CTK(ao)S

...that's 'and others' such as Uncles From Foreign Lands. There was something of a language barrier so he didn't intend to be funny, and as he is also a Manchester United fan, we went easy on him. He was amazed by the vastness of our country, and that included everything from distance to the size of our fridge. He once asked why there was so much water in our toilet - he thought it was a great waste. He also thought it must be very unpleasant for ladies - which I didn't really want to get into, but it was a funny comment at the time.

Along those lines, one little nephew one day was concerned when the water in the upstairs loo was suddenly blue. Really concerned. He needed reassuring more than once that day (and night) that both he and the toilet were going to be fine. But when his big brothers came home from school that afternoon, he ran right to them, urging them to come quick and see! Upstairs they flew, and we heard the "Flush!" of water, then an excited voice cried out, "See? It's blue! Isn't that cool?"

Sometimes it's the grown-ups who are funny. There is something of a battle going on between one such grown-up and a certain nephew about bathroom etiquette. Specifically on whether or not to flush. Said nephew very kindly is concerned about waking the house if he has to flush at night, but unpleasantness ensues if he doesn't. So the battle of wills goes on. One day, this fine speech was overheard, delivered in truly Shakespearean tones: "Flush. The. Toilet.... I don’t care if it’s 2 o’clock in the morning,... or 1 o’clock in the afternoon; ...you flush. The. Toilet."

And sometimes it's what kids do that is so cute. Still in the bathroom, a certain bath-loving nephew once decided that he was going to join a brother who was in the bath. There we found him, where he'd managed to divest his two-year-old body of its pants and socks. He sat in the bath water, diaper intact, and sodden fleecy sweater, happy as a clam with his water wheel and plastic cup. I think pictures were taken of the event, which may be useful in the years to come!

The smallest of the nephews is just learning to control the flailing of his limbs, and is beginning to be able to move with purpose. He belongs to a very affectionate, vocal, enthusiastic family, so when he makes his appearances between naps, he is greeted accordingly with ringing welcomes. Likewise, when he withdraws, he is sung out of the room with choruses of "Night night!" and waves of farewell. Over the last day or two, he's made sounds like he's trying to say "Night night!" but we may be imagining that much. However, just today he waved his fat little arm back at us! It was a lovely combination of the Queen majestically blessing her subjects and a puppey's wagging tail.

And finally, after a meal consisting mostly of pickles, one nephew announced to the room at large: "Don't sit on me! I'm so full, I might pop!"