Roll around Friday

So here comes another Friday! We walked to Nursery School and then Mummy headed home to hang out washing and pick up the car to drive to Sophie's. S was selling off her clothing stock and she also had a little something as a thankyou to Mummy for getting her the stall at the family fun day. P-L saw baby Samuel there as his Mummy (Fiona) popped in but PL was mostly interested in nibbling any paper she could find.

They came to collect me at 12. I had been very busy at nursery - I made a Bob the Builder collage!

We had my favourite lunch - veggy sausages, potatoes and carrots. Mummy did the washing up and then we headed out to dancing - a little early as Mummy thought it would be nice to walk - it was although Mummy ran the last bit as it was beginning to rain. Before the dancing lesson I ran around like a loon and PL had a little crawl and then had a little standing time. One of the other girls arrived so we were being laughing loons together!

After my dancing lesson we had a picnic while we waited for our second lesson - a rehearsal with the grown up girls. Danny, Jo and danced very nicely wiggling our pompoms!

It was then time to walk home in the rain - PL and I were OK as we were under the rain cover but Mummy didn't even have a coat! She was spurred on by the prospect of chinese takeaway with next door

I'm still standing, yeah yeah yeah

This morning we walked to Playgroup - me in the sling and IB in the pushchair. Mummy thought I was going to fall asleep but there was too much too look at and we chatted with someone else heading to the same playgroup for part of the way.

Once at Playgroup we met up with J-I and E and their new nanny. J-I and I enjoyed playing in the baby corner while IB and E zoomed around the hall on their toy vehicles - bumping into each other (and annoying each other in the process) and bumping into other children in vehicles - who of course did the same!

IB and E headed over to the sticking table while Mummy fed me and chatted with some other Mummies. We then went over to see how IB had done - v well with a little help from one of the Mummies.

Mummy thought that the playdo table might be a good idea - so we sat there while IB made various things with the playdough and I prodded it with my fingers. I was getting tired by now so Mummy put me in the sling and I promptly dropped off to sleep. When I next woke up there was lots of noise as it was singsong time - Mummy had been marching round the hall with E and IB singing the grand old duke of york!

On leaving Playgroup IB said that she wanted to go to the cafe so off we went and huddled round a jacket potato with beans - even I tried some and enjoyed it! We walked home and I had my lunch (quinoa and sweetcorn plus a parsnip basil and spinach puree)

Standing lots

Today I woke up at 7am - Mummy and PL were already downstairs making breakfast. After my breakfast (of beans on toast) I made some cards for the nursery school teachers - each on had a picture of them on the front holding a remote control! Once we were dressed (me in my new spotty dotty dress from sainsburys) we walked to nursery school. Once there I couldn't wait to give the teachers their pictures!

Mummy and PL went home and popped in to see Rachel and baby James and give them a present (including an IOU for a loaf of bread and a yummy meal)! They then went off to Tumbletots for PL to practice her crawling and clambering skills - apparently PL did v well despite having slippery trousers. She also had a moment where for about half a second she stood without holding onto anything!

Mummy parked the car at Sainsburys for the nice man to wash while she collected me from Nursery. We then picked up the car - nice and shiny and poo-free and went off to meet Fiona, Joshua and baby Sam at the soft play. We had lots of fun but I got upset when someone pushed me off something. Mummy said that it wasn't very nice of them to do that but I said that they had pushed me because I wasn't letting them have a turn so Mummy suggested that maybe next time I should let them have a turn.

We came home and had dinner - lentil curry for me; quinoa, sweetcorn and a Plum baby carrot, lentil and cheese puree for PL. We then watched Return of the Jedi before turning in for the night.

Teeth!

This morning I woke up with no teeth. This evening I went to bed with one little white spot - so I'm no longer in the running for the baby gurning olympics. Actually the teeth have always been there, they're just a little backward in coming forward.

I'm also getting the hang of pulling myself up to standing - to the extent that when Mummy and IB came to get me after my afternoon nap, I was standing up in the cot. Mummy's already removed the farm animals thing, next thing to remove is the bumper (she knows someone who's little boy tried to use the bumper as a step).

We went to the park this morning - we met Sophie and Louis there and IB and Louis played in the sand - I sat in the sand and occasionally dipped my head in it! Mummy has noticed that sometimes if something is new to me, I hold it to my head. She thinks that's what I was doing today. We went on the swings and the roundabout too.

We decided to go to Bucks of Star for lunch - IB had her usual Ham n Cheese. I tried some of the chicken from Mummy's panini and gummed most of it.

