My little runaway

Yep, Jesse realised within about a week that I wasn't able to pick him up. So he will now throw himself on the floor if I try to coax him somewhere he doesn't (but I do) want to go. This has been fun! I'm having to pick my battles with him at the moment, knowing I can't just scoop him up and deal with it that way. Or the other thing is he will take off in the opposite direction laughing. On the up side it's got me out of a lot of stinky nappies because it is very hard to convince him he needs to climb on his change table! I think that one will come back and bite me when I can lift tho :-)
His speech is coming along and he's making a lot more noises and some of those sound like words. Mum is still his fav word, followed by Dad, but has been heard to say Kayla, Dowah, Tim, bubbles, two, and loves saying brom brom with his cars.

Dinner where?

Makayla was yet again refusing to eat her dinner. She's become very fussy but I refuse to cook only what she will eat. After refusing she was sent to her bedroom until she was ready to come out. This upset Jesse who kept pointing to Mikki's bedroom and then back to her food. The three of us finished our food and left Mikki's on the table for when she was ready to come out to it.
We thought Makayla was finally coming out to eat...but instead she informed us Jesse had taken her meal down to her bedroom for her. Oops! So ensued a search for the lost plate of food while Jesse looked innocently on. Finally located in the middle of our bed (!), luckily still intact on plate. But Mikki's still not eating it. Oh boy!

I'll get an ambulance for you Mummy.

I was quite sore last night after we all went in and did the groceries. I realised half way around it was actually quite a big walk, and the biggest I had done since the op. Oops. Anyways, I was lying down and Makayla decided she would call and ambulance because Mummy was sore. I tried to explain that I wasn't so bad to need an ambulance, but she was definite in that I was sore and ambulances helped people that are sore so I needed one. Every morning she wakes up and asks me if my tummy is better, and last night she decided she had a sore tummy too like Mummy's. So sweet, I know it's hard on the kids with me being so sore, and Makayla is being so caring.

Fun day outside

Yesterday morning Keith decided he was going to start the paths to the driveway and shack, and of course he had two willing helpers. Makayla and Jesse had a great time just pottering around, going for rides in the wheelbarrow, and generally helping out. Mikki was actually really good with the rake, cleaning all the paving stones. But she decided she didn't like it so much when she stood on the head and it came swinging up right into her forehead. Poor sweet, the look of surprise on her face! It was just so classic, exactly like you see in the movies, I couldn't help but laugh. A few moments after the surprise came the shock, and the tears flowed, with many hugs and then followed by a very impressive egg on her head.

On a different side, I recently had a hysterectomy, and the kids have been so great (and yes, Keith has been amazing too!). Jesse has figured out I can't lift him, and most of the time is really helpful climbing in and out of his cot, up to me on the couch, or onto the change table. Of course on the odd occasion he takes off on me, but not often. Makayla has been super helpful, we do the breakfasts together, I get the plate and cereal, she gets the milk and spoons. She does things for me like picking things up off the floor, getting things for me and helping with Jesse. She gets a little irritated when I can't play all the time, which is understandable. Great kids!

Moos and Bubbles

Jesse is slowly learning new words. He came out with bub-bles in the bath on Monday night, and as soon as he hears the cows mooing he'll start mooing back to them. Very cute. And he hears them often, whereas I won't even take notcie until he suddenly starts mooing back to them.
Makayla likes going arouns all the windows in the morning and wiping the condensation off them. We've just had a heat pump installed (thanks so very much Dowah) and it is fantastic, and cuts down on the cleaning Makayla does in the morning.
Keith and I went away for two nights this week, for some time out before my operation. Dowah very kindly looked after the kids, she was awesome, and the kids had a great time. It broke my heart everytime I spoke to Makayla on the phone and she would say "I miss you Mummy, I'm waiting for you...I love you Mummy. But when we got back I got a two second hug before she went to Dowah for a big hug then went on playing, she wasn't at all worried about it. Jesse on the other hand has been quite clingy, and wouldn't go to sleep the first night. I'm not looking forward to leaving him to go to hospital, and am now thinking he shouldn't come and see me in there. He won't want to leave. But he's always been a snugglebum!

