bloomin 'eck

So we go off on holiday with granny and grandpa. It's stressful. We travel to Berlin first. On the evening of our first day, Zack has a few small bumps on him. It's been extremely hot so it could be heat rash. Nope, the next morning we know for sure - it's chickenpox.

bank hols in berkies

Zack went off to the doctor on Monday and then again on Friday last week - ear infection. He's on amoxycilin. It meant the first night of our holiday (Fri) was a no sleep night and we had to take it in turns to comfort him. Thankfully by the second night we had a solid night's rest. Now Calvin is taking his turn to cry - he's been chewing his fingers for the past few days, so perhaps he's teething. He certainly has the icky bum to go with it, but no temp. Sigh. Kids. I'm tired.

Calvin is happiest on the slide

those jolly rides in shopping malls - there's no escaping them [sigh]

what can I say ?

Brothers take a walk

no sleep

Mummy and Daddy are zombies at the moment - Calvin is waking up twice and even three times a night to have a wail. Mostly I get up, but I'm getting to the point where he can just cry if I've been up twice before. I feel bad for the neighbours, but I need a bit of pity too. Poor Keith is also feeling haggard with the sleepless nights (and he's suffering from insomnia) and all the stresses and strains at work. His plate is pretty full right now.
I'm really not sure what's causing the wakefulness, but all the boxes are ticked - clean nappy, not thirsty, dummy nearby, warm, quiet. Either he's lonely or he's bored. We are going to move his cot into Zack's room so that we solve the former, but the latter is something that will have to find it's own way out because neither Keith nor I are entertainers at 1am, 4am or 5:30am. No way!
Zack and Calvin went off to Little Dinosaurs yesterday, and when I got home I heard that Zack had bitten a two-year-old. Sheesh! How long has it been since he last bit a child ? Ages and ages. He had rushed upstairs when I was talking to Tina about it, and I found him hiding underneath his bed. I went up and sat on the floor and encouraged him to come out. He was obviously afraid of what I was going to say, and apologized immediately. Now that he's older, it's easier to ask, 'Why?'. The other child was hitting him in the face. I reminded him that he needs to talk to an adult. Biting is not an option.
Calvin, Zack and I went off to the shoe shop on Tuesday and got new shoes for both of them. It is remarkable how quickly children's feet grow. Zack is now an 11, so needed to say farewell to his Gola's. I replaced them with a pair of funky white Sketchers. Calvin got his first pair of walking shoes - little navy-blue, leather ones. He seems happy in them, altho' he is reverting to crawling every now and then which is understandable.
I took Calvin to the physio on Monday morning at 9am for an assessment. Considering he'd been walking for nearly a week, I felt that my fears had been allayed and I really didn't need to be there. As it turns out she was happy to see us, but confirmed just that - he is doing well developmentally and doesn't have any issues of concern. That little outward turning foot of his will soon be straighter with the shoes and constant walking.

he walks

Calvin has FINALLY decided to walk by himself. Yesterday while at a shopping mall in Derby he walked for quite a distance with Keith (just keeping him company, not holding his hands). It is delightful - he holds both arms out in front of him like a zombie or Frankenstein, and giggles as he goes. I'll try and post a video of it soon.

spring

April hath put a spirit of youth in everything. ~William Shakespeare

This week has been most springy. You gotta know how bad the winter's been if spring is getting an entire blog mention here. We have been on the trampoline twice most days, have weeded the lawn extensively (tho' it still requires more), and Keith and Zack have planted white pansies and new rosemary bushes. Zack was given some vegetable seeds to sow. They are now in their own little "greenhouse" box, germinating. Kids are so impatient. He went and looked this morning only to see that nothing had changed.
Keith helped Zack cycle around the block at lunchtime. I then invited him to cycle with me, all downhill, to a friend's house. He was eager for the first 100 metres. Then it was whining and moaning. Between Keith pushing the pram AND Zack's bike, and my pushing both my bike AND Zacks' we got it there. Unfortunately that meant we had to repeat the exercise coming home. Bike confidence is a slow process I fear. I am trying inordinately hard to not repeat the impatience of my father, and to be as empathetic as possible.

