London Calling

Took the girls to London for 6 days - visiting old friends and old haunts, and it honestly left me wondering why I was in such a hurry to leave the place both times I lived there (1995-1999, and again from 2004-2007). In hindsight, I think for both stints it was the fact that I was working at a job that I did not enjoy - funny that both times it was PeeWee who rescued me out of London - the first time to go to La Reunion for a year, and the second time to move to Rennes.

The girls had a blast. Manolee has no real memory of London other than what she sees in pictures, but she was able to appreciate the double decker buses and the Princess Diana Playground in Kensington Gardens (on the one day that it did not rain during our stay). Twice we enjoyed lovely Thai food at the best pub in London, Churchill Arms, where we were welcomed with hugs and kisses (it helped that we used to go there at least once a week when we lived there) and I introduced the girls to Indian food (Hana loved it, Manolee hated it). Hana got to catch up with a number of her friends and even got to go back to the Lycee where her 1st grade teacher recognized her right away and was very happy to see her.



I was getting grumpy towards the 4th day because I had done nothing for myself, just chauffering the kids around from one place to the next. Then our good friend K (in whose place we were squatting btw) took me and Manolee to Westfield, supposedly the biggest shopping mall in Europe - and my mood lifted considerably. The mall itself is very American and very well done - and best of all, Manolee behaved impeccably, letting me try on shoes and browse for nearly one whole hour.

Now we are back in Rennes, back in rain...!!

White Hair Takes Root

While putting toothpaste on Manolee's toothbrush this morning, I glimpsed at my reflection and immediately strands of white hair came into view. I hollered at PeeWee to come extract the most visible ones.

Manolee stopped brushing her teeth and says in a very serious tone, "ma, I told you to try to not get white hair". Manolee just recently got this notion of mortality and aging (as did Hanaya at the same age, just over 4) and it's been bothering her that I am gonna be a grandma "soon". So here she is, telling me to try not to get white hair - as if she thinks the inevitable aging process can just be willed away.

Meanwhile PeeWee is not a guy to stop at just one white hair. He is just a bit OCD on these matters and he kept on grabbing another hair, then another, then another. So I tell him to stop so that I can help Manolee wash up. Manolee repeats to me, "ma, why you have so much white hair? I told you to try not to get white hair". I reply absentmindedly, "But I'm trying!" - then she really delivers the killer, with an air of authority - "By doing what? How are you trying?"

Sigh. Being yelled at by a 4 year old for not aging gracefully is not how I wanted to start my day...

April Fish Again!

The Daily Candy this morning had an entry about a baby rental agency that just kicked off in London - for 89 pounds an hour, aspiring parents-to-be's can rent a baby, with insurance and a full diaper bag. I let out a small WTF - then realized - it's April Fool's Day!

And the reason why it did not take me a long time to figure out the joke above (I mean, it's not that inconceivable after all, a baby-rental enterprise) was that I was up till 11pm last night making fish pancakes for this morning - see below:



As I posted this time last year, it's April Fish Day in France. Manolee got a kick out of running around putting up a fish cut-out on my back, on PeeWee's back and Hanaya's back. She is too young to realize that you are supposed to do this without telling the person you are about to pin it on, and she keeps on saying, hee! look at your back! look behind you! hee! Then she insists that we pin the fish on her - the unequivocal and innocent joy in her voice just makes my day.


Happy April, people!