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Saturday 25 February 2012

Family News

I realise that some of you may already know this family news, but others of you won't.

I hereby announce the marriage of Brown Dog to Sheila (nee Spare Brown Dog). They were actually married last year - I know, I should have told you before, but getting them both together to pose for a photo has been tricky, and a blog without a photo can be rather dull. What surprised many of us, though, was that days after being married, Sheila made a nest, laid four eggs and had puppies! The puppies are all doing well and, naturally, causing havoc.

The Happy Couple and Puppies. They are there, if you look carefully - honest.
I thought you would also like to hear that on her birthday Isla was blessed with twins called Annabel and Baby Jesus Robert. He was previously only Robert, but when the parish church lost Baby Jesus just before the school nativity service and needed an immediate replacement (try 10 minutes' notice with a church full of expectant school children) Isla and I offered to run home and fetch Robert. He was duly rechristened by Isla and his new name can lead to some strange comments ("Look, Mummy, Baby Jesus has a ...") Fill in the blank. He is an anatomically correct male doll.

Proud Mum.

Actually the parenting offered by my offspring to theirs has been delightful; the care and initiative often surprising me and Ken. For example, Isla asked me to feed Annabel and promptly placed her in the appropriate position on my chest, later when she wanted to take her babies for a walk and insisted they were carried in a sling each. Walking through a woods with a Tiny Tears Doll strapped to your chest is somewhat surreal but made Isla very happy. She also makes sure that her babies are fed by placing one of them in a small high chair next to her before a meal and sharing some of her food. Blue is very happy when this is subsequently spilled; Isla is not. Last night at bedtime when we were reading stories she sat Annabel on her knee and "read" (recited) a favourite book called "I Love My Daddy" to her pointing to the pictures and explaining each page. 
Last week whilst I was doing the laundry, Isla announced that she was taking Annabel for a walk. I didn't think much of it until I realised that Isla had gone out the front door and was standing on the pavement! She had even put a lead on Blue and taken him too. Thank God for quiet roads. 
Angus isn't quite so paternal with his puppies but this could be because nobody else has ever seen them, so they are easy to miss. He has been known to lose a puppy but as the puppies are quite noisy when they are around, he quickly finds it again. Actually a lot of his parenting seems to involve making noise. He does ensure they have quite exciting adventures, though, and in the best traditions of his own father, Brown Dog is a very hands on Dad. Great role modelling for Angus - no chauvinistic men allowed in this house, whether adult, child or fluffy toy.

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