Calvin's first real word

He said it on the weekend and I thought it was just fluke, but this morning when I picked him up, I said, "Let's have some breakfast Calvin". And he looked at me, so I said, "lunch", and he said to me, "lunch". So there it is - Calvin's first word, other than "mummy, daddy, and nanny", is "lunch". I think he might also be on the verge of "'nana" (as in 'banana'), but we'll see.
My child is a genius !

Easter and the dregs of the birthday

Calvin's first conscious Easter, and Zack's first genuine Easter Egg hunt. By Sunday afternoon, Zack said to me, "Mommy I don't want any more chocolate". So allowing him to indulge had the desired effect... I'm getting clever - reverse psychology does work you see.

The sheer delight of discovery

the motherload

devouring the booty

We decided to spend Easter Monday at a National Trust property offering Easter Egg trails for kids. It was a hit, and tired them out with all the hunting for eggs, stamps and signs. We finished the afternoon with lunch at the Smith & Western in Boxhill. Kids were knackered and we'd had some quality time with Jax, Claudio and Alessio.

Easter Monday with Alessio at Polsden Lacey (National Trust Prop)

Zack gets the 'Easter Bunny' treatment at Polsden Lacey

Cat in the Hat ? - that's what this face reminds me of.

Last weekend was Anokye's 4th birthday party, and all four of the NCT girls were in the same place at the same time. Amazing. It was a wonderful sunny day and we spent most of it in the garden with the kids jumping on the bouncy castle. Keith and Calvin had some quality time together too, and they took the camera, so I don't have any pics of Anokye's party. Oh dear.

Calvin and Keith hit the playground together

Spiderman birthday party with fab masks from Walmart - what a winner!

The Willars sisters in trendy superhero outfits - Buzz Lightyear and retro Thunderbirds.

A delighted, exhausted, happy, very hot & sweaty birthday boy.

Hours of baking and icing amounted to a single layer, chocolate, Spiderman mask cake

Now we are Four

The much anticipated purchase of the bicycle for Zack's 4th birthday is now a moment in our collective memories. He loves it and even went so far as to ride it in the dining room, lounge and on the deck outside. He is yearning for better weather so that he can get out on it. I don't think the "stabilisers" are going to be around for very long...

Zack is 4

Four is a very big deal when you're little. It means so many things. I think Zack anticipated an enormous change when he got to his fourth birthday, and now it's alot of waiting for it to happen. He still has six months until school starts.
His birthday was marked with present opening, eating porridge for breakfast (his favourite), playing with his friends, assembling his new toys (Lego), and making play-dough creatures. All in all it was a great day, and he was exhausted by bed time.
Today (Friday), he's took cupcakes to nursery school, AND it's his chance at show-and-tell. He couldn't contain himself, so took his Vuvuzela, two light-sabers, blue blanket, and Buzz Lightyear doll with him. It's very hard to choose just one thing to talk about.

twilight zone

I flew out to Ohio last week Thursday, with two boys in tow, to visit Keith's aunt and uncle - Joy & Mike. The flight out was horrendous. I arrived at Heathrow at 09h35 (three hours before the flight was due to depart). It took them 2 hours to issue Calvin's boarding pass as he was travelling as an "infant on lap". Apparently the system couldn't sort it out. Idiots at Continental/United Airlines have NO idea about frustration. What am I supposed to do with two children who are being forced to stand still in a ticket hall for two hours? My blood was boiling. Calvin and Zack then took it in turns to press all mommy's buttons until we got to Cleveland. I was extremely grateful for the air-stewardess on our final leg: the only helpful individual we'd met in 12 hours!
The kids had such a good time, and thoroughly enjoyed all the attention. Zack went to sleep as soon as we got there, but Calvin was wide awake and firing on all cylinders. It meant that everyone got to meet the little brother, without all the sibling rivalry that goes on during daylight hours. It was great fun and he did his little walking steps from one person to another too - what a performer! Joy and Mike were both working, so during the day we'd go to the Mall (it was bitterly cold outside), or down to a playground nearby.