Once home, I had the rest of my lunch and then had a snooze while Mummy and IB made a plate to send to Cbeebies and did some bits in the garden (gooseberries and garlic harvesting; pumpkin training and clematis planting).

Dinner time consisted of Rice, Tuna in a Broccoli and Courgette sauce. IB says that now I have teeth I can have sausage!

Monday

This morning Mummy and I were busy with glitter and stuff to make a brightbear the pirate cutlass! We also dressed as pirates with our cropped trousers and PL with the onesie we bought from the maritime museum.

We walked into the village for lunch, and also to return library books (library was shut so we had to post them into the returns box). Lunch was at our local cafe where Tanya commented that PL looks a lot like Daddy!

We then walked up to Tumbletots. I showed the ladies my cutlass and was telling one of them that I was wearing my pirate trousers! We then walked home through the jungle route - I walked almost all the way home!

Once home we played and I watched some of Flushed Away. Iain the lawnmower man came and did the lawns - I watched him from my window.

Is it a Bird? Is it a Plane?

At the London Wetlands Centre it could be either - what with the birds to see and the planes flying overhead.

We met George and Helen there at 10.05. I was getting tired so sat in the pushchair while we looked at the birds. There were lots of different ones to see - all Ducks to I-B. We then came across some living teepees - these were made with willow cuttings planted in the ground and then trained into a teepee shape. Mummy and I-B think that we should plant one in the back garden as IB enjoyed playing in it tremendously. I was getting more tired by now so Mummy put me in the sling while we continued to walk around. By the time they reached the hide in the wildside, I was asleep and IB was very good at being quiet while we looked at the birds. Hiddy was apparently making a noise but Mummy said that Isha was setting a good example to Hiddy by being as quiet as a mouse.

We then ambled to the other side of the reserve to the pondlife area where IB armed herself with a net and went pond dipping. She found lots of pondsnails and watermites.

Lunch was calling to us from the panniers so we ambled over to the adventure playground where IB could eat and play, and as could the rest of us. We spent the rest of the afternoon in there. For a while IB went to play with other children she met in the playground, she then came back to us and played with us - mostly with Helen. The only tears occurred when she toppled and grazed her foot - although she cleaned it very well with an anti-bopple wipe; and when a little boy deliberately snaffled her feathers. It wasn't an obvious feather-snaffle at first but little boys can be like that sometimes, so Mummy says.

IB was sound asleep by the time we got home. Mummy gave me dinner (lentil and veg mush) and tried waking IB up to give her dinner but she was so asleep she just wanted to go up to bed. It was then my turn for bed, Mummy took me up, read me a story and by the time she had ordered the Indian takeaway, she was asleep.

All in all a good weekend was had by all. The only thing missing was a Daddy pate to tap...

Ahoy there shipmates

This morning we drove to Greenwich where we met Helen and George (Mummy only took two wrong turnings - once onto the South Circular and then she turned off the A2 too early). We walked up to the Observatory and Planatarium where there was lots of astronomical paraphernalia and something called a Meridian Line. Mummy explained that Bright Bear needed this line to help him navigate when on his quest for treasure.

I also touched a meteor - Mummy says that it is the one which Tintin brought back from his adventures in the Shooting Star Mystery. George and Helen went to watch the black hole show in the Planetarium while Mummy, P and I looked at chronometers (Mummy says we should make one for Bright Bear's treasure chest) and climbed up into the Observatory.

We realised that Bright Bear was AWOL so we headed back to the Planetarium where a very nice lady found him for us. He had been helping sell tickets to the Planetarium shows. There is one for children which Mummy thinks we should take Daddy to see.

We met up with George and Helen again and walked down the hill to the cafe for lunch. There was an outdoor play area where I could clamber and climb to my heart's content. Mummy wanted to go into the Maritime Museum and look at the ships and things so I reluctantly left the play area and went in. Once up in the Handson Gallery I had lots of fun. My favourite game was cargo loading where I had to operate a crane which was loading cargo into a boat! There were also some interesting computers in the your sea area. Mummy said that we would come to the museum another day with Daddy as there was lots there.

We all drove to our house where P and I had dinner and I played with Helen in the garden while Mummy got grown up dinner ready. I then had a second dinner from Mummy's plate! We arranged to meet tomorrow and George and Helen then left. Mummy got me ready for bed and then read Monkey Puzzle to me.

Friday again

And so ends another week. I-B had nursery school this morning so Mummy and I went to Sainsbury's. I sat in the trolley in a sitting up seat rather than a baby seat. This was all very exciting as I could see what Mummy was putting in the trolley and I could nibble the trolley bars, despite Mummy's attempts to prevent me from so doing by attaching a large number of nibble rings to the trolley.

