Tail tales

This weekend, our pups turned 10 weeks young. Their personalities are now very discernible, their activities very purposeful. They know all the routines Tom and I have. Each morning when we come downstairs, they greet us as if they have not seen us for a week! They run to their food bowl as if they have not eaten for a month. They play with toys like kids too, fighting over the one they all want, and running off to a little corner to have it all to themselves. Best of all is that they have been using the "pee pads" with a 90% accuracy, if you know what I mean. But how great is it, that these little guys will actually get up and walk outside or over to the paper to do their business. Eureka!
On Saturday, a very nice couple from Folsom, Elaine and Steve, came over to look at the puppies. I was under the impression they were really interested in Georgie, so while doing all my other chores, I made sure to give him his weekly bath first, in case they took him home that day. Not a minute after I was done trimming his nails, the doorbell rang. There they were!
And it was not Georgie they were here for, but Newman! It was instant love. And he had not even had his bath yet. He just charmed them laying outside on his back in the grass, ready for his afternoon nap. Bacio was the entertaining one; running back and forth to catch his squeaky ball.
Less than a hour later, Steven and Elaine left with Newman, his paperwork and his puppy pack. Bacio, who had been so excited playing fetch, was none too pleased when he saw another one of his sons being taken away. He was jumping and barking and crying. So sad to see another of the kids go, but we know Newman is in a great home. Steve had a Dachshund growing up, so he already knows all the joys associated with having one of these guys in your life.

Report from Danville came in that Lainie joined George and the gang on her first RV trip. The story goes she really enjoyed it and that she thought she was one of the big dogs.

Supposedly, Georgie is absolutely smitten with Lainie.
Also on Saturday, Tom and Carol exercised their parental visitation rights and came over to see Jethro. Carol brought her brand new video camera to take videos of all the puppies playing. But she was out of luck: nap time was starting and there was little to no activity.
After all the visitors were gone, Bacio stayed very close to the boys and joined them in their bed.

My friend Emily gave me a really cute and fun Dachshund pillow, that has now taken up residence on top of the sofa where you can usually find Bacio. Last night, not just Baci was up there next to the pillow, but also Bella. I took this photo:

Who are we if we are so serious that we can't be silly anymore?

Saying hello!

Hello! I am Newman. I am the first-born of six adorable puppies. Strong, wise and kind, that is what I am. Know anybody looking for a great puppy?


Hey! I am Georgie! I am super cute.
Who would not want me? Seriously!


Hey Bubba! You better watch out, you better not shout!
Soon little Jethro is coming to town!


Hi Hanna! It's me, Gus. Aren't I adorable????? (I know, Tom and Marleen need to water the plants. But they have been busy taking care of me and my brothers...)


And I am Lainie. I am a little Diva. The only girl in my family.
I moved out. Too many boys.

And then there were...

Where do I start? I intended to write about this and that and the other, but I have to write about Leo. Sweet little Leo. He just left us to go to his new home. And I am a little sad.
The Olvera family from Antioch drove all they way up here and were ready to take him home. Lots of smiles and excitement on their part.


Bacio barked the entire time they were here. It is as if he knew another one of his boys was about to leave. It was deafening.
Everything is calm now, thank goodness.
Below is the last photo I took of Leo, this morning as he was taking a nap right next to me as I was knitting.
Bye bye little buddy! You will be loved a lot, I don't doubt that!

Bacio and Bella have been excellent parents. I have photos to prove it.
For example, I found Georgie all snuggled up next to his daddy and took this photo:

Isn't that sweet?
I also find Bacio often near Jethro, keeping him company or just checking on him. Below they were asleep but woke up when I got out the camera.
Jehro says: Dad, put your head back down next to mine!

Bella too has been very attentive of her little boy Jethro, licking his little ouchies and kissing him a lot. He really likes that.

Here are a couple shots of Papa Bacio with Gus and Newman. They are so adorable, playing with dad, who loves every minute of it.


This weekend I took it easy and knitted as much as possible. Making a sweater for Emlyn that is knitted all in one piece. A felted bag with a cabled border and a leather handle, etc...
And now I am a little less sad after my neighbors Brad and Elaine just dropped off some amazing homemade chocolate chip cookies. Perfect way to mend my heart...

Gus goes yarn shopping

You thought today was Friday? Wrong! Today was Gus Day !!
I left work early because I had not been feeling well all day. Besides, the weekend was calling and so was the yarn. The yarn I was knitting and the yarn I wanted to buy.
Oh, so much yarn and so little time!
I figured since I was driving out to Rocklin to Filati's, I might as well take a buddy...
In his own car seat, of course!

