The rant of a Zombie
Feeling like a bit of a zombie today 'coz I sprang awake at 5am and couldn't get back to sleep.
This has been happening to me for awhile now and I really don't know why. I haven't been sleeping any earlier, but somehow I've been waking earlier and earlier and earlier, and it is so frustrating.
The good thing about being home, however, is that instead of waking up frustrated in an unfamiliar hotel environment, I wake up to familiar sounds and things that make me feel grateful to be alive.
Hubba's deep breathing and the silhouette of his peaceful face in the dark; Sally's snuggly fur somewhere between us... And this morning, Rosco heard me stirring and crawled up right up to my chest. I hugged him tight like a bolster, one leg wrapped over him and all. He put his head on my arm and heaved a heavy sigh.
More and more these days, I am so grateful to be home.... even if I am feeling a tad exhausted from the lack of sleep!
He knows
This is my boy, every single day.
He watches me get dressed, when all he wants to do is play.
Happy snoots
Been awhile since I put a coupla shots of the babies up....
want to go for a walk? hmm?
post-walk happies
Her name is Sally Boo
this little piggy
This post is all about Sally Boo.
When she was a puppy, she was named Sally Boo Skunk coz she had black ears and a black stripe down her back a la Pepe Le Pew. But as she blossomed the stripe disappeared and thus, so did that last bit.
I realize I'm always waxing lyrical about Rosco - He was, after all, our first. So it may seem sometimes that I don't love my little one as much as the boy, but the truth is that is simply not the case.
Read more under the cut.....
Overjoyed Pups
One of the best things about being away for the week is probably the reception I get when I finally get home.
As soon as I was picked up this morning, Hubba whisked me off to dinner and we spent a good hour or so sipping a glass of wine over dinner and just catching up. It was good :)
But the highlight was physically coming home to the apartment - The plan was to hide one flight down the stairs whilst Hubba went through the door. He would ask the dogs where Mummy was and knowing what he meant, they'd usually let out a bark in recognition and I would take my cue and enter.
But as soon as Hubba opened the door and Rosco saw the suitcase, he knew. He just knew. He ran out the door and followed my scent and I saw his face peering down at me from the top of the stairs. As soon as he spotted me, he got so excited and started making these sounds that I only hear from him when he's asking me where I've been. Anyone who knows Rosco will know he's got quite a low and stately bark, but when he makes these little noises, they are like little yelps that I've only heard when he was a young pup.
They are noises that make me feel special :)
Obviously Sally had spotted me by this time and proceeded to jump up at my face and snap at my nose, the way that only Sally does.
I played catch with Rosco around the house and he was so excited that he kept bounding around like a cartoon. Sally has been following me around like a shadow and she is now nestled in the crook of my arm fast asleep and so satisfied.
It is always so heartwarming coming home to my babies.
And while all this was going on, Hubba sat on the living room floor leaned against the sofa with a big, fat grin on his face.
I love being home :)
Sunny Sproglets
Wei & Sophie
Sometimes I wonder what sort of Mother I will be if and when I ever became one.
I'd like to think I'd be chilled out and just the way I am now, except with a little part of me running around. But what do I know right? Everyone says your life changes and you can never prepare for what will happen or how it will change. So best to just let life just take you there and see what happens.
A friend said that she thought I'd be a major fusspot, seeing how I already fuss over my dogs. Scarily, she might be right. Hubba is the chilled out one, always trusting that Rosco will come back and keep himself out of trouble whenever he's allowed to roam. I, on the other hand, am always anxious about where he's going and whether he's going to get kidnapped whilst he's at it. I can't help it! He's so precious to me. So is Sally, but like the girl that she is, she always stays close without me needing to say so.
A couple of weeks ago, we spent the day at the beach with the "kids". Having not been in town a lot, I just really wanted to spend some quality time with the pups and take them out to play in the sun. Rosco and Sally seem to love the beach the most, just because they both get to do things that they both love doing. Rosco swims like an otter and runs around crazy, while Sally snuggles in the soft sand and gets a tan. She seems to like the sun as much as I do.
We were joined by steads pals, Chetz, Chris, Ran, Mel and the Tans - with pooches Lola and Toro - as well as my ol' Malvernite form room mate, Wei, and her lovely family Steve and little Sophie. It was a really lovely afternoon of building sandcastles, playing frisbee and frosted beers, and everyone (including the pooches) was pooped by the end of the day. It felt like a mini holiday. Why don't we do this more often? I thought.
Well, I guess if we did, it wouldn't feel much like a holiday :)
More pictures after the jump.
Thoughts on Home
It has been a long week.
It never ceases to amaze me how I can never seem to settle into a hotel room even after a long enough period of time in it. Yes, I hang my clothes up and put my toiletries on the bathroom counter but that's about all I can manage. I am paranoid about using the drawers and leave everything on the surface otherwise, scattered haphazardly without thought. I can never turn the lights out fully when I go to bed and I never fall asleep in the big beds without a bit of white noise in the background (either the news on telly or some music). I place myself awkardly surrounded by pillows and when the alarm goes, my eyes spring awake like they were waiting to open.
It isn't the best sleep around and I'm sure my rituals are my downfall but I think something just reminds me that no matter how gorgeous the room is, it just isn't home.
Of course this completely changes when Hubba is around 'coz I guess it's true what they say, that home is where the heart is. I still "scatter" despite his presence though. Paranoid android.
So I get to go home tonight and I can't wait!
We'll be together again :)
* ickle in Chengdu *
Amazing shots by @Hanshoots
My little Sally Boo
My handsome Fella
Sal with Auntie Gracie
Auntie Meow
Rosco plays the licky game with HS
If you want to master the basics of Digital SLR photography, follow Hansel for tips here and check out his classes which come up from time to time. More of Hans' photography on his Flickr.
Door Waiting
There is one sight I behold every morning as I brush my teeth in the bathroom....
They sit and wait patiently
The little ones - They sit and wait. They know Hubba and I need to get our teeth cleaned and our faces washed before we can take them down for their morning walk. Sometimes if we dawdle, Rosco will let out a little subtle whine. It's adorable!
Cute close up after the jump!
Home, Sweet Home
It's been awhile since I was just alone at home with nothing to do.
Usually I'd have chores to sort out or errands to run and these would keep me preoccupied. It's probably one of the reasons why I hardly blog nowadays - And what with the advent of Twitter, I spend all my online time on that and not anything else. I have definitely noticed my online habits change in the past few years. I wonder if it's because we're getting older and our priorities are shifting. Do kids tweet too? Or are they still on blogs and MySpace? Time. Gadgets. Online habits. These things intrigue me, they do. Monitor further, I shall.
So I told myself I'd make it to E this morning for back strengthening purposes but since M pretty much killed me during Fightshape yesterday, I am at home and resting. I ought to be cleaning the house but truth be told, I am in so much discomfort that all I can think about is how I'd kill to have a bathtub right now for a warm soak. The past few weeks of training have been really good for my general well-being. I feel like I can concentrate for longer periods of time and I have a lot more energy for a lot of things. My back feels like it is brand new again and pretty much doesn't give me any problems - It's like the slipped disc never happened (touch wood). I am a lot more stable when I walk and I just feel very mobile in general. And it's all thanks to exercise - Bed rest... Pffffffffbt.
And I love being home with my pups. Here are a couple of recent shots of them :)
Curious Rosco
Flopping Togetherness
Time spent with Mummy
Days Gone By
Wandering Eye
