MY GIRL SMILES THROUGH

Today didn't go as planned!

We were due to meet D, A and baby D at the aquarium. Our car was the last allowed into the car park, they travelled separately and were only a few cars behind us. They were directed to another car park with so many others that even though they managed to park, they didn't manage to make it onto the shuttle bus. So we went into the aquarium and they went to the zoo!

Alice smiled through it, she seemed to understand that we couldn't control the situation either and handled her disappointment in a very mature way, she's only 3! We hoped to catch up with them once we were back at home, but that didn't work either. Still no tears. I'm really impressed with her behaviour, communication and maturity. Every day she's changing in incredible ways.

(It's not all sunshine, we're currently focusing on not using baby / made up words, she has an unfortunate way of making words that are very close to rude ones!)

SO LUCKY

Over 2 hours on the phone tonight, with one person, a very special childhood friend, catching up on too many years. It's wonderful to be in contact with her again and I've sent her the link to the blog - so 'Hi G!'

At teh beginning of the phonecall I walked from the study to the playroom, crossing the narrowest part of the hall (also furthest from her room), I was mid-conversation and my attention was with G, until I heard Alice shout for me to be quiet!! (I'm afraid that's going to happen sweetie, until you learn to sleep with the door shut!)

'ALICE SPEEK' UPDATED

'Take your lick out!'
Stick your tongue out!

'You joking me!'
You're teasing me!

What does she mean?

RECENT 'JEMS' FROM ALICE

Observing her boiled eggs - 'This one's spotty but this one's clean!'

She kept commenting on the pretty Corn*flakes at the supermarket, we don't have corn*flakes at home and we weren't in the cereal aisle, but they did have lovely SNOWflake Christmas decorations throughout the store!

When asked what she wanted for Christmas - a satsuma and mashed potato! (And she wanted them from GFN!) She's now revised her list - a game like Mummy's (I've got a Nin*tendo DS, she might be getting a Leap*ster handheld console), a torch and a house for her toy hamster (THE sort-after toy this Christmas, thankfully already sourced, but I'm still looking for the activity ball!)

Last weekend we were talking about Father Christmas, I reminded her that FC only brings presents to good girls, I didn't realise that she'd gone quiet until moments later we got home and I opened the car door, the light came on and turned around to see her eyes brimming with tears - 'But I have been a GOOD girl Mummy!'

On the way home from school on Tuesday - 'I think I love him!' Mummy's brain starts whirling, who? GFN!

I love 'free'!

ALICE'S FRIENDS

When I collect Alice from nursery I ask her all about her day, I work hard but she's not inclined to share many details - this leads me to ask the question in several ways over the journey home.

Me: What did you do today? . . . Did you play in the water? . . . Did you play in the sand? . . . What did you play with?

(A little later)

Me: Who did you play with today? . . . What are your friends' names? . . . Did you play with girls or boys or both?

Alice: Both!

Me: What are your friends' called? . . . (repeat the questions from before!)

Eventually Alice: (pause for thought) . . . (then very quickly) Three, Four, Five!!

(I love 'nearly free' she's so much her own little person and SO sure of herself!)

WONDERING . . . WHEN . . .

Alice grew up . . . so fast . . . tonight I changed her for bed (she's still choosing her cot most nights and ending up with me sometimes!) I put her in a nightie (a recent change from PJs), when she DEMANDED, 'I want seahorsies!' and like a fool, I found the seahorse short PJs and changed her!

Has anyone told her that she's only 2?!

The other sign of growing up - loo roll everywhere but on the roll, she ADORES pulling the end sheet quickly and watching it pile up on the floor, recently she learning to reroll it and tonight I found it rerolled (not having seen it come off the roll!) Sounds daft but it will definitely be a defining moment of PT!

YESTERDAY'S STORM

From 4pm til 6pm we had a torrential storm, it was raining stair-rods, we were in the middle of several electric storms and the power kept going off, as Alice said it was, 'Thunder and frightening!' The drive was dry mid-afternoon, but by 5pm the puddles were several inches deep in places and the road became a river.

YOU COULD SAY . . .

