The Case of The Vanishing Lady

LM has recently got into the BBC show The Magicians.  I'm not sure how much he understands of most of the tricks but he certainly likes the ones where people disappear & reappear (particularly if there is an element of danger involved).

After yesterday's show he performed his own vanishing trick whereby he turned me round to face the other way, asked his audience (Daddy) "Where's Mummy gone?", then spun me back with a flourish & his 'Was that a good trick?' face.  He was, of course, applauded by both audience & his glamorous (ahem) assistant.

I'd like to encourage this interest in the magic arts but can't help feeling a little apprehensive about the day he decides to saw the lady in half.

Back from the dead

A year ago our house rabbit, Moppet, passed away at the grand old age of nearly 11.  LM took it quite well and understood that Moppet was now buried  (very deep & under some rocks for fear of the foxes disinterring him) in the garden, happy because he was no longer suffering from afore-mentioned old age & illness.

However, today LM was helping me with the cleaning & I asked him to put something in the utility room.  When he looked at me blankly I said, "You know, Moppet's room" as that was where the rabbit had his living quarters & we had always referred to it so.  LM paused for thought & asked, "When will Moppet come out of his hole in the ground?"  Death isn't an easy thing to explain & not wanting to go too deeply into the subject I just explained again about how Moppet had been old & ill & so was much happier now, sleeping in his hole & he wouldn't wake up.

To which LM replied "Well, when Daddy snores he won't be able to sleep!"  

I had no answer for that.

Moppet RIP

Food for thought

The Times this weekend had a excerpt from the new parenting 'bible' "French kids don't throw food".  I was keen to read this because I am a self-confessed francophile but quickly became irritated by the assumption that British (& American) kids were ill-behaved embarrassments in a restaurant.  LM is a dream dinner date.  Indeed I have even gone out on my with him as a treat ... for both of us.  He has been eating out with us from a very early age when he would watch us whilst sucking a cucumber stick to death and I'm convinced that that's why he is so good now.

 In fact I would go so far as to say that he eats better in a restaurant, clearing his plate with no fuss.

And whilst his favourite food when out is fish, chips & beans (& the fish doesn't have to be in finger form - he loves mackerel) he is quite happy to try new things too - even curry.
My LM may not be French but he doesn't have to be - I'm proud of his gastronomic behaviour.  I think if we assume our kids will misbehave then we are selling them short.

PS I should point out the author wasn't French but did live in France

Supermarket Sweep

I think there has been some misunderstanding over the size of the extension that is currently going up here.  Over dinner LM was asking where I had bought some of the ingredients & when I mentioned Tesco he said "In big Tesco?  But it's not as big as our new house"  (LM is convinced that the extension is a separate house.  Consequently we will, according to him, soon have 2 houses).  I guess to a little person the new rooms in their unfinished state look pretty big, but as big as a supermarket?  Does he think he's going to need a trolley to get around? Perhaps I should bring in a reward card to encourage him to tidy up - or is he expecting a shelf stacker to follow him round & sort everything?

Chewing a wasp

Happy New Year.  Hope it's all going well so far.
 LM is now back at pre-school so we are returning to a routine of sorts. Christmas was good (a lot of "Wow!"s from LM so Father Christmas clearly knows his stuff) and even better were the lie ins - most days LM didn't surface until 9 which was just brilliant, particularly New Years Day.

Over the holidays he has discovered a new favourite breakfast ... hornets! Well, he calls them hornets.  You or I would probably refer to them by their more traditional name, crumpets.  Don't ask how LM came up with that name, because I really have no idea but imagine my amusement watching people's faces as he excitedly tells them that Nanny has hornets for breakfast.