Perhaps there was someone at the knit shop who would be happy to see Gus. I was right. Gus was happy too.

Gus absolutely loved being at the shop.
Much better than he did in the car, that is for sure.
He was so good the whole time we were there, mostly being held by his proud Grandma!

They tried to call Hanna to say hello, but no one answered.
Thank goodness for cameras!

What a good boy!

8 1/2 weeks

Today we had another visit from the girls next door. They are the sweetest and most polite girls you will ever meet. They come by almost daily to snuggle with the puppies. They know all of them by name and are just in love with every one of them. They are sad Lainie is gone and that Kramer and Jerry will be leaving soon too. Georgie is a big favorite as well...
Speaking of Kramer.... I was informed today that Kramer's new name is going to be GUS, so we better start referring to him by that name from now on. I just took some photos and Gus was obliging by being extra cute for Hanna. He knows that she is checking the blog to see photos of him so he wanted to look extra adorable for her. I think he succeeded.

Little Jethro is doing well. Poor little guy has been through too much already in his short little life. He slept throught the night, though, so I was really pleased about that. It meant I did not have to take him downstairs for an 0'dark thirty potty break. Because when we do that we unwillingly wake up the rest of the gang and that we prefer to avoid at all cost. The sound of puppies wanting attention in the middle of the dark night is not easily ignored! To put it mildly.
In the meantime, back at the house of George and little sis Lainie, this is what things look like:

Pretty darn cute!
I still feel like a new mom and today on the way to work, I kept falling asleep in the car. Not too good. Had to stop and get some coffee or I would have fallen asleep at my desk too!
Photos are taken, blog is updated. Next comes another floor cleaning (for little oopsies) and then is my knitting time. Yeah!
Dinner? Who needs food! I have lots of yarn that won't wait!
Peace out!

Bragging Rights

Big day in tennis. Kim Clijsters, the well-loved Belgian professional tennis player, has made an amazing return to the WTA circuit after being gone for more than two years. During this time away she got married, had a daughter and lost her dad to cancer. A lot of major life changes and challenges for a young girl in her mid twenties. Then she was asked to help inaugurate the new covered stadium at Wimbledon. And when Wimbledon comes a callin', of course you says YES! So she started training a bit, and as they story goes, she got better and better and before she knew it, the desire to play professionally again came back. Here she is, after training for 7 months.

But this is not just your average come-back. After just two days back on tour, Kim's photos and feats are splashed across media all around the world, as she has easily beaten two top players in her first two matches at the Cincinnati tournament. Huge! And I am a huge fan.

Would I really write that about in my blog? Well, not really. I wouldn't. Because I know that most people don't care as much as I do, even if they are tennis fans. The thing is, if it weren't for my little niece in Belgium, who happens to be an excellent tennis player as well, I would have skipped blogging about Kim.

But I cannot! The same day Kim is all over the papers, my little niece is in the same Belgian paper too.

Also for being a great tennis player! That is huge too!

My niece Karen is only 12 and plays and wins all kinds of tournaments in our home country of Belgium. This week, she was interviewed and photographed for the paper, and I would not be an aunt if I did not make a big deal about it! I know the article is in Flemish, but I can tell you it talks about her accomplishments in tennis, and her desire to keep improving.

We are just so thrilled we can hardly stand it!

Go Kim! Go Karen!

Twins

Anyone remember Twins, the 1988 movie with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito? The story about two unlikely twins separated at birth?

Well... we sort of have our own version of Twins. About a week after our puppies were born, Carol and Tom made the decision to add Jerry (Jethro) to their family. They came and visited him a couple times and we started making arrangements about when they would come pick him up.
Then one day I get a phone call from Carol, who is speaking quietly so as not to arouse suspicion with her husband. She informs me that Tom's brother Bill is going to surprise Tom for his birthday with a puppy.

Yes. A puppy. And not just any puppy. But the kind of puppy that Tom has wanted all his life: an English Bulldog puppy.
It was going to be a big surprise, and as it turns out, he would arrive on the same day as Jethro, because, yes, you guessed it, they pretty much have the same birthday. Thus, Twins.

Because Jethro is not ready to go home yet. Carol and Tom came to visit little Jethro yesterday, and brought his twin brother, Buba. That is his temporary name, although it seems to suit him pretty well. The two brothers met for the first time and, well, they are as much a set of twins as Arnie and Danny were.

