13 July, 2007

Bits and pieces

My classes are done for the summer and I'd expected to be able to coast for a while. Have been daydreaming about what I would do with "all that free time". Who was I kidding? I'm just as busy as ever, but am also feeling happy and productive.

So on top of all the normal everyday stuff we've had a few fireworks. First and foremost, my brother and his wife had a baby girl last night! Although I've got a gaggle of nieces and nephews on M's side this is the first time I've become an aunt in my own right, and I'm so excited!
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M was just approached to see if he'd be interested in a Managing Director's position. And although that idea is initially flattering, it would be in a country that we once knew well and which we have left for good, both physically and mentally.

My first reaction was amused: "You've got to be fucking kidding me!" My second was: "Not for all the money in the world." I have developed an allergy for heavily-armed, thick-necked people and I like my husband's cute little kneecaps the way they are, thank you. (And luckily M agreed with me.)
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B keeps coming home from Kindergarten bearing flowers that he's picked for me in the garden. And this is no scraggly afterthought-- he actually binds them together with scotch tape and / or strips of carefully cut paper. And each time he delivers them with a serious, smouldering look that would have Herr Doktor Freud dusting off his couch and rubbing his hands in glee.

Yesterday's bouquet was a handful of delicate purple bottle-brush looking flowers. B was completely enchanted by their scent, which he said reminded him of stroopwafels. I sniffed them dutifully and admired them for a while before putting them in a vase on the table. And within about 15 minutes my eyes were watering, my nose was running and my head felt about two sizes too small for my rapidly swelling brain.

Now just try to tell your amorous 5 year old that although you like the bouquet you think it might look nicer in the bin. Yeah, I couldn't do it either. Our solution? They're on the balcony and I'm now "admiring" them through a glass window...

5 comments:

africakidandtheworld said...

Too funny! But also tragic, the way your head swelled up. I did this to my husband in the early spring, brought home a potted plant to liven up the indoors, and he wanted to scratch his eyeballs out between hearty sneezes. The plant was banished to the backyard and died a lonely, isolated death.

Carol said...

You've been busy! Congrats on being an aunt. Lovely! And also on turning down the WRONG job. As far as B and the flowers, appreciate the admiration; some day he won't be so obvious (sigh)!

Carol

Betsy said...

Oh I know! I suppose it would be a bit creepy if he would still be this in love with me when he's 20, but I hate the thought of this phase ending! :-(

africakidandtheworld said...

Betsy, I tagged you for eight random facts! See my blog for details.

Betsy said...

Thanks, Laurie! I'm thinking about it, but it might take me a couple of days to come up with a list. Those things are always harder than they sound, aren't they?