Me and My Puppy

We were both a lot younger back then.

Nightime Adventures

Princess Tanja likes hanging out on my bed at four a.m. in the morning when I can't sleep.

Kaija Taking a Nap with Figgles

We were sleepy.

The Twilight Years

Early morning

Watching the dawn light up your face

I know these are your twilight years,

But we've had a grand old time, haven't we?

Midday, and you're still napping,

Sleepily rolling from sunbeam to sunbeam,

All graceless beauty and raw elegance.

You'll always be my puppy, won't you?

We grew up together, you and me,

Playing in the fields, sleeping in the grass,

Sucking on the honeysuckle and drinking from the brook.

You still dream of that, don't you?

Sundown burns scarlet across the sky

And you rouse to watch it with me while I shiver by your side.

Are you nearly ready, sweet puppy? 

We'll play again tomorrow; I promise.

I just want you to know

That no matter how many tomorrrows the future gives us,

You'll always be right here in my heart,

Where you've always belonged.

Kaija's Animal Shirts

I have a few shirts, sweaters, and blouses with reindeer and polar bears and various other animals on them. Here are some of them. 

Field of Clover

Please enjoy this poem Kaija wrote in Year 4 about something she totally did in the castle courtyard with her puppy.

Fields of Clover

My dog following

At my heels, batting

Unsuspecting bumblebees

Drowsily humming

Along the way,

Sampling honeysuckle

Tasting nectar, here

And there,

As we romp through a field of clover,

Gently cradling soft petals that

Drift down like snow.

We run and run,

My dog’s ears flapping all the way.

We run and run until we fall,

My dog on my chest and me on my back.

I watch the clouds float absentmindedly,

The warm breeze, all the more pleasant,

Playful, rustling the new leaves,

Giving us a sudden burst of energy,

And just enough time for another run,

Before we have to leave

Our peaceful field of serenity,

Dotted with flowers,

Speckled with life,

And full of joy.

Sunshine and Starlight

Please enjoy this poem that has absolutely nothing to do with stars. This is also from the award-winning collection called Kaija's First Encounter with Purple Prose.

Oh my little doggie, she’d been basking in the sunshine ever since she awoke.

Oh my little baby dog, oh, what a beautiful day to lie in my arms and let the sun’s rays warm your back.

Oh my little doggie is basking in the sun,

Oh she’s been basking ever since she’s woken up.

Oh my little doggie, let the sun’s rays tickle your face on such a beautiful day.

Oh my little doggie, I love you in this way.

Oh my little doggie, she’s been basking in the sun.

Oh my little doggie, she’s been basking in the sun.

Kaija's Fantastic Journey

Please enjoy this beautiful poem Kaija wrote in Year 2. It's about a pink lamb. And a kangaroo. And possibly a magical walrus.

Once I saw a pink lamb.

Up in the clouds, there it sat.

Over the rainbow we magically flew,

Through the sky,

Like a fairy on a drop of dew.

Up in the sky I held her hand,

By we flew, over Rome and France,

On a cloud,

We flew to the far side of the world,

Like a dream.

This world would not last forever,

So soon did we slow,

When the sun was awakening

And the moon was sleepy.

The cloud had faded to fog and the fog was mist by dawn.

I let go of her hand,

And took one last glance at my magical friend,

Her pink woolly fur,

Her fantastical self.

And she was gone.

And next thing I knew,

There was a kangaroo peeing on me and I was screaming

In Australia, my homeland.

Kaija's Stuffed Animal Collection: Special Non-Stuffed Edition

I have a ton of stuffed animals, but some of my possessions are more of the wood, metal, plastic, and glass persuasion. Here, take a look.

Kaija's Stuffed Animal Collection: Special Edition

This is Steb. He's my only friend because I'm kind of a loner, but that's all right because he makes the best cuddle buddy at night.

Kaija's Stuffed Animal Collection: Part Two

These lil guys are from when I was little.

From left to right: Blackie, Brownie, Lily, Mary, Rosa, Ella, Munchkin, and Bear. I was a very creative child, as you can see. 😜

Obligatory Introductory Post

Hello, world! My name is Kaija and most of the time, I live in a Tudor castle in my mind. I like sunsets, baby animals, Eurovision, Doctor Who, scandipop, cupcakes, learning new languages, and exotic coffee. I love my family, which includes my three puppies and my kitten.

I live with my mum and my MorMor and our four pets.

This is Bear. She's the oldest, so she stopped being a puppy a long time ago, but she'll always be my baby. Her name was supposed to be Zoe, but the moment I looked at her I said, "Hi, Sophie!" Since then, she's gone by the names of Gopher, Gubbie, Gubbie Bear, and Bear.

This is the Supreme Pie Lord. She started out as a Molly, but we call her Pie, Pie-Pie, Wobbles, the Wobbler, and, on occasion, Polly. She's a rescue dog. The local vet got her and two other dogs with pneumonia from Puppy Palace, who wanted the doctor to put them down. The doctor decided to save them instead, and then put them up for adoption. They all have life-long breathing problems, but we got free medication from the doctor as part of our adoption package because the doctor knew we couldn't afford hundreds of dollars worth of pills a year, no matter how much we loved our new baby. Molly was the last pup to be adopted. She was almost nine months old by the time we got her, because she was the sickest of the lot and no one else wanted her. I fell in love with her the moment I saw her, though, and the rest is history.

This is Muffin. She's the youngest dog in our family, and according to most of our neighbors, the cutest.

And this is Princess Tanja. We got him on a chilly October night when our next-door neighbor saw a kitten in her yard and called me over to see him. He was only four months old, and he was cold and hungry. Somehow, he'd lost his mommy and couldn't find his way back to her. I spent two hours coaxing him out of the bushes, and then I wrapped him in my sweater to keep him warm and fed him some pasta. He lived in our backyard for a week or so before we decided to take him inside and out of the cold. Now he's found his forever home, and he's right where he belongs - curled up nice and comfy on my bed.