The ZinKuties

Things I never told you about McMommy

1) She has been sleeping on the bed since she was 10 weeks old.

2) She can lift a heavy mixing bowl off the counter and set it on the floor without spilling the contents -- which she then consumes.

3) She can tell time, and knows what day of the week it is.

4) She can jump six feet straight up from a sit. 

5) She claims to have been in a coma from February  until June, and has no recollection of any events that happened during that time. She claims, furthermore, that Faith is her sister.

6) She is so tennis-ball obsessed that I have to keep them in a box behind a door in the hall closet. She can fit four of them in her mouth at once.

7) She wakes me up in the morning by sitting on my head.

8) She shrieks with delight when she first sees or scents one of her friends, human or dog.

9) She knows how to drink from a straw.

and

10) She is the most utterly devoted dog I have ever known. I love her! 

Hey Zin, I think you left your genes in California

Because I can't imagine this sort of thing could possibly be attributed to my darling McKenzie, who has always been such a good dog.

Yep, I think they're gaining well

I snorted coffee out my nose when Pat sent me this. I told her that Faith was 22 pounds, and she "updated" the weight chart.

Now, I'm not an experienced breeder, but I think I can stop worrying that she's growing well enough, don't you?

Thanks for the laugh, Pat!

Thunder ... road

OK, which one of you Midwestern smartie-pants sent the thunderstorms?

More unusual spring weather here ... lightning, thunder and lots and lots of rain overnight. The puppies did great with it all, but I had to give Heather a valium. (In her old age, the Queen has become very sensitive to noise.)

Katie is on a plane heading here now ... and the puppies will be on planes heading to you soon!

Pupdate: Our grandma Wrigley (Ch. Grousemoor's Doublemint JH) won the working classes for girls at the national specialty this week! She was "Winners Bitch" as a puppy at the 2003 specialty, which is pretty cool -- she beat all the older girls! We hear she's a very pretty and smart grandma, and our daddy Zin says she is a good mommy, too.

Pupdate2: The Katie has landed!

You are all advised to get kiddie pools!

The ZinKuties love the water. :)

Slideshow here.

You get to vote!

You've followed them from before they were born. They're almost in their new homes. So ... here's a fun little poll:

This is so cool ...

Get home from work, a little later than usual. Take the puppies out, get the puppies in, feed everyone, take everyone out. I'm sitting on the back steps talking on the phone while the puppies gambol -- perfect word for it! -- about. 

And then: They all get in the kiddie pool together! They're walking around, play-bowing in the water, getting soaking wet and just loving it.

I'm so proud of my wet little babies.

Things we learned today, by the ZinKuties

You younger kids might want to write these down.

1) Water is cool. We like it, lots. Nice Lady says she's getting a "kiddie pool" for us tomorrow.

2) Motorbikes are loud, but they don't bother you if they're on the other side of the fence. You can play normally, even if the kids are jumping off hills real close by. It's cool.

3) There are cool, chewy ropes between the back of the toilet and the wall. But Nice Lady is mean, won't let you chew on them.

4) She's a little possessive about her underwear, too. Socks, as well.

5) If you grab the end of the paper next to the toilet and pull, you get lots more of it. And it chews up really nice! We only got to do this only once, though, and apparently Nice Lady isn't going to leave that door open any more.

7) Standing on a "grooming" table while Nice Lady moves your legs around isn't bad if you get cookies. Is this "grooming"? Not sure why Heather was so dreading it this morning, but she is sure in a good mood now, so it can't be that bad.

and MOST IMPORTANT!!!

6) Some "balls" MUST be left alone. Uncle Woody is a nice guy -- that's him playing with us (right) --  but he says the next time we bite his "balls" he will kill us. Seems on some points he's even more unreasonable than the Nice Lady.

I love my puppies the MOST ...

... when they're ASLEEP!

Kidding, but I gotta tell you their post-breakfast crash is really, really nice, considering I'm on a screaming tight deadline for Parade magazine this morning.

Sllleeeeeeeep, my babies, sleeeeeeeppppp.

Oh, no! I'm sure that was a fire engine you heard!

Neighbor Judy, who lives across the street: "I heard those babies wake you up at 4 a.m. Did you feed them?"

Me: "It wasn't that early, was it?"

Judy: "Yeah, they woke me up. I looked at the clock. I was going to call and laugh."

4 a.m. Four a-freakin'-m.

Also: 2 a.m., midnight and 10 p.m. the night before. Let me tell you, these guys get LOTS of rest on the days when I'm at work ... and I don't get any on the nights after.

Fortunately, this is my Friday.

Good thing they are the cutest little things on God's green earth.