I don't mean to be judgmental but some of you humans are just strange. I mean the value you place on things - really!

Oh I'm sorry, perhaps I should back up a little. About a month ago I over hear Grissom and Sara talking about Hanna - you remember her? Charlie's mom. Well it would seen that she got an infection and well I don't understand all of it but long story short, she can't have puppies anymore so her owner said she was no good to him and he was going to put her down. Not sure what that means but it doesn't sound good. Well anyway, Grissom and Sara told him that they would take her so now she lives with us. I like that idea and Charlie loves having his Mom around.

I'm stuck on the porch for a while. You see I got hurt. Don't worry, I'll be ok, my hind leg is bruised a bit. The vet fixed me up, it does hurt a little but it's a good hurt. You see I got hurt saving Andy.

You all remember Andy? He is the little human that can't hear. One day he was on his bike riding in the driveway when one of those car things can in. It was this kid delivering some papers to Grissom and I guess he didn't see Andy. I started to yell at Andy to get out of the way but I remembered he can't hear (even if he could the humans can't understand dog anyway). So I ran in front of him, he turned sharp and got out of the way of the car. I jumped out of the way too but I landed in a hole and hurt my hind leg.

I remember Hanna came running over to me. She nudged me to check on me, but I told her to make sure our little human was alright. After she checked on the little guy she ran and got Grissom.

Andy is ok, he didn't get hurt.

So while I'm laid up Charlie is taking care of the little humans while they are out side playing. He's doing a good job.

So I'm just laying here on the porch and Hanna is laying next to me, I like the idea of her being around. Now I know why Grissom and Sara like to snuggle close to each other when they are sitting on the porch swing. It feels good to have someone you care about close to you. I also think that I know what my humans mean when they say "I love you".

I have also decided that the cat can stay. It's not as bad as I thought. It keeps the mice out of the house and little Andy likes it so I guess Midnight can stay. HA! Never thought I would hear my self say that.

Wait a minute, I have to yell at Charlie.

"Charlie, it's time for Amy and Jimmy to wait for the bus. Get your tail down there and make sure nothing happens to them."

Sorry about that, had to remind the boy. You see Amy and Jimmy ride the big yellow bus to someplace they call SCHOOL and Grissom drives Andy to a special school. It is one for kids that can't hear.

I have to tell you something that happened the other day. If I weren't so nervous about what I had to do it would be funny. I got to the stage of a fathers life where I had to have THAT talk with my boy.

Yesterday Hanna and I were on the porch, all the little humans were in school when Charlie came running out the doggie door, what happened next went like this:

"Pop! Pop!" Charlie yelled, panic in his voice.

I asked him if someone was hurt.

"Well I thought so," he tells me.

"What are you yelping about," I want to know.

"I was upstairs looking for a ball to play with," Charlie tells me still shaking, "When I hear these strange noises coming from the room where the big humans sleep. I figure someone has to be hurt and I remember you telling me it is my job to protect the humans."

Suddenly I have a very good idea what happened next, but being the good father that I am I let him finish the story.

"I nudge the door a little, just in check on them," Charlie tells me, starting to calm down a little, "But you'll never believe what I saw."

By now I am laughing on the inside because I KNOW what he saw.

"Go on," I tell him.

"They were naked! Both of them," he tells me shivering, "And Grissom is on top of her moving his rear end up and down. At first I thought he was hurting Sara but then he starts kissing her and touching her all the while they are both making weird noises. I figure that is a good time for me to get out of there so I just back out real slow. I had to come find you. What's going on?"

By this time Hanna and I am both on the verge of laughing but he is just a boy and has not got all of life's mysteries figured out yet.

"Son," I tell him, "Let me tell you something about humans and life in general."

All through our "little talk" all I can remember is the strange look on his face. I think that Charlie learned the same lesson that I did so long ago - Stay out of the grown humans room, it can get scary in there.

Charlie is a good boy, every day he makes me proud to be his Pop. He has been taking very good care of the little humans, I think I can take it a little easier. After all I'm not as young as I used to be.

