So it starts again

Turns out that the friend who jumped in to save the day and take our snappy pooches off our hands has had a change of heart. Not that the dogs are the problem, it's her somewhat emotionally labile state after the death of her previous dog that has stirred up feelings that she can't manage. She doesn't think she should be a dog owner after all. Fair enough. Now I have to find somewhere else for them to live. I knew it was too good to be true.

This all transpired at the beginnings of this week's episode of the Tummy Bug, so I entered an advert into the local newspaper to run this weekend and went to bed to try and forget about it all. Today is the first day it has appeared and we've had 2 phonecalls that couldn't be more different.

The first immediately made me think 'there's no way you're getting hold of my animals even if I have to take them back' and realise that (not even deep down) I am quite a snob. When someone phones you and the first thing they ask about is that if they're definitely for free, you don't get a good feeling. And then say they haven't got transport can we bring them to them, and if it's too much hassle we'll go elsewhere thank you very much, that adds to the general unease and dislike for the exceedingly stupid sounding person on the other end of the line.

Thankfully, the second caller was entirely more sensible. My instincts are telling me that this may be the family for them. Teenage daughter, no toddlers, previous dog experience, friendly voice, asking questions about dogs and freely speaking about themselves. Meeting is set up for tomorrow morning at a park so that everyone can have a walk in peace and no pressure is put on either side. Poppy will be with my Mum and hubby in bed after nights so no-one need get upset by seeing them again once I pick them up from my friend's house. Except me. But I'd rather me be upset alone than my whole family again. I think if hubby had to say goodbye again after just getting them back it'd take a while to recover. And in case you're worried my Dad is accompanying me to the park. I hadn't had a thought for my personal safety until he pointed out to me on the phone it probably wasn't a good idea to meet a random stranger in a park on my own. Doh.

Ucky tummy bug strikes again

Don't know whether it's because my immune system is lowered by this new arthritis medication, if it's the medication causing it, or just coincidence but I've had two tummy bugs in two weeks now. Yuck. Finally feeling bit more human today and up to turning on the laptop.

After starting my words table pre-vomiting, and then updating it a bit after reading another blog post inspired by my blog post (bear with me, I know it's complicated), this is the current list:

23/11/2010

SPEAKS WELL
Mummy
Daddy
Bampa
Nanny
Yes
No
Chicco
Oz
Car
Duck
Doggy/Oof Oof
More
Tea
Door
Cook
Shoe/s
Toast
Baby
Bye
Birdy
Fishy
Flower
Cat
Bee
Tiger
Hat
Tea
There
Cai(boy at nursery)
Boo

BANGUAGE
Tumble/Mumble
Banana/Nana
Pig
Bear
Book/cook
Nappy/Appy
Tree
Mickey/Icky
Goosey/Sey
Tiger/Raah!
Cow/Moo!
Sheep/Baa!
Monkey/Oo oo ah ah!
Foot/Oot
Down/with pointing
Milk
Rhys/Eees
Shark
Horsey
Thank you/Kew
Grandma/Rama

SIGNS
Strawberry
More
Biscuit
Owl
Tea/food
Elephant
Fish
Butterfly
Book
Penguin(well, waddles like one!)

I'm sure that I've missed some out and to make the next update easier I'll try to keep a running tab on new words on the fridge or something.

Chilli hotpot, lost Visa card and Banguage

Trying to get the hang of my slow cooker before going back to work and figure out all the timings, so attempting a chilli con carne today. Trouble is when I went to get the kidney beans and canned tomatoes from the cupboard there were no kidney beans, so its a chilli-with-a-few-baked-beans-strained-from-the-sauce con carne. Plus with some bell peppers thrown in for added veggie points for Poppy. I'm sure the hubby will have something to comment on with the new recipe but hey-ho I'd already been out today and wasn't about to make another trip just for kidney beans.

The trip I'd already been on involved returning to our local Tesco to see if please please please they had my Visa card locked away safe. As when I was rushing to buy sheets for the new kingsize bed that arrived yesterday before dashing to pick up Poppy, I believed it must have left it in the self-service till point. Thankfully, yes, the nice lady at Customer Services produced it from a tin under the counter, that rather worryingly didn't appear to be locked and contained at least another 5 lost cards. I'm not the only muppet in the area then. I discovered the fact that I didn't have my card when paying for stamps and a newspaper at my local shop, after driving Poppy to nursery and practically passing said Tesco and the driving all the way home again. To ease my embarrassment at my obvious confusion I was lucky that only the cashier was present when I opened my purse only to stare at the slot where the card should have been for 20 seconds. And muttering repeatedly to myself 'my debit card isn't there....

