making albuqueque

Story of a haircut

We're having a birthday party for Morty this weekend. It's only a month late. Last night I made the party bags from a playmobil catalogue, some old cards, and some alphabet stamps rescued from a kiddy magazine.

I think they turned out really well.

Party bags are one of the banes of my existence. You get a plastic bag full of bits of plastic tat that break in 2 minutes, and whistles. ARGH, hate it. I know the kidlets love them, but Bella's end up being very heavily edited, and I inevitably impale my feet on the bits of plastic tat. So I'm trying to do things from here on in that would irritate me a lot less if I was a parent. For Bella's party everyone got a small playmobil figure. For Morty's everyone has a smallish toy (car, tiny barbie, ball, playmobil), a notepad and pen, some raisins and a small bag of sweets. I'm most proud of the packaging though. I think they look ace.

Morty had a haircut last week. I was shaving Matthew's head with the clippers, and when we were done, Morty planted himself on the chair, put the cape around his neck and said 'HAIR'. He was insisting I did his too, so I did. I'm having a hard time getting used to how he looks now but hey ho, me cutting it with the clippers saves money, and I object to the fact that Morty's barber haircut costs more than Bella's hairdresser cut.

What else is happening? Bella and Morty have their Grandma out for the summer, which they are both loving. We've been eating dinner out in the garden a lot. Matthew has grown some truly mammoth courgettes. We're enjoying a lot of runner beans as well. Out tomato plants are great with the foliage, but rubbish on the fruit. I suspect the only chutney this year will be green tomato.

I start the PhD in about 6 or 7 weeks. I'm very excited about that. I've been doing a lot of sewing lately, circle skirts and sundresses for myself. I am obsessed with circle skirts, they are so quick to make, lovely and cool to wear, and rather flattering. I see a lot of circle skirts in my future.

Bella and Morty both love playing with the playmobil, and it doesn't hurt that I really love it too. I am currently trying to decide which playmobil advent calendar they will both be getting, and have just got Bella started collecting the mermaid theme sets.Morty tends to pull apart anything he can, and then nick off with the little gocart or motorbike, Bella sets up elaborate homes with rooms for all sorts of things, including a toilet because we do have a couple of bits of playmobil horsepoo!

Two kidlets ready to paint in the backyard. Morty lasted in the painting shirt about 5 minutes, did a tiny bit of finger painting, and then got upset that his hand was sticky and had a howling tantrum until someone cleaned it up. Bella and I had a lot of fun decorating paper flowers that we've now stuck up on the wall. We did butterflies last time, and she tells me that next time she wants to do fish. I have an elaborate underwater theme pictured in my head, with fish, and seaweed, and shells and an octopus.

TWO and whoever gave him permission to be two already I don't know

This time two years ago I was in shock at how big our boy was, and how huge his hands were. The birth and aftermath were moderately traumatic. Morty entered the world as a very angry young man (he was hungry and had been taken from his mummy, both things make him very irate). And now he's two and I don't know where the time has gone.

This is as close to 2 exactly as I could get on a work day (about 3.5 hours early)

Morty is a funny little monkey. He's just learnt that farts are funny. As soon as anyone farts, he giggles, blows raspberries and shrieks FARTIES. Which sends us all into giggles. Yep, he's all boy, well apart from the shoe fetish and tendency to be a drama queen. He's obsessed with anything with wheels, trucks, busses, cars, motorbikes, bikes, toy prams. He refuses to leave the house without at least one toy car.

He's busy, he doesn't stop moving for much except food and books. I seem to worry a lot less about what physical mischief he gets into  than I did with Bella. I don't know if it's because he's a boy, because he's the second, or because it feels like he's twice the size Bella was at the same age. He always wants to be outside, and if he sees anyone go out of the house without him, he throws a massive wobbly.

Morty's speaking is coming on really well. He's stringing two word sentences together. He'll fill in bits of songs and books if you leave a space for him to say it. He seems to love books as much as his sister. You'll regularly have a little body walk up, shove a book at you and demand 'READIT'.

