Nan and Paula over.

In preparation of my up and coming child free weekend, Nan has come over to stay and brought 7 year old Paula with her to help look after Alex. It was a gloriously hot evening so I raced to pick Alex up from Day care to get home and collect my two visitors. We went down to memorial park for a swim and a play on the play ground. It was such a nice evening we changed our dinner plans and I went off and got fish and chips. We spread out picnic style on the grass with tomato sauce everywhere.

Lollipop Playland

The Bethams brought Alex back this morning with Nan in tow! We took all the kids to Lollipop Land where they all had a ball. Alex climbed on the slide, drove the car, went on the see-saw but the highlight was the merry-go-round. After the ride, Alex had a wee sulk cause the merry go round finished – look at this face! The Bertham clan came round for lunch – nice busy house!
Alex finally has a useful word!!! When something smells he says “Poo!”, screws up his nose and waves his hand in front of his nose. Very handy when the nappy is dirty…

Over to Nans to stay the weekend

Alex got to spend a couple of days with Nan so Mum could go out for a work dinner on Friday night and then attend a concert in town on Saturday night. So Mum got her first full childless day ever (slept in, went shopping, and went to the pub!) Alex went to spinning club with Nan on Friday and charmed the ladies. Exploring was fun until he pulled one of the spinning wheels over on top of himself. Alex got to play with the Bertham family a fair bit.

Not the Pohutukawa!!

Alex was playing outside this evening on his ride on toys and suddenly it went a bit quiet. I went out to find him in the porch, plucking the leaves off my newly potted pohutukawa plants and posting them into an empty lemonade bottle! As I run over to stop him, he grabbed the whole plant and up rooted it!! Alex got a telling off over not touching mummy’s plants. Normally telling offs are like water off a ducks back to this kid and he usually just carries on like nothing has happened but this time, he dropped his bottom lip and looked most woebegone!! He walked over to the gate as though he was going to leave home and kept looking at me trying very hard to hold back the tears. He then had to apologise to the tree which was replanted minus some leaves. Finally the message is getting through!!

Bonus Day with Mummy!

It a holiday today for Wellington anniversary so Alex got a bonus Mummy day! We went down to memorial park and had lots of fun on the swings and slide. Alex can run round the wee toddler adventure playground, climb up to the slide and slide down all by himself! We also took some bed down and fed the ducks – Alex was right in the middle of them all and wasn’t phased by the scrap over the bread.

The Mighty Manawatu river!

We went down to the river with Marcus and his Dad today. I carried Alex down to the waters edge, put him down and asked him to hold my hand. He shook it off and went straight into the water, which wasn’t the warmest!! Got such a fright he promptly fell over and was immersed up to his underarms! Luckily mum had a change of clothes. He stayed close beside me from then on and had great fun throwing stones into the river and making big splashes. Some of the throws were a bit off, resulting in the stone coming straight back down onto his noggin!
He can complete 15 piece wooden puzzle he got for Xmas already. He tries to have me on – he puts the pieces in the wrong place, looks at me with a grin and shakes his head – “No” says Alex. “It doesn’t go in there” completes Mummy.

Kiss from a girl!

Was dropping Alex off at Daycare this morning and while I was there, Sharlene’s other charge Nadia was dropped off. Alex and Nadia play well together but I didn’t realise they were as close as they were! They stood in the doorway giving each other big hugs and Nadia planted a big kiss on Alex’s cheek! She’s 2 so yet again Alex goes for the older woman!!

Heart stopping…

I found out the hard way that Alex can open the front door by himself. He followed me into my room when I got home from work then took off down the hall. I followed him about 10 seconds later and assumed he was out the back playing but he wasn’t in the backyard, and wasn’t behind the shed. I checked the spare room to see if he was saying hello to Merlyn but he wasn’t there either. Suddenly realised the front door was ajar so raced out the front to find Alex standing on the road eyeballing a car! The driver had seen him on the side of the road and stopped and Alex had then sauntered out to see the car. He later demonstrated how he can just reach the handle enough to pull it down and open the door. The front door is now permanently locked.

Animal sounds!

What does the cat say? “Meow” says Alex. What does the sheep say? “Baa” says Alex. What does the cow say? “Boo” says Alex. Close enough...

Himitangi Beach

We went with the neighbours out to the beach this morning as it was such a nice summer’s day. Alex actually played in the surf a bit and wasn’t as scared. Marcus and Alex built / destroyed some great sandcastles! We chased the wee boys up and down some sand dunes so as to tire them out. Stopped for iceblocks on the way home and Alex did a pretty good job on his first iceblock – I think he found it nice on his gums as he is teething again. We have had 2 molars and one more front tooth find their way through since Xmas. Tooth count has now moved to a grand total of 9!!!
Alex worked out how to climb the side fence this afternoon…his excuse was he was trying to follow the cat who has been let outside for the first time.

Temperature sensitive lad!

Alex doesn’t like his food hot. He’s started telling me so as well. If I give him a hot meal, he picks up the food, blows on it, looks over at me shaking his head and says “bo!” (rhymes with hot and without the t sound). It then gets strategically placed on the tray to the side till it is suitable cool enough.

A clean bowl…

Water conservation is not high on Alex’s list. He has worked out how to flush the toilet and every time I leave the bathroom door open, he puts the lid down on the toilet, hoists himself up and repeatedly pushes flush till the tank is empty.

Visit from the neighbours

Marcus (age 3.5) and his dad from over the back came over this afternoon to have a play in the sandpit. Was a beautiful day so we got the blow-up swimming pool out and set the sprinkler going for the boys to play in. Alex with his shoe fetish promptly tried on Marcus’s Dads sneakers that were put by the door! Better than my heels that’s for sure!

Snip snip!!

While in her charge, Nan took Alex down to the hairdressers for his first REAL haircut! It seems to have changed his whole face shape and he really is a little boy now! I have kept the clippings!
Relocated back home this evening with boy and cat. The cat was meowing from her box in the front and one wee boy was meowing in the car seat in the back, giggling away!!

Swim time!

I was hoping for this (thanks Sarah and Mat!)
Instead I got this!!!

Took Alex over to the Berthams for a swim in their paddling pool this afternoon. He is a bit of a softie - and compained and shivered like it was really cold! Toughen up kid!

New Years Day BBQ

Had the Berthams over for BBQ lunch today - I cooked the meat! Alex loves sausages as long as they are covered in tomato sauce!