The Things we Have: Last Year's Future is Now

The time has come, as it eventually had to... and last year's unknown future is now. Last week it's been a whole year that Ramsgate has had us, and we've had Ramsgate. Sounds a bit like we've had a disease? Ummm, sorry. Totally unintentional... We don't have no disease, but

Tara has:
* Hair enough to use "clip-clips" and make her look like a sweet proper little girl;
* Entered the Terrible Two's and is of the unfortunate opinion that crying and whining helps. Well. We're all mistaken about this or that occasionally...
* Professed her love for daddy, and just a little after her sweet compliments for mummy. "I love you very much, Papi," she said, while I was away and Papi was playing bricks and puzzles all day long. (Of course her undying love ebbed a little when Mama came back. "I don't like it: Papa," she complained, "Go out!" Tsk. Terrible behaviour. As moody as a teenager, especially after about 4pm when she's refused a nap.)
* A few daily hours at a lovely local nursery full of friends and people that teach her English and odd English habits: "Look, mummy," says Tara. "Tara is doing spitting!" Sprichts, und rotzt über die Lehne vom Kinderwagen. "Na super, toll gemacht," sagt Mama, "was du alles für tolle Sachen lernst von den Jungs im Kindergarten... Komm, wir wischen dir mal das Kinn trocken, du Schlabberschnute..."

We live... HERE

Mami has:
* A social life that's gone into hibernation for the winter, it seems
* Still not grown to love Ramsgate, and still not gotten over The Loss Of Leicester (*sigh*)
* Had a couple of job interviews for part time roles, none of them in Ramsgate, and a good feeling about the last one (today). And if that doesn't work out, then at least there's still hope for a Receptionist's role at the gym, which would be ever so convenient and an opportunity to retrain and try some steps in a different professional direction.
* A nice gym, a new favourite instructor, and new gym friends, even though pole dance has been suspended til the end of the year... again...

Ramsgate... Well it does have it's picturesque sides...

Dr. Papi has:
* Great joy in having his two girls around all the time, and an equally great time away at the lab trying to save the world from HIV.
* Great joy in having his two girls around all the time, even though that does not seem to reduce the amount of cleaning he does at the weekend. Tsk.
* Great joy in having his two girls around all the time, and developed super skills with building blocks, puzzles, and play dough.
* Great joy in having his two girls around, and two girls that cheer when he comes through the door in the evening.
* Just killed a spider. Why oh why do there have to be so many of them, and such big ones too?

Hi! It's picturesque and rainy here!

So that's it. Last years Great Unknown. We have a garden, it's very messy but it's close to the sea. There are no herbs, but there's been some sunshine. There's also been some rain, and somehow all that lies ahead is still a Great Unknown. Well... as long as we don't fall off the White Cliffs...

Life in Ramsgate. It has it's moments.

'T is the season...

The lights are on in Thanet, and with a count down from ten to one, Christmas is on too. Ah such shiny lights, ah so many things to look at, and Santa? Tara is mightily impressed! So full of presents, and so ... RED!

The Long Way Home

Ah, I love it when that happens on the 15 minute walk home from nursery! Tara still needs her sleep but usually now won't admit it, and it's become virtually impossible to get her to sleep her Mittagsschlaf. All she would have to do is eat her lunch (doesn't do that either), and nod off on the way home... Instead, we gladly take between one or even two hours (well, one of us gladly...) - the library is on the way, as are countless opportunities to sit down, lie down, flop down, explore and do what all else there is.

Like, a game of fling-the-ted, seated


Going to sleep - well, nearly right


A picnic of apple on the library back stairs


A pole dance for Obama


An up and down step inspection for the neighbours


Song-and-dance time with dolly ("If you're happy and you know it, stamp your feet...")


We eventually do get home...

We LIE...

We SIT... (and roll, and get rather dirty!)

We SPY...

We... Oh yeah, we GOT ATTITUDE!

... but it does take quite a while. I've learnt to make sure I eat my lunch before I pick her up; it does wonders for my patience. And when all else fails, I tell myself, it's karma, and what goes round comes round. Apparently, I took two hours to get to the end of the street at that age, inspecting every single stone. Well...

Snap: Ich hab dich lieb auch

Wir toben.
Tara: Nicely mit de Tara spielen!
Ich: Ok. Was bist du süß. Ich hab dich lieb!
Tara: Ich hab dich lieb auch.

*seufz*... made my day...

PS.: Five days later I got woken up with a "Mami? Love you!"
PPS.: Manchmal geht das Mama-Loben auch daneben. "Good boy!" sagt sie zu mir. "Nein, Tara, zu Mama kannst du nicht good boy sagen, das kannst du nur zu Jungs sagen," sage ich ihr. "Neeeeiiiin," jammert Tara. "Good boy zu Mama!"

Snap: Pole Dance

It's one of those days when getting home takes a little longer...

PS.: A historical day. Obama gets voted president of the US. Tara has an apple on the way home from nursery, and Sheperd's Pie for lunch. She tells her mum: "Don't worry, mummy, 'kay?" when she is warned not to run so fast, and aks her father: "Are you okay, Papi?" after she's whacked him in the mouth with a spaghetti fork. There is pasta and tomato sauce for dinner. Mum and dad buy this puzzle for their entertainment, Tara does her own puzzles in record time, pretends to type out names on the computer, and declares, "My name is superman, and I can... jump!" Flying would be more adequate, but she's only small. Obama is great. He sure did fly this morning.