Mummy went to the parent-teacher meetings today. Holly's class teacher has placed her on the register for gifted and talented children. Rosie's teacher is making the case to the registration people that she ought also to be on it, but that she couldn't be arsed demonstrating how gifted and talented she is on the assessment day...!
Cars
Rosie: "Why did you and Mummy sell your Mini car..?"
Daddy: "Because it was too small, and we knew we were having two babies!"
Holly: "Why didn't you buy a LIMOUSINE?"
Daddy: "Because it was too small, and we knew we were having two babies!"
Holly: "Why didn't you buy a LIMOUSINE?"
Ballerinas
Rosie: "My ballerina is a PREEMA ballerina."
Holly: "My ballerina is a PREEMA ballerina as well."
Rosie: "...Well... My ballerina is the PREEMEST."
Holly: "My ballerina is a PREEMA ballerina as well."
Rosie: "...Well... My ballerina is the PREEMEST."
Staying up late
Daddy: "Ok. It's five minutes until bedtime, but I'm going to let you stay up late to wait for Mummy to come home. OK?"
Both: "HALLELUJAH!"
Both: "HALLELUJAH!"
Courting
Holly: "Daddy.... Do you like looking after babies?"
Daddy: "Yes. I like looking after babies a lot."
Holly: "Then, when I am grown up, will you be my husband please?"
Daddy: "Yes. I like looking after babies a lot."
Holly: "Then, when I am grown up, will you be my husband please?"
Rosie's Pictures
Ghosts
Rosie: "Holly is scared of ghosts, but that's silly because all you have to do is say "Woo - woo" all nice and politely and they go away because you are speaking their own language."
Daddy, what's that?
At Horton Park Farm.
Rosie: "Daddy, what's that?"
Daddy: "Um... That's a castration ring applicator."
...
Rosie: "What's a 'castration ring applicator' for?"
Rosie: "Daddy, what's that?"
Daddy: "Um... That's a castration ring applicator."
...
Rosie: "What's a 'castration ring applicator' for?"
Knots and Bows
Rosie: "Holly... Did you know that kids can undo bows, but they can't make bows, and that kids can make knots but not undo knots..."
In Mummy and Daddy's shoes
More geometry
Holly suddenly said "I know what you call a rectangle that isn't flat but which comes up off the table. A cuboid." Her knowledge of niche facts is extraordinary.
Flower
Rosie just made this.
Death
Holly: "When Granny-Barbara died, did she go in one of those... those.... What are they called? They are like big triangles with a square at the bottom...?"
Daddy: "What - a pyramid?!"
Holly: "Yes! - A PYRAMID!"
Daddy: "Well, no, she wasn't an ancient Egyptian queen."
Holly: "But that's what they did with dead people a long time ago!"
Thus begins a long discussion about digging holes to put dead people in, graveyards, gravestones, and some worried questions about "what makes people dead, Daddy?" and finally "what makes people be alive, Daddy?"
Daddy: "What - a pyramid?!"
Holly: "Yes! - A PYRAMID!"
Daddy: "Well, no, she wasn't an ancient Egyptian queen."
Holly: "But that's what they did with dead people a long time ago!"
Thus begins a long discussion about digging holes to put dead people in, graveyards, gravestones, and some worried questions about "what makes people dead, Daddy?" and finally "what makes people be alive, Daddy?"
Tubers
Rosie: "Daddy... How do you make potatoes?"
Daddy: "Well, they grow underground because they are a special sort of root. They are called 'tubers' actually."
Holly: "I know what a tuber is..."
Daddy: "Oh yes...?"
Holly: "Yes, a 'root' normally grows under the ground, but a 'tuber' is a special sort of a root that grows on top of the ground."
Heavens. That taught Daddy.
Daddy: "Well, they grow underground because they are a special sort of root. They are called 'tubers' actually."
Holly: "I know what a tuber is..."
Daddy: "Oh yes...?"
Holly: "Yes, a 'root' normally grows under the ground, but a 'tuber' is a special sort of a root that grows on top of the ground."
Heavens. That taught Daddy.
Steve and Tamsin's Wedding
Spice Girls
Somehow, somewhen, and - frankly - somewhy, Rosie has partially learned Wannabe by the Spice Girls.
"If you wanna be my lather, bip bop bip bop boo."
"If you wanna be my lather, you should have seen da laav."
"If you wanna be my lather, you should have seen the plough."
...
"If you wanna be my lather, bip bop bip bop boo."
"If you wanna be my lather, you should have seen da laav."
"If you wanna be my lather, you should have seen the plough."
...
Sleeping Cap
Holly, found in bed wearing a dog-shaped showercap.
Swimming
Rosie swam a width today all by herself. Twice. Hoorah!
Our nice school
Holly in Miss Gooch's class
Rosie in Mrs Mujeeb's class
Fish
Rosie described the difference between fish in the sea and fish in your fish fingers. "Fish in your fingers is fellated."