I had a great routine for 2 kids from birth. Now that is all out of the window at 2.5 years of age. Both kids are not sleeping all day and running around with heaps of energy. They are highly intelligent children (if I do say so myself ) and like to explore, and get into as much mischief and trouble as they can.
This is great if you had heaps of space but being stuck in a small house with no storage or large indoor space for kids is a nightmare. This is especially so for cold days/rain/snow and everything bad that you cannot go outside for.
Today we have had a very long day. Up at 3.30am to get to Maraylya to drop the girls off at their Great Aunties and Cousin’s and pick up Grandma and Grandad to drive to Albion Park for a funeral. It was a very sad day as James’ Aunty Emily had passed away. She had a great long life, 94 years young. I hope to make it to that age.
It was decided that the girls would not be happy about the length of the journey so Julia and Lillian had a day with Denise, Kim and Jean. The girls were kept busy, feeding the horses and playing with them, playing and talking to the birds and the dogs. There is a lot of room to run around at Kim’s and Denise’s so that is ideal for the girls as we have a small house so more space for them to exhaust themselves is wonderful.
When we came back at about 6pm, the girls were in their porta cots asleep. Great, they have had such a full day they are tired. We ended up being invited to dinner, we were just waiting for the girls to wake up.
While we were waiting Jean was telling us of what they got up to. Watching the Tinker Bell movie 5 times and other wonderful adventures like feeding the horse carrots. Jean was said that Julia noticed that she had a letter J on her necklace. Julia said J for Julia. Then said J for Jean. This took Jean by surprise as Jean did not mention this to Julia before, she just came out with it herself.
Other than a very sad day saying a final farewell to Emily it was good that the girls worked off some energy and spent time with their great aunties and the rest of the family. It is also nice to think that Julia is taking in the letters that we have showed her and that she understood that J was for Jean as well. What a clever little girl I have.
James, my husband decided to remove the rails and change the girls beds into big girl beds. Great in theory. Needed to happen eventually, I hear you say. Well, our room is off their room with doors that can easily open. This was all done on a very hot day, that was hard to rest as it was so hot. Most of Sydney was suffering another 40 degree day, even in Katoomba it was very hot and has been all week. Go away heatwave.
So about 3pm hit and the girls were tucked in their big girl beds for afternoon nap time. This did not happen. I did warn James that they will get out of their beds and be destructive. He did not listen. So when we decided that the noise was too much and they were definatley not going to sleep, we went to see what was going on. At about 6.30pm, we discovered that they both had trashed their room and ours. Oh the joy. We discovered that they had trashed the room and emptied 4 baby powder bottles everywhere, in their room and ours. Also they both went through draws and removed, cuff links, watches, rings, and you can imagine. Still missing some cuff links. Hoping that they surface in the next few days.
Lillian covered in cream and a total mess
It was only last Friday the 31st of January that Lillian climbed up on the change table and Lillian was covered in moisturiser, what we call bum bum (Sudocream) cream and also the cornflour. It was all over her, the room, the change table, the curtains, the walls and everywhere. What a mess. Oh no, I don’t want to clean it up but have to. So that took ages and with no help. Luckily this happened on the weekend with the powder and I had James’ help.
We put them in bed at about 9pm finally as they were so all over the place. Then as we were watching television, I was sure that I heard the radio. We paused the show we were watching and found Lillian p
laying with the clock radio, and Julia getting up to no good as well on the other side of the room. Great, our way to secure their door was not working.
Finally got a way to make the door stay closed. Screaming, yelling and giggling. Now silence. Phew. They are asleep. I am wondering if they made it to their beds.
James has gone to bed at 11: 50pm and told me that as the door is a bit ajar he can see that one of the girls is on the floor sleeping. Thank goodness she thought to take her pillow and looks comfortable.
Interesting things that the girls were saying today, Lillian when we tucked her in before the second escape told me that ” I will not make a mess this time mummy.”
Told her that this was good and glad that she will not create a mess like last time.
While we were both cleaning up, Lillian and Julia wanted to play and have cuddles with us. Explained that we were busy tidying up there mess so we could not and it will have to wait. Lillian then told both of us that “I’m busy too” and then she left the room. Julia came back and told us she was very busy also. Very funny indeed.
Just crossing fingers that the girls get the hang of the big girl beds and don’t cause this much mischief during the week. I am hoping that they will just go to bed as they will be so tired. I am sure that is a wish of most parents.
The girls are out of sorts to begin with, you also cannot be stuffed doing anything but have to. So the major things are left undone. For example, have managed to do all the laundry bar one load for today but have yet to fold and put it all away. Have folded some of it but then got distracted.