Morty is a snuggly little monster too. He wont go to sleep unless he's able to stroke someone's arm preferably with his hand up your sleeve. It's odd, but it works for him. He's very attached to his raggy (muslin square he sucks on in his sleep). He sleeps fine in a bed, but we often hear thump...pad pad pad... mummy in the middle of the night as he gets out of bed to come find me. He's getting better at sleeping through, but I don't think he much likes being on his own.

Happy birthday my little snuggly monster boy, it's been a wonderful ride so far.

And for your viewing pleasure. School uniform is not compulsory in Foundation, but Bella decided a couple of days last week that she wanted to wear it. So it's not a traditional first day of school shot, but here's Bella's first day of school uniform. She looks way too grown up.

one two three four FIVE

So I'm well overdue on posting. Sorry for the two month hiatus. Here's some new pics of the kidlets and a bit of an update on both.

Bella at 5 exactly (I have to make the most of being able to catch her at the minute of her birth (4.27pm). When we eventually move home I don't think I'm going to be trying to take her photo at 1.27am!)

This photo pretty much sums it all up, the stubborn tilt to the mouth, the slightly bagladyish layering effect of the clothes, the princess make-up.

At five Bella is a wonderfully intelligent, incredibly stubborn, and full-on little tyke. She's learning to read at the moment. She's up to the second stage readers of the system they use at school, and is the 3rd or 4th youngest in her class. I am extremely pleased and proud of her progress. She loves books. I don't know what we'd do with a child that didn't love books! I think once she is really able to read to herself, that whole new worlds are going to open up for her. There's so much to explore, and I can see her loving it. We try and have her read to us everyday, well it's not like we've got to push her to do it, more that we've got to try and fit it in to an overcrammed day. I love watching the strategies Bella uses for words she doesn't know. I sometimes see her being lazy and guessing based on the first letter of the word, but hey ho, I don't think that's extraordinary at this point of her reading career. She sounds stuff out, she looks at the pictures for inspiration, she plain makes it up if she's really not sure. It's just wonderful.

They both love this book... You Choose by Nick Sharratt and Pippa Goodheart. I highly recommend it. We all love to read it and choose the various things you get to choose (where to go, who are your friends, how to get there, what to wear, where to live, what to put in your house, what pet to have, and where to sleep). Hours of fun.

What else is going on with Bella, well there's the perpetual sleep resistance. We thought we'd got bedtime sorted a few months ago, but not so much. It seems the tireder she gets, the more she wants to try and piss us off at bedtime. I don't get it. I am extremely nervous about what having Morty in with her while Matthew's mum is staying, is going to do to bedtime. Maybe nervous doesn't cover it, sheer terror is more to the point.

Bella is also growing like a weed. A dress that was ankle length 3 or 4 months ago, is now mid-calf. Some days she'll eat as much as Matthew at dinner, she gets growing pains frequently. She's also doing a lot of baby talk at the moment. I think with all this growing, and the brain explosion going on with learning to read. So many changes going on, that we're experiencing a bit of challenging behaviour while she tries to cope and adjust.

Bella's birthday party was on the weekend. We had a total girl fest, sticking butterflies and flowers on party bags, and making name bracelets. They all seemed to have a good time, and after entertaining 7 five year olds for two hours, I have even more respect for kindergarten teachers, it's like herding cats.

Morty, almost 2, a drama queen with a shoe fetish.

He's obsessed with cars and animals. His talking is getting much better, although still only 2 word sentences (his first of which was NO BELLA, I am not surprised in the least). He plays with the dollhouse a lot, although mostly to put his cars to sleep in there. Morty also loves books, and he'll wander up with a book, back up to you shouting LAP, and plonk himself down until you give in and read. He wants to be doing whatever his big sister is doing (which she is often not best pleased about).

