Cousin Bill and his wife, Doreen, were visiting from British Columbia so we were visiting with them and having a roast beef dinner at Granny Trudy and Grandpa Dennis' place.
Isobel had overheard a conversation about different types of mustard while in the kitchen.
Later, at the table, she devoured her Yorkshire Pudding and wanted another.
"Can I have another one of those Dijon Muffins?," Isobel asked.
Her request was rewarded with another Yorkshire Pudding ... and then a few more after that!
Maybe one day I'll master the recipe for "Dijon Muffins," too! Surely Granny isn't the only one who can make Yorkshire Pud!
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Red and Blue??
Isobel has known her colours for a long time. This is partially due to John quizzing her when she eats Smarties... asking her the colour of each little chocolate filled candy.
This week the Kindergarten curriculum is focused on the colours RED and BLUE. Today (Tuesday, September 14) she was instructed to wear red clothing to class and on Thursday the students are asked to wear blue. These instructions were written in Isobel's Agenda last week, on the last day of class.
When I told Isobel what the book said, and that she would be learning about red and blue she said: "I know RED and BLUE but I am going to pretend that I don't because they might kick me out [of Kindergarten.]
I don't think there is much chance of that happening, but I did report this amusing statement to Miss Weekes, her teacher!
This week the Kindergarten curriculum is focused on the colours RED and BLUE. Today (Tuesday, September 14) she was instructed to wear red clothing to class and on Thursday the students are asked to wear blue. These instructions were written in Isobel's Agenda last week, on the last day of class.
When I told Isobel what the book said, and that she would be learning about red and blue she said: "I know RED and BLUE but I am going to pretend that I don't because they might kick me out [of Kindergarten.]
I don't think there is much chance of that happening, but I did report this amusing statement to Miss Weekes, her teacher!
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Cherry Wine and Fatso Laird
The cherry tree had ripened fruit - not as much as last year, but fruit none-the-less.
Alisdair decided he wanted to make some cherry jelly, using Granny Trudy's recipe and so he began to pick the fruit into a big stainless steel bowl. Isobel saw him doing this and wanted to help. An argument ensued and Isobel was clearly upset by it. She left and went to do something else. Shortly afterwards, Alisdair lost interest in picking cherries and left the bowl on the back step.
John had a fire burning and I joined him in a plastic lawnchair near the fire pit. Isobel was hovering around until John told her to go pick some fresh peas from the garden and told her she could eat the contents of a few pods.
She ran off, into the yard next door. All was quiet for a while -- too quiet for too long... and then suddenly Isobel ran past us, her hands covered in a blood red substance. For a moment I thought it WAS blood. And then the penny dropped... she'd gotten into the bowl of cherries.
I went to check and, sure enough, the unwashed cherries had been turned into what looked like cherry wine. Squished and fermenting in the bowl with bugs flying around the dish. Fit only for the compost bin.
I was angry and went in search of the culprit. She was nowhere to be found. I told John what had happened.
He thought for a moment and then he said something very cryptic and yet very wise, "That sounds like something Fatso Laird's friend would do!" And then he reminded me that there were still other cherries on the tree and we could still pick some of them and probably we would still have enough to make jelly.
I knew he was right about Fatso Laird and her friend. And so I went to find Isobel, who reappeared once she realized my anger had waned, and I proceeded to wash her sticky hands.
As I washed Isobel's tiny palms I wondered about Mrs. Laird. Was she still alive? Did she still remember the young girl who got angry at her, one day when Mrs. Laird was volunteering at her son's school, and wrote "Fatso Laird" on a piece of masking tape and stuck it on her bottom? And now, as a woman of 48 -- far removed from the girl in Grade 5 or 6, who had done the deed -- I wondered what I would do if some mischievous kid did the same thing to me??
At the time of the incident, my parents made me apologize to Mrs. Laird -- but I wasn't truly sorry. It was only a ritual of obedience. But when I saw the squished cherries and the angry little girl lashing out,I fully understood. Later, John and I laughed about the fact that Isobel was "so much like her Mother" -- but deep down sometimes I still feel the need to truly apologize to Mrs. Laird (if I ever track her down) -- for my transgression almost 40 years ago. Now I am both the angry little girl -- and Mrs. Laird herself -- all wrapped up into the same person...."Fatso Laird's" secret friend....
Alisdair decided he wanted to make some cherry jelly, using Granny Trudy's recipe and so he began to pick the fruit into a big stainless steel bowl. Isobel saw him doing this and wanted to help. An argument ensued and Isobel was clearly upset by it. She left and went to do something else. Shortly afterwards, Alisdair lost interest in picking cherries and left the bowl on the back step.
John had a fire burning and I joined him in a plastic lawnchair near the fire pit. Isobel was hovering around until John told her to go pick some fresh peas from the garden and told her she could eat the contents of a few pods.
She ran off, into the yard next door. All was quiet for a while -- too quiet for too long... and then suddenly Isobel ran past us, her hands covered in a blood red substance. For a moment I thought it WAS blood. And then the penny dropped... she'd gotten into the bowl of cherries.
I went to check and, sure enough, the unwashed cherries had been turned into what looked like cherry wine. Squished and fermenting in the bowl with bugs flying around the dish. Fit only for the compost bin.
I was angry and went in search of the culprit. She was nowhere to be found. I told John what had happened.
He thought for a moment and then he said something very cryptic and yet very wise, "That sounds like something Fatso Laird's friend would do!" And then he reminded me that there were still other cherries on the tree and we could still pick some of them and probably we would still have enough to make jelly.
I knew he was right about Fatso Laird and her friend. And so I went to find Isobel, who reappeared once she realized my anger had waned, and I proceeded to wash her sticky hands.
