Start 'em young

We popped along to Titchwell this morning so that Danna could pick up some more bird food. She'd forgotten her binoculars as we'd gone in my car and was offered a pair on loan (they know her well there!) and Isaac was lent a small pair. I'm not sure if he could see much through them as he couldn't work the focus but he seemed to have a lot of fun.

And then we came home and had ice cream.

Car journeys

Car journeys with small children go something like this:

Mummy, are we on the motorway?

no, this is our road

Mummy, a lemon shark... [details fade out]

a ha

Mummy, are we on the motorway?

no darling the motorway doesn't go to Danna's house

But we go on the motorway to Granny & Grandpas

yes we did but they've moved now

Mummy can we go on a plane to see Granny & Granpa

yes darling but not today

Mummy, can we drive to the airplane?

we can drive to the airport, yes

Mummy can we get a taxi to the airport?

we could do but if we're all going we'd probably take our car

What on the plane?

No just to the airport

Mummy?

[I don't respond for a nanosecond]

Mummy, are we going really fast?

yes dear

Mummy I saw a tree.

uh huh

Mummy, did you know that... [details fade]

mmmmm

Mummy, is this the motorway?

no darling

Mummy, can I have the window open?

[opens window]

Mummy can you close the window.

[closes window]

repeat repeat repeat - and we're not even out of town yet.

from the other seat there is mostly roooooar and lion signs.

Thankfully after a while one slept and one went digging for treasure with a duplo crocodile and it was mostly an easy drive.

Do you know where your children are?

You know that moment when you're still having your lunch and the kids have already finished theirs and resumed playing and you glance around just to check on where they are. It's a habit rather than anything else and only really registers if you don't see what you expect - a bit like when you glance at the clock and it only registers if you suddenly realise you're late.

So there was the boy.

Yup on top of a big pole.

But where's the girl? No sign.

Oh yeah there she is bouncing.

All the way over there.

My friend says it's only with my children that she ever worries whether she should be stepping in or not as every other parent she knows is more of a hoverer than she is but I'm as hands off as she is - only she knows her own children's limits better than she knows mine.

Isabel has new words this week.

Where's Daddy? Dere.

What do you want? Dis.

Walk like an Egyptian

aka wear your brother's shorts as a hat...

You can get away with it when you're small

shoes (no socks), nappy & a floppy hat

She did have clothes on when we set out (well ok so she had a tshirt on) but after getting wet playing and then falling asleep on me it didn't seem to matter if she didn't have any clothes on under a wrap. Except she woke up. She then played in the park and walked home. We had a few comments and lots of smiles!

And yes she is taking after her brother in climbing anything and everything.

Sunny afternoons

This is what happens if I try to have a little lie down after lunch.

The dog loves sunny days and got to go and explore a cricket pitch this afternoon. I'm not sure if he thought much of it or not.

Isabel looks like she's getting the pints in...

She spent a long time putting one down and then picking it up again and then putting the other one down and picking that up. The bouncy castle was much less interesting in comparison.

Not so her brother who I think would live on a bouncy castle if he could.

The shoe obsession continues. Not the right feet but that didn't stop her.

The lovely Kerry did some dancing with the children. Isaac was determined he wasn't going to join in. He did go and get props for his sister though.

There was a little piano playing whilst the dancing was going on.

The end of the week

It's been pretty full on here just getting on with life and two small children in amongst colds and travels and everything else. Some weeks I feel like all I do is a gazillion loads of washing and clean the house 3000 times.