Zack working his way up

The fun of sliding

Saying "Goodbye" to Joy on Tuesday morning

Calvin and James share an IKEA moment

Uncle Mike helps Calvin eat every last pea in the pot

I was feeling incredibly rough (tired, ratty and sick) when we got there, but thanks to the family I slept for a good 9 hours on the first night. I was diagnosed with 'pink eye' while I was there, so it was good to get some meds, and shake that infection (I'd been struggling to get rid of it at home). Keith arrived on Friday night, and we were able to sleep in on both Sat and Sun mornings. What a wonderful feeling! Mike doesn't sleep well, and the boys had jet-lag, so it was a win-win situation.
Zack, Calvin and I went out for hamburgers on Monday afternoon which Zack thought was a treat. He can be incredibly slow at eating - too busy watching everything else that's going on around us. He loved the ceremony of it all too, and I sent him off to the 'soda machine' to refill his own cup.
It is Zack's 4th birthday in 10 day's time and we are planning a Spiderman theme. Walmart is a wonderland of goodies, so I picked up a ton of stuff for the party. Thank goodness for huge weight allowances on US flights.
Tuesday evening was the flight home. We had a relatively uneventful trip home - no delays, no crises, no [enormous] tantrums, and a quick connection at Newark too. Zack wet his trousers sleeping, but I'd prepared for that eventuality and packed clean bottoms, and socks. Funnily enough he did comment that, "people will laugh at me with no trousers on" (I had to change him once all the other passengers had disembarked), but I reassured him that no-one could see. Funny the little things that they are concerned about all of sudden.

Race:
Zack is suddenly aware of race/ethnicity. We were in a supermarket today, and he said to me, 'That man is the same colour as Ethan and Chloe'. To which I replied, 'Yes, that's right. Anokye's daddy is also that colour.' I think he's identified the colour as 'brown'.
Then, just to throw a spanner in the works, I said to him, "So Zack, what colour do you think you are ?' I proffered some suggestions : purple, green, blue pointing at my skin. In the end he said, "I don't know Mom." So I suggested he think about it and we can talk about it again. Devils' advocate!

cat's away

Sigh... why is that the minute Keith heads off on business, the kids 'habits' degenerate ? Sleeping is the first one to go. Last night Zack was not in a hurry to go to sleep, and then woke up this morning at 5:25am having had a bad dream (he tells me that I had gone far away), and wee'd in his bed. Having calmed him, changed his pyjamas and putting a towel down on the wet patch, he then told me that he wanted to play. I was firm and said, NO. It's still night time and you must sleep. He didn't tho'. He'd woken Calvin up who was now chattering in his cot. I decided a firm line was the best, so I just went upstairs and went back to bed. Zack came up and joined me on and off, and finally went downstairs. And here's the reason for today's post - Zack put on the tv and the DVD player by himself and watched Stuart Little. I am delighted. I was able to sleep until 8:30 when Calvin woke up again. Not feeling quite as shattered as I might have.
Annoyingly I have a nasty eye infection which isn't clearing, so I'm trying to sort that out too.

totter

Calvin is now tottering along with confidence on Zack's old "push along" musical wagon thingy. He loves watching himself in the mirror and glances backwards to make sure Mummy is seeing it too. Too cute!
Yesterday morning he was playing on the carpet in our bedroom, while I was showering. He discovered a sun-beam and scampered around trying to catch it. Every time he had his back to it, it disappeared, then he'd quickly circle around so that he could see it on the carpet again.
He has a couple of new words too : Amen, and Nanny (for Tina).
This morning we were singing "Zoom, Zoom, Zoom, We're going to the moon." and he quickly started counting with his little pointer finger in the palm of the other hand, and then putting his arms in the sky at "blast off". Just so delightful to see the developmental stages.

a REAL holiday

We've been discussing, at some length, with friends how you go about having a real break when you have such little children. As we don't have grandparents around, and our attempts in 2009 failed dismally, we just want a solution. As such, I've started investigating via the net. here's what I've come up with in the UK for family holidays :

http://www.babyfriendlyboltholes.co.uk
http://www.mrandmrssmith.com/ - they have a children section
http://www.cottageselection.co.uk - "take the family" section
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/family/article2133315.ece
http://www.childfriendly.co.uk/
http://www.bedruthan.com/hotel/

http://www.tredethick.co.uk

feeding the little ones

http://www.wulffmorgenthaler.com

drive far for what's around the corner

It's halfterm at the moment, so I thought it would be nice to go and do something different. I picked up Tina and we drove up to Milton Keynes (about an hour away), to a huge indoor play area. They're sneaky - we were aiming for a place called 360Play, but ended up at KidsPlay because it's the first place you see as you come off the highway. Anyway, that's business I suppose. We had a blast and Zack was absolutely pooped after 4 hours. We had a pee-accident too which added to the adventure, so I spent 1/2 an hour in the ladies loo drying Zack's jeans, sock and underpants.
Going there has convinced me that we need to do this more often - perhaps even weekly. There are two of these places within reach of N10 (our postal code). The kids had so much fun that it seems silly to save it for a rainy day.

