Goblin and Poppet

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She Said Dora!
2008-04-27 10:29:00
Not once, not twice, but many, many times over the course of the afternoon. Isla had been playing with an irritating Dora bilingual colour game and exclaimed "DOH a" after I pointed to the picture on the front. She's said "Ball" and "Ta" recently but just the once or twice and they were never repeated. This "Dora" is quite different. I never thought I'd be so happy to hear that football headed, obnoxiously loud Pollyanna's name although the incessant repeats of it both delight and irk me. Nickelodeon would be so proud ;)

He's back, grumpy and sick!
2008-04-27 01:28:00
By 10.00 am this morning it was "I'm very tired" and just before lunchtime he was sick. I'm assuming it's from the lack of sleep and binge on lollies and takeout on the trip back but it could also be a GI virus. I hope for the former. I've not had a "stomach bug" for years and I hate to think how I'd handle two vomiting babies plus myself. He had a great time playing with the children on the Marae but was a bit loud during the unveiling ceremony and had the gall to tell other kids present to "Shhhh!".Update: It's definitely more than just an upset stomach. Conor's been sick six times since lunchtime and is looking absolutely miserable. He got a second wind around dinner time, looked chirpier but after a few hours sleep, woke before ten and we started all over again. I feel completely helpless. There's not a heck of a lot I can do other than clean him up and coax small amounts of water in to him. I certainly can't make him feel any better and that makes me feel co...
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Conor's New Favourite Ad
2008-04-24 11:12:00
I never thought I could find house insulation material so adorable.Conor's up and off with Daddy at 5 am tomorrow. They're traveling north to Parihaka for a friend's headstone unveiling. I haven't been away from Conor in a long, long time and this equates to two days worth. I considered going myself but Isla is not as placid as Conor who was a very well behaved boy during the two Tangi (funerals) he attended.Tomorrow is also ANZAC day and with all the holiday travel there will be I'm anxious about loonies and speedsters on the roads.

Ball!
2008-04-22 07:52:00
Isla said ball today. Just the once and it came out more like "bah". When asked to repeat, she did this new scrunched up face expression which effectively means "Nah, don't wanna!" or in another context "I iz cute!".She's certainly not in any hurry to start talking and that's fine. It's not like she could get a word in with Conor around.
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New Coat and Hip Check
2008-04-21 01:24:00
I just got my hands on a gorgeous double breasted, empire line coat for Isla. Wool and lined. Since Isla was asleep when it arrived, Conor did not mind modeling. Conor thought it was his although he wasn't all that fond of the pink. It's sized 18-24 months but fits Conor snugly and he's just about to hit three so Isla should get plenty of use out of it.In the first photo Conor is doing his booty pop, his new favourite pose. I had a hard time dressing him last night after his bath as he just wanted to stick his butt out and giggle. He actually looks pretty darn sweet in this coat. I'm all for boys wearing pink, but don't worry, I won't send him out in it. He can keep his grubby little mitts off it.We also visited the hospital today for Isla's hip check up. She was in a much more pleasant mood after a very solid sleep but sobbed and moaned as I'd expected as soon as we were placed in a cubicle waiting for the doctor. It's the white bed linen! The ortho said her...
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Poorly Sick And Can't Eat Pudding.
2008-04-20 02:36:00
I can't blame pollen and other allergens for giving us the sniffles a few days ago, Isla and I have full blown colds as of last night. Conor seems to have been spared the 'tap' runny nose so far. Isla is a miserable little thing. I had perhaps two hours sleep last night as she would not settle. She preferred to be up and about and even tried out some standing athletics which I will post of movie of later. Even trusty Noo-Noo was a no go trying to get her to bed. This is only the second cold Isla has caught. The first was minor, just a bit of nasal stuffiness which made breastfeeding a little annoying.Hopefully, she will fare better tonight.Sick ly Poppet in new dressing gown.
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Chilly
2008-04-19 03:47:00
Our first really cold day today. Cold enough to warrant putting the fire on mid morning and wearing a few layers. It's actually a bit of a shock to the system going from mild to baking hot then raining and chilly over the last week. Autumn needs to stop being so fickle. That's the prerogative of Spring. The cicadas stopped chirping about ten days ago. That's depressing. Winter is upon us.-Chub in footless tights-.

