Friday Fictioneers: Abandoned

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The leaves crunched under her feet as she tried to tiptoe away. She hoped the baby would not awaken; he was such a light sleeper.

She made her way across the garden to the waiting car, but then stopped. Was she making the right decision? “It’s for the best” she told herself. She really wasn’t capable of raising him. She would send him money to ensure he was well looked after and maybe when he grew up, he would understand why she left.

She opened the door of the car, took one last look at her home and then she was gone.

Word Count: 102 words

5 reasons I don’t want another child

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1. I’m going to turn 43 in July and I feel I no longer have the energy to spend sleepless nights all over again. I’m not saying I’m not fit and healthy, it’s just that staying up at night, nursing and putting a wide awake baby to sleep just requires a whole different energy source.

2. Toilet training. It’s enough that I went through this nightmare with my first child and am going through it with my second child now. I just don’t want to do it a third time. I’d rather take a space journey to Mars. At least I’d know what the heck I was doing.

3. I feel that my family is complete. It’s not that I have both a son and a daughter, I mean how many toddler tantrums and tween tantrums can one family take? Why is it that both of them discover some earth shattering issue at the same time that requires my immediate attention? Imagine if there was a third?

4. I want to travel. It’s not easy travelling with small kids despite all the tips and advice you will get. I want my kids to be grown up enough for us to enjoy the plane ride, exploring a new country or a new attraction. If I’m going to be spending a fortune on travel I dont want it ruined because someone fell asleep and missed the entire event or someone bawled throughout the plane ride.

5. I want to preserve my sanity. Parenting is hard work. There’s no handbook which comes with it and even though there will be plenty of people to give you advice, each child is different and each situation is different. I’m not saying it’s not rewarding, I love my two brats to bits, but it takes a lot out of you every time.

And so, I can safely say, that I’m perfectly fine with the two I have and there’s no chance I will be adding to the brood.

Friday Fictioneers: Under Water

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dales-waterfall

Maria didn’t know how to swim. She had never had the opportunity to learn as a child. Not only that, she was afraid of the water. Every time she got into it, she felt it would engulf her and she would drown.

Ironically, Maria met and fell in love with a swimming instructor. Apparently they are found in places other than swimming pools. James was probably the only man in the world who could have made her overcome her fear of the water.

They settled on an island, had 3 wonderful children and lived happily ever after.

Word Count: 97

Friday Fictioneers: Every step of the way

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jill-f

“I’m with you every step of the way” he promised her.

He was there when she took her first shaky steps across the sitting room into his arms.

He was there when she entered her first classroom teary faced, reluctant to let go of his hand.

He was there when she announced excitedly that her wiggly tooth had finally fallen out.

He was there to hear her speech on the graduation ceremony.

He was there to walk by her side towards the man of her dreams.

He was diagnosed with cancer a few years later.

“I’m with you every step of the way” she promised him.

Word count: 106

Why do we need a prompt?

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Why do we always need a prompt to do something good? Until we see pictures of starving children we are not ready to help, until somebody starts a fundraiser we are not ready to part with our money. We wait till Mother’s Day to give her flowers, we wait for someone to complain before we are nice. We only start following traffic rules after an accident, we only clean up the ocean when sea animals start dying.

Why do we wait for a push before we take action? Are we not capable of being proactive?

https://fivedotoh.com/2018/10/17/fowc-with-fandango-prompt/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Places people visit

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My daughter is just turning 2 and she’s already been to 5 countries; UAE, UK, Antigua, Greece and Bahrain (where we reside). My son is going to be 9 and he has been to 4 additional countries: Maldives, Oman, Malaysia and Pakistan.

Here are some photos of these two globe trotters from their recent travels:

Trekking in Antigua

Enjoying the views in Antigua

Sunny morning in Paros, Greece

Napping in Athens, Greece

Exploring in Paros, Greece

https://ceenphotography.com/2018/10/16/cees-fun-foto-challenge-places-people-visit/

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Things people play with

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My daughter copies everything that her big brother does. Here she saw him playing on the Play station so she grabbed her chair and sat down next to him so she could “play” as well!

My daughter is turning 2 this month so we bought her a swing and slide set to play on.

We took her to a play area recently and she had loads of fun!

https://ceenphotography.com/2018/10/09/cees-fun-foto-challenge-things-people-play-with/

Friday Fictioneers: A Stranger’s Kindness

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stone-house.jpg

Sarah had done everything right, staying calm while trying to soothe her child who was crying her heart out, but now she felt like she had hit a wall.

She scooped up the struggling child and put her carefully into the shopping cart and proceeded to checkout. She could feel everyone’s eyes on her and her hands shook as she gave out the cash.

As she was attempting to put the wailing child in the car seat, a stranger came up to her and said “Hey Mama, you’re doing an awesome job!”

That warmth was all she needed to get through the day.

Based on a true story.

Word count: 103

Silent

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As a mom of two children under 10 yrs, I have stopped using the word silent. Telling them to “be silent” is a lost cause and therefore a waste of breath.

My son who is 9 yrs old talks non stop. Most of his sentences end with “funny, isn’t it?” or “weird, isn’t it?” The good thing about this is that you can answer “Yes” and he will be satisfied till his next question. He even talks while playing his video games. It’s like a running commentary of what’s going on. I have yet to fathom why he feels the need to inform the world about the video game he’s playing. His other favourite questions begin with “Did you know” which are also easy to answer as I usually don’t know what he’s talking about.

My 2 yr old daughter is in close competition to my son. Although most of what she says is incomprehensible but still she loves to talk. I was a little worried that she is not talking in real sentences yet but most of my friends have assured me that I should enjoy this stage as much as possible. Once she starts talking properly, the questions will be non stop.

As for me I’m a quiet person. You can probably guess why!

https://fivedotoh.com/2018/10/09/fowc-with-fandango-silent/