28/01/2022
Another week, another COVID-19 test, Liam and Eloise went for a short walk, they discovered that Eloise is almost tall enough to post Liam’s weekly COVID-19 test.
After the usual shenanigans and games in the evening, we all went to pay a visit to the Wizard of Bearsden.
Monday, it was announced, “Covid travel tests axed in England and Scotland for fully vaccinated. In a boost for families, the changes will come in from 4am on 11 February, in time for the half-term break”. After a couple of years of restrictions in the UK, there are a lot of people planning European holidays. Any suggestions?
Both of the kids have been a bit crook recently. We have returned four negative lateral flow tests or RATs (Aussie slang?) between us, so it does not appear to be COVID-19. As a result, Tuesday was a slow pyjamas day to recover. Slow by Lachlan standards still involves buzzing about on the carpets. He is a rapid crawler now. Up on all fours, no more army crawling. He often finds himself crawling into tricky situations and getting stuck. Eloise is always enthusiastic about saving Lachlan “Lachlan, no, come back, Lachlan stuck Mum, Mum, MUM!!!”, sometimes taking matters into her own hands and dragging him out by a leg or an arm “there you go Lachlie”.
Tuesday was also a special day in Scotland. It was our first Burns Night.
Burns Night is the day (and night) that the life of Robert Burns is commemorated, particularly in Scotland. Each year it is on Burns’ birthday, 25 January. People around the world have Burns Suppers. At Burns Suppers, Scottish people have many certain traditions as eating haggis and people say poems that have been written by Robert Burns. These consist of To a Mouse, Address to the Haggis and many others.
Robert Burns (25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796), also known familiarly as Rabbie Burns, the National Bard, Bard of Ayrshire, the Ploughman Poet and various other names and epithets, was a Scottish poet and lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a “light Scots dialect” of English, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland.
Over the past couple of weeks, supermarkets shelves have been gearing up for Burns Night. We managed to pick up a haggis neeps and tatties dish. Super Mum was a wee unsure and also brought home a vegetarian equivalent.
Haggis (Scottish Gaelic: taigeis) is a savoury pudding containing sheep’s pluck (heart, liver, and lungs), minced with onion, oatmeal, suet, spices, and salt, mixed with stock, and cooked while traditionally encased in the animal’s stomach though now an artificial casing is often used instead. According to the 2001 English edition of the Larousse Gastronomique: “Although its description is not immediately appealing, haggis has an excellent nutty texture and delicious savoury flavour… Although the name “hagws” or “hagese” was first recorded in England c. 1430, the dish is considered traditionally of Scottish origin.
Before we could try the haggis, it is tradition to cite Robert Burns’ Address to a Haggis. Eloise stepped up to the plate with the Aussies first rendition. However, that was where her participation in Burns Night came to an end.
Address to a haggis by Robert Burns
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o’ the pudding-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm :
Weel are ye wordy o’a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o’need,
While thro’ your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An’ cut you up wi’ ready sleight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like ony ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin’, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an’ strive:
Deil tak the hindmost! on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
Then auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
Bethankit! hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad make her spew
Wi’ perfect sconner,
Looks down wi’ sneering, scornfu’ view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as wither’d rash,
His spindle shank, a guid whip-lash;
His nieve a nit;
Thro’ bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread.
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll mak it whissle;
An’ legs an’ arms, an’ heads will sned,
Like taps o’ thrissle.
Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o’ fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies;
But, if ye wish her gratefu’ prayer
Gie her a haggis!
Address to a haggis translation
Good luck to you and your honest, plump face,
Great chieftain of the sausage race!
Above them all you take your place,
Stomach, tripe, or intestines:
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.
The groaning trencher there you fill,
Your buttocks like a distant hill,
Your pin would help to mend a mill
In time of need,
While through your pores the dews distill
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour wipe,
And cut you up with ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like any ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm steaming, rich!
Then spoon for spoon, the stretch and strive:
Devil take the hindmost, on they drive,
Till all their well swollen bellies by-and-by
Are bent like drums;
Then old head of the table, most like to burst,
‘The grace!’ hums.
Is there that over his French ragout,
Or olio that would sicken a sow,
Or fricassee would make her vomit
With perfect disgust,
Looks down with sneering, scornful view
On such a dinner?
Poor devil! see him over his trash,
As feeble as a withered rush,
His thin legs a good whip-lash,
His fist a nut;
Through bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit.
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his ample fist a blade,
He’ll make it whistle;
And legs, and arms, and heads will cut off
Like the heads of thistles.
