What came first? The duck or the egg??

Mujnu decided to pop round to visit his cousin again ... with the gramps in tow of course. Although they brought an assortment of lunch with them I decided to go down the route of cooking my speciality scrambled omelette. A concoction I created on a day when my previously non-stick frying pan decided it really should have been born an obnoxious burn and stick to everything pan instead.

Anyhow ... I approach the dining table with a plate of my scrambled ommelette in one hand and a plate of warmed pitta bread in the other and Cream looks over and says "You're asking for it .. you expect them to make their own sarnies ... You'll have a mess on your hands."

Mum and Dad giggle in the background. But I nonchalantly totter over to the mischievous two now sitting eagerly at the table. I help Mujnu make his first one and even let him have a squig of ketchup with it. As I am helping Zoo make his, I hear a "mmmmm" from the other side of the table. "Pooopeee did you make it? ... It's nice ... mmmmm!"

I couldn't have been more pleased if Gordon Ramsey had suggested that I cook for him! So we sat and ate our food and Mujnu even picked out the five different types of veg in his plate.

Pepper, mushroom, broccolli, red onion, and tomato. "Do you know what else is in there?" He looks at his plate pondering ... "No, Pooppeee? What???"

"Eggs ..." and as I mutter this word, Mujnu's world seems to collapse around him .... Dad yells over ..."Now you've done it ... he won't eat eggs!"

"What's wrong with eggs??" I ask. "He's been watching Cbeebies and they have this trailer where a cute duck pops out of an egg."

"Pooopppeee ... duck's eggs?!?!? He is now staring at the half eaten sandwich in his hand in disgust and then looks up at me as though I have told him that I have just fed him Nemo fingers.

So here it is .... do I explain to a three year old that we humans use animals for labour and meat? That this is the way of the world and that we are no different to many other creatures here on God's earth. An endless system of recycling of sorts where we are fortunate enough to be the top of the food chain. I take a deep breath and do what any responsible parent faced with the potential of having a vegetarian child on their hands ....

"No!" I say laughing, "I didn't cook duck's eggs!!! I cooked .... different eggs!! The thought crossed my mind that perhaps I should mention the chicken that was involved somewhere along the line .. but Mujnu was sufficiently pleased with this answer to proceed to munch down his sandwich and then start filling up his second pitta bread too.

Drinking Buddies

Mujnu had me giggling today. The Gramps weren't so happy but it was easy to see who was in charge there. Mujnu had insisted that the Gramps take him to visit his cousin as he hadn't seen him for a whole two days. I get the impression he has been making the same demands of his own father as Goliath has rung me twice this week, asking whether I was bringing Zoo round to the Gramps. Mujnu's persistence paid off and the Gramps dutifully strapped him into his child seat and drove the three miles necessary.

Once here Mujnu and Zoo spent their time running after each other, making hand prints and playing with playdough. Mujnu even decided to stay for a bite of lunch with ice-cream for desert, though unbeknownst to him there was more banana than ice-cream in his desert. As I was setting up the table for them both and they settled themselves into their spaghetti, I asked whether Mujnu wanted orange juice or apple juice with his lunch. Without any hesitation he replied "I want orange juice and Zoo wants apple juice." Cream and I had quickly established that the apple juice vanished far quicker than the orange juice, but I was amazed that Mujnu had taken the time to notice too.

After a rather messy lunch, came the even messier "how to get Mujnu back to the Gramps" game.

"NO!!!" Mujnu yelled, "Want to stay at Zoo's house!" After five minutes of cajoling, I managed to explain to him that he would definitely see Zoo tomorrow at the Gramps just like every Friday and they could play to their hearts content. Mujnu didn't seem very pleased with this solution, but we managed to get him to the car without the neighbours reporting any acts of child abuse to the Police.

You can't complain really, when you're a toddler tomorrow is an eternity away.

How to get rid of welcome visitors

Goliath came round today with Mujnu ... and my birthday present!! Better late than never ... and although the box looked like it had fallen off the back of a lorry I saw the receipt and it's all legit.

Anyhow Zoo and Mujnu spend the evening playing with each other ... or should I say, Zoo spent the evening, showing Mujnu his toys, which were promptly snatched out of his hands, and then when Mujnu's attention was diverted to something new, Zoo would snatch them back and run off with them, closely followed by Mujnu. Hours of fun and tears there.

Anyhow I made biryani ... which is an indication of exactly how momentous an occasion it was ... and after eating, Mujnu asks Goliath "Are we going home yet?" My brother in true Goliath style, replies, "No, we have to wait ten minutes"

Those who know my brother will know the formula! Length of time spent at event involving food = From (dinner time minus 60 mins) to (dinner eaten + 10 mins)

So with bellies full of biryani & chocolate ice-cream Mujnu and Zoo return to their playing and I even settled the pair of them down to read some pop-up / musical books. Goliath finally decides to set off home and Mujnu decides he's having much too much fun.

