Sort of obscure compliments...

[Arch]

My sister rang at the weekend, to ask me to 'back her up' over Christmas - well, there's me and both of Oli's grannies going to stay with her, and while we all get on fine, it's going to be a lot of people in a small house, and you know how mothers just can't help interferring (oh! Are you going to cook the potatoes like THAT dear?), although they mean well of course... anyway, I think she's getting a bit nervous about it all. I said I'd already expected that I'd be head Granny-wrangler, shooing them out of the kitchen (or into it to do the washing up), making sure sis and bro-in-law have time to themselves with Oli, etc...

She said she was relived, and that the day after I arrive, Bro-In-Law will probably take me off to do the last minute Waitrose shop with him, because he knows he can send me off down the aisle for a bag of sprouts and I won't come back dithering over which one of 8 bags of sprouts I should get, or should we have carrots instead...?

And I was quite flattered at being thought of as unflappable and sensible like that. Which must say something about me... Probably that I'm very dull....

Update: Oli has now mastered holding his rattle and waving it about, but keeps hitting himself in the face with it. And he Rolled Over for the first time last week. He's going to seem so much more grownup when I see him in a month

 

[alecstilleyedye]

you mean you can man-shop* arch? that would make you quite a catch!

*man-shop: the ability go into one shop, ask the questions "is it what i want", "is the price right" and leave the shop with/without said item.

 

[col]

My sister rang at the weekend, to ask me to 'back her up' over Christmas - well, there's me and both of Oli's grannies going to stay with her, and while we all get on fine, it's going to be a lot of people in a small house, and you know how mothers just can't help interferring (oh! Are you going to cook the potatoes like THAT dear?), although they mean well of course... anyway, I think she's getting a bit nervous about it all. I said I'd already expected that I'd be head Granny-wrangler, shooing them out of the kitchen (or into it to do the washing up), making sure sis and bro-in-law have time to themselves with Oli, etc...

She said she was relived, and that the day after I arrive, Bro-In-Law will probably take me off to do the last minute Waitrose shop with him, because he knows he can send me off down the aisle for a bag of sprouts and I won't come back dithering over which one of 8 bags of sprouts I should get, or should we have carrots instead...?

And I was quite flattered at being thought of as unflappable and sensible like that. Which must say something about me... Probably that I'm very dull....

Update: Oli has now mastered holding his rattle and waving it about, but keeps hitting himself in the face with it. And he Rolled Over for the first time last week. He's going to seem so much more grownup when I see him in a month

Mmm you sure its not reverse psycology?I try it with my wife all the time"but you make the best cup of coffee dear"But she sees right through it,and just gives me a clip round the ear.

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

I said I'd already expected that I'd be head Granny-wrangler, shooing them out of the kitchen (or into it to do the washing up), making sure sis and bro-in-law have time to themselves with Oli, etc...

Taking the phone off them as they attempt to ring social services to shop your sister for taking Oli outside without having rubbed his chest with Vick first.

 

[Landslide]

I'd only start to worry if it was a "compliment" along the lines of, "I want to take you to bed, you're so good for my insomnia!"

 

[John the Monkey]

Mmm you sure its not reverse psycology?I try it with my wife all the time"but you make the best cup of coffee dear"But she sees right through it,and just gives me a clip round the ear.

The thing with making the cuppas is that men have to do it, as it's in the Bible.

The missus explained that there's a whole book in there, "He Brews" on the subject .

 

[Slim]

The thing with making the cuppas is that men have to do it, as it's in the Bible.

The missus explained that there's a whole book in there, "He Brews" on the subject .

I prefere Darwinism. As in....

women have developed smaller feet so they can stand nearer the sink.

ducks to avoid flying crockery.

 

[Arch]

Taking the phone off them as they attempt to ring social services to shop your sister for taking Oli outside without having rubbed his chest with Vick first.

Yeah that sort of thing, but mainly intercepting all the "can I help at all dear?" stuff, which is always of course followed by the "And where do you keep the teabags? Oh, and which mugs should I use, love? And is this milk OK? And is it alright to use these biscuits?" and by the time you've explained it all, you might have well done it yourself...

Mind you, they might well decide to take it easy and be waited on hand and foot, but I don't think either of them are like that...

