It’s snowy and cold out so Mum only lets us out for only little bit at a time.  I don’t know why this is.   Both Lily and I LOVE the snow and, with or without our sweaters, we don’t think it is cold at all.

The other day, Daddy came in from the back door and said, “Was a big dog on our stoop or was it rabbits?”  Mum began to laugh and said, “There’s rather a large disparity in the choice, isn’t there?”  She picked me up and we looked out the window of the back door.   She looked down onto the stoop and pointed out dents in the snow about the size of my medium ball and then littler dents all around and down the steps.  “Hmmm!” she said cuddling me against her.  “It must be a dog and rabbits – or maybe a big dog and a little dog . . .” 

“It must be a VERY big dog!” said Daddy as he rummaged through the refrigerator.   Mum shook her head. 
“I don’t know of any big and little dog homes in the neighborhood.  They’re either big or little, but not both”.  Our yard is very large and two sides are on the street.  I don’t think I’ve ever seen another dog beyond the fences.   Daddy looked out the back door window, again, and laughed.  “It’s rabbits!”

Mum put me down on the floor and nodded.  “The big dent is from their bottoms – they were sitting to make them, right?” 

“Yes, but I can’t believe they’re so bold to come up the five steps and sit on the stoop.”  Daddy agreed.  I stood up on Daddy’s knees when he sat down at the table.   “But they didn’t knock,” I tried to tell him, “I would have let you know!”  Daddy just scratched my neck.   I hear them talking about rabbits all the time.  I’m not sure if they like them or hate them.   Mostly they just comment on them or point at them out in the yard.   They took a picture of one sitting in the old wheelbarrow and hung it in the kitchen.   Lily has a toy bunny rabbit.  Mum always says she’s not sure if it’s a good toy because it’s the size of a real baby bunny rabbit and she’s always worried Lily will bring one in someday and Mum will mistake it for the toy.    I am much faster than Lily, even now.   I bet if I saw one I might catch it.  But I’m not sure if Mum would be pleased.

Saturday, Daddy brought a big box down from upstairs.  Mum opened it and I tried to crawl up into it but Mum pushed me back.  “This is the Nativity,” she said solemnly and began lifting tissue paper out, putting it on the dining room table too high for me to look at.  First, she laid out a cloth with fringes on the fireplace mantle.  I couldn’t see what else she put on there but then she began taking little figures out of the tissue paper.  There were sheep and horses and something Mum called camels and then a very grand animal called an elephant.  There were also goats, a cow and a chicken and ducks.  I had never seen the like and they were so tiny.  Mum kept saying “no, no, no” when I tried to see what they tasted like.  The same went for all the people figurines, Wise Men, Shepherds, Angels and then a little baby, smaller than Breanna, that she placed in a bin of straw called a manger.   They were set high on the mantle, I couldn’t even see them unless Mum held me up and she only did that at the end when they were laid out on the velvet, fringed cloth.  At the very bottom of the box was a little tin box.  Mum sat down and opened it, very carefully.  The first figurine she took out was a strange-looking white dog, lying down.  She held it up to her face and looked at it for a long time.  I knew who it was – Rudy!”  I jumped up but I knew not to touch it, even with my nose.  After she laid Rudy on the table, she took out another figurine.  Lily said “Megan!” and I looked at the big corgi, also lying down.  Finally, Mum took out a little figurine, standing up.  “Lily!” I barked in recognition.  Lily just smiled; very proud that she had her own figurine. 

Mum set the figurines around the Virgin Mary and Joseph, as if they were guarding the Holy Family.  She stood Lily’s figurine up against the manger so that it was looking at the Baby Jesus.   Mum observed her work but she had a thoughtful look on her face.   She went upstairs and brought down some things and began working, moving very quickly and going back and forth to the kitchen.  She put something in the oven and set the timer so Lily and I stayed by the stove – to let her know when it was done.  Sure enough, the bell sounded and we both barked to remind her that something must come out of the oven.  But there was nothing to eat!  We waiting for a long while at her feet but she kept working.  Finally, she held up a new figurine.         

It was me!  Mum had formed the little figure as if I was singing at the top of my lungs.  She leaned down to me.  She smiled and said, “Yes, it’s you; singing the Glory of the day.”

I always knew Mum knew what I was singing when I lifted my chin and howled with all my might:  “Alleluia!”