TabanyaRuu Finnish Lapphunds

Tasja's Motherhood Diary #6

7/4/2016

A lot has happened since I last wrote in my diary; I'm back in my jeans for a start, no mean feat given that we've only just had Easter and that I've learnt how to open the lid of the bin in the kitchen and can help myself - disappointingly today all I could reach was some soggy courgettes. It's not my usual style to raid the bin but housekeeping has reduced the portions and I can't reach the biscuit cupboard.

The babies teeth are now very sharp indeed and I think they've been sharpening them on the feet of all the visitors and boy, have there been a lot of visitors. I heard Liz saying something about calling RentaKid because since then it seems to have been wall to wall children but that's cool and I'll tell you why. Today Liz organised an indoor picnic and she made egg sandwiches cut into nice little squares and when she went to check the babies I decided to quality control them and after half a dozen I declared them good enough to serve to guests. When they came they brought so much food with them that we were banished to the other end of the house whilst they all quite frankly stuffed themselves silly on homemade cakes and half of Tesco. Liz has such lovely friends. The kids I mentioned then took all us dogs on a tour of the woods (although I think we were showing them the way) whilst the grown-ups started eating all over again.

Roope's Mummy has visited a few times bringing secret love messages from Roope, in return I let her stroke my gorgeous Waffle.

A good thing has happened, well two really, the first is that I seem to be off the hook when it comes to cleaning up the poo - yesssss. The other is that I seem to have a new best friend. Now you are never going to believe this, but it's 'the blonde'. I mean she's very London, all "yah yah yah" but actually when I got to know her better she's actually really nice and pretty good fun. Even better, she sometimes feeds my babies! If I act busy doing other stuff, she sometimes stands there and lets my babies feed from her. I mean, they have teeth! Sharp teeth! I said she was nice, I didn't say she was bright. Mind you, she taught me how to use the catflap (she just pops through it - I have to push a bit and go slightly onto my side and push like hell with my back legs whilst writhing like a snake trying to make it look equally as effortless - I'm so glad that Roope can't see me) - it's a neat trick. Now we go outside whenever we like which is usually when Liz doesn't want us too - that's quite a fun game if I'm honest. Shame it always seems to be raining.

We now share a nursery and that means ten puppies and a puppy called Atticus.

Some visitors are cuter than others!

I have overheard some comments about markings and how much they can change, I mean just look at me ! I thought I was going to have to draw my eyebrows in but no, they simply grew. I hope to write my diary again very soon xxx

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Tasja's Motherhood Diary #5

28/3/2016

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Easter Sunday meant only one thing to me - FAMILY! We've actually had loads of visitors already (something about puppy cuddle testing?) but I've been counting down the days on my paws until the best visitors of all could come... Finally the BIG DAY arrived and my Mummy, Daddy and my best friend Faith came to tell me how beautiful and clever I am. It's not like I didn't already know it, obviously, but when your hair's a bit patchy and your breath smells of puppy poo, it's nice to have your loved ones tell you that you're still gorgeous. Rory says it to Liz all the time and she doesn't have patchy hair ..... Talking of poo breath, I just don't think it's 'me'. I think eating puppy poo is a bit common quite frankly, it's like the colour tangerine - SO last year. With that in mind I'm going to pick and choose and with every day that passes I think I'm going to pick even less. I don't think this is going to be the best news I've shared (if Liz's face tourettes is anything to go by) but I am a Princess after all!

Daddy took some great photos of my bubbas and my left leg (he completely forgot that I'm the star attraction) and then we had a lovely walk around the woods and field (and I showed them the fishing pond next door that Salo likes to swim in) before getting battered by a hail storm. You just can't beat a Bank Holiday in the UK. I hope you enjoy the photos :-)

My left leg (thanks Dad!) and Faith with Donut & Muffin, Crumpet on the floor in front. Photo Paul Mills

Mummy went all gooey over my little Chocolate Muffin. Photo Paul Mills

Mummy is quite partial to a Donut & this little one just loves a cuddle:-). Photo Paul Mills.

Told you. Donut was loving being in Faith's arms and stayed there for ages. Photo Paul Mills

I heard Mummy whisper to Waffle that had he been a girl, he would have been coming home with me! I'm glad he's a boy because now I get to do it all again next year and in the meantime I've got my family all to myself :-)

He is cute though isn't he! He's going to live with my lovely big brother Otto :-) Photo Paul Mills

My adorable Faith with Bagel, Crumpet and Muffin. Photo Paul Mills

My bubbas are four weeks old today so I guess that means another photo shoot and the baby scales being brought out. Soon we will all move downstairs, I'm glad as we've managed to wreck the cream carpet - give me parquet floors any day dahling.

