Good Moaning

Do you have to have a point for a blog post? Still playing the rookie card I'm wondering.

We were gathered around the ping pong table at the Gite complex this evening, exchanging pleasantries with other holiday makers from as far afield as Scotland (Ayrshire nonetheless Granny) and Ireland whilst tucking into our hosts' complimentary sparkling wine and gala pie, when... Ok, to clarify we are not on a complex - we are staying in one of four converted outbuildings in the grounds of the owner's house - but yes, we were congregated around a ping pong table (far too underused this holiday, my topspin will be going rusty at this rate) on the invitation of Marie, our lovely host for the week. She had asked everyone to join them for drinks and homemade nibbles, one of which was sausage meat and egg in a delicious pastry crust. Gala pie?

This was one of those occasions when you're a bit cautious. You definitely don't want to be the first ones there and you hope it isn't going to be awkwardly formal. And it wasn't. It would have made a better blog if it was. But during it someone commented on Mabel's extensive vocabulary (ok, they sighed under their breath about how she wittered on and on and on, constantly asking 'what's that?') and I made a comment which in some quarters may be bracketed with other 'dad comments': "Well, you should see her asking about the horses in the next field, she sounds like the policeman off of 'Allo Allo. Arses! Arses, are you?"! For those of you that need this transcribing it's obviously "Horses, where are you?", it just feels like it should be prefaced with "I was just pissing by the window".

Enough of that, today we went to the Loire Valley's answer to Knowsley Safari Park (but a bit like the substitute version when all you've got to fill the fields are countless 'different' breeds of deer). I let Mabes drive the car (perfectly legal if you're driving at less than 30km/hr) and everyone had a good time. The premise here is that you drive a bit and then you walk/ride a bit. Laughing in the face of sleep yet again we decided to cut our losses on the pram walk and hire bikes instead. If she doesn't want to sleep now when it's convenient for us we'll make it impossible for her to sleep all day. Not true - see below.

Plus, I returned from this morning's boulangerie trip, handed deux baguettes to my child through the window then walked round to the front door to be met with this. A girl after my own heart.

No real point to any of this but still...