Maxie's 4th Birthday

Continuing from yesterday's post on the 1st Anniversary of this Blog and Maxie's 4th Birthday, I woke up yesterday eager to make a pile of heart healthy Oatmeal Cookies in papillon shapes!  After trying my hand at shaping and baking a whole dog, I realized the baking process spreads the cookies out considerably, so I settled for 1 cookie shaped somewhat like a papillon head, sitting atop a pile of regular cookies.

Willow (L), Maxie (R)

I dressed Max and Willow up for a little photo shoot.  They were not terribly thrilled and the smell of the cookies was driving them crazy, but they were patient with me and I got a couple of decent shots.  Then I stuck 4 candles in the cookie pile.

Maxie (L), Willow (R)

John, myself, our house guest Wy Ming, and all 4 dogs gathered around the kitchen table, we sang Happy Birthday, and of course I blew out the candles for Max, wishing for many, many more.

John and Maxie, Wy Ming and Willow



Lucky (left), Fooh Fooh (right)

Then commenced an eating frenzy with 4 dogs at my feet, waiting for their morsels.  I am SURE they knew it was a party the way they pranced around. 

Particularly adorable was when Max and Willow did the tango. 

The whole party took all of 15 minutes.

Maxie and Willow TANGO!

For everyone else the party was short and sweet, for me it lingered on as I reviewed and processed a lot of really cute photos which are now posted to my Family Web Albums, here.

It's been fun over the years fashioning Maxie's little cakes from whatever was around the house at the time. I've never done a birthday cake for any of my other dogs. Don't know why. Maybe it's because we designated Valentine's Day as Fooh's birthday and we are already including him in that celebration. Or maybe Maxie's cute little face just lends itself to being sculpted. How would I make a Lucky cake? A Willow cake?  They'd rather have a frozen chicken neck anyway!

Sorting birthday photos today, I took a little trip down memory lane regarding Maxie's earlier cakes.


His 1st was a store bought carrot cake in a little tin.  I think it cost $1.00  I decorated it with plastic balloons with a wallet photo of him on top.  John, Audrey and I went with Maxie, Willow and Fooh to Highland Road Observatory, the dogs ate the cake, then we all went hiking in the woods, then fig picking. 

Maxie's 2nd birthday -- no cake, no party.  My brother Fred had died and my niece got married at my house during that period, and I simply lost track of the date.  Shame on me!

Maxie's 3rd birthday cake I used an upside down shortcake, with torn ham for the ears, carrots sticks for the ear feathers, whipped cream for his blaze, and raisins for eyes and nose.  Just whatever I could find around the house.  Again, a little party at my house with John and Audrey, nothing much, some photos to mark the event and let Maxie gobble up the whole cake, carrots and all (excepting the raisins)!

I love it that Maxie and the blog have the same birthday. I don't remember planning it that way, but how fitting.  And you'd be surprised how often he sits at the keyboard with me as I write about our adventures.   As I mumble to myself, he probably thinks I'm talking to him.

Last night John also brought me a little bouquet of flowers and a FoohMax Agility Blog Happy 1st Birthday card.  That was sweet!  It has sat by my computer all day and helped make me feel very happy despite the week of rain we're having and my dental appointment tomorrow.

Upwards and onward!