Friday, October 10, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The 'stop sucking my thumb' campaign seems to be going rather well. We have had a few nights of 'it's taking a long time to get to sleep' and 'the night is too long', but generally it seems to have happened rather quickly. Might have something to do with the thumb-sucker thinking that he's going to get rabbit teeth if he ever sucks his thumb again - and going into a mild panic whenever he puts his thumb anywhere near his mouth - its amazing how literally children take things!
Had a fab experience on Saturday evening (23rd). Putting my 'nearly' 2 year old to bed, I said 'I love you' as usual and he replied 'lub oo'. Amazing. I can still remember the first time my eldest son said the same thing. We were sitting on my bed in our house in Manchester and he just suddenly said it, plain as day, with absolutely no prompting from me. It was clearer as he was speaking earlier, but the message and feelings it evokes are the same.
This week is a strange one. My eldest has finished at nursery as he starts 'big school' next Thursday. He is going into reception and is really looking forward to it.
The children seem to have an amazing bond between them. I am up at least once every night and usually around 6 every morning - and rarely with both of them. Last night it was the youngest - up at 4am because he had lost his 'cysgu' (comforter) and then up for the day at 5.45. I can deal with it until the two of them get together and then the fireworks start - between all 3 of us. This morning, the eldest got up at 7.00 to find the youngest playing (in his own way) with the Wii. There was immediately a fight and a tantrum because he wanted a go, which resulted in him sitting on the naughty step within 3 minutes of getting out of bed...and so the day goes on...
Had a fab experience on Saturday evening (23rd). Putting my 'nearly' 2 year old to bed, I said 'I love you' as usual and he replied 'lub oo'. Amazing. I can still remember the first time my eldest son said the same thing. We were sitting on my bed in our house in Manchester and he just suddenly said it, plain as day, with absolutely no prompting from me. It was clearer as he was speaking earlier, but the message and feelings it evokes are the same.
This week is a strange one. My eldest has finished at nursery as he starts 'big school' next Thursday. He is going into reception and is really looking forward to it.
The children seem to have an amazing bond between them. I am up at least once every night and usually around 6 every morning - and rarely with both of them. Last night it was the youngest - up at 4am because he had lost his 'cysgu' (comforter) and then up for the day at 5.45. I can deal with it until the two of them get together and then the fireworks start - between all 3 of us. This morning, the eldest got up at 7.00 to find the youngest playing (in his own way) with the Wii. There was immediately a fight and a tantrum because he wanted a go, which resulted in him sitting on the naughty step within 3 minutes of getting out of bed...and so the day goes on...
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
The next challenge
At a visit to the dentist a few months ago, we were told that my eldest had to stop sucking his thumb or he was going to permanently alter the shape of his upper jaw and no amount of denstistry would be able to rectify it. This was mortifying to him as it is his prop for getting to sleep (and he's an excellent sleeper). So we agreed that he would stop sucking it in the day immediately and when he was 4 and a big boy, he would stop at night. Sounds like a good plan and one he was completely committed to until it came to it. He was four at the weekend and we gave him a bit of grace before implementing the carefully laid and endlessly agreed plan last night.
It was heart-breaking; him wailing that he didn't know how to get to sleep without it and it was too hard and me relentlessly repeating, 'just try sweetheart', 'big boys don't suck their thumbs', 'Power Rangers, Sporticus, Ninja Turtles, Spiderman (and any other superhero I could think of) don't suck their thumbs', 'just try'...
Eventually, at around 8pm he relented and went to sleep...and I came down stares to a dried out pan burning and stinking on the cooker that my mum, partner and 2 nieces had failed to notice.
Unbelievably, he slept until 4.15am when he called me into his room to say that he couldn't get back to sleep ('it's taking to long'). After me repeating my 'just try' mantra, I left and heard him tossing and turning for about another half hour before not hearing a peep from him until 7.15 this morning.
