Chaos ensues...

So, this is what our living room looks like after nine babies and seven mums get together for a cup of coffee and some cake!

It was our turn to host my coffee group (can't call it the 'ante-natal group' anymore, it sounds ridiculous now that one of our ladies has already had number two and two more of them are expecting again).

I'm so glad we've kept up these meetings, we do have a lot of laughs and the kids are all really good friends, and getting more and more hilarious to watch together. Tearing around like a bunch of headless chickens, and having a whale of a time. Molly spent about half an hour chasing and being chased by Sam, which they thought was sooo funny, at times they could hardly walk for laughing (very cute).

I've read so many quotes about child rearing, coping with tiny tots, that kind of thing. From doctors and authors, TV shrinks and celebrities alike, but the one that sticks with me and rings the truest after a day like today was from Johnny Depp, when asked what it was like being a father of several children under three he said 'it's like living in a houseful of miniature drunks'. I couldn't have said it better myself!

Molly is more often then not a very happy little drunk, a very 'I love you Mum, you're my best mate, give us a kiss' kind of drunk, and really lived up to her reputation today. Sam got a little bit upset (read distraught) when his Mum popped out to get something from the car. He stood at the french doors and screamed, Moomy toddled over to him and stroked his head until she came back in, oh she's such a good girl.

I need a lie down now... thank goodness it's only my turn to host every seven months or so...

I am a toddler...

If it's on, I must turn it off.
If it's off, I must turn it on.
If it's folded, I must unfold it.
If it's high, it must be reached.
If it's shelved, it must be unshelved.
If it's pointed, it must be run with at top speed.
If it has leaves, they must be picked.
If it's plugged, it must be unplugged.
If it's not trash, it must be thrown away.
If it's in the trash, it must be removed, inspected, and thrown on the floor.
If it's closed, it must be opened.
If it doesn't open, it must be screamed at.
If it has drawers, they must be rifled.
If it's a pencil, it must write on the refrigerator, computer monitor, or table.
If it's full, it will be more interesting emptied.
If it's empty, it will be more interesting full.
If it's a pile of dirt, it must be laid upon.
If it's a stroller, it must under no circumstances be ridden in without protest. It must be pushed by me instead.
If it has a flat surface, it must be banged upon.
If Mummy's hands are full, I must be carried.
If Mummy is in a hurry and wants to carry me, I must walk alone.
If it's paper, it must be torn.
If it has buttons, they must be pressed.
If the volume is low, it must go high.
If it's toilet paper, it must be unrolled on the floor.
If it's a drawer, it must be pulled upon.
If it's YOUR toothbrush, it must be inserted into my mouth.
If it's MY toothbrush, it must be inserted into YOUR mouth.
If it has taps, it must be turned on at full force.
If it's a phone, I must talk into it.
If it's a bug, it must be swallowed.
If it doesn't stay on my spoon, it must be dropped on the floor.
If it's not food, it must be tasted.
If it's food, it must NOT be tasted.
If it's dry, it must be made wet with drool, milk, or toilet water.
If it has a tail, I must yank it.
If Mummy wants me to come, I must run away.
If Mummy wants me to go away, I must CLING ON FOR DEAR LIFE!
If it's stacked up, it must be knocked down.
If it's sticky, it must go in my hair.
If it's bath time, I must run around naked till I am caught!
If it is a rock, it must be picked up.
If it is a doll, it must not wear clothes.
If it is Mummy or Daddy, it must be hugged.
I am a Toddler!

Thanks DG, we love this... I guess we officially have a toddler on our hands!

Slip sliding away...

We knew that we would probably see some weather over this side of the hills, especially being this close to the sea. But I don't think I'd considered the possibility of seeing the hillside in front of me crawling across the road in a metre high slip!! And no, I'm not suggesting this is anywhere near as bad as those poor people in Kelson (up North) who watched as their houses slipped into a big hole that the rain opened up, but there is something deeply distburbing about watching your landscape change around you, literally!

Molly and I were sort of ready for it, we'd watched a little slip happen on our way to the pool on Tuesday, just a tumble of rocks and a bit of mud splashing down the side of the hills at Taunton Gardens. There were a couple of trees down on Dyers Pass that made for some hairy lane switching on the way up. All this accompanied by driving rain and we were having the best fun, NOT!

