belgianwaffle

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.

Gender Equality


Posted in: Belgium, Ireland, Reading etc.

From a national organ of record

“When it comes to fellow citizens, Ireland falls into the conservative category. A massive 81% of people think it’s more important a boy is university educated than a girl. But the Irish also feel that women have an equal right to a job” The Examiner, 20 July 2005.
Well, that’s all right then. Those women probably don’t need jobs either, sure all they do is go off and have babies. Speaking of which, my maternity leave starts tomorrow.

And a happy Belgian national day to you.

StarCorneron 21 July 2005 at 20:30Happy Belgian national Day to you too!! Maybe the Irish think women just want inferior jobs – a wee bit like the golf club I heard about, they don’t let women in until after 3.30 at the weekends cos they should be busy doing the washing and housework till then!! *Tsk!*
Bobbleon 21 July 2005 at 22:02Happy Belgiumness to you dearie x
jackdaltonon 21 July 2005 at 23:42That’s just a load of old bollox — the Examiner’s idea of a survey is to ring a few grannies in East Cork. Don’t take it personally ‘waf. You can hold onto that old UCC parchment for another while. mind you, when McDowell is TeaShock, then you may have to return same…. but that’s a day or two away yet.
😉
suson 22 July 2005 at 11:30Hope your first day of maternity leave is going swimmingly.
belgianwaffleon 23 July 2005 at 12:51Olivia, no, no, no, it means loads of blogging! Ah, Starcorner, you’re so right. I should have thourght.
Thanks Bob.
JD, I am torn between a desire to agree with you and a desire to defend the Examiner’s honour, very trying.
Well, today is technically my first day and very pleasant it is too. Thank you very much.

Perspective


Posted in: Siblings

I used to be the extravagant sibling but I think my sister in America has just taken over.  She won an all expenses paid trip to the Indianapolis Grand Prix thingy involving meeting the teams and first class accommodation. It was a very expensive prize; let me put it this way, in the US they have to pay tax on prizes and the tax on this prize was $ 5,000. Her interest in racing prior to this was nil. The Grand Prix was not as exciting as it might have been either as they had some problem I don’t fully understand with tires and a lot of the cars had to withdraw. Nevertheless, she is keen to go back.

We had the following conversation the other day:

Her: Our loving brother didn’t understand this at all but I am sure you will.
Me: Try me.
Her: I was thinking that once every couple of years it would be good to pay $4,000 to go to the paddocks when you go to the Grand Prix.
Me: WHAT?
Her: I was sure you’d understand. You get as much food and drink as you want and it’s only 2,300 euros.
Me: WHAT?
Her: Well not every year.
Me: YOU’RE JOKING.
Her: You’re not as extravagant as you once were.
Me: Splutter. Can I blog this?
Her: Hmm.

And at the time, I thought that “the Paddocks” was some fabulous hotel linked to the race course but as far as I can work out from a quick look on google, it seems to be an enclosure for cars. With food and drink. Oh yummy. Good Lord.

It should be noted that at the moment she spends most of her money on buying and posting presents to the Princess, so I may have ulterior motives in not wanting her to spend her money in the Paddocks.

Comments
sister in America

on 18 July 2005 at 21:24

A key difference betwen siblings – Belgianwaffle is spends to have the best everything. I, on the other hand will be quite sane and sensible and save up money to do crazy things.
I will add, if you haven’t been to the Paddock club, you cannot have the full picture. I liken it to a cruise – its not for every holiday but the odd one here and there is nice.

jackdalton

on 18 July 2005 at 23:27

Hello Sister in America. That would indeed seem to be a basic – perhaps even bi-polar – difference in world view. But while I can understand (really – truly & deeply) your tendency towards what a more flat-shod* sister might see as the profligate, I can equally understand her predilection towards the maturity of searching out the substantive and material. BelgianWaffle is one of those people who builds dreams. You (on the evidence of previous postings to this blog) are someone who chases them. There is no reason why you can’t each be true to your own style and capacities. And anyway, she’s probably a bit jealous.
*currently

Friar Tuck

on 20 July 2005 at 04:21

I can understand the appeal of the Paddocks. I just cannot understand the appeal of paying for it. Now if Sister in America were to go, say, every six or eight years and pay my entrance as well, yes that would be very appealing.

belgianwaffle

on 21 July 2005 at 19:53

SF, ok, if you say so…
Sister, I do NOT. I am very restrained.
JD, see previous, and yes, probably a bit jealous.
FT, welcome back. Have you been sitting around thinking dark thoughts about the new pope?

Friar Tuck

on 22 July 2005 at 03:44

RE: dark thoughts, I suspect it is the other way around.

belgianwaffle

on 23 July 2005 at 12:46

Gosh, FT, he is all powerful. Trust all is well with you all the same.

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.