The lump on the puppy's head turned out to be an abscess.

One trip to the vets, five minutes squealing while mr vet squeezed all the gunk out, a quick injection and we're all back to normal and home again with a very hungry boy.

Worry over...

So here's the state of play - it's one week to Allison's sixth birthday, she goes back to school the day after that, Bethan may or may not be going back to nursery fulltime two days later and then on the Saturday, we're all off on our holidays.

Or we might all be off on our holidays.

Y'see, the puppies need looking after.

My parents can't have them as they're around 60 years old and full to the brim with their own concerns, her parents live too far away and it would cost us something like thirty quid in petrol to be sure they'd pop in every day, there's only one friend we trust to house-sit for us and we haven't heard off him for a week or more, so things are precariously up in the air. I haven't even started packing yet.

If the worst comes to the worst, Charlie will be staying at home while I take the two girls away for the week. Won't be much of a holiday for me or Charlie, but at least we'll have had a break.

On the plus side, my Gout's clearing up and we've bought some nice new sexy bedwear. Photos will not be forthcoming, I'm afraid - this stuff doesn't cover enough to make for public consumption...