I strongly suspect that the handful of people who read this blog have given up and that I waste my time even writing this!
However, 2 recent events have made me want to pick up my blogging again. The first is finding a diary that I wrote when I was 13. It is shockingly bad and very poorly written (my English teacher has a lot to answer for.)However, when it got to halfway through the diary and I faced blank pages for the remaining 6 months of the year, I felt really frustrated with myself. OK, so I realise that a 13 year old doesn't really have much to write about but it gave me a little insight into what my 13- year old self was thinking and feeling, even if it was just proof that I was an extremely naive teenager who thought I knew it all! I then pictured Anna getting extremely frustrated with me when she came to read this blog later in life and realised that her Mum didn't bother to keep up with it and let her daughter have an insight into her Early Years. Again, this may be me being naive, just like the 13 year old I used to be. She may not be interested in the slightest but I want to give her the opportunity anyway.
The other event that made me want to pick up blogging is reading a fellow blogger's most recent post. I started blogging 4 years ago, when a colleague/friend happened to be writing hers when I strolled into her classroom one evening (We were both workaholics and stayed late!!). I didn't think much about it but then, one day when I was desperately trying to find someone else out there who was walking round with baby sick on their shoulder and not the faintest idea what was going on, I started to read some parenting blogs. I didn't really relate to any of them except one! It later emerged that this lady blogger, named Elsie, had her first born child, a daughter, on exactly the same day as me - 18Th November 2006. More than that was the fact that she was a teacher, came from my home town AND got married on the very same day as me as well. All of this was a coincidence which was found out over time but rather uncanny to say the least! Anyway, this week, she wrote a fantastic blog about her daughter starting school full time in September.
Now, I have always known that September 2011 would be the time that Anna started school. I have even gone through the nightmare of trying to choose my 3 preferred choices for schools and filled in the application form. However, none of this felt real. I think I had detached myself from the process, believing that the day when I waved Anna into a strange new building with a bunch of strangers was never going to happen. Reading Elsie's post (http://elsiebutton.blogspot.com/) has just made me realise that September sees me doing just that. Suddenly I have lost my little girl for a vast majority of each day! Oh Bloody hell!!!! I now have tears streaming down my face!
Therefore, I am going to try very hard to resume this blog for 2 reasons:
Firstly, so that Anna will continue to get an insight into her childhood and each new chapter that brings.
Secondly, I am trying desperately to hang on by my fingertips to each and every last minute of Anna's toddler years because reality has just made me realise that time is speeding by way too fast so I need every memory I can cling on to! Writing may also prove to be good therapy because I am going to need all the therapy I can get!
Saturday, 12 March 2011
Sunday, 19 December 2010
Dear Santa...
Christmas excitement has reached the Gibson household. Anna is eagerly counting down the days until Christmas day. We have the Reindeer food ready to sprinkle on Nanny's lawn(oats mixed with some biodegradable glitter, just so the Reindeer's can see it sparkling from the night sky)and the Christmas tree is rearranged on a daily basis.
We went to Alton Towers and the 'Santa Sleepover' last weekend. I KNOW it is a money-making business venture and corporate BUT it really was magical and Anna, like last year, was completely spell-bound by the whole experience. (She is also the biggest thrill seeker ever. No longer will tiny merry-go-rounds suffice, the pirate ship and full speed 'cups and saucers' is where the fun is at. James and I came off them feeling rather queasy while Anna shouted 'again, again' and ran round to get on again (There were very few queues, hence why we rode the pirate ship 10 times in an hour!)
Last year, Anna was not shy when it came to Santa at all. I think she had a vague idea of him but wasn't fully sure so casually talked to him about what she liked and whether she had been a good girl. This year was a different story. Anna was completely awe-struck! She keeps describing him as magical so just gazed at him in wonder, unable to speak. At one point, I was sure she was going to bow to him as though he was the king or something! However, rest assured, she did manage to tell him what she wanted. Mummy and Daddy can't wait until Christmas day (I am off to buy ear plugs this week for us and the whole of Herefordshire). I will leave you with a copy of Anna's letter that she sent to the big man (as said by Anna and scribed by me)!
Dear Santa,
I hope you have had a nice year. I have been a good girl this year.
I would like a DRUM KIT this year please. I have seen it in John Lewis if the elves need to go shopping. It is purple and has a stool and 2 drumsticks. It is VERY loud. It is big but you can come in the door if it won't fit down the chimney.
I would be very happy if you would bring a DRUM kit, I will leave a mince pie and a glass of milk for you. We have got some special magic Reindeer food too. Rudolph will love it and it has glitter in it so you can see it from the sky.
Remember I am at Nanny's house for Christmas. She lives in Hereford. I don't know where that is. Mummy says it is NEAR Wales but NOT in Wales. I have never seen Whale's at Nanny's house.
Love from Anna xx
We went to Alton Towers and the 'Santa Sleepover' last weekend. I KNOW it is a money-making business venture and corporate BUT it really was magical and Anna, like last year, was completely spell-bound by the whole experience. (She is also the biggest thrill seeker ever. No longer will tiny merry-go-rounds suffice, the pirate ship and full speed 'cups and saucers' is where the fun is at. James and I came off them feeling rather queasy while Anna shouted 'again, again' and ran round to get on again (There were very few queues, hence why we rode the pirate ship 10 times in an hour!)
Last year, Anna was not shy when it came to Santa at all. I think she had a vague idea of him but wasn't fully sure so casually talked to him about what she liked and whether she had been a good girl. This year was a different story. Anna was completely awe-struck! She keeps describing him as magical so just gazed at him in wonder, unable to speak. At one point, I was sure she was going to bow to him as though he was the king or something! However, rest assured, she did manage to tell him what she wanted. Mummy and Daddy can't wait until Christmas day (I am off to buy ear plugs this week for us and the whole of Herefordshire). I will leave you with a copy of Anna's letter that she sent to the big man (as said by Anna and scribed by me)!
