Caitlin is 1

I can’t believe Caitlin is one, but she is. It just seemed like only yesterday that we brought her home from the hospital. Our little itsy bitsy baby has become a little girl walking (and trying to run a little) all over the house. An early walker she is, more interested in climbing up the sofa and onto the table than she is in reading picture books and playing with soft toys like her sister did at the same age. After months of putting up with a strong-willed sister who would try to bit her and lean too hard on her, Caitlin has started to fight back. Now that she has presents of her own (birthday and christmas ones) Caitlin is staking her ground, she tries to bite back when Ellie gets in her way or takes her pressies. That said, there is really not that much biting these days. On good days, the sisters play together.

We had a family hotel -high tea inspired lunch for Caitlin’s birthday. It was lots of fun but I think KM and I just underestimated the preparation time. I was still in my home shorts when the guests started arriving. I can’t remember how many sandwiches I made.

Not quite started

Not quite started yet. My blog is still with wordpress.

Off the cuff again

December 13, 2008

I haven’t written in ages and haven’t posted a photo in months. It’s just been words words words for a long time. So what I’ve decided is to insert my photos via backdated posts, now that I have cleared my backlog of photos in my camera. Hundreds of photos. 4 GBs worth. The postdated entries will have an * at the end.
That aside, bringing the girls out has gotten easier. I used to dread the mealtimes out of the house, but now we have begun to have civilised sit-down meals at cafes and restaurants with Caitlin wolfing down her meal and part of ours and Ellie drinking her juice and nibbling on chips and nuggets (definately, definately! not my idea of a meal but at least she sits at the table). 

Ellie's first "Princess Pedicure"

For a while Ellie had this thing about going everywhere with me. She actually behaves pretty well when we are out alone (without having to compete with Caitlin for attention) so I sometimes bring her along for my girly outings. This time it was a pedicure with my good friends PS and J.*

Pink playdough (by the way Pink is Ellie's favourite colour)

I try to have activities that both sisters can do together. We dance in the mornings, play games like football and hide and seek. A lot of the time it is pretend-play. We shop; Ellie and Caitlin go around the house with hats and handbags, Mama is both the mama and "shop-lady". We play dress-up; Ellie pulls hats out of our dress-up box, sometimes Ellie and now Caitlin wear my t-shirts. And we play "doctor-doctor"; Caitlin is the nurse, Ellie directs the patients, and her doll is the doctor.

When we are in the whole day I try to involve both girls in sometime arty or crafty. This is Caitlin's first experience with playdough.

Tiredness and first steps

Its been a really tiring these last few weeks. Just been minding the kids and doing housework non-stop. Just don’t know how other moms manage without a helper or housekeeper. I leave the girls alone for a couple of seconds and Ellie is leaning too hard on Caitlin or scratching her hand or trying to roll over her. Its just almost impossible to get anything done. I put Caitlin in the carrier to get her away from Ellie and have my hands free and she’s squirming to get out. There is always a table to clear, toys to put away, the laundry to get done, stuff to wipe off the floor. I think I went one week without reading the papers which just moved from the doorway to the pile in the kitchen to the recycling pile in the yard.

Caitlin’s just all over the place. Our portable vacuum cleaner eating everything in her path. Ellie is always drawing, colouring or cutting something so there is always paper to munch and paper to get out of her way. Caitlin’s a lot more active than Ellie was at the same age. She’s already trying to walk. She took her first baby steps two days ago on 18 November and was walking 5-6 steps on her own the very next day. She’ll probably be running by her first birthday. Ellie walked at 13 or 14 months.

Will the lights be off or not?

Just when we think we really need a break from the kids, Ellie says the funniest things which remind us it is all worthwhile

• When KM tries to tell Ellie how to arrange her shoes at the door, Ellie says, "This is my job."
• When KM walks around without his shirt in the house, Ellie says," Don't show everyone your tummy papa"

And for the first time yesterday, Ellie sat through an entire show-The Very Hungry Caterpillar. One whole hour. Enjoying every minute (well, almost) of it. She has this thing about having the lights on in the show and about (not) watching scary things, so I had to really prep her about the lights being off, how you need to have the lights off to see the puppets, how she needed to sit through the entire thing. She's growing up, my little girl.

Lately Ellie's been asking tons of questions. Non-stop. And asking the same questions again and again. "I told you the answer Ellie... don't ask again." Her latest series of questions end with "or not". "Is Mama coming or not?".  "Is Papa going or not?" Back home we were looking at the programme for next year's children's theatre festival and there she went again, "Will the lights be off or not."