Juice

She calls herself 'Juice' now. .. and takes it very seriously!!!

Amelia-ism of the Day

Thsi took place while i was in the bath - amelia is showing me an empty plate ...

'Buy some honey mummy'

'no thanks'

'oh please'

'ok'

'thats five pounds'

'thats a bit steep...but ok'

'Eat it then'

'OK... mmmm its yummy'

'Ha ha - its Pooh!! You ate Pooh!!'

The Fox

Every so often I realise that a new little routine has formed. The Fox is one. We sit down for dinner and EVERY night at some point Lucy will say..
'Fox' (though it sounds like Wox)
'Wheres the Fox Lucy?'
and she will look all scared until either Duncan or I says 'Its dark, the fox is in bed'
' Fox. Bed. Duck'
'Is the fox in bed with the duck?'
'Yes. cuddle'
'Is the fox cuddling the duck'
'Yes. babies'
' and the fox is cuddling some babies? what are they called?'
'Boo. Ash. Nanny'

Then this conversation is repeated several times. I have no idea why she is scared of a fox, or why it might be cuddling a duck, but guaranteed , every dinner, she will bring it up and we will follow that conversation. Something similar is developing at lunchtime involving a robin who was once on the table outside the window and Amelia scared it off by jumping up to see it!
'Robin. Scared. Meme'

I love the randomness of what we accept to be our normality!

Amelia-ism of the day
'Maybe all Daddy's hair fell off his head and just stuck to his body?'

Amelia's Christmas Concert

Yesterday was the playschool concert. Amelia put on her costume and off we went to watch the show. It was in the PLumberow School hall and it was rammed! But we got some seating on a side bench. I took Amelia to the stage and she was very reluctant to join the other children until she saw her little friend Vanessa and then she sat with her without a backwards glance. Lucy was more upset and kept wanting to know where her sister was. I think her constant asking for Meme probably ruined the videos taken by people sitting near us!

The show was basically a small naration about a Ooop-a-Daisy clumsy angel on her way to Bethlehem. One of the playschool ladies naratted and the chidren sang about 5 songs. A few of the older children were actual parts and the younger ones just looked cute!

As soon as the curtain came up,Amelia was standing up looking for us and waving! then she did some singing, she didnt know it all but had a good go at joinung in and doing the actions! some of the children didnt join in at all and sat down and some compensated by being very loud. It was very cute, as were the attempts at dancing, all of which seem to be a random jig!

I think Amelia did quite enjoy it - though not as much as us watching!

Amelia-ism of the Day
'Lucy - you extract Mummy while I pour the water!' I assume she meant distract? either way.. Lucy failed!!

Snow!

Well ast week it snowed tremendously over 4 days.It was brilliant! The photos cover the small amolunt of time we actually played in it though - it was just too deep for Lucy and each girl quickly got fed up with cold hands after playing in the snow! It was too deep for me to drive, but we got out and about wit the girls on the sledge...Lucy sitting on Amelias lap! They looked very cute and Amelia looked after her sister, catching her by the hood when she fell off so Lucy got dragged face first through the snow!!! Poor thing!

We also dragged them into the village on the sledge, once we were almost there, a car pulled over and informed us that a little pink welly was back down at the station. We looked down to see that Lucy only had one welly on!!! So Duncan had to walk back and get it! The snow was brilliant fun- though now its soooo icey!

Yesterday, both girls had an allergic reaction to something. They look like hives. Lucys was much more severe than Amelias and they have both been very itchy - got to try and figure out what caused it!

Amelia-ism of the Day

'I'm an expert ice skater!'

A Few Videos

A few recent videos, Amelia and Lucy doing a 'stunt' with Amelia jumping over Lucy, who was supremely unconcerned!

This video is from dinner. Amelia randomly created the song 'Daddys got awet bottom. Cos he tried to feed his bottom', so I asked her to sing it again while I recorded it. Lucy didnt like it though and is shouting END to try to get Amelia to stop singing!

