SHERPA FRITH

AHH, GOODWILL. A NEVER-ENDING SOURCE OF EXTREMELY GROOVY FRITHWEAR.

AFTER A FEW DAYS, MAMA FINALLY MANAGED TO CONVINCE THE FRITH THAT THIS TREMENDOUSLY CUTE SHERPA HAT WAS WEARABLE.

AS WAS MOST OF HER BREAKFAST.

COOKIE TINS AND TOOTHBRUSHES

THIS MORNING FRITH CLIMBED INTO AN EMPTY SUGAR-FREE COOKIE TIN.

AND THEN ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE LID ON HER HEAD.

LATER, MAMA MANAGED TO SNAP SOME SHOTS OF THE TOOTHBRUSHING IN ACTION. FRITH NOW BRUSHES HER TEETH EVERY TIME I DO. I NEED TO GET HER SOMETHING TO STAND ON NEXT TO THE SINK, AS SHE ALSO INSISTS ON RINSING AND TAPPING HER BRUSH AT LEAST TWENTY TIMES PER SESSION. AND CAN'T REACH THE SINK FROM HER STANDING POSITION ATOP THE TOILET SEAT. SO MAMA HAS TO RINSE AND TAP FOR HER. WHICH GOT OLD FAST.

(I'VE PURCHASED A FIVE-PACK OF TOOTHBRUSHES FOR FRITH'S OWN PERSONAL USE. AS TOOTHBRUSHES DON'T ALWAYS WIND UP IN PLACES WHERE TOOTHBRUSHES OUGHT TO WIND UP)

MUSICAL FRITHS

FRITH WAS VERY BUSY AS MAMA WORKED IN THE KITCHEN. I HEARD HER GRUNTING AND HEAVING AND MOVING THINGS AND RUSTLING. WHEN I LOOKED OVER, SHE HAD EXTRACTED A CD FROM THE SHELF (JETHRO TULL *BLUSH*) REMOVED IT FROM ITS CASE (AMAZING IN AND OF ITSELF) THEN PULLED THE CD PLAYER OUT FROM UNDER THE COUCH WHERE IT LIVES, OPENED IT, AND PLACED THE JETHRO TULL CD INSIDE (ON TOP OF A KTEL CD). THEN, SHE PUSHED BUTTONS UNTIL SOUND CAME OUT. GRANTED, IT WAS WHITE NOISE FROM THE RADIO, BUT FRITH PROCEEDED TO ROCK OUT NONETHELESS. SHE LOOKS A LITTLE LIKE STEVIE WONDER WHEN SHE DOES THIS.

PURIM SHPIEL

FRITH AND MAMA PICKED OUT A FAST NEW RED DRESS AT THE GOODWILL, SO WE'D LOOK NICE FOR THE PURIM SPIEL AT THE TEMPLE ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

KIDS WERE DRESSED AS ANYTHING FROM PIRATES TO TEAPOTS AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.

FOR SOME REASON MAMA'S CAMERA WASN'T DEALING WELL WITH THE LIGHTING SITUATION..

SO WE TRIED THE "NIGHT" SETTING, RESULTING IN PHOTOS THAT HAD FRITH ZIPPING THROUGH THE CROWDS LIKE A LITTLE RED SUPER-HERO.

WE STAYED THROUGH THE PURIM-PARADE, BUT HAD TO LEAVE BEFORE THE ACTUAL SHPIEL BEGAN, CITING BEDTIME. NEXT YEAR, WE WILL STAY.

SATURDAY MORNINGS WITH VICTORIA AND HOLDEN

MOST SATURDAY MORNINGS FIND MAMA AND THE FRITH GOING TO THE LIBRARY WITH VICTORIA AND HOLDEN. HERE WE HAVE THE TWO PINT-SIZED BIOLOGISTS STUDYING SOME LOCAL FAUNA - PINUS TREEUS, I BELIEVE.

EVERYTHING HOLDEN DOES, FRITH DOES IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS. TWICE.

AFTER THE LIBRARY, WE SOMETIMES GO TO THE BAKERY FOR GINGER SOFTS.

HERE WE HAVE HOLDEN AND VIC HEARING ABOUT REVEREND MIKE'S SPEEDY MORNING, WHILE FRITH LISTENS IN AND CHEWS CONTEMPLATIVELY.

AND FINALLY, MAMA DOES HER IMITATION OF A LAKE TROUT.

