Meeting Santa

We just love the Holidays!

Fino and I got to meet Santa

together for the first time last week.

The photo shoot was planned during

Jerome's stay at the hospital.

Mom had to rearrange her schedule

to let us go (thanks daddy!).

It was worth it, wasn't it?

Speaking of our big brudder, he's now home

and he's feeling much better. We're so happy!

Yesterday, his surgeon removed

the adhesive plasters of his lower abdomen

and he told mom that she could

stop giving him his massive dose of daily antibiotic.

He could finally take a bath!

Later this week, we are going to show you

our Christmas tree.

I, Rouky, broke only 2 decorations this year.

If only for that, Santa really has to

give me the new doggie bed I want!

Very busy times

Our family have been very busy these past weeks...

Mom says she is wayyyy behind in commenting

the blogs

that she follows

and she is really sorry for this.

In between the occasional play session at the dog park

and our daily walks,

Fino and I had to spend some time in our crates...

and build up our separation anxiety problem.

See, our dear brudder Jerome

had numerous appointments

at the hospital.

Two weeks ago,

he had a same-day surgery to have a drain

removed from his right kidney...

only to have to replaced two days later

after a long day at the ER.

It seems that the vital organ could not

work properly without it.

Then, his horrible, hard-to-kill

bacteria manifested itself again

and he had a week of daily IV treatments.

Certainly because of our cheerful presence,

Jerome was a trooper all the way.

He's the best!

The little guy will have to go through another surgery

(this time a major one, like the

one he had earlier this year)

on November 29th, if things

go according to plan.

Mom thinks that we'll go to the doggie hotel again.

Dad replied that, with his days off from work,

we could probably manage without it.

He mentioned something called "money".

Orijen kibbles and delicious treats, we understand,

but money? What is this anyway?

Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

I hope you had fun and got lots of treats!

Things were really special at our house yesterday,

as Batman (aka Alex, Sophie's brother)

rescued an authentic Chinese panda!

Our big brudder understood what was

going on early on and he learned to say

"Merci" to every generous person who gave him candy.

Fino and I wanted to be part of the event and mom was

thrilled about this until the very last minute.

She then got afraid that we might steal the show

in a bad way if we got too anxious and started barking.

We did meet Batman, though.

And Fino got to show part of his shiny Halloween t-shirt.

Me? I didn't really like my fluffy orange collar,

so I refused to parade in from of the camera.

Maybe next year with a better costume!

A very special day

Time goes by so quickly, humans say...

Today is a very special day for Mom and Dad:

they met baby Jerome for the first time exactly

one year ago.

Their lives has changed so much since that

precious moment!

Look a him, in their Beijing hotel room,

so small in his orphanage's clothes...

At the time, he was still drinking for the bottle

and he had very bad skin, but

he already was a sweet, curious and mischievous

little boy!

Look at him today, playing in grandpa's backyard!

He has grown up in so many ways!

He now calls me "Touty" and wants to know

where I am all the time.

His best friend is Fino:

Jerome is obsessed with trying to put

his harness on!

Little Fino is very patient (most of the time...).

Clearly, our big brother needs to go to

daycare next year!

Jerome still has many follow-ups to go to

at the hospital. We wish him the best!

Also, he has now officially entered his "no" phase,

which can be quite funny sometimes.

And let's not forget his endless energy.

He just never stops!

You are the best brudder we can have, dear Jerome!

Stars for a day

A few months ago, in early June,

Mom took us for a ride to the

doggie daycare where we sometimes go.

Another fun day at the gym?

Not this time!

Instead, we were welcomed

by a very nice man

who was starting a new career as a photographer.

We would be his models for the day.

Mom wanted to have a picture of both

Fino and I to use as a header for the blog.

It turned out that we were not

calm enough to pose together.

Strike the pose!

Fino, you go first!

My turn!

What a great experience we had!

What a Sunday!

Sunday morning, I was ready for

a great day filled with adventures, walks

and naps on the sofa.

The action started early:

Jerome's breakfast went

the other way and I got

stuck with eggs in my ears.

Not pretty...

Everything went fine until late in the evening.

Dad let us out to do our business one last time

before going to bed. Usually, he goes out with us,

but not this time.

