Goodbye Old Friend

When I was 16 years old I brought home a puppy. My mom was not thrilled with the idea and told me to find him a new home while she and my dad went to the mall for dinner. I found him a home while they were out, but my Dad worked his magic on my mom and I got to go retrieve him back from the friend who said they would take him and keep him. I named him Otis, but he was never called that. His real name was Puppy.

You see, Puppy, was half Jack Russell terrier and half Poodle. He was a mixture of hyperactivity and intelligence. He would drive you completely insane with his energy level, but was smart enough to know exactly what he was doing. He would growl when you said the word "bath", he would look out the window if you said "squirrel", he loved tennis balls like they were some form of dog class A narcotics, and he could run like a gazelle. He was an awesome dog.

When I left home, it was decided that he was too used to being in my mother's house and that he should just stay with her. I don't think the military life would have suited him at all. He would still be my dog, but my mom would have custody. I always loved coming back to my parents house, sitting down on the sofa and having to restrain my Puppy from licking me to death because he was so excited to see me.

This past year he was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. It was kept in check with medicines and he continued for the most part to be his happy, bouncy, sometimes crotchety old self. I saw him over the summer and had made a few more memories with him.

Yesterday my mother called and said that Puppy was not doing well and was going to be taken to the vet. She didn't have much hope that he would recover and had a feeling that she would probably have to put him to sleep in order to prevent him from suffering. The vet however suggested a change to his medicines and said he was resting comfortably and that she could pick him back up around 5:30pm. About 15 minutes before she was due to pick him up from the vet's office, his little heart gave out on him.

I am sad of course, but I know that he did not suffer. He lived 14 wonderful years. He had a great home. He had a family that loved him. He was one lucky dog.

Rest well you little hellion. We're going to miss you.

Dear So and So...On The Fly

Dear 7:15 AM,

So we meet again old enemy.... you know my feelings about you. I hate how you taunt me with the ringing of my alarm and the way my eyes won't quite open properly at that time. Can't you just let me sleep just a bit longer?

Groggy, Kat

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Dear School,

Could we start the day at a more reasonable hour. Let's say 10 AM? That way I don't have to get out of bed until 9am. That sounds a lot more sensible. Kids get more sleep. Parents get more sleep. It sounds like a win win situation to me.

Just Sayin', Kat

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Dear Children of Mine,

"Time to get up" isn't a suggestion.

I Really Mean It, Mom

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Dear Rain,

Hold off until after tomorrow say 4ish. I need to mow the lawn... yet again.

I'm Begging You A Little Here, Kat

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Dear Grass,

Could you quit growing now? I know all this rain has fueled your growth to ridiculous levels, but have some mercy! I am only one person.

Pleading With You, Kat

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Dear Readers,

I hope you have a lovely weekend full of fun. Don't forget to link up if you have letters of your own.

Love, Kat

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Mommy Neurosis

It's not very often that my neurotic mommy side completely takes hold and I have a complete panic attack about things. However, this morning it did. Today, KiKi was on the bus for the very first time. My baby is getting on the bus! Of course when I realized all this I had a complete melt down. Is the bus driver just going to throw her on the playground and hope that she makes it to her class? Will she remember to line up with her class? Will she forget her things on the playground? Will she cry? Will she wonder where I am? Gah!!!!

So of course I did what any logical parent who is having a massive crisis of convictions does, I called my best friend who's child is also on the bus and made her ask her daughter to look out for my daughter. Then I made LaLa promise that she wouldn't abandon her sister on the playground and look out for her. Then I talked to KiKi and explained that I wouldn't be there and that she was a big girl and that she needed to find her teacher on the playground.

I am still sitting here panicking a bit. I am sure she will be fine. I am still panicking though. She's gonna be OK, right?

Lost chair from Daisuke Motogi

An exhibit at Cheongju international craft here http://eng.okcj.org/home/main.do

The Lost chair is a great idea. It shape and feel reminds of the B&B Italia tufty range which I've blogged on here twice ( I do love it that much)

Anyway the designer Daisuke Motogi born in 1981 whom started Daisuke Motogi Architecture in 2010 and has some stunning ideas already on the site.

I love the way you can add books flowers, whatever you want in to the chair.

For more great inspiration check out other works from Daisuke here  

What I Plan On Doing The First Day of School

My kids start school tomorrow. They need to go to school. They want to go to school. I am tremendously excited for them and for me. I am already planning for my first day of freedom in 6 weeks their first day of school.

8:45- Take kids to school

9:15- Arrive home

9:16- Check email and Facebook

9:16:05-Send tweet about my kids being at school.

9:30- Watch a movie. Probably tweet while watching the movie.

11:30- Contemplate lunch.

11:35- Make lunch and eat without interruption.

12:00- Consider a nap

12:05- Take nap.

2:00- Wake up. Watch more TV.

3:00- Remember that I have to get the kids from school.

3:15- Go get kids.

