Teddy Bears

A few months before niece no. 1 (the planner) left for NZ, she bought a teddy bear and when she got it home discovered the poor thing had a club foot! She gave it to me cos I took pity on the poor thing. (How do you take pity on an inanimate object?!) I am probably the only middle aged male with a teddy on his bed!

Ok - I know what's coming! Yes I do know that there are specialist doctors that can help and it all stems back to my mother taking my dummy (for those in the U.S. - a pacifier) away too soon! (I was only 21!)

I've just been telling my other nieces about the mischief I got into as a kid. My older brother was usually the butt of these pranks. ie - putting a firecracker under his car seat whilst he was sitting in it and looking the other way! He would come after me and I would run to dad. Another time I loosened his bike pedals - that had hilarious results. The rope across the door of our shared bedroom. The fire cracker I threw into the shed while he was in there and the ensuing yells, screams and abuse. I learned to be an olympic sprinter and always had a weather eye out for dad - I then knew when he wasn't looking and where to run to find him for protection. The rubber snake I tossed into the old outhouse while bro was taking care of business and the ensuing streak! He covered all of ten yards with his trousers around his ankles before he fell!

I'll have to post some more of these anecdotes of a country childhood one day. I wasn't a very nice younger brother! But boy did I have fun!

Its a bit unfortunate that the same mischief carried into adulthood. I once short sheeted the nuptial bed - that may partially explain why she is now my ex.......

There were never any firecrackers there - just lots of fireworks! Particularly with my brand of humour.
Thats all for now - I should start on the kitchen renovations but thats another saga.........