. . . that I'm a sucker . . . but Alice? Alice is a cruncher - of lollies that is!

This evening Alice had her first ice pop. Unsurprisingly she loved it! It was a blackcurrant pop but when I told her this she said, 'No Mummy white!' So then we had a conversation about flavoured water not being coloured and she was satisfied!

A NOTICEABLE CHANGE

It's quite obvious that Alice's speech is becoming much clearer, her vocabulary wider and her conversation seems to be growing by the day.

When I picked her up from Nursery on Thursday evening she was quick to tell me, 'Mummy, I love you!' It was very clear and very special as it was the first time that she'd put Mummy at the front of the phrase, she said it several times that evening and has said it quite a few times again today. It's noticeable that this week she's said it with no prompting and she's said it out of the blue (rather than in response to me saying it first). She's also been very physically affectionate and is becoming more gentle - though she still like poking my eyes and forcing my eyelids open!

SMARTLY DRESSED

I had an appointment this morning and wanted to attend this afternoon's staff meeting, so when I got dressed this morning I chose more presentable clothes than I usually would for a Wednesday. I wore a newish white blouse with blue and navy flowers all over it, newish navy trousers and fairly new navy suede ballet shoes - I haven't had THAT many new clothes since Alice's been home, but when I've got newer clothes in my wardrobe they tend to get selected more often!

While I was dressing Alice was in the bathroom, so once I was dressed I walked towards her and asked her how I looked (which I do occasionally), her response was very astute and surprising, in a sad, small voice she said, 'Mummy going out!'

TODAY

. . . Alice demanded to, 'Watch Maisy on the telephone!'

I showed her the telephone and told her to go ahead!

Then I explained that the screen in the corner was a teleVISION, but she continued to insist, 'Watch Maisy on the telephone!'

TONIGHT'S SUPPER

Alice (observing her sandwich), 'Cheeeese I fink, no, dram!'

'No like cheese, don't like cheese, NO LIKE CHEESE!!' Alice wittered whilst eating her JAM sandwich, cheese however is a firm favourite despite what she says!!

(I'm loving her company even more at the moment, she has such a wicked sense of everything and a cheeky grin too.)

And then she shouted, 'Sammich! Talk nicely!!' She makes me giggle even when I shouldn't!

THIS MORNING

'You-who, I'm ober here!' was the first thing I heard when I woke up.

'Mummy not coming . . . you-who, I'm ober here!' and Alice carried on until I went in to get her (I didn't go at first call as I was trying to work out exactly what she was saying!

ALICE SPEAK . . .

Can you guess what a 'ball catcher' is?

SSSSHHHHH, DON'T TELL SOCIAL SERVICES!

Every night, at bedtime, we talk about what we did today and then about what we'll be doing tomorrow. I find that this conversation helps Alice to know what to expect and how I want her to behave.

I especially value this conversation on a Thursday night - when I make sure to check that Alice knows that 'Mummy work' etc - especially in case I leave before she wakes up. Tonight doing this routine she wouldn't tell me, 'Who looks after Alice when Mummy's at work?' So I went through several of the people in Alice's daily life (but not Nana - who does look after Alice on Fridays and when Mummy needs to escape!) Then I asked Alice again, 'Who looks after Alice . . . ?' She looked me straight in the eye and said, 'No-one!'

AND SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS SAYING . . . and seemed to appreciate the humour!!

Sorry Nana!

NAPPY RASH **GRAPHIC POST**

. . . no laughing matter . . . Alice woke screaming . . . one of those urgent, no time to waste, 'get here' cries . . . inconsolable . . .

My poor baby, screaming, inconsolable, writhing, so awful to watch.

Eventually I got her to listen to me (I love that she's old enough to understand more now), I asked if she was hurting, 'Yes,', I asked if it was her bottom hurting, 'Yes,' I explained that she needed 'mebcim', 'Yes,' and that she had to calm down to take it - amazingly through the hard crying she managed to calm sufficiently to take the syringe of the pink stuff (God Bless the Pink Stuff!) and then the crying ramped up again. When I could get her to focus I explained that poo (I'd felt a lot of wind!) would make her bottom hurt more and that I wanted to change her nappy. I talked her through what I was doing, the nappy was clean, I didn't touch but did change it just to be safe, she confirmed that she wanted more cream on and then I got her dressed again. After that she opted to go back in her cot (I was surprised she didn't want to go to 'Mummy's Bed') and she didn't make a peep as I kissed and did the leaving the room routine.