Dear Santa,
I hope you have had a nice year. I have been a good girl this year.
I would like a DRUM KIT this year please. I have seen it in John Lewis if the elves need to go shopping. It is purple and has a stool and 2 drumsticks. It is VERY loud. It is big but you can come in the door if it won't fit down the chimney.
I would be very happy if you would bring a DRUM kit, I will leave a mince pie and a glass of milk for you. We have got some special magic Reindeer food too. Rudolph will love it and it has glitter in it so you can see it from the sky.
Remember I am at Nanny's house for Christmas. She lives in Hereford. I don't know where that is. Mummy says it is NEAR Wales but NOT in Wales. I have never seen Whale's at Nanny's house.
Love from Anna xx
Wednesday, 24 November 2010
Welcome to the Jungle
Chaos, mayhem, madness and commotion would be the best way to describe Anna's party this year! Having a slightly bigger house this year meant that we were got slightly carried away and thought that 41 guests and one dog would be easy!!! Cue the hysterical laughing!
Ever since last November, I had been telling everyone that I wasn't going to another party this year after all the stress from last time. Then, Anna started to go to her friend's parties and tell me how wonderful it was and how she would love a party and suddenly you find yourself agreeing! Your memory can play cruel tricks on you and, over the passage of time, you forget how stressful it was. It is a little like childbirth. If every woman had a fantastic memory, I am sure that they would never ever have more than one child. However, the memory fades and you fool yourself into thinking that it couldn't possibly been have as bad as you recall... until you find yourself making noises that you thought you were not humanly possible whilst in the midst of a contraction!
Anna's party preparation was very much like that! As I stood in Marks and Spencers for 52 minutes, in a queue of 20 pensioners all ordering their Christmas Turkey, whilst I was picking up 8 pallets full of food for Anna's party the next day. Even as the boy scout (who was doing volunteer work for the day) was wheeling the 8 pallets out to my car, I was still questioning whether had ordered enough. (In hindsight, the answer was Yes. However, I think my food ordering must be getting better as I wasn't handing out a tray full of sandwiches to each guest as they left this year!)
I was also questioning why I put myself through this every year whilst James and I were stood on step ladders attempting to hang crepe paper from every available piece of ceiling space in our conservatory for 3 hours on the Saturday afternoon. You may be asking why?
The theme for this year was 'The Jungle'. Anna had asked for a Rhino theme (Yes - the Rhino obsession continues). However, after extensive research, I found that manufacturers don't appear to supply Rhino plates, party hats and matching napkins. Therefore, we compromised and Anna agreed to have a Jungle theme. I chose to ignore the person who, after I ordered all the jungle themed party ware, questioned whether Rhino's actually live in the jungle. (After 'googling it, I found that the answer was non-conclusive but most would suggest that they don't! Anna will grow up with the misconception that they do using her 4Th birthday party as point of reference!!!
This resulted in James and I spending an entire Saturday afternoon and evening attempting to make half of our conservatory look like a jungle. You know when you have a vision in your head of what it will look like and then the reality turns out to be nothing like you imagined. That is basically what it ended up being! I had some very kind friends who complimented me on how fantastic it looked but I'm sure that they were just being polite. To me, it just looked like a conservatory which had a few trees stuck to a window and some dangling bits of green paper hanging from the roof. Anna confirmed my suspicions when, after finishing the scenery, I said , in my excited and mock-surprised voice, 'Wow Anna, there is a jungle in our conservatory!. Anna came running in, took on look at it and said 'Oh Thank you Mummy and Daddy. You tried really hard'.
2 days before, Anna informed me that the party was Fancy-dress. Despite not mentioning this on the invitations that had been sent out, Anna had decided that she was going to be a butterfly for the party.
'But we don't have a butterfly costume' I protested.
"Yes we do Mummy" replied Anna and disappeared upstairs, only to come back 3 minutes later with her fairy costume. When I pointed out that it was in fact a fairy costume, Anna thought for a moment and said 'Don't be silly Mummy. When have you ever seen a fairy in the jungle? It has wings and I'm in the jungle. I'm a butterfly".
This then meant that I had to text/phone all her friends to tell them of the latest development (I had visions of children crying because Anna was in fancy dress and they hadn't been told that they could dress up).
This meant that, within our Jungle, we had a butterfly, leopard, tigger, a Princess, a Disney princess (forgot the name!), Cinderella, Roary the Racing Car and a pirate.
There is no denying that the party was chaos to say the least. I had adults needing 5 minutes 'time out' in our spare bedroom from the mayhem. However, I like to think that the adults gained some valuable tips for life (on how not to do things!!) but, most importantly, that the children had a good time. We had party games, a fantastic Jo Jingles teacher who really did save the day with some fab music and games, food, cake and chocolate. What more do you need?
At the end of it all, Anna was exhausted and even let out a big sigh as the last guest left. I think even she needed 5 minutes 'relaxation' time to gather her thoughts.
However, the biggest indicator of how successful the party had been came when it was time for bed. Anna looked at me and, without any prompting, gave me a huge hug before saying 'EVERYBODY came to see me today Mummy. This has been the best day ever' before falling asleep with a huge smile on her face (in a very squashed position having insisted that a huge Mickey Mouse, Zac from Zingzillas, Jessie and all her other new toys share her bed with her)
I want to say the biggest 'THANK YOU' to everybody who attended Anna's party, sent her a card and/or gave her a gift. Yet again, we feel completely overwhelmed by family and friends who are incredibly kind and who are gorgeous people to know. Anna is extremely lucky to have you all in her life!
Thursday, 18 November 2010
Happy 4th Birthday Anna!
My baby girl is 4 today! In fact, that last sentence isn't true. My little girl isn't a baby any more (as her Mummy sobs)
Last week, we went to Anna's prospective primary school and met her teacher. It all seemed far too grown up.
