The Elephant of Truth

My youngest daughter, Amy, is four years old and loves to insert sayings and phrases she hears into her everyday conversations. Today she heard me mention to her dad that there was an 'element of truth' in what someone was saying.

Later she ended a conversation with myself by saying. 'There's an Elephant of Truth in the room.'

He must have been very small. I couldn't see him.

Dear Second Born,

Dear Second Born,

Unfortunately I was not blessed with eyeballs up my nostrils. So please, when you're excitedly showing me the sticker/toy/dead fly you have found, kindly refrain from jamming it up my nose.

I currently do not speak 'whingese' and Muzzy has yet to add it to their repertoire. Any requests made in a high pitched whiny tone will be ignored until you speak in a manner I can understand. Throwing yourself on the floor and or sliding off the furniture does not get your point across any better.

People come in many different shapes and sizes. The more rotund, myself included, dislike being referred to as, 'that FAT, LARGE or ROUND LIKE A BALL lady over there.' Also, enquiries as to why the lady in front of us at the supermarket has a big bottom are generally not well received.

It is lovely when you decide to enlighten me as to what you did at Nursery school that afternoon but please, please do not point kids out in the playground to lament about how they do not share or hit, push and or 'do your head in'. Especially when their parent or grandparent is present.

Sometimes it is just nicer not to say things.

Your ever loving mummy xxxx

Writing Workshop - Time

For this week's Writing Workshop, I decided to write a poem for the theme Time.

The inspiration behind this poem is the loss of my grandfather three years ago and the fact that, to me time is very much like a cat, in the way that is does as it pleases. This is the first piece I have written about personal experience as I usually write 'disconnected' fiction and fan fiction.

Enjoy and again any comments that can help me develop my writing are always gratefully received.


Time

Time is a crying creature, crouching poised to fight
Sliding through the shadows and dancing in the light
Time is here to hunt us, trapped in her claws so tight

Time is a slender creature, stretching in a gentle sway
Stalking through the darkness and pacing out her prey
Suddenly silently, snatching precious ones away

Time is a cordial creature, kindly soothing tears
Warming up the memories and purring in your ears
Gliding through the twilight, chasing all your fears

Time is an aging creature, slowing in her gait
Greying at the corners and bidding us to wait
Reminding us so sweetly, we can't escape our fate

Wordless Wednesday - Waiting

Ana

Foam....

Odd things you find in a home with small children.

The other main food group.

What is it with children and eating foam, seriously? Does it taste good? Is it the interesting texture or something subconscious to replace an element lacking in their diet? Who knows.

All I know is the foam eating stage of childhood is currently under going a revival in my home.

Someone and I have my suspicions who, has currently chomped their way through the handle of the toddler trampoline, the padding on the net supports of the large trampoline and the scooter handlebars.

Odd, very odd indeed.

Quite why...

Mr Lightyear is compelled to end it all and quite why he feels the only course of action available is to offer himself up as the dog's dinner, eludes me.

(odd things you find in a home with small children)

New Beginnings

It is a time for new beginnings, to cast of the old and welcome in the shiny new.

As we leave spring behind and hopefully amble into a glorious summer, I thought I would share two families that have decided to call our house and garden home.

Mrs Blue Tit

First is Mr and Mrs Blue Tit, who decided to take up residence in a hole that used to house the overflow pipe for the upstairs toilet. Ana and Amy have enjoyed watching Mr and Mrs Tit's comings and goings and during the periods where they could actually stand still and quiet for longer then two seconds, they were able to hear the chicks calling in the nest.

Between them Mr and Mrs Tit raised two clutches of baby Tits. All of which have left the nest to start their new lives out in the big wide world. We're a little sad to see them go, early morning toilet visits now seem so quiet without the chittering of chicks.

Mrs Wood Pigeon

Next is Mr and Mrs Wood Pigeon, who have decided to build a nest in the small tree that grows in our back garden. Their nest is a recent discovery made by Ana. We didn't have pigeons nesting there in the previous two years, so we suspect that Mr and Mrs Wood Pigeon are first time parents.

Mrs Wood Pigeon is currently incubating her clutch of two eggs and will do so for the next 17 - 19 days. Mr Pigeon is a frequent visitor, bringing her food, offering company and the latest wood pigeon gossip to keep her morale up. Sitting in a tree all day must be terribly boring.

After hatching the chicks should fledge in 33 - 35 days.

Then starts the near impossible task of keeping the cats out of the garden.