The blonde's babies had their first solid food today, weaning paste from Natural Instinct, Liz says they were hungry because they are so chunky. Is that a euphemism for fat? Liz's friend Jennifer visited us all this morning, she's from Infindigo Finnish Lapphunds - she thought we are all lovely and that my puppies are the best. OK, so that may not have been her exact words but I have my pride you know!

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Tasja's Motherhood Diary #4

23/3/2016

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So let me tell you how my life's been these past few weeks. Great food - check, healthy amazing babies - check, boobies around my ankles - check, evicted from the Presidential Suite - check.

Yes you guessed it, the blonde bombshell from London checked in (see what I did there?) and let me tell you, even in full pregnancy bloom she looked svelte. Everything happened really quickly and before I knew it, I was shuntled up the corridor. Now, keep this between us, but I think I've won - I'm in a bigger room that's dual aspect! There's even a playpen in here, a very comfy cream sofa and a TV - I watched Crufts! Housekeeping is a bit lax - I've even seen vetbed fluff on the floor and some puppy toe nail clippings, quelle horreur! I'm not really complaining though as a week ago I got a roast dinner!

The bubbas have been wormed and apparently I have too, not that I noticed, if you saw what I'm snacking on between meals you'd understand how wormer can go unnoticed.... Here's Donut looking like a right donut.

Back to the blonde, she had two boys and THREE girls. Pfffff. Here they are at four days old. We are both quite keen to look in each other's prams, but we're not allowed yet. It doesn't matter - I already know mine are the best! I try to ignore all the 'oooohs and ahhhhhs' I hear wafting along the corridor, I refuse to accept hers could be any sweeter and I don't know why they keep talking about cute little polar bears ....

Liz says this one looks like a chubby Eskimo Kid - hee hee!

Bardot - Photo Alice Fowler

Liz has added to the website two week photos of my little ones but she is running a bit behind with the three week ones - you just can't get the staff! In the meantime here's one taken by a friend.

Waffle - Domino patterned puppy - Photo Alice Fowler.

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Tasja's Motherhood Diary - #3

8/3/2016

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I cannot believe I've been a Mummy for a week and experienced my first ever Mother's Day - how's that for good timing?

I've been woken in the night a couple of times but that's what Instagram is for.

The first time that a bubba got upset, I got upset. That's a Mum thing right? I felt so helpless, I jumped out of the whelping box and onto the sofa and then I jumped back into the box and then onto the sofa and for some reason none of this helped. Liz tried to rub the crying baby's tummy saying it had tummy ache and that it needed Gripe Water and whilst she rubbed, I licked. Meanwhile, downstairs, Salo was in the process of eating macaroni cheese, sushi and rice pudding. When Liz found the empty packets she started crying. It wasn't our favourite evening.

I've still got a bit of a 'Mummy Belly' because I'm eating loads but I'm not one to wear tight trousers anyway. I will be slim again soon, I mean I'm FRENCH and then all my hair will fall out, but let's brush over that, ahem.

The babies are beautiful and have doubled their birth weights - must be my lovely gold top milk on tap. Their markings are getting brighter every day. Two of the puppies are like twins and are very difficult to tell apart except that one has a willy.
Would you like to see a photo of me when I was born?

I was really dark! It is interesting to see how much the colours change. Here is my darkest baby below - but I think he's going to end up as bright as me.

I feel I'm getting the hang of this 'being a mummy' thing and have started to relax a bit more. I now wander into the room that's off mine - it has a DOUBLE BED - it's VERY comfortable :-) Sometimes I think to myself that I'd quite like to go downstairs and chill with the other dogs or have a mooch, but Liz says I can't and when I hear one of my bubba's squeak I rush back to them, so she's right, it's far too soon.

I picked up a weemail earlier and it said that there's a classy blonde arriving tomorrow from London. I'm very excited but I'm not allowed to meet her for a few weeks. Eventually we're going to hang out in the garden whilst our children run riot, apparently it's all the rage in Surrey.

Anyway, let's get this back to me. Liz is hoping to update her website today with photos of MY beautiful babies along with their weights and cute names.

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Tasja's Motherhood Diary - #2

2/3/2016

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Wednesday 2nd March, Day 63.

