Encounters with friends and neighbours

We've had a few friends come to visit in the past week or so. First, a friend of Lady's, whom she met at gymnastics stayed over for 2 nights. The 2 girls stayed up really late on Friday night, chatting and giggling then both had collapsed in a heap by 7pm the following evening. Thomas did his ju-jitsu grading (he's on the orange belt now!) despite Lady and her pal going off for a walk before we needed to get out to the sport's centre and sauntering back home 20 minutes after we should have left. I was one angry mummy as we eventually got on our way. She's a good hearted girl, the very best, but phew can she make me mad with her day-dreaming forgetfulness. In fact, she reminds me of myself at her age, same desire to wander off on explorative walks, poking at holes by tree roots, collecting leaf and flower samples, and best of all, looking for wriggly things in ponds. Lady had landed back with a jar full of frog spawn that I then had to get a tank for. Kids eh.

Our next visitors were some good friends who live close by and who also are learning without school. Lady and Thomas enjoyed their company greatly. Duncan wasn't much interested most of the time, but he did get them to join him as he played out the scene from Snow White where the 7 slovenly dwarves return from work and are surprised to see a pretty girl has opted to cook and clean for them all. Patriarchy, bah!

As so often these days, Duncan requested that I film their escapades. He often edits bits from these films (at least those involving just my own brood, other people's children are safe) cut with Disney film pictures. He's got loads of them on YouTube now. One of his Robin Hood series had the following great slide:

Robin Hood
The Speicel A Dishon

I'm sure you can decipher his invented spelling.

Another family were round later for a few hours. These people live just up the road and one of the 3 children is autistic. I got to meet him briefly once as he's been at school where he stays for 3 (or 4?) nights each week when his mum and siblings were around. I hope he can visit properly soon, but I'll have to do something about Pippi as he's really scared of dogs. His mum is lovely and we got along really well. She shared my outrage over the autism manure book and the father writing that he'd prefer his kids had cancer, not autism.

Here are a few videos I took a couple of days ago showing Duncan's self devised Pinocchio outfit. Unfortunately this costume did involve the mutilation of a few innocent tops to achieve the correct layering effects. But the clothes involved were very cheap and just about too small for him anyway. I've asked that he gets my permission before cutting his clothes up in future. Anyway, it's my pleasure to introduce, Pinocchio, the dancing puppet and his pet dog Pippi.





As I was writing, he told me to out his Rugrats picture "on the blog," said with such a proprietary air. I aim to please:

Lady's gymnastics friend's mum kindly took her out with them to watch her first ever ice hockey match which starred the Belfast Giants. She arrived home elated, with a signed photo of some handsome, burly hockey player and painted stripes on her face. I'm not even sure if her team won, but they all certainly had a great time. She says that I have to take Thomas to the next match as he'd love it. She's been staying with the same family at their mobile home in Donegal since Saturday. I hope they aren't getting sick of her! She's called home twice to say what a great time she's having. No doubt there'll be further details on her own blog presently.

Gordon's Mum offered to babysit the boys on Saturday night. Not surprisingly we jumped at the chance to get out together and headed out for a really nice meal. It was kind of a special evening.

This morning Thomas wasn't feeling the best and though I'd hoped to take them to W5 to meet up with friends, after Thomas forcibly expelled his stomach contents orally all over the dining room floor, I decided that we'd be better to stay put. So I cleaned up and when he was settled again, I read him a few more chapters of Harry Potter 3. Later he declared that he was feeling a bit better but, "I'm not 100% yet, more like 50% so I've 50 still to go." How do you know when you're raising a nerd?

I must end and tidy. Gordon heads off for the rest of the week for meetings and lectures here there and wherever. No doubt, the fun and games will continue without him.