My kids talk all the time. Real little chatterboxes. Both of them started talking young, and haven't stopped since. Some of it's informative, some of it's forgettable, some of it's interesting, some of it's just plain irritating... but they do come out with some stuff that makes me think "I must remember that" and this is the perfect place to do just that.
On the way to rugby on a sunny Sunday morning in October, as we drove past the church, the bells were ringing and Sam wanted to know why. Steve explained that it was calling people to a church service. Tom's explanation was much less prosaic "the church is singing".
Waiting to pick Sam up from school one day. The class came tumbling out, and soon Sam came bobbling over to me, all arms, legs and floppy hair "Mummy looks old school" he announced. Eh? "What do you mean, I look old school?" The most ignominious reply came "You know, old, from your time".
A large bar of chocolate bought for a friend to thank her for looking after Tom, for longer than we had anticipated her having to be there. Tom spies the chocolate and asks for some "no, it's for Claire" "why is it for Claire?" "to thank her for looking after you the other day". A pause, as he sits, gazing at the chocolate all strokey beard. And then his face lights up "but I looked after me for a little bit so I should get some chocolate as well!"
Sunday, 16 October 2011
A very happy unbirthday to you
It all happened rather suddenly. One moment I was talking to my Mom about how wonderful it would be to see her, and how life is too short to spend all your money on your house, and the next thing her flight was booked. Mom's flight landed in Newcastle on Thursday and she was very quickly swept straight up into the hurry scurry of our daily life. The boys were very excited and talked about Mama's arrival incessantly in the days leading up to it... and also speculated at length as to whether or not she would be bringing some South African sweeties for them! Which she did - loads for them, and most importantly, loads for me!!!
On Saturday morning Tom and I were reading a book which ended in a sumptuous birthday tea and we looked at the fantastic illustartions and talked about the sausages, the cake, the jellies... Tom asked if we could have a birthday tea. I told him it wasn't anybody's birthday and he said maybe it was Mama's birthday? I told him that it wasn't and that sadly we were unlikely to ever be with Mama on her birthday. He said that that was sad and in that case we should definitely have a birthday tea for her! Very cunning at achieving his objective my little lad is!
We made jelly in fancy little cups, made a cake that we decorated with jelly tots from South Africa, we blew up balloons and cooked sausages. Mama was very pleased with her unbirthday party and we all tucked into cake with gusto.
On Saturday morning Tom and I were reading a book which ended in a sumptuous birthday tea and we looked at the fantastic illustartions and talked about the sausages, the cake, the jellies... Tom asked if we could have a birthday tea. I told him it wasn't anybody's birthday and he said maybe it was Mama's birthday? I told him that it wasn't and that sadly we were unlikely to ever be with Mama on her birthday. He said that that was sad and in that case we should definitely have a birthday tea for her! Very cunning at achieving his objective my little lad is!
We made jelly in fancy little cups, made a cake that we decorated with jelly tots from South Africa, we blew up balloons and cooked sausages. Mama was very pleased with her unbirthday party and we all tucked into cake with gusto.
Sunday, 2 October 2011
Summertime and the living is easy
Well, not exactly easy, but man! Doesn't everything feel that little bit better when the sun shines and it's warm? We have had the most unbelievable weather this week, I am sure that it is the best weather we have had in all our seven and a half years in Whitley Bay. The breeze on the beach was actually balmy - magnificently, satisfyingly, thrillingly balmy! Tom and I had a picnic in the park everyday of the school week, before he went in to nursery.
Yesterday the boys and I had an epic bike ride along our beautiful coast line. Well Sam and I cycled, Tom sat at his ease in the bike seat! We went along and met some friends at the park near school and Sam wanted his friend Mark to come with us, and then Mark's sister Kirsty didn't want to be left out, so she would come along and then their dad said he would come along as well, so our party of three swelled to to 6 and off we set. I really do love being out on the bike, I'm not even that bothered if it's cold (but NOT raining), and it lifts my spirit. Always having Tom on the front mounted bike seat means that I usually end up singing - some daft song or the other! We motored along until we got to Cullercoats Bay and then had a lovely stopover there. We paddled, dug holes and built sandcastles but the highlight of the beach leg of our tour, was a hectic session of bulldog on the crowded beach -loads of fun, our kids and all the waifs and strays who got drawn in, loved it (I did too). We set off for the next stop, a park in Tynemouth, and had 30 minutes of swings, slides, see saws, rugby and obstacle challenges there, before setting off for our last stop - an ice cream in Tynemouth. Yum. Happy children. Although the smiles did slip a bit when they realised it was already 6pm and they still had to cycle home...
They slept like logs Saturday night though, didn't wake up till after 8am which always makes for a happy mummy! It did mean a bit of a rushed start to the day as Sam had the first rugby match of the season for Percy Park. Steve started coaching the under 6 & 7's at the start of the season as that was where it was assumed that Sam would be. We found out 3 weeks after training started that he was supposed to be in the under 8's, but that they didn't need anymore coaches, so Steve would stay on with the younger ones - needless to say Sam was unhappy. He didn't want to go without a parent involved or on the sidelines, and sobbed and sobbed as though his heart would break. He was eventually coerced into going and trying it out, as long as I promised that going forward I would come and watch every game and every practice, so that is how Tom and I came to be accompanying the boys to rugby.
It was enjoyable to watch my little boy tearing about the pitch, (2 tries, 1 double tag, last man standing in bulldog) but it was also hard work trying to keep Tom occupied on the sidelines - and not running out and causing havoc amongst the teams! I am also somewhat dubious about doing this every Sunday - going forward into the depths of Winter! But we shall see what unfolds... it is hard to even think about winter after the glorious last burst of summer we have been lucky enough to experience.
And we spent some time on the beach, constructing elaborate cities, digging a hole as deep as Tom is tall (well... nearly) and Tom didn't let the still icy temperature of the sea stop him from messing about in the water.
They slept like logs Saturday night though, didn't wake up till after 8am which always makes for a happy mummy! It did mean a bit of a rushed start to the day as Sam had the first rugby match of the season for Percy Park. Steve started coaching the under 6 & 7's at the start of the season as that was where it was assumed that Sam would be. We found out 3 weeks after training started that he was supposed to be in the under 8's, but that they didn't need anymore coaches, so Steve would stay on with the younger ones - needless to say Sam was unhappy. He didn't want to go without a parent involved or on the sidelines, and sobbed and sobbed as though his heart would break. He was eventually coerced into going and trying it out, as long as I promised that going forward I would come and watch every game and every practice, so that is how Tom and I came to be accompanying the boys to rugby.
It was enjoyable to watch my little boy tearing about the pitch, (2 tries, 1 double tag, last man standing in bulldog) but it was also hard work trying to keep Tom occupied on the sidelines - and not running out and causing havoc amongst the teams! I am also somewhat dubious about doing this every Sunday - going forward into the depths of Winter! But we shall see what unfolds... it is hard to even think about winter after the glorious last burst of summer we have been lucky enough to experience.
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