OK. Maybe 2012 will be better!!!

Himself has been on leave.  He took 5 weeks off.  He had a lot accrued and his company wanted him to take some.

It's been fun and challenging having him home all the time.

Today was his last day on hols.  He got a phone call.  Went into work.  10 minutes later came out with no job. 

Another victim of the GFC or whatever you want to call it.

We aren't destitute but don't have enough for him to stop working altogether (he's 62). 

Life is interesting.

still here

Life has been very difficult.  Mum and Dad are settling in but not without major teething issues.

I am really struggling to cope (hence lack of presence here) and even ran away to my brother and sister-in-law's place for 10 days which was great but I had to come home.

I still read my fave blogs and keep up with you all but just don't have the time or energy to post here. 

Just so you know.

The next stage

Today we move Dad into a permanent aged care facility and on Monday Mum will move in, too.

A week ago Dr Teacher and I spent the day with the parents trying to get Mum to agree to go to hospital because she couldn't weight bear on her right leg.  In the end her GP ordered X-rays which we managed with great difficulty getting her in and out of my car and he then arranged for her to be admitted to hospital for investigations.  I had to arrange an urgent respite bed for Dad.

On Monday Dr Teacher and I saw a financial advisor who specialises in aged care and we found that Mum and Dad could afford to move into the facility that we three siblings had looked at the previous week.  And liked.  I checked out another facility on Tuesday and was shocked.  I'm so glad we looked at the good one first.

So, in three weeks we've gone from Mum saying that snow would freeze in hell before she would move into permanent care to her desperate to move asap!  You can only begin to imagine the running around and emotional stress we've all been under.

I just hope that she likes it cos there ain't no going back!

Stop this, please.

*insert cute photo of Bonnie here* 

So ... Bonnie spent today in animal intensive care.  Long story short she had a very tender abdomen and her bloods showed fairly severe anaemia consistent with trauma.  Nothing obvious in her bowel xray although we're waiting for poo to come through to the other end if you get my drift.  She is home and much more spritely than she has been for a couple of days.  Fingers crossed this is a one off.

Dad had another fall last night.  Mum puts it down to another TIA.

Mum is starting to play her old games again.  At least the three of us (siblings) are communicating now.  Although I still don't trust things.  She sees a psychiatrist on Friday and will tell him that she doesn't drink that much.  Which is true.  For this week.

Promise to work out how to get photos here very soon.  Specially the one of Bonnie with her leg bound in blue bandage to keep the canula in.

Can the second half of this year be better please.  Surely someone must have the ear of the gods.

Sleep deprivation revisited!

We picked Bonnie up on Saturday.  She is a very vocal pup.  She 'talks' all the time she's awake. 

She is, though, a gorgeous, inquisitive, affectionate pup and everyone loves her.  Except the cats.  They are NOT impressed.  Angus loves her too much.  He has been the cause of many squeals but she gives as good as she gets and once she's bigger should be able to hold her own. 

I have been sick for a long time now and am on my second course of antibiotics.

Mum is seeing a psychiatrist Friday week.

Dad is booked for respite at the end of July.  I honestly feel that Mum would prefer him in residential care for most of the time with visits to her!

I came here to close down my blog or at least put it in semi-permanent hiatus but decided that I'll keep it and post when I need to.

Life is a bit of a struggle at the moment.

Another fall.

I was just settling in for a comfy evening in front of the telly on Friday night when I got a phone call from the relieving manager of the retirement village where my parents live.  Mum had fallen and sustained a significant injury to her left bicep area.

I met her at the hospital just as the ambulance arrived with her.  The ambos had her injury listed as a skin tear so she was not treated with any urgency.  When we finally got admitted and seen by a nurse who took the dressing down we found out that it wasn't just the skin that was torn, it was full thickness flesh down to the muscle.  Ew.  She was admitted to a ward and went to theatre on Saturday afternoon and I took her home yesterday.  Her behaviour was pretty good considering what she has been like in the past. 

Other Brother was driving down from Canberra for the weekend.  I rang him to let him know what had happened and he went straight to the parents' place.  He was a huge help this weekend as Dr Teacher was moving and also overseeing the auction of his partner's place cos she's driving round Australia with her son - a long planned adventure.  I was exhausted on Saturday having been at the hospital til 3.15 am and then going back at 10.30am.  Other Brother looked after Dad and I looked after Mum.

This morning Other Brother went to say goodbye on his way home to find that Mum had had an 'accident' and there was faeces from the kitchen to the bathroom and back as she walked over it with her wheely frame.  Dr Teacher and I have dealt with this in the past but it was the first time for Other Brother.  When I went up there this afternoon Mum dismissed it as the antibiotics disagreeing with her.  There's always a reason but we're going to have to deal with this somehow.  On top of everything else she is showing early signs of dementia.

On a brighter note, Two moved out over the weekend (like we needed more to do!).  He decided a couple of weeks ago that he needed to move in somewhere by himself and was lucky that the first place he looked at was the one.  It's old and a bit damp but large and inexpensive and in a really good area.  Unfortunately when GGF and he split she took just about everything.  In fact the only stuff she didn't take he dug his heel in over.  But lets not get started on that!

Three started a new job this evening.  He will be working two jobs for 4 days this week until his old job's notice has been worked out.  As the new job is evening work I'm hoping he will either get a second job or study or something other than sleep and play xbox.

DH and I have had a nasty bug.  It's left me with an infuriating cough that won't go away and is driving me batty.

Less than 4 weeks before we get Bonnie.  Can't wait.

Once I can work out how to get photos off email I'll post them here.

Time to veg in front of the telly.

She's HERE!!

Angus has a new baby half sister.

She was born on Monday (ANZAC day). 

We can see her when she's 5 weeks old and collect her when she's 8 weeks old.

I can't wait to see photos of the litter.