playing in the snow

I'm a little late in this posting. I've been catching up on my sleep after playing so hard with my friends.

my friend, Jack

my friend, Ava

my friend, Alli

my best friend, Betsy

Betsy again (I'm the cute one.)

This is my friend, Jake. He doesn't know we're friends yet, but he soon will. He won't be able to resist my charm for much longer.

My family

I think I forgot to introduce my family. Here they are:

Mat. The kids call him dad.

Laura, aka: mom.

Ava and Betsy (and me)

Jack (and of course, me)

my favorite toys

Mr. Big Head

Simple, but fun.

Laura made this one. It has a plastic bottle inside that crinkles and scrunches. It is my 2nd favorite toy. See below for my favorite.

Smil-o (it was Jack's but he donated it to me.)

Turtle. It belongs to Ava and Jack. They don't actually know I play with it. I'm pretty sneaky.

Rope.

Pig-tug. My 3rd favorite toy.

Cow. It was Betsy's, but of course, now it is mine.

Kong.

Glo-ball it changes colors, look below.

Teddy.

My all time favorite toy, Betsy.

I "new" I was advanced, but...

I had no idea how musically inclined I was. Check out this video. I really surprised myself.

ok, so the video isn't the best quality, but am I fabulous?

Things I know...

• "Wanna eat? or Are you hungry?"
• The sound of my dish. It makes me come running (if I'm not sleeping.)
• Whining before I have to do my "business." Sometimes it's at the door, sometimes it's wherever I'm standing. (I've also discovered a new "business" place called the basement. If the door to that basement is open, I don't even bother with the whining, I just head down there.)
  
• Whining at the door. Sometimes to do my business outside, but sometimes just to watch the neighbors (they are very interesting people and some of the creatures out there are fascinating. Not to mention the tasty plants and dirt.)
• My name of course, along with the many others they call me (see earlier post, I think my name is...)
• "Come" which means I get yummy treats if I walk to the person who said the word.

Something I hear often, and it means I get lots of great cuddle time, "that is the cutest puppy I have ever seen!"

Playmates

Please just play with me!

Since she won't play; I'll find another playmate.


I think she's coming around!

I think my name is...

Norman, but I've been hearing a lot of other things that I think refer to me.

• Norm
• Normy
  
• Mr. Norman
• Norman Tuttle
• puppy, puppy
• good boy
  
• sweetie pie
• what are you eating?
  
• Betsy
  
• Emmet, Edward, Howard, Oscar, Jack, what ever your name is
• Ugh! not again! (they only call me this after I have an accident on the floor, or Jack's bed)
  
• Nervous Norman (not so much now that I'm getting use to this new place.)
• Stormin' Norman
• Ouch!
• Stop!
• Mom, help!
• Norminator (which is, by the way, my all time favorite.)
  

Puppy heaven

I stumbled upon puppy heaven this afternoon while looking for a good place to nap. Someone wonderfully left open a door and inside was pure bliss...shoes, and laces, and more shoes (see post "Things I chew"). I was overwhelmed; I didn't know where to start. I couldn't leave the surprise gift unappreciated so I found the softest, best smelling, chewiest shoes I could. After chewing for a little while (of course doing no damage; after all I am still a baby) I remembered my original intent of opening this door to paradise; I took my nap.

Things I like to chew...

wicker (which really is my favorite), chairs, couches, tables, hands, feet, ears, anything on Jack, Ava's dirty socks, paper (it's really fun to shred!), paper bags, blankets, pillows, my bed, Betsy's bed, Betsy's crate, Betsy's favorite bone, Betsy, pumpkin stems, rose bushes, sticks, Hannah's hair (Ava's friend), rugs, towels, shoes, shoes laces, sometimes my toys, really anything that doesn't move, and anything that moves

All about me.

I'm Norman. I'm a blue bearded collie. I used to be Wrangler, and I guess on paper I'm going to be named after a Rodeo Bull, Neon Nights (this has significance to be revealed later). My mom is a real herding dog, too!

I lived with Kiwi, my 2 sisters, 6 brothers, and Tish (she was the nice lady who fed us, played with us, and kept us healthy) on a ranch in Yamhill County. Now I live with my new family in Portland: Ava (she's 7), and Jack (he's 5) who are both great new playmates, Laura and Mat (we get our special time when the kids are sleeping, around 3am and 4am). There is this other brown bearded collie, Betsy who looks like my old mom, Kiwi, or my aunt Bubbles, but she just keeps a close eye on me. She tells me in dog language "no sudden movements around me, kid." But, today was promising - she wagged her tail when I sniffed her. (She knows that she shouldn't mess with a rodeo bull.)


Tish said that I like to take lots of naps, so I surely didn't want to contradict that! When I'm not romping around with my new playmates, I pretty much just sleep alot during the day. Then, at night I spend a good chunk of time whining for someone to play with me. I've already found all of my favorite places to sleep including, (but of course not limited to), the bed Laura made especially for me, on the fireplace tiles, under all sorts of furniture, and on the blanket a lady named Stacey made (especially for me- well actually, especially for Jack, but I've claimed it as my own). See the pictures below to see me sleeping!

*By the way, I hear this Stacey lady does a hilarious impression of "Bearded Collies happy" and "Bearded Collies sad". If you ever run into her, just ask her to do it.

This is me cuddling with one of my litter mates before I came to my new home. Tish said, I was one of the most loving puppies!

This is me sleeping on one of my litter mates before I came to my new home.

on my new bed

At the front door. I really wanted to be outside, but it was wet out there.

under stuff

with my new blanket



Me at the fireplace. So I guess this other guy, Emmet, use to like to do the same thing. (he's on the right, in 1997.)

That's it for now, check back later and I'll keep it updated.