Well, you can't sit on my lap anymore, Tiki

I had a "Boy, she's gotten BIG!!" moment about a week ago. I got home late from work and grabbed a glass of wine. Well, ok......a plastic cup of wine......and went out to the barn to play for a few minutes with Tiki before heading off to bed. Recently, life has been a bit crazy and I haven't been able to spend as much time with her as I'd like. So, even though I only had about 10 minutes and I was tired, I was determined to go visit her.

I discovered two things: Mona really likes wine, and Tiki's gotten big!

I walked into the stall to be INSTANTLY mugged by Mona. I swatted her away, telling her to go eat her hay, but she was having none of it. She was determined to see what I had in my hand, and could she have it? NO, MONA! I tried walking this way and that in the stall and she was mercilessly pursuing my wine. I knew there was no way I could just set it between the bars of the stall--she would knock it right over with her upper lip. So, I reached WAY up and set my cup of wine on the fan hanging on the outside of her stall and sat down on the beanbag in the stall.

Tiki was desperate for company. She hadn't seen me in a few days, so she was all over me asking for scritches. If she could have crawled inside of me, she would have. She stood with her chest pushed firmly up against the bag, reaching over my shoulder and "hugging" me tight with her neck to her chest while I scratched her withers and all around her neck and shoulders. We spent about 10 minutes like this, and she started to try to climb on the bag with her front feet. NO Tiki! If you want on the bag, you have to turn around and sit on it with me.

I got up and gently repositioned her so she could sit. Her favorite thing to do when she sits with me is to lean up against me, hoping I'll pull her onto my lap, grab her front legs, and cross them over me on the other side of my lap. She then drapes her head on the other side and starts snoring.

Well, I discovered how big she's gotten when she leaned next to me. :-) She was gentle, but it was obvious she wanted to lay across me. I figured I'd try, more for fun than anything else. I put my arms around her neck and shoulders and gave her a big hug. As I hugged her, I lifted her up. Whew, she weighs alot now!

The comical thing was how Tiki seemed to be happy no matter how uncomfortable she looked. Because of her increased weight, I couldn't lift her very far over my lap, so her front legs stuck straight out in front of me. Her neck and chest covered my lap and her head fell off completely on the other side of my lap now. I started laughing hysterically--this HAD to look ridiculous! It sure FELT ridiculous! "Tiki, this CAN'T be comfortable!" She looked at me, still desperate for attention, and it was like she put on a brave face "Nope!, it's fine, ma!". She laid there with her body limp, legs rigidly stuck out in front of her, and her head craned towards me looking up at me, ears pricked forward. What next??

I tried to grab her front legs and bend them, but they've gotten too long to grab from a sitting position now. I slid her down the bag so she could at least lay down. Her butt remained up on the bag, while her barrel, head, and neck all slid down to the stall floor. I was imagining being her, with all that blood running to her head. Again I started laughing, as she was obviously putting on a brave face for attention--"Tiki, this CAN'T be comfortable!" I repeated. She didn't move an inch. Surely she'd get tired of this and leap to her feet soon, right? Nope......

I pulled her forward off the bag and got her level on the ground. I laid behind her, hugging her and rubbing her all over. She sighed and closed her eyes, happy to be petted and loved.

"Tiki, you're getting too big for this!!" Somehow, I don't think she cares......