Understanding understanding

Parenting is a hard slog. If it isn’t the lack of free time, then it’s the constant effort of taking care of another developing human being and all that entails (the main tasks that come to mind are: entertaining, feeding, coaching, cleaning up after, reprimanding, keeping them out of harms way, etc.) Most of my [...]

Shoes

We bought Rose new shoes about three weeks ago. She no longer fits them. I don’t know what the heck is going on, but her feet are growing like mad! So, yesterday we grabbed the cheque book and went out to buy yet another pair. We went to a one of those boutique childrens’ shoe [...]

Backwards and sideways

A few observations about Rose this week:

As well as walking forwards, she can also walk backwards and sideways.
She loves picking up objects and throwing them over one shoulder.
There’s been a lot of dancing this week. Also, instead of just bobbing up and down in time to music, she now dances with each foot stepping, side [...]

Today, discussing last night

Me: I can’t believe you accepted that line I gave you last night.
Chris: Which one?
Me: The one when I said I wasn’t sleeping through the movie, I was just blinking slowly.
Chris: That was a line? I thought it was just a piece of knowing irony?!
Me: No, I was dead serious. I was asleep, you woke [...]

Ministry of Silly Walks

I don’t know about any other kids, but Rose is definitely eccentric. Just recently she’s started creeping up behind me, standing very close. The first I know about it is when I feel her warm breath on the back of my neck. I turn around, and she’s an explosion of giggles.
I’ve also noticed her suddenly [...]

Things I won’t do, even if a medical professional tells me to

I discussed my general lack of energy with my midwife at my last antenatal visit, and she recommended that I consider wearing support hose. She told me that when you’re pregnant you have a lot more blood circulating around your body, and coupled with the extra pressure your baby puts on your body it causes [...]

Dah Da

On Sunday night when we put Rose to bed I told her, “Tomorrow morning Grandad will be here!” She appeared nonchalant about the news, and took it the same way that she takes all the other news I discuss with her, from “We’re going to the Zoo today!” to “Mummy needs to stop at the [...]

28+ down, ?? to go

Well, I’m officially into the third trimester now, which some people call the “home straight” although I seem to remember last time that those last 12 weeks seem more like 6 months. I have to say that I’m really excited about D Day and I really hope the rest of the pregnancy just flies by.
I [...]

Out There

Rose has several words or pre-words that perform a range of duties. One is ‘ow-dair’, often accompanied by a gesture to the door or to the window and which we therefore take to mean ‘out there’. If she does it while I’m dressing her to go out, or packing her bag, I’ll say something like, [...]

The Lucky Girl

Rose is a lucky girl. She’s lucky to be brought up in a happy home by people who love and care for her. Her parents aren’t worried about where their next meal is coming from or how to pay the next bill. Their house is dry and warm, and she has certainty and regularity in [...]