Silent Sunday

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Still Harping on Daughters

For the Gallery this week it is all about the women in our lives. My Mum is an institution, (she is an inspiration as well) I could write and write about how proud she makes me and how much she does for other people. My friends are old and new are great but the girls I love the most are my girls.

I always knew I would have girls. I wasn't someone who was super maternal but I just had no concept of boys. I do have a brother but it never occurred to me I would have girls.

I agreed with my husband with our first child that if it was a boy he would choose the name, and if it was a girl I would choose. In the end we both decided on the name together (but I knew I was on safe ground).

I 'get', my girls, I know what they are doing when they are not listening, I used to do it, day dreaming my time away. Thinking of stories.

I see them be indecisive about clothes but fiercely independent if I intervene.

I see my husbands frustration when they can't decide what to wear, or when we go shopping and they want to look at everything.

They are my little women.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing them just talking to each other and not falling out over stuff.

There is four years between them and I worried that they wouldn't be close, but they are.

They are similar and very different, they make me laugh when my humour has gone.

I don't know what will happen when they are teenagers, when they become woman, but I hope they are as sweet natured, optimistic and loving as they are now, and that the big bad world does not take this away.

Why I don't like Disneyland

Am I weird? OK all those who know me don't answer that.

Am I the only person in the world who doesn't like the corporate giant that is Disney?

I have just got back from Euro Disney; I went with a grumble in my heart, comfortable shoes and tales of very expensive food. They were not kidding about the food. A meal for 2 adults and 2 children cost a hundred pounds a pop! This is extortion. They have you captured in this strange little world and there is no way out. Talk about feeling trapped!

I tried to have an open mind but queuing for everything really annoys me at the best of times, but when I have paid a fortune for the privilege of being there.... and then there is the piped music, ugh, ugh, ugh...I mean, really? I wouldn't mind if was varied but no, the same songs over and over again.


Then there are the shops. So many shops. You have to walk about half a mile through shops before you even see a ride, and then my 3 and 6 year old really only had a choice of about 8 rides that they could go on.

In true grumpy old woman style; I was disgusted and appalled.

Everybody said to me but, ah..the children you will see their little faces light up etc etc... I have seen my 6 year olds face light up more when she has discovered a snail in the garden. In fact when I asked her what she thought at the end of the holiday, her response was 'it was alright'. I tried to get her to elaborate, and she did like the Peter Pan Ride 'because you could see lots of shadows in the town'.

We were there for Halloween and were really looking forward to the parade, but even that caught my daughter off guard and scared her (I think it was the dancing Nightmare before Christmas fella), so she wouldn't watch that anymore.

I have just asked her again, if she thought it was magical there, and she said 'Yes, because I saw fairy dust on the floor and Tinkerbell'. The trouble is I know that’s down to her own imagination and has absolutely nothing to do with Disney.

Then there was the Hotel. We stayed in the Disney Hotel, it smelt odd...artificial, like air freshener or shake 'n vac. The TV in the room had no volume control, so we couldn't watch it quietly when the kids went to sleep, and there were no coffee and tea making things in the room. I paid a FORTUNE to stay in this hotel and no coffee in my room! The good things about the hotel where; the staff, they were lovely and really helpful, the breakfast was great, and the magic hour, where we got to go into the park an hour before everybody else.


Why did I go in the first place, it's a long story but I made my eldest daughter a promise. Do I regret going? No, I think I had to experience it for myself, and I really enjoyed all the time with my family, but in terms of value for money against magical memorable moments like they promise in the adverts ... hmmm not really.


Finally, and what highlighted the scary commercialism of it all, we left on the 1st November and saw Disneyland changed from Halloween to Christmas, overnight.

My 1st X-Ray

The Injured party - above - fully aware she was having her picture taken.

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Today, after realising that my daughter may not be making a big deal of her arm injury, just to get attention. I gave in.

So on a beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon, I spent two and a half hours in A & E. Not just with daughter No.1. but with daughter No.2 as well.

So how do nearly 7 and nearly 3 entertaining themselves in A & E

I think the highlight for No.2 daughter's (just for the record, No.2 only in order of when she joined us, not in order of importance - as we love them both equally - obviously) visit to A& E was crawling across three cast iron chairs, jumping off the end and shouting Taa Daa!!



Loudly.



Apparently Taa Daa is impossible to whisper.

She told me.

(and I truly did try...there were really sick people there).

Highlight for No.1 daughter; the X-Ray...literally afterwards shouting joyously to anyone who would listen (again, the really sick people) " I have had my 1st X-ray" clearly a right of passage.

Note to self: must spend more time with daughters on the art of quiet conversation.

And was, I hear you ask, this a valid trip or a desperate plea for attention? Has she got a fracture?





Well kinda...





If she has, which the doctor implied she had, it is very small and only recognisable because of an additional fat deposit and contusion (???). She isn't in plaster, but is medicated with Calpol and Nurofen. She is in a sling, and we do have to go to the fracture clinic on Monday. So yes, it is valid (Thank the Lord. She isn't a total Drama queen...!)





One day I will explain how this all happened... but it is probably best not to right now as I am full of spit and venom.

All I will say is Wacky Warehouses - Children and Beer - in my view, a bad combination.

And finally an apology:




I would just like to say sorry to all the people visiting Solihull A & E between 1pm and just after 3pm - the Taa Daa girl who also may be recognised by her impression of a person with a broken leg was mine, sorry sorry sorry, I hope if you were feeling dreadful she and her older sister did not make it worse ...imparticularly the limping lady they jointly bumped into...again sorry.

Incoming

I am preparing for the arrival of my Mother-in-law, from Ireland. She is coming to look after my 6 year old for the last couple of weeks of the holiday. Which is really kind of her.

I really like my Mum-in-law but she sometimes have views that have surprised me, for example:

She visited the herbal remedies shop and asked the shop assistant if Evening Primrose Oil would make you fat!

Breastfeeding, why would you? They don't do that in Ireland.

Put a rusk in the milk, and just make the hole a bit bigger, and do this from birth!

Is your child waking up really early? Just keep them up till you go to go to bed, that will stop them.

There are some other opinions she has which I could tell you, but they may cause an angry mob outside.

Her views used to bother me, when I had just had my first daughter and didn't really know what I was doing. Now I realise that she means no harm by it and is just trying to help, I just occasionally have to bite my tongue. And, miraculously, I have two healthy bright girls who seemed to have survived without taking all of my Mum-in-laws advice. And a Nan who loves them very much.

My husband is in the doghouse though, he is away 'with the lads' for one of the weekends she is here (He does have incredibly valid reasons for this - best friend back form Australia after 9 years away..etc etc)So I may take her for Sunday lunch at my parents.


Maybe my Mum will tell my Mother-in-law her theory on Global Warming - It isn't really real and just something some of the scientist thought of...Apparently?