Tag Archives: children

Free babysitting deal is not all that it seems in Barcelona hotel (Rousse)

Posted on February 22, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I was in Barcelona for work with TPR, although what we were actually doing there was unclear. My main interest was the beach (which I had missed completely on my last visit), and spending time with various friends who were … Continue reading →

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Amazing discoveries from the dead to diamonds in rainy Birmingham (Rousse)

Posted on February 11, 2016 by Dreamaticus

I drove through the rain to Birmingham where I met KB. Homeless since last Christmas, he’d now managed to secure accommodation for himself and his two foster children: Catherine aged 6, and Harry aged 12. (His own daughters had both … Continue reading →

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Ineffective Italian lessons (Rousse)

Posted on January 13, 2016 by Dreamaticus

JC and I sat at the dinner table desperate to join in the conversation across the room. An Italian mother was making a hopeless attempt to teach her native language to her English-speaking children. Both JC and I could do … Continue reading →

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Bubble wrapping at the club (Rousse)

Posted on January 1, 2016 by Dreamaticus

It made no sense at all to open a private members’ club for us and the rest of our immediate neighbours at the opposite end of town, but it appeared that we had no choice in the matter. On my … Continue reading →

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Fears of adult children emigrating (Rousse)

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Dreamaticus

“It’s your mother on the phone” shouted TPR from the far side of our US hotel bedroom. I took the call. My mother had rung to discover the real reason why I was spending so much time at the ‘other’ … Continue reading →

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Activities for a kid advanced for his age (Rousse)

Posted on November 29, 2015 by Dreamaticus

My toddler cousin (grandson of N and J) was very advanced for his age. I held him on my knee as he spoke eloquently of his varied academic interests. He then expressed interest in the family tree and, in particular, … Continue reading →

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Tabby ferret discovery (Rousse)

Posted on October 15, 2015 by Dreamaticus

We lived in a tumbledown one-storey cottage. Our next door neighbours were Chinese. The children had been brought up to play quietly, and for this we were eternally grateful. Not long after TPR fixed the crumbling front step, we were … Continue reading →

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Baby kidnap (Rousse)

Posted on September 3, 2015 by Dreamaticus

The second baby that I kidnapped was much better than the first: it kept its nappy dry overnight, it didn’t mind the cold, and it smiled a lot. Despite this, TPR was still not happy that we were harbouring other … Continue reading →

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Last minute wedding preparations (Rousse)

Posted on August 27, 2015 by Dreamaticus

E was heavily involved in the wedding preparations, organising everything from her tiny flat. She even grew her red hair long for the occasion – or was that a ginger wig she wore with her green gown? When I called … Continue reading →

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A hunt for Christopher Biggins near the offices of Forth FM (Rousse)

Posted on August 6, 2015 by Dreamaticus

We cycled round and round the Leith roundabout, two of us sharing the bike. We discussed the dilemmas of parenthood for the single woman. For example, it is better to foster then adopt? Or should one return the fostered children … Continue reading →

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