They are a great little double act at the moment. First thing on the morning they have a genuine cuddle and also when Lucy wakes up from her nap (though on the days that Amelia is at playschool, Lucy is most upset and cant wait to go and get her!) Amelia is really encouraging Lucy with going to the toilet (which Lucy is reluctant to do until she is bursting) and most of the time they play really nicely.

Amelia-ism of the Day

In a loud whisper 'Lucy, do you want to sleep in my bed with me?' Lucy replies 'Yeah!',

About 30 seconds later 'Thats enough now Lucy, in your own bed like a good girl please!'

The potty

Came into the lounge after finishing washing up the breakfast stuff and found Lucy on the potty...reading a book and doing a huge pooh. So proud!

Being sick on the roundabout!!

No one was really sick on the roundabout ... but they took great relish in pretending to be!!!

We met the Sutherbys in the park and the girls had a great time. The video is Amelia & Lucy on the roundabout with Scarlett, Amelia & Scarlett are saying they feel sick, but wanted to go faster. Natalie and I told them to be sick on the floor so they had a great time making pretend sick noises, and Lucy joined in too. It was like taking out a pack of animals! Amelia's last comment is 'Mine is orange!' but the video memory ran out .. or I would have caught a whole conversation between Amelia & Scarlett about their sick colours!!

Unfortunately then Daisy slipped on the slide step and split her lower lip wide open. It was awful. Natalie ended up having to take her to A&E while the rest of us went back to hers and had lunch. we had a lovely time, especially when the came back from A&E without needing stitches!!

Lucy has king of started potty training. She is asking for poos and wees and doing them on the potty/toilet. Its early days and very hit and miss but she is so impressed to be wearing knickers like Amelia! They are doing very well at bedtime too..a few shenanigans and running abut, and then settling to sleep! They have been getting up between 5 & 5.30 (meeh!) but today it was 6.40 (only because Lucy woke at 5 but got in our bed and went back to sleep!) I feel like i have had a marathon lie in!!

Amelia-ism of the day

'I will have cake for breakfast. Its a good substitution!'

Second Night in a Bed

Lucy's second night in a bed ... and she was just as excited! Though the novelty had worn off a bit so after 30 mins of giggling and running on to the landing, Amelia feel asleep and Lucy was almost there when a load of Trick or Treaters arrived. I didnt hear her get up, I just heard a rustle on the landing, and she was standing at the stair gate, listening to Duncan talk to the Trick or Treaters, with the tiredest little eyes imaginable! But she went to sleep pretty soon after, and when we came up to bed, she was still the right way up and still covered up!
Not a peep during the night, but something woke me in the wee hours... I heard the patter of small feet and heard a loud comedy whisper 'Lucy, are you awake - its Meme' and Lucy sort of murmured and woke up, 'Dont worry Lucy - I've got you , you're always safe with me' (which is what I say to Amelia!) ... and then the two of them padded out on to the landing. They stood there for a while, and then there was another comedy whisper 'Lucy, shall we go and get in Mummy and Daddy's bed?' and in they came. I looked at the clock. 5.07 am. Damn the farmers and stupid daylight saving time!!!!!!!!

Amelia-ism of the day
'Mummy, it wasnt me - Lucy made me. She is the indicator!' this is following Duncan asking who the instigator was in their bed time shenanigans!!

Big girl's bed

Lucy had started taking her nap in Amelia's bed...something i now wish I had perhaps not encouraged! Then the last few night she got upset at bedtime and kept running off and getting in 'Meme Bet'. So we promised we would get her a bed. We went to IKEA yesterday and got the same extendable bed as Amelia - Lucy was so excited.




