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.
Hope all is well with everyone.
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.
I was hoping to have the girls toliet trained by now or at least on the way to being nearly there. However they have since they have been about 1 or before that told me that they have either done a wee or a pooh and needs it changed. So that is good. Was hoping that it would go into the potty training with no issues. However they just don’t sit down on it for long and then don’t do anything.
As it is really cold here in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia. I feel that summer might be the way to go and have them run around in nothing with potties outside to encourage the process of learning to go on what the girls call the big big toliet.
I know it is hard to train a child but it is even harder with 2 of them at once.
I also don’t want to force the issue and not have them do it at all, would rather do it when it is the right time and have it stick. Then maybe one day we will not be wearing nappies. Yepeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.
Will keep you all informed on any progress or lack of it that happens.
The girls have been really wanting to feed themselves, regardless of having great spoon skills. Every now and then I have been trying to teach the girls how to hold the spoon and to put food on it and then finally put it in their mouth. This is hard, as Julia seems to want to have it all to herself, that is the food and the help. However as I have 2 children, I need to feed one person and then the next person. So Julia gets a turn and then Lillian. Julia gets annoyed and frustrated.
On Sunday I have been giving them both 2 different bowls for dinner, lunch and breakfast and each child has a spoon each. I am now trying to make sure that they have got their own bowls, plates so that they can feed themselves. Julia has taken to this so well. She looks so proud and happy when she does it herself and the same goes for Lillian. However Lillian has not mastered putting food on the spoon as well as Julia but that will come in time.
Lillian prefers to play with her food. I do try to give her some help but she does not want me touching the bowl, plate or spoon. She just wants to do it herself. I have congratulated them on such a great job and they are becoming such big girls.
It is hard to manage at times with the two of them, as once one sees the other do something the other one does it. So you just have to hope that they have eaten enough before they decide they don’t want anymore, or take off their bib or throw the food on the floor. At least the girls now let you know when they don’t want anymore food. When you ask them you get no, and then they wave their hand infront of your face and say no. So it is very definate No More Food.
Although they have learnt early that even if they say no to the main course they seem to have room for desert. Desert is yoghurt and they love it. When they eat it they say, cold, cold, as most of their food is warm or this is the only thing aside from cheese that they eat that is cold. It was funny when they first had it the faces that they made as it was a shock how cold it was. However they still ate it and loved it aside from the fact that it was cold. Very happy that they like yoghurt.
Soon they will be masters of eating with a spoon and then we can introduce the fork and knife…. don’t know how long that will take, first steps to manage to eat well with a spoon.
I have been trying to teach the girls the colours. Every chance I get, I let them know what colour something is. However, once they hear blue or purple, then every colour after that is either blue or purple. Oh well they are still learning.
However today, Lillian said Blue and Yellow Balloons on a bag that the girls are using as a handbag. These bags are just the bags you use to wrap presents or gifts. The girls put it on their arms and walk around like they have a handbag and are off shopping. They normally go and put all number of toys and drink bottles in their bags. At the end of playtime it is an interesting find on what is in their bags.
Julia and Lillian seem to be good with the colour Yellow but it is said in their own way. Lello is more like what it sounds like.
Grandma Cheryl bought them a colour book, and hoping that reading more of that and intergrating more of what colours things are will have the girls understanding what colours are and what colour is what.
Today Grandma ( Cheryl, James’ mother), the girls and I went to visit cousin Rae. It was a long drive but it was nice as it was good to get out of the house. The girls were happy to get there as they were keen to get out of the car and run around.
Rae had birds and the girls were very curious about them. Rae picked them both up at once so they could see the birds and they were so excited. However it was the rocks in the asian feng shui level thing to have keep rocks to look relaxing. The girls were just at the right height to pick them up. They kept on saying eggs, eggs, eggs and trying to eat them. We kept on having to tell them that they are not food and they are indeed rocks.
I was changing Lillian’s nappy and she was on the floor while I was doing that. Julia then went to get a rock and then proceeded to put it in Lillian’s mouth. This was while she was lying down. Not good if you don’t want to swallow it. I sat her up quick smart. Got it out of her mouth and saved the rock going down her throat. Julia looked quite cute when she did this and thought she was doing Lillian a favour. She and her sister feed each other, give each other drinks, and many other things. They are very sweat to each other. She really must have thought it was food. Or an egg as she kept on saying.
It was a great day, but glad that I was there to save the rock from going down the throat and it was nice seeing Rae and Aaron again. Aaron shares his birthday with the girls, obvously he is older but just interesting that it is the same day.