Someone else was keeping us company, though:

a small black and white animal

that seemed quite friendly.

A skunk!

Guess who learned a valuable lesson...

The next day, Mom rushed Fino and I to the groomer...

and then to the vet because the skunk's urine

burned my eyes.

She was really worried for me...

Now, I no longer smell awful,

but I'm going to look like this for 10 days.

Stay inside, my friends!

Two days at the zoo

This week-end, mom received photos

from Jerome's happy days at the

Ecomuseum zoo and the Granby zoo, taken

by uncle Alex and grandpa Robert.

Here is a Siberian big cat that really

impressed our big brudder.

Jerome loved the train! He's been saying

"Choo choo" ever since!

Here he is, with grandpa, a bit unsure of himself.

He gained confidence as the day went on.

The otters made Jerome laugh! He kept

running from one window to another.

Seeing fishes, birds and lots of exotic animals is fun,

but running from one exhibition to the next

is still the best!

Back from our vacation

We are back from our vacation...

and from a long absence motivated

by our spokesperson's laziness

(yes, we are talking about you, mom!).

This year, Fino and I took a separate

vacation from the rest of the family.

The humans went to Kennebunkport, Maine,

for a week. They had a really nice time!

Jerome saw the ocean (and was a bit afraid of it!)

and he ran across the lobby of the hotel at numerous occasions.

Everybody got to know him!

His first time swimming in the pool went well,

so he's going to take a class with mom this autumn.

He's going to be a sea turtle!

Back home, Mom and Jerome visited a small local zoo.

Snakes? Behind a glass, they are OK.

Discoveries are fun!

While the rest of the family was away,

Fino and I spent a week at our trainer's house, Christine.

She's the best!

We moved so much (up to 3 hours of exercise every day)

during our stay that, at night, we were exhausted.

We even agreed to sleep in the same crate.

It was a first class experience!

We even got to swin in a pool, on leash.

Thanks Christine!

Have a great week!

Now that we are back, we'll keep you posted

about our adventures more often!

Another day at the dog park

Another day, another dog park!

Mom, Jerome, Fino and I

visited this one, located near our home,

twice this week.

Our brudder has lots of fun running in the grass,

in a section where dogs don't really go.

Mom had a harder time trying to catch Fino,

who was able to escape

by squeezing under the door...

Jerome is thinking about a great change that happened on Tuesday:

Fino no longer barks when Mom walk us

with our brudder in the stroller.

Way to go, Fino!

This gives us more opportunities to exercise.

Sophie is soon going to get arms of steel!

And please, don't worry...

Fino and I still find countless reasons to bark

every day!

A what?

On Monday, our brudder Jerome

met our cousin Maki-the-Persian-cat

for the first time.

As you can see,

Jerome looooves cats!

Maki belongs to Alex,

Sophie's brother.

She's usually very shy.

What? She is allowed on the table and not me?

A very hot summer

What a hot summer!

The sun has been shining so brightly

recently that we had to play mostly

inside during the day.

My speedy brother Fino

has taken up a new habit:

he bites my ears until I accept to run after him.

This got me a solo trip to the groomer this morning.

Do I look happy?

Maybe not, but my fur is now shiny... and mat free!

Rest, little blenheim brother...

I know I'm going to win our next tug-of-war session!

I guess the visit to the dog park that

mom promised to us

is now

compromised...

Jerome, get out of our seat now!

You're not going anywhere, dressed in your pj!

Our brudder never gets tired of playing in the garage.

Have fun!

And now... a frog!

You all thought that my brother Fino was a dog, right?

It turns out that he is a frog!

Have a great day!

Happy Canada Day!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Have a great long week-end!

The dog park

Going to the dog park is so much fun for us, boys

(human included!)!

We visit about 4 times a week in the summer.

Mom had to "shop" to find a new one because

the park where we used to go to is not fully fenced.

Let's just say that none of us have mastered the recall

so it was just way too stressful for her!

Jerome loves to run and to play with small rocks.

Fino and I run like the wind, chase each other, roll in the grass

and spend too much time

in the mud spot in the middle of the park.

After an hour of sport and pleasure,

we usually are exhausted...

and so much calmer the rest of the day.

Our birthday gift

On my last post, Fino and I told you that we

received a big birthday gift.

