Twas the Night Before Christmas

Christmas Traditions. We've all got 'em. If you've got kids, you need 'em. Christmas Eve around here is late afternoon church, big fancy dinner eaten in the dining room and usually involving some sort of Marinara Sauce, garlic bread and CHEESE, a yummy dessert and ya ta ta tah....Christmas Vacation with Chevy Chase.

This year was no exception.

We went to church at 4:00pm and came home to this:

That's right boys and girls, Mocha, Te'a and Jack were barricaded into our back hallway with two baby gates (or Jack jumps over) and Jack CHEWED his way out! Just want everyone to know that yes, Jack is indeed still house trained - we found NO early Christmas presents....

Here is Te'a trying on the hole for "size"....

Where was Jack you ask? Well, after searching the house for "treasures" from Jack, we found him. He was sitting in the living room watching out the window for Santa....

When he heard us come home, he acted all casual - He knew we were there....

Sigh....I'll just lay down here on the beddy and wait for Santa....

Another resident of Grade Lodge decided to use his time differently while waiting for Santa. This is our 18mo. old cat, Hawk. Our son brought a mosquito fish and a snail home in a liter soda bottle for a science project depicting an eco system. Well the plant died leaving the poor fish and snail with a crashed system. Of course I couldn't let them die - hello - what kind of foster mom would I be, right???? So I put the gravel, the snail and the fish (who I've named Ned, from Three Amigo's fame) into a vase on my kitchen counter. This whoooooooole thing is making Hawk crazy and he's out to get that fish, one lick at a time......

So if Jack's furever family is out there reading this - or even if you are contemplating bringing Jack to your house furever, please know this: JACK IS VERY SMART. Jack is very loving and sweet but man, is he smart. He is a HAM and he's ohh, so clever. And he loves the camera. I think that because he is so young and you need to leave the house for any length of time and can't take him with you, you need to crate him. He didn't wreck anything but then we didn't leave anything out to be chewed. Te'a still gets gated up and she'll be a year in January.

Also, on the subject of taking Jack with you. He rides great in the car and I think he would sit on the dashboard if I let him. No, I don' t let him. He does prefer "shotgun" however and will share nicely if one of the big doggies are already there.

On a completely different note...Please take a moment and say a little prayer for our neighbors. They lost their nine year old Airedale Terrier, Cody, early, early this morning and he went on to Rainbow Bridge. He had been suffering with a tumor and took a turn for the worse late last night into this early morning. He was a great dog and he'll be missed a lot by all of us. Woof!

So it's time to hit the sack. Santa will be here before you know it and I think I heard hoofbeats on the roof.... No...wait...that's just a dog with dry skin.

Merry Christmas - Hope you get a Cuz in your stocking!!