Marriage

At breakfast.

"Mummy? Can you marry your best friend?"

"Yes, of course you can. I was friends with your Daddy before I married him."

"Oh good! I'll marry Thomas then!"


After pre-school:

"I told Thomas I would marry him. He said that would be all right with him."


I must ask Thomas' Mummy how she feels about this. I think he will be a lucky man indeed. She's a good catch my eldest; clever and beautiful, if a little stubborn. But maybe they should to wait another 13 years give or take.

School Uniform

Well it is really happening. CS will be going to school in September. My first born, my little blond baby. I am feeling daunted at the prospect of her being "locked up" from 8.50 to 3.00. She thinks it will be a great adventure.

During the course of the summer holidays we will have to buy school uniform. I am not against uniform. I went to a school which did not have uniform and the bitchiness about labels and looks was terrible. Also I will just be able to say: you have to wear it, no arguments.

Things I have so far discovered about uniform:

1. It is shapeless and mostly drab.
2. It is inexpensive but 100% polyester.
   
3. Most shops stock some form of uniform. You do not have to go to a special outfitters.
4. Royal blue is not a standard colour, so you do have to go to the specialist.
5. It is all different than is Germany (or 20 odd years ago when I was at school)
6. Black school shoes are "so my favourite and my best"
7. The youngest is jealous of the uniform.
   
8. Mr Y. is not helping as "it isn't like this in NL" either.
   

Interview

So, I went and had my interview. I thought it had gone all right. After all I was dying of a cold but other than that...

I got a call to say I didn't get the job. Apparently I did not have enough experience to work in the "arts centre" side of the job. Sorry, I thought I had applied for admin job. How is admin for an arts centre different to admin for a buying department? I guess I'll never know.

Cold

If I were a man I would be dying of pneumonia as we speak. As I am not however, I merely have a cold. A nasty sniffley (is that a word?), almost lost my voice cold. What makes it worse is that I am allergic to Sudafed. This is an over-the-counter flu and cold remedy that makes me come out in hives. This I hasten to add is a recent discovery; yesterday.

I am a woman, so I struggle on. After much make up and aspirin I went to my job interview today. I hope they didn't think I sound that husky all the time.

However on the bright side Gin and Tonic has no medicinal effect or allergic ones, so right now I don't care.

Holiday Photos

Longleat

We went away for a midweek break to Longleat.
Longleat is in Somerset and is the ancestral home of the Marquess of Bath. In the 1950's the then Marquess was short of cash, so he decided to open his home to the fee-paying public. He was the first person to do so in the UK. Later he opened a Safari Park in his grounds. It is doubtful whether Capability Brown envisaged sea-lions in the lake or zebras and giraffes grazing on the rolling hills.
The present Marquess has added the attractions. He is an artist and has added murals to his private apartments. These are on display for small tours. I don't think they are pretty but the are impressive. The girls were very impressed by Lord Bath's excellent taste. He has painted the paneled doors in vivid colours. Pink and yellow for one set and purple and green for another.
We spent a lot of time at Pet's Corner. We saw the parrot show twice. CS got a kiss from one of the parrots. CE got to stroke lots of rabbits. We also saw fruit bats, otters, ferrets, tarantulas and the playground.
Only Mr Y was a little disappointed. He did not see Kate Humble. The BBC were filming for the Animal Park show but only Ben Fogle was there.

And what did you like?

We've been away for a few days. When I asked the youngest Yoastie what she had enjoyed most:
Petting the rabbit at Pet's Corner and feed the tiny, teenie duckelings.


So next year we will just take her to the local park and pet shop ;-)