It was on the way home that the slip crept up on us, just before Charteris Bay, we were tootling along, almost home, Molly was snoozing, Mummy singing. Luckily I had my glasses on because everything was looking pretty mucky and brown, but then I spied the wall of mud across the road, it took me a second or two to realise that I wasn't going to be able to drive over this one! I don't know the alternative routes home, over the hills and back lanes, etc... oh well, there's always a first time eh?

There's no greater incentive to sort out that emergency supplies box then being reminded that we could very easily be cut-off over here. So next time you're looking in my freezer or larder don't laugh at the enormous amounts of bread and baked beans I have there!!

Bonjela, paracetamol... valium?

Well, it seems that Molly is finally going to have more then four teeth. Which is great, I was beginning to get concerned that this was it until her second set arrives (in about 5 years), but not so good for poor Moomy (or Mummy) right now, the way she's complaining I think she may be cutting the whole lot in one hit, I can see a couple more either side of her top front teeth and one either side at the bottom.

Poor little sausage doesn't know what she wants this morning, but is fairly sure whatever it is involves Mummy being inches from her at all times and supplying her fingers for biting as required. Although she's not fussy what she bites, the TV table, her baby doll, her bike handles, the cat... only kidding, and when nothing else is available she's biting her own tongue, which makes her cry and then we start all over again!

I'm not really complaining, it's just such a shock, she's normally such a happy wee thing, and I'm not exactly sure what to do with her when she's whiny like this. I've administered bonjela and paracetamol - which we never give her in the day (you see, she's really upset!), and she's gone off to sleep... for now... Now, where's that valium? ha ha!

PS as a ‘toothy’ comic aside. Whilst we were brushing our teeth this morning I was reminded about how careful I need to be with Molly now she is understanding more and more everyday. This morning she was standing at the sink with me as normal, waggling her toothbrush around and generally messing about, laughing at me brushing my teeth (it’s OK, I’m used to it!), and I said ‘stop laughing hun and copy Mummy’, with a mouthful of foam which I spat down the sink, two seconds later Molly spat on the floor…

A week full of first times

So, this past week has been pretty eventful - and really busy.

We had our first 'official' PlayCentre session, we've only been casually before and I thought I'd lost our place for this term, but no. We had our introductory tour and talk, and I think I may have been talked into being Education Officer, but we need to talk about that one - sometimes it's not all good being buds with the Enrolment Officer!! There doesn't seem to be an awful lot too it and for Molly's sake I'd run the whole show, she had so much fun. She played in the sandpit for the first time and painted her first picture - well, three, she couldn't control her 'artistic urges' and worked on all three easels at once, very funny to watch. She ate quite a lot of the paint too, so by the time she'd finished she was coated from head to toe, lightly dusted with sand and wet from the waist down (playing in the water, not from her nappy!), and totally exhausted - she was asleep by the time we got home, and it's only about two minutes down the road. I think it's safe to say she LOVES it! and I do too, she slept for almost two hours and so did I - woo hoo!

She's growing so fast, the shoes we bought her on our return from the UK were sized 12-18 months. They' re too small for her already, so we went out and bought her her first pair of semi-rigid shoes. Not 'real' shoes as yet, we want to make sure she's walking really well before we make her wear proper shoes all the time. But she needs something on her feet for PlayCentre and what not, so here they are. How cute are they? She's very proud of her pink trainers and had to hold them herself until we got to the till to pay, and then all the way to the car too.

This week at our Rainbow music group Molly was really trying to do all the actions to the songs. This was hilarious to watch, by the time she'd worked out what to do she was several moves behind everyone else, but she soldiered on and enjoyed every minute of it. Considering it was only last term that she spent the entire time looking slightly confused and not really joining in at all this seems like a big step forward. She was clapping and laughing, playing her maracas and the tambourine and she even managed to work out how to play the castanets - she's very advanced you know, ha ha!

And the most momentous (for me), is that this evening, for the first time, Molly fell asleep with her bottle of milk, not me. It was great. I mean it should be great right? So why do I feel so very sad? This feels like a really, really big thing. OK, I'll admit there were more then a few tears (from me, not Moomy), but it's OK really. Hubby was supportive as he always is, but promised to remind me of this evening, when and if baby number two is as exhausting/demanding as Molly has been on ocassion. My baby... how quickly she's growing up... sob...