It's hard to believe it has already been 3 months since my precious friend went on to Heaven. I can't believe I've already lived this many days without her. She was my constant shadow from the day she first came into my life as a one-pound black ball of fluff and love. From the very first day she claimed my lap and I used to joke that she always managed to be in my lap before I even had a lap, because she was in my lap so fast it seemed like she was in it before I sat down. She slept against my back at night, even in 100 degree weather, all four tiny feet pressed into me like little knobs. If anything disturbed her during the night she growled, even if it was me turning over. She felt I should get in bed, let her snuggle against me, and then not move an inch all night. It wasn't a mean kind of growl, more like a mama dog scolding a wayward puppy. Noises from outside irritated her during her beauty sleep too. She especially hated fireworks and she was particularly growly on the 4th of July.
Bonnie enjoyed scolding her sister too. They were littermates but always so jealous of each other, always trying to play tricks on each other. Whenever her sister got a little scolding, Bonnie tried to take advantage of the situation by mumbling and fussing at her sister too, no matter how many times I explained to her I didn't need her help with the discipline. She took her sister's Nylabones and hid them in neat piles under couches and beds, then scurried out from her hiding place with an innocent look on her face, knowing that her much bigger sister would have a difficult time crawling under to get them out. But don't think her sister didn't play a lot of tricks of her own! I'm afraid they were equally sneaky. Bonnie's favorite thing in the whole world was squeaky toys, and especially her red ladybug. Nothing upset her more than having her sister snatch the ladybug away and having to chase her around and around the dining room table until she victoriously managed to snatch it back. The ladybug was only presented to people she especially liked, such as me and her daddy and a couple other family members. The ladybug was immediately hidden if anyone else's pets visited. Bonnie was certain that her ladybug was highly coveted by one and all and needed protecting.
She rode in the car like such a sweet little lady. She loved to just snuggle up in someone's lap and peep out the window. She traveled well on vacation with us, with exception of rooms with jacuzzi tubs. She was so obsessed with being in my lap that she could never be persuaded from jumping in, although she immediately regretted it every time because she hated being wet. Her sister just looked at her and kind of rolled her eyes.
It took Bonnie probably a year to learn how to bark, and then you could only hear it if you were close to her. Prior to that she could just make a squeaky sound. We don't know why she could never bark, she sounded like a dog that had been de-barked but I guess she was so tiny and had such a tiny little voice that she was never able to make much sound. She thought she was big and scary and had a ferocious bark. She also loved to howl but it was pretty much completely soundless.
Bonnie twirled a lot whenever she was happy, which was most of the time. Sometimes she got so excited about going out to play that she got stuck in a loop inside the door, twirling merrily away, so happy she couldn't stop dancing long enough to go out the door. She also did the "ballerina" a lot, which was standing for long minutes at a time on her hind feet.
Bonnie's most impressive trick was what we called the "special thing" and it was mostly reserved for her daddy. She'd sit in his lap facing him, staring into his eyes, then slowly sit straight back on her bottom just like a person sitting up in a chair. She'd sit that way, front feet curled up in front of her, for 5 to 10 minutes at a time until he finally couldn't take it anymore and started laughing. Then she'd leap at his face and kiss him. It was so cute but she only did it for me whenever I was feeling really sad. She probably only did it for me a dozen or less times in the 12 years I had with her, and almost always when I was having a terrible day. It was like she knew I needed something extra special.
I love and miss her so much. I hope somebody in Heaven is letting her sit on their lap and do the special thing. I hope there are Nylabones and red ladybug squeaky toys and the best treats she's ever tasted. I know she has no cataracts now, and her hearing isn't going away, and her little legs are strong now. I know she can run, run, run through pretty flowered fields.