Christian, aka the love of my life, introduced me to horror movies when we had only been dating a few weeks. And when I say horror, I mean horror - his favourites are Japanese movies like Ring and The Grudge. Even though I know they're just stories up on the big screen, they give me nightmares and I inevitably end up watching through my fingers. Call me soft, kooky, whatever you like - I believe in ghosts and nothing you say can convince me otherwise!! We had been to see Paranormal Activity at the movies when I was pregnant with Maisie, and it took me three nights to sleep without watching our bedroom door. So when the sequel came out, Christian was uber-keen to see it...while I was reluctant, to say the least. Besides, I thought, how often do we get to go to the movies? Once in a blue moon?? Ha.
Last week, Christian's parents offered to watch the kids for us, so we went to see 'Eat Pray Love'. It was wonderful and I love love loved every minute. We even bought the soundtrack the next day! (and may I say, the kids have boogied along to the soundtrack in the car for a week now, and seem to enjoy it immensely). So I didn't actually think for a minute that we would be seeing the inside of a cinema for at least another 6 months. However, this weekend we were offered babysitting again (I think they are anticipating grandkids-withdrawal symptoms when we move out this week), and you never knock that back, do you? So off we trooped to see Paranormal Activity 2. This time, however, I put some conditions in place. I don't think Christian thought I would actually make him stick to them, but if he wanted me to accompany him to the movies, I would go on the proviso that a) he would not laugh at me when I watched through my fingers, b) he would not insist on telling me what I had just missed in gruesome detail, and c) he would get up with me for Maisie's night feeds. Fair enough?
Well, the cinema was full of teenagers who screamed and laughed and gasped at every loud noise, which actually helped alleviate my anxiety!! To Christian's credit, he did not laugh at me when I sat for a good ten minutes hiding behind my hands, and he didn't tell me a thing until I asked. I managed to miss the really, really, really scary bits, but the audio was enough for my imagination! When we arrived home, Maisie Mouse was having a good yell, so I was able to feed her and forget about the horrors of the silver screen for a little while...and then we all went to bed.
When Maisie woke me around 1am (calling out for a night feed she really doesn't need anymore but which I seem unable to stop), my normally comatose husband surprised me by asking if I wanted the light on. Now, since I have been getting up in the dark, alone, for night feeds for as long as I can remember, this was something new! Like most mums, I have spent hours sitting on my own in the gloaming, feeding or just holding a wide-awake baby. I have seen more movies than is healthy for my over-active imagination, meaning that I probably would not be surprised if I came out of the nursery to find a lady in white sitting on the couch...just kidding!! But when you are sitting there at night with nothing but your thoughts and the gulping of a thirsty baby, all sorts of things pass through your mind. I think about shopping lists, people I need to phone, jobs that need doing, the practicalities of getting a double stroller and a four-year-old through K-Mart without carnage, the funny things that kids have said or done recently - for example, Phoebe announced solemnly yesterday, "Mum, I've done a poo. A ormous poo. It's simply ormous. It's huge." When I had stopped laughing, I realised that I would have to clean up the "ormous" poo...now there's a horror story for you!! I suppose I am exceptionally lucky to have such trivial matters to mull over in the wee small hours, as opposed to real (or imagined) horrors, such as a sick child (or a demon in the house, for that matter!) Sometimes I might get caught up in worrying thoughts, which almost always feel much worse at 3am. And as far as unusual noises are concerned? I try to not to pay any attention! (although there was one night when Phoebe's musical bus kept turning itself on...another blog, anyone??)
Maisie only had a short feed (again, I know I should wean her off this feed, but it's just so much easier and quieter to feed her back to sleep...bad mummy, bad mummy!), and I really enjoyed the company. Christian surfed Facebook on his phone (and was quite disappointed at the lack of new status updates during the early hours of the morning) and we chatted - if only night feeds were always this social! I settled Maisie back in her cot and fell almost immediately into a dreamless sleep - thank goodness!! My darling hubby on the other hand, had nightmares all night - karma, anyone??
Tonight being Sunday night, I know the chances of having company during the wee hours will be very slim. It's not fair to expect Christian to sit up with me and then get up at 5:30am for work...but I tell you what, I will not be shy in waking him if I start hearing funny noises, or seeing black shadows creep across the walls...and perhaps I might wreak vengeance of my own sort in the near future - isn't there another Twilight movie coming out soon? That would be enough to give any husband nightmares!!!!!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Postscript
Now I know this might seem a little ridiculous, but I don't normally reflect on my day until after Team O'Toole are safely tucked into their little beds. So today's early blog was simply a result of my blog-fast this week, and as a result I have found myself with more to say about today! Put simply, there were a few incidents this afternoon that I really want to remember...and some that I hope I might be able to laugh about one day. Perhaps you might be able to laugh at them a lot sooner than that.
