Elevenses !!!!!!

[MaryAnnSingleton]

ah, we can only do 1000, so here's the new one, hope you find it !

63 lbs !!!!
yes, MIL is hoping to go home, she doesn't want to be in any kind of care home or a bungalow - provided her house can be made very safe it should be possible as she has very good,attentive neighbours and friends and close family about 35 mins away.
Good luck to Dillydog tomorrow - will be fine I'm sure
I have put T's pe kit out in his room - everything seems to be ready, though still waiting for new school shoes - the old ones have a few more weeks in them I'd think.
Don't worry about O being in yr 6, it's not nearly as bad as you think and quite honestly yr 7 has been a breeze- the anticipation of the parent is always much worse than the reality. You'll also notice in yr 6 towards the second half he'll have suddenly outgrown primary school - it happens to them all.Anyway,am a shoulder to lean on if you need to weep ! Wire thingy is obviously a neccessity so let's go Pack Housing before too long !

Good for MIL She sounds great!! My nan went into a carehome from her mid-seventies onwards and hated it. Am sure she would have been happier at home

Cycled into Woking today to buy O some new trainers for PE and tennis. He is a shocking size 5 in trainers now!! Am horrified at Mr Bigfoot His school shoes still fit him (just) despite being a size 3 so will have to get him some new ones in a few weeks.
Thanks for the wise words - am sure O will be fine in Y6. It just seems odd - so grown up.... Eek....
In a way I am looking forward to O being in Y7 - I think Y6 is going to be stressfull(for me, not so much for O) with the whole applying to secondary, SAT's, leavers assembly etc.... I am happiest when there are no big changes afoot....

Yes, metally / wire peg rail definately a desperate need - Packhouse here we come

I hate change too - am very bad at it...but really am sure you'll find O's passage through yr 6 fine. @ big foot ! T is growing taller and now his feet seem to be growing faster but he's still just a 4 - I do worry about shoes not fitting properly. We're off to sort out food today for the party we're having on Sunday to celebrate the completion of the studio -small thing for neighbours and local friends...am a bit daunted by it but am sure it'll be ok- as long as the weather is alright- rain=mud and that'd be horrible.

Morning! We're back!

Really glad you had a lovely time away Hippi. I LOL at Mr Big Foot too Hope all goes well for Dillydog today - I'm sure it will, but it's never a nice thing to have pets having operations. I'm sure O will be absolutely fine in Year 6. He's done so well this year and has lots of confidence so wont let things get on top of him I wouldn't have thought.

MAS, your MIL sounds lovely. I agree that being in her own home is the most desirable outcome probably, as long as she can manage safely. Certainly my 93 year old great aunt was absolutely determined to keep her own house, and her neighbours were brilliant at keeping us informed if we weren't around. She was adamant that homes were for old people and why would she want to be there? She was fab

We survived the week at mum's and on the whole it was good. B was so happy to be there and really enjoyed pottering in the garden with her Grandad. I managed to bite my tongue and ignore my mum's acid tongue. Don't know why she's like it really. She's not well at the moment though, so was a little less strongwilled and judgemental than usual.

Can't believe we only have a couple of days left of the holidays Today we're sorting out the house, washing etc and will walk doggle. Then tomorrow we're meeting friends for a last blast before all going to separate schools again.

Definitely definitely lets arrange a Packhouse meet up asap! Will be great to catch up in the flesh and not recognise the new Hippi Well done BTW!

Hi hotcross

I can soooo relate to you having to cope with your mum's acid tongue. My mum is just the same, little snide remarks, bitchy comments, paddington-bear-hard-stares mainly aimed at dh (she really does not like him and I overheard her complain to dad about dh talking too much)
It is all very very tense and we enjoyed the days we spent away from them the most....

THe vet has just rung - Dillydog has had his little Op and is recovering. Still a bit sleepy so am to collect him at 12.00. Phew. The next challenge will be to stop him licking. I forgot to ask if the vet will provide a lampshade... [fret]

Good news about Dillydog! I think they will provide a lampshade, but you'll probably have to pay for it!

Glad I'm not the only one with a tricky mother-daughter relationship. My mum really doesn't like my BIL either and I hear chapter and verse about every little/big indiscretion and I feel very disloyal to my dsis. She also complains constantly about my dnephew who is a handful, but lovely most of the time. Why she can't just accept us all for the way we are I don't know. No wonder we put off going to see her for as long as possible!

