He's a real fox

Big excitement yesterday, we had a fox in the garden. The urban foxes are so interesting. They're all over London. It's amazing how they've adapted to the city environment but I guess they're safer here than with the hunting parties in the countryside.

This fox was totally fearless and came right up to the backdoor. I think the previous owners left food out for the neighborhood cats and I'm sure the foxes are accustomed to helping themselves too. It's amazing how much wildlife we get in our little garden - pigeons, squirrels and now foxes. The children love it.

One for the wedding speeches...

I went to pick Tobes up from school today and his class came out but he wasn't there. I noticed that none of his group of friends came out either and I started to fear the worst. Sure enough the Headteacher (like the Principal) called me over and asked to speak to me. She explained that Tobes had been involved in a game at playtime. It started as a game of Kiss Chase with the girls trying to catch the boys but then one of the girls, I'll call her Emma, told the boys that whoever had the longest willy could marry her. So the boys all got out their willies to compare!! At this point the Headteacher, who is a very nice lady, was trying not to smile and I was shocked but trying to look concerned without laughing. I asked what had happened then and she said that the children were taken to her office and she explained that willies were private and to be kept in trousers and to please not play that game anymore.

Some of the boys were in tears when their parents went into the classroom to get them. Toby was fine. He seemed bemused by all the fuss. I think he was more concerned that he lost the contest, one of his friends won. Emma was downright defiant. She's a firecracker. I fear Rosie will be similiar when she's older. So funny! I did have a little chat with Tobes on the way home about it being inappropriate to get his willy out on the playground and he said he wouldn't do it again. When we got home I had to drag J to the kitchen to tell him about it so we could laugh without Tobes hearing us. Jason's first question - Did Toby win?

Two countries divided by a common language

I used to do this all the time when we lived in Japan, read big news stories and compare the way that they're reported in British and American media. These are some comparable bits from stories about the crash at Heathrow today as reported by CNN and the BBC.

*****
BBC quoting passenger Paul Ventnor: "I could hear the undercarriage come out, and the next moment the plane just dropped."

CNN apparently using the same quote from the UK Press Assoc: "The wheels came out and went for touchdown, and the next moment we just dropped. I couldn't tell you how far."

*****

BBC: Police say the incident was not terror related.

CNN: A spokesman for London's Metropolitan Police said there was nothing to suggest the incident was terror-related.

It's interesting the way CNN keep it that little bit vague like maybe it really was terror-related but we just don't have all the information yet.

*****

BBC: All 136 passengers and 16 crew escaped from the British Airways flight BA038 from Beijing. Eighteen people have been taken to hospital with minor injuries.

CNN: London ambulance services said 17 people suffered minor injuries, and the number could increase as several others are still being assessed.

CNN keeping their options open because you never know, someone might still die from this and that would be better story.

*****

BBC: Part of the undercarriage, including two wheels were torn off, and there was some damage to the wings.

CNN: The undercarriage, left wing and left engine of the aircraft were severely damaged, as if it had skidded across the ground. At least one of the plane's wheels had been torn off. The most visible damage was to the left wing, which was covered in mangled metal where it meets the fuselage.

CNN working in a bit more drama.

*****

BBC: Aviation expert Kieran Daly, from Flight International magazine, said not a single Boeing 777 had been lost in a crash since the aircraft was launched in 1995.

CNN: The Boeing 777 is the mainstay of many airlines' long-haul fleets and has never been involved in a fatal accident. However, the aircraft involved in Thursday's incident appeared to have had a fortunate escape, having approached Heathrow over heavily-populated west London suburbs before its crash landing.

CNN again trying to add drama by suggesting what might have happened.

*****

BBC: The incident happened on the south runway at 1242 GMT, as Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to leave Heathrow for China and India. His flight was delayed because of the incident.

CNN: The incident occurred at 12:42 p.m. (7:42 a.m. ET) as British Prime Minister Gordon Brown was due to leave Heathrow for a visit to China and India. His flight was delayed but his jet was not directly involved, PA said.

His jet wasn't just not directly involved, it wasn't involved AT ALL. Why do they feel the need to use such suggestive and misleading language??

*****

The BBC generally just report the facts with no embroidery or editorial exaggeration. CNN seems to be writing a screenplay. Why is that?

I've been tagged...

I now tag Nikki and Mary...


1. Coolest birthday you remember: The one that comes to mind is my 13th. It was a kidnap party and we went around to my friends' houses at 6am and kidnapped them in their PJs for a fancy breakfast at my house. Mom used all her best china and we drank juice from wine glasses. I felt very grown up.

2. Do you prefer hosting parties or attending as a guest? I love hosting. I'm never happier than when planning menus and party favours though these days the parties are usually based around Power Rangers and Dora the Explorer.

3. What color is your bedroom? The walls are ivory and the furnishings are cream, duck egg blue and a light coffee colour.

4. Do you and your man have a song? Actually we do. It's Can't Help Falling in Love.

5. What were/will be your wedding colors? Would you change them? If I remember correctly my wedding colours were determined by the colour of dress Nikki wanted to wear as bridesmaid, which was a dusky rose colour. I thought it was lovely and wouldn't change it.

6. Ever sneak out of the house or host a wild bash while the 'rents were away? What's your wild child tale? I never snuck out or hosted wild parties. I think the naughtiest thing I did was go to the UT/OU rally downtown when Mom and Dad had specifically told me not to. It's a crazy street party and people were climbing all over the car and shoe polishing the windows so Angie and I had to wash the car and make sure there was no sign of the graffiti or the fact that we washed it before I went home. My Dad was a police officer and never missed a detail.

