Hee-haw!

BallFiend's learned how to insult people, namely DeepSpice and me. Whenever we do something that annoys him he retorts: "No mama, you donkey!". It's hard to not to laugh when one is trying to discourage such behaviour.
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Strange Day

It's been a strange day...

I had insomnia from about 4.00 am, and had just got back to sleep when BallFiend woke at about 6.45 am. Lucky for me, DeepSpice got up to get BallFiend breakfast and, even luckier, Thumper stayed asleep. By 8.30 am, BallFiend had decided he was tired and got into bed with me. DeepSpice took the opportunity to collapse back into bed as well, so the three of us were snuggled in bed until Thumper woke at about 9.00 am.

I brought Thumper into bed with me for her morning breastfeed -- my favourite one of the day, because we breastfeed lying down -- however, it was very challenging with BallFiend squirming around next to us and pushing his toys/balls in my and Thumper's face. We have a double bed, nothing so roomy as a queen or king, so with four of us in the bed, it was rather crowded.

After she finished feeding, the quiet snuggle-time was quickly replaced with playing, as BallFiend performed increasingly silly antics in an effort to make Thumper laugh. Unfortunately it all ended in tears when BallFiend launched himself backwards and collided with DeepSpice's nose. I heard a horrible cracking noise and DeepSpice bellowed in pain. After getting DeepSpice an ice-pack, I took the kids out of the bedroom to play elsewhere, while DeepSpice lay in bed for another hour or so recovering.

Thumper chose this time to revert to her pre-six-months-old behaviour of spewing all over the house. By 11.00 am she had spewed about seven times and we'd changed her clothes twice. Very weird, given she has had no signs of reflux for nearly 4 months now.

Later on, I went and did the grocery shopping - without kids! It was the first time I'd made it to the supermarket for a 'big shop' in about a month, so there was a lot to stock up on, and as luck would have it, about half the things on my list were on special. I shoved my heavy trolley around the supermarket, enjoying the schadenfreude of watching other people who were accompanied by their kids

BallFiend had a massive tantrum in the middle of dinner... oh wait, that's not really unusual...

We put the kids to bed in the same room (third night running). The previous two nights, we have put BallFiend to bed first and then waited till he was asleep before bringing Thumper in. But tonight I put Thumper in her cot at 7.30 pm, whilst DeepSpice read BallFiend a story in the lounge room. I was hoping that she would be asleep before BallFiend came to bed. But this is when my luck ran out. So BallFiend came to bed anyway, and Thumper listened as DeepSpice went through the usual goodnight ritual with BallFiend (which includes a 'talking story'). Then DeepSpice left the room, with both kids quiet but awake. BallFiend was out like a light - asleep in no time, but not Thumper... As I have been typing this post, I have been in to resettle her twice and DeepSpice once (last time was at about 8.30 pm). It is now 9.00 pm and she has been mostly quiet, so... fingers crossed!
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Now that is manly!

I've been learning to crochet. Scream daggy all you want, I don't care. It's giving me something to do, something that gives me a tangible result at the end of the project. Unlike caring for two kids all day... the only tangible result from that is the pile of soiled nappies waiting to be washed and overflowing basket of clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away. (Although I suppose, technically speaking, the fact that the two kids are still breathing at the end of each day could be counted as a tangible result. But it's not quite the same, and let's face it, if I failed in this regard, the authorities would be turning up at my doorstep.)

I've been amazed by how easy crochet is (ie. compared to knitting). I tried to learn knitting, under the instruction of Gran, and although I learned the basics - made a few scarves, etc. - I could never fix up mistakes, so if I didn't actually have Gran right there beside me, projects tended to stall indefinitely.

Crochet is a different story. So far, I have made several practice-pieces - just trying out different stitches, then I made my first project - a beanie for BallFiend: Now I am 90% of the way through my second project - a matching scarf:
I've also been amazed and excited by the range of things that can be made using crochet. Then I found Ravelry - an online community of knitters and crocheters with free patterns galore! My enthusiasm escalated. At last count, I had about 20 items 'queued' for future projects. When it comes to crochet, it seems, if you can think of an object to make, then someone has probably created a crochet pattern for it.

