This year’s catch phrases

Having spent a week with 4 children, felt the need to capture a few of this year’s catch phrases from them.

As we now see them (and their parents) about once a year, what they can say and do moves on a lot.  We continue to use last year’s phrases, brush them off and bring them out again when we’re there, and then the parents realise that they’ve forgotten all about them saying that.

The eldest is now reading fluently in English and Italian.  However, we were able to teach her ‘sausages and chips’ as a game for saying things with a straight face.

She’s hugely enjoying jokes at the moment, and we also taught her ‘life is but a melancholy flower‘ (try singing it to the tune of Frere Jacques, and you’ll see what we mean).  Her favourite knock knock joke is the Irish stew one…yes, you know you remember it.

(What’s scary, or probably reassuring, is how many of the jokes in her joke books I remember from my own childhood, and how they are still funny to her.)

Next in line is now into horses as well as ponies…and is starting to read a bit in English. She is also inventing her own jokes, though these don’t really quite work yet.

She is very clear on music, and refers to particular songs as “X’s song” because they are no. 7 on the CD, and that’s the age of her sister!  Any queries on Womble themed songs should be addressed here, except when she has the “Womble Tidybag Blues”.

The boy of the troupe is now 3, and is fluent in mechanical machinery.  When I suggested one of his toys was a digger, he told me no, it was a snow plough…

Another good one was when we all went out for a walk around a hill town an hour away.  Seeing woods nearby, his dad asked him if he thought there were wolves nearby.  “Oh yes” came the cheerful reply, as he toddled off.

The youngest is only 2 and a half months old, so can’t really be held to much in language.  Never the less, there are good amounts of arm waving, and making noises back several times so that it sounds like a conversation.

She was also introduced to being read to by me, by dint of being wedged against me while I read ‘Mr Tickle’ to her brother.  We reprised this later with ‘Elmer’ and all 3 older children on the sofa, which seemed to go down well!

As for our own achievements, we have become acquainted with “Dora the Explorer” (We did it! We did it!).  It’s not as good as last year’s “Chicken in a school” quote, but I’m sure we’ll remember more from this year as we settle back in to life with fewer small but cheerful distractions.