let me do my own litmus test…does it seem too boring to share that i am already having to plan our summer holidays? yep, that’s boring.

did i mention that the kids have set up their own judicial review system? i guess they were finding hong kong’s one country two systems legal sytem even more befuddling than our local legislators do. the other night at the dinner table, sebastian sorrowfully (and reproachfully) mentioned in conversation that,

"annie is going to lita’s country for a holiday"

sela, who had not been giving the conversation her whole attention (we were serving green apple curry and sela is very attentive to anything with curry, plus it was her turn with the mickey mouse spoon), suddenly jerked her head up. and commenced bawling. the sela wail. epiglottis trembling, shrieking, grating cries.

what. on. earth. is. the. matter? i inquired gravely yet in a tone that suggested she was behaving inappropriately.

i didn’t find out right away, because all of a sudden, jasper laid down his spoon, pointed his finger and said, "straight to the bedroom, sela"

and carys, said, "no, give her a time out!"

and sebastian chimed in, "take away a toy"

these kids seem to believe that they make up a three person jury and are only too happy to dole out appropriate sentences to their peers. there is no solidarity.

yet they are very happy to have each other, because every person provides another scapegoat. for example, the other morning i wandered into their bedroom and smelt a very unwelcome and suspicous odour.

"carys, did you do a poopers in your nappy?"

and she looked right and me and said,

"maybe jayjay."

i turned to her brother, who was lying nearby.

"jasper, did you do a poopers in your nappy?"

"maybe sela."

another quarter turn.

"sela, did you do a poopers in your nappy?"

"maybe carys"

you notice how no one is answering the question, they are simply shrugging it on to the next person? i forget who the perp was, but i do remember that their siblings were very happy to inform me what the crime was and who had done it, like the evidence wasn’t visible to my eyes and nose. but no, i had to be told that "—- did a poopers in his/her nappy."

that’s usually around the time sebastian slopes into the room and says, "i nevah did a poopahs in my bobs, did i mummy?"

and i say, no you never did.

i’m a better boy than the triplets, aren’t i?

hardly.

not a very generous answer, is it?

in case you were wondering what sela was crying about that day at the table, she had thought that sebastian had said that LITA was going on a holiday. SELA is very much LITA’s favourite, and having LITA around makes SELA’s life much easier and happier. getting carried when the others have to walk, sort of thing. the thought of lita going, in sela’s words, "to the phil-pines" was enough to bring on the onslaught of tears, especially as lita had left the room when sebastian made the prophetic statement. i asked lita to come into the room, she did, calm was restored and sela apologised to her siblings.