Neologisms (new words)

Anika seems to be interested in new definitions for a word at her blog but the rest of the Q family have been into neologisms of late. We were discussing at dinner the other night about how a comet the size of the Pacific Ocean has just crashed into Jupiter. We were somewhat relieved that Jupiter was in the way but it's interesting that I always think of the planets all lined up like they are in science books. I keep reminding myself that they orbit the sun so are anywhere in the orbit. Hubby made the comment that the Greek verb from which we get the word planet means basically "to wander or go astray".

We decided then that Anika has always been a "planetor" having disappeared on numerous occasions in the shops, parks and apartment buildings etc. She knows now that when we go out she must do three things:

a. take her mobile phone
b. make sure her mobile phone is charged and with credit and
c. turn the phone on

Matt is very good at 'planeting' when he is supposed to be doing his schoolwork. A heavy page of maths usually means a break but what is meant to be a quick break is interpreted as time to go out into the backyard and play.

Lloyd, however, is physically present on planet Earth and stationary but his brain has 'planeted' to Planet X.

Mike is growing up. His first tooth has 'planeted' and he looks cute with it gone.

I'm off to 'planet' to bed.

Necessity is the Parent of Invention

(the title being politically correct)


Last Saturday I went to the local marketplace as a special trip for Lloyd. He wanted to buy something particular with his money. Believe it or not my almost 16 year old wanted to buy a waterfall. I started to wonder if he had been converted to some other religion and wanted to have a waterfall to be one with nature or something supposedly deep and meaningful.


Thankfully he hasn't abandoned his Christianity but he had a practical purpose for his waterfall. He told me that he finds it hard to sleep at night because there is no noise in his bedroom. I offered a sometimes snoring 5 year old to be his room mate but Lloyd declined the offer.


We browsed the gift shops. In one of them the shop assistant was determined to sell Lloyd an expensive waterfall and showed him every single variety he had. Lloyd saw the price tags and decided to search elsewhere.


Eventually he found one that had been marked down to a price Lloyd was happy with and he came home carrying his treasure. It was an ex-display model so there were no instructions. It seemed though that all he had to do was fill it up and it started falling nicely.


But there was a problem.....it was almost completely silent. It seemed to be designed to keep the noise to the level of a lone termite chewing on a scrap of wood in the wall of the room furtherest from Lloyd's.


Not to be deterred from his quest for a good night's sleep Lloyd went searching for the perfect Lego piece. Nifty stuff that Lego. We've used it to solve many a problem. A wagon wheel solved the problem perfectly:


Lloyd now hears the trickle of water as it goes through the wagon wheel and has a restful night's sleep. I've got the perfect job for him. A ranger at Niagara Falls. But they'd better not expect him to do any dusting in the shop.

Winter Woes

It's the winter holidays and last week all of the Q family children were at the holiday kid's club for 5 mornings. Well, almost. Mike didn't go on Friday due to sickness. But, for the first time in 17 years, I had 4 mornings in a row without a child in the house. I spent the first two doing some much needed cleaning up and the second two having some craft fun then on day 5 moped around all day sick with Mike.

Every winter holidays if we haven't had a virus before kid's club we seem to pick one up from kid's club. We all take turns feeling quite miserable instead of really enjoying the holidays.

Anika and Hubby love the winter and a lot of other people tell me how much they like it. I have to be honest and say that winter is my least favourite season because I don't like the winter ills.

Hence, for the first time on the Sinks Mummy blog, there's a blog poll! Please scroll down on the right hand side and let me know what you think. I love spring, followed by autumn, summer then winter last.

I'm off to find a handkerchief (where do they all disappear to in winter?).

On Facebook I have learned...

1. On the 'What personality are you?' quiz I have a 1950's personality.
2. On the 'What animal are you?' quiz I am a dolphin.
3. On the 'What Disney/Pixar character are you?' quiz I am Dory (and Hubby is Mater...ha ha ha).
4. I have wasted an awful lot of time on quizzes.
5. I have no idea how to do a 'food fling' - but the mud pie chocolate cake looked good.
6. I have managed to have contact with people I haven't seen or heard from in ages - and that has been good.