Lump the Dog who ate a Picasso
Usually Fridays are busy with the children having friends over and the week-end doesn’t start for me until gone 8pm. However today Gin Gin is sleeping over and Erikita is having her first ever sleepover. I’m home alone with my Conrado.
We went to the Block House for tea. I haven’t found anyone that cooks better burgers. I had the Block House classic at just under 10 euros and it was delicious. Conrado was very happy with his burger too, even with a mouth of ulcers (too many chocs) he devoured the lot.
So I have a quiet evening. Conrado wanted me to watch him on the PS3 killing people which I endured for as long as I could without poking my eyes out with rusty nails.
So I’ve had some “me” time too. I picked up the lovely book called Lump, the Dog who ate a Picasso. If you like dogs and you like photography and are interested in learning more about Picasso the man, then you will enjoy it. It was written by a photographer who spent time with Picasso in his later years and tells through photography how a dog called Lump came into Picasso’s home in Cannes,Villa La Californie, entered his heart and his art work!
Picasso made a paper rabbit for Lump to see if he liked rabbits. Lump proceeded to eat the entire thing, thus the name of the book!
It’s a sweet book and one you can read again and again and each time you look at the photographs you notice something new.
Have a creative week-end!
Paper recycling
Why do the paper recycling bins have to have such a powerful spring loaded flap?
As well as recycling the paper, there is the danger that you will end up recycling parts of your human anatomy. Mainly hands, nose and if you are bit nosy, your eyeballs too.
Martial arts classes for adults and children
At the start of September martial arts classes for adults and children start up once more at Los Monteros gym in Marbella. Easy parking and great value classes from just 5 euros per class per child by a fully qualified Taekwon-Do instructor who speaks, English, Spanish and Italian fluently.
The martial art is specifically Taekwon-Do
Monday and Wednesdays
Kids 7.15 and 8.00pm
Adults 8.00pm and 9.15pm
Telephone Gerry on 687340677.
Grading and tournaments.
How to barter in Spain
Send your children with the cash.
I was on the beach recently with the children and I spotted the “lookie lookie” men passing by with a handbag that I had really desired after seeing Gin Gin’s friend with it dangling from her pretty arm. I had also desired her silver sparkly Geox sandals but sadly the “lookie lookie” man wasn’t selling those.
I absolutely hate bartering. I just cannot do it in the same way that I would be hopeless at poker. I can’t look at something and say ” I’ll give you 10 euros for it” when I know that I’ll probably pay 20…..or my right arm. Or my daughter….
So I let the man pass and pretended not to hear my daughter’s screams that “IT IS THE SAME BAG AS VICTORIA”…I just jiggled my head as though I was listening to music from an ipod.
Then when the man was about half way to Gibraltar, they walk fast, I sent her with 10 euros in her hand and told her to RUN.
Somewhat alarmed and delighted all at the same time, she did what she was told.
First time for everything.
I reckoned that the man wouldn’t come back to barter with me as it involved a long walk back, Gin Gin only had 10 euros so she couldn’t barter. She just waved the money, pointed at the bag and whilst I pretended to be asleep on my beach towel, my son watched what was happening and reported back on Gin Gin’s progress.
She came back with…THE BAG.
It looks so pretty, cost the 10 euros, can carry nothing of any weight as the knots slip through the catches, but I don’t care.
I LOVE IT. Gin Gin and I are sharing it. In other words, it is MINE ALL MINE.
Gin Gin can be hired for 10 euros an hour for any bartering that you need doing…….
The wanderer returns
My better half has been away in the UK for five days, which is a long time for us to be apart. The first couple of days I found myself lovingly sniffing his clothes in his wardrobe and had to remind myself that he wasn’t dead. I then had to battle the demons as a voice whispered to me ” but what if he was….” Well I’d have a lot more closet space for a start…..
Night times have been the worse. Much as it is pain at times to hear the little snores ( I am being kind…), to find myself pinging upwards towards the ceiling when he gets into bed ( he’s heavier and taller than me …by some measure) it is also re-assuring and comforting to have your BFF lying next to you. I won’t complain quite so hard next time I wake up at 3am due to him fidgeting in his sleep. Little noises became big noises and I began to wonder about the legality of going to bed with a pair of knitting needles tucked under the pillow. I also wondered what I was supposed to do with them should a robber decide to appear in the night through the shutters. Knit him a jumper? Poke out his eyes? Quite frankly I’d probably not even see him as I struggle enough to see people’s faces during the day time. Having a weapon of mass destruction under my pillow didn’t give me comfort as I then spent night three worrying that I might sleepwalk and hurt my own children with them. Or stab myself. On night four I put them back in the sewing box, looked down at my uncut toenails and decided that they would suffice in an emergency.