primary school application

Got a letter from the council today to say that our choices of Primary School for Zack (starting 2 Sept) have been noted. We will find out in May which one he's been accepted to.

the weather ?

Both boys have taken turns being ill. In fact, Keith was off 2 days last week too. Zack was vomiting on Friday night - on carpeted stairs, which is no joke. He'd an upset tummy on the weekend too. Calvin vomited in the wee-hours of Tuesday morning, so I cleaned that up and put him back to bed. Then I couldn't get back to sleep, so got up and put together 200 photographs of him for his Dedication Service on Sunday. I want to have a photo album of his life for people to see. Finally went back to sleep just before 7am. Keith had to sort out Calvin vomiting again after that. Today he's got an upset tummy and had a bit of a temperature when he woke up - not the happiest little chap. Tina has also got something nasty, so stayed home today (which is highly unusual for her). Thank the Lord I am mostly OK. Now I just need to stay like this until Sunday evening when the party is over.

Zack and Alessio put the nachos bowls on their heads.
Makes a fun yarmulke – Jackie commented how Jewish Zack looked. LOL

negotiating

It is frustrating in the extreme, the amount of negotiating that goes on with a three/four year old. I can see why it's necessary, as the alternative is smacking or sending him to his room/timeout. However... the time and patience and effort required (of two exhausted parents) is enough to drive me into the wilderness screaming, never to return. I feel like Zack "gets it" some of the time, so you can appeal to his rationality, but other times you're offering a number of alternatives, a number of carrots and sticks, consequences are carefully weighed up, end results are presented as clearly as possible. And yet, you're still getting the whinging, whining three year old who is just being contrarian for the sake of it. After 45 minutes of ruining everyone's day...
Yup, then it's time for a smack

glue

Forgotten what it's like to have a toddler suffering from "separation anxiety"?? I have. and it's killing me. Calvin WILL NOT let me out of his sight. He sobs hysterically if I go upstairs to get dressed, or fetch a postage stamp (what I'm doing now - and blogging in frustration). If I put him down to walk a meter to pick something up he starts simpering or wailing. It's driving me up the bloody wall.

.... he wee-wee's like a waterfall

Don't know what's up with Zack, but he has just omitted bladder control from his functioning mind in the last 2 days. We've had nights where Keith's up at 12:30am with a soaked bed, 4am with another soaked bed. Then today I'm at the playground with himself, and he pee'd himself "nat" only minutes after I'd asked him if he wanted to go to the loo. Bloomin' 'eck ! What's a parent to do ? I think we're going back into night time nappies until we have some sanity. The washing machine cannot cope with much more, and we are out of bed linen that's clean and dry.

Family holiday - Johannesburg

Calvin didn't start walking (I had hoped he would), but speeded up the crawling

Spiderman is a current favourite - couldn't get the swimming costume off him some days

What more can I say ? The kids had a blast, we got to sleep in. We've come home rested and ready for what 2010 will throw at us

