Mr Sandman send me a dream ...

Following on from my brother's posting on Dad's annoying habits ... thought I'd add a couple here ...

1. Brylcreem ... doesn't sound bad but he ends up plastering the stuff on Zoo's head and combing his hair so he looks like one of the kids out of the Little Rascals .. you know the one! His response to any criticism ... "It's good for your hair, I always use it" which isn't very reassuring when you take into account that Dad's bald!

2. Goliath thinks it's just him that gets the phone treatment ... Rang the parents today to suggest a nice picnic at Golders Hill Park seeing as the weather was so nice ... Mum made various excuses ... "I'm in the garden ... I've dyed my hair ... I can't walk!" So I asked to speak to Dad ... you hear her call over to him and I distinctly hear him say "Tell her I'm in the bath!" Despite the fact that I have obviously heard him say this, Mum bravely tries to convince me otherwise.

"He is in the bath!"
"Mum he's not .."
"Yes he is."
"Mum I just heard him"
"Yes"
"Well, unless you are in the bath with him, how did I hear him so well"

Slight pause ....

"I'm standing on the stairs"
"Mum! You said you were in the garden!"
"I ran inside to get the phone!"
"The phone is at the bottom of the stairs and the bathroom's upstairs!"
"Yes. I am at the top of the stairs"
"Mum, you can't take a walk in the park but you just ran up a flight of stairs within 5 seconds?"
"Honest, he's in the bath."
"Okay Mum .. whatever you say ... Got to go, we are driving home. Speak later"

At this point we get stuck in the queue of cars leaving Asda and as I can see Zoo nodding off, I give him the phone so Mum can keep him awake.

"Hello"
"Dad?"
"Yes."
"I thought you were in the bath"

Long pause ...

"I was ... now I'm not"
"That was quick ..."
"What. You think I'm building a house in there!"
"You probably are with all the time you spend in there"
"No, I don't"
"Yeah? Well how come everytime I ring and want to speak to you, you're in there?"

Longer pause ... stiffled giggle ... "What you want?"

Anyhow didn't manage to convince them so we went down ourselves to enjoy the ducks, chickens, roosters, mara, deer, alpaca and other wildlife. Had a great picnic dinner ... and Zoo decided to take turns on his parent's laps so as not to build up any jealousy ... either that or he wanted to make sure he wasn't missing out on any food.

Once we all had our full, we walked down to the kiddies park and let him play in the huge sandpit. He decided he wanted to go down the slide and as I helped him up and sat him down, he twisted himself round and flung himself on his belly down the slide. He had great fun with the other kids ... at one point, he was spotted being chased by an older woman .. (21 months) ... around the sandpit as she did her best to catch him and give him a kiss and a cuddle and he did his utmost to get away! When I explained what her intention was .. he turned around, wrestled her to the ground and gave her a cuddle, much to her surprise.

And she wasn't the only one surprised tonight ... we took him home and as I undressed him for his bath, it seemed as though there was sand everywhere ... his hair, shoes, socks, T shirt, vest and most wierdly of all his nappy!!! It obviously had the right affect though ... he was out like a light!