Next week, Anna begins going to pre-school for an entire day (potential new job opportunity). Every other child in Anna's year group goes for the whole day except Anna who goes each morning. Her teacher pulled me to one side and mentioned that Anna was growing up and would probably benefit for going for an entire day, ready for school in September. She will now be going all day Monday and 3 other mornings. A whole day without my girl! She is growing up!
Every day we are reminded that our little girl isn't a baby any more. For example, last week she read the entire label from my friend's coat 'Zara Women's Collection. Only at Zara'. Whilst my friends sat there open-mouthed, I was completely oblivious! I just thought that she recognised the words from the shop signs. She has been asking what each shop that we walk past is called for ages so just thought it was a good memory game. My friends suggested that it was rather good for 4! It got me thinking that maybe Anna could actually read a couple of words. I then happened to leave my Reception level flashcards out, wondering if Anna would take any interest. She found them pretty quickly, picked them up and then proceeded to read 43 out of 45 words including 'going', come', 'went', 'the', 'they' and so on! Could she read a book? So I then found my old Reception Level 1 books and Anna told me she wanted to read me a story. 'Kipper was Fishing. He got a crab. Chip was Fishing. He got an octopus' and so it went until she read the entire book! How on earth does she read it? I have absolutely no idea!!! I even thought that it must be books that pre-school have been showing her. They had never seen them before!!!! The teacher then informs me that Anna can read the entire register of names plus what they are having for lunch! She is growing up!!!!!!! (I am probably showing off. I can only apologise but I am just trying to illustrate the point that my daughter is so grown up that she is actually reading! I have no idea how, other than the fact that she has always had a huge interest in words and letters. Plus, it is her birthday. Can I just show off on her birthday???)
Anna's sense of humour is also rather wicked! She has a really cheeky giggle and, if something makes her laugh, she will keep thinking about it all afternoon and collapse in a fit of hysterics again... rather like her mother!!!! In fact, she often makes me laugh very loudly so that I can't stop! It either means that I have a very immature sense of humour or my daughter has a mature sense of humour. You decide! Either way, my baby is growing up!
Her teachers tell me she is extremely polite and well-mannered and always willing to help others, even if it means she has to stop her own enjoyment temporarily to help someone else. I hope that continues throughout her entire life as it is one of life's most important lessons to learn!
Of course, being 4 years old also comes with it's own challenges. Miss Independent insists on doing everything herself and then gets extremely frustrated if she can't do it. She is also fiercely strong-willed and if she has an idea in her head, nothing or nobody will stop her. Stubbornness also features from time to time but I blame the parents! Both her Mummy and Daddy are stubborn so we only have ourselves to blame for that one!
Growing up can be hard sometimes, especially for her Mummy who can't get her head around the fact that it is all going too fast and her baby starts school in this next year. It also makes her Mummy feel very old! However, with Anna around, life is never dull and just full of loveliness.
Both her Mummy and Daddy are extremely proud of our girl. She is beautiful, kind, affectionate, funny and simply wonderful - the best little person on the entire planet! We love you so much Anna Elizabeth Gibson! (More sobbing from Mummy)
PS: Photos and news from her party will follow soon. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH for coming and making it 'the best day ever' (her words) for Anna
Wednesday, 29 September 2010
Rhino Mania
If you have spent more than 2 minutes in the company of Anna this summer, you will know that there has only been one topic of conversation. Rhino's!! In fact, even her beloved cube now sits at home sulking while her new cuddly Rhino (called Empathy) accompanies Anna when we go out.
So where has this new found passion for Rhino's come from?
Well, hopefully, the website may explain it a little.
www.rhinomania.co.uk.
Basically, it is 63 life-size Rhino's that have been placed in and about Chester for the summer. They have painted in various guises and all 'works of art', created by some famous and not-so-famous local artists. 2 Rhinos are painted like roman soldiers (to promote the idea of Chester being a Roman city with many links still remaining) while some are more abstract (A Rhino painted white with a bar code and 'While Stocks Last' written on him, to highlight their possible extinction at the hands of human activity). Some of the Rhinos are actually rather stunning pieces of art work. However, this doesn't actually go anyway to explain the obsession that has taken over the Gibson household.
It all started with an innocent trip to Chester where we happened to walk by 'Blossom', a Rhino painted with the flowers of Grosvenor Park in Chester. Anna insisted that she introduce herself to him, give him a hug and a kiss and discuss his finer points. We then eventually walked on and came across another Rhino. Again, we stopped to talk to him and then moved on. At this point, I happened to mention that there were several Rhino's in Chester. To illustrate my point, I then showed Anna a map that was placed next to the Rhino.
Anna's eyes lit up. 'It says '63 Mummy. There are 63 Rhino's. Can we see them all?'
James and I just smiled at each other naively, completely oblivious to the fact that Rhinos were about to take over our lives for summer 2010. We just assumed that Anna would get bored after 5!
2 months on and we have seen all 63! Plus, not content at that, Anna started to see 'baby Rhino's' and wanted to see all of them. (A Baby Rhino was given to each school to paint in their own way. The school then gave it back to the project where they were then displayed across Chester and beyond, before eventually being returned to their school). There are 116!!! I know what you are thinking. Just go and see a few and then tell Anna that you have seen them all. You underestimate my daughter. You see, Anna has a map of the 116 Baby Rhino's and now ticks them when she has seen them. Every morning during the summer, I have actually had a progress report of how many we had seen and how many left we had to find. 'You do know that there are 3 more baby Rhino's don't you Mummy? They are at the zoo Mummy. We won't forget them will we Mummy?’ Yes, that's right. We have seen all 116 Baby Rhino's too.