My fun task I've set myself for this afternoon as I have the house to myself is to make a list of all the words Poppy can say, be that clearly or in Banguage (term I like from The Baby Whisperer for Toddlers meaning Baby Language). Or does the sign for. I think that I'll be surprised at just how many.

No longer a dog owner

Never thought I'd be able to say that about myself, apart from maybe the brief period of time for grieving in between the departure of one dog and the arrival of the next. However after one of our animals snapped at Poppy again last week we finally made the decision that they had to go. We had two shih-tzu males that are perfect lap dogs for adults, cuddly and cute, and such a part of our lives from when we bought our first home together and then got married. Once Poppy got mobile, they got grumpy and possessive over our lap space and their personal space. Snappy dogs and a toddler do not mix.

We have been very lucky that via a combination of a random spouting on my Facebook status about the situtation and a friend recently losing her beloved Westie, we found the way to make the best of a shitty situation. She was able to take both dogs to keep them together, as they adore one another, and we didn't have to give them away to a random or, worse still, the dogs home. She lives 20mins away and we can visit whenever we like. Not that we're planning on it, for their sakes and our emotional sanity.

Now we just have to get Poppy to stop calling for them whenever we pull the car onto the drive outside the house. And finding random chewed up golf balls where she's hidden them in a saucepan after Ozzy mutilated it. Or missing them whenever I sit on the couch and he's not there waiting to jump up on my lap. Sigh.

Life can be so fucking crappy at times.

Other people's blogs

After a dear friend finally blogged and filled in the 2 month void since her last post, it got me looking at the other blogs she follows and searching for some new material. Especially from other mothers. It's strange how sometimes you look for more to life than your child, like me buying fashion magazine even though I have neither the cash nor the body I used to have to acquire and look good in said fashions. And then rather than looking for blogs from hip young things or thought-provoking souls, I go for what my everyday life is about and would rather laugh out loud at some other mother's child related misfortune than keep on trend with what's hot this season. We all crave a familiar and comfortable world. And what's wrong with that? It's cheering to know that women everywhere are having the same thoughts about parenthood, sleep training, discipline, their lives (or lack of them). We are not alone.

Slow cooker purchased!

Thanks to the arrival of my Tesco vouchers and their 'double your points' promotion, I now own a slow cooker. Bring on lots of tasty casseroles, soups and other assorted dishes. Even puddings from what I can see of online recipies!

Morning hunger

Is it bad that the only thing I can face in the morning when Poppy's up at stupid o'clock is dry Cheerios in a bowl in front of the TV? She's so damn grumpy and all she wants to do it eat. She's demolishing the Cheerios even after eating a whole banana within 10 mins of waking up. And then she'll probably eat at least half a slice of toast about 8am before nursery. Don't think we'll ever have to worry about her appetite or her being underweight at least!

I'm loving the 'I Can Cook' programme on CBeebies. The recipes look delicious and as they are for young kids to make they are easy to make too. Hmmm. Will have to investigate the website and see if I can download some recipes.

New sticker obsession

Involves putting many, many stickers on chicco the dog. Funny as hell.

Hello, hello, How are you?

In the words of Justin/Mr Tumble from 'Something Special', a kids tv programme that is the only thing that keeps Poppy quiet when agitated. And what she asks for after her bath every single evening by signing 'J' for Justin and saying 'Mumble?' So cute.

Can't believe its been almost a month since my last post. Time is flying by even though I'm not back at work. Have been off almost 7 weeks now. 7 weeks! And still not ready to go back, I'm so stiff and painful. Had a 24 hour sickness bug this week which meant and I couldn't eat, and therefore couldn't take my anti-inflammatories. Oh the pain. I didn't think that they did much, but oh boy, when they're not in my system I can feel the difference.

The rheumatologist started treatment when I saw him 2 weeks ago. But it can take 4-6 weeks to work and even up to 3 months. Luckily hubby has been off work too for a few weeks but he's going back this Saturday. So I think I'm going to have to take the steroids again else I won't be able to dress Poppy or change her nappy if she's anything other than completely compliant. Which these days is pretty unusual.

Reading an interesting parenting book at the moment - 'Secrets of the Baby Whisperer for Toddlers'. It has a type of personality quiz for your child at the beginning, and after taking it Poppy is mostly a Spirited toddler. The description matches her completely. Just need to read the rest of the book now to find out ways of matching our parenting style to her, rather than trying to change her personality or beat her down to being someone she's not. On the plus side Spirited children are natural-born leaders. So who knows, maybe she'll be Prime Minister one day!