How we're playing

 

Giraffes have all the fun. Around here they do, anyway. I'd say it's one adventure after another for a figure who spends all day either on the orange motorbike, in the big red bus, balancing precariously on a small ambulance or holding onto a fire engine. That's life with J - one great idea after another! Meanwhile, on the floor, a now sitting little girl keeps proving her grabbing skills by pulling her basket towards her, emptying it completely and turning it around. Then she seems to be trying to eat it or just banging it. I joined in and took a photo I love. Just because it's her and me, together. 

Changes

My lovely boy has grown out of his size 5s (top), has just got some new size 6s (middle) but has been playing with his cousin's old 7s for weeks (bottom)! He's growing and changing so fast I have to run to keep up, hence the pile of books I've turned to for guidance and inspiration.

Runnin' on empty

There are days you just can't wait to be over. And that's fine. But when one of those days rolls into the next and the next and you find yourself wishing the weeks away? That's not fine. So, this week I've made a real effort to fill up on some good stuff every day - a Bible chapter every morning and some of my book before bed. None of the externals have changed - a teething baby feeling poorly after her immunisations, an energetic toddler, a workloaded husband, a bad back etc etc. But I've been stronger, more peaceful, found more joy and been a little bit more patient!

Playdough and pain

Playdough has been the highlight of each morning for the last week or so for the lovely J. As you can see, he has become adept at spiking with a fork, poking with his finger and cutting with a knife - quite furiously it seems, judging by the blur in the background! And, while his sister is still a joy, she is teething and a Nurofen/Calpol combo has become our very good friend. 

Leeky garden

While we lament the non-success of our first veggie patch, the leeks have done well. It is rather delightful, of a gloriously sunny autumn day, to walk to the bottom of the garden, lose the soil and add a delicious something to the meal you're preparing. 

Time to transition

We've had some big changes around here, or at least the changes are being initiated! E is dropping her middle of the night feed, much to my delight, but we're no longer seeing eye to eye about the swaddle which is less delightful for us both. But she is doing so brilliantly milk-wise. And the lovely J hit 18 months, so I've begun potty training, although it's more accurately described as potty association training. He now has his nappy changed standing up in the bathroom rather than lying down wherever we happen to be! And he sits on the potty each time, while we sing the potty song. 

Snippets of our day

 

A couple of moments from our weekend. E's first nappy change of the day, while the sun streams gloriously in. And J climbing on E's windowsill to get a better view of next door's chickens.

Getting wet

What to say....? J loves water. More, more, more. And then some more!

Growing

Warren has been very excited about his new venture, The Veggie Patch. Sadly, the slugs are equally committed to its destruction. The only thing not to have been savaged by the slug onslaught is the sweetcorn which is reaching for the sky!

This week I rotated various toys and books for J, bringing out the marble tree he hasn't seen for a while. I kept the marbles in a plastic bottle which he could shake but not open, so it didn't matter if he wasn't directly supervised. On Monday morning he reached for the marble tree and bottle, opened it in no time, sending some marbles cascading across the floor and others were placed straight into his mouth. Silly me! A twisty lid is now no challenge whatsoever to him! (The marbles are now in an egg cup out of his reach!) 

Warren's sweetcorn is growing almost as quickly as J can turn his hand to something new; E is doing a sterling job of consuming plenty of milk and getting plenty of sleep, resulting in her steadily growing body. I, on the other hand, am smaller than I was a couple of weeks ago. Thankfully!

Toys

I spend a LOT of time thinking about toys. How to organise, what to buy, what to set aside for a while, which books to purchase, which books to order from the library, what activities to make happen, how to juggle the budget. It seems to take me a long time to translate what I observe in the ever curious J into tangible, chewable things to put in his hand. It often feels like an uphill struggle, one at which I'm doomed to fail. Is this how it's always going to be?! 

(E's first cuddlies - a zebra from Aunty and a rabbit from grandma.

I didn't know there was a grey and white theme!)

Snapshots

It's Friday - the day when I normally post - but, alas (although, perhaps, unsurprisingly?), I had nothing prepared. So, I thought I'd snap what I could and see what I ended up with ... 

Sorting out the washing looks a little different as the piles mount up around a sleeping E.

