Check me out!
One cream sheet, some old scarves, a pair of scissors, a head band and Lil Man’s sword! No sewing needed!
Of course she’s a tomboy so she wanted the weapon, but hey, not too bad eh!
Instant Ancient Roman Costume!
06 Jun 2016 27 Comments
in Children Tags: ancient Roman, Back to school, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Costume, toga
Old Folk and Window Pains
04 Jun 2016 29 Comments
in Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family, Salesmen, Windows
Sales people never cease to amaze me.
I know I shouldn’t be surprised by some of their tactics and comments, but they still do manage to render me speechless at times.
Take yesterday for instance.
My in-laws are looking to have all their doors and windows replaced so they have been shopping around for quotes, as most normal people would do.
So they invited this guy round from some company or another, and you know he’s pretty experienced, as his patter was rolling off his tongue, no problem.
Replacing windows is always going to be a costly affair, and we know that.
A family friend said he could do the whole house for £6,500, which seems pretty reasonable, but he isn’t too reliable with timings and getting back in touch to discuss details.
So this young(ish) man who came yesterday spent around 2 hours gong through everything, showing options and measuring up, so he could get the quote ready.
Hubby Dearest was there for a short while, then had to disappear to take our young cricketer to another match. I listened as he tried his damnedest to sell his products to mum and dad.
The quote, which was presented with much pomp and circumstance, along side guessing games, as he thought he was a bit of a showman, was around £11,500.
Enough to make my mum-in law-choke!
Then, obviously, he wanted them to make a decision…NOW!
Dad asked all the questions that every Indian asks, like if we pay cash, what discount can he get, and is that your best price, what can you throw in…
Then he said “Right, well I will get back to you, thank you for the quote.”
This guy sat there like the ground had disappeared from beneath his feet!
“But I thought you were the home owners? The decision makers are all here!”
“Yes, but we want to discuss this with our children too.”
It was like no one had ever refused him a sale on the spot before, or that it was strange that they needed to think!
Correct me if I am wrong, but isn’t the whole point of quotes, that you shop around, then make an educated decision on who you are going to pay your hard earned money to?
“Er, I’m just going to have to call my office, this is most unlike the usual process…”
Really?
My in-laws have been conned before, which is why their boys (or girls-in-laws) insist on either being there at these meetings, or at least being consulted so they can do a little more research to make sure their parents get the best deal.
My father in law is retired, its his pension he is breaking into, and he isn’t going to throw £11,500 away to the first person that asks!
I ended up turning around to him and said “I seriously don’t think this is the first time you would have had people asking for time to think. Surely not every customer of yours is ready to commit within moments of you giving them a quote! It’s not like £11,500 is change in someone’s pocket…!”
He changed his tune a bit then, and became quite sheepish.
Offered them a deal at £8,500 if they could commit ASAP as there is a couple of gaps in their schedule that they need to fill… but I still sent him packing with the reassurance that as soon as the family have been consulted, and other quotes have been got, we will call!
Sales people, huh!
Where Did That Come From??!!
03 Jun 2016 48 Comments
in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Adopted, Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Children, Family
Sitting here on the PC, as Lil Princess is soaking in the bath, I hear a loud little voice…
“Mum? Am I adopted?”
What??!
Where did that come from?
“Of course not you ninny! You’ve seen the photos of you growing in my tummy, you know you are definitely ours!”
“Oh. It’s just that [Lil Man] used to say, a couple of years ago, when I was trying to sleep, that I was…”
Brothers, eh!!!
It’s Never All Gonna Be Smooth Sailing, Is It?! Finndian Update Part 2
31 May 2016 34 Comments
in Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Family, Finland, Sickness, tired
We had another fun filled day today, after a very restless night.
Trying to sleep as a family in one bedroom in a hotel is ever easy, but when one member comes in slightly sozzled from a great night out, the ensuing bumping around, and settling down is guaranteed to wake the little people up!
There I was requesting Hubby Dearest to be quiet, and Lil Man woke up, worried we were arguing, and getting divorced! After reassuring him, we settled down, to hear a little ‘poot’ and Lil Princess giggling and saying ” It was only me!”
All this at 3am!
It had been planned that we would visit the Helsinki Zoo today that requires a ferry trip, as the zoo is on an island. We went, but all like zombies!
The whole family crew was tired, as even my nephew had decided it would be a great idea to wake at 6am, instead of 8am.