Chef Conor
2008-04-18 09:53:00
I occasionally let Conor help cook dinner. I don't do it often as I have Isla to contend with crawling riot around the house and I need to be quick. I prefer to take my time with him if I can. There's the general two year old lax attitude to hot burny things which complicates matters and he's actually quite bossy. I made a very easy Spaghetti Bolognese tonight and he did most of the stirring and adding of ingredients. He was a little Gordon-Ramsey-esque with the herbs. I'm a herb nut and add whatever takes my fancy. I'm sure most compete with each other and I go overboard. I used dried as I could not be bothered to go out and fetch the rosemary, thyme and parsley from our poor excuse for a garden, in the dark. Well, Conor demanded "more bits" and became a little foul over being told we had finished with the herbs. I gave in and let him go crazy with the marjoram and oregano. I figured it couldn't hurt. The herb jars were almost finished.After all his efforts, he...
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Bye Gran!
2008-04-17 00:38:00
The kids' paternal grandmother, Rachel, left this morning. I have a feeling Conor will be on a bit of a downer. He loves having Gran (and Grandad) stay. He had multiple ways of addressing her this visit. Gran, Grandma, Nan/Nanny (confusion with his Nan Nan), New Grandma, Rachel and Rachel Gran.At least Gran got to see his long trouser/jean fetish in full swing.On another note, he's come out with some of the strangest things in the last week. Bugs needing groceries, Mummy is a horse - "Ride horsey, ride", going to see a doggy on the moon and just this morning, completely random, "I'm not a princess!".His new favourite expression is "No, I'm not" and he's really enjoying using first names whenever possible. "Don't do that, Kehwee".Isla has not repeated any "ta" sounds since Tuesday. I'm positive she said "book" the other day but she was very quiet about it. She babbles off an on (caws sometimes) and certainly comprehends well enough for a new one year old. Just af...

Yes, I like names. What of it?
2008-04-16 13:55:00
I'm thinking I might just scrap the criterion that any first name for another child must be Irish or Scottish. Nevertheless, I still favour many of them.FN - Tadhg (TYE g), Cillian, Rafe (no lofty Raphael 'nicknamed' Rafe thanks!) Bede or Finlo.MN- Douglas and John, Bede, Rafe, Hamish, Ceallach, Kelly, Stirling, Tudur, Fionn or Fintan.I will not move on Douglas. Not one inch.I'm also very fond of Inigo although it has never flown with a certain someone despite my protestations that Mandy Patinkin's character was one of my childhood heroes. That aside, it's just a fine name and those that end in 'o' delight me.Rex and Fox are others I'm very partial to. No, Rex is not a dog's name. You must be thinking of Riley. Duh. Fox I have no excuses for. One of my long time favourites, Hamish (although already taken by one younger child in our family) would be quite perfect for another son, but I would like to do something less mainstream and perhaps 'expected' this time. The same d...
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12 months, bye bye Bitty and Strange Headwear
2008-04-15 06:19:00
Isla is one today and she said "ta" for the first time in context. Mummy was beside herself and it was only over a couple of stupid french fries. Isla was also treated to a store cake. Yes, Mummy is a sad, sad mother.We've also said goodbye to daytime breastmilk. It's now two cups of formula during the day (plus additional water) and breastmilk in the evening and sometimes very early morning. It's not my ideal situation but she was flighty and awkward about feeding during the day for the last month. I was not going to force the issue. Perhaps I could reach the golden two year period with my third child. Perhaps not.
More About: Strange , Months

One! Well, almost.
2008-04-13 07:21:00
April 15th, Isla officially turns one but we had a little celebration today by opening her presents this morning and then visiting the park/beach for lunch with Gran and Nan Nan. It was a beautiful day, perhaps one of the last truly warm days we are going to enjoy before winter hits. We will do the cake on the 15th.A photo below of Isla looking comfortable in the swing.She adores the swing whereas Conor has no interest whatsoever. He's in the background of this shot trying to coax a local cat out of the bushes. When he was not chasing the cat around and getting swiped, he was ordering the children around on the slide - who should go first and how they should approach the situation."NO! Not that way, this way!" and "Stop that!"He's so bossy, it's cringe inducing.He's also taken over Saffron, Isla's new doll and her flimsy stroller and is currently transporting teddies, his money and Hot Wheels cars around the house in it. I wonder how long this novelty will last.Isla in ...