J stands on the table precariously near the edge as I sit feeding E.

It's lovely to lie in the garden of a summer's afternoon, but a sudden gust of wind can be surprising!

Their first feet photo! Yay! The first of many I hope...

A different kind of getting ready

 

My idea for baby's room was our hand prints on canvas; my idea for J was foot prints in two frames. The canvas is done (apart from baby's hand prints, of course), as are J's foot prints (apart from baby's, of course). What remains is to spray paint the frames with primer and then green. Do I have enough time left for such a multi-staged task or will baby have other ideas?! 

Dear J

My dear J,

We got up early the other morning and came downstairs; I sat cross-legged and you sat on my lap. You wandered off to open cupboard doors (that you're not allowed to) and pulled out the pyrex jug and then brought me a fabulous drum, banging it with a big smile on your face. I put the 'drum' in front of me on its side, as you stood close in front of me, and I gently pushed it. We watched it roll along the floor into the kitchen and I watched you smile, laugh and do a little dance. We then rolled it together a few times, you pushed it, walked after it, gave it a little tap with your toes and then brought it back to start over again!

You are so precious to me and I want to remember and treasure these little moments together. 

Love,

Mummy xx

PS - I really, really like the way you say "ocksss!" (socks).

 

enjoying our garden

A couple of months ago we moved from our second floor, two bedroom flat to a three-bedroom house with garden. Boy, are we enjoying our garden! Plants and veg patch have been sown, the patio has been chalked, balls have been thrown and bubbles blown. These photos are playing in the garden with my fabulous nephew and the sunflowers I re-potted with my gorgeous son.

when A came to play

My niece is a four-year old whirl of words and wonder. She invited herself over to play, arrived with daisies in hand for me and, within five minutes, announced her desire to draw. Then we went to buy eggs and chocolate chips, so that we could bake. More drawing, this time chalking with J on the patio. Then we carefully counted how many cookies she would need for her family (seven, as the baby won't need one). Time to load her booster seat and scooter into the car and home!

January glimpses

Hello, hello! A (very) few shots of a simple and not-too-well January...

There was the day Warren suggested we have pancakes - uh, YES PLEASE! And J had his first pancakey nibbles...

I've enjoyed reading and researching birthday ideas ahead of March's big 1st. I was delighted to find this Waldorf idea, the Birthday Ring...

As was J, it seems....

Last year I painted some wood with chalk board paint but hadn't slated it, so seized my opportunity.

Seconds later, it was in somebody's hand ... You have to be speedy around here!

Wonderful J.

How was your January?

October glimpses

Summer has said its final goodbyes and left us with wonderful orange leaves and the less wonderful clocks going back. A little snapshot of my October...

J continues enjoying the mirror. He especially enjoys the mirror baby laughing.

Can it be? Not only has a gerberra plant not died on my watch, but is positively flourishing!

Spice cupboard re-organised and purged; spice jars emptied and cleaned.

In Fishguard, disappointed with the general lack of, well anything to do, we found a funky cafe. The menu suggested Choctails, hello! The only flavours left were liquorice, pineapple or violet. I don't like liquorice, but why I suggested violet over pineapple I struggle to recall. It's probably blocked out by how very disgusting the violet choctail was! Yuk! So, back home, I decided to make some of my own...

And then, I 'made' some chocolate-covered strawberries. Not covered so well as the last batch, but still delish!

My loveliness has learnt to clap! It was such an unexpected joy! It's really hard to capture though...

I also made some almond milk - check me out!

I left the clock in J's room on BST, or J time, to help me remember what his body is telling him in the midst of the trauma of what my watch is telling me!

September glimpses

September has been and gone. What did it hold for me?

A chance to get out some paint and make a chalkboard...

I introduced J to light play (roll on hanukkah!)...

We bought some cooking apples during a visit to the National Trust, which I transformed into apple chutney. The jury's still out on its success though...

J's wooden-themed treasure basket...

A lovely week in Pembrokeshire. Warren has begun imparting essential life skills; in this case, skimming stones...

Naturally J and I went on holiday with Warren, which also means that, naturally, it was boaty...

J started on solids over the summer and has somewhat overtaken the freezer...