Duncan put up the bed and they couldnt wait to get in it. We had had a very exciting afternoon at Bella & Stan's first birthday party and they were both very tired after dinner but had to have a bath as the were both sticky with party jelly! So at bedtime they ran into 'their' room and got in their beds. I stayed in the room to make sure Lucy went asleep. Well, a lot of laughing and screaming went on between the two of them and Lucy kept turning on her Gloworm, much to Amelia's delight! Then Lucy seemed to twig she could get out of bed and started to try to sneak out, almost like she had forgotten I was in there! So I got in the bed with her and made her lie down with me, but she wanted to lie on me! So I tried sitting in our room and telling them to be quiet anytime I heard noise, but then I heard a little scamper on the landing and went out to find them both standing there, holding hands and blankets and looking VERY pleased with themselves! So I sat back in the room again, Lucy kept getting out, running to Amelia's bed, but good girl Amelia said 'Lucy is that you?' 'Yes' , 'Get back in bed. You are being very cheeky and I'm tired now!' and Lucy did get back in bed!! Then Amelia went to sleep!


But Lucy didnt go to sleep - she was far too excited, so I sat in our room again and she did quieten down after a fair bit of running on to the landing and then legging it back to her bed when she heard me coming! Eventually she called me in and I sat on the side of the bed and held her hand,but every time I thought she was asleep and tried to slip away, she gripped my hand and sleepily murmured 'Mummy'. Finally, I tried an old trick that worked on Amelia, saying 'Mummy needs to go to the toilet, I'll be right back'. and as soon as I left the room, she was asleep in seconds.

The whole debacle took just over an hour!!

We checked on them several times and had to move Lucy and cover her back up each time, luckily we had put her to sleep in her fleece treat to keep warm as we thought she might kick the covers off. But they were both sound asleep when we went to bed!

I was awoken though at 1.05 by the little patter of feet and the words 'Mummy' with a little warm hand hitting my face. I pulled her into bed and she was back asleep in seconds. BUT she is such a wriggly sleeper, she turned horizontal in her sleep so Duncan and I were at the bed edges within a few minutes, so we popped her into her cot asleep. She then didnt wake til 6.20..... which is actually 5.20 thanks to the clocks going back, but didnt seem to mind she was in the cot, perhaps it will follow that pattern for a while!

I love it that they are sharing a room, its so cute, it was always going to happen, it just seems very soon, thanks to Lucy's stubbornness! Have to arrange the room properly now and decide where all the toys should live!

Amelia-ism of the Day
'Jelly Arms, Fattttty Boom Boom!!!' Abuse which she has learnt from Duncan... and knows how to use!

Lucy's speech

This weekend Lucy's speech has just really taken off. Words she has come out with over the last few days include, 'doll', 'stuck', 'pizza', 'bag', eye', 'but' (for peanut butter!) and loads more. Our favourite has got to be her new cockerel impression 'Dooodle dooooo!' She seems to be very keen to copy her sister and is trying so hard to talk, you can see frustration on her face sometimes when she cant say things properly - though she can usually drag us and grunt and nod til she gets what she wants!
The picture was taken the other day. I had the girls sat on the stairs getting their shoes on to go out and caught a glimpse of green under Lucy's dress. She had gone and got a pair of her sister's knickers and put them on - though she had her waist through a led hole! How cute is that!! She was so insistent that they couldnt be removed that she managed to wear them all day!!!


Amelia-ism of the day

'I wont let you watch the news tonight!' This is Amelia's new threat to get her own way. Apparently she can stop us watching the news when we come downstairs of an evening and watch tv. No idea why she thinks we watch the news all night, but its very funny!

The Mint Kiss

The girls have a new tradition when Duncan leaves for work. Its one of those things you start doing and once you realise you are doing it every day ... you cant remember how it started!! As they say goodbye to Duncan they each pick a little mint leaf from the plant in the porch, kiss it and give it to Duncan so that he has a kiss from each of them all day. AMelia calls it 'a mint kiss' Its so cute, though the mint is depleating rapidly!

Amelia-ism of the Day

'Mummy dont make me jump! My skin jumped right off me!'

Cutting Amelia's hair

Last night we decided to cut Amelia's hair - just a little trim. Even though she has conditioner and detangling spray on her hair, the ends were like straw and tangled every morning. So she stood naked in the bath and i set to work. About an inch of scragly ends came off, its all tied up and in my drawer as I cant bear to throw it away. Its so blonde! She now has hair that looks so grown up, it does not look much shorter, but the bluntnesss of the ends has made it look so much thicker.

