Christmas is an exciting time for dogs, especially for our brother, angel Lemmy. Recently Mom and Dad were laughing over the time Lemmy woke the entire house on Christmas Eve. It was their first year without our great grandparents, and Grandma wanted the entire family to stay at their old home that night. She envisioned a peaceful Christmas Eve slumber followed by a picture perfect morning. Lemmy envisioned something a bit different. Not sure if it was the excitement of having a slumber party at his Great Nana’s house, the strange sounds of being in a different place, or simply the magic of Christmas that riled him up, but Lemmy lost his mind that night. Asa and I weren’t part of the family yet, but here is Asa’s poetic interpretation of the events as they unfolded…

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was sleeping, not even a mouse;
The Golden was barking a warning “Beware!”
“There’s something suspicious I hear in the air!”
The family were nestled all snug in their beds;
While barking and growling echoed in their heads;
And mamma was afraid they all would soon snap,
If Lemmy didn’t settle down for a long winter’s nap,
When the old radiators made such a clatter,
Lemmy sprang from his bed to see what was the matter.
Away down the stairs Lemmy flew like a flash,
Tore open the presents and threw up a snack.
The lights on the tree gave a festive nice glow,
As Lemmy gazed at the objects tussled below,
When what to his wondering ears did he hear,
But the footsteps of family that he held so dear.
With tail wags and barking so lively and quick,
He knew in a moment he must play St. Nick!
More rapid than Beagles he wagged as they came,
And he howled, and barked, and called them by name:
“Hi, Grandma! Hi, Grandpa! Hi Daddy and Mom!”
On Uncle he jumped like a ticking time bomb!
To the top of the couch, our Uncle did fall,
Lemmy happily smiled and greeted them all!
As ornaments that before the wild wagging tail fly,
When they meet with a Golden, and mount to the sky;
So dove dear Grandma to save them as they flew
With a gasp they all watched as she rescued them too.
And then, in a twinkling, Lemmy gave a loud woof
While prancing and pawing that he is foolproof.
As Mom coaxed him to bed, and was turning around,
Down the hallway Lemmy jumped with a bound.
Dad was all dressed in his PJs from his head to his foot,
And wished as he chased him he wasn’t barefoot;
A bundle of love Lemmy flopped on his back,
And looked so adorable, Mom gave him a snack.
His eyes—how they twinkled! his tail wags, how merry!
His fur smelled like roses, his breath like blueberries!
His jingle bell collar got stuck on a bow,
As he rolled on the floor and put on quite the show;
A part of a gift he held tight in his teeth,
And the wrappings encircled his head like a wreath;
Lemmy had a sweet face and a little round belly
That shook when he barked, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And Dad laughed when he saw him, in spite of himself;
A wink of Grandpa’s eye and a nod of his head
Soon gave Lem to know he had nothing to dread;
Lemmy barked not a word, but leaped up with a smirk,
And continued to act like a really big jerk.
After licking each person including their toes,
And giving a wag, up the stairway he rose;
He sprang to his bed, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all followed happy for the dismissal.
But they heard Grandma exclaim, as she turned off the light –
“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”