averybadmum

Grandchild #1 and I were playing Hide and Seek.
... which is to say that hiding places such as under the duvet while noticeably giggling is considered a suitably fun hiding place... and the giggles increase as Grandma loudly proclaims a complete inability to work out where Grandchild #1 could possibly be...

Grandchild #2 can't talk yet, but clearly understands quite a lot.
On this occasion Grandma saying "Oh no, I have lost [name]. Wherever can they be?" resulted in Grandchild #2 pointing dramatically at the giggling duvet.

Grandchild #2 has a new game of passing a random object to me and then expecting me to pass it back.
This is apparently amusing for up to 20 minutes at a time.
My shoes appear to be somewhat harder to manoever than Grandchild's own shoes, but this did not render them unsuitable for the game.

Grandchild #2 tried to step into the box of Duplo.
Then realised it was a bad idea.
Then tried again to see if it was still a bad idea.
Repeat 6 times before concluding that it was still definitely a bad idea.

I failed to resist the temptation to acquire a Wednesday plush doll this Halloween.
Grandchild #1 noted the grumpy expression and has named it "Cross Baby".

Grandma : [loud sneeze - approximately the 20th time today]
Grandchild #2 : [startled expression and noticeable jump - also approximately the 20th time today]
... apparently it's still a surprise every time.

* opening line to The Crow Road by Iain Bamks

Grandchild #2 is not happy to discover that if you let go of toys in mid air they are mysteriously not around anymore when you want them back.

Grandchild #1 was being a shark today at swimming lessons.
I was being a fish and fleeing in terror*.
Swimming teacher remarked that Grandchild #1 was moving particularly fast today, so that's good.

* except when I was being a plant and having water poured over my head

Older Great Nephling to babysitter : "Those biscuits on the high shelf are Mummy's special biscuits and I'm allowed to have as many of them as I like as often as I want."
... the babysitter was skeptical of these claims.

Contractions for Grandchild #2 started just as the parents were heading to the car for an induction at the hospital, so they ended up with a natural birth after all.

Grandchild #1 's first reaction to pictures of the new sibling was "Is that me?"
... which is reasonable since we've been explaining the impending new arrival by going through their baby albums.

Grandchild #1 wanted the main share of the baby cuddles, but was willing to allow visitors a cuddle as well.
Hoping this bodes well for future sibling relationships.

Older Great-Nephling had been to a party and brought a balloon animal snake over.
There followed a discussion on whether or not snakes had legs.
As it turned out, the Internet agreed with me : we looked at snake skeletons and there were no legs at all to be seen anywhere.
This was declared to be "weird" but also interesting.
We then watched a couple of videos about how snakes manage to move without legs.

Grandchild and Younger Great Nephling were in dispute over whose turn it was to be in the pedal car.

Grandchild [shouting] : "But I need to get to work!"

Grandchild is staying for a couple of days while the parents and Uncle A go off for a LARP.
On one of our trips out we stopped for soup and babychino (latte for me) in the Library canteen.
"Grandma... you're putting pepper on your soup."
"Yes, that's right"
"Why?"
"Because I like the taste of it."
[roll of eyes] "Oooo-kaaay..."

In the Before Times, when my kids were small, and plague had not visited these lands, theatres would allow small kids in, but cinemas often had a No Under Threes rule, so my kids were very familiar with stage show trips with playgroup from quite early on.
Grandchild, however, had not been to a show before this year.

We didn't make it to the end of Drag Queen Story Hour because Grandchild found it too noisy.
However, aided by Uncle A's noise cancelling headphones, Grandchild attended a Kenny Young and the Eggplants gig on Friday.
Review after the show. "That was good but it was noisy"
... and Grandchild wanted to go to the show again the next day as well. This time with ear defenders bought for the purpose.

Son and I were practicing music together.
Grandchild decided to help by singing as we were doing this.
... Grandchild doesn't seem to have grasped the idea that singing the *same* tune that everyone else is doing might be a good idea on such occasions...

I have bonus extra Grandchild this week due to Son-in-Law, Son and Son's Partner going away for a long weekend LARPing.
As they were getting ready to leave on Thursday morning one of Son's Partner's boxes had gone astray. Grandchild and I joined in the general hunt for it.
Then Grandchild needed the bathroom, so we went.
On leaving the bathroom we saw that the missing box was in the hall beside the front door.
Grandchild cried "There it is!"", picked it up and rushed around telling everyone "I found it!"
Everyone was very grateful, naturally.

Grandchild is very good about things like putting juice cartons away after pouring out drinks, and generally happy to help with tidying things.
At a family barbecue yesterday Grandchild was helpfully collecting and folding up the chairs and stools... and resisting all pleas of "Can I have my chair back please? I only stood up to get a drink..." from the adults.

Grandchild has been enjoying watching "Baby Grizzly Bears And Me" recently, and asks for an episode most days.
The three toy bears are now repeatedly weaned from bottle to bowl and have their fur very thoroughly cleaned after each feed.
It's good practice for the impending new sibling... so long as Grandchild doesn't decide to attempt to release the sibling into the wild when they reach a year old...

When everyone else was going through boxes and sorting out and there was all sorts of chaos... Grandchild stepped in to help... by fetching a box of toys to empty out next to all the other piles of box contents lying on the floor.

Every year I make marzipan decorations for various events, including our Twelfth Night celebration.
Post Xmas we gather the Household and have a party.
This year Old Great Nephling came over and made the marzipan with me.
Aside from a little bit of demonstrating how to score lines in the marzipan and how to use the stamp for leaf making it's all his own work.
.

painting the leaves
.

finished tree drying out
.
Also, against all expectations, I am not cleaning icing sugar off the walls... it was a remarkably tidy experience.

Grandchild is getting more independent.
"My do it" is the phrase of the month.

Among other skills Grandchild can now get open the fridge door, get milk from the fridge, undo the lid, pour some into a cup (currently without overfilling or spilling), close the lid (still needing a reminder to turn the screwtop the other way from opening), and return the milk to the fridge.

This did result in Grandchild spotting a squeezy yoghurt pouch in the fridge and requesting it.

Grandma was pottering about finishing the washing up and making a packed lunch.

Grandma then announced that it was time to get ready to go out. Grandchild understands the important role that sunsceen plays in being allowed to go out to visit the pigs at Gorgie Farm.
Grandchild apparently doesn't yet quite grasp that sunscreen is a specific thing, and that yoghurt is not an adequate substitute, despite also being white, in a tube and quite convenient to spread over one's skin.

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Recent Entries

Communication

Sharing

The Learning Curve

This Is Halloween

"It was the day my grandmother exploded"*

Gravity is a harsh mistress

Supercharged

Transparency

"Would you like to cuddle my baby?"

Locomotion

Urgent business

In which Grandchild discovers sarcasm

Baby's First Gigs

Music in parts

Seek and you shall find

Tidying up

Bear Care

Helping with the tidying

Creativity

Improvisation

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January 2025

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