It’s Raining, It’s Pouring —

It rained, rained, rained all day yesterday. It made my Mom Person very happy and we spent alot of time out splashing in the puddles and singing about the old man who’s snoring. My Mom Person loves that song. I thought it was a good day to stay inside. So we listened to some music and found a good “rainy day” book to read. Do you have a favorite rainy day song or book?

The Mom Person chose a book called The Rainbabies by Laura Krauss Melmed and illustrated by Jim LaMarche. She likes this book because of those illustrations. She says they’re full of light and they shine, which is good on a rainy day. It’s kind of a feel good story about an old man and woman who are sad that they don’t have any children. Then there’s a big rain storm and when they go outside — Lo and Behold! There in the grass are a whole bunch of little tiny Rainbabies!  They look kind of like hamsters to me. But the old man and woman fall in love and take them home. They make tiny clothes for them and let them sleep in shoes.( Sometimes toads like to sleep in my Mom Persons rain boots.) Anyway, they like having the babies and for awhile everybody is really happy.

But then Mother Nature steps in and tries to take the babies away from the old people. First in the river, then in a fire, then with a weasel!  It’s scary!  But it all turns out ok for everybody in the end.

It’s a pretty good book. I think girls might like it alot.

You should check it out!

What Every Kid Should Know Before They Are Five!

We read a cute book at the library this evening. It’s a picture book which is my favorite type of book. And it’s got lots of good information. It’s called Everything I Need to Know Before I’m Five by Valorie Fisher. I think it’s too late for me because I’m 9. But I do know some of this stuff. Like counting. I can count to 3. And colors. I’m supposed to be color blind, but I can always find my favorite pink tennis ball amongst the yellow ones.

My Mom Person says that this is a really colorful book. I guess it is. It does have cute pictures. They aren’t drawings – they’re real pictures, but they’re pictures of toys doing silly things instead of real people, so it’s kind of funny. Like little toy dolls standing on their heads. Or scrubbing giant ladybugs.

  Other things that Ms Fisher thinks 5 year olds should know are the alphabet, and shapes, and opposites, and the seasons. It’s a really nice book, but it doesn’t have 1 single dog in it! Ms. Fisher has her own blog with lots of stuff about her fun books. You should check it out (http://blog.valoriefisher.com/).

I think kids will really like this book even tho there aren’t any dogs.

You should check it out!!

Let’s Go to the Library!

I’d like to take you on a tour of my library! The Somervell County Library in Glen Rose, Tx. Come on in. This is a Grand library, with lots and lots and lots of books. Even more than we have at our house! There are history books and cookbooks and how – to books and science books and gardening books and books just for fun. Everything under the sun!  And if you can’t find a book that you are really really wanting, the very fine ladies that take care of the library can find the book for you through another library! Is that smart or what?

These ladies are outstanding! They work so hard – helping people find books, putting books back on shelves, checking books out, checking books in. I give them 4 paws up!

The library has lots and lots of big windows so the sun can shine in. Sometimes it’s nice to just sit and watch the squirrels playing outside. My favorite place in the library is where all the picture books are. That’s usually where all the kids are, too!  They have some really cute chairs there that I don’t fit in.

Along with all the books, there are lots of computers at the library! Now who would want to look at that computer when there are all these books around?! But there are always lots of people sitting at those computers. I don’t know what they are doing. Looking stuff up or playing games, I guess. Sometimes I go visit  these folks because they just look too serious.

Me and Walker are the only dogs at the library. I don’t know if other libraries have dogs that come visit. I’ve heard that some libraries have cats! My Mom Person even read me a book one time about a library cat named Dewey. Crazy! Does your library have dogs or cats? Or maybe a kangaroo? I’ve never seen a kangaroo.

Libraries sure are great places to visit. You can sit and read, or do some research or your homework, or just come in out of the weather.  I think that libraries are about the only place that you can just go hang out in all day and never have to buy anything!! I love the library!!

These are some other library places you might want to check out —

American Library Association

Public Libraries

A History of Libraries

Going Beyond Survival in the School Library

Go check out your library!  And then tell me what’s so special about it!

Relax!!

Today was about relaxing and de-stressing. Those detention boys sure need alot of that!  We put on some good Native American music with flutes and birds and the guys laid down on mats and the therapist was saying, ” Relax this muscle, relax that muscle, visualize your best place.”  I had that hand rubbing my head –You talk about relaxing!  I went fast asleep.

Do your dogs ever get stressed out? Like when you leave them all alone? Or they can’t find their favorite tennis ball? Or strangers come to visit? We have some music that my Mom Person plays for us that we all like alot. It’s called Through a Dog’s Ear.  My Mom Person got it because one of my housemates is really scared of thunder. He gets really upset. This music helps him feel a little better. And it puts me right to sleep.

What do you do for your dogs to help them chill out? I’d like to know what kinds of things bother other dogs. I hope you have happy dogs!

Check out Through a Dog’s Ear! And have a chillin’ day!

Doctor Maisy and the Stethoscope!

