"I say!"

Dad would often use this exclamation to attract attention over the general hubbub of conversation before saying something he considered important. Like "shall I bash the spuds?" or "what time's lunch, Pat?" [we're back to food again].

He also went through a phase of saying "morning" repeatedly to every family member he met in an inappropriately formal fashion. I think he picked this up from the round-the-world cruises and cattle conferences.

Pic of the day: Beck and I look like a couple of retards from an austere 60s children's home. Mum again "looking bonny" [another minor Dad-ism, I think].

Something non food / sleep related!

As we unwrapped Aidan's presents earlier today, I found myself saying "let's make a note of who gave what". I remember Dad obsessing about this over Christmas - usually using the back of a Christmas card to jot everything down.

So, two Dadisms in two days - I'm on fire!

More food-related (sort of)

When someone couldn't open a tight jam jar they would pass it to Dad. After much grunting and gasping he would turn the lid, declaring: "Man's superior strength!"

Pic of the day:

Makes you realise how much No 33 has changed, this one. Poode just of cute [and Bertie-like], of course ...

recurrent themes and random favourites

Have you noticed that most dadisms can be grouped together under only a few themes - namely eating, sleeping and tennis!?

'Random favourites' refers to his tendency to develop an unexplained soft spot for people connected to us and then ask obsessively how they are eg he was always very keen on "Carolyn makes the grade" (carolyn fulwell, who was never a particular friend or particularly known to dad). Also - "how are Janet and Brian?" - my rather tedious neighbours in suffolk - again, hardly close friends! he was always enquiring after Maggie too for some reason - maybe the santa outfit did the trick there. Then of course if I ever saw Sylvia it was "how is Peter's farm?" (her brother, who i never saw and oddly enough on whom i didn't get a regular bulletin from sylvia either - though i did ask her from time to time simply so as have a reply for him! God I miss him...

Napping

One of the joys I have found with parenthood is that I can have a nap with Aidan and not only do I get my 40 winks, but I'm also doing my parental duty as well. Anyway, found myself saying to Kris as both A and I were in the back of the car getting ready "I'm just going to close my eyes for 5 minutes" - a Dad-ism! I always marveled at his ability to power nap for the five minutes before he was called to carve, but it's something I've inheritted. If napping were an Olympic sport, I'd be in the GB vest.

ears and hands

Funnily enough - i have seen other men do that wiggling too - i think it's a way of itching a tickle deep in the inner ear - not wax removal. whatever, it's not particularly attractive so not a practice i would recommend anyone adopts or at least like picking one's nose, only in private.

On another note - yesterday at supper I put some carrots on freddie's plate at the table using my fingers and Freddie said "untouched by human hand"!! he must have got it from me, although i don't really remember saying it.

LOVe the pointing pic - though not impressed with adam's pointing at all - and i look distinctly disinterested (but rather a cutey don't you think!!??)

Frantic ear poking

Talking of Dad's hair-drying technique brings to mind his somewhat over-zealous ear cleaning [was it?] technique - of frantically wiggling his little finger in his ear while his head was titled slightly to one side. Can't have had that much ear wax, surely? And, if he did, was this a good way of removing it? Answers on a postcard, please ...

Pic of the day: What a find this is! Is it the original pointing shot? I like the look of the bloke sitting down below, as if to say "Why are you doing that?" We still wonder ... [Click on the pic to open it at full size].

hereditary hair rubbing

Spooky moment yesterday when Freddie came out of the shower having washed his hair and started extremely hard and frantic hair rubbing with a towel finishing with a dry, but very vertical head of hair - all mad professor - just like dad used to do. it must be hereditary as he would never have seen dad do it! (or is it just something most men do?!)
It reminded me that Dad would also offer the same treatment to anyone else with wet hair - it was somewhat painful, but quite effective and strangely nice after a freezing swim in the sea.

I'm back! Pics and milk memories

Loving the vintage pics - and wow mum you do look great in those shorts! adam looks distinctly sulky, but then if he's just been attacked by paul.... i wonder in the other pic if i've just had sand thrown in my eyes by paul..... (or maybe just another gale force wind on a bleak welsh beach!)
I lIke the carpet reminder and the mispronunciations - did he also call Cafe Uno "Cafe You-Know" ?!(or was that someone else?)
Also on the a milkman theme - of course he wasn't called the milkman, was he, but the "dairyman". I think there was also much longing for "gold top" (extra creamy milk) long after they stopped doing it. Then of course every pudding had to have "top of the milk" on it.
KEEEEEEEP POsting!!xx

Carpet paranoia

Polly was spilling some drink on the table yesterday. "Not on the carpet!" I call in the best of KK traditions - even though we don't have a carpet in the kitchen.

One other quirk of Dad's was deliberately saying certain words incorrectly, for instance:

- "pit-sa" for pizza.
- "steer-e-o" for stereo
- "pew-joe" for Peugeot

Pic of the day: Mum looking particularly slim and good looking in this pic, I think. She says that I made the scratch marks on Adam's face because I either didn't like him or was jealous of him - which I refute, of course!