Every night at bedtime E asks for a story and four songs. Tonight the story is Charlie and Lola's Whoops! But it Wasn't Me for the five millionth time. Half-way into the book, I discover that I have developed a very useful new ability — I can read aloud convincingly without the words actually passing the barrier of registration in my brain - this frees up lots of cognitive capacity for important thinking. While the words coming out of my mouth might be, "I have this little sister Lola, she is drone, bla, bla, drone", the words inside my head fly to much higher planes: "Are there any chocolates left in the box? Maybe I could have just one when I go back downstairs. Did I wash Z's rugby strip for tomorrow or is it lying in a mouldering, muddy heap somewhere? Must go and check. There might even be more than one chocolate left."
The songs are a bit tricker because my reading skills are much more developed than my singing skills. E has eclectic taste in bedtime music. Tonight the requests are for :
1) The Lights of Lochindaal (because it mentions her middle name, Iona)
2) Brochan Lom (Gaelic mouth music)
3) Away in a Manger (a favourite, even in mid-summer)
4) Two Little Boys (I worry that perhaps this old Rolf Harris song glorifies war, especially after googling for that link and discovering that it is (was?) Margaret Thatcher's favourite song. If E ever joins the "ranks so blue" it will be my fault)
There were no chocolates left. And that's a good thing.
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5 comments:
Oh no! Funny because as I was reading through your post, my mind kept saying, "Oh, I hope there's a chocolate left for Lezzles!"
I hold entire conversations with A in much the same way. I'm only ever caught out when he refers to said convo and it becomes clear that I have absolutely NO CLUE as to what he is talking about. Ah! you must have been addressing the nodding head! I must be good though as this happens quite a lot.
Shame about the chocolate though.
That made me smile!
Have you read Lauren Child's version of The Princess and the Pea? It's very sweet. I discovered it just the other day.
Joathan, no I haven't heard of it - I'll look out for it.
Iona, that's a fab name! Loved the place. I rather like Theodora too.
I wouldn't be able to sing Two Little Boys because I just know I'd get a hideously embarrassing lump in the throat at the 'do you think I could leave you dying?' line and would hate myself utterly for it. It doesn't surprise me at all it was Maggie's favourite.
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