英语博客(A cup of English):056 Leave your mother alone!

　　Beginners.

My mother told me that when she was a young mother, my older brother would never leave her alone. He always wanted to be held. She would hold him even when she vacuumed 1. Clingy is the word. I was different. I always wanted to do my own thing and be independent. It is funny how different two children from the same family can be. I am preparing to go on a trip soon to New Zealand, so when I am gone, my parents-in-law will look after my kids and take them to school. My mother tells me how different things are now for mothers. In her day women just stayed with the children all the time. The expectation was that you didn't go off by yourself. Gosh, I'm glad things have changed. Now it is normal to "have a break" from the kids. It is normal practice to get a babysitter 2 so you can go out and do something fun without worrying about the children. We fortunately have a wonderful babysitter. She lives opposite us; she could easily walk from her house to ours in her slippers 3 in one minute. She is sixteen and happens to be a good friend of our children anyway. What a bonus 4! When it is time for my husband and I to go out on a Saturday or Friday night, we never have any trouble leaving. Even my youngest is so happy that 'Sammy' has come over to play, that she doesn't even tell me goodbye.

Grammar notes.

Related 5 vocabulary: clingy, vacuum/ hoover, parents-in-law, to go off, babysitter, bonus, slippers, expectation, gosh.

Advanced.

"Mum, where are my shoes?" "Mum, can you play checkers with me?" "Mum, why aren't we having homemade macaroni and cheese instead of from a packet?" "Mum, what did you do with my Pokemon cards?" Guess what this podcast is about....How many questions like these could you hear everyday without going crazy? I tell my children sometimes, "It's just as well that I love you, otherwise I would throw you out of the window." I picked that one up from my mother; she used to say the same thing to me. Kids are amazing, wonderful blessings 6. And they are our future, of course. Though it sounds like a cliche 7, it is true. But, my kids, in particular, seem to have a talent for wearing their mother out. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining; I can't imagine life without my children. At the moment, I have enough energy to keep up with them, but sometimes I wonder. Today, I was on the phone to my credit 8 card company. I will be taking a trip to New Zealand this Saturday to visit my brother, so I had to inform them of this. Anyway, the lady on the other end was asking me for some important information when, suddenly, my two youngest ran into the room and let off several blown up balloons. You can imagine the noise. I was immediately cross and impatient 9, so I barked at them to go away, "For goodness 10 sake 11 you two, I'm on the phone!" I appologized to the lady who chuckled 13 and said that she has three kids, so she understands. Well, they did it two more times, and laughed their heads off loudly. I gave up and started chuckling 14 aswell. It must have sounded like a circus over the phone. I actually managed to finish the call. At least the customer service lady had a good laugh.

Grammar notes.

Related vocabulary: homemade, guess, cliche, to chuckle 12, to inform, to take/make a trip, a circus, talent, to complain.

Verbs 15 using 'would'.

Exs: What would you do if he complained all the time?

If she would just appologize, then everyone would feel better.

Wouldn't it be nice if it was quiet?

If money grew on trees, I wouldn't have to go to work, would I?