My son, Walter (12) and Grandma (living in different countries) meet for the 1st time since Covid.
Grandma: ‘We will soon have lunch. What would you like to have?
Walter: ‘Chocolate with candy.’
Grandma: ‘I might have a better idea. How about some delicious meat soup with healthy vegetables..?’
Walter: ‘Walter has left the chat.’
Our daughter (15) talking to grandma on the phone:
‘….and so we agreed with my friends that next time we go to school we will dress up in some old-era style..’
Granny: ‘What a lovely idea. And which era did you chose? Baroque, maybe?’
Our daughter: ‘The 90s.’
It’s a peaceful Saturday evening and just like every year the time has apparently come again for my husband to start rehearsing for the peak of the holidays season: singing Christmas songs to us.
Now you need to know that my husband has many virtues – singing, however, is unfortunately not 1 of them.
My husband: ‘…All-i-want-for-xmas-is-youuuuuuuuu…
– so, children, what do you think, would I make the finals of The Voice this time??’
Our daughter (15) cautiously: ‘..Well, with some minor rule adjustments definitely, e.g. if they switch to Deaf Auditions..’
This year, for the first time ever, we decided to go the traditional way and also send a postcard to the grandmas.
The process in a nutshell is that I write the text and ask the family members to sign the card – which our children also did, see the place indicated in an arrow.
Me (to our daughter while trying to hide my smile with moderate succes): ‘So you signed it there?’
She (upset): Look. I am 15, and have grown up with a smartphone. I’ve never ever seen such a thing and there was more space there, ok?’
I like these letter boxes in front of family homes in Antwerp: they are just so thoughtul & considerate.
The owner is apparently a long term thinker, as this one can be easily re-used as an urn grave when fate comes knocking on your door.
A definite add-on is that its split structure will help you out even in times when complete generations of your family have deceased.
I feel slightly embarrassed having considered myself a long term planner up to now.
‘Room for improvement’ – that’s what my auditor/compliance friends would call it.
FB fashion ads are among my specialties when expressing a professional viewpoint..
My cat waiting for me next to the bathtub.
From his look he seems to have just seen some Adult Content.
Meeting a friend’s friend for the 1st time:
Me: ‘And so you are originally from the UK, right..?’
She: ‘That’s right.’
Me: ‘You also live here in Belgium, or ..?’
She: ‘No, just came over for the weekend.’
Me: ‘Oh, I see, obviously to test the marvelous client experience Brexit offers for travellers.. :)’
She (upset eye roll, reddish face): ‘Oh, please don’t even mention!!! Those people who voted for it…!!!’
Me: ‘Chill out – I exactly know what it feels like to be a political joke.. I am from Hungary..’
She (totally cheered up): ‘ORBÀN – hahahaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!’
Me (to my 11-yr old son): ‘Walter, you are always on your phone, please do something meaningful, don’t you need e.g. to learn something for school?’
Walter (11): ‘But I AM learning even now! I am playing with Minecraft – do you know how much relevant vocab I pick up day by day??’
Me: ‘Like what?’
Walter: ‘1.) ‘Anarchy’.. 2.) ‘Keep a low profile’.. 3.) ‘Shear’ – this is the machine used to cut off the wool of the sheep..’
Me: ‘Ah, so it trains you for the corporate environment! Then I rest my case.’
‘Dear Colleagues,
Pls note that I am facing technical issues, due to which I might be disconnected from any of our precious meetings.
Currently I am elaborating different solutions* in order to prevent such cases in the future.
Thank you for your understanding.’
*I swear I will buy him a wire for Xmas.
Today a put a question to my manager which he responded by saying ‘I do’.
I quickly clarified it wasn’t meant to be a marriage proposal.
We have a small kitten for 2 weeks who enthusiastically helps me whenever working from home office.
Yesterday walking through the keyboard he wrote in my report ‘uuuuuuuuWTF’.
While admitting that partly he was indeed right, still I considered this standpoint excessively critical, for which reason Tobi’s professional assessment was not retained in the final version.
Statue in a churchyard in HU.
(For clarity: according to Google it commemorates the devastation of WWII the standing figure representing the Hungarian Mother..)
Upon having checked in the hotel my husband immediately hung the ‘Do not disturb’ sign on the door.
After 2 days he indicated at the reception that we will take this with us, just in case it also works at home.
To our 15-yr-old daughter at the family vacation:
‘Look, Noëmi, how beautiful the sunset is above the sea!!’
She: ‘What sea?’
Just found this picture in the photo gallery of an elegant hotel.
Despite the interesting offer I am afraid I will not book here.
A school friend’s mama to our son (11):
She: ‘And Walter, where were you born?’
Walter: ‘In Hungary.’
She: ‘Which part?’
Walter: ‘My whole body.’
Ok, the famous apple saying is about children and their parents after all, not about siblings being similar to each other..
Me (to my son): ‘And how was your school bike exam?’
He (11 years): ‘It was terribly difficult.’
Me: ‘How come? You bike pretty well I thought.’
He: ‘That’s what I thought, too. But then it turned out that during the exam we weren’t allowed neither to stand on the bike nor to steer it with 1 hand or no hands – and so I was so bored I was watching the landscape left and right and almost hit another bike in front of me. Haven’t the organisers ever heard about ‘road safety’ for God’s sake??’
Me to my son: ‘Walter, would you join us for dinner, pls?’
He (11): ‘Cannot, unfortunately. I am drawing miniature toilets.’
Me: ‘Pardon? Why exactly?’
My husband: ‘So that if we are visited by miniature people they can also take a pee – don’t be so difficult, for God’s sake..’
My children in a dialogue:
While biking in Belgium:
‘Here starts the sea. Please, don’t throw anything in it.’
I could apply the same logics to some other things in life..
Today was THE ideal day-off for me.
Look for the binoculars
Photo taken just now during my casual walk.
Only noon on Saturday and already out of bed!
Achievements at their best.
Me (to my daughter): ‘Noëmi, you are so beautiful.’
Noëmi (15): ‘No way. No. Not at all.’
My husband joining us: ‘What’s the topic?’
Noëmi: ‘Nothing special. Mama is complimenting on her own genes.’
This morning:
Our daughter (15): ‘Papa, do we have anything delicious for breakfast?’
Papa: ‘Don’t know. Let’s go down the kitchen to prepare something, call your brother, too.’
She (to her bro): ‘Walter, watch out, escape, run for your life, I got caught, but you might still have a better life waiting for you somewhere else….!’
She’s turned 15 today.
Only 15 and she is already constantly busy with the welfare of mankind!
My girl.
…to your imagination.
Just found a school report of my daughter (now 14 ys, back then she was 10). Children need to sign the reports here, too.
Well, her signature was apparently the combination of a comet and a magic wand.
I like people with ambition.
Me to my 11-yr old son: ‘What do you think the major difference is between you growing up here in Belgium – as opposed to if you were living in Hungary?’
Walter: ‘Now I can ask in four languages where the toilet is.’
Most pragmatic.
PirosAntwerp 