Aren't they amazing. He did it. He says he didn't suck it and I believe him. What a star. Hopefully, I can now convince him that if he can do it once he can do it again, and again, and again. One prize Power Ranger well-earned I'd say.
It was heart-breaking; him wailing that he didn't know how to get to sleep without it and it was too hard and me relentlessly repeating, 'just try sweetheart', 'big boys don't suck their thumbs', 'Power Rangers, Sporticus, Ninja Turtles, Spiderman (and any other superhero I could think of) don't suck their thumbs', 'just try'...
Eventually, at around 8pm he relented and went to sleep...and I came down stares to a dried out pan burning and stinking on the cooker that my mum, partner and 2 nieces had failed to notice.
Unbelievably, he slept until 4.15am when he called me into his room to say that he couldn't get back to sleep ('it's taking to long'). After me repeating my 'just try' mantra, I left and heard him tossing and turning for about another half hour before not hearing a peep from him until 7.15 this morning.
Aren't they amazing. He did it. He says he didn't suck it and I believe him. What a star. Hopefully, I can now convince him that if he can do it once he can do it again, and again, and again. One prize Power Ranger well-earned I'd say.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Six months on...
So its a whole six months since I last posted and I have limited recollection of what has happened in that time. The children are growing up so fast, the eldest has just turned four and the youngest will be two next month - definitely out of the 'baby' stage and adding more and more words to his vocabulary every day. The latest additions are 'o-taaaaay', 'ta-tu' (thankyou), 'peese', 'that way/this way' and saying his own name in the cutest little voice....butter definitely wouldn't melt.
The four year old is really coming into his own now. We have just returned from a two-week holiday and it was a mite challenging deciding who was in charge on a daily basis...although sleeping, eating and all other seemingly endless kiddy challenges have disappeared. If only we could persuade him that dressing himself is something that he really wants to do and that fruit and vegetables really do taste good.
The four year old is really coming into his own now. We have just returned from a two-week holiday and it was a mite challenging deciding who was in charge on a daily basis...although sleeping, eating and all other seemingly endless kiddy challenges have disappeared. If only we could persuade him that dressing himself is something that he really wants to do and that fruit and vegetables really do taste good.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Nip, nip
Isn't it amazing how quickly babies develop? We have some books that we read in the bath (plastic of course) and one of them has a crab in it and I sometimes pretend to be a crap and 'nip' the children. Last night, my 17-month old joined in for the first time, pointing to the crab and then shouting 'nip, nip, nip' as he tried to pinch me, his brother and their nannie.
Again, I haven't written for some time. There has been a lot happening as we are looking for a new house, I have started a degree and the children require constant attention and activities. All this, the regular stream of visitors (not that I'm complaining as it helps keep the kids entertained!) and the need for early nights due to some very early mornings, means that some things have to give!
Again, I haven't written for some time. There has been a lot happening as we are looking for a new house, I have started a degree and the children require constant attention and activities. All this, the regular stream of visitors (not that I'm complaining as it helps keep the kids entertained!) and the need for early nights due to some very early mornings, means that some things have to give!
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Boys and girls
I had a fantastic conversation with my eldest on the way home from nursery this evening.
He was talking about his friends and I asked him about a new little girl that he had been raving about yesterday. He said that she had told him that she wasn't his friend...aren't children lovely?
He then listed all of his friends, saying that the girls weren't his friends. I said that was OK as he was friends with the boys. He said he wanted to be friends with the girls too, but they didn't like playing Power Rangers.
I asked him what they did like playing and he said 'I don't know. I don't understand what they play. I want to know the games that they play.'
Nothing changes then!
He was talking about his friends and I asked him about a new little girl that he had been raving about yesterday. He said that she had told him that she wasn't his friend...aren't children lovely?
He then listed all of his friends, saying that the girls weren't his friends. I said that was OK as he was friends with the boys. He said he wanted to be friends with the girls too, but they didn't like playing Power Rangers.
