Yes, this again is a post about how things have changed since we were kids - and things that we enjoyed that Peanut will either never enjoy or would not see why we enjoyed it.
At 2 years and 9 months Peanut already knows how to use a computer, how to move the mouse and click to get files open, he knows what an Xbox (PS2, Xbox360) controller is for, he knows how to open my laptop and how to get the screen to wake up... but this is not about the things that Peanut can do, i believe i have already gone through a few of the wonders of technology that peanut seems to have so easily picked up on.
There are things that we used to do, things that we used to enjoy that Peanut never will. And the thing that I remember enjoying, that Peanut will never know the pleasure of is playing under the hose - running under the sprinkler - putting on bathers to wash the car and not getting much water on the car...
In this day and age i find it hard to comprehend that we used to so wasteful with water! I can never imagine putting Peanut in the backyard under the sprinkler! And we seemed have already impressed the water conservation onto our son.
I should also give the piece of information that Peanut is not at all keen on the process of being washed. If i try to give him a shower he screams in terror (yes, there is true fear there where having a shower is concerned). His main form of ablutions is in the "toddler tub", a plastic tub that we have sitting in the bath tub and we use a shower hose that is attached to the tap to wash him. He is not keen on the shower hose, but we find it quick and easy to use and he puts up with it (and hopefully if he learns to cope with the shower hose we can finally get him in to the shower...). And the good thing about the toddler tub is that the water we use can be easily taken outside and put on some of the plants - the few plants that we do water that is.
So tonight when it was time for Peanuts to have a bath, he told that he didn't want to have a bath and that it was a "waste of water". He said "maybe bath tomorrow, not tonight, bath is wasting water". I should say that despite the protest he had a bath anyway - and had fun playing with his bath toys.
I am amazed that the concept of having to save water has hit home with him though, even if he is using it to try and get out of staying clean. So maybe Peanut will not miss the childhood pleasure of running under the sprinkler. I mean he will not be able to experience to it, but our way of thinking has done such a shift that he would not even think of it as option of entertainment. And in this day and age - that can only be a good thing.
(: Reggie
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
Thursday, 24 September 2009
Not like I remember when I was young
Peanut loves watching TV (well, don't we all) and on the week days that i do not go work - and he does not go to daycare - we watch ABC Kids together. We eat toast, drink tea / milk and watch some of Peanut's favourite shows. There many shows on that i remember watching throughout my childhood - but they are not the same as they were then. And i blame technology for this, the ease in which a show can be computer animated has done away with a lot of the charm kids TV used to have for me. One show i particularly remember enjoying was "The Magic Roundabout". It featured a variety of creatures and was filmed in stop animation. The show is still on TV, and the basic characters are the same, but it is now a 3D computer animated show. All the characters move freely and their faces are very expressive - Unlike the jerky movements and faces frozen with a single expression that i was used to from my childhood.
But when i think what is out there for kids these days, i can't help but do the head shake and say things "It's not like it used to be... I did not have all the toys they have these days! All i had to play with was a brick with a piece of string tied around it!!!"
Ok, maybe not that far, but when i think about children's toys now - the idea of toy made out of wood is almost a novelty now! and when a range of wooden toys can be found they tend to have a rather exclusive price tag attached... I remember having quite a few wooden toys when i was little. One of my favourites was a toy that i lovingly called "tink-a-tonk", it was a wooden pull-along toy that had hammers that would strike one of three wooden bars as it dragged along. I wish i still had it, so that Peanut and Bean could see it and get as much fun out of it as i did... But if tink-a-tonk was still around, i don't Peanut and Bean would find it as entertaining as i did.
I was fascinated by this toy that would play a very basic, a very simple piece of music - if you can call three notes being played over and over again music - but I'm sure that the fascination would be felt by today's youth.
Peanut has toys that do almost everything! At a press of a button they sing songs, light up and some will almost dance a little gig - so why would he enjoy a simple tink-a-tonk?
The same goes for the TV shows that are on for kids. They are so full of bright colours, catchie songs and special effects that the shows i enjoyed when i was little must seem quite dull in comparison. For example Thomas the Tank engine now has a face the moves when he is talking and the fat controller is no longer a motionless doll. Peanut's favourite show Lazytown (i have seen every episode at least ten times each) maybe a live action show but a large amount of it shot in green screen.
Now thinking about it, with all the focus on products and shows for children, will it help teach Peanut's generation things that we did not have access to from a very early age? is there a chance that the adults of tomorrow could be far superior in intelligence because of the greater amount of exposure to technology and "educational" shows and product that are now available?
Albert Einstein did not have the Tellie Tubbies when he was baby, and he seemed to have turned out not too bad!!!
You know, i don't know if this was the point i was trying to make when i started this post... But TV has killed so many of my brain cells that i don't think i was really ever going along with a single train of thought! One thing i do know is - I like cake.
(: Reggie
But when i think what is out there for kids these days, i can't help but do the head shake and say things "It's not like it used to be... I did not have all the toys they have these days! All i had to play with was a brick with a piece of string tied around it!!!"
Ok, maybe not that far, but when i think about children's toys now - the idea of toy made out of wood is almost a novelty now! and when a range of wooden toys can be found they tend to have a rather exclusive price tag attached... I remember having quite a few wooden toys when i was little. One of my favourites was a toy that i lovingly called "tink-a-tonk", it was a wooden pull-along toy that had hammers that would strike one of three wooden bars as it dragged along. I wish i still had it, so that Peanut and Bean could see it and get as much fun out of it as i did... But if tink-a-tonk was still around, i don't Peanut and Bean would find it as entertaining as i did.
I was fascinated by this toy that would play a very basic, a very simple piece of music - if you can call three notes being played over and over again music - but I'm sure that the fascination would be felt by today's youth.
Peanut has toys that do almost everything! At a press of a button they sing songs, light up and some will almost dance a little gig - so why would he enjoy a simple tink-a-tonk?
The same goes for the TV shows that are on for kids. They are so full of bright colours, catchie songs and special effects that the shows i enjoyed when i was little must seem quite dull in comparison. For example Thomas the Tank engine now has a face the moves when he is talking and the fat controller is no longer a motionless doll. Peanut's favourite show Lazytown (i have seen every episode at least ten times each) maybe a live action show but a large amount of it shot in green screen.
Now thinking about it, with all the focus on products and shows for children, will it help teach Peanut's generation things that we did not have access to from a very early age? is there a chance that the adults of tomorrow could be far superior in intelligence because of the greater amount of exposure to technology and "educational" shows and product that are now available?
Albert Einstein did not have the Tellie Tubbies when he was baby, and he seemed to have turned out not too bad!!!
You know, i don't know if this was the point i was trying to make when i started this post... But TV has killed so many of my brain cells that i don't think i was really ever going along with a single train of thought! One thing i do know is - I like cake.
(: Reggie
Friday, 31 July 2009
Where has the baby gone?
Every day I am amazed with how much our little Peanut has grown, how big he is getting and how able he has become!
The toilet training is coming along nicely, if that is a word can be used to describe the process of trying to encourage a child to use the bathroom, and that is thanks to the daycare centre. Each morning now rather than changing his night nappy for a clean dry nappy, he will pull on a pair of undies (and yes, he puts them on himself) and then it is off to the daycare centre - or on non-daycare days he will plonk himself in the kitchen to wait for some brekkie.
Most days when I pick him up from the centre he will not be in the same clothes that I dropped him off in and there will be a bag of clothes for me to wash BUT it is obvious that there must be more successful trips to the toilet than non AND the days that there is no bag of washing for me are picking up.
It seems to be a bit of process but the girls at the daycare centre are positive about his progress, and I have noticed improvement myself when we are at home. I have heard stories from other mums about how their kids are toilet trained in a week or two, but my response to that is that i have a life and I can not spend two weeks doing nothing other than watching my child's every slightest move and rushing to the toilet every 15 minutes while never leaving the house!!!
But this was not actually going to be a post about Peanut's bodily functions, just more of a general post about how much he is growing - blink and you would miss it!
He defiantly knows what he likes and does not like, and he seems more than willing to tell us. If his cup of milk is not fridge cold he will hand it straight back and tell me that it is "yucky and older".
Last night was his Nana's birthday and we bought a simple butter cake to share as a little bit of a celebration. The cake had glaze cherries mixed through it and on top - I knew that M34tb4LL and Peanut are rather partial to glaze cherries and was pretty sure that Nana likes them as well. The cake went down with everyone (I had a piece without the cherries, not being much of a fan) and Peanut loved the cherries. In fact he got so into the cherries that he picked them out of his piece of cake and handed the dissected cake to M34tb4LL saying he wanted more! M34tb4LL went to the kitchen, got a packet of just cherries and put some on Peanut's plate. Peanut then pushed each of the cherries into his piece of cake only to pick them out again so he could eat them.
When we were finished M34tb4LL took the cake into the kitchen. A few minutes later Peanut wondered off and came back into the room carrying the cake! He handed the plate to M34tb4LL and told him that he wanted more cake - little greedy guts! We of course then had to stop laughing long enough to tell him that we felt that he had enough cake - which was not easy to do!!!
