Thursday, November 24, 2011
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Birthday
Well, our little baby is two... She managed to have a bit of a birthday week in the end too! We had a party for her at home last weekend (Saturday 7th) with a mixture of Teenies (daycare) and Mainly Music friends, and family/almost-family in attendance. I put 'no presents required' on the invitation, but everyone brought presents anyway and Ember did have a lovely time opening them. She was a bit shy at first, but once I put the food out she was much better and all the kids seemed to have a good time. I'd planned to do some songs and stories with them all, but they were happy playing with various toys, eating etc so I didn't bother! The two hours went really fast in the end.
Monday was her Mainly Music birthday - they sang to her and she got a branded cup. Then Tuesday was her actual birthday, so although we kept it low key, she and I made a 5 minute chocolate mug cake and we put the candle back in it and sang to her again. Then Thursday was her first day back at Teenies since her birthday, so I made cupcakes for her to take in and they sang Happy Birthday again! Unfortunately she grabbed the candle wick just after blowing it out, and got a small burn. When I came to pick her up, she told me "Hot happy birthday!".
So all in all she did pretty well out of turning two. I'm not sure how much she understood about what was going on, but she certainly liked the presents and lollies. I had grand plans to make an Iggle Piggle cake (if you don't know, google it!) but in the end I stole Iggle and Upsy Daisy plastic bath toys from Pen (Isla really I suppose) and plonked them on top of the cake instead. I think it was just as effective, and far less stressful.
I'll post some photos in the next post...
Monday was her Mainly Music birthday - they sang to her and she got a branded cup. Then Tuesday was her actual birthday, so although we kept it low key, she and I made a 5 minute chocolate mug cake and we put the candle back in it and sang to her again. Then Thursday was her first day back at Teenies since her birthday, so I made cupcakes for her to take in and they sang Happy Birthday again! Unfortunately she grabbed the candle wick just after blowing it out, and got a small burn. When I came to pick her up, she told me "Hot happy birthday!".
So all in all she did pretty well out of turning two. I'm not sure how much she understood about what was going on, but she certainly liked the presents and lollies. I had grand plans to make an Iggle Piggle cake (if you don't know, google it!) but in the end I stole Iggle and Upsy Daisy plastic bath toys from Pen (Isla really I suppose) and plonked them on top of the cake instead. I think it was just as effective, and far less stressful.
I'll post some photos in the next post...
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Breakthroughs and Mega-dribble
I had a bit of a breakthrough the other night. Ember is hitting the 'twos' at the moment and tends to get frustrated very quickly which results in mini squealy strops. This can be anything from not being able to get her toy duck into a jar to Mummy not being able to guess first time what shape her toast should be! Anyway the strops are *very* annoying. So, the night of the duck incident, I put on my best teacher/Super nanny voice (firm but kind) and said something along the lines of:
"Now listen. You do not need to make silly noises and get cross. Just slow down, think about what you are doing and if you can't do it, say 'Please help Mummy' and I will."
Anyway, the strop immediately stopped, she said 'OK Mama' and then tried the duck again, saying 'Slowly' to herself, and managed successfully. A few minutes later she said "Please help Mama" when she couldn't do something else.
A couple of nights later we had a similar incident when I asked her if she wanted her toast in triangles and she threw herself on the floor and cried (oh the melodrama of being almost 2!!). I repeated the firm voice with similar phrasing and she stopped and said "Squares" quite calmly! I shall keep on with this method! Also gave her lots of praise for being good and clever :)
I think she's getting another tooth at the moment as last night she was dribbling so much that her bed was soaked. I had to sneak in and tuck a towel under her head once she was fully asleep! I was expecting a wakeful night, but she slept through thank goodness. Poor thing, those molars are nasty.
I've become fully immersed with the Raglan Community Theatre which is fun, but I'll write more about that another time as otherwise I'll miss my carpool!!
"Now listen. You do not need to make silly noises and get cross. Just slow down, think about what you are doing and if you can't do it, say 'Please help Mummy' and I will."