Some of them are not easy to find either. Maximus was in London (on the platform which sees the train from Chester arrive in Euston each day. Maximus is meant to promote Chester to London folk!!) So, the Gibson family (just to confirm how sad we are) all trooped to London. Of course, we did do other things apart from just seeing Maximus the Rhino but I would be lying if I said that it played a small role in the trip. For Anna, despite showing her Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, the Science Museum with a basement designed entirely for toddlers with water, sand and the biggest lightweight Lego bricks you have ever seen, the Rainforest Cafe (although she did love the Rainforest with lightning and thunder effects and even ate all her lunch for the first time ever) and numerous tube stations (!!!!) ... the Rhino was still the highlight of her day, especially when Anna noticed that he had red sandals on!!
Now this is the worrying bit. Anna is now able to name all 63 Rhino's, their location in Chester and what their number is, all off by heart. For example, we were going for a walk by the river one Sunday afternoon when I casually asked where the ice cream kiosk was. 'Next to number 58 Mummy. We can see the ice cream when we stand next to Lawrence' said Anna. James and I just nodded in a patronizing way. Sure enough, Lawrence the Rhino was stood next to the Ice Cream kiosk and his number was 58! We have only visited the riverside Rhino's once so she must have remembered it from reading her Rhino Guidebook each and every morning (whilst giving me the update!)
Anna has given them all personalities too. She informs me that Buzz, the Baby Rhino is quite shy and his Mummy, 'Fleur' goes to look after him when all the visitors have gone home.
She can also read all her numbers to 116 and many street names in Chester. She is also amazing at reading maps. Forget GPS, all you need is Anna Gibson if you ever get lost in Chester!
She has also got to know each and every staff member working in the restaurants, tourist attractions, shops and other amenities where Rhino’s hang out. In fact, in one restaurant, they had sneakily put the Rhino in the back of their establishment (Most display them in windows. They don’t want a 3 year old causing chaos in Marco Pierre Whites restaurant!!). I was just explaining to Anna that we may not be able to see this particular Rhino (located at the back of the restaurant) when the manageress happened to walk out.
‘Hello’ said Anna. ‘Have you got a Rhino in there? Please may I see it?’
I have to admit that I was now acting like the embarrassed teenager while Anna took the role of pushy parent.
The manageresses just smiled and said ‘For being such a polite young lady, come in’.
I shuffled in, dressed in my cropped trousers and scruffy flip flops while Anna said ‘Thank you very much’ and casually saunters up to the back of the restaurant with the Manageress (who I later find out is called Emma). 10 minutes later and I wonder whether Emma has got Anna washing dishes so go and find her (It is one of those dark restaurants with atmospheric lighting and mood music). Emma and Anna are discussing Indian culture (The Rhino was decorated to celebrate Indian culture after the school had been studying this as a topic). Emma informs me that I have a lovely young girl and tells me to help myself to a drink. When I return, Anna is telling Emma all about the other Rhino’s in other restaurants. ‘I think Bindi likes being in this restaurant. It smells yummy but he is not very good at seeing in the dark. You need to put the lights on and blow the candles out’ reflects Anna. Thankfully, Emma laughed. After Anna had given the manageress her review of her restaurant, I thought it was time to leave but not before Emma told Anna to go back in 10 years’ time and she would give her a weekend job as ‘front of house’. I am going to hold them to that!
I think’ Rhino Mania’ has helped Anna in lots of ways. Her social skills have really developed and, because, we have often had to ask about where the Rhinos are in each place, Anna has got really polite and confident in asking. She does not hesitate to go up to the snotty stuck-up girl in the posh boutique and enquire as to where the Rhino is and I was very proud of her when she then went back to her at the end and said ‘Thank you. I saw the Rhino in your shop. He was lovely, Thank You for letting me see him” Suddenly the girl smiled and was very chatty. I think I should take some lesson’s form Anna!
However, tragedy struck today as Rhino Mania has come to an end. I had explained to Anna that the Rhino's had to go home and they had only come to visit Chester for the summer holidays but I think reality hit home today. In each location where a Rhino once stood, Anna was visibly dismayed at the sight of an empty space. 'Where has Regal Rhino gone?' Anna uttered, trying hard to fight the tears. Anna couldn’t understand why anyone would want to leave Chester and, more importantly, her!
Luckily, I had a plan B. 58 of the Rhinos are being auctioned for Charity and there is a Gala event being held at the Racecourse. Tickets are £45 each so we won't be going to that. However, in the 3 days leading up to this, there is a preview of the Rhino's, all shiny and polished, which anyone can attend. Therefore, I had explained to Anna that this will be the Rhino's leaving party and a chance for her to say 'Goodbye'. Anna is now beside herself with excitement. In fact, she seems more excited about this than ever. Each morning, she asks when the party is and what party dress she can wear.
However, I have gone one step further! Bank of America (James' employers) are actually hosting the event (They like to do their bit for Charity as it gets them into the council's good books and then they can build all over designated green space!!) and a friend of mine told me how employees can volunteer at the Gala event. Now I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to ensure the Rhino's went to a good home. I also thought it would give me some 'inside information' on where the Rhino's end up. So I bullied James into volunteering. At first he wasn't keen but I did use the emotional blackmail line about how he would be doing it for Anna. (It also may prove useful if I ever have to send begging letters asking if my daughter can come and visit the Rhino's because she is having withdrawal symptoms!). This didn't seem to work and he accused ME of being rather obsessed with the Rhino's and using my daughter as a cover! He may have had a point. However, I then pointed out that if he went for a job as a 'telephone bidder', he could actually get to bid thousands of pounds of other people's money (some of the Rhinos are predicted to go for £10,000 plus!). This seemed to appeal to him and, I am delighted to say that he successfully won a place as a telephone bidder. This means that, on the evening of the 5th October, dressed in formal black tie, my husband will be at the Rhino Gala event at Chester Racecourse with a telephone stuck to his ear as he is asked to bid £10,000 on a plastic Rhino! Life can be surreal at times!