Bedtime is another thing that Peanut is getting very good at telling us whether he is ready for or not, and even if he is willing to get into bed himself - he still tries to stretch things out by wanting us to read him stories, sing songs with him or rub his back as he calls it "circles". However there have only been a few times that we have given up and bundled him into the car to "drive" him to sleep, last night we were close i must admit but we did not have to go there.
So i think we can pretty much say that little self-dressing, self-opinionated, self-aware person is growing up so fast! He really is no longer our baby - time to have another one then...
(: Reggie
The toilet training is coming along nicely, if that is a word can be used to describe the process of trying to encourage a child to use the bathroom, and that is thanks to the daycare centre. Each morning now rather than changing his night nappy for a clean dry nappy, he will pull on a pair of undies (and yes, he puts them on himself) and then it is off to the daycare centre - or on non-daycare days he will plonk himself in the kitchen to wait for some brekkie.
Most days when I pick him up from the centre he will not be in the same clothes that I dropped him off in and there will be a bag of clothes for me to wash BUT it is obvious that there must be more successful trips to the toilet than non AND the days that there is no bag of washing for me are picking up.
It seems to be a bit of process but the girls at the daycare centre are positive about his progress, and I have noticed improvement myself when we are at home. I have heard stories from other mums about how their kids are toilet trained in a week or two, but my response to that is that i have a life and I can not spend two weeks doing nothing other than watching my child's every slightest move and rushing to the toilet every 15 minutes while never leaving the house!!!
But this was not actually going to be a post about Peanut's bodily functions, just more of a general post about how much he is growing - blink and you would miss it!
He defiantly knows what he likes and does not like, and he seems more than willing to tell us. If his cup of milk is not fridge cold he will hand it straight back and tell me that it is "yucky and older".
Last night was his Nana's birthday and we bought a simple butter cake to share as a little bit of a celebration. The cake had glaze cherries mixed through it and on top - I knew that M34tb4LL and Peanut are rather partial to glaze cherries and was pretty sure that Nana likes them as well. The cake went down with everyone (I had a piece without the cherries, not being much of a fan) and Peanut loved the cherries. In fact he got so into the cherries that he picked them out of his piece of cake and handed the dissected cake to M34tb4LL saying he wanted more! M34tb4LL went to the kitchen, got a packet of just cherries and put some on Peanut's plate. Peanut then pushed each of the cherries into his piece of cake only to pick them out again so he could eat them.
When we were finished M34tb4LL took the cake into the kitchen. A few minutes later Peanut wondered off and came back into the room carrying the cake! He handed the plate to M34tb4LL and told him that he wanted more cake - little greedy guts! We of course then had to stop laughing long enough to tell him that we felt that he had enough cake - which was not easy to do!!!
Bedtime is another thing that Peanut is getting very good at telling us whether he is ready for or not, and even if he is willing to get into bed himself - he still tries to stretch things out by wanting us to read him stories, sing songs with him or rub his back as he calls it "circles". However there have only been a few times that we have given up and bundled him into the car to "drive" him to sleep, last night we were close i must admit but we did not have to go there.
So i think we can pretty much say that little self-dressing, self-opinionated, self-aware person is growing up so fast! He really is no longer our baby - time to have another one then...
(: Reggie
Monday, 29 June 2009
"I'm a big brother"
And that is close as we have managed to get Peanut to tell people that he is "going to be a big brother". Which he is, not that he understands what that means really, but he is going to have to figure it out or he is going to get one all mighty shock!
I bought a couple of book to read to him about little boys becoming brothers. He has taken quite a shine to the book called "There's a House Inside My Mummy". It may be rather strange way of looking at things - from a grownup perspective - but we tend to have at least a small grasp on the idea of where babies come from. For a two year old i could imagine that it would be a very confusing idea to get ones little head around.
The book is very good at putting the concept of pregnancy into the giant metaphor of house inside Mummy and it does it all in a nice little rhyming way - too cute! Problem is that Peanut now thinks there is house in his tummy and in Daddy's, and today he lifting my top trying to see the house...
Well, like i said, there is time for him to work it out and if he doesn't get it by the time the baby comes he will defiantly have to work it out then!
(: Reggie
I bought a couple of book to read to him about little boys becoming brothers. He has taken quite a shine to the book called "There's a House Inside My Mummy". It may be rather strange way of looking at things - from a grownup perspective - but we tend to have at least a small grasp on the idea of where babies come from. For a two year old i could imagine that it would be a very confusing idea to get ones little head around.
The book is very good at putting the concept of pregnancy into the giant metaphor of house inside Mummy and it does it all in a nice little rhyming way - too cute! Problem is that Peanut now thinks there is house in his tummy and in Daddy's, and today he lifting my top trying to see the house...
Well, like i said, there is time for him to work it out and if he doesn't get it by the time the baby comes he will defiantly have to work it out then!
(: Reggie
Sunday, 10 May 2009
Kids say the darndest things!!!
Peanut is very good with the talking now, he is putting full sentences together and answers question (most of time like he has understood) that you ask. But he is still quite big with parroting what he has just head or if you ask a question with two options, giving back the option that was the second to be asked.
For example, if I ask him if his much beloved Lambie is a boy or a girl - he says "Lambie is a girl". But if I ask him if Lambie is a girl or a boy - he says that Lambie is a boy.
There are some things that we will repeat things over and over again so the they get in Peanut's head and he will say them on queue, like to wish someone a happy birthday. He has gotten extremely good at saying happy birthday to people - but to the point that he says it nearly every one whether it their birthday or not. He will even sing the happy birthday song and pretend to blow out a candles, again whether it is their birthday or not.
And of course there are sometimes when what we have told him or what he has heard will get an odd reaction. Back in January one of the carers at Peanut's day care centre pulled me aside, concerned that there was a bit of family situation going on that Peanut seemed to have picked up on. He had told this carer that "Nana's a bitch" - or at least that is what she thought he was saying.
I explained that my mother-in-law was spending her summer holiday at Rosebud and that Peanut was just telling her that Nana was at the beach. We then quickly changed what were saying to Peanut about his Nana's whereabouts to either: Nana is at Rosebud or Nana is down the beach.
And of course there are sometimes that things are said in front of Peanut that he just picks up on instantly. Like the time that he was in the car with his Granny and Grandpop. I was at work so I am only telling the story as it was told to me. Peanut's Grandpop was driving the car and took a wrong turn, he let out his frustration at this mistake but saying "BUGGER". Peanut's two grandparents them heard from the back seat, clear as a bell, Peanut saying "BUGGER". Grandpop tried to tell Peanut that he had actually said "bother" not "bugger" but Peanut was sure of what he had heard and corrected him "No Grandpop, not bother, bugger".
M34tb4LL will sometimes give Peanut a shoulder ride and if he puts him on one shoulder he will say he is a pirate and that Peanut is his parrot. Peanut loved this, he will prouding sit on M34tb4LL's shoulder and say "Daddy's a pirate!". Well yesterday we were at a shopping centre and when Peanut had had enough of being in his pram, M34tb4LL lifted him onto this shoulder. I noticed that Peanut had a smudge of chocolate on his face - from the babychino he had just devoured - and I tried to clean it off his face. Peanut quickly smacked my hand away and said "No Mummy, no touching the pirate!" However once he was in his car seat and buckled in I was free to clean the chocolate off his face, he was no longer a pirate you see.
But there are somethings that no matter how much we encourage Peanut to say something - he won't... it is a bit strange. But it is not going to stop us from working on him, like today. I need to get him to say "Happy Mother's Day", not "Happy Mother's Birthday" like he is currently...
(: Reggie
For example, if I ask him if his much beloved Lambie is a boy or a girl - he says "Lambie is a girl". But if I ask him if Lambie is a girl or a boy - he says that Lambie is a boy.
There are some things that we will repeat things over and over again so the they get in Peanut's head and he will say them on queue, like to wish someone a happy birthday. He has gotten extremely good at saying happy birthday to people - but to the point that he says it nearly every one whether it their birthday or not. He will even sing the happy birthday song and pretend to blow out a candles, again whether it is their birthday or not.
And of course there are sometimes when what we have told him or what he has heard will get an odd reaction. Back in January one of the carers at Peanut's day care centre pulled me aside, concerned that there was a bit of family situation going on that Peanut seemed to have picked up on. He had told this carer that "Nana's a bitch" - or at least that is what she thought he was saying.
I explained that my mother-in-law was spending her summer holiday at Rosebud and that Peanut was just telling her that Nana was at the beach. We then quickly changed what were saying to Peanut about his Nana's whereabouts to either: Nana is at Rosebud or Nana is down the beach.
And of course there are sometimes that things are said in front of Peanut that he just picks up on instantly. Like the time that he was in the car with his Granny and Grandpop. I was at work so I am only telling the story as it was told to me. Peanut's Grandpop was driving the car and took a wrong turn, he let out his frustration at this mistake but saying "BUGGER". Peanut's two grandparents them heard from the back seat, clear as a bell, Peanut saying "BUGGER". Grandpop tried to tell Peanut that he had actually said "bother" not "bugger" but Peanut was sure of what he had heard and corrected him "No Grandpop, not bother, bugger".