Morty wants to run everywhere, he climbs stuff, he rides on the buggyboard rather than in the buggy if he has the choice. He still wakes at night, but mostly to run in to me shouting RAGGY (his muslin square he sleeps with) because he can't find it at 3am, then to insist I lie down with him till he's asleep. I mostly fall asleep too, because at 3am, when I get up at 5am, I don't have the will to do anything but get the most sleep I can.

Otherwise in casa underhill? I'll be starting a D.Phil (or PhD if you're anywhere other than Oxford) in October. It's an exciting but daunting prospect. It all happened a bit by accident, but frankly, you've got to grab these opportunities with both hands when they come along. Wish us luck for managing it over the next 3 or so years. I think it's going to be a full family effort to get it done!

with apologies for all the parentheses

So, a couple of weeks ago I attacked Bella with hairstraighteners. Here's the evidence. Please excuse slightly wonky look of her face, she is not so assymetrical as that, it's just a weird 'Mummy has asked me to smile for the photo' face that she does. Her eyes are level and the same size IRL.

Her reading is really coming along. We recently bought a set of learning to read books, and she's doing really well with the first and second level thereof, and able to sound out simple words herself. If you're reading to her and she recognises a word, she'll point it out to you. We're not pushing her too hard, but she's really wanting to read more, so we're running with it. Her writing seems to have taken a sudden leap too, it's getting a lot more legible, and she's starting to try and write things beyond Bella, Mummy and Daddy. I'm ever so proud of my smart little cookie.

Also, after at least a year and a half, if not almost 2 years, of constant whinging on the blog of how hard to manage her behaviour is, I think we're finally turning the corner. I'm not sure how much of it is us learning to manage the behaviour, and how much of it is her just getting older and more able to be reasoned with. Whatever the reason, things are getting calmer and less frustrating for everyone at the moment.

Bella's bedtime is also a lot easier to manager. We've got a good routine going, she understands the routine, and we've taken the anger and frustration out of bedtime. She's now rarely awake past 8pm, and largely without any battles about going to bed at all. Three big cheers and a gold star for all of us for achieving this.

This is the only photo of the daffodils that I remembered to take this year, and it's of Morty decimating them (or picking the 'wallahs' as he would say). Morty is in the middle of a language explosion. He's coming out with new words that we didn't know he knew every day. He's understood a lot for an awful long time, but he's now starting to be able to say it too. Interestingly, although he able to say turtle (DURDL) and highchair (HITARE), he has no word for himself yet. I discovered yesterday that he can say Calpol (A-POE) [calpol is kiddy panadol for those reading along at home]. I love this period in development, when they can start to tell you what they want and need. Although for most occasions, what Morty needs is covered by WAGG-EE (his raggy, or square of muslin, that he sucks on to go to sleep) and NANA (boy is obsessed by bananas, and watching him try and stuff a whole banana in his mouth at once is a horrifying experience). I really should write the current vocab, it's largely covered by vehicles and foods.

Morty is also wanting to be involved in everything, so cooking with kids is taking on a whole new dimension.

I was making muffins with Bella, and Morty was standing beside us crying 'DOO DOO DOO', which meant he was asking me to pull a stool up to the bench so he could join in. The funny look on his face here is because he was mid 'DIR DIR DIR', meaning he wanted a turn of stirring. It was just lovely cooking with both of them, although not something I'd want to attempt for anything much more complicated than baking muffins or making jelly cups.

Otherwise life is moseying along here. I am spending my nights bed-hopping (before you think dirty, Morty tends to have existential dread in the middle of the night, that is only solved by me lying down with him, where I invariably fall asleep. Bella is going through growing pains, and last night that was not completely solved by my lying down with her listening to her moan herself back to sleep). Ah for a superking sized bed.

Life is a rollercoaster

Sorry for not updating very often. Life is getting in the way. We've been busy. It's a constant rollercoaster of work, nursery and school, then trying to actually enjoy our family on weekends when we're also tired and trying to get the housework done. Word to the wise, ignoring it and hoping it will go away does not work. Still, at least there is finally some sunshine and the ability to get things dry on the line outside. Things smell a lot better when dried in sunshine!