Hair, again!
2008-04-10 12:42:00
Gimme head with hair Long beautiful hair Shining, gleaming, Streaming, flaxen, waxenIsla's hair is going a bit nutso right now. It's started to curl at the bottom and the big surge on top of her head is evident in the photos.This is about the age Nan Nan took Conor to the hairdresser to get a trim, without my permission.While it was a refreshing change, I'm not fond of that severe 'Parris Island' style, so he never visited that male Delilah nor any other again.
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Worship of Noo-Noo
2008-04-10 01:38:00
The vaccum cleaner's been a big hit with both kids. Aside from dehairing the carpet (thanks to my post-partum shedding, which is STLL going), it's acted as both a source of entertainment and a sleep aid for fussy babies.Conor's far more interested in actually using the Noo-Noo now. He struggles but will give it a decent go. This includes attempting a takeover when I'm vacuuming and then I've got to share it with him. It does not make for an efficient job.Isla will follow it all around the house just to sit in the direct flow of the warm air vent at the back. It 'froufs' her hair and fans her face. She loves it. She also likes to watch all the boogers and greeblees dancing around in the clear plastic collection container. I wonder what she makes of it? I'm thinking she'd be quite keen on fossicking through to find edible bits.It does not take much to entertain these guys.
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Conor Anatomy
2008-04-06 01:59:00
Learning the names for his different parts is fun, washing those parts himself, not so much. We are working on that.He's mastered most of the important areas and delights in words like forehead ("forrid"), clavicles (well, collar bones seemed harder), fingers/phalanges, toes/phalanges and his "uniqua" which stands for urethra. He understands that's there's lots of hard things under his skin called bones and that they form a skeleton. Blame MGM's late night screening of the 1963 Jason and The Argonauts. Conor had woken upset and needed a cuddle in the lounge. He got campy fighting skeletons as an extra. We just had to explain that skeletons don't go walking around like that attacking people. In fact, they do not walk around at all. The same sort of explanation applied when he saw The Killers' 'Bones' song, which he's quite partial to.He's also very vocal about the differences between boys and girls, uses the correct anatomical terms and will even remind mummy and ...
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Almost bipedal
2008-04-04 05:37:00
I underestimated Isla! In the last few days she's been able to walk with the aid of Conor's ride on toy. She can push it pretty confidently seven steps or so and then sits down. I've also noticed she's more inclined to use flat feet rather than her dainty ballerina toe step she does when we are supporting her (like in the photo). I almost had her standing up for a few seconds today but she grabbed for me instantly and looked rather put out that I dared take her support away. Considering her hips and the annoying plastic splint, she's doing marvelously. Conor only started walking confidently a few weeks after his first birthday so I have nothing to worry about with Isla. In fact, it would be nice to have a non walking baby for a few more months. I can't imagine what I'm in for with two bipedal terrors.Conor acquainted himself with the ground twice today. He fell backwards off a bottom step outside our house at lunchtime and hit the concrete relatively hard. Well, ...

Headbands and Cousin Ben
2008-04-02 12:51:00
Some of you have mentioned before that Isla's headbands are her trademark. Family, friends and even the doctors and nurses at our hospital would agree. It's brought up whenever she visits the place. Nan Nan bought most, a friend grabbed a few while she was in Sydney (along with baby jewelery which Isla's not going near!) and we bought a few ourselves. They're great for taming her mop and while she's still at the hands 'live in mouth' stage, hair ties, clips etc.. will not be used until much later.Evidence! There's a few missing in the above picture. One was eaten by the washing machine. One died from over pilling. One was lost at the hospital during Isla's first spica cast surgery and there are three others currently misplaced around the house somewhere. Two black and one pink striped.Headband nonsense aside, Conor has been out today with his 'uncle' Bennett. Ben's actually my first cousin and Conor dotes on him. Even Daddy plays second fiddle when Ben's ...

We play nice.
2008-04-01 22:50:00
I love watching the two interact. They get on fairly well although Conor does engage boss mode a little more often now. Isla gets her own back with pinching his food, toys and general 'cling on' limpet behaviour.I love the sounds of giggling and roaring laughter from their shared bedroom and while I try to tip toe down the hall to catch them playing, they usually know when a parental unit is in the vicinity and shut up shop.Also, Isla gets all fired up laughing when Conor does something as mundane as open and closing a a cupboard door a few times. Isla idolises her older brother and yet I'm surprised she has no 'name' for him yet. Isla is quite satisfied with just mama and dada. At 11 months Conor had "gog" for dog (and generally any animal) and was almost about to go wild on "boo" for blue and "coo" for clue.Isla turns 1 on April 15th and we've sorted her 'main' presents now. A Little Tikes bouncy activity inflatable thing with lots of coloured balls courtesy of Gr...
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Who is this Scarlett?
2008-04-01 03:10:00
Isla Scarlet is her name. One 't'. Scarlet as in the cloth and the colour. It's not Scarlett , like the modern, bolshy Gone With The Wind heroine, although visions of the stunning Vivien Leigh do not go amiss. People misspell this all the time. I do understand people are more familiar with the modern Scarlett as a name but when you've been informed many times of Isla's spelling yet continue to add the 't', you are either slow or incredibly rude.I also love some of the key word searches courtesy of Statcounter. Isla Scarlett Ophelie Bonnie is not her name, nor is it Scarlett Isla Fleur, but thanks for trying. Typing in 'Isla Scarlet' or 'Isla spica cast' is usually more than sufficient for the search engine. Knock yourself out. Also, Conor has just the one 'n'. I'm sure you've noticed by now.Venting aside, Conor provided a few laughs for our local cut price store two days ago. We'd got to the counter and had paid for our goods when we noticed Conor was c...