M34tb4LL will sometimes give Peanut a shoulder ride and if he puts him on one shoulder he will say he is a pirate and that Peanut is his parrot. Peanut loved this, he will prouding sit on M34tb4LL's shoulder and say "Daddy's a pirate!". Well yesterday we were at a shopping centre and when Peanut had had enough of being in his pram, M34tb4LL lifted him onto this shoulder. I noticed that Peanut had a smudge of chocolate on his face - from the babychino he had just devoured - and I tried to clean it off his face. Peanut quickly smacked my hand away and said "No Mummy, no touching the pirate!" However once he was in his car seat and buckled in I was free to clean the chocolate off his face, he was no longer a pirate you see.
But there are somethings that no matter how much we encourage Peanut to say something - he won't... it is a bit strange. But it is not going to stop us from working on him, like today. I need to get him to say "Happy Mother's Day", not "Happy Mother's Birthday" like he is currently...
(: Reggie
Friday, 10 April 2009
Helper monkey in training
Now those of you who know me, know that I am not much of a domestic goddess. In fact it has been said that my only domestic quality is the fact that I live in a house! Cleaning is not one of my strong points, but thankfully those who know and love me seem to be able to overlook this.
Peanut is becoming more and more helpful around the house. I'm sure that by now you have all seen the YouTube video of him helping me empty the dishwasher. And if you haven't seen it go look at it! it is adorable!!! Here is a link to the video -
Every home should have one of these
I must admit though, every time he helps me, I do hold my breath till we have finished.
So anyway, at Peanut's 2 year check-up the MCHN (maternal & child health nurse) I was told that a child should have his own chores to do around the house. Picking up toys, putting his used clothes in the laundry basket - whatever. And the amount of the chores the child should have should be the same number as his age. So, seeing as Peanut has turned two, he should have two chores - tasks that are his to complete.
The first chore that has been assigned him was the one that you have all witnessed. And if you do not know what I am talking about - SERIOUSLY, GO AND WATCH THE VIDEO AND THEN COME BACK AND FINISH READING!!! Go on, the story here can wait a few minutes.
As for the second chore, this is where am stuck!!! I can't really get him to put his used clothes in the basket, seeing as he does not get himself undressed (well, not most of the time) and the basket is next to the change table. Unless I throw the clothes on the floor next to the basket and get him to pick them up, but what kind of an example am I setting for him. Throwing things on the floor then telling him to pick them up. That is just inviting a monkey see monkey do scenario.
But the idea did get me thinking. Though we might not have given him two chores yet, does not mean we can not start training him! For Christmas we gave him a mini Dyson vacuum cleaner that looks pretty much like the Dyson we have. So the other day when I vacuumed the floor (and this is a pretty rare event, but ...) I gave him his Dyson vacuum and encouraged him to follow me around the house so we were vacuuming together, he thought it was terrific fun. He is a bit too little at the moment to use the real thing - but soon...
Next I am thinking of sending him out in to the yard with his push-along toy (not sure what it is called really) and get him to follow me around while I mow the lawn. Then I could get one of those play kitchen / food sets and get him to practise making dinner!!!
The potential here is endless! If he thinks a chore is playing - then I'll let him play away!!! Of course there is still the problem that at two he currently only has one chore - not two.
(: Reggie
Peanut is becoming more and more helpful around the house. I'm sure that by now you have all seen the YouTube video of him helping me empty the dishwasher. And if you haven't seen it go look at it! it is adorable!!! Here is a link to the video -
Every home should have one of these
I must admit though, every time he helps me, I do hold my breath till we have finished.
So anyway, at Peanut's 2 year check-up the MCHN (maternal & child health nurse) I was told that a child should have his own chores to do around the house. Picking up toys, putting his used clothes in the laundry basket - whatever. And the amount of the chores the child should have should be the same number as his age. So, seeing as Peanut has turned two, he should have two chores - tasks that are his to complete.
The first chore that has been assigned him was the one that you have all witnessed. And if you do not know what I am talking about - SERIOUSLY, GO AND WATCH THE VIDEO AND THEN COME BACK AND FINISH READING!!! Go on, the story here can wait a few minutes.
As for the second chore, this is where am stuck!!! I can't really get him to put his used clothes in the basket, seeing as he does not get himself undressed (well, not most of the time) and the basket is next to the change table. Unless I throw the clothes on the floor next to the basket and get him to pick them up, but what kind of an example am I setting for him. Throwing things on the floor then telling him to pick them up. That is just inviting a monkey see monkey do scenario.
But the idea did get me thinking. Though we might not have given him two chores yet, does not mean we can not start training him! For Christmas we gave him a mini Dyson vacuum cleaner that looks pretty much like the Dyson we have. So the other day when I vacuumed the floor (and this is a pretty rare event, but ...) I gave him his Dyson vacuum and encouraged him to follow me around the house so we were vacuuming together, he thought it was terrific fun. He is a bit too little at the moment to use the real thing - but soon...
Next I am thinking of sending him out in to the yard with his push-along toy (not sure what it is called really) and get him to follow me around while I mow the lawn. Then I could get one of those play kitchen / food sets and get him to practise making dinner!!!
The potential here is endless! If he thinks a chore is playing - then I'll let him play away!!! Of course there is still the problem that at two he currently only has one chore - not two.
(: Reggie
Saturday, 7 March 2009
The transformation is nearly complete
Peanut celebrated his second birthday nearly a month ago and he seems to be changing from baby to little right before our eyes.
He is getting very good at telling us what he wants, he is not be talking in full sentences - well he is only two - but he is pretty well trying to. He is walking and running around everywhere is getting less willing to sit in the pram while we are at the shops. And with his latest haircut he looks every bit the part of the little boy.
Last weekend M34tb4LL took the bars off one side of Peanuts cot and attached the stability rail that it came it. The cot we bought for Peanut can be converted into a toddler bed. The first night that Peanut slept in his 'bed' it took him a while to settle down. Each time we tried to put into his bed he got upset because he couldn't pull the side up. I suppose it would seem every strange to someone who has spent two years sleeping in an enclosed, cage like bed to suddenly being put into a bed that has no sides and is wide open.
But the funny thing it was the first night that Peanut seemed to be nervous about his new sleeping arrangements. The next morning when his Nana (my mother-in-law) came over so we could go to the farmers market together, Peanut was very keen to show her his new bed and how he could get in and out of it all my himself.
The next night he was happy enough to go to bed and the night after that he did not want to be carried to and placed in, he wanted to walk to his room himself and get into the bed on his own. And i must say that know there is no bar to try to get over - it is much easier for M34tb4LL and me to give Peanut a goodnight kiss and cuddle.
So what is next in the baby-to-boy transformation? Toilet training... It has started, sort of. Peanut has a training seat and can climb the steps and sit on the seat, but personally - I'm not really sure how to get him make the connection as to what to do when he is there! And having a house that is fully carpeted, including one of the bathrooms - I hope the learning is not going to get TOO messy!
(: Reggie
He is getting very good at telling us what he wants, he is not be talking in full sentences - well he is only two - but he is pretty well trying to. He is walking and running around everywhere is getting less willing to sit in the pram while we are at the shops. And with his latest haircut he looks every bit the part of the little boy.
Last weekend M34tb4LL took the bars off one side of Peanuts cot and attached the stability rail that it came it. The cot we bought for Peanut can be converted into a toddler bed. The first night that Peanut slept in his 'bed' it took him a while to settle down. Each time we tried to put into his bed he got upset because he couldn't pull the side up. I suppose it would seem every strange to someone who has spent two years sleeping in an enclosed, cage like bed to suddenly being put into a bed that has no sides and is wide open.
But the funny thing it was the first night that Peanut seemed to be nervous about his new sleeping arrangements. The next morning when his Nana (my mother-in-law) came over so we could go to the farmers market together, Peanut was very keen to show her his new bed and how he could get in and out of it all my himself.
The next night he was happy enough to go to bed and the night after that he did not want to be carried to and placed in, he wanted to walk to his room himself and get into the bed on his own. And i must say that know there is no bar to try to get over - it is much easier for M34tb4LL and me to give Peanut a goodnight kiss and cuddle.
So what is next in the baby-to-boy transformation? Toilet training... It has started, sort of. Peanut has a training seat and can climb the steps and sit on the seat, but personally - I'm not really sure how to get him make the connection as to what to do when he is there! And having a house that is fully carpeted, including one of the bathrooms - I hope the learning is not going to get TOO messy!
(: Reggie
Tuesday, 3 February 2009
Inflation Woos
No, this is not a post about the "suffering economy". This is the Peanut blog and all the random ramblings that go here are all about our boy - or boy related dealings.
Today (or at least the day that i started typing this post) was a hot day, a very hot day, very very very very hot day! And seeing as our air-con had already been running for nearly two days straight i thought it was time to switch it off and seek cooler quarters.
So i bundles Peanut into the car and drove the local shopping centre, hoping to get some relief from the heat. When we got there however we found that the air-conditioning had broken down in 2/3 of the building, but there was plenty of shops to browse around that did still have a temperature that was remarkably better than it was outside.
At our local shopping centre, and I'm sure at others, there seems to be a growing trend for business to try and give a certain item to any small child who wanders (or is pushed - in a pram or stroller i mean) by. And it was this trend that i said "NO, no thank you" to seven times on this particular day.
