Day 23: Happy half-birthday to me!

Dear world,

Today was a huge day for me. I officially turned 6 months old. That is half of one whole year.

This is my official 6 month portrait.

I celebrated with some playtime at my extended family's house. The sitter forgot to pack my camera, so I could not snap any selfies while I was there. (I am hoping my family will send me some pictures that they took. I am 1,000,000% adorable, so surely they took one million pictures, maybe even two million.)

I jumped and barked and played with my toys. You really cannot ask for a better day. If this was my half-birthday party, I can only imagine how awesome my real birthday will be. I should start planning now.

This is me when we finally made it back to the sitter's house. I fell asleep about 15 minutes later.

Wish me luck, world! Only 40 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 22: Let us try something new

Dear world,

Because I am a puppy, I usually get to do something new for the first time every day. It could be the first time that I play in a certain spot, or have a new treat, or misbehave in a new way. (I like to keep the sitter on her toes.)

My new thing for today is posting a video. That is right! A video!

This is me the first time I had my yummy bully stick.

I hope the video works, but if it does not, remember how much I like inspirational quotes.

If at first you do not succeed, bark until the sitter does it for you.

Wish me luck, world! Only 41 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 21: TBT Gracie

Dear world,

It is hard to imagine how much smaller I was only a few months ago. I have been eating all my food and treats just so I can grow up big and strong.

It is Thursday, which to some is also known as "Throwback Thursday." I want to get into the spirit of TBT with this little gem.

This is me on the first day that I came home to my Mom and Dad's house. I was tired after a very long car ride.

Notice that my paw is wrapped up. I do not remember that story very well, but I wore that splint for what felt like half my life.

This is me now. Same monkey.

Wish me luck, world! Only 42 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 20: Let us talk

Dear world,

So this morning I took a few minutes to look back over the past couple of weeks and I am starting to see that I can be a handful! That probably explains why my sitter has started to give me Kleenex to destroy whenever she needs a few minutes without me jumping on her.

Here is some of my best work.

Now just a reminder to everyone that it is Bell Let's Talk Day. Remember to share and tweet and call and talk.

Wish me luck, world! Only 43 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 19: Gracie's little wonders

Dear world,

It does not take much to make me happy. And if it fits in my mouth, then I am thrilled.

Two wonderful things have made their way into my life recently. The first is my bully stick. Out of nowhere it appeared. Like magic.

Delicious does not even begin to describe it. Since I started chewing it a few days ago, the sitter has been calling me "bully breath." Her kindness is appreciated.

The other special find was a leaf in the backyard! I couldn't believe my eyes when I found it blowing across the snow. I wanted to keep it, but it crumbled in my mouth before I could get it in my scrapbook.

This is all that remains. I will grind it into the carpet so it will be with us always.

Wish me luck, world! Only 44 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 18: It is back

Dear world,

I do not understand why no one has invented a vaccine for the "job." My sitter has caught it again. I had two days of puppy bliss and now this. I just want to smack my paw onto my forehead and shake my head in disbelief. If they can invent vaccines for puppy diseases, why not the human ones?

So suffice it to say, I had a very restful day. Lots of sleep, which might not be such a bad thing considering I was tired from the past two days.

I think the sitter feels bad about having to leave me during the day. She always plays with me when she gets back. One of my new favourite ways to play is nibbling on my cat toy while on my back.

I do not know why my sitter calls it a "cat" toy. I can only imagine one scenario and it does not seem very good for the cat.

Wish me luck, world! Only 45 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 17: A word of warning

Dear world,

I was right that yesterday turned into a fairly good day. We went for a long a walk to places where I have never been before and I found rabbit droppings in the backyard. Talk about a jackpot!

There was, however, one unsettling moment towards the end of the day. I happened to get my two front paws up far enough that I could smell and nibble on the sitter's rosemary and basil plants. I have done this many times before but this time my paws got stuck in the dirt and when I got down, I had accidentally spread dirt all over the floor.

The sitter did not act like she was too upset, but she has a strange way of showing it. All of a sudden THIS made an appearance.

This sucking machine makes an awful noise and you never know when it will start screaming, so I am afraid. (The sitter took this picture for me. She is not afraid to touch the sucking machine.)

So while she cleaned up the dirt, I hid in my travel crate. It was the closest place for safety. Thank goodness the sitter leaves it out for me!

After such a fright, I was pooped. I decided to put myself to bed early.

To any puppies out there, be careful around those sucking machines. Keep your toys and treats far away.

Hopefully today will be quieter.

Wish my luck, world! Only 46 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 16: Another "normal" day

Dear world,

So earlier this week, my sitter caught another case of the "job." She left me during the day FIVE TIMES! We are talking serious stuff here.

Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised when I woke up this morning to find out that the sitter's symptoms have passed -- no waking up because the noisy box next to her bed started screaming, no early morning walk when it is so dark it is really night, and most importantly, no leaving me behind!!

