Not much..

... to blog today. A nice weekend so far. Tried a new recipie for dinner..which gave me a quote of the day I have to put on here even though I have nothing really to blog about...

Amelia-ism of the day

'This is nice. Its juicy...like children...or fish.'

The Mess

Our house is very messy. Specifically the dining area. Specifically where Lucy sits. We are borrowing Liz & Geoffs carpet cleaner as 1001 isn't touching the stains at the moment despite their being a full size shower curtain underneath her. Oh no. It isn't enough for her blast radius.
Look at the photo below.Look at the beautiful (snarling??) baby - and look at the state of the dresser behind her. The cereal remnants... she has also taken to systematically shoving everything off her tray on to the floor when she has finished with the course. Lovely.

The girls showed me their dance moves for photos today - Amelia is, of course, a ballerina...but i think Lucy might think she is in Saturday night fever. LOVE IT!

Amelia-ism of the Day

(comes running in to me while I am getting dressed..) 'To tell the truth Mummy. I need a wee'.

I love how she hears these phrases but doesn't quite know how to use them!!

Little Sister..like Big Sister.

Lucy is picking up on a lot of Amelia's habits. Certain little faces she pulls...the art of a monster RAAAGH to get attention, and knowing that its funny! And the latest habit she has started copying, is taking her trousers off - she had them off twice today (amelia has them off pretty much whenever she can - to 'feel it on my miffy!') and was very pleased with herself - I just hope she doesnt start trying to open the nappy!!
During the day at home she follows Amelia around, sometimes they are playing quite independently but always sit next to eachother. Sometimes they kind of play with the same thing which is very cool...and sometimes they know they are doing things they shouldn't together. The other day I was making lunch and I heard the lounge go quiet .. always a sign something is up! I peeped in to see them sat infront of the TV unit. Duncan had left his playstation controller plugged in and they were holding it in a silent tug of war. They each really wanted it - but knew they couldn't make any noise about it as I would come in and take it off both of them! Lucy saw me standing there so did a rather pathetic fake cry (again - learned from Amelia!) but Amelia had the decency to look a little guilty!
Amelia is really starting to enjoy her little companion - they do laugh together a lot - but yesterday she took it to another level. While we were getting dressed upstairs (well, playing really!) she stood up, squatted over Lucy's head and farted on her!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She was quite blatant about it and laughed a lot, 'mummy I did some cheeky windy on Lucy's head!!'. Now obviously she had got that from Duncan who (maturely) pretends to fart on her head! I just hope she knows not to do it to just anybody!!


Amelia-ism of the Day

'Mummy, can I jump on Lucy's tummy please?' ... I am so glad she asked before just doing it!!

and I have to add these... I was blogging while Duncan bathed with them and while I was getting them dressed for bed we heard... 'Mummy, you've got elephant poo round your mouth'!?!?!?
and - to Duncan 'This is Snow White. Can she live in your nipple?' !?!?!?

Little Cousins Lunch

Firstly, after the proclamaion that Lucy could walk on Wednesday...there was no walking yesterday!! But today there were a few more steps.
Today we held the first official little cousins lunch. Amelia & Lucy were joined by Jack, Scarlett, Daisy, Bella & Stan.
The girls had a great time. Amelia & her chum Scarlett were straight upstairs for dressing up - Amelia as Snow White and Scarlett in a little pink dress that she always wants to wear here...then they went to several 'Balls' in the hall, read books,generally screamed and ran around and (the cutest thing) brushed eachothers hair!! Amelia has a pop up brush and decided to do Scarlett's hair (not THAT gently though) and Scarlett repayed the favour!! Those two are so cute together it is unbelievable - she is definitely Amelia's best chum and partner in crime!
Daisy walks about behind them ... kind of joining in... but not really knowing how .. much like Lucy following Amelia - so cute.
Bella was awake most of the time but Stan was very antisocial only waking to feed and do the foulest smelling pooh - and Jack did another one half an hour later. Those boys!! But it was lovely to all get together though I'm not sure much adult chatter happened!!
We were wondering what will happen in the summer when Jack, Bella & Stan will be eating with us too - mass picnics in the garden I expect!

