tea with tamf

i find it supremely ironic that while all of Britain is frozen under a layer of snow, i'm completely snowless (and quite warm) in its northerly neighbour, Norway. i'm here to visit my parents, although "bring their granddaughter to them" might be more apt. so far, it's had its ups and downs. we flew out after the first snow but before the really heavy snow, so our plane was only two hours late. the snow seems to have scrambled all information equipment, however, because no one got any information about the delay. not even my parents, who were waiting at the airport for us to arrive at the moment the plane was finally taking off.

the daughter took the journey well, with the help of some muffins. i, on the other hand, developed a headache. so the next day i lay low with that, while she played with her grandparents and their stash of toys. unfortunately my parents weren't able to appreciate her fully, as they were both ill with a rather nasty cold.

the next day everyone was fit enough to go shopping. yay! warm norwegian clothing! and shoes! and 11 pairs of socks! guess she won't be getting that for christmas, then. however, at the end of the shopping round, the daughter seemed quite weary, and kicked up a fuss about wearing her seat belt, or about me saying things like "there" or "oops". i should have known by then that the crankiness signalled illness.

daughter fell asleep in the middle of the afternoon, then woke up late at night, wanting to play. fine, i let her play. then we played children's songs (which thankfully are nice, non-annoying recordings) until she fell asleep. during the night, she became hotter and hotter, like an anti-snowman.

today, she's been doing little other than sleeping. my parents have been looking in on her and saying "poor thing". in the evening, grandfather made cake for her like he'd promised to do. he even managed to scrounge up some fresh strawberries! happily, she ate half a piece. it may not be the best sick-food in the world, but if it's eaten, it's good.

so i'm spending most of my time in a bedroom or within hearing distance of soft whispers. hopefully, it'll be better tomorrow... and that goes for Britain, too.