41/14 months

Zack just loves playing "I spy" and a slight variation of it, which we call "Ten Guesses" (which means that you have to guess something he can see - or not - but he doesn't have to identify the first letter). He's really into story telling, and loves it when we make up tales about Prince Zack and Prince Calvin, or Zack the Spiderman, etc. He's excellent at filling in the gaps in familiar stories, or describing regular activities.
He is getting better and better at phonetics, and can often identify the sound that starts the word. He is writing "Z" with confidence, but struggles with the "A" and the "K". He's getting there tho. He is a pro at doing up buttons now, so pyjamas are Zack's department.
Zack has progressed so well on the toilet training. He had an upset tummy earlier in the week, so we were cleaning up mucky underpants for the first time in ages, which made me appreciate just how far he's come. The last 2 nights have also been an achievement in that he's managed to go through without wetting his nappy. This bodes well, as we'd like to get him to be dry thru the night in the near future. I think it won't be long.
Calvin is more and more mobile. You really have to keep an eye on him. Just a moment ago, I came into the study to read the BBC news site and before I could blink he'd crawled up the stairs. He is able to climb up onto our Barcelona chairs in the lounge, unassisted; altho' he is unable to get onto the sofa which is slightly higher - he gets frustrated at that. He loves playing peek-a-boo, and goes from room to room saying, "Aaaahahhhh. Ba-ba. Duhd. Daah-dee. Yeaaa. Eeehhh. Eeeett. Deh. Daaa--ahh. Aaah-ti," and the usual simpering which means, 'I want my own way Mummy!' He certainly has learnt how to crank up the volume - and lets you know when he means business. I think people are surprised when he shouts, as they know him to be so passive and chilled.
Calvin is pointing alot and saying "Dee" when he does so. He is interested in lights, switches and buttons, and wants to turn them on and off. Keeping him away from the DVD-player is proving a challenge, as he's watched his brother use it, and also being a genius, knows which button to press to open the CD tray. Eek !
Keith has kept a Father's Day card, which has the theme tune from Star Trek playing when you open it. Calvin just loves opening and closing it, opening and closing it. I must try and get it on video to upload :)

early winter colds

Zack gets a paint-job at Early Learning Centre

We don't have H1N1 I believe, but the entire family's come down with nasty colds. Zack has a hacking cough (especially at night), Calvin is a green-snotty bub, Keith and I both have ENT infections. I think it's an indication of our mental state too – feeling run-down and over-wraught with all the goings on in the house and in our lives. The to-do list is overwhelming (tho' I hit it with all I've got during the weeks), the house has bits of mess in every room (eg. boxes, piles of paper, children's toys, discarded socks) and both feel exhausted in the evenings.
We had a lovely Saturday with friends – Corné & René – en route to Katmandu. They had a whole day to spend with us, and we loved going to the park, the playground & the pub. heh heh.

Corné

René

congratulations : utrecht

Ah Clint & Jeany have done it again. Safe delivery of little Oliver Fischer - congrats to both of you, and to Sadie & Jack on a new baby brother.

so much going on

When I see that I haven't posted anything in the last month, I know it's a testimony to just how busy you can get with two little people.

Calvin is crawling with ease now, and taking steps with his hands held. He loves 'walking' and is constantly begging you to lift him up so that he can go walk-about. He has six teeth – three on top (two and a half) and three at the bottom. He's had a bit of a cold, and a nasty viral rash a couple of weeks ago, but has made a full recovery.
He is really taking to solids and loves pasta and veggies, and of course - meat. He isn't very partial to bread tho' he will chew on a small bit here and there. His favourite fruit juice is lychee, and actually pushes apple juice aside if it's offered. He's learning to ask for things too. If he's mid-meal and is feeling thirsty, he'll say something like "dah day" and turn his head aside until he gets a cup. He is very eager to sip out of a cup, but so much of it goes down his front that I really need to be "in the mood" to indulge it, (and clean up afterwards/ do a clothing change).

enthusiastic session of nail-cutting "by myself"

Zack is continuing to mature. Today we were in a fabric store, and once we'd paid, Zack said "Let's get out of here."
I just laughed and laughed.
And last week, he said to me "Mommy, let's put my duvet on my bed like normal."
I just had to chuckle again - "like normal" obviously means 'as it should be'. Where did he get that from ?
Today was the nursery's Halloween Party. Zack doesn't go to nursery on Thursdays and I didn't make a special effort to go along. I feel a real reticence to support the Halloween celebrations, as he doesn't really understand it, and I hope that once he does, he'll know that Keith and I don't approve of the celebration of witches, devils, evil spirits, and all that goes with it. We want to celebrate life and the good things in it - when do we have a special day for that ?