Oh hotcross, are our mothers related??
Mine is just sooo judgemental - not just of dh and I but of everyone. Nothing is ever good enough, she sees the bad in everything.
I know she does not like dh (neither does dad but at least he is civil to him) but after 17 years she would surely realise that I like him and am not leaving him just because she wants me to?
The other problem is that I feel obliged to see them once a year. And because they are abroad that has to be our annual summer holiday as we cannot afford two trips to the continent. And then we waste our summer holiday fund on feeling tense. 'Tis crap.
But will I be brave enough to tell them we are not visiting next year? (we want to do either Germany or Italy next year)

Argh, families are complicated.

Mmm, better ring the vet and ask them how much they charge for a lampshade. Or should I dress dillydog in ds's t-shirt and pants as my friend did???

hope Dillydog has a swift recovery - glad he is safely through the op.
Funny you should be complaining about your mothers - I may need to add my mum,sadly. She does love dh though,so that's ok. It's just the negativity that does my head in - I shouted at her yesterday and today because I was so frustrated by it. She used to be fantastic - bright,always nipping off on her bike,doing stuff,visiting friends. It all changed when they moved to Bath where they were living in a house away from everywhere,no village to walk to/bike to - too far and too hilly. She does have osteo and rheumatoid arthritis which is very painful and now restricts a fair amount of movement,and the medication has side effects..this may well play a huge part in how she currently is. She just seems to see nothing positive - it's too windy here,too cold,the house gets too dusty etc etc..if there';s a bleak side to be found she'll find it..it drags dad down as he tries to be reasonable (he is very patient and kind but it's hard for him - he remains fit and energetic,still works,is enthusiastic,enjoys things)
I couldn't stand it yesterday and walked off back here,but felt it was childish to not go back and try to make the best of things. She was ok for the rest of the afternoon,but today she was grumpy because dad wanted to go to the market to buy nice bread and rolls and go to the bank and she felt she had too much housework to do. She had just started off being in a cross mood and I couldn't stand it again so shouted at her..the neighbours will think I'm dreadful. It's like dealing with a sulky child -she harrumphs off saying'well nobody listens to me anyway...' they might do if she actually had a reasonable point to make but it's always something bad. What has happened ? I suspect depression but she will be hard to convince.
Sorry, rant over...my mum is great and kind and loves us dearly,especially T, but this makes everything so difficult. I feel angry because I am a bag of anxieties most of the time but I always try to find something hopeful and positive to keep me going and try to keep any misery to myself ! apologies again for venting...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/817301-anyone-Dutch-or-Dutch-speaking-who-can-help-me-with?msgid=16654926 for hippi

Thanks MAS - have translated to the best of my abilities

Dillydog perking up. He has spent the first two hours back home sleeping standing up and falling over but is now a bit happier and is attemping to run (which is a pain as he is not allowed to run yet). Has also started to investigate licking his scar - must keep an eye on that. The vet did lend me a lampshade but told me to only use it if absolutely necessary because it may upset him more than the actual stitches.
I did want to put a pair of O's boxers on him but O was not keen on the idea....

Btw - sorry to hear you have the same issues with your mum. I have just been on the phone to my friend K and she has the same with her mum. Argh, please don't tell me I will be like it with E

Pleased to hear Dillydog is up and about. Hope he's not too too scratchy. Interesting the vet didn't completely recommend the collar, ours always seems very keen on them, but doggle finds them very difficult to deal with. particularly as our house is so tiny, he keeps bumping into doors etc

Interesting we all have difficult relationships with our mothers... Hmm, I wonder how our dh's get on with their mothers? Is it a case of too many female hormones competing or something??? What you said about your mother MAS, exactly described many of my irritations with my mum. Why can she not see the positive sometimes?! I'm known as 'Pollyanna' in my family as I'm generally a positive optimistic person, so I'm crossing my fingers I'll keep that up with B!

I know what you mean about sacrificing all your holiday time to spend it with your parents. That's why this year we selfishly spent one week camping with my sister and one week blissfully just the three of us. Of course I then got an ear bashing for not visiting, and guiltily booked the train up just with B, and dh fetched us at the weekend. AAAAARGH! And was she grateful or jolly? Was she heck!

Not too scratchy yet, in fact he is nowhere near as keen to investigate the wound as I thought he would be. They have put in self-dissolving internal stitches so hopefully he won't really be able to get at them.
I cooked him rice adn chicken for tea - despite the cost of chicken, to alleviate my guilt I suppose...
He is still sleepy, just tripped into his basket (literally, still not fully in control of hind legs) and fell asleep. Was a bit whiny after dinner too.

Dh has quite a good relationship with his mother, but an atrocious one with his father. (long story involving messy divorce and blatant favouritism by father)

Right, it is past bedtime for the urchins - better go adn get them into bed

Are T or B back at school tomorrow?

Hope you have an undisturbed night Hippi, and that Dillydog wakes up in the morning right as rain.