As I washed Isobel's tiny palms I wondered about Mrs. Laird. Was she still alive? Did she still remember the young girl who got angry at her, one day when Mrs. Laird was volunteering at her son's school, and wrote "Fatso Laird" on a piece of masking tape and stuck it on her bottom? And now, as a woman of 48 -- far removed from the girl in Grade 5 or 6, who had done the deed -- I wondered what I would do if some mischievous kid did the same thing to me??
At the time of the incident, my parents made me apologize to Mrs. Laird -- but I wasn't truly sorry. It was only a ritual of obedience. But when I saw the squished cherries and the angry little girl lashing out,I fully understood. Later, John and I laughed about the fact that Isobel was "so much like her Mother" -- but deep down sometimes I still feel the need to truly apologize to Mrs. Laird (if I ever track her down) -- for my transgression almost 40 years ago. Now I am both the angry little girl -- and Mrs. Laird herself -- all wrapped up into the same person...."Fatso Laird's" secret friend....
Monday, August 2, 2010
The List
Isobel found an old receipt from the Post Office and had scribbled on the back of it. She told me it was a list of all the things she needed to make her room beautiful. According to her, the list included "Four FO-KAYS and a beautiful picture for the wall". (A FO-KAY is a bouquet of flowers.)
I took the list and read it aloud, telling her that it also said she needed, "a battery for the Dora clock, to clean up the mess on the floor and to hang the family picture on the wall."
She seemed disgusted at my suggestions and then, all of a sudden, she said (somewhat exasperatedly), "You can't even READ SQUIGGLES!"
I guess she's right. I can't!
I took the list and read it aloud, telling her that it also said she needed, "a battery for the Dora clock, to clean up the mess on the floor and to hang the family picture on the wall."
She seemed disgusted at my suggestions and then, all of a sudden, she said (somewhat exasperatedly), "You can't even READ SQUIGGLES!"
I guess she's right. I can't!
Saturday, June 5, 2010
How To Make Coffee
Did you know there are four ingredients needed to brew a pot of coffee?
The first thing you need is: SUGAR
Then you need some: LOVE
And of course some COFFEE grounds ... and lastly, as Isobel told her Granny Trudy "Don't forget the WATER!"
It was futile trying to explain that many people don't take sugar in their coffee... So, don't skimp on the FOUR necessary ingredients for a fresh cup of steaming java!
The first thing you need is: SUGAR
Then you need some: LOVE
And of course some COFFEE grounds ... and lastly, as Isobel told her Granny Trudy "Don't forget the WATER!"
It was futile trying to explain that many people don't take sugar in their coffee... So, don't skimp on the FOUR necessary ingredients for a fresh cup of steaming java!
The Cat Chow Trail....
We were over at "the other house" and Isobel wanted to play with the kittens. Unfortunately they did not want to be mauled by a four year old. Suddenly she had a bright idea.
Isobel took a paper cup and filled it with cat chow. Then she began to lay out a trail (like in the tale of Hansel and Gretel -- but instead of using bread crumbs, she scattered hard cat food.)
When she was finished, the kittens continued to ignore her but there was a big mess from the living room to the kitchen.
John saw the cat food mess and said to Isobel, "I am going to have to sell your kite (that she received as a goodie bag treat at a birthday party last weekend) and go and buy a broom!!"
After thinking for a moment, Isobel said, "But Johnny .... You DO have a broom!"
At that he started to laugh and declared her to be one smart cookie! And, as to the mess, we left it for the cats and kittens, to clean up by the digestion method...
Isobel took a paper cup and filled it with cat chow. Then she began to lay out a trail (like in the tale of Hansel and Gretel -- but instead of using bread crumbs, she scattered hard cat food.)
When she was finished, the kittens continued to ignore her but there was a big mess from the living room to the kitchen.
John saw the cat food mess and said to Isobel, "I am going to have to sell your kite (that she received as a goodie bag treat at a birthday party last weekend) and go and buy a broom!!"
After thinking for a moment, Isobel said, "But Johnny .... You DO have a broom!"
At that he started to laugh and declared her to be one smart cookie! And, as to the mess, we left it for the cats and kittens, to clean up by the digestion method...
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Princess Has a Plan....
Isobel came up to me the other night and asked, "Do princesses have babies?"
After thinking for a moment, I said, "Yes, some Princesses do. Princess Diana had two babies."
Then she told me "Well, I am a princess and I want to get married to Kale (Worman) but I don't want to have any babies. What should I do about that?" Not wanting to get into a discussion of birth control with a four year old, I told her that if she really didn't want children, she shouldn't get married.
And then I found out the reason behind the decision not to have offspring.
"I don't want to change stinky diapers," she confided, wrinkling up her nose.
But soon Princess Isobel came up with a workable solution (at least in her mind!) John and I will live with Isobel and Kale (or else they will live with us) and John will be in charge of changing the wet diapers and I will be responsible for changing the stinky ones.
Wonder if these "plans" will change in the months and years to come??
After thinking for a moment, I said, "Yes, some Princesses do. Princess Diana had two babies."
Then she told me "Well, I am a princess and I want to get married to Kale (Worman) but I don't want to have any babies. What should I do about that?" Not wanting to get into a discussion of birth control with a four year old, I told her that if she really didn't want children, she shouldn't get married.
And then I found out the reason behind the decision not to have offspring.
"I don't want to change stinky diapers," she confided, wrinkling up her nose.
But soon Princess Isobel came up with a workable solution (at least in her mind!) John and I will live with Isobel and Kale (or else they will live with us) and John will be in charge of changing the wet diapers and I will be responsible for changing the stinky ones.
Wonder if these "plans" will change in the months and years to come??
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