Small people

 

This will be of little interest to anyone else (but hey, after much grinding of teeth and assistance from Mr Life, I've managed to thwart Blogger's evil machinations and post pictures) - but this is something I found among the study archives and, after photographing it, am stalwartly throwing it away because I Can't Keep Everything The Children Ever Made. Also it takes up a lot of room and is somewhat falling to bits. So I'm recording it for posterity, or whatever passes for posterity in the world of Blog or digital photos. I apologise for the self-indulgence of this post.

 

This is the packaging for a Mother's Day present from Daughter 2 in 1993, when she was 11 and a half. The pink bits are added by me, today, to hide my name, which isn't really Isabelle. Or at least, Isabelle is my middle name.

 

 

The photos aren't very good but it's in the form of a home-made book entitled, "The Reasons Why [Isabelle] should not be "the best mum in the world". Yes, not a very good use of inverted commas but she was only 11.

 

 

And here's the title page. Same title. Same inverted commas.

 

 

On the next page, the first sticky note is (purportedly) dated the year of Daughter 2's birth and says, Publication postponed. Researchers could find no reasons. Then, dated 1993 (the actual year she made this), it says Publication cancelled. The researchers could only find one reason. The second sticky note says, She's too good to be true! Note the correct apostrophe.

 

 

And she signs her (nick)name: Scooshie Boots. (Yes, and I criticise people who call their children Carver.) Another good apostrophe in Mother's.

 

 

Keep turning... it says...

 

 

And then the - surprise, surprise - hollow book contained a present, though I forget what it was.

 

And you all thought that you were the best mum in the world (if you're a mum. Otherwise you might have thought that you had the best mum in the world). Sorry to disappoint you. It was I. (Not actually sure about that.)

 

Anyway, I've kept it all these years and it's got more and more bashed so in order that the children don't have to weep over it when they find it after I'm dead, I think I should send it on its way now. (Three correct uses of the apostrophe in this paragraph and one example of writing its rather than it's - again correct.)

 

It brings a tear to my maternal eye, though. It must have been the result of much labour, especially as she is a bit dyslexic and there are NO spelling mistakes. I think Daughter 1 must have been the spelling advisor.

 

Grandson is still very unwell. He's had this feverish cold for nine days now. However, surely tomorrow will see him turn the corner? How I love him. And her. And them all.