So, this month, the men of the house have not been well, coughs and colds, adverse reactions to antibiotics, runny bums (the junior member of the house obviously). It's not made for much fun for either of them, though they both seem on the mend now, and I'm hoping the worst of the household illnesses are over for a while.

There's been a trip to York to visit with an Aussie friend. We stayed in a nice B&B with a slightly odd proprieter who was very proud of his waffles! It was fabulous to catch up, and to proffer my thoughts on English culture. York seems like a really lovely city, and as though it would be a good place to live. We liked it.

Our family on the city wall in York.

One PhD application has been written and submitted. Now to wait, and then if the application is successful, hope and pray that the money to do it will miraculously appear since it was outside the usual round of scholarships.

Bella in the clothkits skirt I made her

The first parent teacher interview was experienced. We now love Bella's teacher because she told us lovely things about Bella. She's got a wonderful imagination (yahuh, she does, we knew that already). Apaprently she makes up games for the other kids to play, and they're currently going along with it. She's doing really well at her schoolwork (such as it is, it's not very intense in foundation), she's really confident, and while she hasn't made any really close friends, she's happy to play with anyone, or by herself depending on her mood. Independently we've started Bella on first reading books at home, and she's doing really, really well. She's not writing anything much beyond her own name, but her reading is really coming along well. Honestly, I am so proud of my little girl and more than a little daunted by the future with her. She's just so smart, and I'm not sure I'll be able to keep up!

Morty's favourite bit of the train museum in York, driving a ride on bus.

Morty continues to be his adorable and slightly odd little self. He's now doing the 'throw yourself down and kick your legs, whilst screaming' kind of tantrum. They tend to end as soon as you pick him up, but he can be such a drama queen. He's learning more words every day and seems so proud of himself when he comes out with a new one. He gets incredibly angry and miserable (I told you, drama queen), if anyone dares to leave the house without him. The boy likes being outside. He does not much like being by himself though. He still wakes overnight, when I'll hear thump, pad, pad, pad, mama (amidst a great deal of angsty tears). I think he's having existential dread at 2 am, and he just can't get over it until he's got mummy lying in his bed giving him a cuddle. Daddy wont do either. Matthew is told in no uncertain terms to go away! Morty will also chuck a wobbly if the nursery owner dares to pick up another baby. He does not like that at all! Still, those lovely snuggly cuddles he gives make up for an awful lot, and mostly (apart from 2am), he doesn't much mind who he gets them from.

Apart from that, oh we're helping to organise a street party. What can we say, we love our street!

 

Going Going Gone

Boy before

 

Boy after

19 months old, first haircut. The lollipop was a reward for being good as gold for the hairdresser. he sat on my lap, screamed at the initial combing, but then sat quietly looking at the book of cars I was showing him, and munching on a gingernut, and let Sarah get on with it. She was amazed, as I was I! And now my little boy looks like a little boy rather than little lord fauntleroy, and we should get a lot less of the 'what a pretty daughter you have' (although we do have one of those too). Matthew is going to take him to the barber from here on in, but for his first haircut, it was my turn.

Bella's latest trick

We have our first parent teacher interview in a couple of weeks. I'm not sure what to expect. The only thing I want to grill the teacher on is whether Bella is actually making friends. I don't think she's formed any really strong attachments to anyone yet, and it does worry me.

Big bed

So, our boy went into his own room in a big boy bed 2 nights ago. I'm all sad about not being able to look over in the night and see him in his cot beside me. however, lets be honest. He was usually spending less than half the night in his cot, and the rest of the night in bed with us. Before we go on, this is not a debate about co-sleeping and pros and cons thereof. You do what you have to do to get sleep, and especially when you are working full time, and getting less than 7 hours sleep on a good night, fighting the own bed battle is not worth it for me. Your mileage may vary.

