Day 117: Silent alarm

So, this morning any dreams of speech were put behind me. I have had no significant vocal ability today at all ('what's new?' say those who've heard me sing). It's also been my low point in terms of feeling ill throughout the day.

Here is Exile #3 - don't be fooled into thinking as I did that she is Peter Pan - "I'm a leaf" she declared. She is full of surprises. The other day she called to us from the bathroom.
"Come here there's something."
"What sort of thing?"
"Something like a tarantula."
"OK, I'm on my way!"
When I arrived she was pointing at a large ant. Now, big though it was, it did not bear more than the most passing resemblance to a tarantula. However, it turned out that she didn't mean that it was like a tarantula, she meant that it's name was something like 'tarantula'. Actually it was a carpenter ant. I know which one I would rather find around the house. Although to be fair, a tarantula that doesn't happen to bite anyone might be a harmless house-guest whereas carpenter ants may cause the house to fall down by over-zealous nest-hollowing in the structural woodwork, so maybe I should re-evaluate.

Exile #2 went out after tea-time to do some house-hunting. She took E5N1, but left me, voiceless, to try to cope with bath-time and bed-time with the girls. I attempted to put "Microsoft Sam" to work reading some choice phrases to the girls. Exile #4 was largely bemused and Exile #3 just wanted the computer to speak for her as well, so it was of limited use. The resulting Notepad window full of words, phrases, a nursery rhyme and some of Exile #3's random typing greeted Exile #2 when she got home with shades of the typing scene from The Shining. Honey, I'm home. I'm not sure whether bedtime was more frustrating for me or for the girls. We got through it, but I really hope that my voice will start to return tomorrow.