Living Between the Lines

The Special Tent…

The following conversation was overheard between Mum and toddler, as we sat admiring the view, on the beach at Readymoney Cove. Catherine Tate springs to mind!

Worth noting, we could hear Mum’s voice more than toddler’s but you can tell what he might be saying! Imagine Mum’s voice sounding just a little more stressed by the second, having trudged across the sand with towels, picnic blankets, something in a long, nylon bag slung over her shoulder and an over excited toddler skipping along behind, finally settling a couple of yards to our left.

The Mum:

‘This is a good spot darling, but we need to wait for Daddy to help us with the Special Tent, remember? – No, darling, remember what I said, we have to wait for Daddy to help with the Special Tent…’

‘Because Daddy is better at putting the Special Tent up than Mummy. Mummy isn’t so good at putting the Special Tent up.’

‘Oh yes sweetheart, I think this is a really good place but remember, we need to wait for Daddy to help Mummy with the Special Tent.

‘Let’s put some small rocks on the corners of this blanket to hold it down – can you find some small rocks?’

‘No, no, the sea won’t get to us here -’

‘- because if it looks as though the sea is going to come anywhere near us, Mummy will pick everything up really quickly and we’ll run…’

‘Yes darling, I know you want to, but we need to wait for Daddy to help with the Special Tent, remember?-’

‘I don’t know where Daddy is sweetheart – he should be here any minute -’

‘Yes, those are the tent pegs but let’s put them away so we don’t lose them – no we might not need them – let’s wait for Daddy – because we need Daddy to help us with the Special Tent don’t we? Remember?’

‘Yes, Daddy said he was following us -’

‘There, I’ve found some rocks, these will do – there – no, no, don’t get the Special Tent out yet, we must wait for Daddy to help,’

‘Oh, look, here comes Daddy!’ (finally)

‘NO Daddy, we haven’t got everything out yet because we have been waiting for you to help with the Special Tent,’

‘Oh, look at the Special Tent, Wow!-‘

A this point, we risk a peep, said Special Tent sits resplendent on the sand having popped up as though by magic.

Clever Daddy !

I am an Author, wife to one, mother to five and grandmother to six. I live in the English countryside in Hampshire, UK, with my husband and two dogs and am a non exec Director for Glow www.theglowstudio.com.

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