image When the Little Mister was one (2012), we trotted down to the shopping centre, thinking how nice it would be for our bubbly, very sociable dude to have a photo with Santa. We imagined him sitting there, looking so excited and happy (his facial expressions are ridiculous and fantastic – he’ll never win a poker game), cameras capturing every magical moment. We would be able to send it out to all the grandparents and we’d have something to stick on our fridge and admire. We got there and he freaked out. There was this jolly guy wearing a MASSIVE curly beard, nothing but his eyes just visible behind a…
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Terribly Overtired Twos.
It’s the afternoon of Mother’s Day and the Little Mister is spent. It has been a few trying weeks of sleepless nights (for everybody) and a weekend filled with lunch time family engagements (read: right over the usual nap time). We’ve reached that point where the Little Mister has become a floppy, whiney mess. It’s actually quite funny. Yes. Funny. Maybe I have a twisted sense of humour (every parent needs one) or maybe I’ve just become delirious with fatigue, but it’s funny. Slapstick comedy at its best. The Little Mister has been lurching all around the house wearing a pathetically sad look on his face. He’ll flop onto the…
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Underrated toddler milestones.
I have to be honest. All ‘terrible twos’ jokes aside, I have really enjoyed the Little Mister’s toddlerhood so far (key words so far…don’t want to jinx it). It’s a fun age where a little person can suddenly explore the world like they never could before. There is so much wonder and curiosity. There are new ways to communicate and express feelings. The start of understanding yours. Saying funny things. Learning new ways to move. Dancing so freely. They’re still so little that almost everything they do is cute. Just like babyhood, there are rapid changes and milestones galore. There are the usual ones, like first steps and the first time…
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Ow! Ow! Ow! Ow!
image Oh, that poor child. Listen to him yelling out in pain! His mother (or father depending on who draws the short straw on any given day) must be too rough with him. He’s only small. Poor thing. IS SOMEONE MURDERING A SMALL CHILD IN THE SHOPPING CENTRE/CAFÈ/SWIMMING POOL/CAR PARK? No, that’s just the sound of a toddler who likes to yell “OW OW OW OW!” whenever he feels like it. Sometimes when he is being told to do something he doesn’t want to do, sometimes when he wants to do something he isn’t allowed to do, but also sometimes just because the mood strikes at some random moment. Any…
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Operation Big Bed: The first week.
pic So last week I wrote about how we prepared to move the Little Mister into a toddler bed. I guess it’s time for an update. I don’t know if anyone has actually been waiting for this post with bated breath or not (don’t answer that haha), but here’s how the first week went! I suppose I’m recording it here not only for my own memory making, but also because I know I found it comforting reading about other peoples’ experiences before we took the plunge ourselves. For some reason I found it weirdly daunting. It was a new level of independence for the Little Mister to move up to,…
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Operation: Big Bed (Preparation).
pic Parenting can be a little bit scary at times. Just when you get the hang of one way of doing things with your child, they move onto another stage in life and you live on a never ending learning curve! Oh gosh, sometimes I live for those little plateaus in between! But lately I have had to put on my big girl panties and accept that there is no time like the present to do the next scary thing: Moving the Little Mister into a ‘big kid’ style bed. YIKES ON SO MANY LEVELS. Of course I have been dreading it since he started walking (because walking means escaping…
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More Useful Stuff for an Awesomely Unprepared Parent.
pic So I did a post on some useful stuff for a brand new (or expectant) mum here, but here is some stuff I found useful as the parent of a bub entering toddlerhood (so you get my frame of reference), but some of it can be useful from day 1. To me, it’s just stuff that can make life a little easier – I try to make my lists a little out of the box because I hope it’s not just a carbon copy of every other baby/toddler product/parenting tool post that you see (but probably is because hello – it’s the internet). 😉 Be wary, though. Even though…
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Two.
pic To my special Little Mister, Today you are TWO! I have been excited about this for weeks! Maybe even months ( I might have been a bit enthusiastic at the annual mid year toy sales)! I cannot wait to wake you up, so we can give you your presents and do everything we can to make your day special. We’re going to have morning tea with your great grandparents, Granny and Gramps (followed by an obligatory visit to the park). This is so special, because not everyone gets to meet their great grandparents during their lifetimes and you are very lucky. I really hope you’ll be able to remember…
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A day in the life with an almost 2 year old.
pic This morning I awake some time just before 7am to the dulcet tones of the Little Mister singing and playing in his cot. I get him out of bed and noticed he’s wet through his nappy, PJs, sleeping bag, fitted sheet and through to the (thank goodness) mattress protector. I chuck everything in the wash immediately and replace his bedding with spares. Aah, nice and fresh. The Little Mister drinks his milk without spilling it and it’s a very proud moment. It’s the little things, y’know? I let him watch a little TV (oh the horror!) while I try to sort out the family budget. The mortgage has just…
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What are you scared of?
pic The past week (although I’d swear it feels like it’s been a month), the Little Mister and sleep have not been the best of friends (to put it mildly). It started with teething, evolved into separation anxiety and turned into a sniffly cold. Now that he’s recovering from his cold, I suspect he’s found a new fear of the dark. Who says life is boring with an almost 2 year old? Actually, no-one ever. With good reason, it seems! The Little Mister is usually known for his exuberance and ability to dive headfirst into anything – fear being a concept he’s hardly understood. He’s had nervous moments, times he’s…