Friday, December 25, 2009
Under the  Miss ~ eltoe       
The ongoing photo journal of Katoba Dobermans' 2009 "Miss & Mister" Litter   ~   DPCA Futurity Nominated for 2010
Since we have no snow today ... yet ... (always hopeful) ... I had to go online and find some of my own. This morning could not have started off any better ... as the dog awoke
and each went out to enjoy the frost covered ground and the glare of the sun, I sent Todd off to work. I wish he did not have to work on Christmas, but over the past 20 years,
I have gotten used to the fact that his career does not recognize such superficial things as "dates". We have had many Christmas celebrations in fire houses or even waited
until the 26 or 27th to "celebrate". When the kids were little, whether Todd worked or not, "Santa" ALWAYS visited the house on Christmas Eve and delivered presents ... even
if his Sleigh looked more like an Ambulance or Medic Unit :). This year will be no different, in that, I will be going to the firehouse for Christmas dinner. This year, though, I will
not be cooking ... no, the fine crew of Station 11 will be making Christmas dinner, and I only have to bring an old fashioned Apple Crisp for dessert. What a TREAT this will be
... and for Erica & Violet, who will be accompanying me ~ their FIRST visit to a fire station. In the meantime, enjoy some photos of Christmas Day at Camp Katoba.
The apple does not fall far from the tree with this one. Misty (the
pups dam), is like her mother, Echo ... in that she NEVER misses an
opportunity to sneak a treat. This Christmas morning was no
different ... and it was the not-quite-ready-to-be-refrigerated
CHEESE BALL. She always has a tell-tale guilty face when she is
up to something ... as if the cream cheese on her nose doesn't
already give her away today. So, as any devoted Dobe owner
would ... I checked for hairs - leaving a few for sentiment sake (just
kidding?), rolled it in pecans, and put it in the fridge to firm up :)
Since all of my dogs are ""sucky-babies" (they suck on a "woobies"), they
each got a collar-color coordinated blankie/woobie. Erica = tangerine, Breeze
= pink, Violet = purple, etc. As you can see, Violet decided they ALL
belonged to her. Not only did she pull the others' woobies through the pen
slots, she also pulled Breeze's bed cover and one of her toys through.
Sheesh. When I let her back into the house from the backyard, she jumped
into the pen and sat amongst her treasures. She stared me in the eyes and
would shift her position to sit on each thing I tried to take out. I just had to
laugh. I let her keep them while the other girls palyed outside.
We had no tree in our house this year ... nor did I dawn the house with the usual explosion of lights and decorations ... no "stockings were hung by the chimney with
care" ... and we had no family over, nor did we go to any family homes ... Todd worked on Christmas Day and a few additional shifts - including a 36 hr shift - during
the Christmas week ... I ate dinner with men in civil service uniforms, watching "Mythbusters" ... Erica & Violet had their first visit with fire fighters and paramedics in
"their house" and got to see the firefighters take off in the big loud Engine to go on a call ... Todd and I bought 'nearly nothing' ... Todd and I did not even exchange
gifts with each other ... we did not dress up for any event ... nor did I even buy my traditional "New Christmas Sweater" ... I baked only one batch of cookies ... I did
not send out cards ...  I made no Chex Mix ... I did not go to the Festival of the trees or the Victorian Country Christmas ... I did no public Christmas Caroling and I
attended no holiday presentations of any kind ... I wrapped no gifts ... I did not exercise any obligatory Holy Days or church services ... no commercialism ...
no pretentious happiness around those trying to volley for the best gift ... no listening to the boastful annual brags ... no day-long gluttony of fattening sweets ...
no piles of waste from wrappings ... no credit card meltdowns ... no silent family wars ... no hangovers ...  and most of all ... no regrets.
Sound sad and depressing ... a bit Bah Humbug ?
Well ... it was NOT :)
It was a FINE Christmas ... one that I found joy in, just by focusing on the heart.
I enjoyed the ones closest to me, (Todd and the dogs) ...
... and I prayed for those who I wished I could have been with, (my children) ~ knowing God would Bless them where ever they were this Christmas.
Christmas IS what you make it ... and is not dependant upon money, gifts, decor, food, or ... people, even.
The Christmas season is about more than love ... it is about PEACE ... whatever that is to you and HOWEVER you get it. ... THAT is the BLESSING of the HOLIDAYS.
It was nice to experience a different kind of Christmas ... so completely stress-free and unbinding ... one of PEACE.
So, as this glorious day passes into the night, I share with you the words that only Tiny Tim, (and maybe Jimmy Stewart), could have said so beautifully,
"God Bless Us Every One"
As the pups continue to work their baby teeth out ... Soleil enjoys her Christmas chew bone ... and it appears to be
helping with the teething right away, as she presented me with this little "gift". Here's a little fact: MANY of the teeth
"LOST" are swallowed by the pup ... while the others usually end up "FOUND" in the bottoms of our feet :)
Breeze spotted the Christmas
Cookie in my hand and
instantly put on her "Cutest Elf"
face ...
... YES, she got the cookie :)
Zzzen & Breeze enjoy the crisp, cold, sunny Christmas morning together ... running like reindeer and frolicking like elves.
When it was time for them to come in so the big kids could go out and have some crazy time, they TRIED to hide behind
the tree. "She will NEVER find us back here", (bottom right). hahaha
Due to the teething and the
fact that I was to be gone for
several hours today, I did
re-post the pups ears. Breeze
was less than happy about that
... so ... she was given yet
ANOTHER Christmas cookie :)
She plays me like a fiddle.