Anyway, the strop immediately stopped, she said 'OK Mama' and then tried the duck again, saying 'Slowly' to herself, and managed successfully. A few minutes later she said "Please help Mama" when she couldn't do something else.
A couple of nights later we had a similar incident when I asked her if she wanted her toast in triangles and she threw herself on the floor and cried (oh the melodrama of being almost 2!!). I repeated the firm voice with similar phrasing and she stopped and said "Squares" quite calmly! I shall keep on with this method! Also gave her lots of praise for being good and clever :)
I think she's getting another tooth at the moment as last night she was dribbling so much that her bed was soaked. I had to sneak in and tuck a towel under her head once she was fully asleep! I was expecting a wakeful night, but she slept through thank goodness. Poor thing, those molars are nasty.
I've become fully immersed with the Raglan Community Theatre which is fun, but I'll write more about that another time as otherwise I'll miss my carpool!!
Saturday, July 24, 2010
General catch up
It's been a funny week - I came down with a cold on Tuesdayand had a bright red nose and sniffles for my Very Important Meeting on Wednesday. I stayed home on Thursday (missing the team lunch I had organised, at a very nice Indian place near the Uni) and because Si was going into Hamilton anyway, he took Ember into Teenies. So I had a whole day by myself for the first time in a very long time. 2 years probably! Although I did enjoy it, and needed it for recuperation purposes, I did feel very strange by the afternoon, and was missing my wee one terribly by mid-afternoon. Luckily they got home earlyish so I still got my Ember-fix of hugs etc.
We have a very loving, friendly little girl, she loves to give hugs and kisses, and say hello to random people on the street (she nearly always gets a smile and a hello back). Her talking is coming on in leaps and bounds, and as well as her colours she now knows the basic shapes and can count to 10 (apart from 1 and 7!!). She still really loves music and dancing, I'm going to have to try to find a dance class for her somewhere. In the meantime Simon does a very good job - apparently 4pm until I get home is dance time on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And yes, he dances too. I don't currenlty have any video footage, but I'm working on it!!
Em's 2nd birthday is coming up soon and we are planning a little party for her on the weekend before. I'm inviting three of her friends from creche, Si is inviting a couple from Mainly Music, and then there are the almost-family guests - Angela and Amelie, Amber and co - and the actual-family - Dragten/Wilkinsons, the Harts and of course Nana Yellow Car. I'm not sure if Poppa John will join us, as a house full of toddlers is probably not his idea of a good time, but we'll see!
I've started a new paper this semester and it's looking like quite a lot of work, especially for a 200 level paper! It's a Management Communication paper, 'Business Communication' and the assessment includes a big, group research project which we've just been assigned groups for. It should be interesting, but a fairly big time committment. I think I'll be spending a few lunchtimes at the library!
It's a beautiful sunny Saturday today, not like winter at all, and I'd love to go for a walk on the beach, but Ember currently refuses to walk on sand at all. I don't know if it's the feel of it under her feet or the waves coming in, but she just will not! She either climbs up me like a little spider monkey or throws herself down and refuses to move unless carried. Great when we live in a seaside town!! Oh well, we'll keep working on it.
Anyway, I'd better go and do some study while blossom is asleep.
xx
We have a very loving, friendly little girl, she loves to give hugs and kisses, and say hello to random people on the street (she nearly always gets a smile and a hello back). Her talking is coming on in leaps and bounds, and as well as her colours she now knows the basic shapes and can count to 10 (apart from 1 and 7!!). She still really loves music and dancing, I'm going to have to try to find a dance class for her somewhere. In the meantime Simon does a very good job - apparently 4pm until I get home is dance time on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. And yes, he dances too. I don't currenlty have any video footage, but I'm working on it!!
Em's 2nd birthday is coming up soon and we are planning a little party for her on the weekend before. I'm inviting three of her friends from creche, Si is inviting a couple from Mainly Music, and then there are the almost-family guests - Angela and Amelie, Amber and co - and the actual-family - Dragten/Wilkinsons, the Harts and of course Nana Yellow Car. I'm not sure if Poppa John will join us, as a house full of toddlers is probably not his idea of a good time, but we'll see!
