Just like the good old days

The thing about water restrictions is that I feel a bit sad my children won't get to experience the same things I did. Things like making a home-made water slide with plastic, water and detergent and sliding down on our tummies. Until the kid across the road breaks his arm...

Then there was running under the sprinkler. And my favourite - washing Dad's car. I have a photo of me helping my Dad wash his car. I must be about 2.

Thanks to our neighbours having a water tank - my little girl got to wash her Dad's car today. It was cold and wet and probably an inappropriate thing to do in winter - but they loved it!

Wet washing fun

In the midst of winter my family room has been turned into a Chinese laundry. I have wet clothes and sheets drying all over the place.

Sienna particularly enjoys it when I dry my sheets inside...they're fun to play in.

Talk. Talk. Talk. Stop!

It's incredible how much my little girl talks. It's endless from the moment she wakes until I kiss her goodnight. It's endless, but I love it.

I love to hear Sienna chattering away to herself, using anything long and slim as a telephone and exclaiming "Yeths, oh yeths" as she walks her doll Daisy in a doll pram holding the "phone" to her ear with her shoulder. Multi tasking already.

It's kinda scary how accurately she immitates me. Bit like holding a mirror to my behaviour which gives me food for thought some days.

The only time this one is not talking is when she's glued to the television watching the Teletubbies or Hi-5. Not a word passes her lips. She gets the zombie stare...and I get to clean the toilets without a helper.

Lovin' her curls

I've never had curls. Only the type my mum would create with hot rollers or the soft ones you'd wear overnight. It was a big ordeal to get my hair to curl...and then after 30 minutes in the outside air, we'd be back to square one. Dead. Straight.

I chased the idea of soft curls in my hair for many years. I remember when I was 12 the spiral curl perm was in fashion. I had it done and was most disappointed with the results...it looked like I had slept with plaits in my hair. Not a spiral curl in sight.

A week later they tried again. Yes, two perms in one week - oh the split ends! Again, not one spiral curl. And so my hair was diagnosed as "unpermable" if that is a word I can make up for this story.

So you can imagine my delight to see that my little girl has inherited a gorgeous soft curl from her Daddy. I enjoy them so much. Adorable.

Winter Sun

Felix enjoying some peaceful warmth in the winter sun. As cats do...

Rocking chair

Getting more and more adventurous...Sienna has not only discovered she can climb onto this chair...she can also rock herself.

Hopefully my days of cuddles while I rock her will not be numbered!

Dress Ups

During a visit to her cousins house, Sienna was pre-occupied with climbing the stairs because she was a bit bored with the toys on offer.

Don't get me wrong - the toys were great but it went a bit like this: Justina brings out the plastic animals - nah. She brings out the Duplo - nah. She runs upstairs and returns with fairy wings, a fairy skirt and a Hawaiian lei - yes please!!!

She was delighted to dress up and have us all admire her. A true princess in the making.

Breakfast

Sienna wakes up a very hungry girl. There is to be no mucking around in the morning - getting her breakfast is the first order of the day. Sometimes I even get up before her and make it before she wakes up to avoid the tears of hungry impatience. That is if she sleeps in past 6.30am.

So we have a routine. It's super fast and nutritious. Gotta love that.

Pre-prepared porridge heated up with blueberries and Jalna strawberry yoghurt. It's yum. She loves it and eats the lot. With her hands. We're not fairing too well on the introduction of the spoon.

But she's nourished and happy by 7am and that's good enough for this mother.

The sound of silence

During a play date with my dear friend Jo, we were enjoying ourselves, talking animatedly - when we suddenly noticed the silence. Where minutes before the kids could be heard playing on the deck, now there was just the sound of our own voices. The deck was silent.

Our eyes locked in horror because we knew this could only mean one thing. They were up to something.

Poor Jo has a vegie patch that's struggling to get up and running with two curious toddlers. Add Sienna, a wheel barrow with rain water at the bottom and a garden bed to the mix...and we have a mud party.

Jo just laughed. I laughed eventually after getting over the sight of my grotty daughter and wondering how I was going to get her home without a change of clothes in my bag.