I’ve enjoyed the usual things that women do when their better halfs are not around.
The loo seat is down, one bathroom is always clean, the bed is really easy to make in the morning, the ironing pile is much reduced, dinner times have consisted of toast and cereal and I’ve caught up on all the SKY tv that I wanted and deleted a few Top Gears….
I’ve also got two dead birds on the terrace that nobody will deal with ( thanks Garfield…) I’m a bit fed up of toast and cereal, the clothes in my hubby’s wardrobe are losing the sniff factor, now I want the real thing, I haven’t slept properly for five nights and being the only parent in the house is really hard work. Hats off to all you single mums and dads. Being a mum and dad all rolled into one is not easy and I only did it for five days. I’ve given myself a C minus.
Hubby is due back in 2 hours and 30 minutes and I’m a very happy girl…..:)
Babysitter needed
Well actually a kitten sitter.
Good way to find out that secretly you are an avid cat lover and that actually your prescence on the earth was utterly meaningless until you found a kitten to love. ( See next post)….to solve all your lifes loneliness, problems, yes even financial problems as stroking a kitten three times a day is considered extremely lucky on an island off Hawaii. I forget its name.
Kitten-sitter needed for Friday and Saturday nights – the lady that is looking after the kittens is off to see Seal and then Stephen Lloyd Morgan Concert in Duquesa! She deserves a break….can you help? Your children would love you forever and ever…..
Glory of Grandparents
I’ve just found out today that my son along with five other students from the forty in his year group, has been chosen to study Latin next year and take his English language exam a year early. The Director said that he was looking at the students that a few years from now, should be applying for Oxford and Cambridge University.
My son recently took a maths challenge and out of the 200,000 children that took part, we was in the top 40% and of that the top 21%, and was given an award. He received that award today.
Lastly he won an IT star today, the only one in his year group.
If I tell anyone else this and yes this blog including I know it sounds like a braggy mum. I’ve come home bursting to tell someone as I’m so proud of him. He’s a quiet lad, he’s not competitive, he just gets on with things quietly and often without any recognition so hey, I want to shout out how proud I am today from the highest roof tops.
But I can’t because it sounds like an overbearing boastful mum. However there is someone I can tell who won’t think any less of me and will just enjoy the story of his success at its face value and not read anything else into it…..my mum and dad. Only grandparents can take the highs and lows of their granchildren and enjoy those highs just as much as the parents of those grandchildren. Only grandparents can hear the stories of how clever their grandchildren are without envy, without prejudice and with pure joy. And that is the glory of grandparents….
I have gone native
I often see Spanish women with their carpets in the Springtime hanging over their balconies. I think they beat the dust out of them and let them air before putting them back in their houses.
Well it is a beautiful sunny day and I have woken up with tons of energy so I’ve decided to go native with my own little twist.
I’ve got out my huge lounge shaggy white rug and hung it over my balcony. The rug was white, now it is more of a grey and I haven’t beaten it, I’ve doused it with bucket upon bucket of water. I added to the bucket lots and lots of washing machine detergent. Then I scrubbed it really hard with one of those brushes that you can use on your kitchen floor or a horse if you have one.
I then decided the results weren’t happening fast enough, the rug still looked grey. So I’ve added to the bucket some bubble bath. It will at least smell of green tea rather than…..well that which will not be mentioned.
I have now got bored of bubble bath and have added some domestos bleach. I am also looking at my daughter’s school tippex bottle and wondering if it may have another use. The tips of the shaggy rug and a bit of tippex? Or how about a French manicure?
I still have a rug, and am just about to check it hasn’t gone yellow or done a runner with Aladdin. I also need to check my roof tiles as I’ve dislodged a few when I threw it over the balcony.
I’ll let you know how the rug gets on. If it turns whiter and also if it ever dries out!
Ferrari playdate
The ferrari club of Marbella meet up regularly and this morning they were outside James Hewitt’s Polo House in Marbella.
Just had to stop to take a few snaps……
I love the yellow one that dares to be different……