belgianwaffle

Part the Sixteenth


Posted in: The tale of Lazy Jack Silver

Our hero stood up gingerly.  No bones broken then, he knocked his head painfully against the low roof of the dimly lit hut where he was lying and stepped out the door into what appeared to be an Amazonian rain forest.  Friar Tuck looked up and smiled “you’re awake”. “Where am I?” said LJS curtly. “No need to be tetchy” said Friar Tuck, nettled. He smiled beatifically while surreptitiously scratching a scabrous limb “you’re in the Amazonian rain forest, Heather thought it would be best for you, you’ve been having a nice nap for, oh, about 3 months”. Friar Tuck laughed sinisterly, it was a new speciality and something he had been practising in the long wet afternoons. LJS gasped “But Pog and Bobble….” “They’ve been taken care of” said Friar Tuck and he gave his sinister laugh another outing. “Why have you taken me here, what is Heather’s dastardly plan?” “Now, now”  said Friar Tuck soothingly “is that any way to talk about one who is our  benefactress; sit down and let me explain”.

Comments
Bobble

on 02 April 2005 at 15:39

Now “been taken care of” sounds distinctly iffy.

Friar Tuck

on 03 April 2005 at 04:10

“tetchy” is not in my dictionary, let alone my vocabulary. But I pick nits. At least I haven’t been taken care of.

on 05 April 2005 at 08:37

HJB, in a good way? Bobble, yes, I would worry if I were you, but at least you don’t pick nits.

dmts

on 05 April 2005 at 09:32

yes, in a very good way. I was out walking and decided to go home and write a piece and then you did it….the power of thought!

belgianwaffle

on 06 April 2005 at 18:52

Will you do one now though? Yours in hope.

poggle

on 11 April 2005 at 10:46

Where am I? What have you done to me? Why do I own a flowery top and a Ghost dress?
I think I’ve been brainwashed.

poggle

on 18 April 2005 at 10:35

Is Bobble okay? Am I? It’s dark in here …..

belgianwaffle

on 18 April 2005 at 19:55

Well, you might be and then again, things could be taking a sinister turn…

poggle

on 19 April 2005 at 10:17

eeeep!

Bobble

on 19 April 2005 at 16:17

Double eeeep!

belgianwaffle

on 20 April 2005 at 12:24

Oh, it could well be treble eeeep.

poggle

on 20 April 2005 at 12:46

*thud*

Pushy parents


Posted in: Reading etc.

“I am trying to find classes for my violin-enthused 2-year-old. In other countries they start violin with the Suzuki method at 2 or 3 but I cannot find any such classes in Brussels.  The Brussels music schools start with “musical awakening” (read rhythm instruments) for young children but they have
next to nothing to offer in specific melody instruments and in the under 4s.  Also, English would be highly preferable to
French in our case.  Does anyone know a group, a class or a
private teacher who would be familiar with the Suzuki method or equivalent, who would welcome a 2-year-old and who would practice with violin/piano or other melody instrument and know English?”

From Readers’ questions and answers in the Brussels Childbirth Trust Magazine, April 2005. Good Lord, have these people no shame?

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 02 April 2005 at 14:39

Heather, I’m hurt, how could you?

dmts

on 02 April 2005 at 14:40

Yes, I’m sorry. Very sorry. It was rather shocking though.

Friar Tuck

on 03 April 2005 at 04:05

Yes, absolutely no shame. A two year-old using a motorcycle for violin practice! What is she thinking.

poggle

on 04 April 2005 at 10:29

Well I never doubted you for a moment, waffle ….. besides, the poor mite already has several chart-topping CDs out, I heard (Vanessa Mae eat your heart out).
Ahem.

jackdalton

on 04 April 2005 at 15:49

None whatsoever. vroom vroom tunes…

belgianwaffle

on 05 April 2005 at 08:40

FT, I know. Yes, pog, poor mite is chart topper. Jack, eh?

Some links


Posted in: Reading etc.

Margot Wallstrom’s blog. In particular her commenters. What is wrong with me?

Found this heartwarming tale via Dervala – it’s a bit long but, um, heartwarming.

Thanks to Thierry who is our source of information on all things Belgian, tomorrow we will investigate Trash People.

I think I should stop while I still can.

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 02 April 2005 at 10:05

Yeah, but it’s all a little weird isn’t it, the whole corporate blog thing?

Bobble

on 02 April 2005 at 14:56

Some good links our Waffle.Nice to see that some people are still blogging. I’ve been away a few weeks and people are dropping like flies… How are the blotches?

belgianwaffle

on 05 April 2005 at 08:36

Full update on blotches this am Bobble, bet you can’t wait…

Good advice


Posted in: Princess

This evening I hauled out one of the Princess’s toys and started playing with it and she said to me “NO, Mama, NO.”
“What’s wrong darling?”� “For looking at Mummy not for touching, it might break”.

Comments
belgianwaffle

on 01 April 2005 at 20:32

I suppose…

Never offer unwanted advice


Posted in: Princess, Travel

You will remember my various ailments.  Well, despite these, my loving daughter decided that all day yesterday as we trudged around airports only I could carry her.  Would she like to go on Daddy’s shoulders? No. Would she care to walk? No. Would she fancy venturing into the royal buggy? You must be joking. So I carted her round all day because I am sap. When we finally arrived in Brussels, exhausted,10 hours
after leaving my parents’ home in Cork, I put her into the buggy to go from the plane to passport control. A distance of one short travelator.  She went bananas. She roared blue murder. When we arrived at passport control. The woman behind the desk wagged her finger at me reproachfully and said “you must pick her up, you know, you can’t let her cry like that”.

Comments
belgianwaffleon 01 April 2005 at 20:10

VERY

Rash in Cork


Posted in: Family, Twins

All in all a little tiring. On Thursday afternoon following three medical consultations, I decided to go with the majority and risk travelling.  I paid a fortune to get to Cork over Easter and I wasn’t going to let a rash stop me (no poor puns, please).

You will be delighted to hear that my rash has improved enormously, thus, obviously, vindicating my decision to travel. This morning I had the stitches taken out of my neck so I spent today loping around the office like Frankenstein’s monster. It is, of course, absolutely forbidden to cover up my scars with a scarf or a polo neck. Snort. Also, I can’t get my neck wet for 48 hours. Good lord. And all this to find out that they don’t know what it was but isn’t it good that it’s getting better of its own accord. Double snort.

So, epic journey to Cork. It took us the best part of a day to get there and the same length of time to get back.  My sister who came home from Chicago actually got back there faster than we got to Brussels. Of course she was actually flying for most of her trip whereas we spent the vast bulk of ours sampling the many delights which Dublin airport offers.
Actual time in Cork was very pleasant with babysitting services on high alert and significant food supplies laid in to meet our needs. On Easter Sunday, Mr. Waffle and I abandoned the Princess to her loving grandparents and went for a walk on the beach and a drink in Ballycotton. All very civilised. We also met the heart surgeon and her husband and their lovely month old baby whom they are managing with alarming efficiency. They have already been to play tennis three times while the infant watched from the sidelines. And they have been to the cinema. I am impressed beyond measure. Alas, they are moving to Burlington, Vermont in June so, I fear, we will see a lot less of them after that. Though, of course, it is probably as easy to get from Brussels to Burlington as it is to get from Brussels to Cork.
Comments
belgianwaffleon 01 April 2005 at 20:10

Am glad to hear that you had a typical trip to Ireland pog. Weather was surprisingly clement over Easter though.