With hindsight, Rhino obsession may have taken over the Gibson household this summer. However, it has meant that we have walked miles and miles on the hunt for them, seen so many new places in Chester and got to know more about our hometown, Anna has become an expert at reading maps, memorising numbers and getting to know landmarks of Chester and we have had lots of fun!
Rhinos have dominated our whole summer. In fact, Anna is now asking whether she can have a Rhino themed birthday party. I fear that, even though Rhino Mania may have come to an end with the passing of summer, Rhino Mania may not have finished in this household quite yet!
So where has this new found passion for Rhino's come from?
Well, hopefully, the website may explain it a little.
www.rhinomania.co.uk.
Basically, it is 63 life-size Rhino's that have been placed in and about Chester for the summer. They have painted in various guises and all 'works of art', created by some famous and not-so-famous local artists. 2 Rhinos are painted like roman soldiers (to promote the idea of Chester being a Roman city with many links still remaining) while some are more abstract (A Rhino painted white with a bar code and 'While Stocks Last' written on him, to highlight their possible extinction at the hands of human activity). Some of the Rhinos are actually rather stunning pieces of art work. However, this doesn't actually go anyway to explain the obsession that has taken over the Gibson household.
It all started with an innocent trip to Chester where we happened to walk by 'Blossom', a Rhino painted with the flowers of Grosvenor Park in Chester. Anna insisted that she introduce herself to him, give him a hug and a kiss and discuss his finer points. We then eventually walked on and came across another Rhino. Again, we stopped to talk to him and then moved on. At this point, I happened to mention that there were several Rhino's in Chester. To illustrate my point, I then showed Anna a map that was placed next to the Rhino.
Anna's eyes lit up. 'It says '63 Mummy. There are 63 Rhino's. Can we see them all?'
James and I just smiled at each other naively, completely oblivious to the fact that Rhinos were about to take over our lives for summer 2010. We just assumed that Anna would get bored after 5!
2 months on and we have seen all 63! Plus, not content at that, Anna started to see 'baby Rhino's' and wanted to see all of them. (A Baby Rhino was given to each school to paint in their own way. The school then gave it back to the project where they were then displayed across Chester and beyond, before eventually being returned to their school). There are 116!!! I know what you are thinking. Just go and see a few and then tell Anna that you have seen them all. You underestimate my daughter. You see, Anna has a map of the 116 Baby Rhino's and now ticks them when she has seen them. Every morning during the summer, I have actually had a progress report of how many we had seen and how many left we had to find. 'You do know that there are 3 more baby Rhino's don't you Mummy? They are at the zoo Mummy. We won't forget them will we Mummy?’ Yes, that's right. We have seen all 116 Baby Rhino's too.
Some of them are not easy to find either. Maximus was in London (on the platform which sees the train from Chester arrive in Euston each day. Maximus is meant to promote Chester to London folk!!) So, the Gibson family (just to confirm how sad we are) all trooped to London. Of course, we did do other things apart from just seeing Maximus the Rhino but I would be lying if I said that it played a small role in the trip. For Anna, despite showing her Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, the Science Museum with a basement designed entirely for toddlers with water, sand and the biggest lightweight Lego bricks you have ever seen, the Rainforest Cafe (although she did love the Rainforest with lightning and thunder effects and even ate all her lunch for the first time ever) and numerous tube stations (!!!!) ... the Rhino was still the highlight of her day, especially when Anna noticed that he had red sandals on!!
Now this is the worrying bit. Anna is now able to name all 63 Rhino's, their location in Chester and what their number is, all off by heart. For example, we were going for a walk by the river one Sunday afternoon when I casually asked where the ice cream kiosk was. 'Next to number 58 Mummy. We can see the ice cream when we stand next to Lawrence' said Anna. James and I just nodded in a patronizing way. Sure enough, Lawrence the Rhino was stood next to the Ice Cream kiosk and his number was 58! We have only visited the riverside Rhino's once so she must have remembered it from reading her Rhino Guidebook each and every morning (whilst giving me the update!)
Anna has given them all personalities too. She informs me that Buzz, the Baby Rhino is quite shy and his Mummy, 'Fleur' goes to look after him when all the visitors have gone home.
She can also read all her numbers to 116 and many street names in Chester. She is also amazing at reading maps. Forget GPS, all you need is Anna Gibson if you ever get lost in Chester!
She has also got to know each and every staff member working in the restaurants, tourist attractions, shops and other amenities where Rhino’s hang out. In fact, in one restaurant, they had sneakily put the Rhino in the back of their establishment (Most display them in windows. They don’t want a 3 year old causing chaos in Marco Pierre Whites restaurant!!). I was just explaining to Anna that we may not be able to see this particular Rhino (located at the back of the restaurant) when the manageress happened to walk out.
‘Hello’ said Anna. ‘Have you got a Rhino in there? Please may I see it?’
I have to admit that I was now acting like the embarrassed teenager while Anna took the role of pushy parent.
The manageresses just smiled and said ‘For being such a polite young lady, come in’.
I shuffled in, dressed in my cropped trousers and scruffy flip flops while Anna said ‘Thank you very much’ and casually saunters up to the back of the restaurant with the Manageress (who I later find out is called Emma). 10 minutes later and I wonder whether Emma has got Anna washing dishes so go and find her (It is one of those dark restaurants with atmospheric lighting and mood music). Emma and Anna are discussing Indian culture (The Rhino was decorated to celebrate Indian culture after the school had been studying this as a topic). Emma informs me that I have a lovely young girl and tells me to help myself to a drink. When I return, Anna is telling Emma all about the other Rhino’s in other restaurants. ‘I think Bindi likes being in this restaurant. It smells yummy but he is not very good at seeing in the dark. You need to put the lights on and blow the candles out’ reflects Anna. Thankfully, Emma laughed. After Anna had given the manageress her review of her restaurant, I thought it was time to leave but not before Emma told Anna to go back in 10 years’ time and she would give her a weekend job as ‘front of house’. I am going to hold them to that!
