Wednesday, July 27

Holiday Dad

I have not considered London nor work since leaving, well, London and work. Sure I have a few telephone calls to make and some emails to answer but it is mostly hard to be overly concerned. Europe, we know, shuts down for summer from about now: for the Nordics , it is July while everyone else, August. Not a bad life for them and us , for sure, but we are falling behind in the global league tables : difficult to compete with China given a 1% eurozone GDP growth and Greece. Still, Germany tries. And Britain pulls her weight. Italy has lovely pizza and Ireland - well, she pays us with Guinness.


Me: "What do you think of our parenting?"
Madeleine: "Parenting?"
Me: "Yeah, like how are mom and I doing ? What can we do better?"
Madeleine: "I don't know.. ."
Me: "What are some things that I have done well?"
Madeleine: "Hamster. Fish. Dog."
Me: "Is there anything else I can do?"
Madeleine: "Gecko."
Me: "Got that. Do you think I'm too strict?"
Madeleine: "Yes, like, all the time."
Me: "Oh, really? Give me an example."
Madeleine: "Like when I spilled powder on the floor and you sent me to bed. Without dinner."
Me: "I did?"
Madeleine: "And I was only five."