I asked him what they did like playing and he said 'I don't know. I don't understand what they play. I want to know the games that they play.'
Nothing changes then!
The tables have turned
This morning was different. The youngest woke at 6.24am (its always sometime between 5.30 and 6.30) and made such a racket that I had to go and get him. He is now practically running everywhere, toppling quite often, but simply getting up and setting off again.
The morning went ok. Shower, dress, breakfast, dress the children...and we were almost ready to leave on time (my time that is as they are not yet at school, so don't need to be in for a specific time...who knows what I will do when we have to hit a deadline!). I say almost, because they were both dressed and I went with the eldest to clean his teeth, leaving the youngest in the playroom with his shoes on the floor ready to put on. Only when I returned there was only one shoe...and the other was nowhere to be found. 20 minutes of ranting, shouting, screaming, pleading, threatening and frantically opening and closing all manner of cupboards, drawers and toyboxes and it was still not found. How was I supposed to take him to nursery with only one shoe?
Eventually, I sat down and took a number (about 100) of deep breaths and started again...this time on my hands and knees as I imagined he might have been. I crawled into all the nooks and crannies I thought he might have done and...eureka...it was hidden behind my desk, behind the curtain. I swear he was smiling at me when I found it.
I should mention that the eldest behaved impeccably throughout all of this and even helped me to look for the shoe...although he kept finding far more interesting things on the way, like the car he lost last week, some building blocks, a crumb on the floor, etc, etc, etc!
The morning went ok. Shower, dress, breakfast, dress the children...and we were almost ready to leave on time (my time that is as they are not yet at school, so don't need to be in for a specific time...who knows what I will do when we have to hit a deadline!). I say almost, because they were both dressed and I went with the eldest to clean his teeth, leaving the youngest in the playroom with his shoes on the floor ready to put on. Only when I returned there was only one shoe...and the other was nowhere to be found. 20 minutes of ranting, shouting, screaming, pleading, threatening and frantically opening and closing all manner of cupboards, drawers and toyboxes and it was still not found. How was I supposed to take him to nursery with only one shoe?
Eventually, I sat down and took a number (about 100) of deep breaths and started again...this time on my hands and knees as I imagined he might have been. I crawled into all the nooks and crannies I thought he might have done and...eureka...it was hidden behind my desk, behind the curtain. I swear he was smiling at me when I found it.
I should mention that the eldest behaved impeccably throughout all of this and even helped me to look for the shoe...although he kept finding far more interesting things on the way, like the car he lost last week, some building blocks, a crumb on the floor, etc, etc, etc!
Thursday, January 10, 2008
These boots were made for walking
And he is now walking...a month and a half later and he spent half an hour this morning walking round and round the bedroom with a bottle of shampoo in his hand and a huge smile on his face. He's still a bit wobbly and has a fantastic stance - wibbly wobbly legs and arms up in the air - but he is now definitely walking.
As the baby grows, so does the sibling rivalry. Every day I vow not to fight with my toddler (can I still call him that now that he's almost three and a half), and every day I fail within about five minutes of either getting up in the morning or picking him up from nursery (or both!!). He is so adorable and wonderful, but also such a challenge...he laughs whenever he is told off, pushes his brother a lot and just wants to fight with everybody...and very soon there will be two of them!
And another thought...I suppose that I should start calling the baby 'the toddler' and the toddler 'the eldest'.
As the baby grows, so does the sibling rivalry. Every day I vow not to fight with my toddler (can I still call him that now that he's almost three and a half), and every day I fail within about five minutes of either getting up in the morning or picking him up from nursery (or both!!). He is so adorable and wonderful, but also such a challenge...he laughs whenever he is told off, pushes his brother a lot and just wants to fight with everybody...and very soon there will be two of them!
And another thought...I suppose that I should start calling the baby 'the toddler' and the toddler 'the eldest'.
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