I think’ Rhino Mania’ has helped Anna in lots of ways. Her social skills have really developed and, because, we have often had to ask about where the Rhinos are in each place, Anna has got really polite and confident in asking. She does not hesitate to go up to the snotty stuck-up girl in the posh boutique and enquire as to where the Rhino is and I was very proud of her when she then went back to her at the end and said ‘Thank you. I saw the Rhino in your shop. He was lovely, Thank You for letting me see him” Suddenly the girl smiled and was very chatty. I think I should take some lesson’s form Anna!
However, tragedy struck today as Rhino Mania has come to an end. I had explained to Anna that the Rhino's had to go home and they had only come to visit Chester for the summer holidays but I think reality hit home today. In each location where a Rhino once stood, Anna was visibly dismayed at the sight of an empty space. 'Where has Regal Rhino gone?' Anna uttered, trying hard to fight the tears. Anna couldn’t understand why anyone would want to leave Chester and, more importantly, her!
Luckily, I had a plan B. 58 of the Rhinos are being auctioned for Charity and there is a Gala event being held at the Racecourse. Tickets are £45 each so we won't be going to that. However, in the 3 days leading up to this, there is a preview of the Rhino's, all shiny and polished, which anyone can attend. Therefore, I had explained to Anna that this will be the Rhino's leaving party and a chance for her to say 'Goodbye'. Anna is now beside herself with excitement. In fact, she seems more excited about this than ever. Each morning, she asks when the party is and what party dress she can wear.
However, I have gone one step further! Bank of America (James' employers) are actually hosting the event (They like to do their bit for Charity as it gets them into the council's good books and then they can build all over designated green space!!) and a friend of mine told me how employees can volunteer at the Gala event. Now I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to ensure the Rhino's went to a good home. I also thought it would give me some 'inside information' on where the Rhino's end up. So I bullied James into volunteering. At first he wasn't keen but I did use the emotional blackmail line about how he would be doing it for Anna. (It also may prove useful if I ever have to send begging letters asking if my daughter can come and visit the Rhino's because she is having withdrawal symptoms!). This didn't seem to work and he accused ME of being rather obsessed with the Rhino's and using my daughter as a cover! He may have had a point. However, I then pointed out that if he went for a job as a 'telephone bidder', he could actually get to bid thousands of pounds of other people's money (some of the Rhinos are predicted to go for £10,000 plus!). This seemed to appeal to him and, I am delighted to say that he successfully won a place as a telephone bidder. This means that, on the evening of the 5th October, dressed in formal black tie, my husband will be at the Rhino Gala event at Chester Racecourse with a telephone stuck to his ear as he is asked to bid £10,000 on a plastic Rhino! Life can be surreal at times!
With hindsight, Rhino obsession may have taken over the Gibson household this summer. However, it has meant that we have walked miles and miles on the hunt for them, seen so many new places in Chester and got to know more about our hometown, Anna has become an expert at reading maps, memorising numbers and getting to know landmarks of Chester and we have had lots of fun!
Rhinos have dominated our whole summer. In fact, Anna is now asking whether she can have a Rhino themed birthday party. I fear that, even though Rhino Mania may have come to an end with the passing of summer, Rhino Mania may not have finished in this household quite yet!
Sunday, 11 July 2010
An Audience with Mummy...
They do warn you that you lose all dignity from the moment you become pregnant.
I would have to agree, especially when I think about a scenario involving stirrups, 4 midwives, 2 student doctors plus the tea lady all watching as Anna travels down the birth canal and me saying 'I'm feeling tired. Can I go home now? We can continue the party tomorrow night'.
However, I actually thought that dignity could be restored once the horrors of childbirth had been cast to a long and distant memory. It appears not!
Now that Anna is fully potty-trained, she is using public toilets like everybody else. So, whilst out shopping, Anna and I occasionally find ourselves using the facilities available. Unfortunately, I sometimes need the lavatory myself and I have no choice but to take Anna with me if we are on our own. I suppose I could leave Anna to wander around outside by herself but I'm not sure that it would be the wisest idea.
Sharing a toilet cubicle with a 3 year old is not good. During these occasions, Anna has been known to:
Shout, in a very loud voice, "Mummy, are you doing a wee or a poo? before then shouting 'Mummy is just doing a big wee and then we are coming out' so that the whole queue can hear us.
Or, and this is her favourite option and the one that she does on virtually every occasion,
Open the locked door whilst I am mid-flow and say 'Look everybody. Mummy is doing a wee-wee. Isn't she a good girl. Give Mummy a clap".
Meanwhile, I am sat on the toilet trying to kick the door closed with my foot, pull Anna back into the cubicle and pull my trousers up, all at the same time.
Of course, most people then laugh at Anna and so this just encourages her to do it the next time that we find ourselves in the same situation.
You will no longer find me in any public toilet anywhere until Anna decides that public announcement officer is not the career she wishes to pursue!
I would have to agree, especially when I think about a scenario involving stirrups, 4 midwives, 2 student doctors plus the tea lady all watching as Anna travels down the birth canal and me saying 'I'm feeling tired. Can I go home now? We can continue the party tomorrow night'.
However, I actually thought that dignity could be restored once the horrors of childbirth had been cast to a long and distant memory. It appears not!
Now that Anna is fully potty-trained, she is using public toilets like everybody else. So, whilst out shopping, Anna and I occasionally find ourselves using the facilities available. Unfortunately, I sometimes need the lavatory myself and I have no choice but to take Anna with me if we are on our own. I suppose I could leave Anna to wander around outside by herself but I'm not sure that it would be the wisest idea.