Here they are, both 8 week old puppies, one weighing in a little over 3 pounds, the other at roughly 15 pounds.
I also hear that Lainie is settling in just fine, and that big brother George is just enthralled with her.
Over here at the Zellman household, the puppies are all doing great: running around the house and the yard, testing out their barks and pestering each other like brothers do. They have even figured out that they can go out the back yard and come in the side door.
Now that is impressive!

A little girl goes home to her big brother

We got the report: Lainie is safe and sound at home, sleeping on her soft heart blanket, with big brother George kissing her and watching over her.

At home, Newman is still lost without his little sister. We just found the two of them, outside on the grass, with Mama Bella looking over and comforting her big boy.
So sad!

Everybody else is doing great. Just hanging out at our feet in the family room.

And then there were...

Today the puppies turned 8 weeks young. Lainie just went home with Laurie and Gregg to Danville to meet George, Zoe and Bella. They were here at 9AM to swoop up their little princess. Newman cried a little after she left, as he was missing her, but he is now fast asleep next to me on the sofa. Yes, on the sofa.

I also just found out that Kramer will be going home with Hanna to San Diego. She is a lucky girl! And Kramer is lucky too: I met Hanna and she is a real sweet girl.
They will make a great duo: I see many years of a tight bond between those two! And it makes me smile big. This is why we have puppies.
This weekend we expect some other visitors, so I will be staying close to home. Jethro and I are going to vet soon for a quick check up, and then I come home to KNIT!

Check Ups for Pups

Today was Check Up Day at the vet's. I went solo because Tom was on the golf course. I had to pile SIX puppies into ONE carrier. Their first ever car ride started with soft whimpers and complaints coming from the carrier on the seat next to me, I am sure the result of being packed in there like little sardines. The longer I drove, the louder the whimpers, and by the time I parked the car, a whole 6 minutes after I pulled out of the garage, the howls were highly measurable decibels. Good heavens.
When I walked into the vets, I felt like Octomom! A frazzled single mother with too many kids!
Luckily many hands were available and in no time 24 pitter patter feet were exploring and 6 little noses were sniffing the exam room of smells foreign and yet familiar. A real adventure!

Every pup was carefully put on the scale showing weights ranging from 2lbs 13oz to 4lbs 6oz! Temperatures were taken, and luckily there was not too much complaining. Not even when the first immunizations were given! I will not divulge who made the most noise and who was quiet, just so I do not hurt feelings or embarrass any little puppy souls.

Notice the little sign on the wall. I wonder if that will be true in these puppies' future...

Let's just say the kids were very well-behaved and were rewarded with yummy dog biscuits.

Soooooo yummy! You should have heard the crunching in surround sound coming from 6 speakers!

While the vet was checking Jethro (Jerry), all the other pups crammed onto the little carrier pad and passed out!

The vet tech got lots of licks and kisses!

...

In less than two more days our littlest one leaves the nest: Lainie will be going home with Gregg and Laurie to meet big brother Georgie and his two buddies. We feel blessed she is going to a good and loving home.

Jethro (Jerry) will stay a little longer with us, until he can go home to Izzie and her clan at Tom and Carol's house. Oh boy, what fun they are going to have with their doggies!

Phone calls are coming in with folks asking about the other pups... it is a matter of time and we will be empty-nesters again...

7 weeks: Playing catch with Teddy!

My grandmother would say that today was a RED LETTER DAY! Teddy came to visit the puppies. Sadly for him though, he arrived when the gardeners were still here so there was not only the noise of mowers and blowers, but also a choir of dogs barking at them. A little loud. Nevertheless, Teddy had his big sweet smile as usual as he observed all the commotion. He really liked the size of the smaller dogs. On the other hand, whenever he saw Puppy (our biggest and oldest dog!) go past him, he would point his little finger down and with a stern voice he would say: Bad Dog!
Haha, that is of course, what he has learned to say around his own two big labs, Cal and Earl.
When the gardeners left, we went outside and the first thing Teddy heard and saw was a helicopter overhead! So much exciting stuff in the life of a little 18 month old boy!


Bacio was super excited to have a new buddy willing to play catch with him. My guess is that we could put those two together all afternoon to play! Too sweet. Even Kramer wanted in on the act!

The pups liked their new buddy as they circled him in the grass. A little human closer to their own size seemed pretty interesting.


Thanks for visiting Teddy and Emily!