Amelia-ism of the day;
'Amelia did you do that smelly windy?'
'No - It was Stan.' (very cheeky smile on face)
Half an hour later..
'Amelia did you do that windy?'
'No - it was Jack!'

She was blatantly the noisy culprit both times - but somehow knew to blame the boys!!

Walking!

I think I can proclaim that Lucy is officially walking!! There have been a few steps here and there but this evening she took four definite steps towards Duncan!! She was so ridiculously pleased with herself! And later she stood up by pulling herself up on the side of the bath and took two steps to reach my leg where I was holding her toothbrush - completely unprompted!! So if she carries on in at this rate she will need shoes in the next few weeks!
The poor little thing took a complete battering yesterday :( She is really suffering with her two top teeth coming through. She knows teething gel helps though and lets me rub it on the sore bits, but yesterday she was really upset and had to have a little calpol :( then, during the course of the morning and afternoon, she skinned a bit of her nose off on Amelia's buggy, bit her top gum and got blood everywhere, caught her foot in the music centre xylophone and got banged several times by Amelia walking past with her fire engine (accidentally of course!). She never really cries or complains, so when she cries with the teething - I know it really must hurt her - I really hope they come through soon.
Amelia has been having a great few days. On Saturday we saw Catherine for her birthday at Mum and Dads with everyone else. Dawn gave us two huge black bin bags full of clothes she was binning. I had told her I 'upcycle' clothes for the girls and wondered if I wanted them! Well we looked through them Monday morning and Amelia had herself a little fashion show!! Some of the dresses are gorgeous and are in Dawn's petite size so Amelia can wear the short ones without them having to be tied up too much at the back. She didnt even know where they were from but wanted to put a dress on straight away saying 'This looks like Auntie Dawn!!' and then tried on several more! She kept saying 'This is the best dressing up party EVER!' So some of the clothes have gone straight into the dressing up box rather than the re-fashioning pile!
Today was Tiddlywinks, which the girls love. Amelia sticks fairly near me and likes to know where I am - but Lucy just crawls off and up to anything!! Near the end is a quieter time with Birthdays and songs and today one of them was row, row the boat. I had followed Lucy a little away from the main mat where all the children sit to sing and by the time I could join Amelia to sit with Lucy and rock and sing - the song was almost over and we had missed it. Amelia was gutted and got a bit upset, so the lovely lady that runs it, Joan, asked Amelia if she would like to sing a song to everyone in her microphone, which is a little headset. So Amelia stood with her in front of everyone (around 20 mums and their children) and sang Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star the whole way through down the microphone! It quite took me aback how emotional I got! She just looked like a big girl singing. I just could not stop smiling at her and nearly cried!! I was just so proud of her.
Though...the little terror is going through a terrible phase of going to bed. Exactly 10 minutes after she has been in bed at night she decides she is going to squeeze out a pooh - and takes a good 20 minutes over it!! One of the disadvantages of having such a clever little girls who is already out of nappies at night!!!!

Amelia-ism of the Day
I'll set the scene - I am trying to get her in her PJs for bed - so she is totally naked.
She says ..'I'm not Amelia. I'm Daddy' and she starts wriggling her bottom from side to side..
so I ask.. 'What are you doing Daddy?'.....

'I'm shaking my willy!'............. Of course, how silly I am to have not known!!

A Few Videos

Havn't put any videos on for a while so I thought I should update with a few good ones..

This is them this lunchtime, with Amelia booing Lucy..they didnt know i was videoing from the 'patch' in the kitchen!

The next one is when they were playing with lucy's walker..again, they didnt know i was filming

This is random madness at dinner - i love amelia's face at the end!

This is one where we did some painting in the hall - Amelia kept painting her hands white - like mummy putting on hand cream!!

Then its our favourite dinner time noise , The Red Indian! Another is receiting Fantastic Mr Fox ' Dig for your liveeeesssss'! - got to get that on video!