Badly Dressed Boy & The Ballsy Arachnid
2008-03-31 01:01:00
As I've noted in a previous post, Conor likes control over what he wears. Yesterday, he went all out and broke the fashion mould. The white patches visible on his arms are paint smears. Conor thought he'd help mummy undercoat the spare room by testing the paint with an elbow. This was then transferred to his new cargo pants. Less said about that the better. So, in this photo Conor has on a ridiculously tight checked blue shirt, flaming board shorts and some funky camo boots. It was not all disaster, at least he hadn't tried to hike his pants up over his waist this time. Lately, the King Nerd Pee Wee Herman trouser look is a current favourite although I hear high waisted clothing currently hot. Maybe Conor's just up to speed.He's also taken to adjusting our clothes, particularly Isla's. Cuff lengths are toyed with, buttons undone and done and the occasional uttering of "byootiful" when he's pleased. Usually anything with a bright, gaudy pattern interests him.I...

Hide 'n Freak
2008-03-28 04:06:00
Conor, it's not okay to crawl under Bonnie's crib or stand in the pantry, go silent and refuse to acknowledge my calls of "Where are you, sweetie?", only to start giggling when Mummy's voice becomes panicked. Before you let on that it's all jokes, she's getting a just a bit paranoid, thinking perhaps you've managed to get out the front door and go walkabout in the bush.
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"It's all stuck, mummy".
2008-03-28 02:09:00
Conor got his cheap, battery operated bubble blower 'mildly' entangled in his mane. He was not at all bothered by it, despite the tense look on his face in the photo. He just wanted to start playing with it again. I had a feeling he might try it out on Isla which is why I let him have it while she was in relatively safety, napping in the next room.The photos are more evidence for his father. I dislike most of these cheap toys bought on a whim. If they don't attack, they're broken within a day.Meanwhile, Isla fell asleep sitting up for the first time. Conor used to do this a lot. I had to include a before nap shot. She's finally getting some wear out of her many pairs of dungarees unfortunately most are 3/4 leg length and will not be suitable for winter. Ugh.
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Infant Unflattery
2008-03-27 03:05:00
Goblin smoosh faces - two months old.Nappy Action - five monthsA badly dressed 'carnie' poppet and Every Villain Is Lemons
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Isla the Hairabble
2008-03-26 08:28:00
My hair is fairly long. Not Crystal Gayle length but long enough to get caught in things, drop into my coffee occasionally and over feed the vacuum cleaner. In fact, Noo-Noo's turbo brush needs its own personal haircut once a week with little nail scissors. So, while long hair posed no problems with Conor (bless him) and I was always telling the 'new mum' long hair detractors to politely get bent, since having Isla, I see why some mothers choose to have a chop.Isla's always been fascinated with it, particularly when I'm trying to get a brush through or attempting some straightening. Pulling and tugging was something I could handle but it's not only a source of entertainment now, it's functional too. She used it yesterday to pull herself up to stand behind me. I also think she believes tugging on a sizable chunk of hair will increase my milk flow when feeding her. Sorry sweetie, it doesn't.This evening she attacked me. I was playing around with Conor on the floor, ...