The items that are being handed out care freely are balloons...
Now comes the question, why would i not want my child to be handed a balloon? Kids love balloons! Kids find holding a balloon fun! But, call me strange (most people do) i don't like balloons. They have a tendency to pop and when they pop - not only do they make a loud noise and scare the bejeebers out one - but they have the potential to take some one's eye out! Ans statistically 56% (Please note that this statistic has been completely made up) of all eye injuries in this country are caused by flying balloon debris.
And is not just my personal dislike for balloons that makes me not want to except them when they are offered, it is also the way that Peanut treats them. As soon as he receives a balloon will try and hit thing (and people) with it, he constantly drops it and wants it picked up, runs his fingers over it to make a squeaky noise and (the worst one) he tries to bite it - which if he is successful will result in a loud pop and an injured eye.
But back to the practise of how balloons are being distributed in shopping centre. I must admit that i do find it a bit rude that the people who are handing out the balloon just ask a child that happens to be walking (or being pushed) by directly if they want a balloon, they do not ask the parent (of care giver) if it is alright to offer the child a balloon - they just give it.
Do we not live in an age where we are supposed to teaching our children about "stranger danger"? Now i have my own opinion on "stranger danger", and the bollocks that it is, but that is not for this post. And what if the parent does not want the child to have a balloon, for any reason, not just the strange near-phobic reasons that i have.
So why don't these balloon handing people just ask a parent - "would your child like a balloon?" and leave it to the parent to confer with the child, and the answer will no doubt be yes, but the child still thinks they have a choice.
(: Reggie
p.s. - I don't like balloons
Today (or at least the day that i started typing this post) was a hot day, a very hot day, very very very very hot day! And seeing as our air-con had already been running for nearly two days straight i thought it was time to switch it off and seek cooler quarters.
So i bundles Peanut into the car and drove the local shopping centre, hoping to get some relief from the heat. When we got there however we found that the air-conditioning had broken down in 2/3 of the building, but there was plenty of shops to browse around that did still have a temperature that was remarkably better than it was outside.
At our local shopping centre, and I'm sure at others, there seems to be a growing trend for business to try and give a certain item to any small child who wanders (or is pushed - in a pram or stroller i mean) by. And it was this trend that i said "NO, no thank you" to seven times on this particular day.
The items that are being handed out care freely are balloons...
Now comes the question, why would i not want my child to be handed a balloon? Kids love balloons! Kids find holding a balloon fun! But, call me strange (most people do) i don't like balloons. They have a tendency to pop and when they pop - not only do they make a loud noise and scare the bejeebers out one - but they have the potential to take some one's eye out! Ans statistically 56% (Please note that this statistic has been completely made up) of all eye injuries in this country are caused by flying balloon debris.
And is not just my personal dislike for balloons that makes me not want to except them when they are offered, it is also the way that Peanut treats them. As soon as he receives a balloon will try and hit thing (and people) with it, he constantly drops it and wants it picked up, runs his fingers over it to make a squeaky noise and (the worst one) he tries to bite it - which if he is successful will result in a loud pop and an injured eye.
But back to the practise of how balloons are being distributed in shopping centre. I must admit that i do find it a bit rude that the people who are handing out the balloon just ask a child that happens to be walking (or being pushed) by directly if they want a balloon, they do not ask the parent (of care giver) if it is alright to offer the child a balloon - they just give it.
Do we not live in an age where we are supposed to teaching our children about "stranger danger"? Now i have my own opinion on "stranger danger", and the bollocks that it is, but that is not for this post. And what if the parent does not want the child to have a balloon, for any reason, not just the strange near-phobic reasons that i have.
So why don't these balloon handing people just ask a parent - "would your child like a balloon?" and leave it to the parent to confer with the child, and the answer will no doubt be yes, but the child still thinks they have a choice.
(: Reggie
p.s. - I don't like balloons
Monday, 26 January 2009
Pram Rage
Having a child definitely adds another chapter to ones life. The house takes on a whole appearance, and the practice of 'popping out to the shops' becames a highly coordinated event. And it is on this that i would like to reflect today.
I have quite a passion for shopping – I love it. If shopping was a full time job i would do overtime every week AND still pop out to the shops on my day off.
At my local shopping centre there used to be a woman who was there every day that was known as the pram natzi. I know she was there everyday because of my own observations and that of and other mum who go to the centre. And i say used to be, because she has not been seen for sometime now...
From my own experiences (and the stories i have heard from other mums) TPN (the pram natzi) always seemed to appear from nowhere and always manages to nearly run into any pram she sees and she will abuse the hell out of the pram driver!!!
But another perk of being a pram driver is the parking at my local shopping centre. A few places within the car park there a designated parking spots for “parents with prams”. Half the time these spots are already taken because it is not like they are a secret, but they are very handy when you can get one of them.
The last time i managed to get one of the parks it was a wet, rainy day. Now on wet days, if you can just jump out of your car and run into the shops – it is a hassle, but it is not that hard. But when you have a child it is impossible to jump out of the car and run. With a child (toddler in my case), i have to get out of the car, go round to the boot and get the pram out, go back to the passenger side of the car and get any bags that i may have brought with me - which on a good day will consist of my handbag, a nappy bag, a bag with food and drink options for Peanut and some empty bags to put any shopping into – then i have to get Peanut out of the car and into the pram and then and only then can i think about heading into the shops.
Now this is a bit for of process at the best of times, but when it is raining it becomes quite a rushed event, and having the option of using a “parent with pram” parking spot (which tend to be very close to the door of the shopping centre, making the dash ends up being the easiest part of it.
So on the day in question, the wet and raining day, once Peanut and i had finished our shopping we headed back to the car. Of course as soon as i pulled the pram up along side the car there was a car waiting to take the spot and i noticed the there was only one person in the car – the driver, no child, no baby, and definitely no pram! So i took my time getting my shopping into the car (it had stopped raining), took my time putting Peanut into his car seat, took my time folding up the pram and putting it into the boot. The car that was waiting sat there through all this.
I did consider doing an “oops, i forgot something” motion and getting Peanut back out of the car and going back into the shops, but Peanut was tired and i did want to get him home.
So i pulled the car out of the parking spot and watched as the other driver pulled his car in. I sat there and watched him as he sat in his car for a few moments and then when he got out of the car i wound my window to alert him to the error he had made with choosing that particular parking spot.
“Excuse me, did you realise that you have parked in a “parents with prams” parking space?” - “Lose some weight Fatty” was the mans response. Well i knew that i was dealing with someone of incredible intellect and i pointed out to him the people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. He asked me what i meant by that and i reminded him that he also carried a little bit of extra weight.
His next insult to me was as well thought out and articulate as the first - “Why don't you get a job!”, to which i corrected him that i do currently have gainful employment - “As what? a hooker?” - “No, a receptionist” - “your a cocky bitch, you just need a good f*@#” - “Thanks for the advise, I'll let my husband know your opinion and see if he can remedy that fact”.
It was at that point that he just gave me a bit of a snarl and walked into the shopping centre.
But of course having a pram is not all conflict, you should how much shopping i can fit into that thing! I'm thinking that even when Peanut does not need it anymore i will still take it to the shops just for the bag space.
:) Reggie
I have quite a passion for shopping – I love it. If shopping was a full time job i would do overtime every week AND still pop out to the shops on my day off.
At my local shopping centre there used to be a woman who was there every day that was known as the pram natzi. I know she was there everyday because of my own observations and that of and other mum who go to the centre. And i say used to be, because she has not been seen for sometime now...
From my own experiences (and the stories i have heard from other mums) TPN (the pram natzi) always seemed to appear from nowhere and always manages to nearly run into any pram she sees and she will abuse the hell out of the pram driver!!!
But another perk of being a pram driver is the parking at my local shopping centre. A few places within the car park there a designated parking spots for “parents with prams”. Half the time these spots are already taken because it is not like they are a secret, but they are very handy when you can get one of them.
The last time i managed to get one of the parks it was a wet, rainy day. Now on wet days, if you can just jump out of your car and run into the shops – it is a hassle, but it is not that hard. But when you have a child it is impossible to jump out of the car and run. With a child (toddler in my case), i have to get out of the car, go round to the boot and get the pram out, go back to the passenger side of the car and get any bags that i may have brought with me - which on a good day will consist of my handbag, a nappy bag, a bag with food and drink options for Peanut and some empty bags to put any shopping into – then i have to get Peanut out of the car and into the pram and then and only then can i think about heading into the shops.
Now this is a bit for of process at the best of times, but when it is raining it becomes quite a rushed event, and having the option of using a “parent with pram” parking spot (which tend to be very close to the door of the shopping centre, making the dash ends up being the easiest part of it.
So on the day in question, the wet and raining day, once Peanut and i had finished our shopping we headed back to the car. Of course as soon as i pulled the pram up along side the car there was a car waiting to take the spot and i noticed the there was only one person in the car – the driver, no child, no baby, and definitely no pram! So i took my time getting my shopping into the car (it had stopped raining), took my time putting Peanut into his car seat, took my time folding up the pram and putting it into the boot. The car that was waiting sat there through all this.
