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."