#17 Our new family room

We have moved things around in our house recently.  Daddy has moved his office downstairs and we have changed what was his office into a family room. We have moved all of your books and toys into the room and it's given us lots more opportunity to play and relax.

We found we just weren't using the living room downstairs and didn't have anywhere comfortable to sit and play.

You love it and you're quite happy to go in and play by yourself whilst I am cooking or otherwise busy.  You keep getting confused though and keep trying to go downstairs!

#15 The grass is always greener ... Isn't it?

There's this feeling we all get at times that the grass is always greener and I sometimes find myself longing for some ME time. I'd like to laze in bed in the morning. I'd like to read the news, Facebook and catch up on the blogs I follow in one session, without interruption, or little fingers trying to swipe the iPad screen to "Find the clock!". I'd love to have a leisurely shower, or even a long hot bath. I'd love to dry my hair without feeling guilty that the noise terrifies you and knowing that you are cowering in the living room pretending to watch tv, but really you are just listening to the noise.

I rarely get any Me time, but this is fine, honestly. I love being with you, going to activities, having adventures and reading books. But sometimes a bit of Me time is necessary. However it's always a double edged sword. 

I look forward to being able to go out to the shops by myself, then find myself checking to see where you are or reaching for a hand that's not there.

I look forward to being at home by myself when Daddy or Nana take you out for a while, but find myself starting to tell you something only to realise you aren't there. And wandering around the house, aimlessly, wondering what to do until you get home.

You make a mess, you steal my food, you always "want an up" when I'm trying to cook dinner and don't have any spare hands. But when you look up at me with your beautiful blue eyes, smile your infecticious smile and slip your little hand into mine and it fits so perfectly, I never want to be without you. I feel lost if my Little Duckling isn't by my side!

#14 Teething, snotty noses and being Two!

Being your Mummy is the best thing I have ever done and it's also the absolute hardest thing I have ever done.

Sometimes events conspire and things become really hard, for both of us. At the moment you are teething, you have your last 4 molars coming through, and it is really painful for you. It's making you chew everything in sight, dribble uncontrollably, and your temper is extremely short. You also have a cold. A horrible snotty nose, you feel like rubbish and your temper is extremely short. And you are Two. You are leaving babyhood far behind. You are realising your sense of self. You want to do more yourself. And your temper is extremely short!

You don't know whether you want to sit down, stand up, be picked up, be left alone, have a cuddle or play with your toys. Or maybe you just want to do all of these things all at once, and you can't. Which makes your temper extremely short.

Now I'm not known for having much patience myself, so at times we just rub each other the wrong way. I try so hard to keep my temper because I know you are only shouting/screaming/whinging/whining because you are in pain, you feel awful, your nose is running and you can't do what you want to do because you are only Two. I don't always succeed. Which usually ends with both of us getting annoyed and upset, and then I feel incredibly guilty because it's not your fault, it's mine.

I hope as you get older you can see that I really am truly trying my hardest and doing the best I can to be your Mummy. To give you what you need and make you happy. I don't get it right all the time and I'm sure that's not going to change however big you get. But being your Mummy is the best thing I have ever done, the best experience of my life. I hope I can be the best Mummy for you.

#13 Sharing breakfast

Did I say sharing? I meant pinching!
Every morning I ask you what you would like for breakfast and every morning you answer porridge. You love porridge! However, over the last few months if I sit down with you to eat my breakfast as you have your porridge you more often than not demand I get out of my chair, you climb onto said chair, and say "mmmmmm Mummy's breakfast" and proceed to eat the lot! I get left with your porridge! Now I like porridge, but I also like Corn Flakes and Bran Flakes and other cereals too. You won't eat these cereals if put in your bowl, but if it's in my bowl it's fair game! You're a cheeky monkey!

#12 Snuggle days

At least once a week we try to have a day at home, doing nothing except snuggling and playing. Whilst I think it's important we go to various activities to give you exposure to different experiences and other children; and there's things that need to be done each week, like shopping, I also think it's important you get some time at home to play with your toys and to make your own entertainment. These days are our "Snuggle Days".

We generally have breakfast a little later than normal and we get dressed at a leisurely pace. You get to watch some tv in the morning, and we do puzzles and drawing and Play Doh and lots more. I really enjoy these days with you. Nowhere to go and nothing much to do, except cuddle and play and enjoy your company.

#11 I'm a Witch!

"The Witch has a cat and a hat that is black, and long ginger hair in a braid down her back. 

How the cat purred and how the Witch grinned as they sat on their broomstick as they flew through the wind.  

But how the Witch wailed and how the cat spat when the wind blew so wildly it blew off her hat."

                        From 'Room On The Broom' by Julia Donaldson & Alex Scheffler

I have just written this passage, the first page in the book, from memory because we have read it so often. You also know pretty much the whole book by heart too and can often be heard reciting lines and paragraphs from it.

You LOVE wearing your witches hat (which incidentally is for ages 3-6 months and you wore it aged 5 months at our Halloween party for our antenatal group).  You wear it all day, every day.  It's the first thing you ask for when you wake up and we have to take it off your head at bedtime.  

Your other favourite accessory is your wand! Because every witch needs a wand!

You run around the house shouting "I'm a witch!" and casting spells "Iggedy zaggedy zoom!"

"Down!" cried the witch and they flew to the ground. 

They searched for the hat but no hat could be found.

Then out of the bushes on thundering paws.

There bounded a dog with the hat in his jaws.

He dropped it politely and eagerly said ...

You are word perfect and so, so cute as you tell the story to yourself and act it out by dropping the hat and the wand and go looking for them.

                          

You are always asking us to draw a witch, a cat, a dog, a frog, a bird - all the characters from the story. Even the scary dragon!

I think it's even safe to say you are more obsessed with this book than you are with Peppa Pig, and that's saying something!

#10 Crafty things

We spend a lot of afternoons doing crafty things like "stickies", painting, curalling (your name for colouring), and Play Doh.  You get really excited at the prospect of painting and getting messy (or "muddy" as you call it) and I like doing these activities as they tend to keep you amused for longer than the usual 5-10 mins when doing other things.

As it's Easter time I have been trying to theme our craft activities to teach you about Easter, chicks, the Easter Bunny etc and you've really enjoyed it.  You are now obsessed with Chicks thanks to your new book: 'Peppa's Easter Egg Hunt' which you were given for Easter (but I let you have early), and you spend most of the day singing the little song from the book and saying "Cheep, cheep, cheep"!

P.S. the witch's hat is THE fashion accessory of the moment and has to be worn most of every day (even though it is way too small as it was bought for you to wear for Halloween when you were 5 months old!).  But together with a home made wand - a chopstick and foil covered card - you are happiest, reciting pages from the book Room On The Broom!