"No, I want to stay"
"Don't you want to see Mummy"
"No, I'm playing!"

At this point I decide to intercede, "OK Mujnu, if you are staying, can you help me tidy up all the toys."

Mujnu looks around the room at the scattered toys, looks at his Dad and rushes over to the door, grabbing his hat on the way and yells ... "Sorry ... I've got to go home now!"

One Year On

Can't believe it's been a year!! To celebrate decided to take Zoo and Mujnu down to Topsy Turvey at Brent Cross (an indoor soft play area). It was great fun, the grandparents came too and watched the kids playing together and the place was so big that the adults could go into the ball pits and clamber through tunnels too. The only restriction was in relation to the slides but after watching three adults come sliding down them, Cream and I decided to go for it too! We were both sweating within minutes ... it was cheaper and better than going to the gym. My only concern was at one point when Mujnu decided to climb up a zig-zagging staircase and I was sure that I would get stuck half way. To my relief I must have lost a stone running around and manged to squeeze through.

A quiet birthday?

Am pleasantly surprised that besides myself the site does actually have visitors! Ok .. so it's no way competing with Disneyworld or Dollywood (I think that's what Dolly Partons theme park is called) but nonetheless there are those out there who are reading my tiny little thoughts and perhaps smiling.

I was definitely smiling tonight ... Mujnu, my nephew, is the grand old age of two tomorrow and he had his birthday party at the grandparents home today .. Vertigo and I had been discussing what we were buying the kid and mention had been made of various loud and annoying gifts such as musical instruments but we thought better of it.

Suffice to say that Mujnu and his parents were happy with all the quiet gifts Mujnu received. Goliath explained that the Phonics Alphabet toy that I had bought for Mujnu's Eid present was doing his head in. Apparently Mujnu loves playing with it during the day but it also has a tendency to turn itself on in the middle of the night if a moth fluttered by within a mile radius! We explained the concept of batteries to Goliath and how to remove them and Visa told him to be thankful that we hadn't bought the kid a drumkit.

Anyhow everyone was having a great time, eating plenty of food and watching the kids fight it out over all the toys when we got a late visitor bearing gifts. All the kids run to tear off the wrapping paper (kids don't care whose birthday it is, they're not missing out!) and a huge roar of laughter and cheers erupt from all the adults, except Mujnu's parents who are holding their heads in their hands. The latecomer looked around bemused ... "Did someone else buy a drumkit too??!!"

Mujnu trying hard to sleep

Its been a real hard week ...

Poopee Xzsara

Mujnu is celebrating his first week on earth ... it has been an eventful week for him ... He was violently ejected from the place he called home for the last nine months .. against his will ... he wasn't coming out on his own, despite Dejanari's best efforts .. he has been passed from one google-eyed family member to another ... he has learnt that meals are no longer on tap and unless he wants to starve he has to order his meals now. He has learnt that this means screaming and thrashing his arms and legs violently ... I mean the things you have to do to get the attention of the waiter! He has perfected the stinky poo task ... and even I ... yes I .. have been drafted in to change a nappy ... he thought it would be a hoot to pee on his Auntie whilst she did her best to wipe his bum ... Now I understand why I am called a Poo ... pee.

A short course in family relations ..

Mujnu has arrived to the delight of everyone ... Dejanari is exhausted but fine ... Goliath is peering into mini Goliath's eyes ... The entire family is around ... a vast array of aunts and uncles ... I suppose it is a blessing that the Asian language distinguishes the types of aunts, uncles & grandparents .. you have Mamu which is your mums brother; Chala, your mums sister; Dada, your dads dad; Nani, your mums mum etc ... So I am now a Poopee, the sister of Mujnu's dad ... which makes Cream a Poopa, the husband of the sister of Mujnu's dad. All very easy ... I'm sure Mujnu will pick this up very quickly!

Waiting for Mujnu

Ok .. the time has come .. Dejanari arrived at the hospital this morning ... we are all eagerly awaiting the birth of the little one ... he has been given a name pending his appearance which means "Romeo" which I suppose makes them Posh & Becks ... For the purposes of the blog therefore I shall call him Mujnu. For those of you who don't know : Laila and Mujnu are the Persian equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, to such a degree that when you whipped Mujnu, marks appeared on Laila's back ... This new baby is going to be so loved, being the first grandchild in both families, that if you smack his bottom, hand prints will appear on at least 100 members of both families!!!