Merry Christmas everyone

Oh no Food Lady you can't do this to us.

At least Harvey knew how to deal with it.

Happy Christmas to our human brother Simon, and So-hyoung, in Korea

having a Christmas Eve dinner in Daegu.

We were left with some tasty morsels in the back yard while they all went to a fabulous Christmas Eve dinner at Rupert and Paddy's humans. Clare managed the décor,

Arti kicked off the festivities with Jingle Bells,

and Katinka guarded the presents. (One of the reasons we were not permitted to attend!)

Back home, the Food Lady put up our stockings before bed,

and the next morning we had to put on our bandanas for a modelling session. Harvey is such a poser!

But he redeemed himself by helping me remove my bandana.

More gift opening - before Harvey and his humans left for lots of other Christmas stuff,

and we were taken for a lovely stroll on Fish Hoek beach

where we met up with Lonsie before going to visit our human grandmother for lunch and more presents.

I was famished at this stage so used my best beseeching expression on the Food Lady

who then let us tuck into one of our presents - some dog droewors from our spaniel cousins, 

who were watching all the antics from a safe place.

Laddie and Lonsie - so happy together - with Arti and Gabe reading their Tintin books from Jane.

That afternoon the Alph put up the volley ball net,

while the Food Lady checked the computer for photos of our human cousins in Sunderland  - Vincent and Marie- Anne

and big beautiful crazy Jethro.

On Boxing Day morning we went for a walk in the Greenbelt, and nearly got run over by a family fun run.

Back home and ready for a party - Honey was the first to arrive,

followed by lots of friends and family

all bearing delicious food and drink.

which they then proceeded to devour.

Hey! What about me!

And me!

Arti jumped into the pool and became a Loch Ness Monster. Aaaarghhh.

Then I became a Loch Ness monster too.

Even Laddie was impressed - and a bit taken aback!

Harvey took himself off for a nap in the sun.

Soon the volleyball started up,

and Harvey woke up and joined in, but had to be removed from the field before he collapsed from heat exhaustion.

After a cooling down period, he and our human brother and Laddie had their own game.

At the end of the day there were tired boys and more presents,

some relevant to us,

but unless they were edible, I was basically uninterested even though the Food Lady was very happy with them.

Boxing Day

Boxing Day means lots of sweeping up and laying tables, and food and lots of potential tidbits although this year there are not so many small kids around at my level as Arti and Gabe went to Greyton.

The Alpha cooked some ham in the Weber - yum yum yummmmmm.

The serious volley ball players: Vini from Brazil, David from Germany, Phil from Jozie, Simon from here and Richard from Wellington New Zealand. (Alexander, Edmund and Dominic escaped the camera).

Beth sent the Food Lady some "Cath Kidston" paper serviettes from England so she tried to be creative with a pink and blue theme to match the serviettes. Margie bought a kransekake which lent a Norwegian air to the festivities.

Richard and Lucy pulling a cracker. (Which just finishes Dougal off!)

Josie came too - with a bow in her hair - and Dawnie Dawg was just so happy to see her. (As usual she ignored us all!)You can just see me in the bottom right of the photo. I was a bit nervous because a water polo ball kept flying out of the pool at a million miles an hour, spraying water in all directions, and the volleyball escaped every so often too, so it was best to keep to cover when you are as small as a scotty.

"Les girls" - Anna, Sophie, Kerryn, Clare and Caroline.

Jan the Dutchman from Wellington, New Zealand, Grahan the father of Amber and the fierce red ridgebacks and Lydia from Wellington, Julia and Sue on the rug and Norman having a snooze in the late afternoon sun. Katherine, human sister of Honey and Pippin is on the other rug.

Dougal found it all too much!