Then we got our cameras. Sienna was the only one this messy. Angus and Daisy have learned to play without the mess. Happy days.

Baby's first Babycino

We tried out the new Eastlink freeway today. I decided to celebrate my mum's birthday with coffee and cake at a cafe by the beach in Frankston. It was a really cold wet day, so we warmed our tummies and our hearts with a good coffee and some conversation.

I thought Sienna may be old enough to try her first Babycino (not quite knowing myself what to expect - I'd heard it's just frothed milk). Try again. This cafe serves mini hot chocolates to toddlers.

I've never seen Sienna quite so animated over food. "Yummyyyyy!", "Oh wow! Yummy!", "More pees!" were just a few of her exclamations. Needless to say we drew a bit of attention to ourselves.

What have I started? Happy birthday to my beautiful mum. xxx

Ouuchhh!

Over confident + Over zealous + Under skilled in the running department.

Add parents questionable surveillance = Ouch!!!

There were tears. There were cuddles. There was an icypole to suck on to reduce the swelling...and the crying.

They tell me mouth injuries heal quickly. Hears hoping.

In my shoes

What's mine has become my daughters - especially when we're talking about shoes. Sienna loves shoes.

This is not something I've encouraged - in fact it drives me crazy having to keep cleaning up after her shoe parties in my wardrobe. It must be in the girl genes. Shoes. Or "Shooths" as she puts it.

And yes that is my lingerie she's wearing. At least someone is getting some wear out of it! :)

Schwing

Nearing 18 months old and one of her favourite things in the world is to swing. Particularly high. Higher than most mums in the park push their toddlers...I've noticed the gasps and wary eyes quite a few times. But she likes it high, she likes it scary. Apparently it's just not fun unless your tummy feels funny and you have to grimace.

That's my dare devil girl.

Playing ladies

How much does this look like an actual replica of what goes on at a salon? Here Sienna is doing her best to sit still while her cousins create hair masterpieces one after the other within the restrictions of her little bob cut.

She seems happy with the result:

Oh Sh*t!

So when you have your in-laws staying with you it goes without saying that we are all on our best behaviour...right?

Well not so much when it comes to the toddler of the house. You see she was babysat by Aunty Lise recently who dropped something in front of Sienna. This morning when Sienna dropped what she was holding whilst in the arms of her Grandma, she exclaimed "Oh Shi!"

Perfectly clear. Embarassingly obvious. Halo ever so slightly slipped. Shi happens I guess...hence the face washer in her mouth. I had to wash it out.

Make-up Mishap

Check out that face. This is what happens when Mummy is amazed that she gets 5 quiet minutes to put on her makeup...but hang on, where's my eyeshadow stick? Fast forward to finding Sienna facing a corner in the lounge room madly applying it to her lips.

Too funny!

House guests

Sienna's Papa & Grandma are in town for a couple of months and will be staying with us for just over 2 weeks. She is absolutely delighted to be sharing her home with her grandparents. With all the extra attention and love she's been getting, my little girl is on Cloud 9.

Here's a pic of us celebrating her arrival at Domaine Chandon last year.

Wintry walk

(photos taken 30 mins apart)

I must admit that even the likes of me (being exercise phobic and all) can be enticed outdoors for a walk at the first rays of sunshine that break through the winter gloom. I love winter, but having a toddler and needing to be inside, protected from the unfriendly weather, gets a bit...well...sh*t after a while. If I'm to be completely candid.

I think I was a little too optimistic that the weather would hold, as we just missed more rain thanks to some speed walking!

Sitting up like a big girl

The high chair is so last season. Get me out of that thing and up where the real action is - the kitchen bench.

Preparing dinner will never be peaceful again with all the "More, ta" sample requests amongst discussing the rules of standing on the booster seat. Which is on the stool. Which is up high. So sit on your bottom please.

A lock of hair

Alas the time has come for Sienna's first haircut. Surprisingly it didn't hurt as much as I thought...for me that is!

She sat reasonably still as I did a few quick snips...and now we have a toddler bob, Suri Cruise style. We also have one lonely lock of baby hair that was 17 months in the making. How time is flying.