7. You just won the lottery! Do you stash your cash or pass the bucks? What are the first 3 things you'd do? Assuming I've won a huge jackpot I'd buy a house, buy J the Astin Martin he wants (so he would shut up about a sports car for God's sake) and put loads away for the children's educations. Then I'd set up investments for our families so they'd always have regular income and organise an amazing year long trip around the world for us while the new house was made absolutely perfect.

8. You oughta' be in pictures...which actress stars as you in a movie of your life's story? If I'm choosing then Diane Keaton. I love her.

9. What's your go-to meal for quick comfort? If I'm down or getting over an illness it's always peanut butter and jelly on white bread. Usually in bed.

10. Everyone has ups and downs. What's your hardest learned lesson? That there's no right to happiness, only a right to pursue it.

11. What advice would you give to 18 year-old you? Put down the hairspray! And you're lovely and you'll be fine.

12. Favorite board game: Trivial Pursuit though my version is so old now that a lot of the questions are out of date.

13. Dish it! What's your "me time" guilty pleasure? Coffee and a good book all by myself.

14. What's one thing you'd like to learn to do in 2008? Hmmm, I can't think of anything new I'd like to learn. I'd just like to get better at doing the things I already do.

A recent column in The Times has been ruffling feathers with British women. I hesitate to give it further publicity but I'd like to hear your comments.

It's here.

Discuss...

37 and still smiling... well kinda

Thank you so much for all of the birthday wishes! I've had a lovely day. I was woken up with cards and presents, including a heart-shaped box of chocolates which I love. After breakfast we started the day with birthday cake before Toby had to go to school. Jason took the day off work and he took care of Rosie while I went to have my hair done. I was going to go into town to shop but it was pouring with rain so I ended up at Bluewater, a huge shopping mall in Essex, and I shopped, had a nice quiet lunch, had coffee and actually read my book without interruption and had a very nice day to myself.

When I came home with more bags than I could carry we ordered Chinese and spent the evening together playing games and eating more cake. (The diet is obviously on hold.)

I love having time to myself, which is rare these days. I came home refreshed and full of ideas for a big family holiday next year. I read an article about the Trans-Siberian Railway when I was having my hair done. Jason and I talked about doing it before we had children but it wasn't a very child-friendly vacation the last time we looked into it. Last year they added a luxury train to the route and it's back on our list as a possible family vacation. We're also talking about Jordan, Egypt and Greenland. I'm definitely in the mood for planning a new adventure.

OK, I'm just going to say this

I have always worried that Rosie would die very young. When I was pregnant with Toby and when he was first born I could imagine him as a child and a young man and even an old man. I've never been able to do that with Rosie. I've felt for a long time that at the age of three she would leave us or something very bad would happen to her.

Last night I had a very vivid dream that Grandma McClendon, who died early last year, came to get Rosie. Grandma was still old but she was happy and healthy and though I was sad to lose Rosie I was glad that at least she would be with Grandma. I hate dreams like that. It feels too much like a premonition.

I'm typing this now because when you have this kind of feeling and you tell someone then the thing you're worried about never happens. It's when you keep it to yourself that you think "I knew it and I did nothing about it!". So there. It's out on the wind, hopefully to be blown very very far away.

What it's all about

Crazy, hectic day today with lots of stops and starts. Went to Rosie's music class to discover that it was full and I had forgotton to rebook. Luckily, they had spaces on the Wenesday morning group but it was a disappointment to Rosie. Then I tried to go to on appointment with an osteopath because my back has been bothering me again. I went to the wrong clinic and had to haul ass across town to get to the right one. Then I couldn't find it and parked, got Rosie out of the car and into the stroller three different times before I was almost in tears but finally found the place. They were very understanding and managed to squeeze me in for a shorter appointment. It's made a difference already.

Toby started his new drama class today. It's at 4.30, which is too late to go straight there from school but only gives us about half an hour at home before we have to leave again. Lots of other children from the school are taking the class and we invited Toby's friend Finn and his mom and sister to come back to ours for a quick snack and a cup of tea before class. Once we were in the playground I started inviting everyone back. We ended up with eight children running around the playroom, eating cheese strings and having a great time and four mums drinking tea and gossiping in the living room. Then it was time to get everyone's shoes and coats on and out the door for class. Talk about chaos! I was in heaven.

Feeling my mortality

A few things happened over the holidays that have put me in a pensive mood. First off, the old witch who lived across the street from us when we were in the flat walked past the house while I was taking out the rubbish and stopped to chat. She knows everything that happens on the street and I could see that she wanted to know about our move. She was obviously in a happy mood because her parting shot was "It must be nice to have more space with the children. You look much happier in the house. I'd see you coming out of the flat looking miserable all the time. Ta ta, dear."

Then J's parents gave me some lovely silky PJs and a robe saying "I know you like to be comfortable but..." This got me thinking. I do dress for comfort over just about everything else - style, suitability and sometimes even cleanliness. Good lord, what has happened to me?

Then I was looking in the bathroom mirror and found loads of white hairs. Not the usual one or two that I've been plucking out since my twenties but a real sprinkling of white hair at each temple. After a mad ten minutes with the tweezers I felt better but I know they'll be back... and next time they'll bring friends.

And of course my birthday is coming up. 37. No longer "mid-30s". I'm over the hump and skidding into 40 now. How on earth did that happen?

My pattern seems to be that when a baby is born I utterly dedicate myself to them for the first two years. When Toby was two I had to have a small operation and when they woke me from the general anaesthetic my first words were "That's the best sleep I've had in two years." Well, Rosie is now two and it's time I started looking after myself a bit better. That's my New Year's resolution and I'm kicking it off with a shopping spree on my birthday. Time to pull myself together again.

Happy 2008!