Project Puppy

Project Puppy is a military campaign of subtle suggestion, immaculate timing and a perfectly executed pincer movement undertaken by the daughters to convince me to get them a dog. It has been a long time in the coming having been started by the eldest as a solo mission many years ago. I always had the perfect answer to suggestions, sighs and pleadings on the dog front. "I'm sorry darling but mummy is allergic to dogs so we can't have one because they make her sneeze". Whatever fiendish plans eldest came up with she really couldn't argue that one.
The turning point came about six months ago. Youngest allied herself with eldest because she had fallen in love with the Prince of Darkness' girlfriends dog. I can only congratulate her on the understated psychological impact of this on me as I am obviously determined not to be outdone by daddy's new girlfriend. In a spectacular u-turn I therefore set about defeating my own argument and purchased a book called "Sneeze Free Dogs". I sat on the fence for a few months but got to see how brilliantly the girls got on with girlfriends dog when we looked after it one weekend (long story for another time). I did a lot of sneezing, it not being a sneeze free breed, but seeing the joy the girls got out of the dog kind of swung me. In particular youngest has specific learning difficulties which set her apart from her peers at school and just seeing her relating to the dog and loving it was brilliant.
So at the weekend we visited an owner for the big "Will Mummy Sneeze at the Dog" test...and hey presto...I was fine. Suffice to say that I am now utterly convinced and as besotted as the girls. High level talks are going on between the new Commander in Chief of Project Puppy (me) and the breeder. More news at the weekend as to whether the last puppy she has left will be ours......

A Short History Lesson

Once upon a time a long long time ago I met a lovely kind man. We bought a castle (well a small terraced house), got married and had a beautiful daughter. A couple of years after the birth of our daughter I met someone or should I say Someone. Love at first sight. Eyes across a crowded room. You name the cliche - it probably applies. I left the lovely man to make a new life with Someone. Lots of pain and heartache ensued because of our decision to be together but also intense joy and happiness. We got married and had our own daughter and lived happily ever after.

That last bits not true of course. In a fitting mirror of the story I started Someone left me for someone else. Quite out of the blue. Quite unexpected. Quite a knife through the heart. By which process he transformed himself from Someone into the Prince of Darkness.

That was two and a half years ago and we have gone through the usual gamut of break up emotions since then. And yet "the thing" between us is still there. We can't quite give up on what we had and we can't quite risk a future together. An intolerable limbo.

Introductions - a family party

The Prince of Darkness came for tea on Sunday. So did the rest of his family. To clarify the Prince and I share a daughter and it was said daughters family get together for her birthday. I like his family. This might be because I am quite short of my own family; only one parent left and no brothers and sisters. His family are quite odd like most families are. Grandma is so obstinate and opinionated that it is not worth arguing with her when she insists that the electricity has been turned down because of the credit crunch whilst Grandpa is seemingly mild mannered and gentle but has been known to agree with extreme views expressed by radical muslim clerics. There was an assortment of aunts and uncles and cousins , half and step children and sisters of brothers in law which make up the modern family. Well at least they do in my world.

And of course Wife Number 1 of the Prince of Darkness. As it happens Wife Number 1 and I are firm friends, an arrangment which the Prince probably found convenient when I was Wife Number 2 but is certainly less so now that he no longer resides in the bosom of either family. Sometimes I almost feel a twinge of pity for him.

The party went well although my attempt at a cake was a touch soggy in the middle. The birthday girl was suitably impressed by the addition of another Barbie to her collection and a complete set of High School Musical DVD's. After the teapot was drained and the last sausage roll was squished into the carpet the guests drifted off.

The Prince of Darkness was the last to leave. He kissed me on the cheek and thanked me for a lovely party. I do, of course, still love him. Damn inconvenient.