The alarm went off and I staggered out of bed, not really wanting to get up. Why was it so dark outside anyway? The alarm on my phone was set for 6.45am when it's usually daylight. Maybe we were in for a storm or something. I was a bit befuddled so I checked the time on my phone; it said 7.45am. Nothing was making sense. I looked at my watch; 5.30am. I gave up thinking about it and staggered back to bed.
Last night I became on expert on The Bernstein Bears, cartoon videos about a bear family who liv in a lovely tree house. Ponleu is hooked on them. I made him his usual toast and cheese and then he informed me he'd set up the iPad so we could watch another Bear video while having breakfast. We went onto the balcony and he'd set up the computer on the coffee table, with the speaker, and arranged the chairs as if we were in a cinema. He was determined to enjoy himself.
They really are good videos and I'd recommend them to anyone raising a family. They are full of moral values and the parents teach the children the difference between right and wrong. What I like about them is that they don't just say "No" to the children, they actually explain why "No" is the right choice. They are a world away from the awful, ugly modern cartoons.
Ponleu mentioned that he'd love to play outside but he can't. That's true because we're on a main road and there are no gardens and open spaces. I decided to take him to a play area where he could run around but he started to complain from the first step we took. He asked if I'd brought money as he'd need water; I told him I didn't have money and we'd go home when he needed any. He complained about the heat and said we should go home. We turned around and 2 minutes later he said, "Why are we going this way?" He said he'd changed his mind and wanted to go to the park. Do all adults go through this?
In the play area he was more interested in climbing the trees and he really moved when he discovered he was covered with red ants. Then he found a group of ants feeding so he searched around for food, left on the ground, to give to them. He should be a biologist. Back at home he often finds minute pupae sitting on the wall. He opens them up and shows me the little maggot inside. Today he decided to release it over the balcony and I was given a lecture on how tiny things are able to land safely whereas humans can't. I've no idea how the maggot landed.
I was invited for lunch when I took him home. The grandparents were worried why I hadn't been all week and they were told I'd been given some time for myself. Listening to the smallest child screaming her head off, I was grateful. The boy's mother then asked if I'd take the two boys to the same barber as yesterday to have their hair cut. She also wanted the same style. The boys were having nothing of it so mother bribed them with $5 if they had it cut and so off we went. Ponleu didn't mind what happened to his hair but Oudom was adamant he wasn't having the shaved look. When we left the shop Oudom said, "Where can I find a ball cap?" I asked if he meant a baseball cap. "No, I said bald cap! I'm never going to speak to my parents again. I asked the barber not to shave my sides but he did anyway", and then he bust into tears. I don't really blame him. Now I'm the ogre as I went along with Mother's idea; I can't win. Why am I doing this emotional stuff? They aren't even my kids!
I've just finished my very first fictional romance novel. I've never read a love story in my life that was fiction although I've read books involving such things as historical royal romances. I really enjoyed "Me Before You" by Jo Jo Moyes and got quite attached to the characters. I must be getting soft in my old age. I don't think I'll watch the movie though as, for me, reading books allows me to use my imagination. I've got my own picture in my head of what Lou, Will and the other characters look like so I don't want the movie to spoil it for me.
The lads put my thermometer outside for a while - it registered 45C. The weather people always talked about the mid 30s but I suppose that's in the shade. At the moment, the only thing that's certain is my life here is the fact that it's going to get hotter every day until the rains come in late May. Unfortunately, I won't be around when they come