After we picked up I-B from nursery, we headed home for lunch - chicken curry and rice - which I enjoyed. I then polished off a whole yoghurt (Raspberry).

I-B had an extended dancing lesson this afternoon - she had her normal lesson followed by a picnic while we watched the tap dancers run through the locomotion. It was then our turn so Mummy and I watched while I-B joined the big girls dancing to the High School Musical number. High School Musical is something which had hitherto passed Mummy by. However, she has had the "We're all in this together" song stuck in her head for the rest of the evening (and is in fact about to switch on the hard drive to find something to listen to). I-B really enjoyed herself and was full of beans all the way until bedtime. Although she descended in to baby babble because she was so tired - so much so even I couldn't understand her!

"There's a six on the clock Mummy"

This morning I woke up very early, took myself to the loo and then clambered into Mummy's bed. When she realised what time it was she said, "it's still night time, we can go downstairs when there's a six on the clock". Once a six had appeared, I woke Mummy up to tell her. She said that it was 5.06 and she meant when the time began with a 6 and ended in two 00s! She helped me find some puzzles to do and this occupied me until it was 6.00!

Once we had breakfast and were ready, we set off to go swimming with Aunty Tina and Henry. I had lots of fun floating in the blow up ring and P-L had her blow up seat.

After some crisps and a play in the park, we drove home. By the time we got home, I was fast asleep so Mummy let me sleep on the settee while she tidied up ready for the Estate Agent chappy to come and buy our house!

After a nice long sleep, I was wide awake and ready for dinner - Salmon in a cheesy sauce and pasta. It was v yum and both me and P-L enjoyed it lots.

Bedtime and Bathtime soon followed but because I had slept this afternoon, I was still a little bit awake - enough to enjoy It's a George thing and Mr Perfect. I then took It's a George thing and a book about a hedgehog to bed. Mummy showed me the special pockets where I could put the books once I had finished reading them. After a brief trip to the loo, I then slowly fell asleep after singing to myself for a bit!

Tecknogeekery wish list

Today was a nursery school day so we walked there (I walked as far as the station and then went in the pushchair) and then Mummy and P-L walked back home to do some domestic stuff before going to Tumbletots.

P-L was crawling everywhere at TTs, although she managed to fall off a mat when she turned suddenly to look at something - Mummy scooped her up and gave her lots of cuddles so the bopple was soon forgotten. Before coming to collect me, Mummy popped into Homebase to pick up some bedding plants to jazz up the front border in the front garden now that the bluebells have had their day and the hydrangea aren't quite in full bloom.

I had a lovely morning at nursery school, I did a collage which matched my sparkly red hair bobbles and a painting, I remembered to put my name on both of them. We also had the music lady today and I have spent the afternoon singing about speckled frogs.

When we got home, the cleaners were there so I had lots of fun talking to Su, Alison and Lesley while Mummy and P-L had their lunch.

We spent the rest of the afternoon at the Playbarn with Anna, George and Amelia. P-L tried out her crawling skills in the soft play area and George and I played very nicely together. On the way home I was telling Mummy how I wanted a bike, a robot and an electronics kit for making a light for my birthday!

When we got home, Izza and a friend of hers from up the road were out on their bikes. I asked them why they didn't have crash hats on!!!

P-L and I both enjoyed our lentil and vegetable curry - I had Naan Bread and Chutters with mine.

After reading "a squash and a squeeze" to P-L, it was my bedtime - Mummy read Mr Perfect. I said that I had Mr Silly hair. Mummy said that I had lovely hair and I concluded that means I am little miss lovely! Mummy agreed.

MacGyver Moments

This morning I woke Mummy up at 5am with an empty tummy. Once my tummy was full, I quite happily went back to sleep until 8am! During this time I-B had her breakfast and watched some Cbeebies.

Once I was awake and had breakfast, we spent a pleasant morning playing in I-B's room - robopops toys; fairy bluebell boot and some puzzles. It was then time for me to have a snooze so I went and snoozed while Mummy and I-B played downstairs (making items for the Bright the Pirate Treasure Chest).

Lunch was mainly comprised of salmon in a lightly simmered sauce of sweetcorn mush.

Mummy attempted to tidy the lounge while me and I-B played. We then headed out into the garden. The paddling pool wasn't up to much as Mummy didn't know where the bungs to keep the air in had got to. Mummy was trying to have a MacGyver/ A-team moment where she was going to get clever with plastic lids and masking tape or playdough but it didn't work out. Luckily we still had Alison's paddling pool so I sat in that playing with the balls while Mummy tidied up pots and bits and bobs. I-B played with Hiddy and the car for a while and then wanted to help Mummy with the pots. This worked for a while until I-B decided to move soil from one pot to another.