Writing Workshop - Wanton Destruction and Chaos

This is my first attempt at The Sleep Is For The Weak Writing Workshop after the advice of a my friend Nickie from Typecast I decided to submit a recently written poem. As ever I am trying to develop my writing skills, so any feed back with be most appreciated.

Blood.

Blood, that of my own or my enemies
It doesn't matter, it runs as one

Clothed in thunderous rage, warm slithers trickle
Caressing my body, drenching my soul
It whispers softly to me, feeding my aggression
Cleansing, soothing, the pain runs with it
Thick and black against the ebbing darkness of my mind

The dull metallic scent sears my senses
Wounding, piercing, bitter as bile
The blistering steel hisses, shrieking a perverse lullaby
It sings sweetly to me, drudging fetid flesh from broken bone
I can no longer hear their demented voices, drowning in boiling crimson seas

Adrenalin throbs, quickening
Tightening to blessed bursting relief
Death rises on hollow wings to greet me
Drawing the dark edges closer, following my fevered footsteps
With salivating jaws it calls gently to me, I no longer hear a sound
Save the guttered gurgle of those lain before me

The things that Amy says

I was discussing the weather with Amy when I asked her why she was wearing a long sleeved top today, fully expecting the answer to be, because it's chilly outside. 'So I can wipe my nose?' asked Amy

Talking about lightening during a storm. 'I don't want the lightening to come in through the window and poke me with it's sharp jabby bit.'

We need to fly my kite somewhere where there aren't trees, like outer space!

A Trip to Ray Mill Island

Here are some photos of our outing to Ray Mill Island in Maidenhead. The Island is situated just behind Boulter's Lock and is great for feeding ducks, picnics and visiting the birds and Guinea Pigs house in the island aviaries

Maiden and Swans

Cockatiels at the aviaries

Cockatiels at the aviaries

Ana, Amy and Daddy walking

The Companions - dedicated to four boys who lost their lives on a school skiing trip with Altwood CE School in April 1988

The Companions Plague

Boulter's Weir at the top of the island - Boulter means miller, there was a flour mill owned by the Ray familyon the island. The mill was constructed in 1726 on the site of a previous mill, and continued to produce flour until the 1920s.

Ana and Amy posing at Boulter's Weir. I was having kittens about them falling into the water at this point.

Canadian Goose on Ray Mill Stream

A male Mallard duck on Ray Mill Stream

A friendly stranger that came to say hello to us. Possibly a Burmese or Burmese cross

Amy being a pixie on a toadstool

The Vivienne Mary coming into Boulter's Lock

A poem set into the bank of the River Thames

It was a lovely sunny Autumn day and we really enjoyed ourselves. Close by is Also the Jubilee River which I thoroughly recommend for a beautiful walk!

Remember them.....

so that they can live on

11th September 2001

My first hair cut in over 10 years!

The last time I had my hair cut was when my eldest daughter (11 years) was 2 weeks old and I was 18!

Today I finally bit the bullet as it where and had it done.

So I have gone from hair that was to my bum to hair just below the shoulder. I think I was a bit of a novelty at the hairdressers as I was asked lots of questions about how I managed to wash/brush my hair and why I hadn't had it cut in over ten years (never got round to it).

I had to stand up for most of the cutting to save the poor stylist's back.

They even had trouble washing my hair as it filled the sink My head feels a lot light and I am really happy with my new managable cut. I even have a new found confidence because my hair looks nice (not like a bird's nest or matted dog hair, I was beginning to look like what you pull out of the bath plughole)

An added bonus, no more kittens swinging from my hair!

To whom it may concern

Could you please stop wiping the toothpaste from your mouth on my clean bath towels? You know who you are!

Thank you.

We've been to the library!

Until recently I had always avoided the library. I had been a few times during the course of my life, but thought it a dark, musky and above all a boring place.

Running out of ideas for what to do with the girls over the summer holidays today I decided it was about time that we all joined our local library. So off we went and 10 minutes later we were all proud owners of our very own library cards and a new perspective.

The library has changed much in those fleeting visits during my youth. Gone is the dark, musty boring atmosphere, replaced by play tables, small child friendly seats. Cuddly vibrant coloured animal cushions to sit on. Shelves made into rideable cars, trains and penguins.

Initially I was worried about taking the girls to a place where you're supposed to be quiet. As lets face it quiet is something that doesn't come naturally to my children, but they managed to impress me with their hushed whispered tones as well as their good behaviour.

We came away armed with some new bedtime reading materiel and a new found love for our local library!