This morning started with a run through the backyard. It does not seem very cold today. I think spring will be here tomorrow.

After my backyard time, I played on the sitter's bed. She tried to go back under the covers. If you want to know how that went, please refer to my post for Day 9.

So overall, it is looking like it will be a good day for yours truly.

This is me striking a pose. I was in the mood for a selfie.

Wish me luck, world! Only 47 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 15: Lennon's story

Dear world,

When I started "63 days with Gracie" I never imagined it would reach so many humans and puppies. I am touched that so many readers keep returning to follow my journey with the sitter. I now have more page views than days I am old! Incredible.

I would like to thank all my readers, particularly the one who told me about Lennon. My heart goes out to him. Here is his story:

"Hi, my name is Lennon. I'm sad my mom is gone, I keep looking at the door hoping she'll step in. But I'm trying to make myself feel better by nibbling on my kong toy, my favorite plush duck and the babysitter's limbs."

Lennon -- please know that I have been there and I am here to listen. The first days are the toughest, but it gets much easier once you learn how to trick your sitter into giving you extra treats.

Faithful readers, please keep Lennon in your thoughts.

And as always...

Wish me luck, world! Only 48 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 14: My little hobby

Dear world,

Every morning I wake up with purpose in my heart. It beats in a flutter of excitement just at the thought of obtaining unlimited access to the "All-You-Can-Shred Buffet."

This morning when the sitter was in the other room, I looked at it and then looked back to the doorway from where the sitter would soon return. Life is nothing without risk, so I went for it!

I managed to get through one before the sitter caught me.

Looking back, I am not sure if it was really worth the risk however. It would appear the "All-You-Can-Shred Buffet" is now closed.

Wish me luck, world! Only 49 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 13: Do not blink or you will miss it

Dear world,

So my time with the sitter has been flying by. Hard to believe that we have already chipped away at 13 days on the countdown. Incredible.

Here is a photo that I snapped a few days ago. I was not going to use it, but I could not bear to delete it. I love how everything is blurry except that you can finally see my eyes.

Enjoy your day, everyone. Do not let it pass by in a blur.

Wish me luck, world!  Only 50 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 12: Dear tooth fairy

Dear world,

I am becoming a big girl. I can jump high now. I could not always do that. I also sleep through the night. That came with a lot of hard work!

Something else happened to me. I lost a tooth! One minute I was chewing on my special stick while on the couch pillows.

Then in the next minute I spit out the bloody, hard, white bit.

I do not understand why the sitter was so happy. It is just a tooth. Judging by how loud she screams when I bite her arm, I have at least fifty more. Maybe sixty.

Anyway, the sitter seemed really impressed so I decided to keep it. I am still undecided whether I will put it under my pillow at night. Do teeth make good investments? If I hold on to this one, will it be worth more later, like at least twenty bags of treats?

Wish me luck, world! Only 51 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 11: Playtime for readers

Dear world,

It is time to make my little hobby more interactive. Ready?

What is black and slightly white and furry all over?

Me!!!

That was an easy one.

How about "I Spy"?

I spy with my (beautiful) little eyes something that is cute.

Do you see me?

There I am! Thank you for playing.

Wish me luck, world! Only 52 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 10: Help, Nancy Drew!

Dear world,

It was unsettling this morning to realize that things happen in the world when I am asleep. I had no idea that was even possible.

This is how things went down last night. First I was playing on top of the couch pillows. (I found one of the sitter's socks.)

Then I must have been overcome by the dreaminess of used human footwear because I started to fade away. I don't remember taking this selfie, but clearly I was pretty far gone.

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in my crate this morning. Really strange, right? And the most alarming part -- all of my toys that I had methodically spread around the house yesterday were now in a pile next to my daybed in the living room. Who cares about crop circles?! We now have a bigger mystery on our hands!!!

Wish me luck, world! Only 53 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 9: Gracie 1 -- Sitter 0

Dear world,

This morning was a little different. The sitter did not run away like she usually does. She woke me up, I did my business outside and then she brought me into her dark bedroom. She crawled under the covers of her bed while I played with my best bud caterpillar.

Now if you can believe it, the sitter tried to ignore me! Me! Moi! (Yes, that is French. I am a poodle.) So I taught her a lesson. First I jumped on her head and barked in her ear. I do not think she liked that very much because she yelled at me and pulled the covers up right over her head (as if that would stop me! -- clearly a novice.)

So I got her back really, really good. I hopped down on the floor and played just for a few minutes. I believe the expression is "lull into a false sense of security." Then I got really quiet and slithered into the small space under her bed. Thank goodness puppies do not giggle or she would have found me very quickly.

What I hear above me: "gracie... Gracie... GRACIE!!" Then she turns on the light and gets down on her knees and looks under the bed.

I won!

