belgianwaffle

Princess

The genetic code


Posted in: Princess

The Princess is very like her Daddy. Everyone says that she looks just like him. She acts just like him too. She is the only toddler who is VERY cautious. The other day her father
offered to lift her up to walk along a wall and she looked at him as though he was mad and said reprovingly “c’est PAS un bonne idée, je peux tomber!”

There is, however, one respect in which she very much resembles her mother and this is in her desire to communicate.  Constantly.  Her Dublin grandfather calls her Mademoiselle Blah Blah.  Already, she has realised how socially useful this can be (stop sniggering). On Sunday, a friend of Mr. Waffle’s came to lunch and during proceedings, the Princess and I had to depart to the bathroom. As she sat on her little pot she looked up at me anxiously “Mummy, who talks to Luca?” “Daddy will talk to him sweetheart”.  I must say, she looked distinctly dubious at the proposition that her father and his friend could keep up a conversation without our assistance; you have to sympathise.

I have explained to her that when her father is trying to give directions or read maps in the car, she must stop talking for
everyone’s sake. She finds this deeply unsatisfactory and now every time she sees a map she wails dolefully “mais moi,
je veux PARLER”. That’s my girl.

Comments
NorahSplog

on 29 July 2005 at 11:29

And the princess climbs ever higher in my estimation. 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

StarCorner

on 29 July 2005 at 18:56

What a chuckle I had at today’s post!!! Go girl princess!!! 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

sus

on 29 July 2005 at 19:31

Fantastic! She has a great future ahead of her. 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

belgianwaffle

on 30 July 2005 at 07:27

Hey, Bobble, Norah, Star, Sus, does this make me correct in my deduction that all bloggers are great talkers? 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

StarCorner

on 31 July 2005 at 10:56

I think your deduction may well be correct Mrs Waffle!!! 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

belgianwaffle

on 31 July 2005 at 21:27

And a good thing too, eh? 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

poggle

on 02 August 2005 at 10:54

We already knew that poor mite is genius, waffle. This merely confirms it. 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

belgianwaffle

on 04 August 2005 at 12:38

Thank you Pog and a warm welcome back from exotic foreign parts. 0
Sweetie(s) given ���

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Etiquette


Posted in: Princess, Twins

The Dutch Mama came to stay last night.  Just for one night and she brought the Princess a present.  The Princess was so pleased that she took off all her clothes and ran around naked.  A new phase perhaps?  I have just realised that I never take kiddie presents when I go to stay with people.  I will reform.  The Dutch Mama also brought loads of gear for the twins because she is kind and good.  To my deep regret, I opened it in the presence of the Princess who spent some time trying futilely to get into a 0-3 months babygro (MINE, MINE).  She’s going to be so delighted when these babies are born.

Comments

NorahSplogon 27 July 2005 at 16:48

Oh dear – the royal nose is going to be put out of joint. Poor princess. 0
Sweetie(s) given

belgianwaffleon 28 July 2005 at 11:10

Yes, Loc, I’m hoping she’ll grow out of it, apparently her uncle was a great stripper when a toddler and he seems to have grown out of it.
Yes, Norah, I’m terrified. 0
Sweetie(s) given

Nee Naw


Posted in: Family, Princess

On Friday, my poor mother-in-law fell and broke her hip while out walking in the Wicklow hills and had to be airlifted to hospital where, mercifully (and slightly incredibly), she seems to be her usual perky self and she tells us that she is scheduled to start walking about tomorrow. Can this be right? We’re all most relieved but a trifle unnerved all the same. The Princess is torn between worry about her Grandma (sore leg, poor Grandma) and excitement that her Grandma has had a ride in a helicopter.

Comments
belgianwaffleon 25 July 2005 at 10:28

She does seem to be extremely well all things considered. I guess trekking about the mountains has made her tough. Still, all a bit grim.

How much about a country can you tell from its songs for children?


Posted in: Princess, Reading etc.

An early favourite was “Il était un petit navire”.