But the trip was fun, and the zoo was great, even though a nesting Canadian goose decided to attack me, as I rummaged in my bag to get a camera out! It pecked the top of my head, and I was in a little shock for a while!
But we saw lions, tigers, leopards, monkeys, reindeer, emus and wallabies, bears and all other animals! The kids were tired, but they had fun. It was another hot day reaching over 23 degrees celsius today!
After we had eaten a quiet family dinner, Lil Princess was sick. Wonderful!
Not sure if it was something she ate, a bug, or heat stroke!
But we came back to the hotel and settled down for an early night. Then she was quietly sick again, in her bed! It was lucky I woke, what if she’d choked on her own vomit?!
The Hotel staff were great and changed all the bedlinen. But it means that I was wide awake again, so here I am, on my 3rd post of the night! Oh well, at least I caught up on my challenges!
We are meant to be going on a speedboat ride tomorrow… but it may not be all of us going, with my Lil girl feeling how she is. And I need to be up at 5am to check in online for our return flight!
I can already feel the yawns….
Finndian Update!
30 May 2016 36 Comments
in Children, Family, Thoughts Opinions & Memories Tags: Blog, Blog Post, Blogger, Blogging, Creating memories, Finland, Finndians, Pops
Moi all!
That’s ‘Hello’, for those of you that aren’t familiar with Finnish, or you could say ‘Hey’!
So far we have had a fantastic time!
The journey to the airport could have been a bit better, we got stuck in traffic… thank you M25! But we got there in time, checked in, and had a few rushed moments to get to duty-free, then on to the flight.
It is not fun travelling with two kids at that “I HATE my brother/sister” stage, and that is exactly what we were dealing with here!
But we managed to land without bloodshed and the promise that Hubby Dearest sit in between them on the way home!
In the taxi, Lil Man was practising his Finnish, or the one word he knows… Moi. If said twice, Moi Moi, it means bye. He asked the driver if, because we say Moi for ‘hello’, and Moi Moi for ‘bye’, is ‘bye-bye’ Moi Moi Moi Moi? That got a few giggles!
We arrived, and the hotel was great, though the room really HOT! We had been upgraded from a family room to a superior room, though I struggled to tell the difference… still, we got a balcony and a sea view!
My brother snuck out without letting Pops know and popped over to see us, to make plans for the forthcoming surprise then left, so we could get unpacked.
The next day was the surprise photo shoot.
As we were eating breakfast, I got the following message from my Pops…
Sat Siri Akal everyone.
Just had breakfast.
Talking to your brother, I told him it was always in my mind, I wish we had a whole family photo so that I can see the whole family as I get up in the morning, rather than loooking at individual pics.
He says when they come to the UK in July we will do something.
May Guruji make his idea and our wish true.
Wish you were here today.
Don’t get upset, I love my whole clan dearly.
That’s it, he knows. We were convinced. The surprise has got leaked…
We were convinced. The surprise has got leaked…
The surprise has got leaked…
My brother came to get us. And he reassured me that no, Pops has no idea, but he was just very emotional this morning, wishing we could have all been together.
Mum, my sis in law, nephew, and Pops were at the studio and we arrived 5 minutes after them.
It was a good thing Pops was sitting down when we came in.
His face just dropped in shock, then he gave me the biggest hug, and said, ” I have no words…”
There were tears, many hugs, and lots of love flying around, as he came to terms with the fact that his wish was going to come true!
The photo shoot went swimmingly, with whole family shots, individual family shots, all the combinations you could imagine, and some individual shots too… My brother thought it could be a good shot for when I finally get that book out there, and can say I am officially a ‘Writer’!
Since then, we have walked lots, been to many of the numerous parks for children littered around the inner city of Helsinki, And Lil Man got to go to the Team Finland cricket stadium, which he loved! We’ve been to the Cathedral, markets, the Wooden Church, and the kids saw the giant Weeing Man too!
It was soooo hot today too, 23 degrees celsius, which , though pleasant, I wasn’t prepared for!
Still, walking lots, in slightly warm clothes, may do wonders for my weight loss!
Tomorrow we head out, on the ferry to the zoo! It’s on an island!
It’s been wonderful, building special memories for us all, with Pops and Mum, and my brother and sis-in-law, my own little family, and most importantly, my lil nephew. We don’t get to see him enough, so these few days are even more precious so that his little 18 months self can remember us all too. Those little giggles, the cheeky monkey faces and hugs are so amazing!
I will post photos when I am back at home, but it has been wonderful so far!
But I Smile Anyway... 