"Get your bananas, lovely bananas .... "

We had an “extended family” lunch date at the weekend.

As I was driving (and therefore not drinking), it turned out to be quite an expensive way of having sausage and mash but having said that, it was wonderful to catch up with members of my family that usually only come together for weddings and funerals.

One of my many cousin’s had brought her 9 year old daughter with her and, thanks to the fact that she had a Nintendo DS with her, Joseph immediately latched on to her (he wants a DS for Christmas you see).

She was very kind really – most 9 year old girls wouldn’t have time for a 6 year old boy but that wasn’t the case this time around. He didn’t move from her side for the next two hours, patiently waiting for each time his “turn” came around. It was very sweet watching the two of them, talking and laughing, Joseph looking intently at her, nodding and smiling, wringing his fingers in that slightly awkward way that he does.

Joseph has been funny lately. He normally climbs into bed each evening and asks if I will read him a story.

Not at the moment however.

He runs into my room and almost immediately reappears, strolling nonchalantly down the landing to his bedroom, a copy of the Woolworths Store Christmas magazine tucked under his arm. By the time I go in to kiss him goodnight, the brochure is at the end of his bed, open at the Nintendo pages, great big black ink circles around the (numerous) items he wants to put on his letter to Father Christmas.

A silly joke of mine backfired on me the other night though.

Bearing in mind Joseph’s love of fruit, I said to him that with the global economic downturn, money was a bit tight and that he may not get the things on his list but I would get him a nice tangerine.

His eyes widened, he took his thumb out of his mouth and said loudly, “COOL!”

Statement made, he calmly put his thumb back in and closed his eyes.

' can’t wait to see his face on the morning of the 25th after I have taken the time and trouble to actually wrap the aforementioned piece of fruit!!

Heh heh heh …..

Er …. if you’re listening to this Santa, I’m only joking.

Sort of.