Grissom and Sara have been talking about something special that is going to happen in a few days - little Andy is going to have a birthday. They are inviting all their friends over for a party. Let me see, he is going to be ….um….5 this year. They are all getting so big. It seems like only yesterday that they brought Amy home.

Charlie will have a big job, there will be a lot of little humans here for the party and if they are friends of my little human pets then that means that it is our responsibility to see to it that they all stay safe. And with my leg still hurting Charlie will have his paws full. Hanna said she will help him but Charlie knows he is in charge and the most of the job will fall on him. That and he is younger then either of us so he can run faster - those little humans can sure run.

I just heard Sara say that the Nana person will be here too….YUCK! I still don't like her. Well I do like her a little more then the first time we met but there is just something about her that I don't like and I can't figure out what it is. Hanna said she thinks it's the way the Nana person treats Sara. Could be. I don't think the Nana person likes Sara all that much and if someone doesn't like one of my human pets I don't like them either. I have seen that the Nana person and Sara are getting along better. I can remember way back when Sara first came to live with Grissom and me the Nana person didn't like Sara at all. I can't understand that sign language but I could tell by the way that she looked at Sara that she didn't like her. But that was then and this is now and, as I said, they are getting along better. I wonder if Sara having the little humans had anything to do with it?

Chapter 2 - THE BIRTHDAY PARTY

The day has finally came for all the humans to come to my house for little Andy's birthday party, and let me tell you there are a lot of them. Some of the little humans go to the special school with Andy and some of them belong to the humans that Sara works with. I can't tell who belongs to who!

Charlie is doing a good job at keeping an eye on all the little humans, I told him to make sure he keeps an extra eye out on the little ones that go to school with Andy, none of them can hear and those are the ones I am afraid may get hurt.

Hanna is out walking around keeping an eye on all the little humans too, I tried to but my leg is bothering me more today.

The human that Grissom calls NICK asked about my leg and Grissom told him how I hurt it.

"He's a good dog to have around," I hear Nick tell Grissom.

Grissom and Sara both agree. I fell very proud of what I have done.

I can see that Andy and three of his friends are chasing a squirrel so I yell at Charlie to stay with them and make sure they are safe. Squirrel chasing can be dangerous, I remember once a few years ago when Jimmy got hurt chasing one.

The next thing I know I can hear Charlie yelping at something to get away from the little humans so I figure I better go investigate things.

Getting closer to where he is I can see a strange dog - I've seen him around before, even chased him off the property a few times. I don't think he has any humans. The dog is yelping at Charlie to get out of his way, he is hungry and is going to snatch that piece of food right out of the little humans hand. (It would seem that one of the little humans brought a hot dog with him.)

The strange dog is bigger them Charlie but Charlie is not backing down, that's my boy.

They are yelling back and forth when Hanna, with Grissom in tow, comes around the corner. Apparently she had heard all the racket and got Grissom to follow her. Grissom chases the strange dog off and none of the little humans are hurt, just a little scared. All the little humans run to Charlie and hug his neck. Andy tells his dad that they were chasing a squirrel and the strange dog tried to take Joey's hotdog but Charlie wouldn't let him. I have a very brave son.

It is time for all the other humans to go home and time to put my little humans to bed. It has been a very busy day. Charlie and I follow Grissom and Sara up to the bedroom, we make sure we sleep in front of the little humans rooms to keep them safe.

I have to laugh. Charlie shivers a little when he wakes past the room where the grown humans sleep. I completely understand how he feels, that room used to scare me too.

We, Hanna and I are on the floor in front of the boys room and Charlie and Midnight have taken their spot in front of Amy's room. Grissom and Sara tell us all good night and go to their room.

"What do you think goes on in there?" Charlie asks, as the moans and groans start coming from behind their door.

I just shake my head, "I don't really know everything and I'm sure I don't want to either."

Hanna just nudges me as she settles down.

"Go to sleep," she tells Charlie, "What goes on in there is not for little ones like you to know, that will come when you're a little older."