Jesse...Our gorgeous, dirty, fun Jesse.

It's amazing to watch Jesse becoming so much more aware of his surroundings and life in general. We've been telling him when his food is hot to blow on it. So he purses his little lips and blows on his food, my food, and any other food he sees. When I told him the other day to be careful of the heater because it was hot, he went towards it and started blowing on it to cool it down too.

Mikki had a runny nose, so Jesse trots over to the tissue box, gets one out, goes over to Makayla, wipes her nose, then puts the tissue in the rubbish.

As soon as we can put clothes on the drying racks...he's taking them down and putting them in the washing basket. Dirty clothes come off and if we're lucky go into the dirty washing...if not they go into his drawers.

I'm scared to think what might have gone into the rubbish. We found the portacot bassinet supports when they stuck out of the bag....who knows what else he's put in there!

And still those puddles. He has so much fun in them, and comes in absolutely dripping wet, but with a smile from ear to ear. It's good old fun and he loves it.

Proud Mummy

I took the kids to daycare yesterday and while Erana and I were talking Makayla sat down at the little table and started printing letters. I was so impressed! They are very clear, a similar height, and in straight lines. I don't usually like to boast about where my kids are at, because for everything they do well, there is generally something they don't do as well as another child, and I prefer to just keep quiet. But I really feel this was awesome. And since I'm on the subject, Mikki can count to 13, fully dress and undress herself, including doing the buttons, sing a lot of songs, and put's herself to bed. I'm not allowed to help her, she informs me she can 'do it all myself!'.

Makayla, Dowah and I went to town on Wednesday, and had a fabulous day. Mikki was extremly well behaved, and was an absolute joy to be with. We had a lot of fun, looking at a lot of different shops, seeing Mrs Shirly at the fabric shop, and visiting Auntie Barb. Makayla entertained us with her constant chatter, seeing choo choo train tracks, fire engines, ambulances, 'Donalds, and so many other things. And of course using her fav word 'why'?

Signs of the future?

Makayla is playing on the town map, sending her ambulance along the roads going weeeooo weeooo weeeooo weeeooo, ambulance going to someone who's sick. She tells us that Mummy drives and ambulance and Daddy drives a Fire Truck. She knows sometimes it's the other way round, but that's ok.
We've been telling her about her last name, but she insists her name is Ma-kay-la. Yesterday, for the first time, she said her name was Makayla H..... Yay! Next we'll work on her two middle names, but that could be a bit harder!

Oh pickles!

Makayla's new favourite word is 'Oh Pickles', which sounds so cute when she comes out with it! It's much better than some of the things she could imitate ;-)
She spent a day with Auntie Margaret the other day, and when we dropped her off kept saying goodbye so that we would hurry up and go! She had a fabulous day, feeding the chickens and emptying the goldfish pond, going out to the Black Beagle for a lunch of chips and marshmallows, and playing with a spinning top with Ashley. She was a bit of a nightmare when we left tho, not wanting to say thank you and good bye to Auntie Margaret, which she's normally so good at. But she was certainly one tired girl.

Boys will be boys...and Jesse is definitely a boy!

When unpacking a load from the car into the shack yesterday the kids were running around outside. After playing in the puddles for a bit Jesse made straight for the paddling pool which was laying on an angle, and of course had a couple of inches of water from the rain in it. Well, he had an awesome time, jumping, filling his gumboots, and of course over balancing and falling straight in the water. I didn't worry, he was having such a great time.
However it was a different story when we tried to call him inside! He took off towards the sheep paddock to talk to Auntie Maree's new sheep (who thinks it's a dog) who is really friendly. Not content with that however, he decided to fall face first into the pile of dirt Dowah and Grandad had recently delivered for the garden. Head to toe in lovely black dirt.
He's actually really heavy when you have to carry him from the shack to the house while trying to keep his wet, dirty body away from mine, and him squirming to go back to the dirt. Luckily Dowah was here to help, and we put his little cold, red body straight into the bath.

