Ode to Henry
This is Henry.
He's the Keeper of the Bonkie.
WHAT is a bonkie? It's a baby's best friend. Soothes the urge to suck, calms when crying, saves my nipples from further destruction.
We LOST Henry on Saturday AT the dog show. I felt soooo bad. Replayed the entire day in my head--"Did I drop him in the mud when getting Kendon out of the car? Did I drop it in the bathroom? Did I drop it ANYWHERE? Did some pampered poochie come along and decide it was his?"
I was sad. And worried. And oh-so-guilty feeling. Poor Henry. Our friendly purple hippo whose relationship with our youngest had only just begun.
Husband said not to worry. Henry would turn up. "Maybe he's in the car between the seats or under the car seat--did you check the stroller?"
He wasn't between the seats or under the car seat--or in the stroller.
Yaunna and I returned to the dog show for Day Two on Sunday...on a whim, I told her to go to the show secretary's desk and inquire about a lost-and-found. So, like a good sport, off she trotted in her blue suit to look for Breeder Bev and the Bichon with the intention of making a quick swing by the secretary's desk.
"My baby brother lost his soother--it has a purple hippo attached," she asked. "His name is Henry."
"Your brother's name is Henry?"
"No, the hippo's name is Henry."
The show secretary looked in the lost-and-found and a lost Henry was found.
Henry is home. He's a special hippo. And the wee lad is quite pleased to have the return of his nipple stand-in.
Kendon and Daddy...at the dog show 112004
Kendon is SUCH a good baby...he was taking in all the sights and sounds and SMELLS...it's a dog show, people. There are PLENTY of smells. In honor of the festivities, our wee lad had his doggie cozy suit on--he was better looking than lots of the mutts on show....
Y and Meisje Best of Breed Day 2 on the table
I THINK this is Best of Breed...I dunno all the vernacular...I'm learning...if it's wrong, I will fix it. And YES, Yaunna can actually LIFT the dog onto the table like a pro. You should hear everyone sitting around us chitter-chat about how cute it is to see this little kid lifting the dog. HA!
Day 2 Elsie Murray Show...in the BIG Ring again 112104
Day Two...one event only today. Meisje won 'Best of Opposite' by default because the winning dog was a male, and as the only female entered, that meant Meisje won best of the opposite sex. Like I said, I'm still learning. Again, AMAZING experience for our resident handler. She looked spiffy AND she had another breeder ask if she would be interested in training with HER dogs. WOW. Wish I knew what I wanted to do when I was 11 and had people paying attention to my potential...crap, I wish I knew what I was supposed to be doing at 33. Not many chil'ens grow up saying "I dream of being a medical transcriptionist." Isn't that suit just ADORABLE???
Stacking Meisje, waiting her turn...Juniors at Elsie Murray 112004
This was the junior event at noon...Yaunna doesn't want to talk so much about this one -- let's just say that we're teaching her the value of humility and sportsmanship. She took fourth of six.......EVEN THOUGH she should have taken first. Bullocks on sportsmanship, eh? This is MY blog! I'm not sure who needs to learn humility--me or Yaunna--but she really looked the part here and did well. She's a natural and the dogs love her, as do the spectators and the breeders. Oh, and I do, too. So--she took fourth, but that's okayyyyy because first is just around the corner (when there's a REAL judge in the ring and not just a handler filling in...). SPORTSMANSHIP, Jenn, SPORTSMANSHIP.
Yaunna and Meisje WINNING...
WOOHOOOO! The judge was just about to make the call...and our GIRL beat the growed-ups! :) This ain't no junior handling, folks...this is the real ring...where the points count for the doggie. This was "Winners Bitch" -- don't gasp, non-dog people. That's what they call it. That means she's the best female dog...? Bev? Is that right? Anyway, you get what I mean. She done good and Miss Meisje was adorable. (By the way, the dog's name is pronounced "Mysha" -- her mom gave me the proper spelling this morning, so I'm making sure to report all details as accurately as possible!)
Yaunna and Meisje...Moving right along...
I'm going the wrong direction with these posts...I should be doing this in the opposite order, but just spend a moment and you will see what the hell I am trying to do. (And I'm NOT just trying to avoid working by posting all this...okay, maybe a little bit of avoidance is going on...okay, crap, maybe A LOT. It's going to be a LOOOONNNNGGGG night.) A few more photos to follow...including an "Ode to Henry."
Yaunna and Meisje in the BIG Ring
THIS is where it counts. For the dog AND the handler. In the 'big' ring, Yaunna is showing this Bichon for its breeder/owner, Bev. Bev has placed her trust in Yaunna to take this dog in against the other competitors where the dog is judged first and the handler secondarily. And Yaunna the Handler, with Meisje* the Bichon at her side, WON! This was the Winners Bitch (Best Female); they won Best Opposite Sex when a male dog beat out Meisje and Yaunna the second time in. So that means that Meisje took Best Opposite Sex because the dog who won the second time in was a male. Ooooh, so confusing. I hope I haven't gotten this completely retarded. Bottom line, Yaunna won in the BIG ring and she looked fabulous. Good work, Sis.
(*pronounced 'Mysha')
Awwww...I love puppies, Momma...
This photo was just dee-lish. Kendie-Q was sprawled out on the floor when our darling non-show dog, Lila, decided to snuggle up. She ADORES the baby and is oh-so-gentle. THESE nice words, coming from a non-dog person. (I'M LEARNING...and I haven't YELLED at the dog in nearly three weeks so BACK OFF.) Lila was sniffin' around (checking if Kendon's diaper needed attention--thanks, Lila--) and she just wanted to lie down next to her buddy. The baby grabbed a swatch of hair, but she didn't flinch (probably helps that he isn't very strong yet). These guys are fast friends. Lila loves the little ones. I managed to get the lighting right and didn't screw up the photo. I'm learning. One of these days when I have some TIME, I will REALLY learn how to use this darn camera, but for now, this photo is pretty darn cute.
