The ginger gentleman is an un-neutered tom cat. This means he has a large territory and a belligerent attitude to other cats, although he does give very nice cuddles. He has been seen at some distance, and is frequently in our little road. Our street is a very desirable location for a cat. There is not too much traffic, plenty of sun if you pick the right spots, some quiet kipping places and some really good hunting. We often see Oscar or Roxy trotting past with something grey, furry and limp in their mouths, and one of them left a dead magpie on their owners' step. There are a lot of small birds like finches and sparrows about, and I expect that they also get chased, if not caught. So the ginger gentleman is muscling in.
He has already tried to go for evil cat, and she is just too old and frail to cope. Last night we realised that her tummy was so shrunken that the flap of loose skin she had after neutering was no longer swinging like it used to but sucked up to her rib cage. The days when she could have given the ginger gentleman a nasty surprise are gone. And ginger gentleman is having so many running battles with Oscar that Nice Mr Next Door has been picking huge chunks of ginger fur out of Oscar's black claws.
So I was not entirely surprised to hear the sounds of battle yesterday. But I am trying to chase ginger gentleman out of the garden in case evil cat is taken by surprise, and I don't want our garden to be disputed territory with all the spraying. So I opened the the kitchen door to the sound of battle and found that the ginger gentleman had a young tabby from next door cornered in the cupboard under our steps. The young tabby is called Alfie, he is about a teenager, very small (so far!) and slim, but with a tom cat attitude. He has only just started going out. However he seems to be getting stuck in on the side of Oscar and Roxy.
The ginger gentleman appears to be outnumbered. However I am not sure that he can work that out - he doesn't seem bright, even for a cat!
Saturday, 31 March 2012
Little bear's fun day
Little bear had a Change 4 Life Fun Day. It was hell. It was over crowded, badly planned and despite having some good info it was bewildering. We left as soon as we could and got ice creams.
Little bear did not win the egg painting contest. The little info I had out of that was that one of the winners had an egg that was dressed like Cinderella. Please let us escape this next year! And little bear had refused categorically to guess the name of the rabbit. He couldn't guarantee he would be right, so he wasn't doing it. That was the end of that! So I put 'little bear's mummy' next to a name at random. I wasn't allowed to choose my own suggestion, either, so any 'adult' suggestions, or even Stew, Pie or Mustard, were not allowed. We didn't win the rabbit. I was relieved.
Little bear is still exhausted. This morning he dragged himself downstairs and lay on the sofa. He declared he didn't want to go to sleep AT ALL. He is off for Easter Holidays and I think it is in the nick of time. However I can see the holidays stretching ahead of me with a five year old who is actually a tired little man, trying to keep him amused. I intend to make shameless use of soft play.
Little bear did not win the egg painting contest. The little info I had out of that was that one of the winners had an egg that was dressed like Cinderella. Please let us escape this next year! And little bear had refused categorically to guess the name of the rabbit. He couldn't guarantee he would be right, so he wasn't doing it. That was the end of that! So I put 'little bear's mummy' next to a name at random. I wasn't allowed to choose my own suggestion, either, so any 'adult' suggestions, or even Stew, Pie or Mustard, were not allowed. We didn't win the rabbit. I was relieved.
Little bear is still exhausted. This morning he dragged himself downstairs and lay on the sofa. He declared he didn't want to go to sleep AT ALL. He is off for Easter Holidays and I think it is in the nick of time. However I can see the holidays stretching ahead of me with a five year old who is actually a tired little man, trying to keep him amused. I intend to make shameless use of soft play.
Wednesday, 28 March 2012
Little bear is pushing boundaries
I am beginning to worry about little bear. He is showing signs of being completely exhausted, such as trying to get a nap before school. And he is behaving fair to middling appallingly. This is usually a sign that he is sickening for something.
To be honest, I suspect he is still suffering from the after effects of the chicken pox. I know I am being a fussy mummy, but he is soooo tired, too tired to get to sleep at night, sleeping later than average (6.50am today!) and generally not happy. Once upon a time it was a fortnight off school. Now it is five days, and I was pushing it keeping him off the Thursday and Friday after he was diagnosed. At the end of last week, after his first week back at school, he was completely exhausted. This week he seems just as bad, if not worse! Thank goodness he is off school next week.