Note from mom: small is the new big

until I start earning a salary again!

Here it is:

a new day bed

by Pipsqueak and Petunia,

a cute little store on Etsy

that mom loves a lot.

We also got many boxes

of all-natural Northern Biscuit cookies.

Thanks mommy!

A special day, a big comeback

Today is a very special day for Fino and I,

but it's so hot that we don't really feel like celebrating.

We'll take it cool, OK?

I'm officially turning 2 and, as we don't know

Fino's exact birth date but estimate that it is in June,

we'll say that he is turning 1.

Happy birthday little Fino!

We got a big present from mom.

Can you guess what it is?

We'll show it to you tomorrow.

I can start blogging again, because our brudder Jerome

is finally home, after spending nearly 2 months

at the hospital.

He is super happy and he wants to spend all his time playing outside.

He loves to give us kibbles and he has learned to

pet us in a gentler way.

Way to go, big guy!

We hope that he'll be OK for a while now.

Jerome and mom still have to adjust to his

"new way to pee". It's getting easier every day,

especially in the morning and before going to sleep.

Look! Here he is, getting ready to go to the supermarket.

Please, can we go with you?

Some alone time

I haven't been around much lately

and I'm missing all of you very much...

Fino and I have been alone more than usual lately,

because our big brudder Jerome has been at the hospital

for the past month... He's been in surgery twice, for

his bladder and kidneys... If all goes well, he is supposed to come

back home next week.

We can't wait!

Mom still has to master something

called catheterism. The first times have been a challenge,

but she's getting much better at it now (with the help of a nurse).

We've heard that Jerome is a charmer and that

nothing stops him from running around and blowing

kisses to everybody!

Like mom, Fino has a new art to master:

for him, it's staying quiet!

You can do it, little guy!

Have a bit of water and go play

with your toys, for a change!

Will it end?

You all know that we recently said "Bye bye" to the

ugly, beige-going-on-grey, wall-to wall carpeting upstairs.

We won't miss it one bit!

Well, Sébastien, mom's friend who do all the work for us,

is still coming to our house every Sunday.

Why? Because mom and dad decided that,

while at it, they should redo the stairs and the first floor.

We cannot wait until it's all done!

Tomorrow is Jerome's surgery. I'll tell you how it went on Wednesday.

He is supposed to be back tomorrow, in the evening.

Bye bye!

All about my brudder

These past 2 weeks, it's been all about my brudder Jerome.

He's getting bigger and he understands

what mom and dad say a lot better.

Talking? Just a few words yet...

Playing hide and seek and singing and laughing? A lot!

Jerome still has to go to the hospital

at least twice a week.

This means crate time for us and worry time

for our parents...

Next week, they'll have the results of

his kidneys scan and on April's 12th,

he'll have the 1st of 2 surgeries on his bladder.

Jerome still finds time to have fun activities,

like last Saturday at Ikea with uncle Alex and Sophie.

He had the kid's menu (at 1,99$, it's a deal!)...

... and he made time to try the furniture.

"I love this chair, but at 90$, I think we'll pass..."

Mom did return with lots of bags full of toys,

fun accessories for Jerome's bedroom,

candles and napkins .

A kiss is just a kiss

True love often starts with a sweet kiss...

Have a great week-end!

A major scare

Fino, you scared us!

Remember, my little brudder had

a surgery last week.

It went perfectly fine... until

they gave him some drugs to ease the pain

after the intervention.

Fino had a severe allergic reaction to one

of them... and he almost died because of it.

For about 24 hours, we were not sure

if he would survive. It was so stressful...

Luckily, he did!

Mom and dad were left with a

huuuuge vet bill, but Fino did not care much about it.

As soon as he got better, he was his old self again,

full of energy and mischief.

I have to admit that it took me a a few hours to

recognize him with his new fashion accessory...

We are all glad that you're back, Fino!

Changes

Look at him!

Mr Fino is has become a beautiful boy!

His hair is longer now and super shiny.

It does not get tangled like mine and,

guess what, he does not mind to be

brushed, unlike a certain someone

who is known to bite...

Today, while Jerome is being spoiled

by grandpa, mom left home early with Fino.

She explained to me that he'll be neutered

and the vet will also remove his hernia.