When the kids woke from their naps (Jack didn't nap, he lounged in a chair and whinged about the girls being asleep and WHY couldn't he go outside and ride his bike, WHY Mummy, WHY Mummy, the girls would be ok if you left them to come outside with me, PLEASE Mummy, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE), I decided we needed to get out of the house again. So soon, I hear you ask? Well yes, I know we went out this morning for our lovely playdate, and on any normal day this would have been more than enough activity, thank you very much. However, it was warm and I was a bit restless, so I slicked sunscreen (or scun-scream) on them all, went down the high street, bought icy poles (yes, I am the best mum in the world, I know!) and went to the playground. Maisie had a ball screaming with laughter at the kids, Jack and Pheebs burned off plenty of energy, and I was not in the house staring at the unfolded washing. Score. (I was also not hanging out wet washing in the abnormally hot weather. Oh well.) As we were leaving the park, Jack chose this moment to depart from his position next to the pram and ran about 100m ahead, straight towards a road. I yelled like a banshee at him to stop, and eventually he turned around and came back. Ironically enough I think he expected praise for coming back - the strips I tore off him for taking off like that didn't seem to make an impact! A little shaken, we returned home, and I put Toy Story on just to calm my nerves and keep them all in one place for a while.
I shouldn't have been surprised at the mess Maisie created at dinner time, as her newest trick (which she is inordinately proud of!) is to shake her head when you say 'no'. She also shakes her head when you don't say 'no'; basically, she shakes her head whenever it pleases her, but particularly when you are trying to feed her. Last night I introduced her to avocado, which she enjoyed immensely, along with her vegetable mush and some bread. Trying to get spoonfuls of food into Maisie's mouth while she shakes her head and sways with glee in the highchair is like trying to throw shovelfuls of mud into a hole the size of a 20 cent piece that is 100m away. While the hole moves constantly. And you have a bad throwing arm. You get the idea.
After feeding time at the zoo, the kids were wrangled into their jarmies, Maisie feel asleep on the boob, and the big kids waited for Daddy to get home. Now they are asleep (or pretending - it's hard to tell) and Daddy has gone down the street to get a DVD to make us laugh at the end of a loooooooong week. Perhaps I should have just videoed the kids this week, and my attempts at keeping house? That would have been funny enough I'm sure!
When the kids woke from their naps (Jack didn't nap, he lounged in a chair and whinged about the girls being asleep and WHY couldn't he go outside and ride his bike, WHY Mummy, WHY Mummy, the girls would be ok if you left them to come outside with me, PLEASE Mummy, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE), I decided we needed to get out of the house again. So soon, I hear you ask? Well yes, I know we went out this morning for our lovely playdate, and on any normal day this would have been more than enough activity, thank you very much. However, it was warm and I was a bit restless, so I slicked sunscreen (or scun-scream) on them all, went down the high street, bought icy poles (yes, I am the best mum in the world, I know!) and went to the playground. Maisie had a ball screaming with laughter at the kids, Jack and Pheebs burned off plenty of energy, and I was not in the house staring at the unfolded washing. Score. (I was also not hanging out wet washing in the abnormally hot weather. Oh well.) As we were leaving the park, Jack chose this moment to depart from his position next to the pram and ran about 100m ahead, straight towards a road. I yelled like a banshee at him to stop, and eventually he turned around and came back. Ironically enough I think he expected praise for coming back - the strips I tore off him for taking off like that didn't seem to make an impact! A little shaken, we returned home, and I put Toy Story on just to calm my nerves and keep them all in one place for a while.
I shouldn't have been surprised at the mess Maisie created at dinner time, as her newest trick (which she is inordinately proud of!) is to shake her head when you say 'no'. She also shakes her head when you don't say 'no'; basically, she shakes her head whenever it pleases her, but particularly when you are trying to feed her. Last night I introduced her to avocado, which she enjoyed immensely, along with her vegetable mush and some bread. Trying to get spoonfuls of food into Maisie's mouth while she shakes her head and sways with glee in the highchair is like trying to throw shovelfuls of mud into a hole the size of a 20 cent piece that is 100m away. While the hole moves constantly. And you have a bad throwing arm. You get the idea.
After feeding time at the zoo, the kids were wrangled into their jarmies, Maisie feel asleep on the boob, and the big kids waited for Daddy to get home. Now they are asleep (or pretending - it's hard to tell) and Daddy has gone down the street to get a DVD to make us laugh at the end of a loooooooong week. Perhaps I should have just videoed the kids this week, and my attempts at keeping house? That would have been funny enough I'm sure!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Play days (aka ignoring housework)
It's been a funny old week, in more ways than one! Quite clearly I have developed an addiction to blogging, as since my laptop has been sick I have felt a strange itching in my fingers in the evenings which can only be attributed to an absence of typing inane thoughts. It's probably just as well my blogging-capabilities have been curtailed this week, as I have had to begin a new course of medication to treat an old problem. One of the side-effects of this medicine is drowsiness, so I have been popping off to bed much earlier than normal to cope with Maisie Mouse's night feeds. You might ask: how am I blogging right now? Well, it's the middle of the day, so a) the meds are not in effect, b) the kids are either asleep or having "quiet time", and c) I 'borrowed' my mother-in-law's computer!! Never mind I am typing on the kitchen bench surrounded by the debris of lunch. I am blogging. Happy days!!