I've started a new paper this semester and it's looking like quite a lot of work, especially for a 200 level paper! It's a Management Communication paper, 'Business Communication' and the assessment includes a big, group research project which we've just been assigned groups for. It should be interesting, but a fairly big time committment. I think I'll be spending a few lunchtimes at the library!
It's a beautiful sunny Saturday today, not like winter at all, and I'd love to go for a walk on the beach, but Ember currently refuses to walk on sand at all. I don't know if it's the feel of it under her feet or the waves coming in, but she just will not! She either climbs up me like a little spider monkey or throws herself down and refuses to move unless carried. Great when we live in a seaside town!! Oh well, we'll keep working on it.
Anyway, I'd better go and do some study while blossom is asleep.
xx
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Random sleep thoughts and holiday catch up
I sit in Em's room with her until she falls asleep most nights (not by choice, she comes out of her room otherwise) and many times, just before she drops off, she'll say a random word. She started this a couple of weeks ago with a plaintive 'Bubble'. Then a few nights ago it was 'Monkey'. Last night was 'Nummy Socolate' and tonight she leaned over, patted me, said 'Hello' then went to sleep. Very cute and quite strange :)
We had a lovely holiday 'Up Norf' last week. Ember and I drove up on the Friday night, straight after work. On Saturday we went and visited Angela, Adam and Amelia (the A Team), picked up a clock radio I'd bought off Trade Me for $1, then ended up at Sylvia Park and bought Ember a new winter coat and some socks. Any shopping mall is like a giant playground for Em - little shopping can be achieved, but it wears her out running up and down and in and out. Eventually she got horrendously grumpy and went to sleep in the car on the way home.
On Sunday we got up earlyish and headed up to Kerikeri, stopping off for a play and food at the Wellsford rest stop which has a great little indoor playground. The weather was terrible unfortunately and remained so throughout our entire visit north. We stayed with Gran and Poppa in Kerikeri on Sunday night, and it was lovely to catch up with them. Ember was pretty well behaved for a house-bound nearly-2, and had a great time terrorising Mitzi (the dog, who Em called 'Mikes') and playing with a pair of brass swans dubbed Isla and Alice.
On Monday we had planned to stay in Warkworth and go to Goat Island but given the inclemency of the weather we rethunk the idea and headed back to Auck instead. We went back slowlyish and Em aided us by falling asleep from Kerikeri to Wellsford, having a big play, then watching a DVD on the propped-up laptop for the rest of the trip home.
Can't remember what we did on Tuesday... mum? I cut Ember's fringe in the bath... Was that the day we went to Albany mega mall? Yeah, think so. This went well for a while but Em lost the plot around lunchtime and required car sleep again! Little shopping achieved, but a new place for Ember to charge up and down.
Wednesday I got my haircut, very nice, love the head massage, then we went toNewmarket to Wise Cicada, an organic/vege/vegan cafe and food and book shop. The cafe bit operates on a gift economy, so you pay what you feel like paying and eat as much as you like, and combinations of whatever you like. Cool concept, great food and lovely people - I highly recommend it. We also discovered that Ember can go right round Madill's Farm on her yellow motortrike thing. It's almost a kilometre (we think) so a pretty good distance for a little one. (This may have been Tuesday).
On Thursday we went to the zoo with Angela and Amelie which was lots of fun for us and the girls. They are now both obsessed with talking about each other apparently. They both got to feed the giraffe, and also shared food amongst themselves quite nicely. Ember wanted to hug all the animals, including the tiger, but we persuaded her that this wasn't possible. Helen and Marika came over on Thursday afternoon, and Ember was sure Rika was actually Amelie (they have similar hair!) but they had a great play together too. It was nice to catch up with Helen as well.
Friday was an experiment - we took Ember to the theatre to see 'Greedy Cat' at the Pumphouse. Raewyn was house-sitting for Tina and Wayne, and had Zoe Rose with her (Zoe is now 9), staying close to the Pumphouse so they came too. Ember watched the whole show (just over an hour) and was obviously interested and involved in the action. Hooray! So I'm going to take her to see The Gruffalo in September (in Hamilton). Friday afternoon Mum and I tried shopping again, and tears were shed (by me) after trying on multiple pairs of horrendous jeans, but nothing was purchased. In the end Mum sent me off to Sylvia Park by myself in the afternoon while Em was asleep and I had a successful couple of hours shopping with no small, quick distraction to worry about.