Jack Frost, bugger off.
2008-03-26 00:02:00
Our long hot days are numbered so we have to make the most of what we have left. It's a depressing thought. While I've moaned about intense heat and Conor's irritating 'avicadas' that loiter in the trees, I'm just not ready for winter. When the cicadas quieten down and stop dive bombing our deck, I'll know Autumn's in full swing. Isla was born on the 15th April last year and I remember wearing a sleeveless tunic the next day leaving hospital. Within the week I was in long tops and we had our fireplace stoked up. Grrrrrrrr (or should that be brrrrrrr) to winter. Chills, frost, damp, colds, frumpy clothes and expensive avocados. I'm not happy.
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Spitissuing and a bag of shh!
2008-03-24 10:59:00
I remember quite vividly my disgust at having my face wiped with a tissue or handkerchief that had been moistened with my mother's saliva. It usually happened in public and there's nothing that makes a kid feel cooler than to have warm mama spit drying on their smarting red cheek. I vowed I'd never put my kids' through this and so far, I've stuck to my word, save one or two very desperate occasions when I just had to spitissue something foul off Conor's face.So, consider me quite puzzled today when Conor grabbed a paper towel, sucked one corner, rubbed it up and down his tongue and pathetically spat on it then proceeded to try to wipe off Nan Nan's "dirty" nail polish. Where did he pick this up? The spitissuing was so determined and executed so zealously I can only assume he saw someone do it. But who?On another note, Conor and his shhing! The kid uses it excessively and sometimes for no apparent reason at all, index finger at pursed lips and all. His repeated shhing ...

Toys
2008-03-23 04:53:00
Conor tried to breastfeed Boudicca this morning. No, not the 'Celtic' queen, Isla's roughed up looking pseudo-Cabbage Patch doll. He lifted his t-shirt and casually shoved her face in the direction of his right chestwart. Power to him I say. Meanwhile, Isla was more interested in Conor's old play workbench, toy garage and attacking Madelief (another doll) with a screwdriver. I remember how much I played with my garage as a kid. It was handcrafted by my maternal grandfather and had my name emblazoned at the front in red. I was happy spending equal periods of play on cars, trains, dinosaurs and Transformers and also Barbie, My Little Pony, tea sets and baby dolls. I hope Goblin and Poppet do the same.Speaking of breastfeeding, Isla's really showing signs of disinterest during the day. My flow has not been all that fantastic lately and to top things off, she's just started nibbling with her two little lower incisors. Perhaps to get things moving faster? She got the...
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Daddy Laid Eggs
2008-03-21 05:26:00
...in stealth mode around the house late last night. Conor found his Cadbury Deluxe Dark Chocolate Bunny on the end of his bed around 6.30 am this morning. I awoke to sounds of chewing and murmurs of "chohhcahhlit". I was about to ask him where in the frickety-frick he got the stuff when it clicked. Duh, Easter. Yes, we eat the brown stuff on Good Friday. He found most of his eggs by 8.00 am. Almost three year olds, do not normally grasp the concept of moderation and we had many eggs in various states of undress. We had to put aside most although he managed to access my own personal chocolate egg and attacked it good. Isla got the odd tidbit, particularly those left on the floor by Conor. I don't have any decent photos! I did not charge our pathetic excuse for a camera.
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Miss Hairness
2008-03-20 03:50:00
I had great expectations for Isla's hair. I was born with a dark blonde semi-afro and had plenty of locks to play with from the get go. Isla had a more moderate smattering of hair, perhaps slightly more than Conor's offering at birth, but not a heck of a lot to do anything with. I don't know why I was expecting a ready to pony/pigtail hair do. It was a ridiculous expectation and yet some little poppets do sprout big hair early on, see here! Little newborn Titian haired Jake is my favourite but Poppy impresses me the most with her vertical do:I started poufing up Isla's hair into a little fauxhawk when she got some length in the front. The front is what grew like wildfire whereas the back, like many babies went Friar Tuck on me. By six months the many headbands Nan Nan had purchased were now no longer just a fashion accessory, they prevented the fringe overhanging her face and giving her the A Flock of Seagulls hair do. The opportunity to experiment properly with pigt...
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Poppets & Pirates
2008-03-18 04:21:00
Okay, so she has crawling and standing covered. What next? Well, today Isla managed to go from standing against the couch to making it gracefully on to all fours on the floor. No face splats or tipping over, which are most unbecoming. It was lovely to watch her master it. Bent over, determined face, one hand planted firmly on the ground and a slow slide to crawling stance. It's not all gooey moments though. With the standing up comes crib protests. Pacifiers and toys thrown out and then there are demands for their return. Also legs and arms idle through the bars until they get stuck. Conor was never quite this annoying. Hopefully it's just a novelty.Meanwhile, Conor found a silly plastic sword in the closet and decided it would be fun to poke mummy with it whilst trying to say "Arrrrrrrrrrrr!" although it came out more like a dog growl. The midsection and butt regions were the main targets. Isla invoked the right of parley and was spared for today. I think the ...
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