This week has seen many interesting moments...Maisie Mouse cut a second tooth...we received a date to move into our rental property...Phoebalina started wearing a tiny little top-knot in her (admittedly still wispy) hair...Jack's kinder started preparing for Prep transition...and I have made a rather lovely discovery. Christian and I have moved around quite a bit in the last few years, and this combined with a stint working overseas and living in the city while at uni meant that I lost touch with a lot of high school friends. Through the wonders of Facebook I have found many of them again, and even though we are spread all over the world it's still nice to touch base with them once in a while. However, as I'm sure you know, being an at-home Mummy can be a little bit isolating at times, especially if your closest friends are not so close with regards to location. So I was absolutely delighted to arrange a playdate with two girlfriends I haven't seen since Year 11, and their kidlets. (Seriously, you have no idea how excited we are to move back home. I get bouncy just thinking about it!)
After a pretty awful day behaviour-wise yesterday, I was a little concerned that the girls would see the less-attractive sides of Jack and Phoebe today. No fear. The kids all mucked in together like old mates, and to be truthful I don't think we heard a peep out of any of them, other than when morning tea was put on the table! It was so lovely to see Hayley and Sandra, and to be honest I could have chatted the day away if we didn't have little people to consider. I came away feeling so happy and re-energised, and I can't wait to have another play with them - with or without the kids!!! Haha. It may be a lifetime since high school (and by the by, I drove past our old stamping ground this morning and saw the Year 12's all dressed up for Muck-Up Day - they looked more than a little lost, and so very young!! Actually quite glad it wasn't me having to go through all that again) but it really doesn't matter. What is important during these years raising our children, whether you work or not, is to maintain the links between friends. I receive so much love and support from my friends overseas and throughout Australia simply through the internet, it's just a pity we can't actually be in the same place. I benefit from the same love and support from my friends within travelling distance - the difference is, we can plonk our kids together to play while we catch up!
And now that I have indulged in a morning playdate and the kids are stirring from their naps, there is a kitchen bombsite awaiting my attention...does anyone feel like an afternoon playdate??
This week has seen many interesting moments...Maisie Mouse cut a second tooth...we received a date to move into our rental property...Phoebalina started wearing a tiny little top-knot in her (admittedly still wispy) hair...Jack's kinder started preparing for Prep transition...and I have made a rather lovely discovery. Christian and I have moved around quite a bit in the last few years, and this combined with a stint working overseas and living in the city while at uni meant that I lost touch with a lot of high school friends. Through the wonders of Facebook I have found many of them again, and even though we are spread all over the world it's still nice to touch base with them once in a while. However, as I'm sure you know, being an at-home Mummy can be a little bit isolating at times, especially if your closest friends are not so close with regards to location. So I was absolutely delighted to arrange a playdate with two girlfriends I haven't seen since Year 11, and their kidlets. (Seriously, you have no idea how excited we are to move back home. I get bouncy just thinking about it!)
After a pretty awful day behaviour-wise yesterday, I was a little concerned that the girls would see the less-attractive sides of Jack and Phoebe today. No fear. The kids all mucked in together like old mates, and to be truthful I don't think we heard a peep out of any of them, other than when morning tea was put on the table! It was so lovely to see Hayley and Sandra, and to be honest I could have chatted the day away if we didn't have little people to consider. I came away feeling so happy and re-energised, and I can't wait to have another play with them - with or without the kids!!! Haha. It may be a lifetime since high school (and by the by, I drove past our old stamping ground this morning and saw the Year 12's all dressed up for Muck-Up Day - they looked more than a little lost, and so very young!! Actually quite glad it wasn't me having to go through all that again) but it really doesn't matter. What is important during these years raising our children, whether you work or not, is to maintain the links between friends. I receive so much love and support from my friends overseas and throughout Australia simply through the internet, it's just a pity we can't actually be in the same place. I benefit from the same love and support from my friends within travelling distance - the difference is, we can plonk our kids together to play while we catch up!
And now that I have indulged in a morning playdate and the kids are stirring from their naps, there is a kitchen bombsite awaiting my attention...does anyone feel like an afternoon playdate??
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Awwwwwwww Factor
I'm afraid I have been rather remiss over the last few days with regards to my blog, however, the catalogue of memories has been maintained!! On Friday we had a hootananny with some gorgeous friends - the kids ran wild with their chums, and I love love loved catching up with two of my closest mates from work. After spending the day chatting with the girls, I must admit I am quite looking forward to being back in the thick of it next year (I just need to find a way to smuggle Maisie into my classroom...). On Saturday, the big kids went out for the day with Grandma and Grandpa, and I caught up on housework. Yes, yes, I know I should have been resting etc etc., and I tried to have a nap when Maisie and Daddy were asleep. However, the five minutes I got were not quite enough. As Maisie is teething, the booby has been on-call more often than not, and so I'm afraid my sleepy-time had to happen with a little girly on the breast. Never mind. With Jack and Phoebe out and about, I got quite a bit done, and poor sick Daddy had a big rest. So that was good!