Amazing.... said the Gruffalo I seem to say that all the time these days. Kids grow up so quickly.

congratulations : london

Simon & Mary Jenkinson have a baby boy - Christopher Luke, born this morning. How exciting!

on the move

Calvin can now crawl using all four limbs, and in a far more upright position. He's fast.
He's cutting two more teeth – incisors – the top two in front. Lots of dribbling, but I think we're nearly there.
Sleepwise, Calvin is still waking up regularly at 4am and crying. Sometimes I get up and settle him (70% of the time), other times it's Keith (15%) and the rest is us both lying there trying to be very disciplined about not going to him. We really need to make it more 30% going to him – there's no reason for waking up other than attention. Problem is, when it's your second child, you just want peace & quiet so you can go back to sleep. So you're actually reinforcing the bad behaviour.

We're having a few glorious moments with Zack. Yesterday on the tube, a chap got on at Camden Town (home of goths, alternative culture, punk, etc) with piercings on his face and a blue bandana. First thing Zack says is "what's that thing in his nose ?".
So I went through the list of possibilities, "Is it a boogie ?", "No,"
"Is it jewellery?", "Yes,"
"Is it a necklace?" (an in joke in our family), "No," he says rolling his eyes,
"Is it a bracelet?", "No,"
"Is it a jewel?", "Yes".
"Oooohhh".
and then, "Mommy, that man is a pirate," meaning the chap in the bandana.
"Yes," I say, "there is a pirate on the train."

Congratulations : naperville IL

Big surprise here : safe arrival of Etienne Lambert to Ryan & Lanelle. And a jolly healthy size too at 9lbs 8oz - well done Lanelle.

reconnoiter

I went and viewed the first primary school today : St James C of E Primary School. I hope to visit at least 4 before it's decision time. My impression was that it is a good school (Ofsted report is exemplary), the children all seem happy and confident, the administration is progressive, the head-teacher was open and at ease. Zack is eager to go there because he has friends attending already : Oskar, Jamie and Chloe - I don't think he realises that they're going to be a year ahead of him. It'll be nice for him to see them and have the familiarity to aid the settling process.
I hope to view the others nearby : Tetherdown Primary, Muswell Hill Primary, and our Lady of Muswell Hill Catholic Primary. I might see a few further away depending on how I feel after 4.

happy birthday Baby-cakes

Calvin turned 1 recently, and we had a little Birthday Tea for a few friends.

My friend Elly's little boy, Asante, had his naming ceremony too - a really special event.

Kwame and Elly say their lines

We've been quite busy altho' Summer seems to be over – it keeps surprising us with another few glorious days between the cool, grey, drizzle that is autumn in London.

Zack & Charlie on the dervish at Ally Pally's Fair

I took Zack for a haircut on Saturday, and despite visiting the kiddie's salon last Wednesday so that he would be familiar with the space, he still went mental when it was cutting time. In the end I sat in the chair and held him down while the hairdresser cut quickly. Keith was standing behind him placating, but it was all very traumatic : Zack screaming and thrashing, and mother trying to maintain a firm grip on a 25kg (55lb) toddler. Poor Calvin was asleep when it all started, but the noise woke him up and he was crying too. There were two other boys in the room having haircuts (probably 8 and 10 year olds), and they were amazed at the proceedings.
In the end Zack calmed down to a sob, and then went quiet. Throughout we were all saying what a good boy he is, that there isn't anything to be scared of, that the cutting doesn't hurt at all, that he is very brave, etc. etc. I think the previous stints at the barber's have scarred him for life! But by the time he walked out of the shop, he was fine (except for the hairs tickling him) and said "goodbye" and "thank you" for the balloon. The rest of the day was filled with "I am a brave boy", and our reinforcing "Yes, you are a very brave boy."
Hope next time is better.

The trauma of the haircut completely forgotten
– sitting on Mario's shoulders

up, up and away

Calvin is standing and loving it. Still only has three teeth, but there must be more on the way as there are signs of them coming - sore bottom, lots of drool and chewing his fingers.

make mine one with everything...