In verse one we are introduced to this little boat which has never been on a sea voyage.  So far so good. Verse two sees the little boat making a long trip on the mediterranean. All positive. Around verse three things start to get less good. After five or six weeks the food starts to run out. Verse four is ominous, the crew draw straws to decide who should be eaten. Then in verse five we learn that the young cabin boy (since you ask mousse is the French for cabin boy) has drawn the short straw. But it is in verse six that we come to the essence of la belle France, there is a long dispute as to which sauce the cabin boy should be served with and I note that in the version I have linked to there is also a discussion as
to how he should be cooked (fried, perhaps?) which is lacking from our CD. Concerned readers will be relieved to hear that the virgin Mary comes to the rescue in verses seven/eight by piling the ship up with fish which leap on board.

Comments
Mikeachim

on 17 July 2005 at 23:34

Good grief.
It’s like the wreck of the Medusa. And this is a nursery rhyme?
The French really toughen their kids up early.
Maybe that’s the answer. Hm. I’ll try and put Silence of the Lambs to rhyme, so I can teach it to my kids when I have them…..

Amy

on 18 July 2005 at 10:46

there is a french nursery rhyme, about plucking a birds head isnt there

poggle

on 18 July 2005 at 11:24

I am resisting the temptation to make absolutely filthy puns ……

jackdalton

on 18 July 2005 at 11:34

Resistance is futile… pun away or be assimilated into the 20sixcollective

poggle

on 18 July 2005 at 12:32

Just consider the topic of ‘eating young seamen’ and fill in the blanks yourself ……

belgianwaffle

on 18 July 2005 at 19:13

Gold star Amy, alouette (sp?) features bird plucking. It’s a strange country.
Pog, Jack, go stand on the naughty step.

poggle

on 19 July 2005 at 15:30

Oh farque …..

jackdalton

on 21 July 2005 at 00:28

NO!!! I won’t, I won’t I won’t! And you can’t make me 😛
[stamps foot: considers lying down with a (clean) nappy over head and having a good, old-fashioned, cathartic bawl]

belgianwaffle

on 21 July 2005 at 19:57

Pog, indeed. JD, that sounds hideously familiar.

Cranky


Posted in: Princess

Princess: Porridge!
Mr. Waffle: Tu veux du porridge?
Princess (sobs): NON! Cornflakes.
Me: Would you like some cornflakes?
Princess (hysterically): NO!
Me: OK, no cornflakes.
Princess: Yes cornflakes. In a mug.

In the supermarket, she demands a bottle. Mr. Waffle goes to the car to fetch it. She sobs “NO, bottle with a straw”.  We
haven’t got a bottle with a straw. “With a straw (rising volume), WITH A STRAW, WITH A STRAW”. Hysteria. Off to the supermarket checkout.  Mr. Waffle is packing, I am unloading the trolley. She is sitting in the trolley weeping at the unfairness of life. I pick her out to try to stop her.  A woman on crutches has to help me unload the trolley while I try to placate Ms. Cranky.

Back home, Mr. Waffle brings the shopping upstairs.  The Princess clutches a swim nappy which she has rescued from the pile of shopping.

Princess: Put it on, Mummy.
Me: Sweetie, you’re already wearing a nappy.
Princess (insistently sobbing): Put it on, Mummy.
Me: No, darling, you’re already wearing a nappy.
Princess throws herself full length on the floor and weeps on to the offending swim nappy.
Looks up with red eyes and says: Get in the lift, Mummy.
Me: No, sweetie, I don’t want to leave you here on your own, you might hurt yourself or somebody might come in and you might be scared.
Princess (still prone) sobs her heart out and yells: Get in the lift, Mummy.
Me: No, sweetie, we’ll go up together when you’re ready.
Princess remains sobbing into nappy while I sit on the stairs wondering whether I have the strength and energy to pick her up and carry her into the lift.
Princess sits up and goes to the lift door: OK, Mummy, I ready.