Sunday saw us doing our usual thing at swimming lessons, and as Daddy was still full of bronchitis I was the lucky parent to be in the pool with both of our girls for their lessons. We were very proud of Phoebe, as she was put up into the next level, and from now on won't be needing Mummy or Daddy in the pool with her! It is a little sad (for us) that she will now swim independently, but I am so excited for her. Luckily we still have Maisie Mouse to splash violently and push water up our noses every week for a little while longer.
When we arrived home yesterday afternoon, the kids were pretty tired and Christian was feeling quite awful, so we had a very quiet evening. It was a fairly standard weekend but still lovely in it's own way as the five of us spent time together without manically rushing around trying to achieve the unachieveable. Last night I was thinking about my neglected blog (and my sick laptop, which is the reason why the adventures of Team O'Toole have not been avidly described for the past few days...) and it became apparent that there have been several moments of undeniable "awwwwwwwww" moments over the last few days. You know what I mean - those times when your kids do or say something and it's just so beautiful, or funny, or sweet that all you can do is tip your head on one side and say "awwwwwwwww!" Pathetic, I know, but true all the same!
* Yesterday morning Phoebe ran in breathlessly and exclaimed, "Daddy! There's a beetle stuck upside down in a spider's web and you have to help him!! You have to get him out!!" How gorgeous is that? Of course, Jack then added dryly, "Yes, because otherwise the spider will suck it's blood out like in 'Charlotte's Web'." Thanks for your help, Jack. That really helped your sister's hysteria.
* Last night I was holding Maisie on my hip, talking to Christian, and she put her little hand on my face, pulled me around to face her, and planted a big kiss on my cheek. I looked at her and said, "Thank you darling! Do you want a kiss too?" And she turned her chubby pink cheek towards me so I could kiss it. Awwwwww!!!!
* I overheard Jack and Phoebe playing today, and Phoebe was getting tired. Jack asked her, really gently, "Do you know where your Lucy is, sweetheart?" What a little gentleman! He makes me so proud.
* This afternoon after lunch, I found Phoebe asleep in her Daddy's lap. Both of them had their mouths slightly open, and were snoring gently. Awwwwwwwww!!!!
* While the girls were asleep, we allowed Jack to go outside on the driveway to ride his bike. I looked out the window and saw him circling the drive, narrating his own riding with a little song. He had a dreamy smile on his face, and he was singing loud enough to be heard by the neighbours, with no inhibition or embarrassment whatsoever. He looked so little and happy that I wanted to bottle that moment.
* Phoebe had disappeared, and I found her wearing only undies, a t-shirt and a bike helmet (?), very carefully putting her babies to bed underneath Maisie's swinging chair. One of them must have started crying, as she gingerly picked it up, cradled it's head and started crooning to it, lulling her doll back off to sleep. When she spied me watching her, she put a finger to her lips and whispered, "Ssssshhh, Mummy. Don't wake my baby. She's so tired, poor thing." And then she kissed the doll and tucked her back into the makeshift cot under the chair. My heart might break, I think.
Just a normal weekend, with many normal and not-so-gorgeous moments (Maisie discovered biting nipples is funny; Jack needed to use the toilet in The Good Guys and sat and sang while he ahem, did his thing; Phoebe continued her quest to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of poppies done in a public place) Yet I know that I won't remember the yucky smells or the embarrassing moments (the grazed nipples, however, are another matter...) in a few years. What I know will stick in my memory are the little gems when my kids just made my heart melt. When they are teenagers, I will remind them about how they used to greet Maisie every morning with "Hello precious girl!", how they would kiss the top of her head and put their downy cheeks together, how Jack would drop everything to help Phoebe learn how to push the pedals on her new bike, how I could stay for hours and watch Jack and Phoebe while they sit, so close their legs touch, bike helmets on their heads, heads both cocked to one side, watching Play School together. In the course of one normal weekend, I found myself close to tears so many times simply because it feels as though my heart might break with love. I would give anything to bottle these moments, and yet I don't want to live my life looking through a video lens. And so instead I will bore you all to tears with my awwwwwwww moments....and hope that there might be many more.
Sunday saw us doing our usual thing at swimming lessons, and as Daddy was still full of bronchitis I was the lucky parent to be in the pool with both of our girls for their lessons. We were very proud of Phoebe, as she was put up into the next level, and from now on won't be needing Mummy or Daddy in the pool with her! It is a little sad (for us) that she will now swim independently, but I am so excited for her. Luckily we still have Maisie Mouse to splash violently and push water up our noses every week for a little while longer.
When we arrived home yesterday afternoon, the kids were pretty tired and Christian was feeling quite awful, so we had a very quiet evening. It was a fairly standard weekend but still lovely in it's own way as the five of us spent time together without manically rushing around trying to achieve the unachieveable. Last night I was thinking about my neglected blog (and my sick laptop, which is the reason why the adventures of Team O'Toole have not been avidly described for the past few days...) and it became apparent that there have been several moments of undeniable "awwwwwwwww" moments over the last few days. You know what I mean - those times when your kids do or say something and it's just so beautiful, or funny, or sweet that all you can do is tip your head on one side and say "awwwwwwwww!" Pathetic, I know, but true all the same!
