Mar 8, 2015

Pneumatic Overdressed Playground Barbie Sunday

So today we went on a bike ride, we three, the indolent majority, while the worker drone slept off her night shift. It's good to get out of the house when Nicole is day-sleeping because you know, the piano-playing, the telly-watching, the general ruckus, the screaming; it's all a bit stressful. Heaven forbid that the violin should come out.

Today was a bit hot-and-bothersome, with a mass of hot air that's been gestating over the Australian interior bubbling over us for the past few days, but Eloise wanted to go on a bike ride so off we toddled.

I was a bit miffed that her chosen destinations were all retail-based, her choices being to go to a bike shop to get a bottle-holder or a shopping centre to get more Lego. However, she might think she's the boss-of-her but the truth hurts, doesn't it really, when you realise that you're not actually in charge; a feeling I'm sure we're all at some point along the many-fold path of coming to terms with.

We ended up at a little playground close to Brookside, a Lego emporium contained within (within Brookside the shopping centre, obviously, not the playground), where we happenstanced by an old Nursery colleague of Eloise's who she didn't remember and by whom she wasn't remembered; I recognised his Mum though I'm not sure if I ever knew her name, but we chatted for a while as Lyra busied herself on the equipment.

A gunshot cracked out on the way back near Stafford City and we ground to a rapid halt, as my back tyre under the weight of the toddler had blown out. Eloise, who had just told me of her bike-maintenance plans for the day, went off solo with my keys to clean her pride and joy; I pushed my bike back home, my shoulder grumbling all the way, with Lyra on the back embarking on her own journey to the land of nod, in the post-midday thirty-two (probably) degrees of neck-tickling heat.

Later, we woke Nicole up, and made use of the remains of the day by going down to New Farm Park for a little barbecue. Eloise's idea of appropriate dress was a little over the top; she spent quite a while on her hair, and looked ready for a walk-on role in Downton Abbey by the time she was done.

"You're a bit overdressed for the playground, aren't you luv" said I, whereupon with us all ready to go, true to form she disappeared to a slamming of the door, to reappear some moments later rather more appropriately dressed.

We ate frittatas, steaks, sausages and salads as the sun went down, scooting around, wiggling on the wiggly things (woo!), slipping and sliding. I say we...


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