So I'd come to the conclusion that crochet is not at all daggy and that many of the things that can be crocheted are practical, and often truly beautiful... then I saw this one: Manly Tank-Top. Think I might need to make one for FreeloadingPhill to help him on his latest quest.
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more questions

"Why don't we have an eating mouth and a drinking mouth?"

- BallFiend, during dinner tonight.

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Getting long in the tooth

Thumper has a second tooth, just cut through yesterday, only 7 weeks after the first tooth made it's appearance. At this rate, she should get her full set of 20 baby teeth just in time for them to all fall out when the adult teeth come through!

In other teeth news, DeepSpice and I went to the dentist two weeks ago. It's been a long time between appointments - I hadn't been since before I was pregnant with Thumper and for DeepSpice, I think it has been even longer!

We took BallFiend along for the 'experience' - he got to see the set-up and the dentist gave him a free tube of toothpaste. I had X-rays taken and my teeth cleaned with the sand-blaster thingy that dentists use these days. My dentist found the beginnings of one cavity (though not serious enough to require urgent action). But here's the really unfair bit: DeepSpice's teeth were fine! Not a hole in sight... and he doesn't even floss (or at least I never see him do it). Humph!

One last tooth-related thing while I'm on the topic: a while ago BallFiend described his toothbrush as a 'teethbrush' and we realised he is right. It should be called a teethbrush, unless like Thumper (until yesterday), you only have one tooth.
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Just gagging

Lunch today was nicely finished off with a sweet, tangy mandarin. Thumper loves 'em, BallFiend won't touch 'em with a ten-foot pole, despite their decidedly ball-shaped shape. Anyway, Thumper had already downed 5 or 6 segments with no problems when she suddenly got that funny look on her face and started going red. She was gagging on the piece that wasn't going down the right way... and simultaneously trying to shove the next piece in her mouth.

I wasn't concerned about the gagging - it happens from time-to-time, especially with the baby-led solids approach, but one does have to wonder how the human species has survived if the gag-reflex doesn't trigger the "stop-eating-for-a-minute-till-I-stop-gagging" reflex!

A few seconds later, one whole mandarin segment came flying out of her mouth, propelled over the high chair tray and landing on the table, easily travelling 40 cm. What a kid - she'll be able to do party tricks when she is older with a gag-reflex like that.

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I can add

Scene: breakfast time, I'm sitting across the table from BallFiend.

Sound effects: Pararrrp, pop, pop, pop

BallFiend grins and says:

"I did this many farts (holds up 4 fingers).
I did one, two, three (counts three fingers) down there (points to other side of room) and I did one up here (counts his thumb).

Charming! But I am impressed with his ability to do addition: he had in fact done three 'over there' a few minutes before sitting down to breakfast.

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old dog, new tricks

"My old dog died and now I have a new dog. This is my new dog. See my new dog, Mum?"

- BallFiend talking about his (imaginary) dog.

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Extractasaur

After hours and hours (well, at least two) of playing with playdough, this is what BallFiend came up with:

I give you... Extractasaur

The artist, showing off his latest creation, Extractasaur.

It looks even better with the table-tennis ball held behind it (this was just a lucky shot, BallFiend was actually just in the process of burying the ball in the playdough).

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This kid has management potential!

BallFiend: Team Work! I want to do team work. Let's do team work.
Me: What sort of team work do you want to do? Do you want to team work clean the house?
BallFiend: Ah, I just want to do team work.
Me: Yes but what do you want to do team work for?
BallFiend: I want to do team work on you! (Then BallFiend grins and hugs me.)

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Excuses

Tonight BallFiend is being difficult about going to sleep. Since DeepSpice did the official 'goodnight' process at 7.30 pm, BallFiend has called out several times: "Mum and Dad!". Eventually, I went in to tell him to be quiet and go to sleep. Here's the reasons why he was calling out:

BallFiend: There's a blurt monster in the back room.

Me: You don't need to worry about that.

BallFiend: Who's looking after Thumper?
Me: She's asleep in the other room.

BallFiend: My belly button has a sore spot.
Me: That's why you need to go to sleep - so it can get better. Goodnight.

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talking and talking

I had the radio on and the presenter was doing a series of interviews about various current affairs.

BallFiend: "Do they just keep talking and talking?"

Me: "Yes, they do..."

BallFiend: "What happens when they get tired of talking?

Me: "Then someone else takes over and keeps talking."

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