Almost daily diary!

Sunday, May 25, 2014

No dead dog jokes!

Ahhhh... it's the holidays again, no alarm clocks for a week and kids lying about in bed all day! Bliss, as long as I can go out a do my own thing for a bit - which, I have to say, they don't seem to mind.

So today was the holiday trip to Cheltenham to see Mum. She likes us to see us all together at least once in the holiday. And it was important to go this weekend as, very sadly, she had to make the decision to put her lovely Golden Retrieved down a few days ago. The poor thing was very old and had started to become quite ill. Mum is devastated, we can never prepare it seems, even though we know that the inevitable is near.

So, before getting in the car today I had a quick word with Small Sprog: he's quite often in his own little world and I was worried that, although I'd told him the dog was dead, that he would just breeze in through the door and ask where she was, without thinking. "Small Sprog" I said "Don't forget the dog is dead"
"I remember" he replies with a wry smile.

With Mum today we listen a lot. She has sorted through photos of the dog and wants to get a nice one framed. I help her take some digital ones off the computer so they can take them somewhere to be printed. She mentions the dog in most conversations, she is grieving. And Small Sprog manages admirably to say nothing dodgy at all.

By 8pm we are all back in the car and as I pull out of the cul-de-sac that they live in Small Sprog chirps up from the back seat "Mum, how did we do on the dead dog jokes?"! I exploded into laughter! Timing is everything and that boy certainly has it all...

Meanwhile on the motorway Tall Girl says "Oh! I thought I saw a deer but it was just a horse with a tree behind it" - Now she definitely is on a different planet- its just the way we roll...

14 comments:

Steve said...

Sympathies to your mum. Pets become such a major part of our lives and they leave a huge hole behind them when they go.

Gorilla Bananas said...

If I were wildlife photographer, I would now spend months looking looking for a horse with a tree behind it that looked like a deer. Good thing I'm not one!

Did your mother ever use the term "Cheltenham Average" before it got shortened to "chav"?

Suburbia said...

Gorilla Bananas, it's not very often that I wake up and read something that makes me laugh out loud!!! Thank you- always wondered where the word came from :-D

Suburbia said...

Thanks Steve

Rose said...

So sorry for your mother's loss. I cried all day when we had to put our last dog to sleep even though I knew it was definitely the best thing for him. I'm sure she appreciated having you and the grandchildren there to comfort her.

Looking for Blue Sky said...

So sorry about your Mum's Golden Retriever, glad you were able to provide comfort x

Liz Hinds said...

well done to SS on his restraint! An who hasn't mistaken a horse plus tree for a deer?

My sympathy to your mum. The pain is so very real.

Liz Hinds said...

Well done to SS for his restraint, and who hasn't mistaken a tree and horse for a deer?

Sympathy to your mum. The pain is so very real.

Suburbia said...

Yes it's difficult Rose- thank you

Suburbia said...

Thanks Blue Sky

Suburbia said...

I knew you'd understand Liz x

Kitty said...

I'm so sorry for your Mum's loss - and the sense of 'something missing' that you no doubt all feel. x

Maggie May said...

Trying to get my head around the deer/ horse with a tree around it remark.....?????? Still trying to puzzle that one out.
Sorry to hear about your Mum's retriever. It does cause real grief when a beloved pet dies. Been through that many times.
I still feel sad about my rabbits......
Maybe I should *get a life*!
Maggie x

Nuts in May

nick said...

Glad SS was on his best behaviour and managed to say all the right things! As several people have said, the loss of a pet can be surprisingly distressing. A horse with a tree behind it? I think I'll have what she's having lol.