I did consider doing an “oops, i forgot something” motion and getting Peanut back out of the car and going back into the shops, but Peanut was tired and i did want to get him home.
So i pulled the car out of the parking spot and watched as the other driver pulled his car in. I sat there and watched him as he sat in his car for a few moments and then when he got out of the car i wound my window to alert him to the error he had made with choosing that particular parking spot.
“Excuse me, did you realise that you have parked in a “parents with prams” parking space?” - “Lose some weight Fatty” was the mans response. Well i knew that i was dealing with someone of incredible intellect and i pointed out to him the people who live in glass houses should not throw stones. He asked me what i meant by that and i reminded him that he also carried a little bit of extra weight.
His next insult to me was as well thought out and articulate as the first - “Why don't you get a job!”, to which i corrected him that i do currently have gainful employment - “As what? a hooker?” - “No, a receptionist” - “your a cocky bitch, you just need a good f*@#” - “Thanks for the advise, I'll let my husband know your opinion and see if he can remedy that fact”.
It was at that point that he just gave me a bit of a snarl and walked into the shopping centre.
But of course having a pram is not all conflict, you should how much shopping i can fit into that thing! I'm thinking that even when Peanut does not need it anymore i will still take it to the shops just for the bag space.
:) Reggie
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
He's going to be how old?
TWO!!!
In less than a month our little Peanut is going to be two years old!!!
My how the time has flown.
But then has it?
Time is a very strange thing when it is put into context with a child. It seems like no time at all since Peanut was a tiny little baby who would curl up into a ball on my chest and go to sleep. But that was nearly two years ago, and in that time we have done a lot of patient waiting.
How many sleepless nights did we have where we thought he would never mater the art of sleeping through the night. I can assure you that the time did not fly by then. As any parent (or person who have lived in a house with a baby) would know, midnight to five AM seems to go forever when you are pacing up and down a dimly lit hall way trying to settle an upset infant.
The first few meals that Peanut ate seemed to go on forever - and such a small amount of food was eaten. I have watched the video of Peanuts first meal and it only goes for a few minutes but my memory of it was it took nearly an hour! Putting the spoon to his lips, watching him as he tries to figure out what on earth he is supposed to do with this new object that has been shoved in front of his face, taking the food off the spoon and then letting it dribble out because he doesn't realise he had to swallow it!
And i can remember watching Peanut for what felt like hours as he tried to figure out how to take those first few steps. Again it felt like hours that we watch him pull him self up, wobble around a bit and then fall back down to the ground.
So it is weird to think that time has gone so quickly when i think of individual events that seem to have passed by so slowly.
(: Reggie
In less than a month our little Peanut is going to be two years old!!!
My how the time has flown.
But then has it?
Time is a very strange thing when it is put into context with a child. It seems like no time at all since Peanut was a tiny little baby who would curl up into a ball on my chest and go to sleep. But that was nearly two years ago, and in that time we have done a lot of patient waiting.
How many sleepless nights did we have where we thought he would never mater the art of sleeping through the night. I can assure you that the time did not fly by then. As any parent (or person who have lived in a house with a baby) would know, midnight to five AM seems to go forever when you are pacing up and down a dimly lit hall way trying to settle an upset infant.
The first few meals that Peanut ate seemed to go on forever - and such a small amount of food was eaten. I have watched the video of Peanuts first meal and it only goes for a few minutes but my memory of it was it took nearly an hour! Putting the spoon to his lips, watching him as he tries to figure out what on earth he is supposed to do with this new object that has been shoved in front of his face, taking the food off the spoon and then letting it dribble out because he doesn't realise he had to swallow it!
And i can remember watching Peanut for what felt like hours as he tried to figure out how to take those first few steps. Again it felt like hours that we watch him pull him self up, wobble around a bit and then fall back down to the ground.
So it is weird to think that time has gone so quickly when i think of individual events that seem to have passed by so slowly.
(: Reggie
Friday, 28 November 2008
Peanut Pronounciation
I have always been amazed by mums who can listen to (what sound like to me) the incoherent babbling of their child and seem to know exactly what the youngster is saying.
Now I think I might be turning into one of those people! I say "think" and "might" because there are many time that Peanut will say something to me and wait for a reply and I have no idea what to say back - other "I have no idea of what you are talking about, so here is a picture of a rabbit with a pancake on it's head".
But there are a few words, in fact an ever growing list of words that Peanut says that i do understand. And I must admit the feeling of self satisfaction I get when Peanut rambles something and someone next to me will cock there head to the side and say "what did he say?", and I can answer, is pretty darn good. It is one of those good, glowing, see-I-know-my-child feelings.
So here is the list (or part of the list) of what I like to call 'Logan Language' -
hulloo - hello (well, i like to start with the easy ones)
luv dew - love you
lala - water (now we are getting to only a parent would understand territory)
lalala - waterfall
eatlicks - wheatbix
borbee - strawberry
beepop - grandpop
danny - granny
gape - grape
ock - socks
aa-la-aarm - other arm (when getting dressed, there is one arm then other arm)
ill - Will (Peanut's cousin)
eeaawa - Xavier (Peanut's friend)
eeum - Liam (another of Peanut's friends)
toked namwich - toasted sandwich
pissmiss - Christmas
Hummmm, these are all I can think of for know. But next Peanut and I have a conversation I will take note of the words he is saying (and how he is saying them) and update this post.
(: Reggie
Now I think I might be turning into one of those people! I say "think" and "might" because there are many time that Peanut will say something to me and wait for a reply and I have no idea what to say back - other "I have no idea of what you are talking about, so here is a picture of a rabbit with a pancake on it's head".
But there are a few words, in fact an ever growing list of words that Peanut says that i do understand. And I must admit the feeling of self satisfaction I get when Peanut rambles something and someone next to me will cock there head to the side and say "what did he say?", and I can answer, is pretty darn good. It is one of those good, glowing, see-I-know-my-child feelings.
So here is the list (or part of the list) of what I like to call 'Logan Language' -
hulloo - hello (well, i like to start with the easy ones)
luv dew - love you
lala - water (now we are getting to only a parent would understand territory)
lalala - waterfall
eatlicks - wheatbix
borbee - strawberry
beepop - grandpop
danny - granny
gape - grape
ock - socks
aa-la-aarm - other arm (when getting dressed, there is one arm then other arm)
ill - Will (Peanut's cousin)
eeaawa - Xavier (Peanut's friend)
eeum - Liam (another of Peanut's friends)
toked namwich - toasted sandwich
pissmiss - Christmas
Hummmm, these are all I can think of for know. But next Peanut and I have a conversation I will take note of the words he is saying (and how he is saying them) and update this post.
(: Reggie
Saturday, 22 November 2008
Child's Play
So my main question is – are kids these days born more technology savvy or is technology becoming child's play.
M34tb4LL bought himself a new toy for his birthday – a brand spanking new ipod touch, and a couple of nights ago he was showing Peanut photos on it. M34tb4LL was scrolling through the photos (for those of you not familiar with the ipod touch, one finger is used to scroll – or swipe across the screen to go to the next photo) and Peanut was telling us who was in each photo.
Well the next thing we know, Peanut had take the ipod out of M34tb4LL's hand and was scrolling through the photos all by himself! and of course he was still identifying people he knew in the photos as he went.
But then he did something that even M34tb4LL didn't know could be done. Peanut did a double tap on the screen and zoomed in on the photo. He then zoomed out again and scrolled to the next photo.
And is not just the ipod touch that Peanut has sussed out, He knows that a remote control should be pointed at the entertainment unit to make thing work, and he knows difference between a real remote and a toy one. He knows that to work a computer you use a mouse, and if he is sitting my knee while i am at the computer and he doesn't like what i am doing he will grab my hand and guide it to the mouse to give me the hint. He knows what a mobile phone is for and when he gets a hold of my mobile he talks into it, he even tries to press the buttons to get it to work. And he will hand the mobile back to me say “cheese” in the hope that i will take his photo.
I would say he is too smart for his own good where it comes to technology, but the truth is more like that he is too smart for my own good! At the speed that he is picking things up he will be able to beat me and M34tb4LL on every game we own by the time he is three!!!
(: Reggie
M34tb4LL bought himself a new toy for his birthday – a brand spanking new ipod touch, and a couple of nights ago he was showing Peanut photos on it. M34tb4LL was scrolling through the photos (for those of you not familiar with the ipod touch, one finger is used to scroll – or swipe across the screen to go to the next photo) and Peanut was telling us who was in each photo.
Well the next thing we know, Peanut had take the ipod out of M34tb4LL's hand and was scrolling through the photos all by himself! and of course he was still identifying people he knew in the photos as he went.
But then he did something that even M34tb4LL didn't know could be done. Peanut did a double tap on the screen and zoomed in on the photo. He then zoomed out again and scrolled to the next photo.
And is not just the ipod touch that Peanut has sussed out, He knows that a remote control should be pointed at the entertainment unit to make thing work, and he knows difference between a real remote and a toy one. He knows that to work a computer you use a mouse, and if he is sitting my knee while i am at the computer and he doesn't like what i am doing he will grab my hand and guide it to the mouse to give me the hint. He knows what a mobile phone is for and when he gets a hold of my mobile he talks into it, he even tries to press the buttons to get it to work. And he will hand the mobile back to me say “cheese” in the hope that i will take his photo.
