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The Acorn Camarillo Acorn Moorpark Acorn Simi Valley Acorn Thousand Oaks Acorn |
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Collie kept eye on triplets der collie, the first five years of her
n Paso Robles and what would have been a life of herding cattle became instead a cozy life in the suburbs with a young couple. Ideal. She slept on the king-sized bed and had all of our attention. She was bright, affectionate, spirited. All was well in our young household. Until that fateful day in March when we brought home three newborn babies—triplets. Ilsa found herself immediately demoted in the amily hierarchy. Kicked off the bed. Remanded to a rock bottom ung on the ladder of priorities. She didn’t seem to mind— much. She was always very intelligent and seemed to understand here just wasn’t as much for us to give as before. But every once in a while I’d catch her watching me with those razor sharp, insightful eyes as if she was saying to me, “Really. Three babies? What were you thinking?” As the triplets grew and began o toddle around the house, Ilsa adapted to the changes. She was expert at dodging the rolling walkers that were like bumper cars in our den. She led our walks around he neighborhood with the massive riple stroller and cleaned up the crumbs after mealtime. Then we started to notice Ilsa nipping at the kids’ heels from time o time. Nothing aggressive or in urious, just little nips. Of course, she was duly reprimanded. Then we ealized something amazing—the nips were actually Ilsa’s attempt to help me manage the three little invaders. Unable to help with bottles or lullabyes, Ilsa was doing what he could to pitch in—she was, quite literally, herding my litter of babies. My dear friend lived to a ripe old age of 14. Got a little grumpy, and a lot wiser. Those eyes continued to speak volumes to me all through the challenging years. And I would still catch her knowing stare from time to time seeming to say, “Three babies at once. What were you thinking?” Leslie Gregory Haukoos Agoura Hills |
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