Morty has been having his day naps on a big bed since we went to Australia. He's been spending part of the night in with us most nights for the past few months. So, 2 nights ago, I put him to bed in his room. He was fine, he did wake up at about 12.30, so I lay down next to him in his bed, he resettled, but by that time I'd fallen asleep. So I spent the rest of the night in his bed. That happened again last night. He seems a lot more comfortable in the bed, so now I have to work on getting him to sleep through the night. The biggest problem is that he's a sociable, and fairly clingy child, so I don't think he actually likes sleeping on his own. We'll get there, slowly but surely.

The little fella got the wellies on and grab the broom with no adult intervention.

And before you say it, yes, I know he needs a haircut, I know he is sporting a very unfortunate mullet. I'm also not convinced he will sit still long enough for a barber or hairdresser to cut his hair.

Other things with Morty lately....he's 18.5 months, and got 2 of his 2 year old molars, with the other 2 not far off. He's undergoing a language explosion. The last week he's just started pointing at things and saying 'mine' when he wants it. And most things are starting to get a lot more intelligible (to us and in context, but still improving). I'm still worried about the tongue tie, but not enough to actually go to the Doctor just for that.

 

Bella had a fairly radical haircut about a fortnight ago. We had got to the point where it was a half hour screaming match to get her hair done in the mornings. So I decided it had to be cut short. She's now sporting a very fetching, curlyish, short bob, and it really suits her. Now there's only a 5 minute screaming match whereby I spray leave in conditioner and finger comb it. That's a huge improvement.

Sleep is a continuing battle. We now have a system whereby we don't get angry, and she can stay up reading quietly, till she's ready to go to sleep. It's meaning she's often not going to sleep until somewhere between 8.30 and 9.30pm. Yes, I know that is way too late for a 4.5 year old, but the alternative is Matthew and I both getting angry, and Bella acting up more and more, and not going to sleep until then anyway. It's a bit hit and miss so far, but there's a lot less angst of an evening for us.

School is going really well. Bella is just starting to be able to sound out some words, and recognise some without sounding them out. I think learning to read will be a huge thing for our little miss, I expect she is going to love it.

2011 the year to chase dreams

I have decided that this year is the year to chase some dreams just as hard as I can. Work is stagnant, so I need to do something about it, rather than bumbling along in a series of oddly dissatistfying jobs, that I don't achieve well at because I'm bored. Watch this space.

Christmas round-up

We had a lovely time, it was fairly quiet, but I was exhausted by the end.Christmas Day saw a lot of snow still on the ground, so we had our first ever white Christmas. I was completely charmed. It was not the sort of snow you could build snowmen with though, too dry, fine and powdery.

Stockings awaiting the visit from Santa. Mum made my one 35 years ago, I made Matthew's about 10 years ago, and Bella and Morty's were done this Christmas. Matthew is getting an education in what constitutes a stocking filler. My basic philosophy is that it is anything that will garner me a few extra minutes sleep while the children go through it (well it will be when they are older and stockings get hung on doors, to be pawed through at leisure before waking me up).

Significant because you can see the two ragdolls I made. Bella has since said they need to swap trousers, and Morty gets very offended if he catches Bella playing with his doll.

 

present aftermath. There is also an extra bit to this which has some raised roads and things. They both love it.

Chasing bubbles in the park, one of the great joys in life.

I'm tired out though. Bella was slightly trying over the holiday period, and bedtimes were almost the worst they've ever been. I'm trying to understand why, and I suspect that the fact that there have been some major changes and lack of routine since October may have a lot to do with it. She's started school, we've moved house, we've been to Australia and back, and then Christmas. Now we're past all that and ready to get back into something resembling a routine, hopefully her behaviour will settle down.

On a more positive note about Bella, I'm really loving her imagination. We're just getting into the play-acting and making up stories and jokes stage. And she has an amazing imagination. Admittedly most of her stories are reworkings of books she's read recently, but still she's making up some lovely stuff. I was also quite astounded earlier this week. I took her to see Cinderella, and it had Cinderella written on the curtain. She piped up at one stage and said 'Mummy, part of my name is up there'. And then a day or so later, Matthew took her to see Tinkerbell and she told him 'Daddy there's part of my name'. So she's recognising the letters and at the very start of being able to read. I'm really, really excited, it will open up new worlds to her that we can share.