* Yesterday morning Phoebe ran in breathlessly and exclaimed, "Daddy! There's a beetle stuck upside down in a spider's web and you have to help him!! You have to get him out!!" How gorgeous is that? Of course, Jack then added dryly, "Yes, because otherwise the spider will suck it's blood out like in 'Charlotte's Web'." Thanks for your help, Jack. That really helped your sister's hysteria.
* Last night I was holding Maisie on my hip, talking to Christian, and she put her little hand on my face, pulled me around to face her, and planted a big kiss on my cheek. I looked at her and said, "Thank you darling! Do you want a kiss too?" And she turned her chubby pink cheek towards me so I could kiss it. Awwwwww!!!!
* I overheard Jack and Phoebe playing today, and Phoebe was getting tired. Jack asked her, really gently, "Do you know where your Lucy is, sweetheart?" What a little gentleman! He makes me so proud.
* This afternoon after lunch, I found Phoebe asleep in her Daddy's lap. Both of them had their mouths slightly open, and were snoring gently. Awwwwwwwww!!!!
* While the girls were asleep, we allowed Jack to go outside on the driveway to ride his bike. I looked out the window and saw him circling the drive, narrating his own riding with a little song. He had a dreamy smile on his face, and he was singing loud enough to be heard by the neighbours, with no inhibition or embarrassment whatsoever. He looked so little and happy that I wanted to bottle that moment.
* Phoebe had disappeared, and I found her wearing only undies, a t-shirt and a bike helmet (?), very carefully putting her babies to bed underneath Maisie's swinging chair. One of them must have started crying, as she gingerly picked it up, cradled it's head and started crooning to it, lulling her doll back off to sleep. When she spied me watching her, she put a finger to her lips and whispered, "Ssssshhh, Mummy. Don't wake my baby. She's so tired, poor thing." And then she kissed the doll and tucked her back into the makeshift cot under the chair. My heart might break, I think.
Just a normal weekend, with many normal and not-so-gorgeous moments (Maisie discovered biting nipples is funny; Jack needed to use the toilet in The Good Guys and sat and sang while he ahem, did his thing; Phoebe continued her quest to enter the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest number of poppies done in a public place) Yet I know that I won't remember the yucky smells or the embarrassing moments (the grazed nipples, however, are another matter...) in a few years. What I know will stick in my memory are the little gems when my kids just made my heart melt. When they are teenagers, I will remind them about how they used to greet Maisie every morning with "Hello precious girl!", how they would kiss the top of her head and put their downy cheeks together, how Jack would drop everything to help Phoebe learn how to push the pedals on her new bike, how I could stay for hours and watch Jack and Phoebe while they sit, so close their legs touch, bike helmets on their heads, heads both cocked to one side, watching Play School together. In the course of one normal weekend, I found myself close to tears so many times simply because it feels as though my heart might break with love. I would give anything to bottle these moments, and yet I don't want to live my life looking through a video lens. And so instead I will bore you all to tears with my awwwwwwww moments....and hope that there might be many more.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Maisie Mouse and Trinkabell: Poo-Machines
Little Miss Phoebalina Ballerina has just recently begun the exciting process of toilet training. Although I know many children begin this journey around the age of two, neither of us has been particularly fussed to start any earlier. Apart from anything else, the complicating factors of a new baby sister, the unsettling emotions following our home invasion, and the move into Grandma and Grandpa's house have all managed to put potty-training onto the back-burner. However, within the space of a week, Phoebalicious turfed the dummies (something we were dreading, as she was practically a high-dependency unit all by herself) and decided she wanted to wear undies like a big girl. And I have to give her credit, as she surpassed the potty altogether and went straight to sitting on the big toilet. As a matter of fact, the majority of this past week has found Phoebs sitting on the toilet, doing a million teeny-tiny wees and using enough toilet paper to bring a tree-hugger to tears. She loves the whole process of removing her undies, dragging the stool across the bathroom, singing whilst sitting, washing her hands with far too much soap, and doing it all over again, ad nauseum. We haven't quite progressed to number twos on the toilet yet, but I would have been stunned if we'd reached that point already.
During our gorgeous day with Gertrude and her boys yesterday, it became apparent that Phoebs was having a few...ahem...issues with her bowels. Rather than dealing with the problem in one fell swoop, we received little parcels no less than five times whilst visiting our friends. By the end of the day, I had cleaned my poor little girl up about eight times, and it was clear all was not well in her tummy. Still, she soldiered on, insisting on removing her nappy to go to the toilet despite a red raw botty. Today we were once again catching up with Gertrude and her little family before they went home from their holiday. I had hoped we would bring fewer brown smells to the group than yesterday, but no. This morning, in addition to my potty princess having frequent visits to her porcelain throne, Maisie decided to add her tuppence-worth to the stink in the house. So I pretty much ran from pooey nappy to pooey undies (and then Jack joined in and I had to wipe his bum too!!) several times, until all I could do was laugh. This afternoon, while dressed in her 'Trinkabell' costume, Phoebe giggled, "Mummy, I'm Trinkabell Poo-Machine, aren't I?" Obviously that's not a moniker I would use in public, but it was still pretty funny (and pretty apt!) I think Maisie surpassed her big sister at the end of the day, however, by filling her pants with such supreme effort that it came out of the neck of her skivvy. And no, I'm not exaggerating. And yes, she did laugh - a great big belly laugh that continued long after her emergency bath!