Yesterday there were two memorable incidents. He had an ice lolly after martial arts (all over his suit - marvellous) and was nice and sticky. He got sticky over the computer desk. So I asked him to go and wash his hands. I think my words were something like, 'Okay now, sweetheart, go and wash your hands please and we can have a nice cuddle.' He refused to wash his hands.
Routinely I let things go, but to me this was just ridiculous. So I was firmer. I shouted. I escorted him to the stairs. I escorted him up the stairs, step by step, with him shouting furiously that he would never wash his hands, NOT EVER!!! Then he dashed into the bathroom and locked the door. He was not washing his hands and he was never coming out. He even ignored the lure of washing his hands in Grandad's sink.
Then he found an excuse that he didn't want to wash his hands because of a cut. So I got him to open the door, washed his hands with a new sponge and looked at how open the window was all of a sudden. I had had the window ajar, and it is never locked as it is the fire escape window, but now it was wide open. 'I had it open for some more fresh air.' Little bear said artlessly, 'Because I needed more fresh air so I opened the window. For fresh air.' He had opened the window planning to climb out and thought better of it! All this fuss about washing his hands.
The second incident, which to me was far more worrying, was during dinner. We had some very nice, natural smoked haddock, which little bear loves. 'I've got a bone,' little bear wails. I sigh because the fish was sold as boneless, but say, 'Never mind, just spit it out.' Little bear says, 'No!'
Little bear has his moments but normally does not refuse to spit something out that he doesn't want/like, and we couldn't let him swallow a fish bone! To be honest, it was probably just a tiny bit of hard skin from smoking, as it was lovely fish and well prepared. However I could now cry. Little bear has been really enjoying his fish, and now he is saying that he will never have fish again because of bones, and I worry that because he got himself so worked up and stressed, he won't touch one of the few healthy options he would genuinely tuck into. By the time we had managed to get him to spit out the offending piece he was almost hysterical.
This sort of awkward, irrational defiance usually means little bear is about to have something really, dreadfully gruesome. I am hoping I am wrong and it's just the embers of the chickenpox virus.
As I type he is stretched on the sofa, making the sort of little grunts that usually mean that a nap would be a possibility, and we are about to get him ready for school! He is five now, not two or three when naps were a good thing.
It's a 'normal for five, but mums worry' situation, I suppose. I am sure he will be far too active for me to keep up soon. I wonder if I will ever stop worrying.
To be honest, I suspect he is still suffering from the after effects of the chicken pox. I know I am being a fussy mummy, but he is soooo tired, too tired to get to sleep at night, sleeping later than average (6.50am today!) and generally not happy. Once upon a time it was a fortnight off school. Now it is five days, and I was pushing it keeping him off the Thursday and Friday after he was diagnosed. At the end of last week, after his first week back at school, he was completely exhausted. This week he seems just as bad, if not worse! Thank goodness he is off school next week.
Yesterday there were two memorable incidents. He had an ice lolly after martial arts (all over his suit - marvellous) and was nice and sticky. He got sticky over the computer desk. So I asked him to go and wash his hands. I think my words were something like, 'Okay now, sweetheart, go and wash your hands please and we can have a nice cuddle.' He refused to wash his hands.
Routinely I let things go, but to me this was just ridiculous. So I was firmer. I shouted. I escorted him to the stairs. I escorted him up the stairs, step by step, with him shouting furiously that he would never wash his hands, NOT EVER!!! Then he dashed into the bathroom and locked the door. He was not washing his hands and he was never coming out. He even ignored the lure of washing his hands in Grandad's sink.
Then he found an excuse that he didn't want to wash his hands because of a cut. So I got him to open the door, washed his hands with a new sponge and looked at how open the window was all of a sudden. I had had the window ajar, and it is never locked as it is the fire escape window, but now it was wide open. 'I had it open for some more fresh air.' Little bear said artlessly, 'Because I needed more fresh air so I opened the window. For fresh air.' He had opened the window planning to climb out and thought better of it! All this fuss about washing his hands.
