Riley and Jemma

Sunday, February 24, 2008

More new experiences

We are settling into kindy and childcare and the routine of life without holidays. Riley is doing really well at present- he is a star. Today, he went with his dad on a cessna 172 plane at the wings and wheels day at Taieri. Dad could not believe how calm he was beforehand and how excited and interested he acted without driving the pilot mad with a monologue....like the monologue that drove us mad in the 3 hour wait for him to go on the plane... maybe he was all talked out! So we are just thrilled with him. His swimming and music lessons are equally successful so we have had a great start to the year.

Jemma is certainly advancing in her language development. She is 'wowing' everyone she meets and she insists on meeting everyone- certainly the extrovert of the family- taking mum out of her comfort zone when we are in public! She is also 'wowing' mum and dad with her insistence on pouring out every drink bottle she has onto the floor. We think she has the gist of fluid dynamics now but we can't convince her that she needs to stop! She is also insisting on wearing big girl undies (can you tell a boy came first- just can't call them knickers now!) but she doesn't actually like to go on the toilet.... we have a situation and it also leads to more fluids on the floor. On the good side of the fluid talk, she is doing extremely well in her swimming lessons. She is with 3-4 year olds but we still have to get in with her as she can't touch the bottom. We are trying to train her out of her spitting habit. Spitting is accompanied by 'go away- spit'..... so lady like... The day sleeps are pretty much gone now... poor mum!



Sunday, February 10, 2008

Holidays are over... for now

Lots has been happening for the kids in the last couple of weeks. Dad took them to the A&P show and they all went on the Ferris Wheel! Yep! We think Dad was the most nervous of the 3 of them, casting his engineer eye over the structure. So it was great to see the kids embrace such opportunities. Riley now talks about going on roller coasters... we shall see....

We have taken them to the model trains as well. Riley wouldn't ride the small steam trains on the first day but when Grandma and Grandad took him back a few days later, he went twice- so another milestone for him. He rode the minature steam tractor as well and loved it all. Of course Jemma was straight onto all of it!

Nana has been down to stay. Riley likes the fact she came down on an ATR plane and we are not sure which mode of transport Riley likes most at the moment- planes or trains..... and then his therapist taught him the mazda badge so he can identify a fair few makes of car now...

Riley is back at kindy now and only 6 months until he starts school. I think that will fly by. Jemma too is growing up quickly. She can carry on quite a conversation and has been insisting on wearing big girl undies. She even did her first wee in the toilet this evening so that was pretty exciting as well. She is definitely a girly girl as she knows whose clothes belong to who and she notices what she puts on and if it resembles anyones clothes or shoes from childcare... Riley at 4.5yo still couldn't care less what he wore- I just have to throw clothes his way and he will put them on.

They both went back to swimming lessons this week and both are doing so well. Hard to believe that 6 months ago, Riley was screaming as he got in the pool and took 2 months to wear goggles. Yesterday he just hopped in, goggles on and head all the way under. Jemma is a bit of a natural. She just does it all no worries. Riley also started his music lessons yesterday- he is doing Yamaha music school- thus the keyboard. He must have liked it as he came home and re-enacted it on Dads organ twice. Our taste of running after the kids yesterday morning gave us a sharp reminder of what the next 15 years will be like on Saturday mornings with sport and the like... welcome to parenthood!