Falling asleep and going potty

Ellie has been sleeping earlier now that I put both girls to bed together. Both are usually in bed by about 9:45pm. In theory, I now have a little bit more time at night to do my own thing. In reality I find myself falling asleep with them only to awake at around 11:30pm with little left of the night.

It has been a tiring one week. KM has been ill and been in isolated from the rest of the family; confined to the study and its just been non-stop looking after the girls with the helper. So at the end of the day I am simply exahausted. Yesterday KM had his first meal with the family after one week of gourmet tray-meals. (Did I mention that I have discovered a new found love for cooking? Surprise surprise.) Am really looking forward to having him back in the fold.My theory is that if you stay at home long enough, you will likely end up doing all these 1950s domestic things- cooking, baking, sewing. Don’t really know if that is a good or bad thing. Now that I have finally resigned from my architecture job (yes, I finally) am have to start figuring what I really want to do with the rest of my life.

And updates. Ellie is almost potty trained. She’s moved on from insisting on wearing diapers and having accidents sans diapers. Now it is “private” potty time. “I need some private time.” We are not allowed to look when she runs down the corridor to the potty. And today for the record it was four times with no accidents.

Everyone loves a box

The best toy a child could possibly have is a box. There are just so many possibilities. Turn the box over and it becomes a boat. Cut some holes out of the box, open the flaps and it becomes a house with a post box and windows. Turn it the other way round and it becomes a trampoline. I am always on a look out for a good box to turn into something or just have the girls do what ever they want with it. I’ve got part of the neighbours fridge box in the study and our new plasma TV box in the corrridor. Along with a couple of new IKEA boxes (which I’ve turned into a house and a kitchen). Ellie loved her house so much she even fell asleep in it. *

Peek a boo!

Sometimes, Ellie and Caitlin decide to be best friends. These are moments you live for.*

New Blog Address

My brother migrated me over to this new address- some technical reason for not being able to keep me on the other address. Something about sub-domains and hosting. That's why I have not been blogging for a week or so. Not that it makes that much difference since I blog so little anyhow.

Ellie went on her first school outing today. I decided not to follow her, (although parents were allowed to accompany their child) to let her be on her own for a bit and get a few hours alone with Caitlin. Of course I was ready for plan B- which would have been driving down with Caitlin and helper in tow if she kicked up a big fuss (she is prone to hysterics) about wanting me to go along. But she didn't. She calmly said good bye without as much as a tear.

So Caitlin had some mummy time. I decided to go for a trial kiddy play-gym type of class. I thought Caitlin, being the more outgoing and active of the two sisters would really enjoy this class, but no. I spent most of the class playing with her solo and carrying her (she cried almost half the time) while the other mums and babies sat in a circle and sang songs or got their kids to climb this structure or other. The other kids seemed to be having a good time. Not my Caitlin. Think the money could have been better spent. Especially since some the things they did in class like songs and bubbles and stuff with toys were pretty much what I do with the kids. Except the gym bit-we don't have gym equipment. So maybe that's what the parents pay for.
KM is hogging the study room computer (where the photos are downloaded) with another conference call. That's my excuse for not posting pictures tonight.

Catilin's words

Mama. Papa. Jiejie. Fshsh (Fish). Shsh. (Shoes). Woo Woo! (Dog)
I went back to read some old blog entries I wrote when Ellie was about the same age as Caitlin and realised I wasn't even keeping track of Caitlin's words.

Stunt-girl Cait and barely-eating Ellie

I wouldn't expect someone just one try riding her rocking horse standing up. But that's what Caitlin our little stunt girl does. She's all over the place and I can't turn my back without fearing that she will fall and bump her head again. She is a lot more into climbing and exploring her physical environment than Ellie ever was at that age. Bouncing on and of the sofa. Climbing on and off Ellie's tricycle (she is more interested in the tricycle than Ellie is). That the two sisters are turning out quite different is quite fascinating, since KM and I have had the same parenting style for both. Its probably a combination of birth order and nature but Caitlin is just so easy going and is always laughing with that gleeful glint in her eye.and people-oriented while Ellie just wants the attention for herself and can't stand sharing it. Caitlin eats almost anything and Ellie hardly eats anything- she just has so little interest in food.

Today I managed to feed Ellie the most she's eaten in a week in record time. She's addicted to milk (I know that fills her up) and short of having her go cold-turkey, we've tried everything to get nutrition past her lips. I always get so stressed about her having bird-sized meals and mealtimes are always a battle. What worked today was turning the whole feeding thing into a game. At teatime, I pretended that I was at the Botanic Gardens feeding two little fish (Caitlin and Ellie) in the carpet pond by popping bread into their mouths, deliberately using Caitlin as a catalyst for the feeding exercise. She got the small pieces and Ellie the big ones. By the end of the game Ellie had finished almost a whole piece of bread. Then at dinner time we had a eating match. I laid her pasta bolognaise in an ice cube tray with tiny treats at intervals so she had to finish the food in 3 compartments or so before arriving at a treat (bits of gummies and seaweed). She finished her meal in 15 minutes. The things parents do to get their child to eat.

Caitlin eats anything

It isn't easy to find something that Caitlin doesn't like to eat. Well maybe her baby cereal when she sees better fare on the breakfast table.*