I am very keen that Maia starts to learn another European language early - probably French or Spanish. So imagine my delight when she came home from the Funny Farm and started to sing Frère Jacque.
I was imagining summers in Paris, visiting her while she was en vacances from her diplôme at the Sorbonne when I tuned back into the song.
Frère Jacque,
Frère Jacque,
Dorme vous?
Dorme vous?
Jammy semolina,
Jammy semolina,
Din Dan Don,
Din Dan Don.
Hmmm. Aucun problème, nous avons assez de temps.*
*with thanks to BabelFish
Tuesday, November 30, 2004
Sunday, November 28, 2004
A Trip to London Zoo, After Which a Lion Was Renamed.
Sunday afternoon was a bit rainy, a bit overcast and rather cold. All in all, a very British November day. A day for sitting under a duvet and supping hot chocolate. Or a day to troop about London Zoo, trying to spot the few animals daft enough to be out in the cold and wet. Zoo it was!
Part of the reason for the trip to the Zoo was to tie in with a rather special present, brought all the way from Washington DC for Maia. Dr Kris and her mum Kathy had found a Lion. Not just any Lion, but a thoroughly resplendent feline, all tufty caramel fur topped with a rather 1970s ginger mane. For some reason, prior to his introduction to Maia, Dr Kris and Chris had decided that Bartholemew was, in fact, gay. So, on this rainy Sunday, outside London Zoo, Maia was introduced to Bartholemew The Gay Lion*.
As soon as she saw him, Maia was smitten. A huge cuddle, followed by much affectionate face squeezing cemented the friendship. This was one very loved Lion. However, she struggled somewhat with the name.
Our zoo tour took in the giraffes ("One, two, three!"), some red bush pigs and piglets ("Babe!") monkeys, capuchins, a skunk, a Lesser Spotted Shrew ("That is a mouse"), a sloth ("We should leave him alone. He is tired"), some mangrove fish in mud ("This is not my favourite")... In fact the phrases "This is not my favourite" and "We should leave him alone" came up rather alot. If this makes it sound as though she didn't have a good day, it is not meant to - she really did. She just appreciated the animals, then decided it was time to move on to the next ones.
Dr Kris and Chris decided that a spotty cat called a servin was their favourite, while I went for the giraffes. I think Maia decided that her favourite was the elephant. Odd, given that we didn't see any elephants, but if she wants the elephant as her favourite, then she can have it...
Throughout the day, BTGL (forgive me, but Bartholemew The Gay Lion takes SO LONG to type!) was perched in the puchchair wearing various coats cast off by Maia and, later, Maia's Princess Rabbit tiara.
We rode on a roundabout, stopped for milk and cookies (Maia spent most of the time flirting with Chris and eating the majority of his crisps), coloured in a paper butterfly or two, bought a Nemo balloon and were almost the last to leave.
Maia kissed Dr Kris and Chris goodbye, was helped into her carseat, grabbed BTGL and promptly fell asleep.
When she woke up, I asked her what her lion was called. She replied "Barf-on-you". And so he is duly renamed.
A great day.
*I would like to point out that we are, after all, equal opportunities stuffed toy owners. Some of our best friends are man-made fibre, not suitable for under 3s.
Part of the reason for the trip to the Zoo was to tie in with a rather special present, brought all the way from Washington DC for Maia. Dr Kris and her mum Kathy had found a Lion. Not just any Lion, but a thoroughly resplendent feline, all tufty caramel fur topped with a rather 1970s ginger mane. For some reason, prior to his introduction to Maia, Dr Kris and Chris had decided that Bartholemew was, in fact, gay. So, on this rainy Sunday, outside London Zoo, Maia was introduced to Bartholemew The Gay Lion*.
As soon as she saw him, Maia was smitten. A huge cuddle, followed by much affectionate face squeezing cemented the friendship. This was one very loved Lion. However, she struggled somewhat with the name.
Our zoo tour took in the giraffes ("One, two, three!"), some red bush pigs and piglets ("Babe!") monkeys, capuchins, a skunk, a Lesser Spotted Shrew ("That is a mouse"), a sloth ("We should leave him alone. He is tired"), some mangrove fish in mud ("This is not my favourite")... In fact the phrases "This is not my favourite" and "We should leave him alone" came up rather alot. If this makes it sound as though she didn't have a good day, it is not meant to - she really did. She just appreciated the animals, then decided it was time to move on to the next ones.