Speech day

Off to speech therapy for Makayla today. This is the third of four weeks, and she is still having problems with the 'k' sound. She can say car fine, but coin is toin, can is tan etc. We'll keep working on it.
Jesse has a mysterious new bump on his forhead. Not sure how he accumulated that one. This morning he pointed at Makayla, then tapped his head, then clapped to let me know he wanted the hat Makayla was wearing. Not much speech, but his communication is great.

Learning times

I can't believe within one day Makayla has figured out how to play a game on the computer. From never before using the computer, to actually playing the game in just 24 hours. Dowah showed her how to play it yesterday, it's s simple childs game where they have to recognise the different parts of the cake to build it, from the shape, to the colour of the cake and icing, and the decoration. They probably spent half an hour learning it. And today Mikki is happily playing it, and completing it successfully.

Jesse is now saying 'Kaya' for Makayla, and has the 'come' hand motion down pat. He's still tantruming, throwing himself on the floor when he doesn't get his way, but I think he's starting to figure out it doesn't work, it's not happening as often.

I looked at some of the other kids at play centre the other day, and we really are lucky. Our kids are so well behaved, and play together so well, they really are best friends. I see other kids tantruming, and it's so much worse than Jesse. I see other kids push their younger siblings out of the way to get to what they are playing with, whereas Makayla will sit next to Jesse and play with him. Don't get me wrong, we have our moments, and at the moment they seem to enjoy pushing Mum to see how far I can go. But that's life. I just gotta deal with it.

Why? Why? Why?

Time to go to bed Makayla. Why?
Let's go to the Rugby Club. Why?
Put your shoes on. Why?
Hop in the car. Why?
Up to the table for breakfast. Why?

Oh this is such a fun stage. I can't believe how often she says 'why?', and even if I explain something she will still say why. I know 'Because Mummy said so' is a bad answer, but somethimes it's all that will come out!

Naughty Wasp!

Poor Makayla, she was playing on the chair tonight and managed to get stung by a wasp, that was pretty much dead anyway. Poor thing, she screamed and screamed. I was torn between hugging her, trating her, and getting rid of the wasp before Jesse got to it. So I screamed for Keith and just held her. It's such an awful feeling when your child is hurt, and all I wanted to do was take away the pain. We put vinegar on it, then she sat with an ice pack on it for ages, curled up in front of TV. Amazingly the pain seemd to fade after an hour or so, and she went off to bed at 7.30, and was asleep by 8. Touch wood she's still in there, but I don't think she'll last the night in there. She's been coming in to our bed most mornings, anywhere between 1.30 (too early, she gets put back to her own bed), and usually 5.30-6.30.
Jesse doesn't miss out, he's also been in the wars. He decided to go head first down three concrete steps at daycare the other day, and has a massive bruise on his forehead with some grazes going down his nose. Erana said he cried lots, but was ok after that. When she texted me about it I just said cool, that'll match the other two bumps on his head he's had the last few days, but when I picked him up it was a bit worse than I realised! But he's a strong little trooper, and is not at all worried about it. The tests have come back for Jesse, and he doesn't have haemophilia, which Keith and I were pretty sure of anyway, for the amount he bumps himself if he was he'd be covered in bruises. When Makayla was crying on me Jesse come up beside her and gave her a big cuddle, it was so cute. And it was gorgeous when Makayla told the wasp off and told it it was naughty!

Wall art!

Oh dear. Makayla seems to have decided her walls aren't decorative enough, and that she needed to add some art to her bedroom walls! Thank goodness she used some purple chalk, so it was hard to be too angry at her, but I had to pretend to be to get the point across it is naughty to draw on walls. Unfortunately I didn't catch Jesse drawing on the doors with pen, and that doesn't come off so easily!

Makayla was talking to Dowah this morning on the phone (as she always has to do), and it was really lovely to hear her ask Dowah if her back was better. She's very thoughtful.

Jesse's language is coming along well, with a real litany of grunts and finger pointing. I'm still not fully proficient at his language, but can generally understand him by the time he gets to the screams.

I shot a video of Makayla singing and dancing to The Wiggles this morning. She looked so cute, and she really does love dancing, singing, and especially The Wiggles. I'll attempt to upload it...but I can't promise anything!!!