Wish me luck, world! Only 54 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 8: Good things come in round packages

Dear world,

I suffer from a terrible disease. I am not sure what it is called, but my tummy makes noises and feels hollow sometimes. The only way to feel better is to eat yummy things.

The more I eat, the better I feel.

I think my sitter knows about my disease because she always puts out little brown bits for me to snack on. They are not bad, but not as good as those other brown bits in the bag up high on the table. Those make my tummy feel best.

What I find really interesting is that some of my toys have brown bits inside them. I know that sounds gross, but it is not. If I roll my toys around, the bits fall out and soon help me quiet my grumbling tummy. Delicious!

Wish me luck, world! Only 55 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 7: Billy goat Gracie

Dear world,

I love inspirational expressions and quotes. One of my favourites is "you can do anything if you put your mind to it." I live by those words every day. If I want something, I just go for it. "Act now, think later." That is another one of my favourites.

You can call me wild or untrained, but I am just being me.

One thing that I noticed is how much grander everything seems when I am high up. I am not going to let being little stop me from climbing a mountain of snow in the backyard or even the couch cushions. It is better to be up high, taking in the sights.

Here I am enjoying the view.

Wish me luck, world! Only 56 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 6: Caught in the act

Dear world,

Is it my fault that my sitter has decorated her home with delicious furniture? Yes, I know a rhetorical question when I ask one.

Point is that I am tired of being treated like the villain here. Teeth are meant to slice into soft things, and if the sitter refuses to abide by my wishes and let me chomp on her limbs, you better believe that I am going to start chewing elsewhere.

These weedy tote things are awesome. Almost as good as the coffee table and dining room chairs. The sitter can try and stop me, but she has no idea who she is dealing with.

Wish me luck, world! Only 57 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 5: Bunny no more

Dear world,

So this "job" thing that my sitter caught does not seem like it will go away. I think it is like a bad flu, only I am the one suffering.

Another day of being abandoned, but at least I have my overactive imagination to keep me company. This morning I played operation with my pink bunny. His insides are now out.

I slept all afternoon because playing is hard work, you know!

After supper I played zoo animal. My sitter calls me a monkey and a goose.

This is my walrus impression.

Wish me luck, world! Only 58 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 4: Doom and gloom

Dear world,

SOMETHING WENT VERY, VERY WRONG TODAY. I WOKE UP AND HAD MY BREAKFAST AND PLAYED AND THEN MY SITTER LEFT. YES. LEFT.

ME. ALONE.

APPARENTLY IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH A "JOB," WHICH FRANKLY IS A TERRIBLE EXCUSE IN MY OPINION.

I WAS HEART-BROKEN.

MOROSE.

DEVASTATED!!!

BUT I SURVIVED. SOMEHOW.

THIS IS NOT MY BEST SHOT, BUT I WAS SO STRUCK WITH MELANCHOLY THAT I COULD NOT BEAR TO LOOK AT THE CAMERA.

Wish me luck, world! Only 59 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 3: Just chillin'

Dear world,

I can totally get used to this life. So far my days have consisted of playing, eating, napping and going for walks.

That is me just lounging on the sitter's bed. My best advice is to find the exact middle of any bed and claim it as your own. That is where it is comfiest. The exact middle also gives me lots of time to see the sitter coming and I can get away if she tries to put me down on the (less comfy) floor.

Wow! Blogging is tiring. Got to go take a nap.

Wish me luck, world! Only 60 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 2: I dream in mittens!

Dear world,

I cannot even keep up with how many favourite toys I have! It is insane. I love caterpillar and red ball and blue (he is my fuzzy tube) and yellow treat ball and orange treat ball and blue rabbit and cow and mouse and I cannot keep up!

But what I really love most are all the toys we play with the game "Not Your Toy!" I think it is silly to call a game "Not Your Toy!" when it clearly is a toy, but that tells you something about my sitter. She just does not get it sometimes.

Favourite "Not Your Toy!" toys:

• socks
• hanging strings
• hands
• toes
• pant legs
• hair (especially if the sitter does not see me coming!)
• arms
• ankles
• towels

Really favourite "Not Your Toy!" toys:

• hats
• mittens

If you saw me on the street and asked me how much I like mittens, I would be speechless. No joke. Speechless. I love them that much. If you see one, you have to grab it!

Wish me luck, world! Only 61 days to go.

Love, Gracie

Day 1: Freedom!!!

Dear world,

I am a poodle. Although miniature, I have plenty of personality! My mom and dad have gotten me an awesome sitter while they are away for a bit. I was sad when they left, so I channeled my emotions and I have decided to deal with this situation as any other rebellious 5-month-old puppy would -- I am starting a blog.

This is Day 1 and I am doing okay. So far I have eaten my weight in treats and played in the snow. I might have had an "accident" in the house, but the sitter has not found it yet, so it does not count. Being such a good girl is tiring, but thankfully I have my caterpillar to cuddle with on the couch.

Wish me luck, world! Only 62 days to go.

Love, Gracie