Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 August 2005 22:46:04
I will blog, doubtless, about the fantastic holiday and other events chez Smudge in the next few days, but for now I must content myself with responding to Jack's questions because,, quite simply, she says I have to. I may experience some difficulty typing this correctly as some recent visitors maliciously bought me a new keyboard... one which actually has the letters on the keys! It doesn't half confuse you when you're used to blankness!
So, here goes (and the perfect excuse to be verbose)
1. What was your most embarrassing moment ever? Don't leave out a single detail :D
Strange to say, I really can't think of any. I am not sure whether this is because I have lived a pure life, because I am not easily embarrassed, or because I just have a dreadful - or very helpful - memory and have blotted them all out. Lots of miniature embarrassing moments, of course.. like when I was doing a car maintenance course and was in the car on the hydraulic lift trying to work out why my instructor, who was operating the lift, was gesturing frantically....... and only later realised I'd left the headlights on on main beam.... or when I handed my postgrad dissertation in for marking and discovered that the typist had misread the German word for "tradition" as the German word for "prostitute"...... or when one of the panel members on the adoption panel proposed to me... or on that note, when a good friend started to pronounce his love for me and my reaction was to throw up...... or when I was playing the accordion solo in an orchestra and discovered when I went to play the first bar that I had put the accordion on upside down.... or... or... or....
2. What are the best and worst things about being a mum?
Worst things - never having a moment to myself, even when in the toilet; no longer being able to read books or write letters; being called in to school to discuss bad behaviour and running out of things to say; being torn between more than one person; having to ask people to babysit rather than them simply offer; feeling guilty
Best things - watching their faces when they master something new or see something absolutely wonderful like a circus or a waterfall or a centipede; curling up under the duvet and reading a story together; a Smudgelet curled into my body like two pieces of a jigsaw nestling together; getting to read children's books and watch videos such as Ice Age and Toy Story with an easy conscience; when they say "I love you" or "I'm so glad it was you who adopted me" or, best of all, "Would you like one of my chocolates?"
3. Apart from the Isle of Wight, if you could live anywhere else in the world where would it be and why? I spent a year in Austria as part of my degree and really loved living there, although I have to admit that I wouldn't really like being so far from my family unless I could afford frequent air tickets. There's something about Ireland, too, which has an appeal, although I'm not sure I would move there for the same reason. Truth to tell, I really love living where I do. I'd love more chance to travel, especially with the children (I think), but the thought of living anywhere away from my beloved Island is hard to imagine. I expect ultimately we'll end up on the mainland, in which case I'd want to be somewhere in the country and fairly near to the sea, and nearer to my siblings... somewhere with character, I think.
4. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Weird. As a young child I knew precisely what I wanted to do... be a mum. I wanted five children, believe it or not - three of my own and two adopted. I can't believe now that I actually dreamed then of having adopted children - I'd actually forgotten all about that until someone reminded me a year or so ago. I also had a burning ambition to be a translator, despite all the careers advisors at school trying to push me into teaching. I actually trained to translate and absolutely loved it, and only ended up in teaching because God played a trick on me. I felt called to be a missionary and completed teacher training in order to achieve it. Then I realised that I hadn't the strength to go into missionary work in China, which was what I was selected for, and decided to continue my training so's to have a profession I could combine more easily with motherhood. And what do you know, I love it so much that I can't bring myself to go back to translating, even though I miss it... and even though it'd be far less stressful and pay far more money! (Though I am not sure Euty would agree) And it's just perfect for doing a different type of missionary work which I was definitely called to do.
5. I know you're very fond of Internet word games (can't think how I know that ;) ). Please tell us 3 or 4 of the highlights of your most recent holiday, but following the rules of Everlasting Sentences.
The greatest highlight of my holiday was simply being on holiday and having chance to relax. Lax though I've been in describing my week on my wiblog, this is something I intend to remedy once my stream of visitors has departed. Part educational and part theatrical, the medaeval jousting at Powderham Castle was a definite favourite with both the boys and me, though possibly for different reasons. Sons liked the fighting and weapons and horses, of course, while I was more interested in admiring the Knights. Nights at Sidmouth were fairly quiet as I had to stay in the bedroom while the boys settled to sleep and often ended up staying there, but the advantage of this was another highlight of my holiday - the chance to read complete books without interruption. On the final day we had our most exciting adventure but this I will describe to you in a separate post in a few days' time. I'm ever so glad we went to Sidmouth and we've already booked up for next year.
Tada (as Smudgelet would say)