Return to: BabyworldHi everyone!
Roge is extremely busy at the moment so he asked me to write a note
updating both his dog diary note followers and my own readers. So here
it goes....
I'll start with matters dog. Roge has been very busy over the last
week (or so). His business has meant that we have all been a little
on edge.
The problem is that there is a new dog on the scene at the "compound"
- as Roge so fondly refers to our place. It would appear that everyone
in our neighbourhood is desexed (apart from Mummy and Daddy who have
just announced another Elliot for our house - more on that later).
Anyway, the latecomer to the block appears to not be very desexxed.
So, a week ago, Roge started to act a little strangely. He couldn't
sit still.... He couldn't concentrate.... He had trouble eating....
Things were getting a bit weird.
Now, Roge has been part of the family for about 7 years now (Roge is
about 8 years old). At no point has Roge ever even considered
jumping a fence. His preferred escape route has always been the
elaborate construction of subterranean tunnels or to merely walk
through the fence (depending on its state of repair).
Well, the seductive smells that were apparently emanating from this
new vixen had so muddled Roge's mind that he'd lost the concentration
needed to dig an escape hatch (I was worried that the concentration
required to keep him breathing may also have left him). But,
apparently, he'd discovered a newfound vigour that allowed him to
jump a six foot fence....
The only problem that Roge has is that his sense of smell has never
been particularly acute. This meant that for the first few days of
scent he wasted a day (or more) in each of 3 (perhaps more for all I know)
different backyards - none of which contained the vixen, but all
sufficiently secure to mean that he remained there until rescued by
the owner or daddy or mummy.
On about the fourth day, he discovered that the vixen was in a
backyard diagonally adjoining the compound.
The problem then became one that overhanging trees meant that a
single leap was impossible. Nevertheless, Roge's substantial bulk
coupled with a wooden fence meant that he could neatly step through
a crack in the fence.
Let's just say that Roge has not been particularly keen to return home....
Daddy has been chaining him to a very large, heavy wooden bench
(incapable of being carried by a single dad). However, Roge found
that the bench only impeded him when trying to slip through his fence
crack.
Daddy and I have agreed that Roge is going to leave his current peak
of health through a sustained regimen of overeating (apparently we
have about 6 months before Roge's next maniacal phase). I'm
particularly good at adding and subtracting food whilst Roge eats
(including a little rearrangement). I also enjoy placing food for
Ellie in her water bowl.
Ok, now to matters baby.
I've now got quite a large vocabulary. I've been trying to keep it
from Mum and Dad since I don't want them being able to hide things
from me by using multi-syllabic words. My main disclosed words are:
"Moom" - normally used generically to include both Mum and Dad
"Dud" - when having to refer specifically to Dad
"Jooose" - meaning drink or food and usually used as part of a chant
"MORE!!!" - enough said
"Hut" - when something burns
"Ooch" - when something hurts
"Plaan" - for those flying things
"Brid" - for those other flying things
"Roooge" and "Ehl" - the dogs (Roger and Ellie)
But, I understand far more. Daddy was pretending to a friend that I
couldn't understand "Elliot, go and type a letter using Microsoft
Word". The funny thing was that I was just about to go into the
study to play a little Command & Conquer anyway - so knocking up a
quick letter for Dad was no problem.
I'm also enjoying a few funny walks (part of being a Latham means
inordinate hours spent watching Monty Python (more recently
Teletubbies has been replaced in the mornings by endless episodes of
Star Trek Voyager and Deep Space 9)). I've been required to perform
the following walks:
. tippy toes
. wide walk
. high walk
. slide walk
. heel walk
Daddy has renamed the "wide walk" the "ricket walk" - he's been
telling Nanny that I haven't been eating my veges and that
something funny has been happening to my legs - Daddy loves to incite
discussion with Nanny.
The last important thing I've got to tell you is about the new
Elliot. Apparently, I can expect a little brother or sister next
September. If it's a girl, I'm going to name her B'Ellanna
(pronounced "Baylana"). If it's a boy, I'm thinking Elliot Jr or
perhaps to add a medieval flair - "Elliot the Inferior".
I'm currently passing a number of property laws to assist in a swift
incorporation of the little tike into the family:
1. If I like it, it's mine.
2. If it's in my hand, it's mine.
3. If I can take it from you, it's mine.
4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
5. If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine.
7. If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
8. If I think it's mine, it's mine.
9. If I saw it first, it's mine.
10. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it
automatically becomes mine.
11. If it's broken, it's yours (unless suitable to be thrown
at the dogs).
I loosely based the laws on some rules I found on the Microsoft site.
I was actually a bit sick yesterday - so I got to go to big school
with Mum - it's good there. The big kids really aren't ready for you
to put your finger on the bubbler when they drink. I also got to go
to a Church service at Mummy's school (Ash Wednesday) - you know when
the kids kneel to pray you can actually jump from foot to foot down a
whole aisle! The textas there were also quite remarkable - they were
called "permanent markers" - I now have the best camouflage of any
kid at daycare. Mummy said that the colours should fade as my skin
peels over time.
I miss big school - the girls would give you chips if you sit next to
them and put your hand on their leg or shoulder. Daddy says that I'm
a quick learner, but I need to spend more time on my smile.
Well, I'd better get back to feeding Roge - don't want him to get any
smaller!
See you
Elliot (on behalf of Elliot, Roge, Ellie and Elliot Jr)
PS If you're interested in Roge's adventures, you should try out his homepage:
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