Elliott in the village

[kayharley]

I spent 3 hours today setting up one of our Dept. 56 Dickens Villages. I know it's early for Christmas stuff but I just love looking at it and imagining myself living in there...

There's the Brew House for "beverages", the "cottages" for living quarters, the Ristorante for Italian dining, the shops, the props, play areas for my dogs and all other necessary arrangements. However, in designing this village I unfortunatley put it all a bit too close to one of our living room chairs...

Enter Elliott....Master of village design. A 15" tree in his mouth along with snow fluff in his beard. Thank God he can't fit in the houses!!

[brin145]

Elliot must have felt so lucky....you created a play area just for him!

[CathyAnn]

I guess Elliott just couldn't imagine you living there without him..... .

Cathy

[bradl]

I can just picture it. "Village menaced by Giant Cairn."

We gave my in-laws a small pewter Cairn sized to fit their Village. Plus, according to their tableau, there was also a Cairn in the Manger.

[wheezie23]

Too bad you didn't have a camera ready for that "moment"!

thela

[toomanypaws]

That's too funny! I too can just picture it, "Elliot Kong Terriorizes the Village."

[Brody'sMom]

I'm a little nervous to see how my Cairns react to my Christmas village. Here is a photo of my village from 2 years ago.

[kayharley]

OMG....Brody'sMom, that is absolutely gorgeous. I'd take a pic of mine but Brad will definately scold me.

I've found through experience that anything delicate, dainty, time consuming and decorative will hold a Cairns interest more than a 16 oz. steak!

[Brigette]

Dont you all have this visual image of terrified little villagers running "Hurry, its HELLIOTT!" We could make up a whole Grimms fairy tale based on this.

[CathyAnn]

Kay....just make sure Elliott is in the pic, too.

Then, Brad can't scold you.....lol!!

Cathy

[Darcy's Folks]

Sing this tune in your head....

"Away in a Manger, no crib for a CAIRN"

[Angus'mum]

Ugh, Kayharley you brought back memories! About 6 years ago we had a boxer/lab pup named Jake. He was a Houdini and figured out how to get out of his crate. I came home from work one evening, take out dinner in my hand, only to find Jake had eaten a good bit of "Snowtown" (and part of a plastic bag he'd found somewhere). There was vomit and diarrhea everywhere. I basically dropped my dinner and had to scrub floors the rest of the evening. My husband called during all this and I burst into tears and told him "Jake ate Snowtown!" I don't think I put it out under the tree again until just last year. Now we have Angus, who I know would LOVE to get into the little trees, cords, etc. Maybe I'll but it on the mantle this year! Good luck with Helliot!

Mickey

[Gracie'sMom]

We are skipping the train around the tree this year for that very reason. I can just see Gracie walking around with a locomotive in her mouth ...well there is another reason too. We have the box for the train under our bed and Gracie found it and ate some of the wires that attach to the control panel, so I have to replace that as well...the box looks like a giant gerbil got to it!

[savannahsmom35]

Ah yes, Christmas decorations. This is going to be an interesting year. I already see that any small packages (i.e. - can fit in a Cairn's mouth) will be on the dining room table this year and all of my glass ornaments will be at the top of the tree. I have already had nightmares about Savannah getting a glass ball in her mouth and crushing it. This will be an interesting Christmas indeed.

[hallswel]

I have started decorating because the entire family comes to my house for Thanksgiving and my Mom asked can you have it decorated? It is such a wonderful way to start the holiday season.....so I do.

I put my village up on the top of our entertainment center. The Manger scene is up high because Rebel liked the lambs so much that he would hide them under the pillows on the sofa.

I have never had a problem with the tree until this year and Sugar likes the ornaments..... So the bottom foot of our tree has no ornaments on it. I moved them up higher after Sugar went up took one in her mouth and rolled it across the floor it broke, I picked her up, in the crate she went and cleaned it up and moved ones from the bottom.

Given the chance don

[AllAboutPetey]

Our Dickens village is behind glass doors and the tree will be up on a table again. Ha! Don't you think that K-Mart Cairn is an anomaly? Real Cairns don't act like that! At least mine don't.....

[kayharley]

Elliott ate baby Jesus's head last year

[Tracy A.]

Elliott ate baby Jesus's head last year

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What no photos???????????????

[MikeC]

God Rest Ye Merry GentleCairns let nothing ye destroy!

Mike

[savannahsmom35]

Elliott ate baby Jesus's head last year

LOL LOL Why does that not surprise me????

Elliot, TRY really hard to be good this year. I think Santa frowns upon eating baby Jesus' head.....

[hallswel]

On the Pug site they posted this helpful reminder, and with Elliott, Sugar, Jake Gracie, Savannah and the other curious cairns maybe it would be good to post it here.

Christmas Care for pets

I remember last year someone had a problem with Turkey I bellieve.

Let's all have a pet safe holilday season

[Teri9672]

Liz, your dogs are so sweet. I tried a photoshoot on Sunday

All Teona wanted to do was yank Tabitha hat off her head.

[Eliz222]

There goes Helliot again.....gotta love his spirit! LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't have any problems with our Christmas tree (knock on wood), but I have a funny story to tell about a dog we owned several years ago. Dottie was a medium sized dog with long legs. One year I made homemade gingerbread men to hang on the tree. I hung them by ribbons all over the tree. After a few days, I noticed some of the gingerbread men were missing, but the bows were still on the tree! I watched carefully and each day more and more gingerbread men were missing....all replaced by just the red plaid bow. Dottie managed to eat ALL the cookies on the tree without once knocking the tree down! She was a smart dog (who also used the tree stand as her personal water bowl!)

[kayharley]

Oh Shoe...that brings back one of my funniest and fondest Christmas memories.

When Winnie was a puppy (she's now 12) someone gave her a Santa ornament made out of a milkbone. There were the plastic moving eyes, fluff for a beard and a cardboard hat. We had this ornament for years and always hung it up a bit high as not to entice or tease her. I actually think Winnie remembered this ornament and waited for it to be hung every Christmas.

Well, a couple years ago I had the flu before the holidays. The tree was up and decorated and while my hubby was taking our son to Sunday school and while I was sick in bed, Winnie just gave in to temptation.

I remember needing some gingerale and as I walked down the hall to the kitchen I stepped on something hard...it was an "eye". Further down was some fluff, shredded cardboard and a sad looking Cairn with a full belly. It was precious but I've yet to be able to duplicate that original ornament.

Bully sticks with eyes......I think not!!!

[Scully'sMom]

Elliott, Elliott, Elliott...what in the world would we ever do without your stories!!!

My first Cairn tried to use the treestand as her water bowl but I'm SO surprised that Miss Mischevious Scully has been NO problem with our live tree, presents, tinsel, etc. Oh Lord, I hope I just didn't put a jinx on myself!