今天，是至靖恒出水痘后，第一次带他去跟其他小朋友玩。早上，赶着买菜，准备三文治当午餐，接着就带他去“妇女协会”。像以前那样，在那里忙着看住他，不让他拿太多饼干吃。。。那儿的饼干其实是给大人吃的，所以他们都放在外面，不像其他专门让小孩玩耍的地方，有固定的时间拿出饼干，而且会是比较适合小孩吃的那种。
吃完三文治，我带靖恒到“游乐巴士”去。台湾朋友也带着她的女儿一块儿去。巴士车上，靖恒玩得可真起劲。他找到了能让他放不下的玩具-两只大木匙。他拿着它们，当起小提琴家了。起初，那些工作人员还被逗得挺乐的。可是，靖恒一直不肯放下木匙，加上他拿着那两支长长的“棍”晃来晃去，当心他打到其他小孩，我们都尝试叫他放下来。可是，他连拿拼图玩时也“匙不离手”，真拿他没办法。一直到点心时间才肯丢下它们。之后，工作人员拿出一些鼓阿，木琴阿之类的乐器，靖恒就拿起鼓打得很兴奋。我想，靖恒或许太累了，也玩得太火了，3点，当我们得收回玩具，离开的时候，他哭闹起来了，不肯放下鼓。真让我汗颜。。。是不是太放纵他玩鼓了？
回到家，也只睡了大概一个小时就起来了。陪他玩了一个小时，喝奶（我们已经给他喝巧克力奶了，放巧克力粉的，因为刚来时他不肯喝鲜奶，所以就出此策略。），吃饼干。。。突然，灯灭了。
当时是傍晚5.30。外面已经很暗了，加上停电，只好出去走走。。。
许多店已经关门了，只有几间超市，卖酒的等和一间这里所谓的“慈善”店 （就是卖那些别人捐出来的用品，如衣服，书本等，然后把钱捐给特定的慈善机构。售货员都是自愿帮忙不拿薪水的。）还开着。。我们逛了慈善店，再到超市去。超市里面有棵圣诞树，靖恒对它还挺感兴趣的。他还在架子与架子之间的走道跑上跑下，发出兴奋得叫声，不让我捉到他。6点15分，看见有几间房终于亮了灯，赶紧抱着他回去煮菜啦。
晚上，该冲凉时，他不肯冲，拿着坐垫盖住头。还好最近读的一本故事书里，有一只小熊也是不肯冲凉，我就用那只小熊，把他哄到了洗澡盆。下一回，就叫救火员了。。。
这就是外出的星期二。有些头晕目眩的。
Out and About
First day Ethan was to go out and interact with other kids since the Chicken Pox. We went to the Women's Club in the morning. Initially, he seemed rather unwilling to play, sticking to me. But soon, the toys (and later, very much due to the biscuits) attracted him enough for him to venture out and he soon warmed up. That included fighting with other kids for toys of course. As for me, I chatted with a retiree who used to be the chairwoman of the Women's Club in the university in Sheffield (if I remember the place correctly) and who, after moving to this region, sought out the Women's Club here to relive her happy memories. She stayed at the other side of Pentland Hills, on more elevated grounds, and gave me the exciting news that it had snowed at her place for a few hours just recently!
Afternoon was spent at the Oct2Bus. Ethan was his usual self now, moving into the rear of the bus as soon as he got on, to play with the soils and the paints. After awhile, he asked to go up ('requested' would be a tad too civil for him, but 'demanded' seemed to speak something about me as the parent that I am not inclined to elaborate...). Upstairs, he found his haven - two wooden spoons, the exact size as those we use in the kitchen for baking. To him, they were his violin and stick. And he la-la-laed with a spoon in each hand and even hummed some nursery rhymes. He posed a danger to the little kids though, brandishing his 'sticks' here and there. And he refused to put them down, not even when he had to pick up the puzzle pieces to play (you've got to imagine how he juggled with the two big wooden spoons and a piece of the puzzle but he managed). More disasters were to come, however.
After snack, he went back for his spoons again, and the helpers on the bus took out the drums (with drumsticks of course), the glockenspiel, the shakers etc for a final 15 minutes sing-along session. He was attracted to the drum at once, and got so involved with it he did not bother about the songs at all. When it was time to keep the toys, he refused to part with his drum and stick and gave out loud wails. Sickened and wearied, I dragged him, reasoned with him, anything, to get out of the bus. Him, the only boy on the bus, not the youngest, not the oldest, and the only one crying loudly.
Home again, and slept for an hour. At 5.30pm, the lights went out. It went nearly pitch black in the room but for the little exit light at the door. So, Scottish Power failed me today, at 5.30pm. Even without Ethan plaguing me with '出去暗暗’ (go out into the dark), I would have wanted to get out of the room. What else could the two of us do?
Out in the busy street, most of the shops were already closed. Only Barnardo's (a Charity shop), the four supermarts, a wine shop and a drugstore were still opened. We went into Bernado's first but spent more time in Tesco. Ethan was at least fascinated by the Christmas tree there, which was a relief to me (think past grocery shopping experiences with him). He also enjoyed running up and down the aisles and making excited noises knowing I was following behind, trying to stop him from creating more havoc. Finally, we went back at 6.15pm when the lights came back, without much protest from him surprisingly.
Shower time, and he was not in the mood for a shower. He covered his head with a cushion. I told him, 'You are not Bartholomew right? Bartholomew hid under the chair, did not want to go for his bath.' And he said, 'Nah!' and happily let me whisk him off the sofa onto the floor near the toilet. Thank you, Virginia Miller. Next time, perhaps Fireman Sam - again.
No comments:
Post a Comment