DECEMBER!!

December is a wonderful month, mes chers!  Snow, Christmas and the Blessed Day of Acquisition all happen in December!!  Mom taunts us with the knowledge that she has already purchased all our Christmas presents and has locked them away in the toy box.  When she is occupied with other things, Jax and I sometimes sneak off to the bedroom for yet another attempt to open the darn box but the lack of opposable thumbs has foiled us time and again.  We must simply wait patiently...a task at which neither of us excel.  *sigh*
We don't have our tree yet, but Mom hopes this Sunday to remedy that.  She checked first to see if we had any doggie repellent left from last year--to keep me from eating the tree and its many ornaments and to prevent Jaxson from marking the tree as his new pee post.  I like our Christmas decorations--lots of lights, a big old-fashioned candle, and a little ceramic tree among many other awesome things.  I even have my own ornament from last year and Mom plans to get one for this year too.  She also purchased special frames for our Christmas pictures--with Santa at Petco this weekend and with the professional photographer later in the month. 
As for classes, Jax and I are doing so well!  Mom plans to enter me in my first Rally trial at the St. Charles show near the end of January.  Our instructor Jamie had s design courses for the last class and Mom made a very complicated X-shaped one with my hardest signs!  But I did quite well, if I do say so myself:)
As for agility, Jax now bravely runs the A-frame and the dog walk and masters tunnels and chutes.  The only thing he's not too fond of is the weave poles but he really got up to a nice speed last night.  He's a very sure-footed little guy.
Mom blames me for teaching Jax to sit, something show dogs often don't learn until after they finish their championship.  Mom taught him to sit on the couch but he wouldn't sit anywhere else, which she thought very good.  But Jax loves treats and when he saw Cricket, Kai, and I getting treats for sitting, he began experimenting.  Sure enough, he learned that sitting = treats and he's getting really good at Stay, too.  He just learned Down today and Mom reports good progress.
Well, must go fetch Anatole for awhile!  Ta ta, mes chers!