More questions

BallFiend: Where did space come from? Where did the cow come from? Why did the dinosaurs live if they just died? How do trees grow?
Me: Oh! How many questions can you ask?
BallFiend [in a cheery, upbeat voice]: I'm full of them!
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Pick-up Sticks

Thumper: 3.  Toothpicks: 0

It has taken me three times today to learn my lessons: 

1. Do not assume that just because the first baby was not into exploring through kitchen cupboards and drawers that the second baby will follow suit.
2. 16-month-old babies do not (or choose not to) understand when you tell them not to empty the contents out of a drawer in the kitchen. 
3. Never leave 16-month old babies alone in the kitchen, even with a very-responsible-for-a-four-year-old big brother supervising... even for a second!

For the third time today, w are picking up toothpicks off the floor after Thumper has emptied them out from the fourth-drawer-down. 

The toothpicks are now moving house to a higher-up drawer. 

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Dex +10

Thumper has extraordinary fine motor skills for her age - a few weeks ago, she learned how to do up the buckles on her high chair and the outside swing. She would stand in front of the chair or swing and fiddle around for a minute or so until the buckle was clasped. Then she would throw a tantrum about not being able to undo it.

Now, as soon as I place her in the high chair, she finds the two ends of the strap and buckles herself in. Handy, but I hope she doesn't learn how to undo them too soon!

PS. Just discovered that Thumper had also got to the buckles on her pram. There is 4 separate buckles on the seat harness - Thumper's perfect toy! And it would appear that Thumper has saved us some cash by finding her own BucklePuzzle toy.
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Beware STOP Leeches in the village STOP

Received this message from StompyDad who is spending a few weeks adventuring in a far off land (Sri Lanka) for a lark. 

------ SMS ------
From: +44********68
Received: 7 Jan 2011 3:40 AM
Subject: Hi.
Hi. Stompy was eaten by 2 leaches 2ay. Saw a 500 year old village. Xx stompydad

I never felt a thing, honest!

Just goes to show that all those Baby Boomers who complain about Gen Y and their use of txtspk causing the standards of grammar and punctuation to slip should perhaps refocus their attention on their elders, the so-called Builders. StompyDad precedes the Baby Boomer generation by just a couple of years, but I reckon this message gives Gen Y a real run for their money. 

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Toddling tot

The toddler has started toddling. Just a few days ago, Thumper went from taking just one or two steps at a time, from coffee table to couch,  to taking many steps in a row... covering a good few metres in a stretch. She and BallFiend spent the day with Gran and GrandPaul today, and when we picked the kids up, Gran and GrandPaul enthusiastically told us about how Thumper has been "walking everywhere!" today.

Thumper is still perfecting the technique for her cute little toddler-waddle, so she lifts her feet unnecessarily high up for each step and a walk across the room frequently ends with her plonking down on her chubby bottom as she loses her balance.
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Nonsense

"Stop the nonsense!!!" 

- BallFiend's latest catch cry. We hear it at least 20 times a day. No idea where he picked up this one from.

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Mega-onion!

BallFiend was very excited when he discovered this onion in amongst the regular-sized onions at the shop. He said we had to buy it, and proceeded to show it to several other customers standing nearby.

When we got it home, BallFiend showed DeepSpice, who in turn got excited enough to want to weigh it and take photos. Enjoy.

For comparison, regular onions are about 175 - 250g.

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