I would say he is too smart for his own good where it comes to technology, but the truth is more like that he is too smart for my own good! At the speed that he is picking things up he will be able to beat me and M34tb4LL on every game we own by the time he is three!!!
(: Reggie
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Seeing things through his eyes
I have brown eyes, I was born with them in fact. M34tb4LL has blue eyes, also his natural colour.
When I was pregnant with Peanut I found a website that you put in the eye colour of each parent and of each parents parent and it will give you the percentage change for different eye colour for your child.
Going by this website Peanut had a 50% chance of having brown eyes, 37.5% chance or having blue eyes and 12.5% of green. The website also predicted that our first child would have blue eyes, the next two would have brown, then there would be another two blue eyed children and a finally one more brown. Not sure where they think they are going with assuming that we are going to have 6 children though...
But what I got from that website was that Peanut had a 50% chance of not having brown eyes.
That last comment might sound a bit harsh, but what are you going to do?
I have brown eyes, I have often been known to refer to my eyes as, rather than just brown, as "sometime they are nearly hazel" or "closer to amber really" or even "they change all the time, if you look close you can see green flecks around the pupil". And all of these descriptions are to avoiding saying "I have brown eyes".
So back to when I was pregnant with Peanut, this website said that we had a 50% chance of having a non-browned baby. And I kind of liked those odds. I really like the thought of being able to say "he has eyes like his father".
When Peanut was born he had blue eyes, as I have often been told is the case with all newborn babies. They were a very dark, almost steely blue colour. The first time we went to see our MCHN (Maternal & Child Health Nurse) she commented on the colour of Peanut eyes and how they will be changing to brown very soon. She then clarified this comment with her observation that babies born with light blue eyes take a while for the colour to change (or not if they are to remain blue) where as babies born with dark blue eyes tend to change quite fast.
Now please don't get wrong at this point, I am in way saying that I think Peanut's eye colour is not to my liking! Quite the opposite!!!
I know need to fast forward a bit, well actually fast forward to tonight.
Peanut has a new game he likes to play. He will lie on the couch in the family room and call out "night night" - grinning all the while. We then cover him over with a blanket (face included) and do through the whole "where's Peanut?" routine. He then throws the blanket back and laughs while we pretend to get a fright. I'm not saying it is the most exciting game in the world but to a 20 month old (or close enough to) it is most enjoyable.
Tonight while we were playing it, when Peanut was covered up with the blanket, he was peeking out from under the blanket and his brown eyes were staring right into mine.
It made me kind of catch my breath a little bit, these gorgeous brown eyes staring at me with such innocence yet intensity. Looking into his eyes all I could think was how beautiful they are. I them caught myself thinking "but they are a darker brown than mine", but are they really? I'm not sure. All it would take is for me to look in the mirror, but I do that I do not really study my own features. Not like the way I study Peanut's features, and admire the colour of his eyes.
Since the day Peanut was born I can not tell you how many times people have commented on "how much he looks like his father!" and my response is usually along the lines of "He looks just like his daddy, but he has my eyes."
(: Reggie
When I was pregnant with Peanut I found a website that you put in the eye colour of each parent and of each parents parent and it will give you the percentage change for different eye colour for your child.
Going by this website Peanut had a 50% chance of having brown eyes, 37.5% chance or having blue eyes and 12.5% of green. The website also predicted that our first child would have blue eyes, the next two would have brown, then there would be another two blue eyed children and a finally one more brown. Not sure where they think they are going with assuming that we are going to have 6 children though...
But what I got from that website was that Peanut had a 50% chance of not having brown eyes.
That last comment might sound a bit harsh, but what are you going to do?
I have brown eyes, I have often been known to refer to my eyes as, rather than just brown, as "sometime they are nearly hazel" or "closer to amber really" or even "they change all the time, if you look close you can see green flecks around the pupil". And all of these descriptions are to avoiding saying "I have brown eyes".
So back to when I was pregnant with Peanut, this website said that we had a 50% chance of having a non-browned baby. And I kind of liked those odds. I really like the thought of being able to say "he has eyes like his father".
When Peanut was born he had blue eyes, as I have often been told is the case with all newborn babies. They were a very dark, almost steely blue colour. The first time we went to see our MCHN (Maternal & Child Health Nurse) she commented on the colour of Peanut eyes and how they will be changing to brown very soon. She then clarified this comment with her observation that babies born with light blue eyes take a while for the colour to change (or not if they are to remain blue) where as babies born with dark blue eyes tend to change quite fast.
Now please don't get wrong at this point, I am in way saying that I think Peanut's eye colour is not to my liking! Quite the opposite!!!
I know need to fast forward a bit, well actually fast forward to tonight.
Peanut has a new game he likes to play. He will lie on the couch in the family room and call out "night night" - grinning all the while. We then cover him over with a blanket (face included) and do through the whole "where's Peanut?" routine. He then throws the blanket back and laughs while we pretend to get a fright. I'm not saying it is the most exciting game in the world but to a 20 month old (or close enough to) it is most enjoyable.
Tonight while we were playing it, when Peanut was covered up with the blanket, he was peeking out from under the blanket and his brown eyes were staring right into mine.
It made me kind of catch my breath a little bit, these gorgeous brown eyes staring at me with such innocence yet intensity. Looking into his eyes all I could think was how beautiful they are. I them caught myself thinking "but they are a darker brown than mine", but are they really? I'm not sure. All it would take is for me to look in the mirror, but I do that I do not really study my own features. Not like the way I study Peanut's features, and admire the colour of his eyes.
Since the day Peanut was born I can not tell you how many times people have commented on "how much he looks like his father!" and my response is usually along the lines of "He looks just like his daddy, but he has my eyes."
(: Reggie
Monday, 25 August 2008
The sound of silence
Peanut is now over 18 months old - my sweet lord how the time has flown by - and up until a week ago he was still having a night time feed (he was down to just that one feed a day). Going for 18 months? thank you, i am quite proud of that! But yes, the night feed has been stopped.
We tried to stop giving a night feed about a month ago but after the fourth night of him going to bed and screaming for the best part of an hour we gave up.
When we had Peanut's 18 month check-up with the maternal & child health nurse i asked her advice on how to go about getting him to give up his night feed. She said that rather than supplementing the night feed with formula to change that part of his night time routine.
So instead of sitting in the same chair that we always did and giving him formula in a sippy cup we gave him normal cows milk in a sippy cup and sat on the couch and read a book and sang songs while he drank. This kind of worked, he would go to bed and settle relatively quickly, but was still grizzling a little bit.
Then last Thursday night i was not home to put him to bed. M34tb4LL made a bit more of change to night time routine that went down quite well. M34tb4LL and Peanut sat in front of the computer and while Peanut drank his milk M34tb4LL played him youtube videos of Simon and Garfunkel songs - "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", "The Boxer" and "The Sound of Silence". He then put Peanut to bed and he went to sleep with little trouble!
So for the past few nights we have been sitting Peanut in front of good ole youtube and playing those videos for him and I think it is fairly safe to say that that he is now weened.
There is one slight change to the routine that still needs to made however - when i go to put Peanut in his cot he does not want to give back the sippy cup (whether he has drank all the milk or not). So i have to sneak into his room and take it off him once he is asleep. But in the grand scheme of things i don't see this as being a major thing. He will give that up in time.
I just ask myself the question "how many adults do i know that go to bed holding onto a sippy cup?". None, so i figure he will give that up in his own time.
(: Reggie
We tried to stop giving a night feed about a month ago but after the fourth night of him going to bed and screaming for the best part of an hour we gave up.
When we had Peanut's 18 month check-up with the maternal & child health nurse i asked her advice on how to go about getting him to give up his night feed. She said that rather than supplementing the night feed with formula to change that part of his night time routine.
So instead of sitting in the same chair that we always did and giving him formula in a sippy cup we gave him normal cows milk in a sippy cup and sat on the couch and read a book and sang songs while he drank. This kind of worked, he would go to bed and settle relatively quickly, but was still grizzling a little bit.
Then last Thursday night i was not home to put him to bed. M34tb4LL made a bit more of change to night time routine that went down quite well. M34tb4LL and Peanut sat in front of the computer and while Peanut drank his milk M34tb4LL played him youtube videos of Simon and Garfunkel songs - "Bridge Over Troubled Waters", "The Boxer" and "The Sound of Silence". He then put Peanut to bed and he went to sleep with little trouble!
So for the past few nights we have been sitting Peanut in front of good ole youtube and playing those videos for him and I think it is fairly safe to say that that he is now weened.
There is one slight change to the routine that still needs to made however - when i go to put Peanut in his cot he does not want to give back the sippy cup (whether he has drank all the milk or not). So i have to sneak into his room and take it off him once he is asleep. But in the grand scheme of things i don't see this as being a major thing. He will give that up in time.
I just ask myself the question "how many adults do i know that go to bed holding onto a sippy cup?". None, so i figure he will give that up in his own time.
(: Reggie
Saturday, 2 August 2008
No More Babycinos
It is with much sadness that we have to report the closing of our local Starbucks (along with 60 other stores). The coffee house and more importantly its staff has become a huge part of our lives over the last few years.