Sharing a toilet cubicle with a 3 year old is not good. During these occasions, Anna has been known to:
Shout, in a very loud voice, "Mummy, are you doing a wee or a poo? before then shouting 'Mummy is just doing a big wee and then we are coming out' so that the whole queue can hear us.
Or, and this is her favourite option and the one that she does on virtually every occasion,
Open the locked door whilst I am mid-flow and say 'Look everybody. Mummy is doing a wee-wee. Isn't she a good girl. Give Mummy a clap".
Meanwhile, I am sat on the toilet trying to kick the door closed with my foot, pull Anna back into the cubicle and pull my trousers up, all at the same time.
Of course, most people then laugh at Anna and so this just encourages her to do it the next time that we find ourselves in the same situation.
You will no longer find me in any public toilet anywhere until Anna decides that public announcement officer is not the career she wishes to pursue!
Saturday, 3 July 2010
How to Alienate Your New Neighbours
It appears that we are living in Gardener's World.
This has proved a problem, seeing as though James and I are not the best gardeners in the world.
We have moved to a house with a much bigger garden than we had previously. Even our electric lawn mower took one look at it and refused to start. Hence why James is now the proud owner of a very shiny mower with automatic start and petrol fumes. He is taking great pride in cutting the grass at the moment!
Our cul-de-sac does boasts rather a lot of houses with spectacular gardens. There is a covenant on all the houses on our estate that states that the front garden must remain open (No hedges or fences) so that it has an 'open-plan feel' and that it is a very friendly place to be, with no boundaries to make us feel enclosed from each other. (What a shame that the school playground doesn't adopt the same approach). This all works very well except you then get a huge pressure to make sure that your garden is 'up to scratch'. One of our neighbours actually told us that maintaining a nice garden is for the benefit of the neighbours more than yourself. (His garden is actually amazing and the best in the whole estate. He spends 3 whole days per week out there, he uses a fork, normally used for eating your dinner, to prick the soil and even measures the space between plants and ensures the strips on his lawn are matching!!!)
All of this is fine if you have 3 whole days to spend manicuring your garden (and many of our neighbours do have the time, being retired). However, some more sensible people have taken the approach of having perfectly manicured lawns but without the bedding plants and shrubbery.
We have moved to house which boasted a very impressive bed of plants and shrubbery but was beginning to look rather wild after a harsh winter and no love and attention. Therefore, we felt that the best thing to do was turf most of the beds, leaving one or two, including the beautiful magnolia trees, for colour. After all, what would the neighbours prefer - a garden full of wild shrubs and plants with weeds galore or a nicely mowed lawn.
Therefore, we took a number of quotes from (what we thought) respectable gardeners. There was one gardener who took one look at it and said it was too big a job for him. Eventually we chose a gardener who seemed very polite and knew what he was talking about. Unfortunately, he then sent his assistant round.
Gary had 5 earrings up each ear and a tattoo of a completely naked lady on his right arm. He was shaven-haired and had a black eye. None of this bothered me so much. You shouldn't judge a person by what they look like.
Unfortunately, when he opened his mouth, it became quickly apparent that Gary was not that far from the stereotype. This guy could swear like you have never heard before and he was also not backwards in coming forward with his opinions. Within the first hour I had heard all about his 3 ex-wives who were all described in very non-flattering terms, how he was currently going though his 3rd messy divorce and was sleeping on a mate's floor, how he wasn't racist but that the BNP did have a point and how he had been beaten up by a load of Bouncers in a nightclub and he hadn't done anything except smack a guy around the head because he stood in the way of the TV when Manchester City were playing.
He also insisted on having a coffee (made by me) every 40 minutes while he phoned his solicitor to consult him about his ex-wife or the impending court case about the bouncers.
As you can imagine, this didn't go down brilliantly with the neighbours, who are very skilled in overhearing conversations and matters only got worse when one of our neighbours tried to consult him about the work he was doing. The conversation went..
Neighbour (Posh voice with a Poodle on a lead): "Excuse me young man. Would you mind telling me what you are doing?"
Gary: "I'm ripping these plant out."
Neighbour: "And what do your propose you are going to do with them?"
Gary: "Dunno. Ask me boss. He'll probably burn 'em like."
Neighbour: "That is terrible. I think it's a disgrace. And what is the home owner proposing to do with this garden?"
Gary: "With all due respect, it is none of my business. I have just been hired to rip it out."
At this point, the posh poodle and it's owner walks off to go and consult with the other neighbour who had come out of their house to see what was going on.
It was at this unfortunate moment that I happen to come outside with the 11th coffee of the day. Gary then proceeds to tell me all about the conversation. He then follows this up by whispering to me 'Don't Worry love, I know how to really wind them up' and before I get a chance to say anything, he shouts out
'Ay Mrs Gibson. I think the hot tub will look really great here, you sipping champagne in your bikini and being able to watch the neighbours coming and going'.
Oh God!
The neighbours, after over hearing this, have now gone into information overload while I just go red and wonder what to do next. Do I go over and make some half-hearted attempt at a joke with them all or do I just smile politely and go back inside?
I chose the latter.
3 days later, Gary has finished (in a job that was meant to last a day and a half maximum) and the boss returns to level the soil and turf the beds. Thankfully, he is extremely polite and actually knows some of our neighbours so calm is temporarily restored.
However, another neighbour then decides to approach him to enquire as to the whereabouts of the plants that have now disappeared. On informing her that these plants were now no longer around, the 'helpful' neighbour informs us that the people living here 6 years ago were actually botanists and their job was to keep plants from going extinct and to preserve extremely rare and precious plants. Our beds were full of them apparently, "bringing much enjoyment to the neighbourhood'. Great!