ONE OTHER THING.. WHILE WE WERE AT THE LIBRARY, FRITH, AS USUAL, WENT TO PLAY IN THE PLAYHOUSE - A SMALL COLOURFUL AFFAIR WITH DOORS ON ALL FOUR SIDES. TODAY, JANE WAS PLAYING INSIDE. JANE IS A COUPLE OF YEARS OLDER, AND WE DON'T KNOW HER VERY WELL. STILL, FRITH, BEING FRITH, WAS BRAVE, VENTURESOME AND FRIENDLY. SHE ATTEMPTED TO ENTER AT THE FIRST DOOR. JANE PUSHED HER OUT.

FRITH TRIED ANOTHER DOOR, AND JANE PUSHED HER OUT AGAIN. AGAIN, AND ANOTHER PUSH. AT THE FOURTH DOOR, JANE PUSHED HER SO HARD, FRITH FELL BACKWARDS ON HER BOTTOM. SHE WASN'T HURT, AND WASN'T FAZED IN THE LEAST. HOWEVER, AT THIS POINT, JANE'S FATHER CAME OVER AND BEGAN SPEAKING CAREFULLY TO JANE ABOUT SHARING. I MEANWHILE LURED FRITH AWAY WITH A BOOK, AND WE SAT DOWN TO READ FOR A FEW MOMENTS, TIL JANE HAD MOVED ON.

I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT THE RIGHT THING TO DO WAS, REALLY. FRITH IS SUCH A HOPEFUL, BRAVE, FRIENDLY LITTLE SOUL. AT WHAT POINT WILL SHE STOP TRYING ALL THE DOORS? WHAT WOULD MAKE HER DECIDE TO STOP?

I REALIZED THAT AT SOME POINT IN MY CHILDHOOD, I MUST HAVE DECIDED TO STOP. MOST TIMES NOW, I'LL TRY ONE DOOR. IF I'M PUSHED OUT, I WON'T TRY AGAIN. I HAVE MY LITTLE CIRCLE OF DEAR FRIENDS (SHOUT OUT TO MY HOMIES READING THIS BLOG, YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE) AND I LOVE THEM DEEPLY. OTHER THAN THAT, PUSH ME ONCE AND I WALK AWAY.

IS FRITH STRONGER THAN I? BRAVER? OR WILL SHE AT SOME POINT ALSO STOP TRYING THE OTHER DOORS? I WAS NEAR TEARS AS I WATCHED HER THIS MORNING, WITH HER OPEN SMILING FACE. I WAS SCARED FOR HER, FOR THE CHANGES TO COME.

PLUS, I WANTED TO PUSH JANE.

BAKING WITH FRITHA

SOMEBODY'S FAVOURITE PART OF COOKING IS THE MITTS.

SHABBAT DINNER

WE HAD A HUGELY ATTENDED SHABBAT DINNER AT OMI'S HOUSE THIS WEEK. IN THESE INEXPLICABLY STAR-TREK SOFT-FOCUS PICTURES, YOU CAN SEE HOLDEN IN THE FOREGROUND, FRITH IN THE BACKGROUND AND REVEREND MIKE PRACTISING HIS WORLD-FAMOUS BOARDING HOUSE REACH.

FROM LEFT TO RIGHT : HOLDEN, VICTORIA, MALLORY, REGAN, SUSAN (HIDDEN) AH-PAPA, AND FINALLY, OMI'S ARM.

PASTA REDUX

THE FRITH EATING PASTA. NUFF SAID.

FRITH VIDEO EXTRAORDINAIRE

FRITH WAS RUSHING AROUND THE PLACE LIKE A MAD PERSON SO MAMA CAUGHT SOME OF IT ON TAPE..


AND THEN PUT HER TO WORK IN THE LAUNDRY.. IN THIS ONE FRITH IS GOING TO THE KITCHEN TO FETCH ANOTHER ITEM FROM HER LAUNDRY BOX..


THEN THE CAMERA CUTS OUT, SO MAMA CAUGHT HER IN THE SAME SPOT ON THE NEXT GO-ROUND, CARTING ANOTHER ITEM BACK TO THE WASHING MACHINE.


SORRY BOUT THE DARKNESS - MY KAMERA, SHE AIN'T GOTS NO LIGHTS.

OBI-FRITH KENOBI

THE FRITH GOT HOLD OF HER GREAT-GRANDFATHER'S SHILLELAGH / LIGHTSABER.

AFTER SOME THOUGHTFUL PRACTICE SWINGS..

HEEAAAAGHHHHH!.