I'm in the Presidential Suite and housekeeping is pretty good. I'm getting served bone broth at the click of my paws and scrambled eggs and meat and lots of yummy stuff. I'm being told I'm beautiful and clever and I even heard someone say 'amazeballs' - how very uncouth.

I must say I'm rather impressed with how well I've played this whole thing. I simply decided that my place is on the sofa and that's where I spent the evening of Monday 29th February (day 61 post ovulation). I'm not one for that Interior Design Challenge programme, so I left them to it and went and lay down on the sofa in the snug, in the dark, mmmm nice and cosy. At bedtime I simply took to the sofa in the Presidential Suite and there I slept, fitfully.

At some unGodly hour of the morning (I believe it was 05.30 - horrors) Mumma Liz gave me a cuddle and checked me over & went downstairs muttering to herself something about a cup of tea and needing to wake up. Whilst she was gone I left a little present in the servant's quarters, but let's keep that between us, Delphi Dog the Cat took the rap.

So a few hours later I'm still lying on my sofa on top of the lovely whale patterned fleecy blanket that smells of home and everything is great. Every time Liz looks at me I just lie completely still, like a statue, but smiling, very important to keep smiling. She's looking for signs of digging but as I've previously mentioned, I don't do digging. She's looking beadily for contractions, no, not showing her any of those - panting, digging and contractions? People come on, I'm a Princess! Ooooh, she's looking again, right everybody hold tight, don't move, smile - phew she stopped watching.

Don't mistake rearranging the cushion for digging, no, I'm just giving housekeeping something to do....

Now Mumma Liz, as everybody knows, doesn't do numbers - she does colours and she can get a bit obsessed. Take this whole domino thing. She loves them and has been on a mission to find out about the inheritance of domino because she felt pretty sure that it isn't the case that both dogs have to carry it. All her friends have had to listen to her theory, looked at the punnet square she's drawn up and nod in all the right places, yawn, I'm feeling a bit sleepy zzzzz. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed she was sorting out the dirty laundry, in colour order of course! Off she goes with her arms full of washing, bet she drops a pair of pants on the landing, it's a common housekeeping failing.

Now where was I? Ah yes. So Mumma Liz was only gone five minutes so I took that as my opportunity! Having droned on and on (and on) about how it just needs a domino carrier (which could be me as my Mum has produced it) to be mated to a cream carrier, which my boyfriend Roope is (he has been DNA tested and Liz knows for sure he doesn't carry domino but does carry cream) and et voila, you 'could' get a domino puppy because domino is dominant only to cream. So there I was on my sofa and when she came back into the room and looked at me I simply said - 'Here's your longed for domino puppy right here safely delivered onto the sofa, you were right, now let's hear no more about it'. Oh Liz made lots of squealing noises and stuff and despite giving her her heart's desire, she became adamant that we must be uprooted into a bloody box of all things. Don't try and tell me it's a lovely box and it's blue, I care not for colours, I love my sofa. I refused.

I told her 'not THAT picture!'

I had to be carried, CARRIED, into the box. My gorgeous puppy was already there but I wasn't happy so I picked him up in my mouth several times and moved him around, Mumma Liz went quite pale and muttered something about never having one of her girls do that before, but she needn't have worried, I was simply rearranging the furniture again and getting the vetbed exactly how I wanted it - nice colours by the way.....

I quite like this pic of my firstborn son although I think I've looked better, but hey, for an awful moment I thought she was going to upload a video of me giving birth!

I'm not one to make a fuss so it wasn't long before I was happily observing my precious brood of five (four boys and one girl) discovering the joys of the Milkbar - when they could find it ....

So there we have it - the fifth generation of TabanyaRuu Finnish Lapphunds has been safely delivered. More scrambled eggs please! ......

To be continued.

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Diary of Fatherhood in Roope's Own Words .....

29/2/2016

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I won't lie, it's an anxious wait....

I'm no stranger to parenthood & I take my responsibilities very seriously - I mean I have six kids already Up North and I know that one of them is called Elsa.

When Tasja came round to my gaff just before New Year - I was like wow! She was just beautiful and she smelt like a French Tart - my face was like ....

And she was everything I could have wished for and more - she even has a white splodge on her nose, how very Parisienne. Christmas came all over again and when she left my face was like ....

This was me on my walk today - I must have run to that tree and back a hundred times, well maybe twice, but I never let the truth get in the way of a good story. I know I'll be told when things start to happen ..... but hurry up, I want news or dinner and soon. Apparently the only excitement at the moment is that my Dad is getting blown in the garden!!

