Thursday 9 September 2010

The Way Things Are

It is over a year since I wrote here about my daughter. How has she changed? I ask myself. Her legs are longer, her hair darker, her shoe-size 13 ½; to my mind she looks like a teenager.

We’re having a cup of tea. She drinks tea now, with two sugars. I knock my cup against the table, spilling some of it onto the carpet.

‘Don’t worry daddy, just use Vanish,’ my daughter says. 'It washes four times whiter. Just sprinkle it on and the carpet will be fragrant.’

She watches adverts featuring attractive mums with shiny, white smiles now. I laugh and think how much she's changed.

‘Do you remember when we used to go to the Model Village and Bunny World ?’ I ask her.
‘Yes daddy, of course.’
‘Your favourite thing at the Model Village was the chocolate,’ I say, smiling at the thought.
‘Chocolate? It still is,’ she says, looking surprised.
I smile and ask her 'What are you writing ?’

She shows me a Barbie print-out on which she’s written in pink felt-tip:

My Fashion Tips: if you are going out then where a dress. If you want boys to love you where pretty things. Skirts are realy fashionable this summer try one on!

‘That’s good,’ I tell her.
Maybe it's something in my expression, maybe something within her that makes her say ‘Don’t worry daddy, I don’t want boys to love me.’

25 comments:

Elsie Button said...

you are such a tease!

Stay at home dad said...

Hey Else! How are you and the little buttons? How's the book?

Iota said...

It's been a while, SAHD!

Mimi said...

I don't believe it!
After all this time? maybe you're SAHD's daughter come to steal his blog?

Stay at home dad said...

Hi Iota. Yes, I didn't realise quite how long. I've been doing some stuff. Hope you're well.

Hey Mimi. No I'm still sahd! Hope all well.

Livvy U. said...

Hello. I'm glad you let me know: I do check from time to time but I'm glad I wasn't the fifty-first person to comment, like I usually am...

Time has not rusted the talent, may I say.

And as for the other, mentioned in passing, if I understand your meaning I am very sorry. Tried to email you direct but couldn't get my Outlook thing to work. Maybe I'll try again.

Keep writing! (I should talk)
Livvy x

Stay at home dad said...

Hi Livvy,
Thanks and please try again, that would be nice.
Sahd

Pig in the Kitchen said...

bugger.

just posted a long and erudite comment, all sparkling wit and pithy stuff. then it got lost. hate it when that happens.

it said witty, pithy things about you being back, but now i've lost the will to re-type them.

suffice to say, you're very good to let her have two sugars, i'm a cow and only let mine have one.

Also good that you can now be crowned 'uber lax blogger' thus making me feel better about my sporadic posts. Finally, good that you are back.

My word verification is 'prooth' making me thing simultaneously of Proust (and Madeleines being his favourite breakfast bite) and Proof. And speech impediments.

Pig x
will we be seeing you on Twitter any time soon?!

Stay at home dad said...

Pig,

Good to hear from you. Make your mind up, either you're a pig or a cow...

Hope all well with you, you are a consistent blogger compared to me (anyone is).

I promise to blog and visit more.

PS I tried twittering, but there is short fiction and there is poetry. Then there are one-liners. Mine didn't really seem to work. Do you do it?

Sahd

American in Bath said...

Fortunately, not all boys care so much about our dresses. I don't think I know any stay at home Dads in Bath, so it probably isn't me. Always happy to meet new people.

Stay at home dad said...

Hmm. I'm not convinced. How about if I said the word Anthology?!

merry weather said...

Ah, still writing here with wit and great tenderness I see. And now archived by the British Library! Excellent Sahd :-)

Stay at home dad said...

Why thank you Merry. It's nice to be back!

Pig in the Kitchen said...

yes, I'm a vague twitterer: http://twitter.com/@piginthekitchen and also a facebooker (again, sporadic and half-hearted...!)http://www.facebook.com/piginthekitchen

I do love the random element of Twitter, crazy one-liners going out into the ether!

Pig x

Catherine said...

It's so good that you record special moments with your daughter. Bringing up children is a process of evolution, for them and you.

Mine are grown up now and the last one has recently flown the nest. It feels like a bereavement in some ways and I miss the little people they used to be, although I love the sensitive, thoughtful people they are now.

Hold those special moments.

Stay at home dad said...

A vague twitterer, I like that pig. You could be worse things I suppose...

Hi Marianne. Thanks and you are right. It's nice that your children have grown up the way they have and a tribute to you.

Unknown said...

My daughter is not allowed to have boyfriends till she's 35. I don't need to be a grandpa! So, she doesn't want the boys to love her either.

Stay at home dad said...

Hi DP3,

A bit young, surely! Good plan though - everyone wins....

Peter said...

Hi there. Just discovered your blog. I just became (a) SAHD when I was laid off last week. Now I have more time to spend with our 5 week old boy.

Stay at home dad said...

Hi Peter. Sorry to hear about the job, but enjoy your son!

Sahd

Tim Atkinson said...

Ah, stay at home dad - my blogging inspiration as well as the reason I had to call myself 'The Dotterel'. Good to see you back, sir!

- English Dad In Moscow - said...

They grow up fast I am also a SAHD but in Moscow !!! Us SAHD must stick together !!

http://www.englishdadinmoscow.com/

Stay at home dad said...

Thank you The Dotterel! Hope ll well.

Good luck with that, English dad.

Mr Iqbal, I'll certainly try and catch that...

Hadriana's Treasures said...

Hi Stay at Home Dad,

I learned more about you in the recent Times article. Well done you and daughter and your archived blog! I wish you well in everything! Hadriana x

Stay at home dad said...

Hi Hadriana. Um, I wondered if anyone would see that. It seemed like a good idea at the time! Thanks v much anyway. Sahd.