I am crossing my fingers that Phoebs feels a lot better in the morning, and that her bottom starts behaving. She has been so excited about being a big girl and using the toilet, I want her to experience the success she deserves. With any luck, things will improve and we'll go back to running off to the bathroom every ten minutes with glee, to produce a trickle of wee-wee. And then, my only problem will be getting her out the door to go to tomorrow's playdate...
During our gorgeous day with Gertrude and her boys yesterday, it became apparent that Phoebs was having a few...ahem...issues with her bowels. Rather than dealing with the problem in one fell swoop, we received little parcels no less than five times whilst visiting our friends. By the end of the day, I had cleaned my poor little girl up about eight times, and it was clear all was not well in her tummy. Still, she soldiered on, insisting on removing her nappy to go to the toilet despite a red raw botty. Today we were once again catching up with Gertrude and her little family before they went home from their holiday. I had hoped we would bring fewer brown smells to the group than yesterday, but no. This morning, in addition to my potty princess having frequent visits to her porcelain throne, Maisie decided to add her tuppence-worth to the stink in the house. So I pretty much ran from pooey nappy to pooey undies (and then Jack joined in and I had to wipe his bum too!!) several times, until all I could do was laugh. This afternoon, while dressed in her 'Trinkabell' costume, Phoebe giggled, "Mummy, I'm Trinkabell Poo-Machine, aren't I?" Obviously that's not a moniker I would use in public, but it was still pretty funny (and pretty apt!) I think Maisie surpassed her big sister at the end of the day, however, by filling her pants with such supreme effort that it came out of the neck of her skivvy. And no, I'm not exaggerating. And yes, she did laugh - a great big belly laugh that continued long after her emergency bath!
I am crossing my fingers that Phoebs feels a lot better in the morning, and that her bottom starts behaving. She has been so excited about being a big girl and using the toilet, I want her to experience the success she deserves. With any luck, things will improve and we'll go back to running off to the bathroom every ten minutes with glee, to produce a trickle of wee-wee. And then, my only problem will be getting her out the door to go to tomorrow's playdate...
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Joined at the hip
Gertrude and I have been best friends since high school. To be perfectly accurate, we have been friends since our year level coordinator asked her to have a BBQ to welcome the new girl before the start of school, and I'm pretty sure that's when the laughing began. We lived together for three years while we were at uni, having waaaaaaaaay too much fun. We went to England together and lived above the pub where I worked for a short time (which was apparently very intriguing to the male clientele of the establishment!!). We shared a hen's night, have been each other's bridesmaids, been pregnant together twice, laughed together, cried together, and shared so many wonderful times. She is more a sister to me than a friend, and I hope she knows she is part of my family. I remember joking with Gertrude once (on one of the many rambling walks around Melbourne we would do during our years at uni) that when we grew up and got married, we would have to live next door to each other, and would force our children to be best friends too. Unfortunately, we did not quite manage to acquire houses next to each other (despite my best efforts at trying to convince Christian the commute wouldn't be that bad), and in actual fact we live quite a drive away from each other. I won't complain about this though, as her husband's work takes her interstate every few years, so simply to have her in Melbourne is brilliant! However, we spent the day together today, and I am quietly very excited about something we saw.
Between the two of us, Gertrude and I have five children (gosh, that sounds a lot when you put it that way!) Jack is the eldest at four and a half, Phoebalina is three, Max is almost three, James is 11 months and Maisie Mouse is 9 months. Our kids have always played well together in the way that very young kids do (I think probably due to the fact that Max is fairly quiet and he allows Jack and Phoebe to be the noisy ones!!). Today, however, there was a new level of friendship between our little people. Jack was at kinder, which made the kid-wrangling today slightly more manageable. From the moment we arrived, though, Phoebe and Max were pretty much inseparable. They jumped on the trampoline together, hugging and giggling. (No worries about Phoebe holding her own, though - she allowed Max two hugs, and when he went in for a third she said imperiously, "No! No more hugs!" and held up her hand to stop him. Poor Max!) They played quietly inside while it was raining. They sat side by side in the cafe and ate their chippies together...although this peaceful act may have had more to do with protecting their own stashes of chips...When we went back to the house after lunch, they settled down to watch Postman Pat together. They were perfectly happy with each other's company, which made me wonder...maybe Gertrude and I could be mother's of the bride and groom together one day!! Why not? It's possible!!!
