Telephone

"Bonjour Mama! Its me, Nathan"
"Hello darling, how are you doing?"
"Fine"
"Are you enjoying it?"
"Yes"
"Are you happy?"
"Yes"
"Did you like the mini motorbike rides?"
"Yes"
"Well ... so everythings ok"
"Mmmmm"
"nothing else to tell mama?"
"Is Abigail ok?"
"She's doing fine honey ... she's playing in the garden."
"Dis lui que je l'aime" (tell her I love her)
"I will darling. You have a nice time ok?"
"Bye". click.



"Allo Mama? C'est William"
"HELLO Big Bill!! How are you doing?"
tears ... sobs ...
"William ... what's wrong? Did something happen"
"Mama come and get me ... pleeeeease come and get me"
GULP
"um ... you're three hours away William ... thats quite tricky right now ... tell me whats wrong"
"everyone's picking on me. the boys in my dormitory took my clothes out of my suitcase and threw them all over the room. Then they all started hitting me with their pillows" (sobs) "I want to come home ... Mama pleeeaaaase come and pick me up ... I want to go HOOOOMMMMEEEE sob sob ..."
(lump in throat)
" William, pass me your monitor"
suddenly perks up
"elle est la" (here she is)

"Allo?" (now translated ...)
"Hi, I'm Williams Mama. Hows' he doing?"
thoughtful silence at other end
"William and Nathan fight a lot"
(like : tell me something new! Is the pope catholic????)
"Oh dear. Really? How strange ..." (so its only a white Mama lie)
"William is sulking ... he's had a big tantrum and won't let anyone get anywhere near him. He's in a big strop"
(Gulp. such familiar territory. Act surprised)
"Gosh ... really???? Hmmm.... I wonder if ..)
"Nathan set all the boys up against him. Its been impossible. Its part of Nathan's revenge for Williams boxing his ears ... for no apparent reason ... I'm not sure what he told all the other boys, but they seem to want to gang up on him"
(such a familiar scene)
"Oh dear, can I..."
"I'm going to talk to William and try and coax him back to normal. He's very upset"
"OK. Let me talk to him again"
"Merci, Au Revoir"
(lovely lady. A really lovely lady. Gently spoken and obviously very concerned)
"Mama?"
"William. You hold your head high, ok? You be brave now. You go downstairs, ok? You go and show everyone that you're a brave boy, and that everything is ok, ok? (heaps of feigned confidence in voice)
(contagious though! A very confident voice replies)
"OK Mama! I'm going to go downstairs. I will be brave. Je t'aime Mama"
(Je t'aime William. Vas-y!!!!)
"You call me later ok?"
"OK. I'll call later to tell Abigail everything is fine, ok?"
"OK William, off you go!"
CLICK (A kind of happy determined one)

The Bernard Bunch is impatiently waiting William's call tonight.

Amber says she's having Abigail withdrawal symptoms so here is some news folks!!!

Good morning Amber!

today is both a sad and a happy day for me ...

sad because I have to say goodbye to my brothers who are going on kiddie camp for a while ...


But happy cos they are SOOO excited about all the adventures they are going to have.

This is William trying to stop me from going with them ..

no easy feat as you can imagine!!

They waited this morning for the bus in the school gymnasium .... and I had a wonderful time running round everywhere .... it was heaven!!! All that space and no-one stopping me for zooming around and sticking my nose into EVERYTHING!!!

Well, apart from Nathan of course, but Nathan is my VERY protective brother... he follows me round everywhere making sure nothing happens to me. He's like my personal body guard. At least I will find it easy to get used to it when I become a famous rock-star!!!!!

I made some new friends in the football goal ...

and then I found Nathan lurking behind me AGAIN.... what a hero!!

This, however, is Mama's mood today, cos she's like Nathan, over-protective, and she does NOT like her chicks being far from the nest ....

So Amber, to cheer Mama up a little, let me tell you that my soppy Mama thinks the WORLD of you ...

She's terribly fond of this little girl and her story ....

And of this little minx with the bow in her hair

And this, my friend, is Mama's ultimate little heart-throb...
Introducing ..... (sounds of drum beats please) ...

GRACIE!!!!

Oh don't be shy Gracie, show us that gorgeous little face of yours ...

Way to go lil girl!!!! The Bernard Bunch loves you very much!!!!

And at Ambers request, here's some fresh new footage of me in action. Enjoy!!

I dispute your decision Mama!

Mama took me for a walk today ....

I mean a real walk. The 'using my legs' kind of walk.

I did not like this decision. I wanted to sit in the pushchair. So I forcefully showed Mama and William what my intentions were. I may not have words, but I sure now how to communicate with body language!


I stayed like this for a long time. At least ten minutes. I wasn't having it any other way.




And then eventually I agreed to sit 'normally'.


But it took me a while to start talking to Mama again.



Oh alright, if you insist, I'll forgive you

It was worth the tantrum though

cos Mama bought me a new garden tent

Its fantastic! It has a tunnel I can creep along!!

I'm in a good mood again

Just don't ask me to go for a walk! And if you do, bring along my pushchair!!!

bye folks!!!

oh : ps, by the way

I had a swim tonight ...

with Papa and William and Nathan...



I loved it!!!
But Mama was a little nervous ... I guess that's what Mamas are for....

Yet I enjoyed it so incredibly much!!!

I guess we can say I am a very brave little girl!!!

Bye flks!! All this swimming has exhausted me and now I need a jolly good nights sleep. A demain folks!!!!