Thursday, September 20, 2007

Breakfast time with the Life family



Warning: you shouldn't read this post if you're a fan of Queen. I'm not really into music with guitars and bangy things.

Scene: our kitchen, breakfast time. Terry Wogan's breakfast programme is on the radio. I listen, while eating muesli, for the jokes rather than the music.

[Loud music fills the air.]

Me [wincing and turning down volume]: That's a terrible racket.

[Son and Daughter 2 begin to sing along.]

Me [surprised]: You know the words?

Son [patiently]: It's Queen.

Me [more surprised]: You know the words to a Queen record?

Son: It's our only act of rebellion. We listen to acknowledged classics from popular music that you could have listened to when you were young, but didn't.

Daughter 2 [comfortingly]: We're singing ironically, if that makes you feel better.

22 comments:

  1. That made me laugh. I rather like Queen myself. And I know the words to quite a few of their songs.
    Slinks off head down...

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  2. Hilarious. Wish breakfast at our house was as entertaining!

    When I was at school we used to sing Bohemian Rhapsody in the bus on the way to the chapel choir picnics. How's that for ironic...?

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  3. I loved your comment on my post! What a treat to hear from you! The 4th granddaughter has not made her entrance yet - but it could be any time, so I am jumping every time my phone rings!
    Your breakfast sounds so much more fun that mine - a piece of cheese in the car on the way to work!

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  4. That post was good for a shout of laughter! Your offspring sound delightful.

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  5. Anonymous1:28 am

    Ha! So funny!! My kids have whined at me frequently over the years to turn the music down. I tell them that Jimi Hendrix is part of their musical heritage and they should see it as educational.

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  6. Funny post!

    I like your kids.

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  7. What smart children you have.

    Evidenced, of course, by the fact that they know the words to a Queen song.

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  8. Ooh, I wonder if that is the same Queen song that husband, children and I were singing along to sitting in the car park at the kids' school? (We make the children listen to Wogan. It amuses us.) In our defence, we have also made the kids listen to Handel's Messiah in the car (the version with Kenneth McKellar singing the tenor part - bet that takes you back!) Oddly they prefer an odd combination of Newfoundland folk music and Boney M. Sigh...

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  9. You and my mother would get on like a house on fire, I think. Although years later she suddenly confessed she was thinking of buying herself an ABBA cd. All those years of putting up with our music and look what happens. Your kids are very funny. At least their rebellion is limited to ironic singing.

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  10. oh, and Bohemian Rhapsody has all those ironic operatic references in it....




    and in case you were interested,( though I'm sure you could just walk in...).

    http://www.gsa.ac.uk/gsa.cfm?pid=2078&version=flash&detect=done

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  11. This is my 2nd attempt at leaving a comment. We have a mutual friend in Joni Possin (Yummers).

    As I read your blog today, I had to smile. Yes, I was a fan of "Queen" in their heyday, but my smile was with regards to Terry Wogan.

    As a die-hard "Vicar of Dibley" fan, I often forget how very real some of the references on the show actually are. After receiving the DVDs a few years ago for Christmas, I have probably watched each and every episode a minimum of five times!

    Your post reminded me of some of my favorite TV from over in England!

    Thanks so much!

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  12. hmm,
    www.gsa.ac.uk
    research+postgraduate,
    research,
    conferences....
    should arrive at the page,

    there is a delegates registration sheet, it's rather expensive but in my experience, I've never seen them boot people out of a lecture.

    Could be interesting since I may well be throwing up from nervousness.
    Oh, I dont have my time slot yet, just my panel number, which is 3.

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  13. Excellent! Sorry to say, I do love a good Queen singalong -- at the top of one's lungs, of course! Perhaps if you try a little a day, you'll start to get used to it? ;-) It could happen! And wow -- if that's been their only act of rebellion, what a very fortunate Mum you have been. Fabulous children you have there!

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  14. Do you know the best way to shut them up? Just start singing yourself, always works a treat with my oldest, I am just "Tooo embarassing"! Perhaps I just can't sing ironically!
    Kim x

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  15. Ragged Roses - I'm sorry to say we have grown out of being embarrassed by her. It used to work a treat on me, at least in public - but I have seen the error of my ways.

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  16. My husband recently wanted me to go to a Queen tribute show, I declined so the took along our daughters, sounds like they had a load of fun!!

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  17. Hi there, again. . .

    I realize that we have rarely, if ever, encountered each other. I came upon your delightful blog through Joni (Yummers).

    Yes, the Vicar of Dibley is a BBC show set in a "town" named Dibley. On the show, the vicar (she's female) is very "pop culture" savvy. One one particular episode, they talk about her making an appearance on Terry Wogan's show. . . there's even some mention of a sidekick. . "Tessa" maybe? So many of the references are British, and although I love the show, and british humor, I have no knowledge of the colloquial phrases and names they use so readily.

    Please feel free to visit my blog anytime. I enjoy yours -- especially the gardening pictures. Have a great weekend!

    --Angie (carolinesmom)

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  18. I've heard of 'Prince' but never of 'Queen'. I have to ask my girls about the group... they sing along with everything. I never did as a teen. I was into art and books.
    Joni

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  19. Ah yes ... Queen ... sung at the top of your lungs in front of semi-embarrassed offspring ....Works a treat in this house ... except no embarrassment, they all join in and take over ....

    You should try it on the kittens ... YOU singing Queen not Queen singing queen ....

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  20. little smart-arses! What a funny post, as were lots of previous; I loved the magnetic cats and your mum enjoying handling every one of 60 000 items.
    Great to catch up!

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  21. LOve it.
    I'll have to get my lot to sing " ironically".
    My husband has been singing Queen songs ( "arias", he says) for 20 yrs, almost nonstop.

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  22. We saw "We Will Rock You" while in London and it was quite entertaining, albeit a bit silly. I was rather reluctant to go, not being the world's biggest Queen fan, but I'm glad we ended up going to see that rather than something depressing.

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