Don't ya think?
Now both of these babies are sleeping. Like I said earlier, I gotta get some work done.
Gorgeous Birthday Girl on the Big 11
The Birthday Girl received the COOLEST "Girls Only" makeup kit from Gramma and Auntie...so before cake, we HAD to play beauty parlor. She looks so sweet -- Dad told her he was buying a shotgun and she was not allowed to leave the house until her steel body cage and gamma-proof blinders were done. BOYS ARE EVIL. Remember that. Repeat after me. BOYS ARE EVIL.
She ain't buyin' it.
The reverse mantra is true for her older brother -- God have mercy -- who is now 14 and a HALF, which means in just over six months, Blake can get his LEARNER'S PERMIT! If you live in Washington state, I would move NOW before darling Blakey gets to the DMV and the state agrees to issue him a plastic laminated card with his adorable face on it, a card that gives him PERMISSION to operate a multi-ton piece of machinery on the open road. Man, glad I live in Canada!
So after we ate 2/3 of the cake -- okay, after MOM ate 2/3 of the cake --I've been dubbed the Baby Elephant as I eat all the friggin' time and when I am NOT eating, I'm looking for something to eat -- I'm still breastfeeding -- that's my story and I'm STICKIN' to it -- speaking of stickin', anyone have any brownie mix? ANYWAY -- after WE ate the cake (sans ice cream because I FORGOT--got hung up at the lady sampling mini-pizzas), we SCRUBBED Yaunna's face and made her look like a youngster again. Made me feel better to know that my kid really does look younger than she is because then maybe all of those dumb BOYS will leave her alone. I might just lie to the middle school next year and tell them she's a prodigy and is really only 7, so she should be protected from all those hormonal pre-pubescents. Omigod...I'm going to have palpitations. I think I will finish this and go do some typing before I lose my job and get fired and end up living in my van down by the river. (Any Chris Farley fans???)
Food? You call this FOOD?!?
Actually, he quite fancied it. He gets really mad and starts hollering at me if I don't shovel it in fast enough. Piggy piggy. But he's so damn cute, who cares if he snorts and stinks occasionally? He's brilliant and we adore him. SO easy going. In fact, Gramma Young always brags about what a good baby and child Gary was ... we think that Bren is me as a child (only as a boy) and that Kendon must be Gary. One is trouble, the other is peace. Nice dynamic...should make for an interesting childhood. Bren LOVES his brother, though, I must admit -- he's very gentle and seems to resist those moments of really just wanting to squeeeeeze him. He did "share" his water with Kendie in the tub last night ("share" = pouring over Kendon's face). Bren said he just wanted to help wash him...what can I say to that?
The most amazing thing about being a parent to these three children is that I have the ability to witness history in the making -- everyday these chumps do something else adorable and clever and noteworthy. But, as soon as that moment passes, Reality reenters from his bathroom break and everything returns to chaos. (Let's just hope Reality remembered to activate the bathroom fan.)
I stole Harry Potter's wand...and I'm NOT givin' it back...
Yes -- if you look closely enough, you can see the demon in the bluest eyes. Bren was wearing his CANUCKS hat like a true hoser. For those who don't know the Canucks (probably most American readers), it's our hometown NHL hockey team and we LOVE them in this house. For those of you who don't REMEMBER what hockey is (probably most Canadian readers), it's that awesome sport that involves ice and a puck and a bunch of hunky guys gettin' all sweaty chasing the puck around while showing their moves on said ice but they're currently pissing with the owners about salary caps and a bunch of other crap I don't even pretend to understand -- WE ARE DEVOID OF HOCKEY IN CANADA. SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!!!!! Phew...I'm tired...I really should go make coffee. Maybe decaf...I'm a little wound up after talking about hockey -- or the lack thereof.
I'm digressing -- again -- imagine that. My website should be called 'digressor.com'. Bren is obsessed with Harry Potter so he takes his wand everywhere with him and he turns people into frogs and trees often. He was being particularly cheeky when I had the camera out, and if you know Brennan, this is an easy thing to imagine. Trouble never moved so fast on two legs.
BIRTHDAY MONEY!
American AND Canadian cash, all in one envelope! What an INTERNATIONAL hit! Now, thanks to Gramma and Auntie, Ya-Ya has a start on the next collection drive for the Show Dog Fund -- unless she gets weak and decides to buy a Bratz doll or some trendy shoes. The $20 American is not worth much more than its face value right now, sadly. The American dollar is in the toilet and the Canadian dollar keeps gaining ground. Good for some, not so good for others. ANYWAY, she was quite surprised to find cash in with her present -- which was a 'cache' of makeup suitable for pre-teens (THANKS GRAMMA, Republican GRAMPA, and AUNTIE!!!). Guess it was a cash/cache situation, eh? Okay -- comedy doesn't work this early, especially with no coffee on board and an almost-3-year-old that is just now emerging from his room and will start demanding that I let him play on the computer right...about...NOW. AAAGGHHHH~!
One last shot this morning...Halloweeeeen 2004
Look at my 2nd Place BOUNTY! 103104
The judge is giving instructions...
Yaunna and Maddie in action 103104
Day 2: Lower Mainland Dog Fanciers 103104
Yaunna and Maddie in action...Day One LMDF 103004
Getting ready for ring time at the DOG SHOW! 103004