Apparently, our gardener didn't have a clue. So much for qualifications in Horticulture! Thankfully, he was polite enough to diffuse the situation and convince our neighbour that it was individual choice and that a neat garden was better than a scruffy one, albeit with rare and precious plants in it! If it had been Gary who had been presented with the same information, I fear that the neighbour would have been told where she could put the rare plants.
Since then, I have had yet another neighbour comment on what a "neat garden you now have. Shame about the beautiful plants though isn't it".
Oh dear!
James and I are currently undertaking studies in 'How to Survive in a Small Village'. At the moment, we are failing the course in spectacular fashion. Certainly makes life interesting though!
This has proved a problem, seeing as though James and I are not the best gardeners in the world.
We have moved to a house with a much bigger garden than we had previously. Even our electric lawn mower took one look at it and refused to start. Hence why James is now the proud owner of a very shiny mower with automatic start and petrol fumes. He is taking great pride in cutting the grass at the moment!
Our cul-de-sac does boasts rather a lot of houses with spectacular gardens. There is a covenant on all the houses on our estate that states that the front garden must remain open (No hedges or fences) so that it has an 'open-plan feel' and that it is a very friendly place to be, with no boundaries to make us feel enclosed from each other. (What a shame that the school playground doesn't adopt the same approach). This all works very well except you then get a huge pressure to make sure that your garden is 'up to scratch'. One of our neighbours actually told us that maintaining a nice garden is for the benefit of the neighbours more than yourself. (His garden is actually amazing and the best in the whole estate. He spends 3 whole days per week out there, he uses a fork, normally used for eating your dinner, to prick the soil and even measures the space between plants and ensures the strips on his lawn are matching!!!)
All of this is fine if you have 3 whole days to spend manicuring your garden (and many of our neighbours do have the time, being retired). However, some more sensible people have taken the approach of having perfectly manicured lawns but without the bedding plants and shrubbery.
We have moved to house which boasted a very impressive bed of plants and shrubbery but was beginning to look rather wild after a harsh winter and no love and attention. Therefore, we felt that the best thing to do was turf most of the beds, leaving one or two, including the beautiful magnolia trees, for colour. After all, what would the neighbours prefer - a garden full of wild shrubs and plants with weeds galore or a nicely mowed lawn.
Therefore, we took a number of quotes from (what we thought) respectable gardeners. There was one gardener who took one look at it and said it was too big a job for him. Eventually we chose a gardener who seemed very polite and knew what he was talking about. Unfortunately, he then sent his assistant round.
Gary had 5 earrings up each ear and a tattoo of a completely naked lady on his right arm. He was shaven-haired and had a black eye. None of this bothered me so much. You shouldn't judge a person by what they look like.
Unfortunately, when he opened his mouth, it became quickly apparent that Gary was not that far from the stereotype. This guy could swear like you have never heard before and he was also not backwards in coming forward with his opinions. Within the first hour I had heard all about his 3 ex-wives who were all described in very non-flattering terms, how he was currently going though his 3rd messy divorce and was sleeping on a mate's floor, how he wasn't racist but that the BNP did have a point and how he had been beaten up by a load of Bouncers in a nightclub and he hadn't done anything except smack a guy around the head because he stood in the way of the TV when Manchester City were playing.
He also insisted on having a coffee (made by me) every 40 minutes while he phoned his solicitor to consult him about his ex-wife or the impending court case about the bouncers.
As you can imagine, this didn't go down brilliantly with the neighbours, who are very skilled in overhearing conversations and matters only got worse when one of our neighbours tried to consult him about the work he was doing. The conversation went..
Neighbour (Posh voice with a Poodle on a lead): "Excuse me young man. Would you mind telling me what you are doing?"
Gary: "I'm ripping these plant out."
Neighbour: "And what do your propose you are going to do with them?"
Gary: "Dunno. Ask me boss. He'll probably burn 'em like."
Neighbour: "That is terrible. I think it's a disgrace. And what is the home owner proposing to do with this garden?"
Gary: "With all due respect, it is none of my business. I have just been hired to rip it out."
At this point, the posh poodle and it's owner walks off to go and consult with the other neighbour who had come out of their house to see what was going on.
It was at this unfortunate moment that I happen to come outside with the 11th coffee of the day. Gary then proceeds to tell me all about the conversation. He then follows this up by whispering to me 'Don't Worry love, I know how to really wind them up' and before I get a chance to say anything, he shouts out
'Ay Mrs Gibson. I think the hot tub will look really great here, you sipping champagne in your bikini and being able to watch the neighbours coming and going'.
Oh God!
The neighbours, after over hearing this, have now gone into information overload while I just go red and wonder what to do next. Do I go over and make some half-hearted attempt at a joke with them all or do I just smile politely and go back inside?
I chose the latter.
3 days later, Gary has finished (in a job that was meant to last a day and a half maximum) and the boss returns to level the soil and turf the beds. Thankfully, he is extremely polite and actually knows some of our neighbours so calm is temporarily restored.
However, another neighbour then decides to approach him to enquire as to the whereabouts of the plants that have now disappeared. On informing her that these plants were now no longer around, the 'helpful' neighbour informs us that the people living here 6 years ago were actually botanists and their job was to keep plants from going extinct and to preserve extremely rare and precious plants. Our beds were full of them apparently, "bringing much enjoyment to the neighbourhood'. Great!
Apparently, our gardener didn't have a clue. So much for qualifications in Horticulture! Thankfully, he was polite enough to diffuse the situation and convince our neighbour that it was individual choice and that a neat garden was better than a scruffy one, albeit with rare and precious plants in it! If it had been Gary who had been presented with the same information, I fear that the neighbour would have been told where she could put the rare plants.
Since then, I have had yet another neighbour comment on what a "neat garden you now have. Shame about the beautiful plants though isn't it".
Oh dear!
James and I are currently undertaking studies in 'How to Survive in a Small Village'. At the moment, we are failing the course in spectacular fashion. Certainly makes life interesting though!
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