Flat on my back with frozen brussel sprouts

Its been quite some weekend. I've driven along the coast, been to three different UK airports, hired a car, driven over the Yorkshire moors, attempted a 26 mile walk (failed) and acquired a puppy. All in 48 hours. The net result of all this activity is that my back has ceased to work. I am flat on my back with a number of prescription painkillers coursing through my veins and a bag of frozen brussel sprouts pressed against my lower spine. Oh and a large glass of pinot grigio by my side - I figure it can only help at this stage. I felt strangely proud when the osteopath told me that I had a "serious injury" as all the sighing/moaning/yelping/whinging I have done over the last two days seems totally justified.

Oh and the daughters have been so totally wound round my little finger (cos I arrived home with a puppy and mother adoration is running at an all time high). They have been happily picking things up from the floor (an area which is currently unreachable), fetching things (including the pinto grigio) and generally looking after me.

As for the puppy; he is just adorable. He is going to fit right in being just as bonkers as the rest of the family. We bought him a big, comfy, expensive bed and he chooses to sleep here:

Yup. That's the bin and the glass recycling that he is crashed out next to. Which I think only goes to prove that his spiritual name and henceforth his blog name is CHAR-DON-NAY. I shall soon be checking the puppy manuals as to how to train him to open the wine.

Meet my new man

This one will not go chasing after other women (chiefly because he will be neutered). He will be both handsome and cuddly. He will not expect cordon bleu cooking and will be happy with dinner from a tin. He won't mind sleeping on the floor. Obviously lack of opposable thumbs means he will not be able to open a wine bottle for me but I am sure he can be trained to bring snacks. He will listen sympathetically and not interupt. He will have low Christmas present expectations, indeed low all round present expectations. He will do as he is told!

He is moving in in four weeks. Can't wait.

New arrivals

Project puppy proceeds apace. It looks like we really are going to get one. The puppies were born last week and we are going to pick out our boy at the beginning of June. The girls are so so excited. Actually, between these four cyber walls, I am so so excited.
Of course the girls have started to think of names. Their taste definitely runs into the sickly sweet and twee. I am absolutely going to have to put my foot down as I know that I will end up being the one in the park shouting for "fluffywuffysnookybuns" to come back. I am all for cool, off the wall names, none of which find favour with the girls. They are not so keen on introducing Razorblade to their friends. So all name suggestions gratefully received.

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......