Autumn leaves

I raked a pile of jumping leaves in the front yard for Peanut. She didn't have a clue what to do with them. I showed her - right when the neighbours were pulling up into our shared driveway. These things always happen at the worst time. I think I probably blushed about the same colour as the leaves, so I''m hoping me galavanting around wasn't too obvious. Ahem. Anyway...

She soon got the jist of it.

And now, I can't get the kid back inside.

And it's FREEEEZING. Why do kids always seem to have broken thermostats, and be totally immune to cold?

In other news, Bug has discovered her feet. Big news, people, big news.  Have a lovely week!

Cooking with kids

I've been asked to write a monthly article over at An Amazing Child. Please head on over and read my first attempt, then stay and have a look around. It's a great site!

Here's a taste:

Imagine if someone told you that there was a magic pill to help develop your kid's numeracy, literacy and common sense, encourage her to eat her vegies, and give her a sense of achievement all while having quality fun. You'd want to know where to buy it, right? The answer? Your supermarket! Read more here...

Gumboots

It's not often that you wait for a rainy day when you have a toddler.

Usually rain means long mornings inside trying to come up with another entertaining craft idea or letting the linen cupboard contents be turned into a tent city.

And since we don't live in the tropics anymore, I can't just turf a naked Peanut outside regardless and consider it an extra, warm shower.

After a week of stuck-insided-ness I went out and bought her a pair of gumboots, and promised as soon as the rain eased up she could go and puddle jump. The rain stopped before breakfast one day so here she is, outside, on a freezing morning, blissfully happy in her gumboots and pyjamas.

Jump jump jump!

Chocolate Cake

I was going to write words...

...but these photos pretty much speak for themselves.

Om nom nom nom

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

It is a sad fact of our chosen lifestyle that we move often. And this means that we leave friends behind FAR too often.

But (Hooray!) my Best Friend in the Whole Wide World (Alleluia!) is moving from where we lived last year, to where I live this year! Squee!!

Even more exciting, she is bringing down not only Peanut's Best Little Friend in the Whole Wide World, but a brand spankin' new baby!

I can wait to see my friend. Peanut can't wait to see her little friend, and I can't WAIT to meet the baby. Hopefully when my Bug is old enough to know what a friend is, she will choose Baby as her first. Wouldn't that be lovely?

Secret pirates

The man who does our tax is a pirate.

Not a take-all-our-money pirate of industry, or a burn-extra-CDs techno pirate, but a proper, honest, craggy, eye patch wearing pirate*.

And a few days ago I took Bug and Peanut to the park, and we saw another pirate! A lovely lady had taken the tunic, tights and buckled boots look a step further, and added a low slung belt and hoop earrings.

Clearly there are many secret pirates living amongst us. If there's a club, I want to join!


*he did have some reasonable explanation about glaucoma surgery - I chose to ignore this in my desperate hope that there are, in fact, secret pirate clubs in my city...

Toilet training

We've been toilet training here in the Accidental house.

We'd been toying with the idea for a couple of months and it was clear that Peanut was ready, but I was dragging the chain. To be honest, I just was a bit overwhelmed by the logistics of balancing toilet training a toddler with the needs of a 4 month old baby who either needs to be fed or tucked into bed seemingly every five minutes.

We had a bit of incidental success earlier in the year, but then Peanut caught the winter lurgy going around and it didn't seem fair to drag her to the bathroom when she could barely get off the couch. Poor baby!

So two weeks ago I bit the bullet and decided to stick to training for Three Whole Weeks.

Week One - Peanut doesn't get it. A trip to the loo results in a tantrum and a floor puddle two minutes later. Mr Awesome sums it up by saying "it's not really toilet training, it's more like just-not-wearing-nappies...." I am very glad we have tiled floors. We spend plenty of time outside, with good reason. I start to bribe her with stickers.

Week Two - Peanut works out what needs to go where. This means regular trips to the loo meet with success, but puddles result if I get distracted... Which I do regularly. Once again I am VERY glad we have tiled floors. Peanut gets so wiggly when she needs to go she loses her words and can't tell me. I get a real, honest to god bruise on my head from beating it against the pantry in frustration. I go out and buy more stickers. And chocolate (for me).

Day One, Week Three - I hear a flush and race to the bathroom, expecting to be missing something expensive or drain-cloggy. Instead, I find Peanut happily completing her business with a massive grin and a huge sense of accomplishment. This feat is repeated twice more the following day. I cover her in stickers and give her my chocolate.

She did it! She's trained! Well done Peanut! Have a sticker...

A new dress

I'm in desperate need of a new dress. We've moved from the backwater tropics to "big town", and my current clothes just aren't suitable. Who would have thought that an endless array of tshirts, shorts and thongs (the foot kind!) would not be accepted attire everywhere? Never mind the nuances of the weather...

So it's time for a new dress. Unfortunately the realities of two small kids, a hungry husband and one income just don't stretch to couture. So instead I am dressing my blog! It's cheap and changeable, perfect. I hope you grow accustomed to the new look, but prepared for it to change - there is no sign of a real new dress on my horizon!

That bl**dy CHICKEN!!!

Peanut received a gift from a favourite uncle. She LOVES presents (as most toddlers do) and is capable of playing with a new toy for hours and hours and hours and hours and well, you get the picture. And here's a picture to help you get the picture more clearly:

Yes. It's Elmo. In a chicken suit. And he dances. And he sings, loudly. There is nothing subtle about our friend Elmo. I cannot WAIT until the batteries run out.

Once dear Uncle Dave has his own progeny, I'll be sure to give them an airhorn and a drum kit as soon as they are born. Just you wait, Dave!

Welcome Bug!

Dear Baby,

our family was pretty full. We had the basics, a husband and wife...

We added a few dogs...

And then a baby...

But we weren't quite done.

And then almost two months ago, in the late evening, we added another baby, you. Our last one, a beautiful little girl. And now our family is complete!

Welcome Bug!

There is no doubt that you and Peanut are sisters.

Peanut left, Bug right

You are adored by her, given hundreds of 'tuddles' a day, and smothered in love. She wipes your face, kisses your hands and gives you her toys. You are a fabulous sleeper, stirring only one a night for a quick feed (we won't count that night after injections, that wasn't your fault little one!)

You took to feeding quickly and painlessly. In fact, other than the copious vomiting at every opportunity, you are pretty much the ideal baby. Thanks Bug, I sincerely appreciate your cooperation.

I think you may stay.

Much love, Mummy.