We Learn That Kite Flying In The Rain Is Not Fun

Following our No Wind Sunday, we decided to try and lift a kite yesterday afternoon. It was certainly windy enough, and only a little bit damp.

When we got to the park, a soft, misty rain stated coming down. We walked on, about 50 yards into the park, and the rain started coming down in earnest. Maia looked up at me, and it was fair to say her enthusiasm for the whole affair was somewhat muted.

We promptly scooped her up, and headed home.

Once there, armed with cups of hot milk and tea, we decided that Kite Flying In The Rain Is Not Fun. But being toasty warm, and watching CBeebies while it rained outside was. So we did that instead.

On The Dangers of Lies

We went to Sunday lunch at Strines Inn, after a lovely drive into the countryside. Maia was hungry, and to distract her from the wait, we began telling her outrageous lies about where the food came from.

We described how sausages came from the sausage tree, and how the cook had to go and pull them off the tree REALLY HARD, because the tree didn't like giving them up. We told her about the bean melon, which you have to hit with a mallet and split open before you can scoop out the baked beans. And about the chip mining in Norfolk.

This whiled away the time well, and in due course our dinners arrived and she tucked in.

After lunch we wanted to go fly the new rainbow kite that Peter and Linda bought her, but there was no wind at all. So we went to Meersbrook Park instead.

We decided to take a walk to the Walled Garden, through some woods. Maia got a bit upset while we were in the woods, insisting that there were Bears. We went and had a look in the couple of places that she thought might contain Bears and reassured her that Bears stay out of Meersbrook Park, By Order of the Park Keeper.

She seemed reassured until quite near the end of the walk. She stopped, demanded to be carried, and said "I don't want to be in the woods any more. There are Bears and Sausages in the woods."

We weren't really able to reassure her too well on that one. We were laughing too hard.

Maia Hits Teenage Early

We were sat at the dinner table, Pat, Maia and I, chatting about our day.

I asked Maia what she had been up to at school.

She looked at me, sighed and said " .....stuff"

uh-huh.

She wants make-up too.

I had heard that childhood was getting shorter, but man - this is ridiculous!

Grannie Lone Pushes the Present Bar Sky High

Cleone bought Maia a little blue doll's pushchair for Lucy (her talking doll) and Annabell (her odd-looking Oxfam rescue doll). Maia was more than overjoyed. I heard her reaction as she opened the present, and it went a little something like this...

"WOW!! I needed this for my babies!" She was wide-eyed with awe at Grannie Lone's mindreading abilities, perhaps forgetting her almost constant requests for a pushchair over the past few weeks. When she told Noonah that Grannie Lone had bought her a pushchair for her dolls she was so excited, she jumped up and down while reiterating just how much she needed it.

She trundled around in bliss, naked as the day she was born, pushing her babies in her new blue pushchair. I don't know where the dolls and babies impulse has come from although I am pretty sure it is nature not nurture. She gets balance, anyway. We have a Thomas The Tank Engine Book. I think...somewhere...

Interest In Noonah's Present is Pretty Low

Noonah's birthday present from Maia, myself and Pat was not wrapped. Therefore Maia's interest in it was pretty limited. Noonah, on the other hand was thrilled. We bought her a fig tree in a big terracotta pot for the courtyard.

Maia, who clearly couldn't understand why someone would get excited over a present that wasn't wrapped, took one look at it and said 'Are there any other presents?'

Grannie 'Lone, Peter and Linda, Fliss, and Bob and Sue came to the rescue with a series of packages that she was able to open with (or more accurately for) Noonah, and therefore order was restored to the birthday experience.

The New Super Hero On the Block

Maia's means of deflecting monsters has been pretty constant for a year and a bit - she flings out her hand, palms out, and yells 'SpiderMan!', or very occasionally, 'Batman!'

For the original post about this, click here...
http://maiamaiajumbalaya.blogspot.com/2004/12/ranking-of-superheroes-according-to.html

However, following a trip to Tescos with Noonah, the All New, Superist of Super Heroes is...

'SuperMarket!'

Daddy is Three!

Well, if you add on 34 years, I suppose he is.

Maia was very excited that there was a birthday in the offing, especially as the person whose birthday it was didn't seem to mind that he didn't get to open any of his own presents. Maia took over, and when gently asked if she thought Daddy might like to open any of his presents, she said No, he liked her helping. And he seemed to, so that was fine.

We made a chocolate cake topped with Noonah's Wonder Icing (made from nutella, cream cheese and a dollop of cream...seriously amazing) and decorated with Milky Way stars, sugar flowers, glace cherries, candles and hundreds and thousands. The sugar put Maia into a bit of a spin, but all in all, a pretty good day.

Tomorrow, Noonah's birthday! I wonder if she gets to open her presents?