A Leftie...?

How, in a family FULL of right-handed people, did we get a 'leftie"? Definately left handed, writng and now kicking the footy.

Can a leftie be made? When Alex was learning to eat, I would sit opposite him to feed him. So my right-handed spoon was often stolen by his closest hand-the left.

Can't explain the left footed kicking though.......

Almost...maybe...could be...!

Don't want to jinx myself, but I think we might be getting there...almost, maybe, could be...!

Megan has been doing #1s in the toilet with few accidents for almost a year now. Sadly, #2s were not so easily learned.

We tried everything, every strategy we could find, every suggestion we heard about. We made reward charts, promised lollies, made her clean her undies, laughed at accidents, ignored accidents, made her sit for ages, let her have nuddy time, wrote a 'Poo Story', got the potty out, hid the potty...you name it, we tried it.

We growled in frustration a lot (not proud of that one), but after a year of cleaning pooey undies, it was hard not to! She got frustrated too, she cried sometimes and often hid or said she hadn't had an accident when she had. She would even hold it in.
It's not like we forced it on her- she wanted to be a big girl and do poo in the toilet...she just didnt get it. We were so worried, especially after the health nurse said that she could lose the sensation of needing to go if she kept it up. Pleasant topic I know!!!

But I think the penny may have dropped. She is happy to toddle off now and so proud when she can tell us (and yes, even show us) when she has gone. She isn't 100% yet, but there have only been 1-2 minor accidents in about a month. What was the trigger, the key.....no idea! Time, I guess. And if you had told me that 12 months ago, I would have laughed...and possbily thrown you off a tall building.

Upon reflection, she clearly wasn't ready for doing poo in the toilet but since she was definately ready for weeing, how do you manage one and not the other? And worse still...do I want to go through it all again with Alex??? He's about the age Megan was when she first started and he is certainly interested in it all. But I think we can hold him off for a bit. Surely he can survive in nappies for a while longer..!

He's a real boy...!

This is gonna sound really dumb, but I've started to notice that Alex is a real boy now! Not in the Pinnoccio sense, but no longer a baby, not even a toddler any more. He's a little boy. He still throws toddler tantrums and asked for his dummy yesterday, but apart from that, almost all sense of toddler-dom have gone. He speaks so well and so clearly that I have to remind myself that he's only 2. And he is such a little character, that you can't help notice his boy-ness. I LOVE this little boy stage. Fun, energetic, rough, cheeky, charming, stubborn, lovable :) The 'baby' ride is over. The 'boy' journey is beginning!

It's nice to be needed...

No parent likes it when their child is sick. The not knowing what is wrong, and worse still, the not being able to do much to make them feel better.

Once panadol (or other medicine) is administered, our role becomes that of comforter. Wiping away tears of pain, rubbing sore tummies, stroking foreheads until sleep comes.

It's lovely, that in a bad situation, I am able to offer reassurance simply being giving a cuddle or a snuggle. I often hold and cuddle for longer than is necessary, long after the sickie has drifted off to much needed sleep. This is purely because it's nice to feel needed and be able to help alleviate even the smallest amount of pain just through being there.

And I'll keep doing it for as long as I am needed....

Fairy Garden...

We have a fairy garden...and we are a bit excited!!

Our day's entertainment for the last day of the Easter holidays was to visit a favourite park of ours. With beautiful big oak(?) trees to wander around, we collected a huge supply of bits and pieces to do 'something' with.

When we arrived home, we surprisingly found some fairies had moved into our side garden. How co-incidental!! So we supplied them with our finds from our walk and I think that are quite happy with their set-up (not really sure though....they stop talking when we show up!)

Nothing is free...!

The best things in life are free...that's bull***t!!!!!!!!

Nothing is free- especially when it comes to entertaining kids.

It is the end of the Easter school holidays and we thought it'd be nice to do a family activity to finish things off. Money is tight at the moment, so we were leaning from the cheap activity towards the free side of things.

...but...as I said...nothing is free... unless you stay home.

Our options were either 'pay' or 'go'...

PAY= entry fee somewhere. 2adults +2kids is usually a good deal but still hikes up quickly (even if we took our own lunch)

GO= going somewhere free like a great park or the beach but still paying for petrol (which is as astronomical as an entry fee at the moment!!)

No wonder parents cringe at school holidays. Plonking the kids in front of the TV doesn't seem so bad anymore!

In love...

Have I said how much I love my kids??? Surely it has come up at some stage! I mean, really, who couldn't? They are just so AWESOME!

Granted, they can be the devil-incarnate at some points but mainly I just melt at the sight of them and turn into a "Megan and Alex Groupie"!

Bit sad, I know, but I'm a mum, I'm allowed to be :)