After Dinner, I gummed a banana while I-B played on next door's trampoline with the little girl who lives there.

Bathtime was followed by Mr Grumble - with I-B doing the "Bahs"!

A day in the Garden

As Daddy did not need to be at the airport until this evening, we decided to spend the morning at Wisley. This is a very big garden where there was lots to look at. Highlights included: the waterlilies, the giant rhubarb-like plants, the rockery, the fruit trees. Mummy and Daddy were very inspired by the gardens and came away with various ideas for their garden (current and future) together with two lawn-chamomile plants.

We played with the Duplo this afternoon and then it was time for Daddy to head to the airport - I said I was going to miss him lots and I scampered after the taxi for a little bit.

After a little bit of time playing in the garden, it was time for bathtime and bedtime. No BBTP this evening, Mummy read "it's a george thing" and then I couldn't sleep so I sat on her bed while she went on the cross-trainer.

Sunday Sunday here again...

This morning, Thamu arrived and once Mummy had made a mountain of food (supplemented by a small hill from Thamu) it was time to head to the Teddy Bears picnic.

It was a very hot day, so once we'd had our picnic, we retreated into the shade and Thamu and P-L sat under the sunshade while Mummy Daddy and I had a wander. I went on the merry go round and saw a real fire engine. When it was my turn to get in, I was all set to switch on the ignition (isn't that why they left the keys in?). The ice creams had sold out but Mummy won a pedicure treat and I won a stretchy multi-coloured slinky. We also won a teddy bear in the raffle so a lucky day all round.

Mummy and Thamu made yummy cakes for the cake stall - gingerbread bears and chocolate chip muffins which all went down very well.

Waiting for Daddy

On Saturday, Mummy was determined to pack in as much as possible so we weren't hanging around until Daddy got home. She had received a text message saying that he was going to be delayed.

Aunty Susan and Uncle Ian had stayed the night so I had a lovely morning playing with them and sharing chocolate croissants with them. It was then time for Gymnastics. Mummy picked up a t-shirt today, now all she has to do is sew my badges onto it!

We then popped into town to buy aunty Tina a birthday present. This was followed by a visit to the family fun day at my dancing school. While there, I visited the cake stall (twice), had my facepainted, went on the lucky dip and won three snoopy toys and Mummy bought herself a necklace.

After lunch we drove to Uncle Phils and Aunty Tina's as it was Ethan's birthday. I had lots of fun with my cousins, playing on the trampoline and playing with the toy guitar. It was then time to leave as Daddy was on his way back from the airport. This is where living near a town where a sporting event is taking place can be a drawback as everyone was leaving as we were arriving back in town. This meant that the traffic was a little busy so Daddy made it back before us.
We were all v pleased to see him and he brought back a lovely red spangly hat for me and a ship in a bottle for Mummy.

Friday

This morning was a nursery school morning. As it was such a nice day, Mummy brought a picnic with her and we played at the swings on the way back. Later in the afternoon, we went to my dancing lesson which I enjoyed lots, as usual. The weekend was looking even more exciting than usual as it meant that Daddy was coming home - woohoo!!

Sandy Day

This morning we went to the park to meet Louis, Elisha and Jasmine (and the grown-ups too!). L, E and I had great fun playing in the huge sandpit. It took a bit of time for us to share the spade but we soon realised there was lots of other fun to be had in the sandpit. We did try burying ourselves ala Grandad style but lying in the sand scraping it over ourselves didn't quite work so well!

After a go on as many pieces of the play equipment as Mummy would allow, it was time to go home and have lunch (in the garden as it was such a lovely day). Lunch was followed by Gingerbread baking.

It was then time to head out to meet a piano teacher. She teaches using a method called the Suzuki Method - I think it involves learning to play the piano without having to look at all the squiggly dots and dashes. We listened to two sisters having their lesson - first the youngest and then the oldest. Once they had their lesson, I had a go playing "twinkle twinkle little star" and the teacher said I played very nicely!

Once home, it was time for dinner followed by a little pre-bedtime Cbeebies. When Mummy asked me what my favourite thing today was, it was the piano playing!

Back to Nursery School

This morning we walked to nursery school to drop I-B off - she quite happily scampered over to the mat where they sing their welcome song. I snoozed while Mummy walked home and then stayed snoozing in the garden while she hung out the washing and did a snail audit.