Saturday was gorgeous so we went for a walk along the waterfront to Mission Bay, although Ember insisted on riding her motortrike in the cycle half of the footpath and we got scolded by some 'real' cyclists!
That's a brief rundown... I'll post some photos soon too.
We had a lovely holiday 'Up Norf' last week. Ember and I drove up on the Friday night, straight after work. On Saturday we went and visited Angela, Adam and Amelia (the A Team), picked up a clock radio I'd bought off Trade Me for $1, then ended up at Sylvia Park and bought Ember a new winter coat and some socks. Any shopping mall is like a giant playground for Em - little shopping can be achieved, but it wears her out running up and down and in and out. Eventually she got horrendously grumpy and went to sleep in the car on the way home.
On Sunday we got up earlyish and headed up to Kerikeri, stopping off for a play and food at the Wellsford rest stop which has a great little indoor playground. The weather was terrible unfortunately and remained so throughout our entire visit north. We stayed with Gran and Poppa in Kerikeri on Sunday night, and it was lovely to catch up with them. Ember was pretty well behaved for a house-bound nearly-2, and had a great time terrorising Mitzi (the dog, who Em called 'Mikes') and playing with a pair of brass swans dubbed Isla and Alice.
On Monday we had planned to stay in Warkworth and go to Goat Island but given the inclemency of the weather we rethunk the idea and headed back to Auck instead. We went back slowlyish and Em aided us by falling asleep from Kerikeri to Wellsford, having a big play, then watching a DVD on the propped-up laptop for the rest of the trip home.
Can't remember what we did on Tuesday... mum? I cut Ember's fringe in the bath... Was that the day we went to Albany mega mall? Yeah, think so. This went well for a while but Em lost the plot around lunchtime and required car sleep again! Little shopping achieved, but a new place for Ember to charge up and down.
Wednesday I got my haircut, very nice, love the head massage, then we went toNewmarket to Wise Cicada, an organic/vege/vegan cafe and food and book shop. The cafe bit operates on a gift economy, so you pay what you feel like paying and eat as much as you like, and combinations of whatever you like. Cool concept, great food and lovely people - I highly recommend it. We also discovered that Ember can go right round Madill's Farm on her yellow motortrike thing. It's almost a kilometre (we think) so a pretty good distance for a little one. (This may have been Tuesday).
On Thursday we went to the zoo with Angela and Amelie which was lots of fun for us and the girls. They are now both obsessed with talking about each other apparently. They both got to feed the giraffe, and also shared food amongst themselves quite nicely. Ember wanted to hug all the animals, including the tiger, but we persuaded her that this wasn't possible. Helen and Marika came over on Thursday afternoon, and Ember was sure Rika was actually Amelie (they have similar hair!) but they had a great play together too. It was nice to catch up with Helen as well.
Friday was an experiment - we took Ember to the theatre to see 'Greedy Cat' at the Pumphouse. Raewyn was house-sitting for Tina and Wayne, and had Zoe Rose with her (Zoe is now 9), staying close to the Pumphouse so they came too. Ember watched the whole show (just over an hour) and was obviously interested and involved in the action. Hooray! So I'm going to take her to see The Gruffalo in September (in Hamilton). Friday afternoon Mum and I tried shopping again, and tears were shed (by me) after trying on multiple pairs of horrendous jeans, but nothing was purchased. In the end Mum sent me off to Sylvia Park by myself in the afternoon while Em was asleep and I had a successful couple of hours shopping with no small, quick distraction to worry about.
Saturday was gorgeous so we went for a walk along the waterfront to Mission Bay, although Ember insisted on riding her motortrike in the cycle half of the footpath and we got scolded by some 'real' cyclists!
That's a brief rundown... I'll post some photos soon too.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)