She was happy enough to have it done - but wanted to keep the little ponytail left over herself!!

Amelia-ism of the Day

'Mummy, fairies dont really resist!' said scathingly to me when I spoke about fairies in the garden!!

Lucy-ism!!!

'No - Way!' said exactly how Amelia would say it!

Bum!!

Lucy is saying lots more words now.This morning alone we have had 'Plum' and 'Spoon', though my personal favourite is the way she says Muuuuuuuuuumeee!!

But at the weekend she learnt a new word, a naughty word - and she knows it! She started saying 'bum' to Duncan and when he asked what it was - she pointed to Amelia's bottom! She has been saying it A LOT since!

She has also started asking 'why' and it has, so far, always been in context. Classic example between Amelia & Lucy.

A 'Lucy, can you please play somewhere else?'

L 'Why?'

A 'Because you have too'

L (after a long, thoughtful pause) 'NO'

Amelia-isms

Been a lot recently ...

'Mummy, Ive got a headache, its right in my Fourthhead!'

'When I am 4, Lucy will be 2, when Lucy is 4, i will be 17, when Lucy is 17, i will be 60 and when Lucy is 60 I will be 4.'

'Mummy - Lucy's in a right state'

and there a quite a few funny little things she is saying from far too much Enid Blyton!

'I will certainly do that'

'I say!'

'Mummy - but I'm crying bitterly!'

'Dont worry, Grandad can accompany me!'

'How Jolly!'

Little Nutter Lucy

Lucy is the real leader in the house when it comes to Daredevil stunts. Amelia actually copies her. She often climbs on to the back of the settee and sits on it to look out the window (and look at the bin men or something else equally boring!!) - so i have been collecting evidence of her antics to document her fearlessness!!

This is her diving down a makeshift 'settee slide'

Jumping to Daddy

This is her coming down the slide in Jack's garden. Its a BIG slide. She gets herself up the ladder at the back and zooms down, before running back for more!!

This is her on the rocker dogger - just normal rocking does not suffice her anymore!!

And this is her just jumping off the settee!! Ridiculous!

Of course, such stunts do take it out of her!

And i had to include a little Amelia of course. This is after she got hold of my mascara to do her 'eyes like Mummy'! Not sure if she thinks i put it on my eyebrowns!!

Playschool not so good after the first day. She has cried the other two times we have been and it has taken lots of reasoning to get her to stay - with Lucy and I having to sit in the cloakroom til she is ok, before we leave, with me virtually in tears the whole time! But she has made a little friend in each session now - so hoping it gets easier!!

Amelia-ism of the Day

'Mummy, I cant stay here - its not safe without yooooooooooouuuuuuuuuuuu!'

Whilst crying and clinging to me at Ladybirds. It was awful.

Amelia's First day at Playschool

Yesterday was Amelia's first day at Ladybirds. It had been creeping up and I was dreading it.. but she was so excited. She had chosen her new playschool bag and we talked about all the things she might do - and all the new friends she would make. When we got there she was so excited she wanted to go straight out and play outside, but we had to go in, hang her nag up and stick her name on the board to show she was there. A lady showed her a table of play doh and she was off. Duncan had sometime off to take us there and we all said goodbye. We had talked about how I had to take Lucy home for her sleep and when Lucy wakes up - we would come and get her. She was happily chatting to a playschool lady when we left. I was, of course, in tears, but it wasnt as bad as I thought it would be, mainly I was so scared she wouldnt want to stay, but as she was so happy and excited..I didnt mind leaving her as much.
It seemed like ages til we picked her up, waiting with her new Jessie doll. I went in to get her and they were all sitting in a circle with their bags and pictures, ready to go. She had made friends with a little girl, who said she knew Amelia from dancing(!?!?!) and first thing she said was 'Mummy, I love playschool!' What a relief.
A few other things came out, a little girl didnt want to play with her and she was left on her own (it broke my heart hearing her say that) but a playschool lady introduced her to another little girl and they played together (housekeepers and campfire girls!) and she had done a little glue picture and had been on the climbing frame before it started to rain and they had to go in.
All in all it was an ok experience, hopefully it will get easier to leave her there - I am so thrilled for her that she liked it - and so proud that she is a friendly, independent little girl.

