Love where it’s due

Nicolas turns 3 in 4 days and Eloïse is 8 months and 3 weeks.
With Eloïse’s teething (she’s grown 2 bottom incisors in the last month) and our colds and sniffles, I’ve had even less sleep than I normally get so I’ve been feeling a bit grumpy miserable lately. However today Eloïse has been back to her normal smiley self, the weather is sunny and we’ve had a long week-end. Time to reset my mood back to where it should be, and recognise that despite the fact that I’ve had more than my share of washing to fold and less than my share of rest, I still love:

• Eloïse babbling away when examining a toy, a nappy, or yet another strand of my unceremoniously plucked hair.
• Eloïse beaming her gummy smiles and excitedly flailing her arms about at me for no reason other than the fact that I’m her mummy.
• Eloïse falling asleep peacefully in my arms, with or without drool on my top.
• Hearing children’s songs and rhymes mumbled sang even when the iPod is switched off. Sometimes out of tune, sometimes with the wrong words, but always recognisable.
  
  

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• Huggles, cuddles and snuggles
• Looking at Eloïse’s cot in the morning and seeing her stuffed toy poking over the edge of the cot while she happily lays there, playing.
• Nico bringing me flowers from the garden. Even though he sneaks out of the gate to pick them from Camilla’s garden.
• Nico coming to me for an injury and happily resuming his play after I’ve kissed him better.
• Nico coming to snuggle up in bed with us during the week-ends, after several trips to get his bear, and his lion, and his dog, and his sun, and his chicken, and whatever flavour of the month toy it is. This month, it’s the push-on Thomas the Tank Engine we got him for his Christmas almost 2 years ago.
• Nico helping me out by loading/unloading groceries when we go shopping. Spontaneously and sometimes over-enthusiastically…
• Papa reading books and making all the right noises.
• Rough and tumble after dinner time - with Nico on Papa’s shoulders, Eloïse in Maman’s arms, and Loki’s butt at the end of a boot.
• The kids playing together and giggles are heard throughout the house.
• Tickles and giggles, anytime and anywhere. We’ve made a few heads turn during our trips to Pak ‘n’ Save.

Rat in mi kitchen

Nicolas turns 3 in 5 days’ time. Eloïse is 8 months and 3 weeks.

One morning I woke up and there were no whispers of ‘Maman je veux Cocoa Pops’. So after the usual morning routine we all sat down for breakfast (Eloïse has now graduated to having cereal with us and seems to be enjoying it) and I then noticed the bowl of fruit I had left on the dining table. I’m pretty sure that we when turned off the lights the previous night there were three entire pieces of fruit and a full bowl of grapes.

 

 

 

There's a rat in mi kitchen what am I gonna do?
There's a rat in mi kitchen what am I gonna go?
~ UB40

Birthday invite

Address removed in case there are any 3 y.o. party crashers.

Mine! Mine! Mine!

Another 2.5 weeks and Nico will be 3 years old. Eloïse is 8 months and 1 week old.

We went to Waiheke Island last week. It was going to be Tante Babiche and Oma, but a gastro bug meant that Oma had to stay away from us. While Bas later on caught the bug, the tadpoles and myself miraculously managed to escape unscathed. Probably due to him being quarantined in his own quarters.

We just wanted the trip to be an easy going, low key one, so we decided to stay on Matiatia Bay, unpack our sandwiches, pureed fruits and drink, and have a feast there.

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Much to the kids’ delight (and the seagulls’!), the seagulls finally came to our table so Nico could feed them. This took the trip to a whole new level and it could well have been their highlight of the day (the kids’, and the seagulls’).

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Ice-creams back in Auckland. Luckily for us, Eloïse fell asleep in the pram so we didn’t have to endure her burning glare for eating something yummy and not giving her any.

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The trip on the ferry was fun - Nicolas enjoyed looking at the boats and the sea (and other kids’ toys) and was very well behaved (a travelling parent’s best tools: iPod and food. You can even buy alphabet and number-shaped biscuits to call ‘educational’ and overcome the guilt of feeding them overly processed foods), and Eloïse distributed gummy smiles around like a politician with pamphlets before election week.

Ooo’s a clever girl den?

Today Eloïse is 8 months and 5 days old.

Since Monday I’ve been putting her on the toilet every so often, and just like Nico, she’s been taking the toilet very easily. What puzzles me this time round is that I actually didn’t get the chance to teach her to teach her the cues - pipi or caca beforehand, so I’m unsure as to what is prompting her to go when I place her on it. I’m thinking either watching her big brother (who is pretty used to having an audience by now), or just the sitting position, nappy off, might be enough.

What really helps this time round is the toilet seat that we got Nico. It certainly helps my back not having to hold her in an awkward position. When we have this down pat, hopefully at around 9 months, I’ll go for reusable nappies. What a shame I haven’t got MS Project installed on this laptop, it’s almost worth drawing up a project plan with milestones. No resources to help me out with this one though, unless Papa can help with the cueing via Skype. Which would be an entertaining sight from Brent’s desk.

Eloïse is now eating pretty much everything we eat (exceptions are honey, milk, nuts and anything unhealthy or that could cause choking). This means that I’ve seen the end of leaky nappies. This, combined with Nico learning to ask to go to the toilet before he pees (finally! 3 weeks short of 3 y.o.!) means that the wash load is dramatically decreasing. Life is good… Now to teach both of them to stop smearing food everywhere at meal times.

Art and music critics

Nicolas is 2 years and 11 months and Eloïse is 8 months old.

They have started to interact together quite nicely, Nico sometimes pulling faces and (more rarely) hugging Eloïse. Eloïse adores her big brother and is sure to break out in a fit of giggles when we chase him around the house.

In a typical sibling fashion, there is quite a bit of contention, especially when it comes to ownership. Last week I took out some paper and some felt pens and let Nico loose, under Eloïse’s supervision. What ensued was a bit of scuffling and argumentative monologue.

I normally have some kids’ songs playing during the day, and at meal times I switch to a selection of classical / easy-going music - so that Nico can focus on eating instead of waving his arms around and jumping on his chair to the tune of Mrs Bunny. Thursday evening there was some Tchaikovsky and I wondered, in my head, if it was from The Swan Lake or The Nutcracker. Then out of the blue Nico piped up and informed me that it was The Nutcracker. I felt somewhat ashamed of being out cultured by a 3 y.o…