You powers, who make mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill of fare,
Old Scotland wants no watery stuff,
That splashes in small wooden dishes;
But if you wish her grateful prayer,
Give her [Scotland] a Haggis!
Liam has had haggis a few times now and it is growing on him. Admittedly, growing slowly, but it is not as bad as it sounds. It has been modernised over the years. After some peer pressure from Liam and Eloise, Sophie tried some haggis. Let’s say, it is probably not going to become a regular dish just yet. Lachlan decided he was fed up with purees and it was time for proper solids, smashing the haggis. As he was eating the haggis we could see him starting to grow a full beard as he began the process of transitioning into Murray Junior.
Tuesday night, we all had a solid sleep, it must have been the haggis. Wednesday morning, was another special national day, Australia Day. Eloise started her day off the Aussie way with Vegemite crumpets. Vegemite is fairly easy to find here. You can even pick up Timtams if you are lucky.
The two crumpets did not last long. It was then time to make ANZAC biscuits. Eloise was excited, but being a nice sister made sure that Lachlan had plenty of toys to play with first, “you play here Lach”.
With a bit more of a bounce in their steps today, we think they have finally shaken their colds. We were a cheeky walk-in at the midday Bookbugs session. Lachlan crawled about before crashing in Super Mum’s arms. Meanwhile, Eloise kept exploring books in the library.
It was then back home to crawl about and visit his cubby again.
No public holiday for Liam today, he was asked a few times throughout the day about Australia day traditions and its significance. In the end, he just started referring people to the great lamb advert of 2017.
For our UK followers, you will have to come visit us one day.
Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet at Sydney Cove and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip following days of exploration of Port Jackson in New South Wales… Although it was not known as Australia Day until over a century later, records of celebrations on 26 January date back to 1808, with the first official celebration of the formation of New South Wales held in 1818. On New Year’s Day 1901, the British colonies of Australia formed a federation, marking the birth of modern Australia. A national day of unity and celebration was looked for. It was not until 1935 that all Australian states and territories adopted use of the term “Australia Day” to mark the date, and not until 1994 that the date was consistently marked by a public holiday on that day by all states and territories. Unofficially or historically, the date has also been variously named Anniversary Day, Foundation Day and ANA Day.
Thursday morning, the regular Gymboree and coffee catchup did the trick of tiring out Eloise and her friends.
Lachnado is pretty good at pulling himself up now. He still tumbles down in all directions, it has been the week of head knocks, lucky our floors are mostly carpeted. You can tell he has been working hard at it.
Eloise’s besties family recently returned to the UK from Australia with COVID-19 this week. Eloise decided it would be nice to bake them all cookies to make them feel better.
This morning, Jennine came over to toddlersit Eloise, who was very excited “okay, bye now Mum”. Lachlan finally got to see a paediatrician to check out his eczema and investigate his potential allergies, he has been struggling a wee bit. Super Mum is trying to go dairy-free, which may be starting to show signs of improvement. The paediatrician had no concerns which was good news and recommended we keep an eye on him.
In the afternoon, with both kids asleep, Super Mum whipped up a batch of Aussie lamingtons for tonight’s gathering. We were all heading to Nathan and Emily’s for a belated Burns Night and Australia Day celebrations.
On the way Eloise dropped off the biscuits she had made to Juju’s house, they were very thankful and sad that they could not play with each other just yet. They all seemed to be in good spirit and kindly brought back Eloise and Lachlan souvenirs.
Eloise made sure that we did not arrive empty-handed at Nathan and Emily’s.
There was a proper Glaswegian Address to a Haggis. This haggis tasted incredible, much nicer than Tuesday’s. They had put on an amazing spread, and the lamingtons went down well. Eloise could not believe her luck when George handed her a full-sized cookie for dessert.
After we had all eaten too much, Eloise pretty much clung to George and Nathan for the rest of the night. We are not sure, who was wearing out who. Lachlan had a nap in the corner of the room. How time flies when you are having fun, we looked at our watches it was getting late/ early. We did not get home until almost 01:00. The kids had done incredible to last this long. Eloise was being very cheeky and had a blast, although she was not sure about George’s singing on the way home, “silly George”.
On the other side of the world, “South Australia [made a] major emergency declaration over storm damage and flooding… [as] widespread damage was caused by about 50 millimetres of rain falling in five hours.”
[…] a late Friday night by all at our first Burns Night supper we had a nice lay in until 08:30, we could not believe it. George and Nathan must have really […]