In the afternoon we went to the Glam Potter’s where L and her new baby sister were impeccably behaved. Poor old Mr. Waffle spent the afternoon trying to meet the insistent and varied needs of our girl (“fais pipi Papa” or “c’est à moi”, while wrenching something from L) while I sat and moaned to the  GP.

Home to cranky dinner (pas de SAUCISSE), cranky bath (I wan get OUT) and early bed. We’re shadows of our former selves. Mr. Waffle has gone for a nap to recover.

Comments
dmts

on 17 July 2005 at 10:50

I like the idea of cornflakes in a mug. I also like the idea of being able to lie prone in the lobby of our apartment sobbing into nappies, or anything – such a shame that I’m too old for either. I think you do brilliantly to be able to do it all and then blog in such a witty way about it. 1

belgianwaffle

on 17 July 2005 at 14:14

Yeah, Jack, I suppose you’re right. Mercifully she slept 13 hours last night and is all sweetness and light today.
Heather, you are very kind. Thank you for your sweetie. You realise that I now have a mental picture of you lying in the lobby of your building sobbing into a nappy while nervous Swiss people give you a wide berth.

jackdalton

on 17 July 2005 at 14:36

It all balances out in the end… see. And I for one think you are winning 🙂

Mikeachim

on 17 July 2005 at 23:40

A good night’s sleep exceptionally well deserved.
Try the nappy and laying on the ground screaming at people thing sometime. It’s a great stress reliever, a detox of the woe in your soul. No, really.
Think about how relaxed the Swiss all look. See?

Minkleberry

on 18 July 2005 at 07:44

I feel exhausted for you.

poggle

on 18 July 2005 at 11:22

Drama queen princess ..
Arf.

Kate_Sith

on 18 July 2005 at 11:59

Oh bless her. My nephew once chanted ‘Purple Cup, Purple LID’ for about four hours because the one he had was the wrong colour. You’ve got to admire their persistance.

belgianwaffle

on 18 July 2005 at 19:15

Thanks Jack, I hope you’re right. Well, Mike, they do kind of look relaxed don’t they? Thanks Minks, I fear it all lies ahead of you….
Pog, yes.
Kate, excellent. And slightly terrifying.

Linguistic prowess


Posted in: Princess

In the past two to three weeks, the Princess has begun to speak English. This welcome development was reinforced by a week spent in sunny Dublin.  Before this she spoke mainly in French with the odd word of English. Now, suddenly she is speaking in English sentences. I can tell you, I’Â’m relieved. And smug almost beyond measure.  Clearly, I have my comeuppance coming.

Comments
sus

on 17 July 2005 at 21:13

Or be mhaith leom uaichte roite (which I have no idea how to spell, having been born, bless my parents, far away from the 26 counties),which is particularly useful during a heatwave…

Locotes

on 18 July 2005 at 12:37

I’ll have one if you’re buying sus!
😉

sus

on 18 July 2005 at 17:51

*hugs Haagen-Daaz to chest and eyes Locotes suspiciously*

belgianwaffle

on 18 July 2005 at 19:07

Well, Locotes we are doing some good work on “la a caith me cois faraige”. Sus, do I see ice cream all round, how nice…

sus

on 19 July 2005 at 20:05

*comes back toting tubs of Haagen-Daaz for all*
Hope you?ve got spoons enough to go around BW!

Locotes

on 20 July 2005 at 15:19

waffle: Not bad at all – if you can keep bringing her when the weather is glorious the happy memories are bound to make it stick in her head.sus: So can I share now? No more suspicious looks??

sus

on 20 July 2005 at 19:16
(
Comment Modified) Well, Locotes, once I saw that under that Squirrel suit you had a Superman suit, all suspicions were banished.

Locotes

on 21 July 2005 at 17:20

That suit’s always been handy to have…

sus

on 21 July 2005 at 17:27

And under that suit there a…? 😉

belgianwaffle

on 21 July 2005 at 19:56

Sus, who knows? Thanks again for the ice cream though.
Loc, not so sure on the Gaeilge.