And if Phoebe and Max didn't pan out, Max was also pretty taken with Miss Maisie Mouse (some people would call this fickle. I call it social networking!). He was so gorgeous, lying down on the floor with her and smiling away, trying to get her attention. It could totally work!! And Phoebe is already so obsessed with little James that she has named one of her baby dolls after him (except it's a girl doll and wears a pink sparkly suit. Never mind.) If Phoebs' and Max's friendship didn't persevere, there's no reason at all why we couldn't have a double wedding between Phoebe and James, and Max and Maisie...
Oh, I know I'm being ridiculous. But I must say it was simply gorgeous today, to sit and chat with my best girly, while our children enjoyed each other's company. There were no squabbles, no one was left out, and nobody wanted to go home! Quite truthfully, I could do it every single day (I just need to try a bit harder to convince my darling hubby to move interstate...) I realise that our kids may not always be good mates, but for the moment it's lovely that they play well together. Gertrude and I have spent so many of our important moments together, I don't think anyone would begrudge me a little daydream about our kids getting married one day...who knows - we may yet still be joined at the (replacement) hip, watching our mutual grandchildren play together!!
Between the two of us, Gertrude and I have five children (gosh, that sounds a lot when you put it that way!) Jack is the eldest at four and a half, Phoebalina is three, Max is almost three, James is 11 months and Maisie Mouse is 9 months. Our kids have always played well together in the way that very young kids do (I think probably due to the fact that Max is fairly quiet and he allows Jack and Phoebe to be the noisy ones!!). Today, however, there was a new level of friendship between our little people. Jack was at kinder, which made the kid-wrangling today slightly more manageable. From the moment we arrived, though, Phoebe and Max were pretty much inseparable. They jumped on the trampoline together, hugging and giggling. (No worries about Phoebe holding her own, though - she allowed Max two hugs, and when he went in for a third she said imperiously, "No! No more hugs!" and held up her hand to stop him. Poor Max!) They played quietly inside while it was raining. They sat side by side in the cafe and ate their chippies together...although this peaceful act may have had more to do with protecting their own stashes of chips...When we went back to the house after lunch, they settled down to watch Postman Pat together. They were perfectly happy with each other's company, which made me wonder...maybe Gertrude and I could be mother's of the bride and groom together one day!! Why not? It's possible!!!
And if Phoebe and Max didn't pan out, Max was also pretty taken with Miss Maisie Mouse (some people would call this fickle. I call it social networking!). He was so gorgeous, lying down on the floor with her and smiling away, trying to get her attention. It could totally work!! And Phoebe is already so obsessed with little James that she has named one of her baby dolls after him (except it's a girl doll and wears a pink sparkly suit. Never mind.) If Phoebs' and Max's friendship didn't persevere, there's no reason at all why we couldn't have a double wedding between Phoebe and James, and Max and Maisie...
Oh, I know I'm being ridiculous. But I must say it was simply gorgeous today, to sit and chat with my best girly, while our children enjoyed each other's company. There were no squabbles, no one was left out, and nobody wanted to go home! Quite truthfully, I could do it every single day (I just need to try a bit harder to convince my darling hubby to move interstate...) I realise that our kids may not always be good mates, but for the moment it's lovely that they play well together. Gertrude and I have spent so many of our important moments together, I don't think anyone would begrudge me a little daydream about our kids getting married one day...who knows - we may yet still be joined at the (replacement) hip, watching our mutual grandchildren play together!!
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Queen of Disinfectant
I think most new mothers express a desire for an instruction manual to explain their new baby at one point or another. Having been a mummy for over four years now, in my humble opinion postnatal women should be discharged from hospital with a kit containing rubber gloves, plastic bags, a face mask and PineOCleen. Never mind learning how to burp a baby properly, or top and tail, or swaddle tightly so that they feel safe and secure. During prenatal classes, we should be taught how to mop up spills and bodily fluids - this is a mother's bread and butter. Tonight's blog is dedicated to my children, but a special mention goes to my darling Maisie Mouse, who continues to amaze me with her inventive ways of covering me with the products of her digestive system.
Over the years I have cleaned up hundreds of vomits. Jack was a projectile vomitter extraordinaire - thanks to his reflux and allergies, the poor little bugger would bring up his dinner every single night as soon as I lay him in his cot. This is no exaggeration - one night I went through fours sets of cot sheets before I had to make his bed up with beach towels. One night when he was really tiny, I put him down in his bassinet, crept into bed, and in the dark heard an almighty vomit. We leapt out of bed, threw on the lights.....and nothing! There was no spew, not a single drop, and Jack was just lying there blinking at us. It wasn't until months later when we were moving house, that we moved the bassinet and found a dried trail of vomit on the wall. He had spewed THROUGH the wicker holes in his crib. Now that's impressive! Since that time, Jack has vomitted on me more times than I can remember - in my face, down my cleavage, in my hair, into my crotch...but mostly down my cleavage. Let's just say I have become an expert in removing lumpy vomit from clothes, floors, couches, car upholstery, pets...