Recently I took Zack with me to Starbucks (I am addicted. There I've said it). He usually has a lolly. Instead he said he'd have the almond biscotti - my usual accompaniment - because I wasn't ordering it. As I was about to pay, he was offered the "babychino"- I see that Starbucks is now pumping this product big time. Zack quickly accepted and we paid and went and sat down. As soon as I took my seat next to him, he unwrapped the biscotti and handed me one of the two biscuits. He then said,
'Mummy, I'm having a latté".
I was caught completely off-guard.
'I beg your pardon?' I said.
'I'm having a latte.' He repeated.
I just had to laugh. That's my "usual", so he was just saying what he'd always heard. I corrected him with, 'No love, you're having a babychino'.
'Oh,' he said, 'I'm having a 'chino'.
'That's right,' I said.

zonked

Calvin has been up two nights running, teething. Last night I was up from 2:20am until nearly 4am and we tried everything - teething powder, Bonjela and lots of rocking and comforting. It didn't have much effect. Feeling pretty smashed today & the kitchen counters are being installed. Sigh...

horrid hols

We're getting savvy in our old age... holidays with just Mum & Dad, Zack & Calvin are not working. The kids are bored and we get NO rest. We've been away for 10 days, and the lesson has been learnt. We gotta find a better way!
France was just beautiful and we were blessed with lovely weather and a chance to see the Loire Valley, gardens and chateux. Highlights included Villandry gardens, Zack & Keith going swimming; riding on the lawnmower with Hugo; staying with Ghislaine & Gerard.
Sadly Andy & Tammy weren't able to enjoy their holiday at all, as Tammy was in and out of hospital with respiratory problems. In the end they came back to the UK and went into ICU in Guildford. Tammy is doing much better now, and we anticipate she'll be discharged later today.
Zack was begging to come home 2 days ago, he was missing his friends and the familiarity of home & habit. He toddled off with us to playschool this morning in his Spiderman Tshirt and a happy face.
Calvin and I have both caught the nasty cough that Zack had, and now it's sore ears, tearful eyes, sinusitis and a nasty cough. Calvin was running a temperature last night, but a bit of Calpol helped him fight it.

meddling neighbours

Yes, Marianne has said that Zack is extremely noisy in the mornings. To top it though, I have just had two neighbours from the opposite side ring our doorbell because Zack was in the bathtub "screaming for more than 10 minutes". Andy arrived this morning and Zack has been completely over-excited all day. Cleaning up toys was a chore, getting Zack to eat his dinner while wandering around and chucking his plate of food on the floor was a chore. Getting Zack to leave YouTube (we were showing Andy the Evian, skating babies) was a chore. Getting Zack into the bath was a battle. Getting him to rinse his hair was a battle. And in the end I emptied the bathtub, asking him to get out, and he wouldn't. So I left him there and joined Keith while he ate his supper and Zack shouted upstairs. He is COMPLETELY able to get out of the bath himself. He just chose not to. He sat in that tub screaming because he wanted attention, and we weren't going to give it to him because he is 'beyond reasoning', he's so tired.
And then... when Keith finally goes upstairs to get him out, the neighbours ring the bell and start talking about child abuse and saying that it's just insane leaving a child naked in the bathtub for ages, screaming. My first question was "do you have children?" and the second was "are you an aunt or uncle?" Negative to both. So I just waved my hands. Bloody hell! Who the hell do people think they are ????
I invited them in to see Zack, to speak to Keith. Both declined.
Piss off, gits.

.... I have seldom felt such indignation.

oink - zoom

Swine Flu
Zack came home with a newsletter today to say that some children at the nursery have been prescribed Tamiflu and that the council has decided that there is nothing to be gained by closing local nurseries now. As I'd said before, it is really just a question of time before one of us comes down with it. The press published infection rates in yesterday's paper and many of the borough's have around 400 per 100,000 except for Tower Hamlets (where we used to live) which stands around 740 per 100,000 – almost double.

Zack and Anokye tuck into some pineapple

Zack's PT has dipped in the past few days. Last night he wee'd while eating his dinner. This morning, he wee'd going downstairs for breakfast (I assume he'd forgotten that he wasn't wearing a nappy - night time thing - and just let go). It's exasperating because he knows what's going on and we are caught between 'was it an accident' or 'is he just doing it for attention' ?

