THE MORNING AFTER

Well, here we go! It's 7.30 and Charles has just left for work. The puppies are full of themselves this morning - and so they should be! Last night, at the puppy party, they were brilliant. I was really proud of both of them.
But here's the full story...
...It wasn't just a case of going to the party and coming home to recover like we did last week. This time there was shopping to do first, so when Charles got home he was allowed five minutes for a quick cuppa and then we set off back to Morpeth, where he waited in the car with the puppies while I went to do the shopping. I thought they might have given him a hard time and he was equipped with kitchen roll, treats and their leads just in case there was a toilet emergency. None of these were needed, however, and I returned with a heavily laden trolley (the sort where you have to stagger along with one hand holding everything in place, the other hand on the handle and your right hip steering the thing because it doesn't go where you want it to) to find everyone listening calmly to the radio!
After that we set off, with some trepidation on my part I have to admit, to the vet's. Just like last week we were the first there. This will NOT come as a surprise to anyone who knows me. I don't do late, nor do I do last minute. I would rather be an hour early than a minute late for anything. Anyway, we went in and the girls were given a box of toys to play with. They had a quick look round and took in their surroundings and I thought, 'Oh no, they're going to remember what it was like the last time they were here'. But no, they just got on with sorting out the contents of the toybox quite happily. Rose was a little less sure than Lily, who just got in there - no hanging back - 'Let me at it!'
A few minutes later the door burst open and in bounded Milo with his entourage. 'Here we go,' I thought, 'Get ready for puppy panic.' But there was no panic, in fact Lily went straight up to Milo and introduced herself, no doubt intending him to get the message that he may have been top dog last week, but there were new contenders for that crown now!
And so, with Rose still a little more cautious, my girls began their assault on Milo's puppy supremacy and won the first round. I don't think he was quite sure what was going on as he was followed around and then chased about by two little white bundles. He was going to have his work cut out today - and Lily and Rose were loving it!
About ten minutes later, the door opened and in came another partygoer. This time it was a beautiful, but large, Bedlington Terrier by the name of 'Bluebell'. And SHE was the new girl this week, displaying all of the behaviours that Lily and Rose had shown last time. She wanted to be under the chairs and away from the action, just as they had done seven days ago. But my girls just wanted to have fun and through dogged persistence they eventually persuaded her that it was okay to relax a little bit.
Milo had his nose pushed out a little, it has to be said. He was still bouncy and licky - but the girls stood up to him and were soon running him ragged up and down the corridor. It really makes me laugh when they're racing about and their breath comes in little pants (pants as in breathing, not as in underwear!)
And so the party came to an end, and Lily and Rose were the stars! We put them in their crate and they sat inside with their ears pricked, licking each other on the nose, which we think is the puppy equivalent of a high five!!!!
We got back home tired but triumphant and within moments the girls had wee-ed and pooped and then walked in it and got it all over their faces - so just back to normal really. Which was a shame because I had got them all lovely and clean earlier in the day. It was particularly unfortunate because only the day before James had pronounced them 'Smelly Dogs' and I wanted to prove him wrong. So I was more than a little upset when he arrived with the lovely Kate a few minutes later, to hear him telling Lily that she was a minging stinky little puppy!!!
Minging and stinky they may be - but I love them to bits - and you weren't always that fragrant when you were that age from what I remember James!