Vomit is pretty horrible but there are some fluids that make you want to hurl...like liquid baby poo. I'll never forget the first 'atomic' nappy I experienced when Jack was tiny. I knew something was awry when my normally regular-as-clockwork baby hadn't pooed for two days. Stupidly, (first-time mother ignorance!!) I popped him into the Baby Bjorn and went supermarket shopping. It was while standing at the register with a full trolley that the heavens opened...oh my goodness, but it was warm. Jack gave a happy little grunt, went back off to sleep, and the warmth crept up my chest, and down my legs...To this day I don't know how I got home, but let's just say I didn't go back to that particular Safeway for quite some time. Both Phoebe and Maisie have had their fair share of atomics. All I will say is that I have become adept at running a bath, while holding a wriggling baby under one arm and my nose in the other!
Maisie Mouse has taken after her brother in the projectile stakes, and some may even say she has surpassed his lofty standards! As a tiny baby she would do the standard milky spews, always managing to miss the cloth being held under her chin and splashing the floor, couch, me... Since she has been unwell with bronchiolitis, her vomitting has been triggered by coughing fits. Typically we clean up at least one spew a night, so I am fairly well-attuned to the sounds that precede a splash-attack. Recently Maisie has caught me out with some tricky manouvres, and I have copped it in the eyes and mouth a couple of times. Tonight, however, she upped the ick factor by several degrees. She had a really good breastfeed and was drowsy and relaxed. I started to carry her to bed when she started coughing violently, and I ran to the tiled area before the retching began. Foolishly, I thought she was spent and stood up to wipe her mouth. As I turned to speak to Christian, a stream of warm vomit made a direct beeline into my ear canal and my hair, and began dripping down my neck into collar. Maisie laughed and clapped, and I started laughing hysterically because it just felt so revolting! Even after a shower, I still feel squishy (you can't pour PineOCleen into your ears, apparently) and a bit mank. Maisie must feel brilliant, because she went straight off to sleep!! Never mind. I will clean up their messes, their bodily fluids and their germs, because one day, one day, I will be an old lady, and then it will be their turn to clean up mine!!!!
Over the years I have cleaned up hundreds of vomits. Jack was a projectile vomitter extraordinaire - thanks to his reflux and allergies, the poor little bugger would bring up his dinner every single night as soon as I lay him in his cot. This is no exaggeration - one night I went through fours sets of cot sheets before I had to make his bed up with beach towels. One night when he was really tiny, I put him down in his bassinet, crept into bed, and in the dark heard an almighty vomit. We leapt out of bed, threw on the lights.....and nothing! There was no spew, not a single drop, and Jack was just lying there blinking at us. It wasn't until months later when we were moving house, that we moved the bassinet and found a dried trail of vomit on the wall. He had spewed THROUGH the wicker holes in his crib. Now that's impressive! Since that time, Jack has vomitted on me more times than I can remember - in my face, down my cleavage, in my hair, into my crotch...but mostly down my cleavage. Let's just say I have become an expert in removing lumpy vomit from clothes, floors, couches, car upholstery, pets...
Vomit is pretty horrible but there are some fluids that make you want to hurl...like liquid baby poo. I'll never forget the first 'atomic' nappy I experienced when Jack was tiny. I knew something was awry when my normally regular-as-clockwork baby hadn't pooed for two days. Stupidly, (first-time mother ignorance!!) I popped him into the Baby Bjorn and went supermarket shopping. It was while standing at the register with a full trolley that the heavens opened...oh my goodness, but it was warm. Jack gave a happy little grunt, went back off to sleep, and the warmth crept up my chest, and down my legs...To this day I don't know how I got home, but let's just say I didn't go back to that particular Safeway for quite some time. Both Phoebe and Maisie have had their fair share of atomics. All I will say is that I have become adept at running a bath, while holding a wriggling baby under one arm and my nose in the other!
Maisie Mouse has taken after her brother in the projectile stakes, and some may even say she has surpassed his lofty standards! As a tiny baby she would do the standard milky spews, always managing to miss the cloth being held under her chin and splashing the floor, couch, me... Since she has been unwell with bronchiolitis, her vomitting has been triggered by coughing fits. Typically we clean up at least one spew a night, so I am fairly well-attuned to the sounds that precede a splash-attack. Recently Maisie has caught me out with some tricky manouvres, and I have copped it in the eyes and mouth a couple of times. Tonight, however, she upped the ick factor by several degrees. She had a really good breastfeed and was drowsy and relaxed. I started to carry her to bed when she started coughing violently, and I ran to the tiled area before the retching began. Foolishly, I thought she was spent and stood up to wipe her mouth. As I turned to speak to Christian, a stream of warm vomit made a direct beeline into my ear canal and my hair, and began dripping down my neck into collar. Maisie laughed and clapped, and I started laughing hysterically because it just felt so revolting! Even after a shower, I still feel squishy (you can't pour PineOCleen into your ears, apparently) and a bit mank. Maisie must feel brilliant, because she went straight off to sleep!! Never mind. I will clean up their messes, their bodily fluids and their germs, because one day, one day, I will be an old lady, and then it will be their turn to clean up mine!!!!
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