Everyday she amazes me - I'm so proud that she can understand so much and even in so much pain can focus to help me help her through it. Her behaviour through that episode this evening could teach so many adults so much and she's only just 2, incredible.

WHY?

Alice has started asking 'Why?'

I'm surprised how early this has started - I knew that it was a feature of childhood, but I thought I had another 6 months or more before this stage would start!

This evening she wanted to know 'Why?' she shouldn't pull the bathroom light on and off over and over again. I explained that the bulb would go pop like a balloon if she did it again and again, she accepted the explanation and stopped - not sure how long that type of attitude will last but I'll appreciate it while I can!

NIGHT-NIGHT MUMMY!

(With a little encouragement to string the words together) Alice said it to me this evening.

Precious.

HARD DAY AND MILESTONES

First day back at work.

I woke 20 minutes before the alarm and so I was up before 6.30am - that's very early for me!! I crept downstairs and got things going, moping up some organisational bits for work, making my packed lunch, sorting out and tidying up. Just after 7am Alice started to squirm, I stayed downstairs and she was settled again within 2 minutes.

I went back upstairs, had a leisurely shower (quite a novelty) and got dressed. Alice slept so I went downstairs for breakfast. I twiddled my thumbs for a while until M came round to look after Alice. Alice began to wake just as I was leaving - at that point I decided to let M get her up as I thought that handing her over just as she woke would be harder on her, but not cuddling her, not telling her that Mummy was going to work, not waving goodbye, not knowing how she'd be without seeing me - was all VERY hard for me.

I try to leave home things at home when I'm working, that was harder than usual today. I don't normally ring, but today I had to know that she was OK. Of course she was fine! She was obviously pleased to see me when I got home and we had a lovely evening. She had a bubble bath tonight and had wonderful fun picking up the bubbles and blowing them away.

She's changing daily, particularly her speech and singing. She's showing more and more enjoyment of songs and singing and will increasingly join in with the words (especially the last word of the line and the verse!) Tonight she sang 'Happy Birthday to Grandpa' and gave his photo a kiss. Today, as everyday, I remember him and tell Alice about him and Granny - she finds their photos and blows kisses. Granny and Grandpa would love her so much and would be so happy to hear her sing and feel her cuddles.

Over the summer Alice outgrew her sleeping bags, even though I had the next size I hung back using them. Tonight Alice tried one of the new ones - cuddly pink jersey, it looked and felt very comfy. Once she was wearing it she lay back on the changing table and pretended to sleep - but got the giggles when Mummy snored for her!! Precious times.

We had lots of kisses and cuddles this evening - to make up for this morning. She knew 'Mummy work' (I had told her last night - which made this morning a little easier), tonight as we cuddled in front of the cot she told me 'Mummy work,' so the cuddles continued a little longer while I repeated several times that I had worked today but not tomorrow and that tomorrow was a Mummy and Alice Home Day. She's very happy at home with M and I enjoy the change of pace and feel refreshed at the time apart, but equally I hate leaving her and being apart from her, even though it's good for both of us!

MILESTONES

This morning we went out in the car and a childrens CD was playing. Alice doesn't seem to respond to these CDs but I keep hoping that one day she'll appreciate that I play them for her benefit, even more than that I hope that one day she'll actually join in. Today she did! Halfway through 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,' I realised that she was droning along at the end of the lines, I cried and replayed dear old Twinkle several times (nearly enough to learn the 2nd and 3rd verses, didn't even realise that there was more than 1 verse until recently!)

Never thought I'd cry to Twinkle or The Wheels On The Bus (reminds me of all the minibus travel in China, I think I sang it on nearly every journey - even had to post to the blog for help remembering more verses!!)