Crawling
Calvin is honing his mobility and can now get around using two arms and a leg. I've tried to encourage the second leg to join in, but he prefers to keep it dead-straight in a sort of rudder position. He loves being able to get around and go and see things : this evening he wandered off to the guest loo and utility room for a 'look see'. He is really very sweet and loves to wave his arms, wiggle his right hand and fingers and shriek. He is certainly getting the screaming down pat - enough to raise the dead sometimes.

summertime

We are now living downstairs - the kitchen has gone in and we've moved the TV downstairs too. It means that Zack can watch whatever he likes (of course within reason) NOT in our bedroom. That means one of us can sleep in, without the fighting that used to take place outside the bedroom door, to keep one 3 year old quiet. Bliss !
It also means that we're no longer eating in the study and washing up in the bathroom which is jolly nice indeed.
Zack has been in transition again (boy, does this ever slow down) which means that he's had moments where he's a complete handful and won't listen to anything, sticks his tongue out and shouts "NO!" at us; but he is also delightful and tells me that he wants to marry me (Yikes, the Oedipal complex has kicked in). There has been a sudden cognitive blooming - he is getting all sorts of ideas together with the vocabulary necessary for communicating them. It's really amazing watching the changes. He is still as bossy as ever : today we were building train-tracks, and I asked if I could fix the 'design'. A while later he said to me, "You can play with my trains Mummy, but you must never, ever change my tracks. OK!?!"
It's now summer holidays which means no more Enjoy-a-Ball classes until September, which will be sorely missed. The upside is that in September he will be joined by more children - a bigger class (than the current 3).
Something I'm struggling with is the reward for good/bad behaviour. On the one hand I want Zack to realise that toys are valuable and don't grow on trees. But also that when he gets things we need to value them - they don't just get replaced when they get broken or thrown away. But at the same time, there's the pressure of developmental needs and I feel like it's time to buy him a bike. Perhaps it could be a carrot for good behaviour.. but what ?
Calvin is getting around quite a bit - he's just using two arms and a knee but it's enough to get him from one side of the room to another, especially if there are wires to be reached and pulled. Phone chargers are in danger.
Zack is none too gentle with his little brother so I need to keep an eye on them, altho' Calvin now yells if his brother holds his hand or foot - an alarm of sorts.
Calvin is trying to drop his afternoon sleep, and it makes life quite hard as he gets so tired by 4pm that he's inconsolable. Tut tut - that's little tots for you. He's participating more and more in conversations and we've graduated from da-da-da to ma-ma and na-na, and also deee-th. I guess that means "dad-ee" is around the corner.
Unlike his brother, Calvin cannot bear a moment with a poo in his nappy, so he has a special "poo cry", which means 'Take it away!'. Pretty useful.

make that...

Two Teeth! he cut the second one the following day. Poor little guy - and more importantly, poor mummy and daddy who've had very little sleep in the last ten days with the teething. Good news tho' is that the constipation seems to be easing. It's so hard for these little tummies to get used to "new" food. I've very relieved that things seem to be back on a rhythm.
Calvin is also sitting more and more. He struggles to stay upright on very hard surfaces (wooden flooring), but carpets are easier. He's taking more note of himself in the mirror too, and reaching out when we walk past.

tooth

Calvin has one tooth - bottom left. He cut it one day shy of ten months... pretty slow going, but if a friend is to be believed, the longer it takes for them to come, the better quality they are. Maybe his are verging on Titanium, or Carbon or something... ha ha.

My mum on her last afternoon with us

The house continues a pace, with the dry rot chaps leaving last Friday and the flooring men arriving this morning at 8:30am. Very soon we will have a living area in our house, and early next week the semblance of a kitchen too. Zack has been extremely naughty in the past five days. Saturday was the worst with him getting up to all sorts - actually it had started on Friday night with him throwing his shoes over the fence into the neighbour's garden. Unfortunately the fence is just too high for me to reach over, so it was left to Keith. Saturday morning they were retrieved, and Zack promptly threw them over the fence again. Keith was furious.
Throwing things is a bit of a thing right now: cars, stones, toys; and refusing to listen (perhaps it's just being contrarian but it amounts to the same thing). My counsellor suggested that his behaviour is affected by the ongoing upheaval in his environment. Granted. I also see the jealousy of Calvin entertwined there - especially as Calvin gets more mobile. Zack is pushing all the boundaries, so it's taking extra effort on all our parts to show him where the parameters are.

Tina (our housekeeper) continues to be a real support.