The second incident, which to me was far more worrying, was during dinner. We had some very nice, natural smoked haddock, which little bear loves. 'I've got a bone,' little bear wails. I sigh because the fish was sold as boneless, but say, 'Never mind, just spit it out.' Little bear says, 'No!'
Little bear has his moments but normally does not refuse to spit something out that he doesn't want/like, and we couldn't let him swallow a fish bone! To be honest, it was probably just a tiny bit of hard skin from smoking, as it was lovely fish and well prepared. However I could now cry. Little bear has been really enjoying his fish, and now he is saying that he will never have fish again because of bones, and I worry that because he got himself so worked up and stressed, he won't touch one of the few healthy options he would genuinely tuck into. By the time we had managed to get him to spit out the offending piece he was almost hysterical.
This sort of awkward, irrational defiance usually means little bear is about to have something really, dreadfully gruesome. I am hoping I am wrong and it's just the embers of the chickenpox virus.
As I type he is stretched on the sofa, making the sort of little grunts that usually mean that a nap would be a possibility, and we are about to get him ready for school! He is five now, not two or three when naps were a good thing.
It's a 'normal for five, but mums worry' situation, I suppose. I am sure he will be far too active for me to keep up soon. I wonder if I will ever stop worrying.
Tuesday, 27 March 2012
Great News!
According to an article on the BBC website here, eating chocolate makes you thin.
If that were true, I should be six inches wide and three inches deep. However, perhaps I should do a little more research on this idea...
If that were true, I should be six inches wide and three inches deep. However, perhaps I should do a little more research on this idea...
Monday, 26 March 2012
Dreams
The whole house now smells of vinegar after the boiled egg fiasco. It could be worse, it could smell of boiled eggs, but I will now probably dream of chips.
As I am currently having a lot of recurring dreams about hairdressers, this will make a nice change. I know it is usually boring to recount dreams, but I am getting fed up of dreaming about getting nice haircuts, little bear having nice haircuts, OH having nice hair cuts in underground bunkers. The bunkers are all the same, with a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, gloss paint over stone and the smell of old, concrete bus shelters - filled with hair dressers. I am sure my subconscious is telling me something. I have got to the stage where even in my dreams I am thinking, 'Oh, no, not again!' as I am led down yet another set of neglected concrete steps.
I have only just had a haircut. I certainly can't afford another one this month!
As I am currently having a lot of recurring dreams about hairdressers, this will make a nice change. I know it is usually boring to recount dreams, but I am getting fed up of dreaming about getting nice haircuts, little bear having nice haircuts, OH having nice hair cuts in underground bunkers. The bunkers are all the same, with a naked bulb hanging from the ceiling, gloss paint over stone and the smell of old, concrete bus shelters - filled with hair dressers. I am sure my subconscious is telling me something. I have got to the stage where even in my dreams I am thinking, 'Oh, no, not again!' as I am led down yet another set of neglected concrete steps.
I have only just had a haircut. I certainly can't afford another one this month!
Not another thing
And on top of everything else, my phone has started playing up. Half of my directory is missing, half has reappeared from when I accidentally deleted, and I could cry...
Still, I have had it for some time and it only cost £10. I suppose another inexpensive phone will be manageable, but only just.
Still, I have had it for some time and it only cost £10. I suppose another inexpensive phone will be manageable, but only just.
More egg disasters
Out of seventeen eggs I have two unboiled and three being painted...
And the eggs boiled in vinegar and water - I left them to cool in the water, as I wanted a nice firm set. Now the outer layer of brown is coming off the shell! I think there may have been a little too much acid.
Little bear is applying paint and glitter and no longer requiring a tree. This is progress. However one of the three being painted has developed a crack. I am hiding in here and trying not to whimper.
It could all be worse. Probably.
And the eggs boiled in vinegar and water - I left them to cool in the water, as I wanted a nice firm set. Now the outer layer of brown is coming off the shell! I think there may have been a little too much acid.
Little bear is applying paint and glitter and no longer requiring a tree. This is progress. However one of the three being painted has developed a crack. I am hiding in here and trying not to whimper.
It could all be worse. Probably.
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