david culey

Slide 6: 

David last night told me he didn’t intend going to church. I thought he would forget about it later on. Not so. He got very obstinate and took a long time to bath himself etc. He said ‘church was too long “etc”’. I told him he could come out half way through. He said “I’ll come out a quarter way”. Going over in this mood I was a bit frightened at taking him.

Slide 7: 

However they were all wonderfully good and it was lovely to see all the little souls there. I suggested to David after collection that he should take Pixie home but he wanted to remain. John employed his time in the grown up sermon flicking flies at his leg with a piece of string. He did it very quietly though.

Slide 13: 

The other evening the boys were riding their dinkies in front of the house after tea. The little girls next door had a ride on them too. When David came in he said “didn’t Jesus make me let the little girls ride the dinky”. I didn’t understand what he meant for a minute and then he explained “that Jesus liked them to share their toys”.

Slide 19: 

When Mrs Quinn came for Mrs Hobson’s things today John got very bossy and annoyed. I explained to him that Mrs Hobson wasn’t coming back here and that was why Mrs Quinn was taking her things. He looked at me in a startled way and burst into heart broken sobs. It seemed strange because John was always the one who irritated Mrs Hobson and yet he felt it the most.

Slide 20: 

Later I told them all they could have the room for their doll’s house. So there was great excitement for the rest of the day. John took possession of the key until I remonstrated. Every now and then I would hear him say to one of the others “you think you own everything and you’re not the boss”. It never seems to enter his head what a little boss he is.

Slide 26: 

John learnt this jest at school and the whole dinner time recited it “two, four, six, eight, Mary at the college gate Eating cherries off a plate Two, four, six, eight”. Just the sort of rhyme to appeal to John. I wonder he had time to chew his meal in between lines.

Slide 32: 

I soak the nips washing always before breakfast now and then about 9:30 I take the baby (Ruth) out with me while I wash. You should just see her. She crawls almost down to the fowl shed collecting dirt etc all over her but looking subliming happy, though dirty.

Slide 38: 

The cubby house (Mrs Hobson’s room) seems to be have been nearly a nine day wonder. They never use it now. It lies there deserted. They adore to mess up the wired in room. Dorothy seems to look upon it as her possession. The other evening I put Pixie to bed under the net while the others were playing outside after tea and fed the baby out there in the wired in room with her. Pixie looked up at me and said “isn’t nice in Dorothy’s wired in room?”.

Slide 39: 

Yesterday afternoon I gave all the children a drink of milk. David got stubborn and had to be made to have his. He took one gulp and then said “that’s enough”. I said “no David”. He then took another drink and said “that’s enough”. It got to a joke in the end. The next thing I know Pixie asked for a drink and I heard her say “that’s enough”. I said “Pixie you asked for milk you must drink it.” I then realised she was copying David and making a game of it.

Slide 45: 

I told Dorothy she must drink out of a certain cup. She wanted another. I insisted on her having the one I wanted. She got furious and said “you don’t own these cups God does.” It is very funny when there is a fight over any possession. Dorothy always harks back to the cry “you don’t own it cups God does.”

Slide 51: 

David is a second grandpa over again. Really Dad’s darling. I could think he was a miniature of you when he comes out in the morning. You know how you go round hanging onto your pyjama trousers. Well David instead of having them tied properly comes out hanging onto them looking like a little old man and the first thing he asks as he gets out of bed is “where’s my cup of tea”?

Slide 57: 

David has just arrived home from school. John I suppose is dawdling on the way. Little Ruth is getting lovely now. How darling little mother would have loved her. She is looking very well indeed and is such a bright happy little soul.

Slide 63: 

I have had a packet of boiled lollies in the house lately and when David has eaten one he always turns to me and says “can I have another one to make two”.

Slide 69: 

John is the funniest little thing over his pencils, books and in fact over all his possessions. He is always hiding them in the most out of the way places so that they will be safe.

Slide 75: 

Yesterday David had a slight blister on his heal so Phyllis wanted him to put socks on. He said “no Phyl it wouldn’t hurt a flee”. It surprises me how they pick these little sayings up and know where to put it in.

Slide 81: 

The two boys have just had their bath and been sent into bedroom and I can hear them giggling and laughing away for all they are worth. They won’t attempt to go to sleep until Dor (Aunt) goes into them.

Slide 87: 

This morning as I went to dish up the breakfast I discovered I was out of butter so told David to get some money and run up and get a pound of butter. He decided he couldn’t remember without a note. Sometimes he gets these moods on. Anyway I got wild, told him to hurry, that of course he could remember and gave him a sound smack on his little bum. Of course to pay me out he went up an inch at a time.

Slide 100: 

John spotted the car before we got there and rushed to meet us carrying a toy aeroplane which he had won for winning a running race. David also won a prize (quoits). I was glad they both managed to win something as they were so confident. While David was making some toast before the fire the night before he said “of course I’m very likely to win most of the prizes” so it would have been a blow if he had got nothing.

Slide 102: 

Really Dad darling David is the living image of you. He looked a bit tired and ready for bed so I got sympathetic and he immediately began to feel he was bad and said that is head ached. I said “show Daddy your throat” off he went to get a spoon. He said “Daddy said my throat is a little sore I must go to bed and the light must be put straight out Mummy”. Those were David’s orders not Arthurs. I asked Arthur afterwards about his throat. He said it might have been a little red but nothing to speak of. A little later Arthur went out to the vestibule and David piped up “Do you know why the light is out Daddy? My head is bad”. A little later he said to me, “I feel a little better now Mummy, I’ll be alright after a good nights rest”.

Slide 104: 

Ruth is 15 months old today. I never told you before because I thought you might worry, but she has been “on rounds” ever since we came back from Sydney. Of course Dorothy always goes as well and looks after her. She is a very steady little sort. Pixie is more like John – irresponsible.

Slide 106: 

Did I tell you about David the other day – when I asked him to fill the wood box “I feel a bit too weak Mummy, I’ve felt a bit weak all day”.