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Monday 13 April 2009

The golden laughter of children

We experienced the unsurpassable joy of children this Easter thanks to the Birminghams. We brought our own to the party - our young nephew was hauled in for the occasion, and it was a great delight to watch the kids pick up where they left off at their last meeting and form their own cohesive little social unit. They seem to all have just the right energy mix and get on like a house on fire. The planned camping trip was thwarted by the big wet we're having up here, so G-Man erected a tent in the back room where the kids bunked down, while the adults hunkered down for some serious wine tasting.
Without any electronic aids whatsoever, the children managed to amuse themselves with pencils and paper; several stringed instruments that lie around the house just begging to be picked up and played; various utensils from the kitchen which transformed in to weapons of warfare, many wet weather mind games, like dictionary, scrabble and mastermind and best of all, the opportunity to get filthy playing slide soccer in the mud, then be hosed down and thrown into the swimming pool.
Easter morning was the best though. Lying in the early morning dark, with light just breaking through low cloud, I heard the shushing whispering of small people armed with torchlight, following a trail of bunny droppings into the living room where G-Man and I sleep. We lay doggo until it was impossible to ignore the gasps of delight at each new discovery. After three sorties into the room and out onto the verandah, satisfied that they'd uncovered the whole stash, it was back to the 'tent' to divvy up the haul. JB reckons it took about four rounds of counting, weighing, apportioning and reapportioning before they finally agreed that each personal stash was equal. The leftovers, declared by youngest Thomas, should be given to 'the parents'. (I was that chuffed to be included in Thomas's generic collective term for grown ups who care for him).
No child needed to be told to share - they figured it out for themselves, and were all perfectly happy with the result. And best of all, the division of the spoils was transacted to the sound of shimmering golden laughter. 
There is much to be learned from children.
Thanks J&JB - a great pleasure.

17 comments:

  1. The dark cynic is me wants to believe you made all of this up to make dark cynics like me feel bad. But I know better.

    Simply lovely, Annette. When all is said and done, we are all the architects of our own contentment, or lack thereof.

    I take great pleasure in vicarious witness. Thank you.

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  2. Knew you were a big softie Boylan.

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  3. Let it be our little secret.

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  4. I won't tell, either.

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  5. Sweet.

    Happy Easter, Hughesy. And you too, Birmo.

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  6. Lucky the weekend ended yesterday, or there'd be no getting out - we are currently flooded in, with a foot of water in the studio downstairs. It has been pissing down all day - 135mm since midday.

    Looks like more is on the way. Hope they didn't work too hard on cleaning that pub up. It's bound to be under again.

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  7. Sounds like you had a great time Hughsey.

    PB I'm shocked , shocked i tell you. Your Bar council will hear about this I can tell you!

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  8. lantanaland is like a big sponge, everytime i step on it it squelches and we have half of what you've had. Been telling everyone about you pub story, and yep its under again today.

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  9. Glad to hear you are "OK". Did you get a chance to clear out the studio before the water hit?

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  10. Yes beez - know the feeling. Squelching, squishing mud under foot. But then, the minute the sun is out, it dries hard as pottery. This last deluge has been great though - the dam across the road poured gallons of water through the garden, and with it, gorgeous slushy pond muck - next year's crop will be a doozy from all the nutrient.

    And yes Al, we are careful not to leave anything on the floor of the studio - it is prone to a couple of inches in heavy downpours, but this one was the highest I've ever seen it go through under the house. When the rain eventually stopped the roar of the creek below the house took over.

    G-Man has been doing some pasture improvement this year, and this rain will hopefully get the grass seed happening - that is if it isn't all washed down into the dams.

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  11. Love the way you describe such joys. I hope the chooks had umbrellas. You could have really messed with their minds by putting easter eggs in with them.

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  12. Yeah Therbs..the BOSS LADY does have a way with words..thats for sure. Be good, more is on the way I believe, if you believe the weatherman that is

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  13. It did occur to me Thurbs, but the idea of another set of muddy children and even muddier clothing was just too much. I can't believe they didn't think to look there though.

    Havock - I only ever put my faith in the ants and black cockatoos - they have a much better forecasting track record.

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  14. AHHH, don't tell anybody OK. I was on site in a quarry some days ao, there, in the middle of this barren landscape stood a large oak tree of some sort. I looked over to it when I heard what can be only described as a very lovely sound.

    Sitting in a group of about 10 or so, were Black Cockatoos, rare, endangered actually down here, but beautiful birds none the less.

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  15. Havock, and how many were left when you exited said quarry? Hmm?

    One of few advantages of living here is that at this time of year we get large (50 bird +) flocks of them flying from oe park to the next before they head north.

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  16. Thanks for having us, buddy. The kids loved it. But I am back on a diet.

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  17. Pleasure pleasure.

    Me too re the diet, but now it is the Thai diet. (That is such a good name for a restaurant!)

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