It was always the ideal spot to meet up with someone, catch up with friends, or just sit and people-watch ("Ooh, she doesn't look happy/what's that guy doing to the fruit in the fruit shop/look it's the matching track-suited blue-tooth headset couple").
It was also always great to catch up with our friends behind the counter. They were the first people we told that we got married. It was my first stop after leaving the hospital on the day Peanut was born (armed with two blurry pictures on my mobile phone) and when Reggie and Peanut came home, the first thing we did was pack up the pram and walk over to Starbucks for a coffee.
Initially reluctant to comment, Peanut finally released this statement.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
Thanks for the babycino's Bec, Jess, Nat, Ruth (Barry), Toni, Louise, Damien, James, Sarah, Kat, Casey, Sheshi, Joel and Amy.
M34tb4LL
It was always the ideal spot to meet up with someone, catch up with friends, or just sit and people-watch ("Ooh, she doesn't look happy/what's that guy doing to the fruit in the fruit shop/look it's the matching track-suited blue-tooth headset couple").
It was also always great to catch up with our friends behind the counter. They were the first people we told that we got married. It was my first stop after leaving the hospital on the day Peanut was born (armed with two blurry pictures on my mobile phone) and when Reggie and Peanut came home, the first thing we did was pack up the pram and walk over to Starbucks for a coffee.
Initially reluctant to comment, Peanut finally released this statement.
BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH
Thanks for the babycino's Bec, Jess, Nat, Ruth (Barry), Toni, Louise, Damien, James, Sarah, Kat, Casey, Sheshi, Joel and Amy.
M34tb4LL
Wednesday, 9 July 2008
I'm SPARTICUS! (part 2)
So if you had read my last post (and if you have not, read it first then come here) you will know about my recent renaming and the strangeness of becoming one in a crowd. Well now i am going to get to the one to one.
Peanut has no problems letting people in the room when he want me. If he wants my attention he will say in a very clear voice mummy mummy mummy mummy mummy until I respond to him. And sometimes, even when i am giving him my total time he will still sing the mummy chorus.
Of course there is the times when he calls for me because he is not happy and thinks that i can make all things better. Well of course i can make all better, for i am mummy! Anyway... There are many things that a cuddle from mummy can not fix. And the fact that Peanut can not actually explain what is upsetting him, a mummy cuddle is all i need to offer.
A couple of nights ago Peanut woke up after only a couple of hours sleep. Normally if he wakes up (which is actually not that often these days) M34tb4LL and i will leave him in cot for a little bit to see if he will settle himself back to sleep. Sometimes he will wake up and let out a few crys because in his sleep he has lost 'Lannie' (Lambie). And once he finds Lambie (looks under the covers) he will go back to sleep. But the other night he woke up and was not able to settle himself. He was standing up in his cot, hanging his hands over the rail and calling out "mummy mummy mummy".
Though there is so much joy in hearing ones child saying mummy, there is also some times you wish that he had never learned to say it. A child crying is distressing enough, but when they add the mummy bomb it can cause an emotion explosion.
(: Reggie
Peanut has no problems letting people in the room when he want me. If he wants my attention he will say in a very clear voice mummy mummy mummy mummy mummy until I respond to him. And sometimes, even when i am giving him my total time he will still sing the mummy chorus.
Of course there is the times when he calls for me because he is not happy and thinks that i can make all things better. Well of course i can make all better, for i am mummy! Anyway... There are many things that a cuddle from mummy can not fix. And the fact that Peanut can not actually explain what is upsetting him, a mummy cuddle is all i need to offer.
A couple of nights ago Peanut woke up after only a couple of hours sleep. Normally if he wakes up (which is actually not that often these days) M34tb4LL and i will leave him in cot for a little bit to see if he will settle himself back to sleep. Sometimes he will wake up and let out a few crys because in his sleep he has lost 'Lannie' (Lambie). And once he finds Lambie (looks under the covers) he will go back to sleep. But the other night he woke up and was not able to settle himself. He was standing up in his cot, hanging his hands over the rail and calling out "mummy mummy mummy".
Though there is so much joy in hearing ones child saying mummy, there is also some times you wish that he had never learned to say it. A child crying is distressing enough, but when they add the mummy bomb it can cause an emotion explosion.
(: Reggie
Saturday, 5 July 2008
I'm SPARTICUS!
Before Peanut was born I never looked twice when I was out in public and I heard a young voice call out "Mummy!", but now things have changed.
Now the word mummy seems to take up about 60% of my conversations with Peanut. I don't mean that i say mummy 6 out of every 10 words say, I just mean that over half my conversation (no matter how one sided it is) will be in context to myself.
Can mummy have a cuddle?
Give that to mummy!
Do you want to play outside with mummy?
Would you like mummy to help you there?
Mummy would prefer that you didn't eat the random stuff you find on the floor!!!
Peanut has been saying mummy for a while and I remember the joy I felt the first time he said it and held his hands out to me, asking me to pick him up. It is one of those take-your-breath-way moments, you know?
And the bizarre thing is that now when some says my name it takes me a few moments to register that they are talking to me. It is like "who? oh, right that is me! Yep, I'm here".
But now when I am out and about, and I hear a small voice calling out "MUMMY", I think for a moment - "hey that's me, but the child's voice I heard is not my child's voice, and who is that woman who is calling herself mummy, I'm mummy!". Then of course I realise that there are many people out there who respond to the name mummy.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am having an identity crisis. But it was a very strange feeling when a realised that the special name our little peanut has for me is a very common name.
(: Reggie
Now the word mummy seems to take up about 60% of my conversations with Peanut. I don't mean that i say mummy 6 out of every 10 words say, I just mean that over half my conversation (no matter how one sided it is) will be in context to myself.
Can mummy have a cuddle?
Give that to mummy!
Do you want to play outside with mummy?
Would you like mummy to help you there?
Mummy would prefer that you didn't eat the random stuff you find on the floor!!!
Peanut has been saying mummy for a while and I remember the joy I felt the first time he said it and held his hands out to me, asking me to pick him up. It is one of those take-your-breath-way moments, you know?
And the bizarre thing is that now when some says my name it takes me a few moments to register that they are talking to me. It is like "who? oh, right that is me! Yep, I'm here".
But now when I am out and about, and I hear a small voice calling out "MUMMY", I think for a moment - "hey that's me, but the child's voice I heard is not my child's voice, and who is that woman who is calling herself mummy, I'm mummy!". Then of course I realise that there are many people out there who respond to the name mummy.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that I am having an identity crisis. But it was a very strange feeling when a realised that the special name our little peanut has for me is a very common name.
(: Reggie
Friday, 13 June 2008
Night moves
Peanuts night time routine, as i believe i have gone over before, is fairly simple and non-time consuming for us - nappy change, PJs on, five minutes more of play, final milk drink, Daddy will give him Lambie to cuddle and i put him into his cot. Easy! Well i think it is easy. It works for us.
However once Peanut is in his cot there a period of anything a couple of minutes up to half an hour where he is still awake, and if we walk past the door too slowly or he can see one of us there is chance that he will start to crack it and may even need to be taken out of bed and "re-settled".
And it is during this 'not yet asleep' time that i most want to know what he does! Let's take tonight as an example. We put him to bed and he was chattering to himself (ducca ducca ducca ducca ducca ducca) then there was quiet for a few minutes, then we heard a strange thudding noise, there was almost a rhythm to it!
Now i very much wanted to see what Peanut was doing, but did not want to go to the door to look in case it ended with him stopping what he was doing and having him think that i was coming to get him out of bed. It almost sounded like he was trying to work out how to get out of the cot and i half expected him to come walking out of his bedroom door with his arms in the air in victory.
The cot that Peanut sleeps in has solid wooden ends on it. When we started looking for a cot, that was one thing that i knew i wanted the cot to have. Not sure why i wanted at the time, but know i find it great as we can put toys at the end of the cot and he can't see them.
Anyway, back to my point here - i would love to know what Peanut does after we put him to bed and before we hear the first snore coming from his room. Tonight, while listening to the thudding, i mentioned to M34tb4LL that we need to put a webcam in Peanuts room so we can sit and watch what he is doing. I then corrected myself that we would need a night-vision webcam. I tend told myself that that is a silly thought, it would not be possible to get a night-vision webcam
WRONG AGAIN...
...you can get them, and i have found a website where, if we were to get one, it would not cost a fortune. I say if, i have not bought one, of course i also have a another word - yet. I have not bought one YET.
(: Reggie
However once Peanut is in his cot there a period of anything a couple of minutes up to half an hour where he is still awake, and if we walk past the door too slowly or he can see one of us there is chance that he will start to crack it and may even need to be taken out of bed and "re-settled".
And it is during this 'not yet asleep' time that i most want to know what he does! Let's take tonight as an example. We put him to bed and he was chattering to himself (ducca ducca ducca ducca ducca ducca) then there was quiet for a few minutes, then we heard a strange thudding noise, there was almost a rhythm to it!
