Don't ask, she'll tell...

This past week, the Critter's Godmother has been visiting from California. As always, this has been a wonderful visit. (A couple of years ago, she went to Sicily with us). Last week, she and my Bride took themselves off to Venice for a girls' holiday where they could enjoy the scenery and exchange tales of the people they knew when they were in college together, and I stayed home with the Critter. I figured I travel enough with my work that my Bride could use the break, especially with Squirmy well on the way.

A week without my Bride around gave me a whole new respect for single parents, as I was struggling to find time to get my work done around the obligatory trips to drop off (no earlier than 8:30am), pick up (no later than 3:30pm), and act as a taxi service to various extra-curricular activities. Like having to actually be present for violin class at 9:40am one day. Yeah. Never mind that I've actually got a meeting to go to, or something. Excuse me while I go listen to Variations on Twinkle Twinkle. But the Critter, I must say, was an absolute angel during the whole week, making the adventure in single parenting as easy as could possibly be. Other than demanding we make popcorn on a nightly basis, she pretty much went along with all of my suggestions, although she tossed me aside like so much rubbish the moment she saw my Bride's car coming down the driveway.

Yesterday, I returned to normality, heading off to work in the morning hours, and returning at a suitably early evening hour, as normal. When we sat down to a great Chinese dinner, my Bride and the Godmother told me that the Critter had been sorting out how we all knew each other today.

Critter: Mom, you used to live with Godmother
My Bride: That's right. We lived together when we were in school.
Critter: And then you met Daddy.
That's right.
Critter: And then you dumped Godmother, and married Daddy.

I know the Critter is fond of telling her classmates nearly everything. I'm sure this one will make good eyebrow raising fodder for the mums at the Queen's School for Girls.

'Don't worry,' I told my Bride, as I struggled not to laugh through my salt & pepper tofu, 'we'll just tell them it was your experimental university stage.'