February 13th

 

I'm sitting here feeling a bit like a hen. Although I know there will be no chicks hatching and hopefully nothing will but I seem to have volunteered myself to a new form of making yoghurt (probably isn't so new). The milk has been prepared already and infested by live yoghurt and now in jars wrapped up it needs some heat. I provide that.

Anyways,

I had my sandals walk yesterday. Happened to be the day when a new cold approached. Nevertheless it was fun and I enjoyed it but was glad to have breaks from the wind, going to the market, to a café and then to the library. I hoped for some locks of disbelief and utter confusion on sight of my toes but I never got it. I think people once they see you got dreadlocks they automatically assume they should assume the opposite of what they assume of another being.

Ernest didn't have sandals on, he doesn't own a pair as yet and he was doing less walking an more sitting. Besides, that I'm sure wouldn't go down without comments. Lili and Jen didn't come as they were home engaged with some painting project. The very reason they two of us left the house.

At the market Ernest helped me load up with veg, at times a bit overenthusiastic but this new approach to being on the market most of the time saves me from having to run after him. I may have said before but I will say again, the market is nice. It is nice to be familiar with vendors, they yell or nod a hello even if we just walking buy and not getting any of their stuff right that day. Wee chats and just a generally friendly atmosphere. Next week that Lili is on ski break finally she will get to come with us as well. I think she has been feeling a bit left out from all these fun stuff we do with Ernest during the days when she is at school (of course yesterday wasn't a school day but she was busy (with some other fun stuff)).

Ski break. Hm. Just about most of the people cannot afford to go on a ski holiday during the skibreak, or ever. So there is a holiday organized during school term for those who are well off. While some of those families aren't going to go on ski holiday during the ski holiday but at some other more suitable time – for them. Their absence can be accepted no trouble (in a country where otherwise they are incredibly strict with absence signed for by parents. Next time Lili is off school I will just say we were away skiing).

After the market another walk and Ernest fell asleep. I took shelter, coffee and a paper in our new favourite cafe. I left him a third of the cottage cheese sour cherry pie which when eventually awake he thought was an insult. 'We should just get on the road' he said and 'come on, come on, there is not time to waste' while standing already in the door, ready to slip out should someone foolishly open it. Managed to convince him to get dressed. I got my jacked and scarf and hat and gloves on finishing off the pie and off we... no.

'What did you do?!' he asked utterly puzzled by my idea of leaving. 'You ate it?!' and he climbed on the chair hovering up the last crumbles from the plate 'We have to eat!' he looked at me with those beautiful puppy eyes….. yeay, whatever. That is not how things go these days. He screamed! No. sorry, wrong. Actually and surprisingly he didn't at this stage. So I was getting the puppy eyes and 'please, please, please! He more less patiently waited till I got another slice of pie, desperately trying to clime onto the coutner and over to where all the good stuff was. We sat down and then the screaming begun.

The reality, and we are talking a visual appearance and texture of the pie, somehow did not match Ernest's expectations. And he did what the 18motnhs old does nowadays; screamed and shouted and threw himself on the ground. At times it is almost entertaining. In public places however people, many people want children controlled so it is easy to feel some pressure. Eventually he calmed down, scuffed up the pie than completely casually brought up the issue of leaving 'what are you sitting about? Let's go!'