Three Milestones: Dance, Dance

This post marks three milestones: Today PJ is 16 months old. This is the 400th post on Pickles and Onions. And as of today, this blog has been viewed almost 41,000 times.

The only way I know how to celebrate all those together is to turn up the music and get my groove on. Naturally, not alone ... cause, really, who wants to see a video of me dancing? I'm guessing not even my mom would be in for that one.

I'm dancing with PJ of course!

We make a great dance pair, right?

Though I'm guessing I'd get voted off if this was "Dancing with the Steinbachs". In that light and considering it is another month day for PJ, here's another video of just PJ with first his favorite stuffed puppies, then his mommy's giggle, then getting his groove on, and finally jumping onto his papa.


Don't you just want to join in? Go ahead and thanks for joining us on this journey, for celebrating with us, and for sticking around!


xo

Freddie 3.0 - Can You Believe That?!

What did you think the Freddie story was over? No way!

Our friends, the Tamburos, also known as Freddy Fourpaws's parents, sent PJ his own, stuffed Freddie for his birthday. He has become a quick favorite.

Thanks!

xo

Walking Freddie 2.0

Remember Freddy Fourpaws? And then Freddie 2.0? The friendship between Freddie 2.0 and PJ continues. They even go for walks together these days.

xo

Freddie 2.0

While we were in the US, PJ built a friendship with my friends' little puppy dog Freddie Fourpaws. Everyone was pretty sad when we the relationship went on hold because we flew back to Germany, especially since hardly anyone we know here has a puppy.

But no fear: solutions will always be found!

At the American baby shower way back when, we were gifted a toy from Sweetheart's dad's own childhood. (Yeah, how freaking cool is that!?!) It is a dog that makes a really loud 'barking' noise when pulled along the floor. I'm pretty sure that most of us had one when we were young. It also has a bunch of metal and floppy ears and other pieces that most likely led it to being pulled off the market but, hey, we are all still alive and kicking.*

As little man has grown in confidence walking - no more crawling in these parts - he has started to befriend this dog toy, even starting to pull it behind him. For some reason I started calling it Freddie, even petting it and pulling it along too. PJ gleefully picked up on that and there we go: certainly not an upgrade, but the continuation of a lovely friendship.

Just don't tell Freddie Fourpaws.



PJ and Freddie 2.0



PJ making Freddie 'bark'.





xo
*I'm not sure yet how, but I'm positive that statement will come back to haunt me.

Puppies!

We don't have a dog. We probably won't ever have a dog. Another cat? Sure. A dog? I can already see the Mr. shaking his head. There is the whole need to walk the dog; train the dog; find a good babysitter for the dog when we go on three week vacations to the US; etc.

But I like dogs and it appears that all of my family and friends do too because in the past few years almost everyone has gotten a dog. My sister got a massive one and then gave it the massive name 'Coco'.

Riiiiight.

PJ had a sort of complicated relationship with Coco. Coco really liked PJ and was protective of her smallest charge but she's huge and, although she was well-behaved, PJ (and his parents) couldn't quite relax when Coco was around. However, he could ride her like the half-puppy she is, which made everyone involved happy:

Everyone happy with a good puppy ride.

A few years ago my nana got a shy, middle-sized puppy with the very appropriate name Lulu. This relationship was equally as complicated but for the opposite reason: PJ really liked Lulu and Lulu wasn't having it.

"Ooooh, I really like this one!", says PJ.

"How much longer will this kid be here?", says Lulu

There was also middle-sized Booker who wasn't too excited about PJ and PJ wasn't too excited about him - but I think both were tired when they met each other. We'll give that another shot when we visit the US next time. Sorry, no pictures.

Then we got to Pittsburgh. My friend and her husband also have a dog, Freddie Fourpaws. Neither PJ nor Freddie were too excited at the start but that changed quickly when Freddie realized the amazing source of table food PJ was going to be. Then PJ realized how much fun a playmate his size could be. And they were buds all week long.

Freddie would wait for PJ to come down in the morning, come back from wherever we were, and get back in his high chair and start dropping food again already. PJ called out for his puppy, followed him around, tried to share his toys, learned how to "pet" his little friend (relatively) gently, and just generally loved on his friend.

PJ and Freddie playing together.

Little man even started to call out "Freddie" (soft F, non-existent R, strong "eddie!") when he saw his puppy-friend. We tried so hard to catch it and did ... but not quite. What them enjoy each other in this little clip.

xo