Lastly is the two of them crawling after eachother upstairs.. so cute..

Lucy is now standing unaided and is so chuffed with herself - she has been dancing and eating while standing too - the monkey! and a top tooth is definately there and coming through!

We have had so much snow for the last week - and most people are sick of it .. but I want more! We only just got a sledge yesterday - there is a little bit of snow left on the lawn so we went up and down it a few times - Amelia loved it!!

Amelia-ism of the Day;

Between her and me,

A 'I only like pink'

Me 'What about Brown'

A 'Thats a yucky colour'

Me ' Your eyes our brown, pooh brown' (very mature I know!!)

A 'No, they are chocolate'.

The Tunnel

Lucy's christmas present has been a great hit - specifically the tunnel! I dont know how Lucy manages to photograph so savagely - but there you go!

Amelia-ism of the day

'I cant drink that now! Its got Lucy Flob in it!' after Lucy had a sip of her drink at dinner! The monkey!!

Christmas with the family Wall

Christmas was just brilliant this year. Amelia is just starting to get the hang of it. Christmas Eve we left out a mince pie and glass of 'apple drink' for Father Christmas and an apple and a bowl of water for the reindeer - all her idea. We kept telling her he would be bringing presents but I dont think she really thought they would be there in the morning! When we came downstairs Father Christmas had left Lucy a pop up set of tents and tunnels and Amelia a huge Play Doh set and she ran in 'He HAS left presents' and Lucy crawled straight into her tents and tunnels! It took Amelia a while to spot her Play Doh on her colouring table - but then there was no stopping her and the lounge carpet has taken a battering this christmas season! From then on we were virtually forcing presents on them all day! Its lovely that she wasnt really expecting anything and really wanted to look at everything and play with it immediately - which is why present giving took so long! Lucy really loved all the unwrapping and ripping too andof course all they wanted were eachothers presents!!

Duncan's parents came by in the morning and bought some lovely presents, a dolls bed, highchair, pram, snow white dress (which she had to wear and I had to wear a dresstoo!!), trike, clothes to name but a few things and the girls ahd a great time, mum, dad and Tom came over in the afternoon with even more stuff, musical instruments, a ballet doll (meleppe - just no idea where that name has come from!) books - I cant even remember all the stuff - and again the girls had a brill time. After a pretty nice Chtristmas roast lamb it was bedtime but as a treat we let Amelia come downstairs in her 'treat' to watch the Gruffalo which we had recorded. We started to watch it...but as the fox approached the mouse I could feel her shrink into me and ask 'mummy, whats the fox doing' and i knew she was alittle bit scared - what a wolly as she practically knows the book off by heart, so we quickly pretended it wasnt working and watched Noddy Saves Christmas instead and she loved being downstairs late! She has later watched the gruffalo and wasnt scared - maybe its because it was near bedtime??

Boxing Day we went to mum and dads and everyone was there. Amelia dressed as Melippe in someof Madeleine's old ballerina clothes - she looked SO cool! Lots more presents including lots of musical instruments, Pop Up Pirate, books,dolls etc. The girls were so good and even had a sleep there - and I got lots of cuddles with the gorgeous Jack!

The day after we went to Duncan's parents for another family day. Keith bought Amelia a set of dressing up shoes and jewellery - very popular with her!!! Another great day with LOTS of food!!

The day after we went up to Emma & Simons for lunch with them and Gabriella and Madeleine. Amelia took Elena the snap on doll and her new one Tamara - and Gabriella & Madeliene had an old snap on doll that she played with too! She just loves bing with them and dragging them around to play with things! After a lovely lunch they got out their play doh ice cream factory and the three girls sat around for over an hour playing, while Lucy tried her best to make as much mess in their playroom as possible!

Christmas had been great with the girls, they have been spoilt rotten but havnt been expectant or ungrateful and have new toys for the wendy house too so we will be getting so much use from all their new stuff! Just got a billion thank yous to write now!

Amelia-ism of Christmas

There were so ... so ....many, but she has said this a few times now 'Lucy - I'm waiting for manners.'!