The girls were dropped off at childcare early and I managed to get off and do what I needed to do. So that was great. I had to finish my tutorial discussions for my university course. Nearly at the end of semester and crossing fingers that I have done o.k. Hard to study now that I have babies, well now toddlers to specific.
I picked the girls up and they were wanting to stay. They love the place and have so much fun that they did not want to come home. I pretended that I was happy to leave them there. Lillian told me that that is o.k, and she said good bye to me and waved. Julia wanted to come home but was worried that sister was staying. All very hard when you have to try and get them out the door. I am currently not using the pram to take them back and forth from child care as it is such a drama to put it up and take it down for such a short journey. Plus they are getting older and like the freedom of walking.
Finally I got Julia in my arms and one of the lovely ladies Christine helped me take Lillian to the car. Yes success, we are all in the car. The girls look tired and I drive us all home. When I got home, I checked their nappies to make sure all was good, and it was o.k. so put them to bed. While doing this Lillian kept on saying no as she knows it is bed time and really wants to stay up.
I have noticed that when this happens she is most tired, and a sleep is really needed. The more they protest the more I make sure they get a nap. This might help someone else. I think when I first noticed it, it was amazing. As this has allowed me get more done.
Other than Lillian telling me she wanted to stay awake, I noticed that the growth or callicum thing on Julia’s foot as changed. It is no longer black and seems to have decreased in size. Interesting how this happens after you see the specialist. He did not do anything other than look at it and for the sake of paying $160 for the visit to have it slowly get better on it’s own is freaky timing and annoying. Don’t get me wrong, I am happy about it but wish I had not spent the money.
Now need to call the specialist and see if we need to still go to the clinic at westmead. I will call next week as I got the message late and see what we need to do. Maybe the bath helped? She has had another one since. All very strange.
The girls ran around the house like mad things and then we had breakfast. They watched their favourtie television programme, called “Yo Gabba Gabba”, then we went outside to play for a bit.
Currently it is getting quite cold and we had to rug up to go outside. So when the Julia decided to try and empty a pot plant of dirt I decided it was the end of our outing outside. I love my jade plant and as it is good luck I thought best to keep it as healthy as possible. So I took the little people away from it and we all went back inside. I gave the girls their milk and we played for a bit.
As they were so messy I had to give them a bath. To keep entertained while I get the bath organised I put on another show that they like and then have to put them in the playpen. This is the only safe place and it makes sure they are not interferring in what I am doing. I get the bath ready, towels, flannel, nappies, change of clothes, and make sure the beds are all organised.
I can only bath one child at a time as I am on my own so it is not practical. I leave the other child busy in the playpen with their show going and toys to play with. Once I have done each child they get tucked up in their bed and are in their sleeping bags that their nana made for them. Sleeping bags are wonderful. We were not using them for a while and then the girls were waking here and there. I thought it looked like they were cold so made sure to put the blanket on them, however they kept on waking. I tested out the sleeping bags and they did not wake next time. It was great, they cannot roll over and not have a blanket. As long as they are tired, bellies full, they will be happy to sleep if they are warm and comfy. So make sure your little one has a sleeping bag as it will help you have a good night rest and them as well.
That day the girls slept until about 5pm, it was great. I did a lot and got some rest as well. Tomorrow they are off to childcare, glad they are washed and clean.
Just need to figure out some intersting things for lunch boxes and then I am right. I am always on the look out for more ideas, so if you have any let me know.
Today I had to take Julia to the dermotologitst to look at her foot. She has a growth that all doctors are saying is a wart, however James and I believe that it is not one as it does not present like one. Oh well will see what the expert thinks. On my way to the doctors, Lillian was yelling at the top of her lungs. “Mummy, Mummy, Mummy,” I was getting on the main road to drive to Penrith and then I said “Yes Lillian what is it?, and she then said “Joola, Joola”, and giggled very pleased with herself. It was like she wanted to make sure that I was listening to her and making sure that I witnessed the fact that she is saying her sister’s name.
After I congratulated Lillian for a good job of saying her sister’s name, Julia said her name and then Lillian joined in. It was a chorous of Julia’s,more like Joola. Still no i in the name, but we are getting there.
The doctor once we saw him, took one look at Julia’s foot and told me that it was not a wart. It appears that it is a clacification of the site where the hill prick tests were done in the NICU at the hospital after they were born. Lillian has a similar mark on the same foot, but it did not get sore or raised or turn black or get big. So we are hopefully going to go and get it biopsed at Westmead at the doctors clinic. So cross fingers it all goes well.
Just pleased we were right. Interesting this is like the 3 or 4th time that doctors have not listened to us as parents and we were right. I think there is something in that. Maybe trust your instincts.