Now i very much wanted to see what Peanut was doing, but did not want to go to the door to look in case it ended with him stopping what he was doing and having him think that i was coming to get him out of bed. It almost sounded like he was trying to work out how to get out of the cot and i half expected him to come walking out of his bedroom door with his arms in the air in victory.
The cot that Peanut sleeps in has solid wooden ends on it. When we started looking for a cot, that was one thing that i knew i wanted the cot to have. Not sure why i wanted at the time, but know i find it great as we can put toys at the end of the cot and he can't see them.
Anyway, back to my point here - i would love to know what Peanut does after we put him to bed and before we hear the first snore coming from his room. Tonight, while listening to the thudding, i mentioned to M34tb4LL that we need to put a webcam in Peanuts room so we can sit and watch what he is doing. I then corrected myself that we would need a night-vision webcam. I tend told myself that that is a silly thought, it would not be possible to get a night-vision webcam
WRONG AGAIN...
...you can get them, and i have found a website where, if we were to get one, it would not cost a fortune. I say if, i have not bought one, of course i also have a another word - yet. I have not bought one YET.
(: Reggie
Monday, 14 April 2008
Army of darkness
Easter last year Peanut's Auntie Lulu (who is also my sister of course) gave Peanut a little soft toy lamb that M34tb4LL and I have aptly named "Lambie".
After a while the lamb became Peanut's one of favourite toys, not to play with during the day, but to cuddle at night.
The little soft toy has become a vital part of Peanut's night night routine and when he wakes up in the morning he is always holding the lamb in his hand as he reaches out for over the side rail of his cot.
A couple of months ago Peanut had a rather nasty bout of gastro and unfortunately poor Lambie got in the way of one of Peanut projectile emissions, and of course had to be removed so it could be washed. It was fortunate that for his first birthday (that had taken place not long before this illness) Auntie Lulu had given him a cute little teddy bear - similar in size and colour to Lambie - and it was a welcome substitute while Lambie had a wash.
Of course after a couple of days, after Lambie was cleaned up and dried out he was gratefully received and poor Berlin (the name given to the little teddy - that's another story) went back to a day time friend to play with rather than night time cuddling buddy.
There has been a couple of times since then that Lambie has needed a wash and Berlin has had to fill the void, but each time we have had to give Lambie a wash Peanut has been less and less willing to do the soft toy swap. In fact the last time that tried to give him Berlin instead of Lambie, Peanut smacked it from M34tb4LL's hand and he took twice as long to settle down to sleep!!!
So a plan was hatched, to get a few more lambs so we could have one in the wash, one on stand by and Peanut could have one with him. I asked Auntie Lulu when she got the lamb from, and if she could look to see if she can get another one or two (or three or four) for Peanut. She went looking in every store she could to for another one of those lambs but with no luck.
I then emailed the Australian distributors of the company to see if they knew where i might be able to find some more, they were of no help. So I broadened my search to the whole world, thanks to a little local store I know called the Internet. And it took quite some searching, but I found a couple of sites that had the lamb for sale. However all the sites that had the toy listed were in America.
Now I'm not a stranger to getting the odd trinket from overseas, and with the exchange rate the way it is at the moment, getting the toy from overseas was a more than reasonable option.
I tried to place an order from the site that had the lamb at the best price, but i got an email from them saying that they didn't have any of the soft toys and that they are a discontinued item and will not be getting any stock in the future. So i started emailed a few of the sites that listed the lamb for sale, asking if they actually had any lambs in stock.
After about two weeks of random searching and emailing i got an email from one store based in Texas saying that they had the lambs in stock and they could post to Australia if i emailed my address. So i placed an order, sent an email agreeing to pay extra for postage to Australia and confirming my postage address.
And low and behold, in just over a week, a package arrived containing four identical little lambs. Let the lamb swapping commence!
So do you get the title? Army of darkness? The lambs are for Peanut to cuddle in his sleep - he sleeps in the dark - we now have a small army of lambs... Sorry!
(: Reggie
After a while the lamb became Peanut's one of favourite toys, not to play with during the day, but to cuddle at night.
The little soft toy has become a vital part of Peanut's night night routine and when he wakes up in the morning he is always holding the lamb in his hand as he reaches out for over the side rail of his cot.
A couple of months ago Peanut had a rather nasty bout of gastro and unfortunately poor Lambie got in the way of one of Peanut projectile emissions, and of course had to be removed so it could be washed. It was fortunate that for his first birthday (that had taken place not long before this illness) Auntie Lulu had given him a cute little teddy bear - similar in size and colour to Lambie - and it was a welcome substitute while Lambie had a wash.
Of course after a couple of days, after Lambie was cleaned up and dried out he was gratefully received and poor Berlin (the name given to the little teddy - that's another story) went back to a day time friend to play with rather than night time cuddling buddy.
There has been a couple of times since then that Lambie has needed a wash and Berlin has had to fill the void, but each time we have had to give Lambie a wash Peanut has been less and less willing to do the soft toy swap. In fact the last time that tried to give him Berlin instead of Lambie, Peanut smacked it from M34tb4LL's hand and he took twice as long to settle down to sleep!!!
So a plan was hatched, to get a few more lambs so we could have one in the wash, one on stand by and Peanut could have one with him. I asked Auntie Lulu when she got the lamb from, and if she could look to see if she can get another one or two (or three or four) for Peanut. She went looking in every store she could to for another one of those lambs but with no luck.
I then emailed the Australian distributors of the company to see if they knew where i might be able to find some more, they were of no help. So I broadened my search to the whole world, thanks to a little local store I know called the Internet. And it took quite some searching, but I found a couple of sites that had the lamb for sale. However all the sites that had the toy listed were in America.
Now I'm not a stranger to getting the odd trinket from overseas, and with the exchange rate the way it is at the moment, getting the toy from overseas was a more than reasonable option.
I tried to place an order from the site that had the lamb at the best price, but i got an email from them saying that they didn't have any of the soft toys and that they are a discontinued item and will not be getting any stock in the future. So i started emailed a few of the sites that listed the lamb for sale, asking if they actually had any lambs in stock.
After about two weeks of random searching and emailing i got an email from one store based in Texas saying that they had the lambs in stock and they could post to Australia if i emailed my address. So i placed an order, sent an email agreeing to pay extra for postage to Australia and confirming my postage address.
And low and behold, in just over a week, a package arrived containing four identical little lambs. Let the lamb swapping commence!
So do you get the title? Army of darkness? The lambs are for Peanut to cuddle in his sleep - he sleeps in the dark - we now have a small army of lambs... Sorry!
(: Reggie
Sunday, 6 April 2008
Do babies dream of miniture sheep?
Peanut has his 'night night' routine, and i must admit i have played with it a little to see what would happen. The current routine is -
M34tb4LL asked me the other day if i have tried to put Peanut in cot more in the position that he seems to be more comfortable sleeping in, saving him the trouble of doing the whole turning around and over and stuff. I have, but it just seemed to make him upset and it took him longer to settle down so he could go to sleep!
If there is one thing I have figured out about our Peanut, he likes his bed time routine as it is - and he likes to get himself comfortable by himself!!!
Before we go to bed we always look in at Peanut for a few seconds and for those of you that keep tabs on Peanuts youtube account will know he is a bit of noisy sleeper. Plus he is a real wriggler - he moves around a lot while he is asleep. So do people (Peanut is people) move around in their sleep because they are not 100% comfortable? Or because of the dreams they are having!!!
And that makes me wonder, what do babies dream about? Dreams tend to draw references from all elements of the whole world around us and a baby's experience of the world is limited.
Mind you, it does amaze me how much Peanut seems to take in, and how fast he is learning about the world around him. So does he dream about things that they may have seen but is yet to understand? Or are his dream completely random and abstract? These are questions that we will probably never be able to answer!
Now, who of you thought that by the title of the this post I was going to make all sorts of 'Blade Runner' references?
(: Reggie
- change into pyjamas
- have a milk feed
- say goodnight to Daddy (and if we have visitors - them as well)
- cuddles into Lambie (his favourite soft toy lamb)
- then we put him on his back in his cot
- pull up the covers
- say night night sleep tight
- leave the room
M34tb4LL asked me the other day if i have tried to put Peanut in cot more in the position that he seems to be more comfortable sleeping in, saving him the trouble of doing the whole turning around and over and stuff. I have, but it just seemed to make him upset and it took him longer to settle down so he could go to sleep!
If there is one thing I have figured out about our Peanut, he likes his bed time routine as it is - and he likes to get himself comfortable by himself!!!
Before we go to bed we always look in at Peanut for a few seconds and for those of you that keep tabs on Peanuts youtube account will know he is a bit of noisy sleeper. Plus he is a real wriggler - he moves around a lot while he is asleep. So do people (Peanut is people) move around in their sleep because they are not 100% comfortable? Or because of the dreams they are having!!!
And that makes me wonder, what do babies dream about? Dreams tend to draw references from all elements of the whole world around us and a baby's experience of the world is limited.
Mind you, it does amaze me how much Peanut seems to take in, and how fast he is learning about the world around him. So does he dream about things that they may have seen but is yet to understand? Or are his dream completely random and abstract? These are questions that we will probably never be able to answer!
Now, who of you thought that by the title of the this post I was going to make all sorts of 'Blade Runner' references?
(: Reggie
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