Amelia-ism of the day

'Penny (her doll) cried at playschool, But I looked after her cos I am a big girl'

Amelia - Street Dancer??

We went to the Hadleigh Farm on Sunday and had a good laugh - Amelia looks like one of those funky street dancers ..

'

Less 'street moves' here - but check out Lucy copying her big sister..

Amelia-ism of the Day

'Mummy, look, you have wrinkles' (in reference to some, ahem, crepey skin on my boobs!) 'You look like a grandma!!' Cheers Amelia!!

Little Sister's faces

This is a face that Lucy can only have learned from Amelia - Amelia has a slight over bite and often sticks her lower jaw out - Lucy doesnt have this - but obv mimiks her big sister. I. LOVE. IT!!



Amelia-ism of the Day
'I dont want to be your little girl anymore - ~I want to be Daddy's little girl!' all because i made her fasten her bib at the back!!!

Amelia's Birthday

Amelia had a wonderful birthday - we went to Old MAcDonalds Farm on the day..

Which we all loved!

And then she had her parties - one with her chums - see her with Best Friend Scarlett - fairy princesses together and eating their dinner in the wendy house!

I cannot believe that she is now 3 - where have the last few years gone?? She has been assigned her sessions at PlaySchool - a tues and a friday afternoon, starting September 7th .. I just feel sick about it! HAve really got to get my head around it.

She had a little 'visit' there last week - and had fun , she made a few little friends and I can tell she will fit in, be a good girl and just enjoy herself.

Amelia-ism of the Day

'I am a big girl - look at my feets - they are three years old!'!!

Dr Meme & Nurse Juicy

Today, whilst playing, I was injured...badly.






Thank goodness that nearby was..

Dr Meme

and Nurse Juicy

They selected the equipment to patch up my injured arm..

and Dr Meme administered a dressing to the patient, whilst Nurse Juicy sang soothingly to me..

Look at that professional finish ... I just hope they are about next time I get injured!!!

Amelia-ism of the Day

A- 'Why did the Clown knock on the door?'

Me- 'I dont know'

A- 'To see what the dress was!' (Hysterical laughing)

Me - 'Where did you learn that joke?'

A - 'You told me Mummy - when you were a little girl!' ???

Holiday!

A holiday report!
We had a wonderful 13 day holiday. Our flight was at 7pm, we wondered if and when the girls would sleep in the journey... well after parking the car we had to catch a bus to the terminal and Lucy screamed the entire way as she had to sit on my lap and not in her own seat like Amelia. We thought the flight would be awful, but they were good girls from then on. We didnt really stop moving (queuing!) in the airport and boarded relatively easy and quickly.


The girls had new comics and stickers to entertain them on the flight - and they were good as gold and very cute... even when Amelia decided she needed a pooh mid-flight and her and Duncan were gone 20 MINUTES!! Several people gave up queuing outside the toilet!!!





At the airport the hire car firm didnt turn up so we just had to hire one from Hertz and pay double the price. It sucked .. and we didnt get on our way til gone 11 UK time and neither girl had had any sleep and were just good as gold. They slept as soon as we started the drive to the villa though!

They shared a room out there and were pretty good with it - but got into the habit of getting me to lie in there with them til thety had gone to sleep - not exactly a hardship - as they are very lovely! Amelia also developed the habit of sleeping naked - and is still doing it now!

Most days we went to the beach in the morning, back to the villa for the girls sleep and then spent the afternoon at the villa in the pool.

They loved the beach. As soon as we starting put our stuff donw they would trot off to the sea with their watering cans. We spent hours buiding sandcastles, holes, tunnels, channels and paddling, collecting shells and swimming, until Amelia got a little excema flare up and the sea water stung her!