Basically, I am doing all the things that I couldn't do while they were on their summer break. I don't normally have a day like this, but I think I will make an exception for tomorrow. An entire day of laziness without having to hear this:

Did I mention that they totally want to go back to school? Happy days!

What The Hell Is Wrong With The Mummyblogging Community Lately??

*This post is a bit sweary. If you don't like it, sorry.

I have seen so much discourse on Facebook and Twitter lately between mummybloggers in the UK. Epic proportions of sniping, bitching, going behind backs, and outright mean spirited remarks have been happening. It is happening between well established bloggers and newbie bloggers a like. I can feel an under current of meanness now that I have never before felt in this community. People playing fast and loose with the hurtful words. Enough of the bullshit. Be nice to each other. We're all bloggers. We're all mums. All this infighting? It gets us nowhere. In fact, when it happens out in public forums such as Twitter, it can has serious consequences for your online reputation. I know this is not a utopia and not everyone is going to get along, but for goodness sake send an email and not a tweet.

I have seen the effects of personal attacks on bloggers in the past. It isn't nice. There have been some bloggers who have stopped blogging because they have been basically run out of town by a lynch mob. Some bloggers who are attacked keep blogging, but sometimes they are afraid to state their real feelings; afraid of being attacked once again. Your blog, your voice. Where is the fun of blogging if you can't even express yourself? Other bloggers have in the past turned off comments because they didn't want their comments sections to be hijacked by nasty comments. Some can let it roll off their back like water on a duck. Just keep in mind, there are real people behind your computer screen. Feelings get hurt.

For goodness sake help each other out. No blogger has all the answers. If we did we would all be making money from PR companies and brands hand over fist. OK, well maybe Dooce over in the US had all the answers; she seems to be doing alright with this lark. If you have a question ask it? I am personally saying, that if you have a question, email me. I will do my best to answer it. If I can't answer it*, I will ask someone who I think could answer your question. If someone asks you a question, try to help out. I know quite a few bloggers who help out quite a lot and I think that is awesome. Be a nice person. Remember there is enough room in the blogging community for everyone. Also, try not to take direct comments (just direct, not mean) comments too personally. Sometimes the computer does not inflect the tone of the author.

Just a little bit of advise from little old me. Of course, you have the right to disagree with me, but that is your prerogative.

*I am really bad at stats and SEO for the record, but Nickie over at Typecast is really good at it.

Silent Sunday

Dear So and So...Just A Few Things

Dear LaLa and KiKi,

You may as well sit down, this is gonna be a long one. I know that you guys see me as some sort of domestic slave, but I'm not. I am also not a short order cook. When I wake up in the morning I would like at least five minutes to get myself together before you start hounding me about things. I mean really, I just need a cup of coffee before you start coming at me like baby birds with your mouthes open. It would also be a big help if you didn't want me to make complicated things in the morning for breakfast. In other words I really don't want to have to turn on the stove (hob). I mean I will, but I won't be happy about it. I will also probably gripe really loudly if I do have to turn it on.

The other part of this letter is about the state of this house. I know you are on your school holidays and I know you just want to play play play but my house is not a trash heap, climbing frame, race track or clothes bin. So here is how we are going to sort this out. You can quit changing clothes every five minutes and throwing the clean clothes that you only wore for 5 minutes on the floor; put them back up. Stop climbing all over my furniture and racing around the house (who knew having two doors through the living room would make this house into a perfect circle to run in). For the love of peet please start putting your trash into the bin! There are multiple bins all over the house. You are never more than 15 feet from a bin. Use them. Please.

I know if you follow these very simple guidelines that we can enjoy the rest of the summer holidays. We can do this. We only have to make it until Wednesday, then you can get back into the routine of the school year. Of course that also means you will have to get up earlier, but I guess we can only tackle so many issues at once.

Love, Mom

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Dear KiKi,

Yes, I saved a letter especially for you! You remember how last year you mastered wiping your own bottom, well guess what? Just because you are on holiday from school doesn't mean that you get to take a holiday from wiping your own bottom. Sort it out.

Love, Mom

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Dear American Lady in the Supermarket,

I couldn't help but over hear and your friend discussing school choices as we were standing in line waiting for our sandwiches to be made; you were talking very loudly after all. I know you have the right to your opinion and I respect your choice to have your child in the DoD (American schools on the base) instead of what I have chosen for my children by having them in the British schools. That is fair enough. When you however call *my* child's school "stuffy and old fashioned" (your source of knowledge in this being your child was in the school for all of 2 weeks), I do get my hackles raised. Maybe what you really meant is that they have good discipline and enforce rules? I am only saying that because your child was running around the supermarket like a crazy person and was acting like he had never heard the word "no" in his life. Maybe you should look at your son's behavior before you start bad mouthing a really good school. Just sayin'.

That Woman Tutting Behind You, Kat

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Dear Readers,

If you have your own letters please add them onto the linky! Have a safe weekend.

Love ya, Kat

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