Thursday, May 20

Global thinking

Occasionally (very rarely as those who know me will attest), I am completely lost for words and this afternoon was a great example.

On our way to an afternoon without Bouncy treat, Lapin suddenly stops humming along to Radio 2 (I'm one of their younger listeners obviously) and says:

"Mummy, if the world is round like a globe, why does everybody on it think they are standing the right way up?"

I'm totally flummoxed.

Has anyone any ideas how to explain that to a small? Frankly, I don't really understand it myself.

Tuesday, May 18

Satisfaction

Is there anything more pleasing than getting rid of a load of rubbish with a great big inferno? The Christmas tree has proved even more spectacular as it goes on its way to another world and all that boring paperwork looks really quite lovely as it glows fiercely red.

I'm off to bed, stinking of wood smoke but serenely calm..ish.

Saturday, May 15

Honest to a fault

Three six year olds and a four year old appear beside me, pushing one to the front. She speaks quickly and nervously, knowing that it is a Big Deal and they are all desperate for me to agree.

"Mummy, can we go and play in the woods?"

Our garden has a small back gate, which leads into a beautiful woodland, currently especially lovely with bluebells nodding their heads as far as the eye can see. Going into the woods means a little bit of freedom, a step out of my eyeline and into the great beyond. To be honest, I'm a little tentative; two of the four are not mine and the loco parentis responsibility weighs heavy on my mind but they are a sensible bunch and unlikely to run amok. Sensing my indecision she says

"We'll only go as far as the log"

The log is a mere fifteen feet into the wilderness, a great leap for smalls but not s distance to frighten a parent so I agree, setting a few rules.

1) You all stay together
2) You don't go off with anybody else without coming to ask me first
3) You stay behind the log

They rush delightedly out of the door, all four squeezing through the gap together and bounding like lambs across the lawn on their way. There is a loud silence in their wake and I bend my head to work again.

After a while the smallest returns for a wee, skidding round the corner in his anxiety to get back to the action. I ask him if they are all behaving.

"Yes"

"Are you all staying together?"

"Yes"

"Are you all staying this side of the log?"

"Yes"

There is a small pause whilst he looks at me and experience tells me to wait, there is something else to say. He puts his head on one side and says

"...but we have moved the log"

Thursday, May 6

Elections

Following the sad demise of President Umaru Yar'Adua his deputy, a man who has the fabulous name of Goodluck Jonathan, has been sworn in as his replacement.

Is it just me, or does that sound much more exciting than Brown, Cameron and Clegg?