His girlfriend of the moment, Miss White Teddy-bear,

feels sad and lonely but mom thinks it's OK because

their relationship

was moving too fast anyway. :-)

Another big change: our crates, that we never really used before,

had to be moved up from the basement.

We'll have to get used to them, it seems...

Because we suffer from separation anxiety

(we love mom too much; dad can almost come

and go as he wants!),

it was the only way she and Jerome could

get out of the house safely.

We also have to wear citronella collars

to diminish our barking.

Fino is the one who has the most problems with this.

Surprise, surprise: I have been spotted relaxing

in my crate with the door open.

See, I can be good when I want to!

Jerome still has to go to the

Montreal's Children Hospital

almost twice a week.

Encouraging news: his kidneys

may be up about 80% OK...

Bye bye!

Happy birthday Jerome!

Today is our brudder's Jerome birthday!

He's turning 2!

For his special day, the little boy received a BIG

gift from Sophie and Philippe:

new flooring upstairs, including in

his bedroom.

He also got lots of toys, don't worry!

At first, mom and dad wanted hardwood,

but it turns out that it does not go

well with things like a long trip to China,

a new baby, a adoption leave from work...

and a new puppy... :-)

They settled for laminate instead.

It'll be easier to clean!

Because the job is done by one of Sophie's friend

who does this on the side, it's taking a long time.

Toys, books and furnitures are everywhere...

and mom can't find the camera.

No dogs photo today...

The iPhone photo below was taken by

her brother Alex

yesterday...

For his birthday, Alex gave Jerome a Little People garage

and Colette - Sophie and Alex's mom -

gave him a toy cart with many

plastic fruits and veggies.

Let's hope Jerome will be able to name

them before Fino and I chew them all!

Just joking!

I must admit that we are getting a little

bit better at not touching them.

Baby steps...

I told you that Jerome had to go to the hospital last week.

It turns out that he'll have to go many more times

to pass more exams.

We all all grateful that, at least,

excellent doctors are doing their best to take care of him.

Bonne fête Jérôme!

A big heart

I'm back!

I still have BIG improvements to make at home

(such as not making the earth shatter and terrify

everybody every time mom leaves the house),

but I had to show up for my sweet Valentine,

Miss Kodee.

You are a stunning tricolor, dear, and I hope to

meet you one day.

Fino has a tender spot for your beautiful sister.

Becky, would you like to be his cougar girlfriend?

As you know, February is the month of the heart.

Our brudder Jerome received great news about his last week:

it is perfectly OK!

This week, on Friday, mom will meet the urologist to know more

about the problem with his kidneys.

We all hope for the best.

The little guy still has to gain weight.

It's difficult because he is kind of a fussy eater.

My complete opposite!

Happy Valentine's Day!

I hope you'll get lots of hugs and lots of treats!

We have another visit from the dog trainer

on Tuesday. I'll tell you all about it.

Bye bye!

A great pair!

My brudders Jerome and Fino are getting

closer every day.

See how they had fun last week after our stop at the dog park!

Young Fino can be a real tornado sometimes,

but what a love sponge...

His fur is now half short and half long.

He looks like a mutant!

As for me, well, mom had banned me from my own blog this week...

Unfair!

- Rouky, I really think you are the naughtiest cavalier in the world!

No picture of you this week.

Next time, if you don't behave yourself,

I'll show your readers

the plastic toys cemetery you created.

- Mom, no!

I'll improve!

Just watch me!

Back home

We are back home!

Well, we have been for a few days now

(note from mom:

boarding 2 dogs really

is crazy expensive, but those

4 less stressful days

were priceless...).

Jerome had be hospitalized for 10 days, and then

he had to go back for 2 more days because he

caught the gastro virus at the hospital.

He's now feeling much better.

He's going to have to go back in February, though,

to see if there are more serious troubles...

Things are fun here! We never stop!

Look, I just stole Fino's bone!

Finally, someone uses that special place where I never go.

"Jerome, it would be the perfect time to reflect

on why biting your parents is wrong, even

if you do it when you are happy!".

Little Fino, here, got sick after his vaccination last week.

He's now OK and full of energy.

It has been SO cold these past days,

that we don't get walked

very much.

We prefer to play tug-of-war.

Want to join us?