Camden came to read with us at the library this evening. He has just started Kindergarten and is having a great time learning about school. He was very excited to show off his reading skills with Doctor Maisy by Lucy Cousins. The last time Camden came to the library, he read me a story about Little Critter going to the hospital. He must want to be a doctor when he grows up! I think he likes stethoscopes!  That’s a funny word! Stethoscope! In Maisy’s book, she and her friend Tallulah use one on poor Panda who is sick. They take good care of Panda. But then Maisy needs help, too so Nurse Tallulah takes over. It was a very cute book and Camden liked reading it.

I think I’ve told you how I don’t like to go to the doctor’s office. I don’t mind that Stethoscope so much. But I worry about the poking and prodding. And Shots! Oh, My!!

How do you feel about the doctor’s office? What does your dog think about going to the doctor? My buddy, Walker, actually likes to go!  He’s kind of a strange guy. When we both have to go see the doctor, my poor Mom Person has Walker pulling her to get in the door, and I’m pulling her the other way to get back to the car. I’d like to know how other dogs feel about a trip to the doctor.

Maybe you should read Doctor Maisy!

Go check it out!!!

Stethoscope!

May I Pet Your Dog?

When I go to school, all the kids are excited to see me. Especially when school first starts after the summer and they haven’t seen me for awhile.  They like to yell my name – ” Look! Rhythm’s here!!!!” then run to give me a hug!  This is when my Mom Person says -” Whoa!!  Let’s be a little more polite to Rhythm!”  Then we all talk about what dogs like and don’t like about being petted. Most of the time I don’t mind when kids run up to me to say hello. But I know some dogs who really freak out when that happens. And I really like getting petted, but I’m not crazy about getting hugs. If somebody really needs a hug, then I can let it happen because I know it makes them feel better. But I’d rather just get a nice pat and maybe an ear rub.  I know some dogs who really like being hugged. They just go right up to people and ask for hugs! Dogs are all different just like people are.

What do your dogs like? Do they like kids or are they scared of those little whirlwinds? Are they ok with strangers or do they need some encouragement from you? Are they cuddly or not so much? And when you meet a new dog friend, what do you do? Do you bend down in its face to say hello or do you give it a little space? Do you first reach for its head or go around to the side? Things to think about?

We found a really nice book called May I Pet Your Dog? by Stephanie Calmenson. And it has some really great pictures by Jan Ormerod. She gets all the right expressions on the dogs’ faces. This book tells with pictures how someone should come up to a dog to say “Hello”.  It shows how some dogs like kids and some are a little afraid.  I wish everybody would read this book. It would make meeting new friends alot nicer for me and all my dog buddies.

Go check it out!

Do you Clicker?

We got to play clicker games with the detention center girls! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE clicker games!!!!!  We were playing easy ones because the girls were just learning how. They thought that I was sooooo smart!  Which I am! Clicker games make me think alot because the clicker person just stands there and lets me make up my own stuff. So I do all my tricks. I lay down, I roll over, I play dead, I dance, I sing, I go to the mat — aahhaa! There’s that click! And there’s that treat landing on the mat!!  WooHoo! Wag, Wag! I’ll try that again!  Yes!!  That’s all there is to it!  Easy, Peasy, Fun!  Uh,oh! Now why did they put that chair there? I’d better check it out. Aahhaa! There’s that click again! And there’s that treat on the chair!!  I’ll try that again!

I never know what kind of treat I’ll get. It might be apples, or green beans, maybe cheese (yum) or hot dogs ( even yummier!). All of it makes me happy!

My buddy Walker doesn’t like the clicker games quite like I do. He likes to hear that click and get that treat! But he doesn’t want to think too much about it. If he doesn’t get some hints about what the clicker person wants, I can see him kind of zone out. He’s a funny guy. I guess he’s training the clicker person!

Do you play clicker games with your dog? Do you play any kind of games with your dog? All the dogs I know love to play. But everyone seems to like different stuff. What kind of things do your dogs like to play?

You can find out more about clickers if you want to try it with your dog. There are lots of books out there that can help. Karen Pryor is the Queen of clickers. I like being the Queen of the Library!

Go check out clicker books today!  Or tomorrow.

Dancin’ in July!

Aaaaahhhh! Summertime!

We got a new book called July. It’s all about summertime. Summer is over here and we’re starting back to school. I like going to school and I’ve missed all my school friends, but I sure do like summer and playing in the river.
The book July is written by James Stevenson. He’s remembering his summers as a boy. And boy did he have some fun, busy summers! He spent them with his grandparents at the beach!  Grandparents and the beach! You can’t hardly beat that!  This book has great pictures!  You can just feel those kids racing around on their bikes. And feel the wind and rain as they stand in the storm. He talks about his grandparents and the neighbors and his friends and all the fun things that they do. And they’re NEVER in the house except to eat dinner!

I spent alot of my summer playing in the river. That’s the place to be when it’s hot!

What was your summer like? Did you visit the beach? Visit grandparents? Play in the river? Read a good book?

My Mom Person and I like to dance and I’m going to leave you with a couple of our favorite songs so you can dance too! And celebrate summer!

The 1st song is Good Day Sunshine!

And next we have My Girl!

Check out July! You’ll be glad you did!