by Lisa 6/23/09
As those of you who know us well can attest, Emily is the center of our world. Anyone who may venture into our little world may need some translations. Without realizing it, we have created our own Emily-specific terms. This became painfully obvious to me when my Mom looked at me like I was crazy when I asked Kenny to "make Emily naked". Our most common terms are explained below:
Going boom-shaka-lacka: the act of Emily running full speed toward the front door, sliding, then banging into the door with her side. Results from extreme happiness at going on an after-dinner walk. Generally occurs only after dinner; see "Lunch-Time Nibblies" for other rituals. As in, "Emily, do you want to go boom-shaka-lacka?"
Gone-Gone: statement indicating that there is no more chicken/spaghetti/food scraps for Emily. In order to be acknowledged, must be accompanied by "jazz hands" demonstrating that there is no chicken hidden inside a palm. May result in Emily immediately running away from you to see if anyone else has any food, or to begin eating her own kibbles. Also, part of Emily's "pop star" name homage to Lady Ga Ga - Lady Gone-Gone.
Gulpy: the official name of Emily's travel water container for walks. A Beagle's best friend in the Georgia heat. As in, "Emily, do you want your Gulpy?" followed by her "yes" indicator of an upturned head and licking her lips.
Head-Butt the Daddy: the act of Emily climbing up on Kenny's lap when he's sitting on the floor, burrowing her head into his chest and then rubbing her face against his in a request for him to stay. Kenny does not see the "ha-ha" look Emily flashes Lisa as she gloats over her temporary victory. Occurs if Emily catches on that her parents are planning to leave the house. If allowed to continue, will lead to "Playing Pack Leader".
Kibble Troubles: the cutest situation when one of Emily's large kibbles gets stuck between her gums and cheek. She will come up to you and stare intently with enormous chipmunk-cheeks until you figure out she has kibble troubles and you have to fix it. Emily has been known to come upstairs and wait patiently outside the shower until you're done so that you can see she needs a little help. Lisa loves to ask Emily if she has kibble troubles because it makes her giggle as she thinks of Star Trek's The Trouble with Tribbles.
Lunch-Time Nibblies: the gentle but insistent nibbles of Kenny which indicate Emily is now requesting a lunch-time walk. Accompanied by a side-splittingly cute "arwrh arwrh" sound. You can get ready for the walk at a leisurely pace, but the nibblies will increase in frequency and intensity until you yield. A cutesy attempt to say, "Don't test me, people, I'll bite you if I have to. Don't think I won't." Reserved for Kenny only. Lisa gets the "you already know what I want" stare.
Making Emily Naked: taking Emily's collar off so that she can lounge around the house in utter comfort. Emily's preferred state of being. Displays maximum cuteness.
Making Uppies, also Making Big Uppies: Emily being a good girl and jumping up on the couch or bed by herself. While taking certain medicines, Emily became unable to jump up by herself and needed us to make uppies for her. Now, there is praise for every gravity-defying jump. As in, "You made big uppies?" Good girl!
Pasgetti and Mamatoes, also Sketti and Mamatoes: a Simpsons reference to spaghetti. Used to refer to the first dinner where Emily started to feel at home and show her personality. After smelling it, Emily freaked out and started chasing after the plate as it was being put on the table. The first inkling of what she had in store for us. Still one of Emily's favorite smells.
Playing Pack Leader: the act of continuing "Head-Butt the Daddy" until Kenny falls over backwards in mock surrender and Emily stands on his chest, clearly proud she is playing the role of "dominant" pack leader. The Dog Whisperer would be appalled, but adorable is adorable.
Plop: a request (or desperate plea) for Emily to settle down for the night and "plop" into a spot if she is on the floor. As in, "Emily, you need to plop, baby girl." Also referenced in her "British name" - Lady Ploppington.
'Poonin', also Spooning: the act of Emily gleefully running full speed at the bed, jumping into the pillows, then displaying her belly for rubs. After receiving a belly full, being spooned by both parents until she is ready to go to sleep. A nightly ritual.
Prairie-dog: the act of Emily popping up on the side of the bed, putting her front paws on the mattress and shaking it as hard as she can. Indicates her extreme desire for you to get up and make the storm go away. Kisses on the head can deter her for moments, but she will pop back up again just like a prairie dog out of its hole. Inevitably leads to Lisa getting out of bed and going with Emily downstairs (see Safe-Spot) or Daddy's intervention where required. As in, "Emily, will you please stop prairie-dogging me so I can get some sleep?!"
Princess Pretty-Paws: Emily's Native-American name.
Safe-Spot: a small area between the subwoofer and TV that is apparently immune from the ravages of thunderstorms. While sequestered here, storms find it harder to get you. May require the oversight of Lisa sleeping on the couch all night to make sure that the storms remain at bay. Requires that at least one light be on, and that the TV is on for pleasant background noise. If retreating here after prairie-dogging, Lisa may be subject to couch prairie-dogging if she is thoughtless enough to fall asleep while on guard.
Tumbly Rumblies, also Tummy Rumbles: The unfortunate result of a delayed response to prairie-dogging or scary storms. If the stress gets to be too much, the tummy will rumble until relieved by either drinking some milk or eating grass in the backyard. After drinking milk, Emily gets a milk-mustache on her chin hairs. She may then be referred to as "The Dread Pirate Milk-Beard" - her "pirate name" in reference to the movie The Princess Bride.
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