Climbing Down the Stairs

Rudy is home and doing well. He has a bandage on his foot and pain pills and antibiotics but he seems comfortable. He is actually here in my sewing room with me as I write this. As soon as he got home he had to go back to the vet's because the bandage had come apart and his sore toe spot was showing. Ken took him back to get him re-bandaged and it seems to be holding.

Emme had some firsts yesterday. This was the first time she had been in the crate for an extended period of time except for night time. We usually limit her crate time to two hours or less but last night we had to go to Canton for a dinner and she had to stay home. I was presenting Mary Regula, the founder of the National First Ladies Library, who had been selected for an award of achievement from the Canton Chamber of Commerce. We left for the dinner at 5:00 and did not get back until 9:30: four and a half hours in the crate, the longest time ever. Emme did OK. She was more than eager to get out and go outside to do her business and to hop all over us. We stayed up about an hour so she would have some time to play before we went to bed. We did go to bed about 10:30 and she slept until 6:50 this morning with no problem.

Emme was able to climb down the stairs last night. For a few weeks, she has been able to climb up to the second floor, which she does every chance she gets. Ken has been encouraging her to try to climb back down after we go up the change into our pajamas each night. Sometime after dinner, Rudy, Emme, Ken and I go upstairs to play "closet ball." This means that we throw a ball or other toy for Rudy to retrieve while we are getting changed. Emme spends her time smelling everything in the bedroom, trying to eat the fringe on the oriental rugs or chewing our clothes when we take them off to put on our pajamas. When we return to downstairs, we used to have to carry Emme who was terrified of going down the steps. Ken has been trying to lure Emme down the steps one at a time by sitting on the steps, patting the lower step and calling Emme down. She has done a few steps, but usually gets frightened and needs a lift downstairs. Last night was the first time that she walked down the steps completely by herself. Ken was always one step lower than she, ready to catch her if necessary, but she did all the steps herself.

Tonight is puppy class and this is the first night that the puppies attend. I am sure that I will have stories tomorrow.