I did a doodle... ...do a doodle too!

“Moma, do we have to look at all the animals at the zoo today?” asked Hannah. “Yeah!” chipped in Heidi, “Can’t we just play?” So, their idea of going to the zoo was a little different from mine. Playground first…adults had a coffee – Off to the Bonobos with only momentary pause at the zebras on the way – traversing the suspended bridge (over and over) – back and forth on the canoe – off to the climbing frame/bridge over the trees/slide/sand pit – and…just in time for a lip-smacking picnic!! “Okay kids let’s go see some animals!!” shout the Mommies. All ten of them reply with a resounding “AWW!!!! We just want to play here in the dirt” Time passes…………….finally we manage to entice them away from the mud. As we pass the ‘real cowboy buffalos’ and the tepees, the children disperse and ‘ensemble’ began to enact a tribe of native Americans gathering wood for a fire, collecting berries, and performing war dances around an invisible fire – eventually we move along with only the shortest of stops at the rhinos before reaching the monkey island. Fortunately, this is also were the ‘sidewalk in the trees’ began so not much time was ‘wasted’ looking at the animals! We could visibly see their energy levels begin to drop around the 5th climb of the stairs, but as we sipped our diet cokes, we were all secretly looking forward to the fatigue induced calm that would be in our homes tonight!! I kind of liked doing it their way today!!

This won't do anything the change Georgie Porgie's policies, but to give him a good slap sure made me feel better!

Oh man! My feet hurt, my legs hurt, my hands hurt, my arms hurt, my hips hurt, and, well everything hurts! We parked in a neighbouring corn field and then walked the streets of Temploux for 10 hours haggling for a better deal. At midnight, we made the decision to only stop at the lit stalls (our flashlight just wasn’t powerful enough) I think this is the only way we got through it all. I lament the booths we had to sidestep, but towards the end, the treasures were all blurring into piles of junk anyway!! Tucked safely into my bed by 3:30am, I mused (but only very briefly) that this would not be my last Brocante!!

If I'd read this entertaining story 8 years ago, I wouldn't have been able to say...'but nobody ever told me!' Hmm, should I let him know it doesn't really get any easier... it only changes?

What was at the top when your mom was 'bout ta pop? A graphic curiosity...but later, I wondered why I bothered? A Joke: What's the first thing you know? A Quote: "Moma, are Hannah and Heidi still at 'The station' Bible School?" and "I can't come inside Moma, the 'forest' field is stoppin' me." - by Daniel A little pat on my own back: There was offically 20lb less of me this morning than there was on my birthday!!

It seems even I can be poetic… Poet, I am not, My heart aches and yearns to be. Alas, I am not. Give it a whirl yourself. I may just contribute myself!

It’s not really ‘home’, but it helps ward off the achy pangs that come when I realise that I am one displaced little citizen.

It's your choice, she's either unseasonal or just downright organised. I guess if I shop for them one month at a time starting now, I should be ready by December. oh...just in case you could't make it out:

Dear Santa I would like a watch or somethg I could use to spy on my friends when I'm not there Heidi