Sue’s World

OK so now she’s got a sense of humour there’s no stopping her, especially if there’s something she wants.

So there we are, 31st December and Mavis decides that her bedroom is too small for her needs. ‘Daddy?’, she enquires sweetly, ‘Could we knock my bedroom into Horace’s to make it bigger?’

Now strangely enough this is something we have been considering - in the long term plan you understand, and certainly not this year. Whizz’s face clearly depicts some hesitation, the possibility of a ‘Maybe’ type of answer so Mavis plunges on quickly ‘It doesn’t have to be this year or anything, next year would do’. A little pause for thought ‘Like tomorrow!’

It always comes as a surprise when your child develops a skill she has not hitherto demonstrated. You know your child will grow into an adult and that along the way she will do new things but, nontheless, when they present themselves they still impress.

Sadly for Mavis, when it comes to a sense of humour, she has as her examples Whizz and I. Still, when she says something witty, it makes us laugh.

Over the Christmas period Mavis has been going to bed later and later. Occasionally I have half heartedly suggested that we try to ease in to school by bringing bedtime nearer to normal but when the time comes, I have become engrossed in a book or other project and her official bedtime has passed. This results in a sudden urgency to get her to bed, thwarted by her own inimitable tactics: I feel sick. I’m hungry, I – am – going – as – um – e-e-er – fa-a-a-st – as – I – can, and so on.

On this particular occasion Mavis was offered the opportunity to join us watching a film or to go to bed before it started and read a book for a while. She was not that keen on the proposed film but was torn between it and the unwelcome prospect of an ‘early’ night. ‘We-e-ll’ she pronounced, ‘I wouldn’t mind watching a bit of the film’.

‘Which bit?’ demanded Whizz

After a slight pause she grinned and announced ‘The last bit.’