I think Oli will keep them busy, as he's just discovered the great game of "throw the rattle on the floor for someone to pick up and give back, then throw it on the floor again..."

 

[Cycling Naturalist]

think Oli will keep them busy, as he's just discovered the great game of "throw the rattle on the floor for someone to pick up and give back, then throw it on the floor again..."

This is usually a symptom of poor parenting. Surely he should be quietly reading a good book? A couple of alert Grannies will home in on this.

 

[Arch]

This is usually a symptom of poor parenting. Surely he should be quietly reading a good book? A couple of alert Grannies will home in on this.

I've bought him a good book for his christmas present. It's called Elephant Wellyphant. But I think that at 5 months, he can be excused a little rattle time...

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

On a slightly different line, my gf looks very alternative - she dresses all in red, has bright red hair and a lot of facial piercings. She gets a lot of shouted abuse idiots shouting stuff from across the street, cars beeping, that kind of thing, and it gets worse if I'm with her 5" mohawk and all dressed in black.

Every now and then the shouters, who are the accidental creation of two 15 year olds, drunk on Shite Lightning purchased by their inbred older sibling, suddenly have a moment of sheer stupidity, some are detail below.

"OI, Ultraviolet girl, where are your *mumble mumble*" <--- Thank you for likening my gf to Mila Jovovich, I think she kind of looks similar too.

"Who the f*ck do you think you are, Halle Berry?" <--- There are a lot worse people to look like.

"You look like that girl in that sci-fi film, it was sh*t." <--- That'll be Mila J again then

 

[alecstilleyedye]

On a slightly different line, my gf looks very alternative - she dresses all in red, has bright red hair and a lot of facial piercings. She gets a lot of shouted abuse idiots shouting stuff from across the street, cars beeping, that kind of thing, and it gets worse if I'm with her 5" mohawk and all dressed in black.

Every now and then the shouters, who are the accidental creation of two 15 year olds, drunk on Shite Lightning purchased by their inbred older sibling, suddenly have a moment of sheer stupidity, some are detail below.

"OI, Ultraviolet girl, where are your *mumble mumble*" <--- Thank you for likening my gf to Mila Jovovich, I think she kind of looks similar too.

"Who the f*ck do you think you are, Halle Berry?" <--- There are a lot worse people to look like.

"You look like that girl in that sci-fi film, it was sh*t." <--- That'll be Mila J again then

my mum used to liken the gothy young ladies i used to bring home to "extras from the rocky horror show". used to please them no end (no really).

 

[Speicher]

I was staying in a hotel in Germany some years ago, with a group of people, all interested in trains. The waitress was extemely helpful in explaining the menu and the chef was quite happy to comply with any special requests. Unfortunately towards the end of the week, someone said to me "You remind me of Sally, in the film "When Harry met Sally" and they are in the restaurant together" Everyone in ear-shot went surprisingly and embarassingly quiet.

I recall an usually long pause before anyone dared say anything at all.

"Oh" said she "when you order a steak, you ask if you can the steak well-done, have rosti potatoes instead of chips, with salad instead of vegetables and no dressing on the salad, then for dessert you would like the apple tarte with ice cream instead of sauce anglaise, and the coffee with milk instead of cream."

If you haven't seen the film, you won't know what I am talking about?

 

[Chuffy]

I think Oli will keep them busy, as he's just discovered the great game of "throw the rattle on the floor for someone to pick up and give back, then throw it on the floor again..."

Dogs are cheaper and won't ask to borrow the car.

Nor will they dye their hair magic marker pink, pierce and tattoo more bits of themselves than god ever intended and take up with a number of unsuitable ladies (and that's only the ones my parents know about...).
Ahem...

I'm a happily married man, so no need to worry, but your young lady sounds...delicious JRG.

 

[Jacomus-rides-Gen]

Dogs are cheaper and won't ask to borrow the car.

Nor will they dye their hair magic marker pink, pierce and tattoo more bits of themselves than god ever intended and take up with a number of unsuitable ladies (and that's only the ones my parents know about...).
Ahem...

I'm a happily married man, so no need to worry, but your young lady sounds...delicious JRG.

She is. I'm a very lucky man.