Grama Echo (9th Christmas),
Uncle Tyler (3rd Christmas),
& the puppies dam,
Misty (3rd Christmas) ...
"frolick and play the eskimo way"
on this Christmas morning.
Because he is the first one awake in the morning, it has become habit that I "greet" Cahill before everyone else ... in the morning,
(above far left); when I come home; when I go down to the dog room; etc. In turn, Cahill has also become the last dog I kiss good-
night; say good-bye to when leaving the house; etc. Today was no different. He was the first and last to go out to play ... and he was
the last one I said good bye to before I left for the day, (bottom far left).
Once the rest of the dogs were fed a special Christmas treat and nestled into their beds, I dressed Violet and Erica in their new collars, and loaded them into the car for our
drive to the Rento Fire Station, to have "Christmas Dinner with Dad". Todd was working on Medic 5 at Station 11 and we had been invited for dinner. I  had been asked to
make an Apple Crisp. I stopped for Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Caramel Sauce, was pulled over TWICE for 'random alcohol compliance checks', (I had NEVER heard of
such "random ridiculousness" ~ especially when you could literally pick out the REAL drunks who SHOULD have been pulled over. I chalked it up to the Troupers being
either bored or resentful that they had to work on Christmas. "Karma, boys, karma". Anyway ... when we got to Renton, I enjoyed the view of the Piazza (above).  
Dinner was delicious ... the turkey moist, the potatoes buttery, the gravy flavorful, and the stuffing yummy ... and this was the Fire Captains FIRST attempt to make such a
dinner by himself. Three cheers for the chef - hip hip hooray*hip hip hooray*hip hip hooray. I felt honored to be invited as I sat at the round table with the fire crew and
paramedic team, including my husband, Todd. I have been blessed many a times with invitations to dine with these types of groups, but usually I did the cooking ... this was far
different in that I was the guest.
I took no photos during dinner, but who would waste time taking photos when they were served such a fine and generous meal :)
After dinner, the girlies were allowed to run in the 'house' and found the firefighters VERY generous with their hugs and pets and TREATS.
Did not take long for the chicklets to figure out that the kitchen was THE place to hang out.
I needed to get back home to the rest of the family dogs, so we did not stay for dessert, (hope Todd brings me some home - hehehe).
While I got stuff ready to go, the girls got to run around the Bay with Todd and Keith, investigating the engine and the medic unit ... they are so tiny next to the big rigs.
Violet took quite the shine to Medic Keith Keller ... it was an instant crush. Violet also flirted her
way around the kitchen quite well. Erica was a bit more focused and intent on "working" for her
food ... even doing a fairly nice unsolicited free-stack for a (fire)man she had never met before,
(see top row middle). I was so impressed with the confidence of the pups ... it took but a minute for
them to go from alert and apprehensive to settled and entertaining. Uniforms, tall men, bright
lights, loud sounds, radios, big voices, etc ... it can all be very imposing and intimidating even to
humans ... the girls were smart in their approach, and quickly became comfortable in their
investigations. They were VERY happy to see daddy ... and they let him know that. They had
some turkey ... and ham ... and chesses, veggies, crackers ... and then some more turkey.
Thank You Station 11, for welcoming my girls into your house ... this being their First Christmas.
"ERICA"
"VIOLET"  
Todd and Keith humored me and the girls with a photo, (although they do not look as though they mind holding a darling
puppy in their arms). Then I put their leads on and off to the car we went ... they were so tired. I took a photo of them
protesting their departure, (tongues) ... yet, before we got out of the parking lot, they were sound asleep, (above). The ride
home was enjoyable even thought there was more traffic than I thought there would be. There were Christmas Carols and
bright lights for as far as the eye could see ... and there were sleeping pups in the back. Doesn't get much better than that!
"VIOLET"
"BREEZE"
"ERICA"
I have had the misfortune of losing four Doberman who were VERY special to me ... and
it was not until they were diagnosed with fatal illness that I realized I had no photos WITH
them. I had only 'end stage' photos with Rock, Piper, and Logan ~ sadly, I have NO
photos with Riley.  I never want to find myself in that situation again, so I thought I would
start today ...
... by taking a photo with each of the babies. So, I set up the camera ...
... the results clearly show that this will NEVER work without help.
VIOLET was too tired to even keep her eyes open for our photos ...
ERICA was too interested in the camera; then jumped up to play with my hair.
BREEZE NEVER wants to be left out ,,, but, was far more interested in kissing.
This would have been quite funny to watch someone ELSE try to do :)
By the time I was willing to give up my efforts with these three pups,
I realized that Zzzen & Soleil were sound asleep ... oh well I tried ~
~ and these photos will always bring back memories of their antics for our "first photos"
attempts. Maybe I can get some help from Todd tomorrow.
I included them for my own sentiment ... and a bit of Christmas cheer/humor.
The only thing missing?
REAL SNOW !
Free Falling Snow available at: AAA World Wide Graphics
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Enjoy the life and times of these very special puppies through their eight-chapter photo journal saga,
(click on the links below).
Chapter 8
Chapter 7
Chapter 6
Chapter 5
Chapter 4
Chapter 3
Chapter 2
Chapter 1
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Copyright2009,2010KBabbitt. All Rights Reserved. use of ANY materials on this site or its linked pages is explicitly prohibited.
If you are interested in being considered for one of the show prospect puppies available, (see above),
please begin by filling out the questionnaire, (below).
Email it to Kathy at katoba@comcast.net.  Please do not leave anything 'blank' on the form.
Kathy can be contacted at 253.312.4839.
"The DOG BLOG ... with Pix"