Have managed to clean up the living room multiple times to have it successfully destroyed by 2 little people. As it has been in the 40 degree temperatures this week, wanted to keep my fair skin girls indoors and myself. So having a messy room with toys was the perils of staying indoors.
Now after the second day in a row that I have taken them outside for them to run through the hose and to cool off, they are over tired, hitting each other, pushing each other and just plan annoying. They did not sleep when I put them down for their morning sleep. I gave them iced water in a non spill sippy cup so that they can cool down, plus cold and wet flannels. This was chucked out of the bed. After Julia pushed Lillian too many times even after I told her nicely not to, then yelled at her to stop, she did not and pushed her. So they are both in their cots with a cold container of cows milk. I know I should not do that but as it is hot and they were screaming I am hungry. They did have a choice of nice cool fish fingers, carrots, bread and iced water.
They also were offered and had some strawberry yoghurt. So don’t think that my girls are starving. They are just deciding on what to eat and not to eat. Sometimes I serve up a big plate of things for them to pick at and nothing. I then give them a choice a few things and the same. Today for the second day in a row, they did not eat their breakfast. I am putting it down to the heat. Happy to give them more food, just is doing my head in with not eating anything. Oh well, I suppose that is the perils of having toddlers, and 2 of them to boot. Sometimes when one is happily eating, the other will say, “I don’t like it”, and then the other will agree and not eat any more. If only they would just continue eating.
It is supposed to rain and have thunderstorms with a chance for heavy rain. That has not happened. Crossing fingers it might happen tonight to give us all a cool night and a good chance to sleep.
Well enough of the whinging about being hot and bothered. I am off to do something about it. Going to get a cool drink, relax and watch a tv show of my choice. Not childrens viewing.
What do you do when it gets so hot that you feel like you are melting? How does that affect your children? I know most of you probably have air conditioning but we don’t. So tips for those without would be nice.
Have purchased big girl pants, well with dora the explorer on them, for the girls. Hoping that they will love these so much that they will not want to wear nappies. Well that is a plan to try and help with the potty training.
While out today we went to the Kids Kingdom at the Katoomba Aquatic Centre and surprise, surprise we were the only people there for well over an hour or more. The girls went crazy with excitement, they liked having the place to themselves, they ran up the giant plastic stairs and obsobsles to get to the slippery dip, played on the trampoline and then ran about the toddler climbing things with a play house. It all changed when another family with older kids came, Lillian then became afraid of the slippery dip and the others. Julia eventually warmed up to them and they were very sweet and helped the girls, however Lillian I think would have preferred it to remain just us. She kept on telling the others, that it was “her slipper dip”, Her trampoline and you get the idea.
Daddy, Aunty Kay and the girls and I were in the backyard throwing the balls around. Lillian can now catch a ball. It is very impressive and she is so proud of herself. Julia still did not do it, but she is close.
Monday afternoon hit and she is doing it as well as Lillian. Now both my girls are catching balls and kicking well. Soccer stars they will be soon. Or some other sports that invloves these skills.
Today we all went to the park to play. The girls wanted to walk there, we are lucky that there is a park around the corner from the house. Julia and Lillian were so excited to be going to the park, they could not stop talking about the swings, slippery dip and other things.
The weather is rather overcast but when we were at the park it was nice and sunny, so glad that we were able to make use of the sun while we had a chance. It is hard to entertain kids with constant wet weather and having a small house does not help.
The girls were drawn to the biggest slippery dip there and decided that they would play on that. However to get to the slippery dip you have climb on chains to get to the steps and then the top of the slippery dip. James my husband and I had to lift them up as they did not get the hang of climbing on the chains and would fall through the holes. Julia did very well to a point but still had to be lifted up.
Julia ended up on the swing that has the safety chain around the waist and was going to put Lillian on my lap and hold her to have her swing as well. She had a meltdown as she thought that she would be able to sit on the swing by herself. Although it is great that she wants to do these things, it is not possible as she is still so little and we needed to wait till Julia had finished her turn on the swing. Another girl wanted to play on this one that Lillian wanted and as we were not using it thought why not. After the girl got on it, Lillian started to point and to scream “My swing!!!!”
Finally Julia was off the swing and it was Lillian’s turn. Julia was a mess as she really did not want to give away the swing for her sister to have a go. When asked if she wanted to give Lillian a go, she calmly said “No”. Oh well she did not get a choice.
While Lillian was on the swing she commented that wind was on her hair and face and then she said that wind on my legs. She kept on asking Daddy to push her higher and higher. Julia also got very high and loved it. Both the girls are danger children that like the rush of the wind and speed.
