Chickens in a box

I'm cross. Cross because James has one trainer. The other has disappeared somewhere inside St Barts, he knows not where. He trod in dog poo wearing his other pair, refused to clean them, left them out in the rain for two nights and I eventually threw them in the bin this morning. So now he has one trainer. And we're going skiing tomorrow. Cross because William has a pair of trainers. But has left them at school. Which is now locked for half-term. And we're going skiing tomorrow. Cross because I have a teenage German Shepherd the size of a shetland pony, who looks like she'll bite your arm off, jumps up on people and doesn't listen to me. Cross because William refused to go on the theatre trip this evening and I had to come up with an excuse why. I'm now £26 down. Cross because we're going on holiday tomorrow and we haven't got anything ready (well...I have. I got everyone's gear out weeks ago, but everyone else seems to assume the packing w...

Home alone this week while Eddie's in the US. It's been a whirlwind for him the last few days; Munich, in-and-out-in-a-day on Wednesday, then up to Norfolk to visit his Dad on Friday night, who is extremely frail and now using a feeding tube sadly as the MND continues to take its toll. He got back on Saturday night just in time to take the Old Ball 'n Chain (which would be me) out for supper and is now enjoying the glamour of Columbus Ohio. Suffice to say we are all looking forward to our ski trip to Megeve on Saturday - Coronavirus notwithstanding. I'm all set to do the cattery and kennel rounds on Saturday morning before we go; dropping Daisy off at Enborne and Dolly for her first stay at Newbury Lodge (she will HATE it). Then we head off on the red-eye, ungodly o'clock Euro Tunnel crossing to France. Eddie's on the night shift and I'll take the reins at breakfast, or petite dejeuner as we'll be saying by then 😊Tres bon, tres bon. Snow looks good,...

Look what we found left on the porch this evening! A very special gift from Mitzi and all her new mates. 🥚🐔 Miss you Mitz, but we're thrilled you're happy (and not eaten)!  💚

William left for Germany an enthusiastic, kind and relatively well-adjusted boy. He has returned a glowering, miserable teenager, filled with disappointment at his rubbish life, family, house, pets etc. The combined sarcasm and vitriol is toxic and, hurtfully, mostly aimed at me, which I assume is because I'm the only adult target around as Eddie's always at the office. Asked about his trip after picking him up and looking forward to hearing all about it I got from Will was; "What is this, an interrogation by the mafia?" Things didn't improve, and weren't helped when we dragged him - grunting and snarling - to the Y9 options evening at school, where he promptly slumped horizontally in his seat and fell asleep. Putting the attitude down to over-tiredness he had an early night, but sadly today it's safe to say that nothing has changed and he is as mono-syllabic and sarky as he was when he came home yesterday. Let's not forget that life revolves aro...

By all accounts there have been highs and lows. The highs Playing Jenga A room to himself Astronaut SIM Visiting Cologne and climbing the cathedral Walking along the Rhein Eating junk food Riding on the back of Mohammed's bike Buying a House Targaryen pillow ('sick GOT merch') The lows Year Ten idiots picking on him Eating junk food Getting bored Feeling homesick William's flying home today and I can't wait to see him, the house has been so quiet without him here. I've really felt his absence. Suspect he'll be very happy to be back! Looking forward to hearing how it really went for him and very much hoping that the highs outweighed the lows.