I wish you all a MERRY CRISTMAS

Hi all my lovely blog buddies,


So sorry for being AWOL for so long. Where does the time go? It's been a few weeks since I have written anything, and though I've tried to get to the computer to sit and update my blog - time is such an issue lately.


It's been the best of weeks - and the worst of weeks.


Where to start? 


First up I guess with a Merry Christmas to you all. I am working for the next few days then MOTH (Man of the House), who is lucky enough to have a few weeks off starting yesterday, and I and the children are off into the wild blue yonder down south for the duration of about a week. A well needed week off. I'm really looking forward to it. 


Another hot one here for Christmas by all accounts. It's going to reach 39 degrees (thats around 102 F where you all are) here by this coming Thursday and I think we will be sweltering through Christmas Day. We will see. 


I have had a tough couple of weeks. Work has been flat out - nothing new but we've had some ups and downs in this family lately. The ups are: I am now starting to buy size 10's (size 6 US).... I've added a couple of new pieces to the wardrobe - a white short sleeved jacket with three buttons doing it up (a classy piece of clothing actually) and just this morning - a slightly stretchy bolero style piece that does up under the boobs and has three quarter sleeves. You know the kind that you wear over a maxi dress? Or over a singlet style top? Anyway, I'm thrilled. I cannot believe I'm fitting into this size now. Mind you, it could be the fact I'm totally uninterested in food and have to push myself to eat. Personally, I think that's stress for you. It melts away the kilos if you just don't eat. Funny that. 


The other good thing happening in my life (I think it's good... yeah, its good) is that there seems to be a thawing with my parents. Very long story short - I went to a funeral a few weeks ago. My parents were unexpectedly there. My mother was warm and friendly and I was blown away. Then we parted ways - they went on a two week holiday to Scotland etc and my father turned up on the doorstep for a visit a week after they got back. It was nice. 


Then the  week after that (just this Thursday gone) my mother rings. Can we get together for coffee. Well, I was nervous but I needn't have been. We nutted some stuff out and decided that we would forge ahead and not go over or dredge up all the horrible stuff of the past BUT that we must talk about the stuff that we both perceived went wrong and make sure we never do it again. Agreed. We are going for a BBQ at their house (probably minus MOTH who still has a ways to forgiveness for all the crap they have put us through. He is ok with us going though  because well, it's my parents and as for me, I will always be careful of his feelings too - there is a lot of hurt feelings all round here.) So will let you know how that goes. We are going to the BBQ at their house as we won't be seeing them for Xmas because all this happened (us finally starting to talk) after we had pre-planned the time away. Lets just see how it all goes. 


The down sides have been Mason getting bitten by a spider. He works at Target out back sorting stock as a summer job. I think this is where he got the bite. It started out as a large pimple looking thing on his calf and quickly over 24 hours progressed to an infection. He was sick for a bit there - with a leg swollen to the size of a grapefruit. That caused a bit of angst for a while but all is ok now. Some super strong antibiotics finally took care of it. 


And the worst news. This last Thursday - the 16th of December - our beautiful dog Max passed away. It was so sudden that my head is still reeling. You don't realise just how much a part of the family animals are until they are suddenly gone. 


I had noticed a few days before I took Maxie to the vet that he had been a little unwell. He had thrown up a bit but at first I thought that was due to him drinking from the pool - something he does often - but this time MOTH had just treated it with chlorine. I figured he had an upset stomach. But then suddenly I realised he was drinking a lot of water and weeing inside the house at night - something he hasn't done since he was a pup.


I took a close look at him and rushed him off to the vets. Yes, it was as I suspected. He had diabetes. Then it all went downhill from there. I got a call from the vet mid-morning. He was very, very sick. He had pneumonia as well. He died that afternoon. 


We took him home from the vets yesterday and had a funeral for him out back in our garden.It was some sort of closure for the children who have cried buckets of tears (along with their mother.)  Mason made up a beautiful plague in the shape of a cross and put his name MAX KILIAN on it and the day he died. I keep expecting to see him curled up on his favorite chair and well, he's just not.It breaks my heart. RIP little Maxie.You were the best dog in the world and you are missed so terribly. xx 

I hope you all have a lovely Christmas. I will be thinking of you all. See you next year. 
Cara xxxx