Seaside Affair

Yesterday afternoon ends up at the hotel lounge doing homework instead of bowling, which makes the Shakespeares grouchy. We share a table with an otherwise silent older gentlemen who, after his tea, remarks: "well, this certainly looks like homework to me" as he doffs his cap and cracks a knowing smile at me. Education belongs to everyone, you see. Bent feelings soon straightened by Manchester United vs. Blackburn Rangers, which broadcasts live on the tele. We order burgers and watch entranced - Eitan and I anyway - and Rinaldo scores the winner on a screaming penalty from 30 meters out. Eitan in ecstasy. Madeleine meanwhile stifles her yawns and plays on the coach or thumb-wrestles with me; we engage a game of 'pinch' where the objective to see who suffers longest; instructions self-evident). Before the afternoon action, we dip in the sea, only ones crazy enough to do so, at Madeleine's suggestion - ever the Dare Devil she. It freezes the feet, oh dear. I tell the kids they can have £10 if they submerge and after howls and squeels - they do. Great joy. This morning is back to routine, that is, 6AM. I am relaxed when it comes to their eating and any breakfast buffet sends them into an apoplexy - the stomach switches off the brain. After the third helping I take notice - Eitan dumps sugar on his Coco Pops and I ask the question: "do you think food effects your mood?" Both look at me like I am nuts, so I analgise: "think of burning a piece of paper... now consider burning wood..." they could care less and stuff their happy little faces.

Madeleine weighs in with a specific request for today: "I just want to go to that shop with my ten-quid and buy that gravity thing"
And Eitan, in one word: "Bowling."