My older dog, Fiona (known as Fi - pronounced 'Fee' for those of you who are tempted to rhyme it with 'thigh') turns 8 years old today, and yes, we celebrate her birthday.  Don't worry, it's not exclusive - we celebrate both dog's birthdays.  The girls (my dogs) probably think I'm crazy, but I have fun - and I definitely get more excited in the week leading up to their birthdays than I do for my own.  I'm not anti-birthdays; I am just at a point in my life where the idea of fun birthday for me means a quiet day at home with the husband and the girls, maybe a hike, and not having to cook dinner. But the girls? I spend all week getting excited about their birthdays (and I'm sure they both look at me like I have lost my mind...)

My favorite part of the birthday celebration is the trip to "The Magic Cheeseburger Window."  Also known as the McDonald's drive-thru.  Because really, think about a McDonald's drive-thru from a dog's perspective: you get to go for a ride in the car, and then you make a stop some place that has really amazing smells, and you get to put your snooter into over-drive sniffing all the cool smells. Then, when you are drooling from all the amazing smells, some person hands a plain cheeseburger to your Mom through a window.  How cool is that?  Awesome smells, and then a cheeseburger is magically passed from a cheeseburger-dispensing window right into your car, and you get to smell it all the way home, and then you get to EAT this cheeseburger that magically appeared from nowhere!

I love watching Fi take in all the smells - she just loves it!

Honestly, from a dog's perspective, that has got to be one of the coolest things ever!

I'm not a big fan of McDonald's (although in moments of weakness their fries can hit the spot) - I'm not a snob, but I just don't eat hamburgers very often, so when I do, I like to get all creative and experiment with gourmet burgers at home.  But I get such a kick out of watching my dog (Abby doesn't stick her head out the window to take in the smells, but Fi is ALL OVER IT).  You can tell she is having a grand time.  And we only go a few times a year - usually for each girl's birthday, my birthday (because the girls should totally be able to celebrate my birthday, too) and my husband's birthday - so it's a real treat for Fi, and I never tire of watching her nose trying to suck in every possible smell.

And besides, I feel much less guilty when I put birthday hats on them, because they know the Magic Cheeseburger Window is in their immediate future!

Happy birthday Fi - and happy sniffing!