IT'S AMAZING...

...how the puppies have settled down during the last couple of weeks and how WE are so much more relaxed about THEM!
We've had then for just over six weeks now, and when I think back to the first few weeks we seemed to spend all our time dealing with poop-related incidents, trying to anticipate poop-time and scooping the stuff (shovelling it actually). The puppies have always been good, but now they are just a joy to have around. Their personalities are so different but each pup is delightful in their own way - even Lily when she's on an ASBO!!!
To begin with, our days revolved around the puppies (and their poop) but now THEY are fitting in with US and our routines, and it's working really well.
I'm sure I've said it before, but I can't help repeating it - I am amazed at just how much I love the girls. I honestly cannot imagine life without them now.
Last week I was shocked to hear the vet say that the time during the next few months, when pups are coming into adolescence, is the time when many owners give their puppies up for rehoming. People must be really desperate to have to resort to this - it would break my heart! (Having said that, we haven't gone through it yet, so it'll be interesting to see how I'm feeling in a few months time!!)
At the moment the puppies are settled in the crate fast asleep and I'm waiting for the Tesco delivery  to arrive. You're going to hate me now, but I have done the non-perishable, store cupboard shopping READY FOR CHRISTMAS, just to get it out of the way. I know, I know - I'm the one who was banging on about Christmas coming too early, but those sentiments come into conflict with the highly organised side of my personality - and it's THAT  side that won in the end! And before anyone says, 'But you'll use it before Christmas', NO I WON'T, because I'm really good about putting stuff away and pretending it doesn't exist.
I DO have a helpful tip for anyone who HATES doing the Christmas food shopping - you know all the fresh stuff that you have to do at the last minute. Well, two tips actually; 1) If you can bear it, do it online and let someone else do the running around for you. Admittedly you aren't there to choose the rosiest apple or the juiciest looking satsumas - but it's worth the risk if you can live with slight imperfections.
2) If you really HAVE  to do it yourself - GO IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT! This might sound crazy, but I did exactly this for a couple of years and found that it was almost a pleasure. I would get to the supermarket (obviously you need to go to one that's open 24 hours, otherwise you'd just be wasting your time) at about 4AM and do the shopping ON MY WAY TO WORK, then whizz everything that needed to be chilled or frozen into the school fridges and freezers. Seriously - the only other people in there at that time are the staff who are making up people's internet orders and you pretty much have the place to yourself. Shelves are continually stocked so nothing is in short supply and you don't have to suffer that unbearable gridlock that occurs during the day. I think I resorted to this extreme strategy after being LITERALLY stuck in Tesco, completely unable to move one year, while frustrated shoppers practically fought over the last sprout and came to blows over the turkeys. It's just not worth the hassle.
So, that's my VERY EARLY CHRISTMAS TIP and I promise not to mention anything else  about it for at least another month!!!