The villa pool was aften really cold as there were some really high winds. Amelia pretty much just hacked the cold.. but Lucy didnt like it - so we got some sand up from the beach and made her some sand and water play on the patio - and she didnt mind standing there in the freezing cold hose-water!! Then we got a little boat and she sat in the pool in that splashing everyone!

They loved the Spanish food- especially paella, croquettes and the little tuna pasties, empanadellas!

All in all, it was brilliant. Liz & Geoff joined us for the last few days and we even managed a night out (well dinner!). Journey home was fairly horrific, with the girls screaming for most of the flight ... but it was the journey home .. so it didnt seem to matter so much.

Amelia-ism of the holiday

'I miss my lovely old toys at home. I want to go back to Hockley!'- The misery!!!

Stopping feeding

This wont be of any interest to anyone - but me!

In April I stopped breastfeeding. It felt like the right time .. Lucy wasnt actively wanting milk anymore and was just having a last feed at night, which wasnt helping her fall asleep ... so I stopped..

It really wasnt as emotional as when I stopped feeding Amelia, it really felt like the right time. Though now I am no longer breastfeeding or pregnant, which felt very wierd for a while...but I am used to it now.

She is really growing up and definately not a baby any more..

This week

The girls have been on great form. Though its kind of annoying that they play the nicest together when they are being naughty together! Like today when they 'watered' the settee! Amelia knows she wont get told off too much if Lucy is colluding with her!

Amelia also spent a lot of the morning in front of the wardrobe mirror playing at 'putting in my contacts!' - she has poked herself in the eye several times .. but is loving the pretending.

Poor Lucy is now having what we think is her MMR jab reaction.. ridiculously high temps, trouble sleeping (we were up at 5am!!) and generally not her happy self. Hoping it will pass soon. She fell over in the garden Sunday too and has a nasty graze on her face and all down one shin - between the two of them - they dont look that great! Amelias legs are covered in bruises as they are just carefree daredevils!

You can see the graze in this video .. this is Lucy trying not to fall asleep today - she was sitting on my lap while she should have been napping - but she was so upset - I just let her sleep on me ... Look at this gorgeous sleepy baby ...

Here is another video - Lucy splashing Duncan with sand & water - her laugh is so wicked!!

Here is the two of them jumping on the settee - i love videos like this - it just captures part of the day and the silly things we do

Just hoping Lucy has a better night and is happier tomorrow .

Amelia-ism of the day;

'Mummy. I'm going to sulk behind the curtain'. When asked what sulking is (while she was behind our bedroom curtain... 'Hiding from Lucy!'

Cast off!

The cast came off yesterday.Amelia was so brave .. no problems at all. As long as she can get it straight and starts using it properly within the next few weeks - no more appointments are needed. It was so dry flakey & limp yesterday - but its nice to have a proper bath without the 'crab claw' dressing - and we had the play sand out in the garden today which they both loved .. though half a ton of it was tipped down the back of my trousers while I was planting out some veg!

Funny thing is - she is still walking round with it bent in front of her like its still in the cast! And she isnt really using the hand yet, to eat or draw etc - she got so used to not having full use of the arm - she is even sleeping with it bent across her!

Lucy has had a few rough days - terrible teething at the weekend - and the MMR today (cant wait for that reaction ) - but there is no excuse for the strop she threw this morning after not being allowed a biscuit...

She has the little stroppiest temper I have ever seen. And its so hard not to laugh at her!

She is also refusing to kiss anyone - she teases us with a little pucker but shakes her head and turns away at the last minute..

She looks ridiculous in her sisters hair clip and my necklace - but they both love dressing up!!

Amelia-ism of the Day

'Mummy why do we have Mummies and Daddies? Why cant we just look after ourselves?'

'Mummy - can I look at those men with bones in their tummy?' (A pic of some footballers in their pants in the Sun - she meant their tummy muscles!!)

''Mummy - why dont slugs like slug gel?' 'Because it smells like slug pooh. No one likes the smell of pooh' 'But why does Tom put it on his head?' Poor Amelia getting very confused between the slug repellent and Toms hair gel - to be fair - i dont see much difference!!