I-B claims she didn't play with anyone at Nursery School (!). However, she did some painting (although she forgot to get her name written on the painting/ write her name on the painting so it didn't come home with her. Anna the songstress was there today. She sat next to Carmelo at lunchtime.

I impressed the ladies at Tumbletots with my new crawling skills. There were lots of babies there today so we had great fun squealing at each other!

Lunch was followed by a visit from the estate agent. This involved Mummy talking to some chappy about houses with interjections from I-B and interruptions when Mummy turned me round once I had crawled to the edges of the room.

I slept through most of the Sainsburys visit but I-B and Mummy had it all in hand.

We had the Very Hungry Caterpillar as a bedtime story and then I-B had Charlie Cook's Favourite Book. Once we were safely tucked up in bed, Mummy pootled in the Garden and watched the parakeets.

Rainy Tuesday

Today we mostly went to Chessington with Jane and Thomas. It was all rather rainy so first stop was the Sea Life area. I-B was most interested in the anenomes and the Sharks. My knowledge of sea-life is all derived from Disc 2 of the Finding Nemo dvd!

Next stop was the indoor soft play area - grown-ups weren't allowed on the equipment which was a shame - I-B needed a bit of help finding the slide! This was followed by lunch and a show - something to do with Dragons and Monkeys and Elephants - I-B seemed to enjoy it. We then ambled our way out via the merry go round and the ice-cream emporium. Following a minor day while hunting for keys (don't ask) we then headed home.

Once home, P-L had a snooze and I-B played in the garden while I washed up and prepared a carroty meal (soup if you're a grown up, mush if you're a baby). Once P-L was awake we played with the alphabet cards and things that made lots of noise. P-L and I-B had great funny shaking things and laughing at each other. I-B and I also played with the Pingu magnetic book but I-B told me off for putting snowball magnets in an indoor scene!

P-L has been very mobile today - crawling lots although when playing "cafes" we couldn't get her to crawl from one end of the lounge to the other!

Monday

Term-time activities started today so we were back at Tumbletots this afternoon. I-B was very good at clambering and climbing on all the equipment.

This morning we had a relaxing morning at home where Mummy did things with drawer liners although now hers and Daddy's room smells of furniture polish. I-B mostly played with the t-set (with Hiddy too) and did some sponge painting. She was very good at tidying away the paints etc afterwards.

After Tumbletots we wandered up to the post office (I was asleep) and I-B picked a Balamory magazine.

At home I relaxed in the exer-saucer while I-B had a go on the Wii Fit. She then decided that the garden looked much more fun so she and Mummy played hula-hoops again while I watched from the pushchair. After a while I-B got a bit frustrated when rolling the hoop - which meant that she didn't roll the hoop very well, which made her frustrated. Aaaah the vicious cycle of toddler frustration.

Dinner was followed by some quality time spent crawling round the carpet. Everytime I moved towards Mummy, she took one step away from me. I then looked up as if to say "oy, I know your game!"

Before long it was time for bed. My bedtime story was Mr Snow. I-B's was the Night Pirates and she took Count Worm to bed with her to "read".

Sunday Sunday

This morning I wanted to go to the playbarn so off we went. However when we got there it was too noisy and although I don't normally mind, today I didn't want to go in. Instead we played in the outside area.

Afterwards, Mummy suggested we went to asda-tasda for a hula-hoop. But they didn't have any. Mummy had a cunning plan which involved driving home via the nearest Tesco as we had seen them in there last week. This was all very tiring for me and P-L so we fell asleep. Thankfully Mummy had the pushchair for me and the sling for P-L. A very nice man apparently carried the sandpit sand to the car for us and when I woke up Mummy had bought two spangly hula-hoops.

After lunch we put them to the test and even though Mummy is a hula-hoop champion on the Wii Fit she's not very good. So we played games involving rolling the hoops to each other and throwing frisbees (another onotok purchase of Mummy's today) to land in or through the hula-hoops. I then put my new sand to the test and Mummy picked 5oz of Gooseberries. The question is - what to make with them? Actually Mummy's thinking Gooseberry and Pear Crumble. What do you think?

P-L has been moving forwards - they're sort of bunny hops but I think she's starting to think about moving her legs behind her. Also she surprised up by pushing herself up to standing - using the musical keyboard which I used to use for the same purpose!

I'm now in bed after Mummy and I read the night pirates - my favourite story at the moment. I did escape and come downstairs but Mummy explained that it was bedtime and that if I was still awake when she had finished on the Wii, she would come and read me another story. I don't think I stayed awake long enough...