Life lessons

We all learned a little something today:

CarbBoy* learned how to make Coq au vin (and I should add that he was absolutely right that I had not sufficiently browned the chicken - a fact that was happily rectified before it was too late.)

TallGirl learned that sighing and complaining about everything that might take you away from watching Friends is not a good move.  She is within a hair's breadth of having Friends confiscated.

MrB learned that cigar smoking in the rain can work (with the help of a decent Scottish golfing brolly), but that parenting awards are not won through mocking...

And as for SooB... Well I learned that inhaled pork scratchings can lead to an early demise.  After some rather unseemly wheezing and coughing, I think I've mostly cleared the obstruction.  But it was a close call.

In between all the above there was some nature show watching, a funny movie (Ghost Town - which Mr B and I recall howling at on a flight, but found slightly less funny second time round) and King of the Hill.  When TallGirl hears the theme song now she knows to sit on the floor, because she's going to end up there from laughing too much within a few minutes.  I think the kids are learning a lot about their Dad from watching it...

The picture, in case it is not clear, is the debris from flavouring the Coq au vin wine.  It was this or a photo of rain.  Which is pretty much all that's been going on in the garden - though we bravely sat out regardless when it was less heavy (much to the alarm of NeighbourBoy who was here, of course - where else would he be?)

And obviously the builder didn't show up like he promised.

* He ate enough mash tonight to justify continued use of the name.  Actually he ate enough mash to sink a battleship.  Which given the creamy lightness of my mash, is quite a lot.