Wednesday 14 May 2008

Storytime

Yesterday I took Jack to storytime. I was alarmed when I saw that the man doing the stories was an officious little man who had corrected me a few days ago. It was another one of those foreign language moments. He asked what my address was (so I could join) and I told him and he looked puzzled. I thought this odd as the manor and surrounds is a big feature of the village.
I passed him the address and it clicked. I had been pronouncing the name so it rhymes with gotham but he pronounced it got-ham. Actually he's is the only person who I have heard say it that way but I'm sure he's right.

Anyway, what a revelation. He was quite good. I thought he might scare the kids but he was funny but how can you not be when you are reading a book about underpants of all different kinds including farty pants (te-he).

Jack was interested and then he became interested in the kids around him. Such good, well behaved, quiet little English children. He started taking their books (much apologising on my part and offering replacement books) and then he became fascinated with a little boy. At first he pointed from a distance then he walked up and leered into his face from a distance of oh maybe 2 cm.

Then he spotted the computer and I knew that was it. I mean who puts a computer in a storytime area?Jack wove through the kids (all sitting quietly listening) and grabbed the mouse. I waded in and grabbed him and put him down next to lots of lovely books. He made a beeline for the computer again.
And again.
And again.

And each time I dragged him away the reaction got worse (from jack - the well behaved brit kids were doing their best to ignore this colonial upstart) so I put him in the stroller and we went to the park where he flirted with teenage girls and dogs and felt much better. I had a chocolate macaroon and also felt much better. There's always next week.





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