Categories: uncategorized
Date: 03 June 2005 18:01:57
OK, so the ironing isn't completely done, but I did do one pile, and the lounge is definitely looking tidier (since the cleaner came in yesterday and vacuumed ;) ) so I reckon I'm safe to blog again.
This is my fifteen minutes of peace while the Smudgelets have their inter-culture nap. Yesterday was part on. Tiddles' birthday treat. Now those of you who know us may well realise that Tiddles' birthday was actually in October - the day after mine, to be precise - but everyone knows that if a thing is worth doing, it's worth waiting for. This was well worth waiting for as it was the perfect excuse to go abroad for a bit of culture. We went over to Southampton to see ... wait for it... Starlight Express. :D It was fantastic. The boys loved it, as I expected, although I think it was all a bit much for Smudgelet. The 3D effects for the train races were impressive and the dance and music and skatiing stunts and costumes and special effects and .. and.. and... can you tell I was totally enthralled? Mind you, I have suddenly realised I'm getting old. The music was too loud and it was hard to tell what the singers were saying ;)
The timing couldn't have been better as it meant we were over on the mainland already to meet my brother who'd driven down from Scotland to bring my Dad's closest friend down to stay for a few days. He's a lovely fellow, my honorary uncle, and the boys have taken to him immediately. It's a delight to be able to take him around and show him the sights of the Isle of Wight... shame the weather isn't more agreeable really. This morning, however, the sun shone enough to make it pleasant walking along Cowes seafront and watching the boats. Meanwhile Tiddles and I went to a funeral - his first experience of one. I felt it important for him to go as it was for his music teacher, a lovely man who died well before his time and who will be greatly missed. I also reckoned it would be good for him to know what a funeral is like and what to expect before he ever has to face the funeral of someone he especially loves. He was distressed, of course, but it was a fantastic funeral for him to have been at - a celebration of the life of this talented musician.
This evening I am sitting here looking at the rain and wondering just how wet we're going to get. We're off to an open-air performance at Osborne House of The Scottish Play. The boys are both mad keen on Shakespeare (how on earth did I manage that? Don't question it, Smudgie, just rejoice in it!) and as long as I tell them the story in advance, they are mesmerised by the beauty (and occasional naughtiness) of the words and the excitement of the action. I think MacB will be a good one for them, as long as they can stay awake and don't drown.
What a sophisticated lot we are ;)