Morty, just starting to say some words, but I suspect the tongue tie is holding him back some. He really can't get his tongue further than his lips, and does appear he may have a bit of a lisp. Next time I've got him at the GP for something, I'll ask about it, and probably ask for a referral. I'm not sure how going through life with a forked tongue is going to be a positive thing for him. Anyhoo, the half a dozen or so words he says consistently. Mumma and Dadda, BUH (for bus), BAA (for any animal although he knows they're not all sheep), GUCK (for any bird, but I'm not sure if he thinks they're all ducks or not), EYES, ARM, CAH (mostly for cars, sometimes trucks) amd this weekend WEEEEE when put in a swing. So he's getting there slowly. I have heard him say GEEK when pointing to my cheek once or twice, and I think he might be starting to say BEAR. He has been heard to say CAT and DOG once each. It is hard tno to compare him to his sister, who was saying two word sentences by this age, and had a huge vocabulary, but I'm trying. I have to keep telling myself that she hadn't quite started to walk by now.

So yeah, this year is going to be able chasing dreams.

Merry Christmas 2010

Merry Christmas, wishing you all a fantastic and fruitful 2011

Here's Bella's advent calendar (playmobil pony ranch - definitely recommended as an alternative to chocolate advent calendars for kiddies, I don't know who enjoyed it more, her or me. Please note the plastic horse poo in the buckets at the front of the picture. Someone at playmobil headquarters in Germany either has an overdevelopped sense of realism, or a sense of humour).

 

2010 has largely been a good year. There's been stresses and difficulties, but nothing insurmountable. We've moved house, but only 8 doors down, what can we say, it's a really lovely street. We've had a visit back home, which was incredible. And we're ending the year with a white Christmas, and the suggestion of good things to come next year. I have a feeling 2011 will be a good one for us.

Bella has settled in to school really well. She seems to be enjoying it, seems to be making friends (mostly with the boys), and is thriving on learning new things. Her favourite part of the school week is library (girl after my own heart there). She continues to be a highly stung, independent, stubborn, but very caring little soul. She loves books and making things most of all.She is starting to show a lovely creative imagination, and is just at the point where she wants to start making up her own stories, and playacting. I love my little girl to the ends of the earth, but sometimes wish she was a little less like me, so that we didn't butt heads quite so often. She is not a cuddler, unless she's in the mood, but those rare, unrequested cuddles are sensational.

Morty is our funny little man. Please note, he chose this outfit out of the dressing up box all himself and would not be dissuaded. He is just starting to think about, maybe, when he is in the mood, and only ever once, learning some words. Initially he said DAT when he wanted you to name something for him. He has been heard to say DOG once, CAT several times, BELLA now and then, and MUMMA frequently. Any animal is referred to as BAA, or very occasionally CAK (not quite a quack). This week he has learnt BIBBY (usually screeched at the top of his voice when he wants the bib on because food is coming, or wants it off because he is annoyed with it getting in his way). He also loves books, is obsessed by cars, shoes and animals (not necessarily in that order), and loves nothing so much as being held. He will flirt with almost anyone, and on the flip side, when life is a tragedy, life is a major, and very loud, tragedy. But other than frequent moments of tragedy, he is a happy and inquisitive little man.

Here's to good things in 2011, and wishes of dreams fulfilled.

The Underhills

 

Australia part the third

Our last fine nights were spend in Sydney. We caught up with old friends, saw my grandmother, spent an extremely wet day at the zoo, saw the aquarium and wildlife centre, caught ferries, went up Sydney tower, and ate an awful lot of sushi and bubble tea.

And now we're back to the real world. It's cold, it's dark, and the jetlag is taking an inordinately long time to get over.