We have another days holiday, so back Thursday. Was talking to a mum of one of the boys in B's class, who will be a TA in the parallel Year Two class. Apparently this year will be a lot more formal, with even greater emphasis on the three R's... Will see... The new teacher/deputy head taught Year three in her last school, so will be expecting great things of our lot!

hope Dillydog sleeps well, bless..
T not back until Monday, just yrs 7,10 and 11 in on Friday.
Dh has good relationship with his mum (distance probably helps !) and his dad was loved by all -a wonderful man. I am v like my dad in temperament - though have always got on brilliantly with mum,which makes this current thing more upsetting.

Thanks guys
Am a little worried about dillydog - he is wandering around aimlessly and whining quietly. He also seems to need to go out for a wee more frequently.
Am sure this is normal though so won't panic just yet.
The vet gave me some painkillers but I am not supposed to start giving those until tomorrow morning.

Right, am going up to bed, taking dilly with me.
Here's hoping we get a full night - bit like having a newborn this....

poor thing - I should think he's probably a little sore and still feeling disorientated from anaesthetic..hope you both slept well

How's Dillydog this morning?

Good morning

Well, in true newborn stylee Dillydog had me up 3 times last night needing to go in the garden for a wee. So there I was, in the garden, in my pj's at midnight, 4.30am and 6.30am. Yawn. I am assuming his inability to go dry all night was due to pressure/irritation from the wound. I hope this is not a permanent feature [fret]
But he seems a bit brighter. Still a bit slower and diorientated than normal but that is to be expected.

I am sooo tired though...

O and E have big and little S coming to play for most of today so hopefully they will have a nice time whilst I sort out the wardrobes and prepare piles for charity shop and handmedowns. (and get school clothes ready for O for tomorrow )

What are you both up to today?

aww poor boy..am sure the weeing will get better, must just be an irritant for him...
T has hair cut later - might see if school shoes have come in too...bloody miserable weather. Have just done some singing practice with T - think he has a lesson on Monday.

Wow, what a lot of rain we are having!!

Had a nice day, O and big S played well, E adn little S played well for the most part apart from a few 'sharing' and subsequent 'sulking' issues.

Dillydog seems fine but very subdued. He normally wags his tail all day but he has not wagged it since coming home from the vets. He also has a bit of sloppy poo, probably due to the anasthetic or the painkillers / anit-inflammatories I have been given for him.

O had his first swimming lesson in his new group today. Nice group of kids, he knows one boy as they did a summer holiday course together last year and said boy goes to Cubs in a neighbouring village so they have met at various district scouting events Swimming teacher not so nice - very surly and O said she did not smile much. O swam well well but I am cursing myself for signing him up for the 5.30 - 6pm slot. Rush-hour traffic both ways, grim grim grim. Especially once it gets darker...

School tomorrow, uniform is labelled and hung on the bannister, PE kit is packed, alarm clock is set for 7.30am.

Good bye lovely summer holiday

Am glad to hear Dillydog is bearing up OK. Don't think I'd be wagging my tail much after the op

I'm just on here sharing sad sad news. My dsis rang a little while ago to tell us that her lovely, saggy, soft as butter chocolate lab died today They got back from holidays last night and she seemed OK. She was standing at the bottom of the stairs this morning wagging, then during breakfast she asked to go outside for what seemed like an urgent poo, staggered over the doorstep and collapsed. They carried her to the vet immediately. They thought she was bleeding internally, probably from a ruptured spleen, so they immediately operated, but her heart gave out on the table

Although she was getting on, a rescue from a puppy farm, so with no known age, but very very saggy tummy from all the puppies she'd had, it's a complete and utter shock. B is distraught, surprisingly so infact, so lots and lots of tears and worries about whether our doggle is going to die. She's only just gone to sleep and has school in the morning Poor dsis and her family...

Oh hotcross, what a shock And poor B
At least your dsis gave saggydoggle a loving home and the dog died having known love and a normal family life

I am worried about E's reaction once our ancient and saggy cat dies. I guess it is something they have to encounter in life but it will still be hard...

My two finally got to bed at around 8.30 - so much for the early bedtime I had in mind....

for dear doggle and your dsis and of course B
what a shock..but quick I guess, not that that's a huge comfort. I think that's part of pet owning as a child - the death thing is an important part - I think you just have to say that dogs/cats don't live for ever and we give them the very best,loving homes we can. I can recommend Frog and the Birdsong by Max Velthuis (spelling !) which is a picture book for young kids,very sweet-just shows that friends die by life goes on. Actually it doesn't matter how old you are as I was so upset when my cat Wilfrid died about 10 years ago- I still think of him and miss him xxxxx

here