Well, leon is now one people year old, which translates into 10 doggie years. :) Thanks to everyone who has given happy birthdays. And our day was eventful enough. He had me up at 7:30 in the morning and at 11:30 we drove up to the southcenter mall area with james so that I could get 'The Graveyard Book' from B&N, and went to petco after so james could get him some toys and treats. Leon was dragging me all over everywhere and I was just about having trouble keeping up and from falling over he pulled so hard at times. James got him a long bungee rottie, a shorter, smaller bungee frog and a two pack of beef flavored rawhide munchies while I periodically took leon back to see the fish. He was absolutely fascinated by them. James wanted me to help him pick out the toys with the excuse that I know leon best but I refused. They were his gifts so I wanted him to pick them out himself. I believe that gives them more meaning. I also found a silent dog whistle which james got for me as well. Always wanted one of those.

After we got back home james played with leon and his new toys, which he loves, and I gave him and todd some red velvet pupcakes sans icing I made for them last night. My mom really enjoyed them too. She thought they would be better with fruit in them though. James and leon played for about a half-hour, which ended up knocking leon out after all the running around earlier. Knocked james out for a little while too. Hadn't gotten much sleep the night before.

After james went home I had to go out for a couple hours, but on the way home, my mom and I, stopped by the grocery store so I could get some food and she got him an adult kong. He finally has a replacement for the puppy kong. Makes me happy.

Leon has been up and down since james left, insisting that we play with the rottie. He'd pick it up, run up to me growling and grumbling in his insistant way while shoving it in my direction. He does that with a lot of things, especially food items. Something I accidentally taught him when he was a puppy. I would pick up his treats, rawhides, peanut butter filled kongs, and hold them while he would chew away on them. Eventually he decided that it was easier to have me hold them instead of trying to hold it himself and started running up to me with them and grumping to get my attention. Sometimes it's annoying, especially when I'm trying to do things, but it always makes me laugh.

Mr Smartie Pants has also gotten the guts to teach himself to navigate the spiral staircase. Up, not down. It scares the crap out of me every time he does because I'm so terrified that he's going to slip and tumble. We've stuck a baby gate in front of them now to keep him off. But he loves to go up them sooo much! So whenever I, or my mom, go upstairs he bullies his way between us and the gate and bolts halfway up as fast as he can. And he always gets upset if you try to carry him up.

Leon is a terribly funny character, despite the many scares, and I'm so happy to have him. I really can't see my life without him around and hope to have him for another 12 or 13 years to come.