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Diary of Motherhood in Tasja's Own Words .....

29/2/2016

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Day 61 and I'll be honest, I've been slimmer and more comfortable. It's been a breeze though, I've not had any morning sickness or needed the loo more often - nothing's really changed except I am now voluptuous and get more meals.
Oh I forgot, one thing has changed, I now get something stuck up my bottom every few hours but I get a tummy tickle at the same time so I just take it, I'm good like that.

I'm sleeping a lot because I've heard sleep can be in short supply once the bubbas are born - but don't think it's all eating and sleeping for me just now. No. There's also reconnaissance to be done. I've scouted out the garden, the bushes, the trees, I've even checked out the land beyond the main garden. Don't tell Liz but there's a spot under a huge fir tree that's just perfect and I very much doubt she'll ever find me! I haven't really done any digging yet, that still seems very undignified (and my registered name is Imperial Pretty Princess after all) but my bubba's Great Great Grandmother Sisko tells me that I will - not if I can help it.

Apparently later on today I'm getting my nipples washed. Aren't I the lucky one.
Follow my progress on instagram - look for @tabanyaruuliz

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Osa & Elli Turn 14!!! - The First TabanyaRuu Litter

10/8/2015

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Yesterday (the 8th of August 2015) was a very big day for two special Lappies – it was Osa and Elli’s 14th birthday! The average lifespan of a Lappy is 12-14 years but Lappies can sadly die younger and a fortunate few can live another year or two. Life often gets in the way of averages as it did for their younger sister Kallis who was tragically killed in a road traffic accident before she even reached 18 months. One of the sisters, Tassu, died at only three days old and sister Ketti died in New Zealand a couple of years ago. This litter was my first ever Lappy litter and the parents were my first Lappies, my beloved Smuu and Tuukka – so you can understand why yesterday was an emotional day for us all.

I’m delighted to report that on the whole, Elli and Osa are fit and well, save for the odd old age creak. You can read all about Osa and his exciting visit to Finland earlier this year, by clicking on this link to a previous blog post. With finger’s crossed we will be able to watch his adventure on TV next year! Keep your eyes peeled on their Facebook Page for more updates.

Here are the 'kids' on their 14th birthday yesterday!

Elli on her birthday with her German Spitz Brothers.

I feel very lucky to have met up with both Elli and Osa in the past 12 months. Mandy and Nigel invited myself and Pam (who owns Tiko from my 2009 litter) to a lovely lunch and I got to give Elli a big cuddle. I so nearly kept Elli but I had promised Carelle her favourite puppy for her 11th birthday, so it was Kallis who stayed although it broke my heart the day that Elli left. Having said that I couldn't have asked for better owners for her :-) I remain eternally jealous for the fact that Elli never EVER goes out of sight on a walk! :-) We have met up for many walks over the years and whilst I've been yelling out for my dogs to eventually come into sight, there's been Elli trotting along with the Spitz, good as gold.

Elli at our lunch late last year.

Osa came to visit with his Dad Mark & film crew friends to film us as part of Osa's life story. I hadn't seen Osa since he was about 7 or 8 months old, so it brought a lump to my throat to see a Smuu sized Tuukka trotting up my drive! I saw him again at Crufts in March having fun in the ring with Judge Sue Dunger. Mark regularly keeps in contact to fill me in on how Osa is doing and again, I couldn't have asked for a more loving home for him.

The day Osa came to visit.

Ketti emigrated to New Zealand (and took her family with her!) when she was about 2 and lived a lovely life out there.

I feel very blessed to have had such lovely owners for such special dogs :-)

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Summer Fun at TabanyaRuu

30/7/2015

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So what has happening here at TabanyaRuu? Well, not a lot! I certainly haven’t been racing around the country attending dog shows, nope, dog shows are most definitely on the back burner. Why? Sisko is now retired as she has aged a lot this year – losing a lot of her peripheral eyesight and her ‘sparkle’, so she now gets lots of nice little treats at home, yesterday for example coming with me to the garden centre (in the hope of finding stray pic 'n mix I'm sure!). Salo has spent the summer wearing nothing but Speedos and frankly I've just lost interest, hopefully my show mojo will come back but in the meantime I've simply been really enjoying all my dogs - here's a peak :-)

We have all made liver cake (plenty of takers for licking the spoon!)

The 'lovebirds' had a reunion & the Maverick Puppies got a visit from their proud 'Grandparents' :-)

Panda & Puffin ate their first 'meal' - Nutriment Raw Meat Weaning Paste mixed with warm water - it was a big hit (especially with Panda!)