Lillian has finally said Julia, well really said “Joola” that is how it sounds. Yes a break through. I now feel that my little girl is growing up. I know she is still little and every day she is getting bigger and learning more. However as she is now over 20mths and has never addressed her sister by her name it is an amazing day.
Lillian usually calls Julia Lillian. Or Lilly. So for people who cannot tell them apart it is very confusing. The girls go to childcare once a week every Thursday and it gets all the childcare workers in a spin as Julia calls Lillian “Sister” and Lillian calls Julia ” Lilly” so everyone thinks they are each other. Very funny.
It happened when the girls were drawing while sitting in their highchairs. James, my husband decided that it might be nice if the girls see the letters of their names. First he did Lillian, however he wrote Lilly as he felt Lillian was too long to start with. She just put dots around the name and drew some squiggles and said repeatly, Lilly Lilly Lilly.
He then did the same for Julia, wrote her name on her sheet of paper. Once he did that like he did with Lillian he sounded out the name and showed the words to match the name. Then Lillian said Joola. I was in the kitchen cooking dinner and was so happy to hear it. I ran to them and congratualted Lillian on saying her sister’s name.
Lillian then went back to calling Julia Lillian however she has said it and we are so happy. Wonder how long it will take for her to say it all the time. It took Lillian ages to call Daddy, Daddy. She kept on referring to Daddy as Mummy.
She knew who he was and the same goes for Julia but she did not express it. She kept on laughing when we corrected her. It is like it is one big secret joke that only Lillian is in on. She is a clever little girl. Makes me wonder what she is going to end up doing.
As you might be aware from a last post the girls are obsessed with shoes. Today Julia fell over and really hit her head hard and it resulted in a big bump, bruise and blood. This injury was caused by the fact that Julia was wearing a size 5 gum boot on one foot and a sandal on the other. The size 5 gum boot is way to big but they are happy playing, and now as they are dangerous they are banned until they can fit into them.
As the girls have not yet understood left shoes from right shoes, They sometimes or more than likely most of the time put the wrong shoe on the wrong foot. This has caused issues with falling over as well. However it is hard to keep up as you put the shoes on they are taking them off to then change their look with new shoes or just a different shoe on each foot.I am sure that when they get older they will want shoes that are bad for them, and they will hurt them as well. So it might just start early. The obsession and the girl in them is making them love shoes.
All very strange as I was never a girly girl, I suppose having girly girls are great and if they are like that, I will adapt. I do think that they are just loving dress ups and it is not just the shoes it is the independence of doing it themselves and changing their world, one shoe at a time.
The girls have always spoken in their own language. It is so amazing to watch. The natter away to each other, nodding heads, laughing, crying and getting annoyed when things don’t go the way one girl wants.
I wish we knew what they were saying. Lillian especially laughs sometimes before she says something to me in this language; it is like she is telling me a joke or a funny story. She seems being laughing at the punch line, before she tells me. However I have no idea of what she is saying that I just end up laughing anyway as she is so cute and funny when she does this.
Currently they seem to be replacing words with English words and still using their language, a bit like pigeon English. Very odd to witness. Last night they appeared to have invented a game that they had to stand on books and jump up and down and then run to the corner of the playpen. However this got a bit nasty in the end as Julia did not want to leave the corner, and then Lillian wanted the corner and vice versa.
I was told that the girls would possibly have their own language but it is another thing to be told and other thing to experience it. I am trying to capture this on video but as soon as the girls see the camera they stop talking.
When Lillian was about 7-8months, she used to point her finger and give me speeches and what you would say would be lecturers. I had this vision at that moment that she would be a politician or a lawyer. Who knows, but she seems to be very forthright and opinionated. I just wonder if this will reflect on her life or if I have read her personality correctly.
When the girls were 9 months old we went to Dr Scarf in Hurstville for their 6 month check-up. This was delayed as I did not make an appointment and the doctor was in hospital. When we were there the doctor was shocked at how well they were doing on all levels. As they were 6 weeks early he expected that they would need to be monitored for longer. He even called them precocious. During this appointment, the girls were sitting on James and my lap. Well one on each. Julia and Lillian put their arms on the desk and were looking at the doctor and then they started talking amongst themselves. It was just bizarre. We were just telling Dr Scarf that the girls talk to each other in their own language and he said that he had heard and read about it, but never seen it. He was shocked and amazed when it happened, and very pleased that he witnessed it.
I sometimes think that this secret language is the knowledge of the world that we lose when we grow up. Who knows, we have no memory of this. Just a nice thought.