weight, temperature, coat & skin, eyes, ears, nose & throat, mouth, teeth, gums, legs & paws, heart & lungs, abdomen, gastrointestinal system, urogenital system, anal sacs, and dietary. (Never thought I'd find a way to talk about anal sacs on this site.)

He is five pounds three ounces and the doctor said he should get to sixteen to eighteen pounds in the next seven months. We go back in two weeks for some shots (additional vaccines, etc). He's only got a few months left of being a true boy - in September he'll be neutered and get a microchip.

Doctor sent Mama home with a folder full of pamphlets and checklists.

Kurka is getting better with house training. As long as I pay attention, it's fairly easy to know when he needs to go outside. He has figured out what outside is. Once he gets on the grass, he relieves himself quickly. He makes Mama really proud. Mama sounds like an idiot - enthusiastically stating, "Good Boy! Outside! Potty! Good Boy Kurka!" There is clapping and excited bouncing involved too. Yeah, having a puppy makes your IQ rise!

He is slowly adjusting to Mama's schedule. Well, Mama is adjusting to his too. It's just after 11 pm and he's looking at me and his little eyes are saying, "Mama, why are we not in bed right now? Hmmm?"

My vacation is over. What a bummer. While I know there are great things at work tomorrow, I'm going to be hurting when I leave Kurka at home. Coming home from work will be a happy moment for me!

Kypka Andriyovych

It's pronounced, "Kurka." In tradition with true Sheepsheadians, it follows the Chicken Conspiracy rules. Although he's super brave, he is being named Chicken.

Actually, Kypka Andriyovych means Chicken, son of the warrior. He's growing into being adventurous.

Since picking up the little guy last Tuesday, we've had a few accidents in the house, but many more celebrations when he went outside. He has found that the couch is his favorite place in the house, but sleeping next to "Mama" is fabulous!

Say hello to the joy in my life: