Thursday, March 25, 2010

I'm sure there's a PhD in this. If not one already

Chasings
This sport is for groups of at least three children. The rules appear to be genetic.

To start: one person runs around the play area. A clockwise or anticlockwise direction is acceptable, so long as most players run in the same direction. The coriolis effect may apply in Northern and Southern hemispheres.

At least one other player runs behind them.

The first player squeals

Everyone runs.

Everyone squeals.

Occasionally one player will catch any other player. Those players will stop, look confused and then start running again. And squealing.

At least one player must have an unusually high and piercing squeal. Contrary to popular opinion, this player  does not have to be a female. 

Sunday, March 07, 2010

Why two is more FUN

Two children is way harder. There's never a minutes' respite pause for sanity tidy house moment to yourself dull moment. I have some video proof., but unfortunately Patrick has no pants on in most of them, and I don't want to ruin my career by posting videos that feature nudie kiddies, no matter how tame, on the interwebs. And it turns out my phone video of Ollie splashing his heart out in the bath is a file type unsupported by blogger. Great. This was going to be an awesome post.

Ordinarily I'd farcebook this story, but it's prolly just a little too much of an illustration of my poor parenting.

I was looking at this awesomely funny site (specifically about this listing) when I heard Ollie making happy splashing noises

In the lounge room.

Huh? how can that be? Turns out he had bumshuffled his way over to Patrick's potty and was happily playing in the wee. Happily covered from head to toe in his brother's urine. (Interestingly enough, Patrick has now added my "OH Nonononononononono nonononono nnnnoononono
nooooooooooooooononononooooo nononono nooo nooooo nonoonononononononnoooooo noooo" to his repertoire of play phrases for when trains collide).

Solution? Put baby bath on the loungeroom floor. Happy splashing washes the baby, and the floor. I am a genius. Yes, thank you. You may venerate me later.

In related news, here is Ollie dressed in the outfit I am making for a friend's  little girl who is 8 weeks older than Ollie, including cute bloomers
I am also making some green and white striped leggings and a bodysuit for when it gets colder, so she can still wear the dress as a pinafore.

Finally, kids say the darndest things. Patrick's language skills are going through a bit of a surge at the moment, as well as the development of his reasoning and logic, as well as planning for the future. He is almost (so near, so very near) getting the concept of delayed gratification.

For example, he's been only picking at dinner lately, but we got this the other day:

"Put my dinner in the fridge... the white one... dere (points)"
Me: Why?
"For later"

Me: "Do you know what tomorrow is?" (Thinks, shakes head) "It's your birthday!"
(thinks)
P: "Is it time for sleep (yet)?"

"I don't want (friend) Bianca to come to my party: Bianca will say No! No! No! I don't want Bianca to eat my food at my party."

"I lifted Meggy (cat) up and she went 'Meeeeow'!"

Me: "How about mummy gets her breakfast and then we'll go out to the trampoline?"
P: "Yes, Sir!" (note, not the 'sir yes sir' we expect...)

"I want the other blanket- the fuzzy one" (I know he knows words like 'fuzzy', but I've never heard him use such great adjectives before: generally it's just colours)

And yesterday, after I thanked him for helping me by putting my keys and wallet in my bag (whilst I was strapping Oliver into the pram) as I had asked:
"I'm a really useful engine!"

He has never been a good sleeper, but recently when he doesn't want to go to sleep I've encouraged him to close his eyes and think of things (generally trains or things we've seen or done that day). I know he is doing it because I'll say something like "Can you see a train? A red one?" and he'll reply "No, it's green!".

Right. Time to do some of the other 1000 things I never get time to do.