There has been time for 'the girls' and time for 'the boys'

And quite a lot of this sort of thing .....

"Can I have five of your best marrow bones please"

And before the schools broke up for summer, there were stories to be listened to in Salo's capacity of PAT Dog (most of the stories were about dogs & cats!)

But it's not all cake making, dog walks & other clearly very exhausting stuff - sometimes there's some serious chilling :-)

Hopefully I can now get back into the blogging groove - I have lots of photos & updates of other TabanyaRuu's to share, not to mention news of Salo & Roope's little pups at other breeders'. I'm still working on the website overhaul, but keep getting sidetracked by painting anything that doesn't move! Don't forget I am on Instagram as @tabanyaruuliz although most photos are of the dogs at various coffee stops :-) There are some new photos on the Maverick Litter Pages. Until next time, it's goodbye from all of us!

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Take a Beautiful Scenic Walk (or 3) Around the Lakes with Amanda & Usko

21/3/2015

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I've lived on the North west coast for nearly 12 years, and have grossly underestimated the therapeutic quality of the Lake District. When I'm in The Lakes, the beauty permeates my mood. The stress I may have been feeling only an hour previously, seeps away and I feel so much more at ease about life. It really is a magical/spiritual/*insert word of suitable awe-inspiring nature here place.I am fortunate enough to have in-laws living in Ambleside, and every time we visit them, I turn to John (my husband) and we say to each other "We really should come here more often". I include some pictorial evidence as to why:

And so it was, that at the start of the year, in order to celebrate my 40th birthday, I decided I would walk around, (or as close to 'around' as is legally possible,) as many lakes in the Lake District as I can.

So how does this fit in with a guest spot here? Well, the inimitable TabanyaRuu Kantri Usko came into my life just over 2 years ago. He is a bit, erm, 'special'. When we picked him up, at 8 weeks old , Liz told us he'd been nick-named 'Tigger' on account of his bouncy back legs. He has not out-grown the name, and has ably demonstrated this skill with fences and walls boinged over. He has *lots* of energy. So it seems fitting that he accompany me on my quest.

As you can see, Usko is gorgeous anyhow, but he looks even more fabulous in a natural setting.

What could be more beautiful than a handsome husband, a stunning Finnish Lapphund, and the backdrop of serenity? (I'll admit I am biased on the first count, but anyone who argues with me on the latter two is obviously in need of an optician's visit.)

To date I have managed 3 walks, which are detailed on my blog: amandasambling.blogspot.co.uk

And you are more than welcome to peruse the many photos taken by popping over there. However, exclusively for TabanyaRuu readers(!!) I am condensing some of my words and pictures from those walks here on the guest blog spot. This means that you will see photos involving Usko in the stunning scenery, but don't have to endure too many photos of my human offspring: win-win ;-)

Our first walk was around Derwent Water on Sunday 8th February.

We parked midway between Portinscale and Keswick, and walked clockwise around the lake. The weather promised to contain sunny spells in the morning, and then would cloud over in the afternoon. But fortunately for us, we were only chased by a cloud for half an hour before it went away, and we finished the walk in gorgeous sunshine, the same as we had started.

Then, on Saturday 21st February, the boys accompanied* John, Usko and I on a walk. (* for accompanied read *wailed/complained about pains/hiccups/hunger/needed the toilet/asked the time literally every five minutes - and when I say literally, that's the proper meaning, not the wrong one bandied all over the media and in teenage speak these days). You get the picture. I think in future children will be limited to one at a time on such walks, and then they are less likely to be throttled, and my pulse rate will stay at the serene level it should be in the Lake District.

On this walk we saw four lakes, three of which we walked alongside, at varying heights. I had planned to go all the way around Loughrigg Tarn, but with the youngest boy only just recovered from a wailfest entitled "I want my Saaaanndddwwiiiiiiiccchh" I decided we had perhaps best just walk along one side instead.

The walk was about 7 miles (11km) in its entirety, and started and finished in Ambleside, which is where we were staying (with my wonderfully kind and slightly bonkers in-laws). We had lovely crisp sunshine, and only a few tiny drops of sleet when we arrived at Costa for our drinks and cake (which, yes, had been used as a bribe most of the way around Loughrigg).

The third walk we have managed was John, Usko and I walking around Crummock Water on Saturday 14th March. The weather was cloudy, with a bit of wind occasionally, but no rain, and *sometimes* a bit of blue sky could be glimpsed.