Dr Kris and Chris decided that a spotty cat called a servin was their favourite, while I went for the giraffes. I think Maia decided that her favourite was the elephant. Odd, given that we didn't see any elephants, but if she wants the elephant as her favourite, then she can have it...
Throughout the day, BTGL (forgive me, but Bartholemew The Gay Lion takes SO LONG to type!) was perched in the puchchair wearing various coats cast off by Maia and, later, Maia's Princess Rabbit tiara.
We rode on a roundabout, stopped for milk and cookies (Maia spent most of the time flirting with Chris and eating the majority of his crisps), coloured in a paper butterfly or two, bought a Nemo balloon and were almost the last to leave.
Maia kissed Dr Kris and Chris goodbye, was helped into her carseat, grabbed BTGL and promptly fell asleep.
When she woke up, I asked her what her lion was called. She replied "Barf-on-you". And so he is duly renamed.
A great day.
*I would like to point out that we are, after all, equal opportunities stuffed toy owners. Some of our best friends are man-made fibre, not suitable for under 3s.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
Adventures with Noonah and Alec - Princess Rabbit
The Parmiter's Craft Fair (Fayre?) has been a staple in the Mitchell/Mitchell-Packington/ Packington household for years. Each year, Mum goes along and returns (a little tipsy from the mulled wine) with some homemade cakes, a knick-knack or two and having seen all the people she used to teach with.
This year, Alec, Sarah (his fabulous gf) and Maia accompanied Mum on her trip.
Maia took to the mulled wine and mince pie stall with gusto, demolishing a mince pie in record time. She didn't seem to notice that her mulled wine was suspiciously water-like, or if she did, she didn't mind.
Wandering around the various stalls brought out the magpie in her, as she went for every shiny, silvery, sparkly thing that caught her eye.
Next, she spotted the face painting stall. Enthralled, she demanded to have her face painted. Did she want a flower? No. Did she want to be a tiger? No. She wanted to be a rabbit.
"A rabbit? Are you sure? Ok then..."
So, very patiently, she sat still until the transformation was complete.
Later on, her magpie eyes spotted a fabulously shiny, silvery and sparkly tiara. For only 10p she was transformed into Princess Rabbit, and would answer to nothing else all day.
This year, Alec, Sarah (his fabulous gf) and Maia accompanied Mum on her trip.
Maia took to the mulled wine and mince pie stall with gusto, demolishing a mince pie in record time. She didn't seem to notice that her mulled wine was suspiciously water-like, or if she did, she didn't mind.
Wandering around the various stalls brought out the magpie in her, as she went for every shiny, silvery, sparkly thing that caught her eye.
Next, she spotted the face painting stall. Enthralled, she demanded to have her face painted. Did she want a flower? No. Did she want to be a tiger? No. She wanted to be a rabbit.
"A rabbit? Are you sure? Ok then..."
So, very patiently, she sat still until the transformation was complete.
Later on, her magpie eyes spotted a fabulously shiny, silvery and sparkly tiara. For only 10p she was transformed into Princess Rabbit, and would answer to nothing else all day.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Maia Makes Sandcakes
While Mum was away in Portugal, I was making dinner for Maia and myself. Stupidly, I had decided to make something that required full attention was paid so that it didn't burn/go gungey.
So I set Maia up with a tape player (playing Mog, of course) and got on with making dinner. Maia soon tired of Mog and pottered about, keeping herself amused. She had been quiet for about 2-3 minutes when I got suspicious.
"Maia darling, whatcha doing?"
"Playing with sand"
"sand?"
I went thorugh to the room by the kitchen (passing an open kitchen cabinet on the way) to find Maia, the floor and a cat or two covered in flour.
Well, we have now discovered that flour doesn't make good sandcastles, but it makes a great mess!
So I set Maia up with a tape player (playing Mog, of course) and got on with making dinner. Maia soon tired of Mog and pottered about, keeping herself amused. She had been quiet for about 2-3 minutes when I got suspicious.
"Maia darling, whatcha doing?"
"Playing with sand"
"sand?"
I went thorugh to the room by the kitchen (passing an open kitchen cabinet on the way) to find Maia, the floor and a cat or two covered in flour.
Well, we have now discovered that flour doesn't make good sandcastles, but it makes a great mess!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