I think if we ever get a swing set or slippery dip in the backyard it will be very hard to keep them out of it. Both girls seem obssessed with slippery dips. I cannot drive past a park and not have them scream that there was a slippery dip there and we should go and have a play.
We took the girls to see one of their favourite shows, Charlie and Lola. It was all puppets on stage and it was just delightful. The girls had a great time at their first theatre experience. The chairs that you sat in were the ones that if you don’t have enough weight on it, they slip up and you can slide into it. Unfortunatley I did not realise and Lillian got swallowed up by the chair. James was using hsis hand as weight on Julia’s chair to make sure that she was not swallowed by the chair, too late though. Lillian said “I scared Mummy.” So she ended up on my lap for the show.
Yepeeeeeeeeeee Julia did a wee wee in the potty for the first time today. She and Lillian has been trying to do something all year. We are at James’ parents at Coffs Harbour for christmas and new year, well we travelled to see them on boxing day so after christmas to be precise.
I am so pleased that we have had success with this as I have been trying all year. Although hard in a cold house and also with 2 have found it diffucult on my own. Need to step up the training, and crossing fingers the girls are potty trained soon. Then maybe soon, no more nappies. Yeah!!! I can only live in hope.
Now that Julia has done it I am hoping that Lillian will see what to do and copy.
Today my husband James was telling me that the weather was going to be wet and foggy. Not unusual in Katoomba I might say. However in December we were hoping for a hotter and sunner outlook.
During the process of telling me the weather Julia said “No daddy my froggy!”, she kept on repeating this when he mentioned the fog. She obviously thought that he was mentioning her frog and got annoyed that he might think it his. We did explain that we were talking about the fog and explained that it was low lying cloud, etc… But to no end, still thought we were referencing the frog. So we agreed that it was not daddies and it was hers.
She was pleased with the outcome but think in future there will always be an issue with fog and frog.
Has anyone had any other funny stories about words or things that got confused or thought to be something that it was not.
Julia and Lillian now want to go to the toliet like the grown ups, however they don’t do anything. Lillian insisted today that she needed to go. So thought best do what she wanted, it might be the first time she goes in the potty. Fingers crossed. Got to the bathroom, kid in hand, got potty ready and she sat for a bit and we sang my song that I made up.
Pooh Pooh, Wee Wee on the potty, and just repeat an move about like it is a great song. Lillian did not want to stay on the potty for long. She kept on pointing to the toliet. She has seen me and daddy use the toliet and decided she wanted to give that a go. I thought fair enough, maybe she will go in the big toliet. I held onto her as she is still a tiny toddler for her age and could really easily fall into the toliet.
While I was holding her she was reaching for the toliet paper. She managed to get some and then began to wipe herself like she had seen us do. All very funny and cute. I know not the best post, but you have to learn, right??? As it was getting increasing difficult to hold her while she was making a game of grabing the paper, I decided to call it a day with this try to toliet train Lillian.
On previous attempts with Julia as well all she wants to do is to sit for a bit on the potty and not do anything. I am aiming to wait for spring to focus full time on trying to get them both toliet trained.
Today I decided that we would have lunch outside as it is such nice weather, for a change. Got all things for lunch and then managed to get everyone outside without too much of a drama.
Sat down and we were all eating our sandwiches. Mentioned that we were having a picnic and they both said “No mummy, sandwich”. So I just laughed. How cute and funny. In between eating sandwiches and the other nibbles, they pretended to be tigers, lions and dogs. They kissed Tommy’s plant (Thomas is my beloved cat that passed away on 13th of Feb 2010) and I cried, but then the girls fell on their bellies and were swimming on dry land. Their breast stroke and freestyle is good for kids who don’t swim often. Must take them back to the pool soon.
I laid out on the grass in the shade and then Lillian and Julia came and launched themselves on me and insisted that I stay lying down. “Lay down Mummy!!!!!” All very funny. Was a saga to get them inside the house. Think this will get worse with the good weather coming.
Cannot believe that my little girls are now 2 years old and little girls rather than babies. Well they will always be my babies, but you know what I mean.
Julia and Lillian are such bright, energetic, funny little people. It is going to be interesting to see what they grow into.
We had their birthday party on the 11th as that was the Saturday before their birthday and this year it fell on a Monday. So too hard I think to do another party on a Sunday, so Saturday it was. This year it was Muno themed party, one of the characters from Yo Gabba Gabba. The girls are obsssessed.
My mum, their Nana made Muno shirts for them and they love them so much. Want to wear them all the time now.
Just cannot believe that it has been 2 years already. I thought I would be a sexy, slinky mummy by now but still feel fat and frumpy. Oh well I live in hope that I will get toned and wonderful soon.
