7 Quick Takes

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1. I found a bumper crop of Cherub toys in Oxfam* today: a six foot long alphabet jigsaw; two more jigsaws; a simple counting game based on the nursery rhyme Hickory, Dickory Dock; a mixture of small cars and other vehicles; and a large, purple toy microphone. It is the kind of noisy, irritating toy I hate, but Cherub adores microphones and after her virtuoso performance of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star in the shop - much to the entertainment of the other customers - I hadn't the heart to say no. Six pounds, the lot.

* A charity shop - people donate goods which are sold to raise funds for a specific charity.

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2. I forgot ... I also got Noel Streatfeild's autobiography of her childhood. I love finding out the real story of authors I enjoy.

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3. Trying to coach Star through homework on the water cycle ...

Me: What do you get when you boil water?

Star: Tea.

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4. Cherub is working on her English grammar. Yesterday I heard her calling Star ... "Where you are?" Then she realised something was wrong, thought hard, and corrected herself to "Where is you?"

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5. I made a discovery this week. Hair straighteners. All those annoying kinks in my almost-but-not-quite dead straight hair ... gone! In seconds. Suddenly I understand why Angel considers them an essential. Why did it take me so long to catch on?

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6. They say mid-life motherhood keeps you young. In my case it just makes me confront the aches and pains of middle age head-on. I can sit on the floor with Cherub at her music-and-movement session, but I have to make a conscious effort to suppress the creaks and groans when I get up again.

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7. Star and Tevye are supposedly watching TV. It must be a fascinating programme. They are both fast asleep on the sofa.

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Read more quick takes at Jen's Conversion Diary.