Little Miss slaying the dragons

Transformers Animatronics at Emperor's Palace

The second quarter of the year is already full steam ahead. It seems Little Miss has settled nicely in at school. She is a Little Miss Independent because we drop her off and there she goes!

All the worries about friends and fitting in have been resolved. She's got friends, and she was even invited to her first party this weekend from a child at the new school. I was told that she has a nickname of "Cutie" (behind her back), but she has heard it and has told me previously that she does not like being called cute! (We think that "Cutie" is not so bad, and it could have been a lot worse! Now only to convince her!)

Revue outfit at school

We had a hectic week last week! The school put out seven concerts in five days! It meant driving up and down to school and getting dressed and prepped for Revue seven times. (Not even counting the practice runs the previous week!) I have a lot more respect for teachers everywhere! They worked their arses off very hard and they were still smiling at the end! We had to laugh when Little Miss told us she had a job of keeping her teacher awake in class, and another boy had to wipe the spit from her mouth when she fell asleep. They found that quite hilarious, but I am sure that is how the teacher really felt each day! School had to go on!

We are still struggling with clothes and melt-downs. Winter has started a a week ago, and Little Miss has had to adapt to her new winter clothes. Of course everything about the winter outfits are bothering her, and the shoes are too tight or too loose. We know why it is a fight to get her to put on her shoes (SPD), but unfortunately we have to find a way for her to handle it better! We are at least 20 minutes to half an hour later getting out of the house in the mornings.

I am contemplating of getting some help with the SPD? If only for us and how to help her?
Should we see an occupational therapist?

For the record! She is very opinionated! I always say that she has been born with all the wisdom on earth. She already KNOWS, when she sometimes most of the times does not know! Head-banging happens a lot! (Saying it with trepidation when thinking about the teenage years?)

Little Miss making flapjacks

Little Miss loves helping with baking and cooking, and I think we should definitely involve her more. She is always willing to lend us a hand in the kitchen! Thanks, Little Miss! I am looking forward to your gourmet dishes in future!

I am writing this down, Little Miss! Even looking back on the previous post, I can see how much you have changed and developed! We like you, and we love you!

It is great to have you in our lives! And we will slay the SPD dragons together!

The Princess is on her way

On her way to rule the kingdom 

It happens each and every day.
The cuteness that she is!

I want to record everything she does, and says, but most of the time we have to smile (laugh inwardly, if we can manage it), and we forget about it.
Because the next day she is cute and funny all over with a new cute and funny!

She was making plans since yesterday...
When she got home, she made the paper crown all by herself.
She told me she wanted to wear a princess dress and shoes, and we had to set it aside last night.

I sneaked on a pair of boots this morning, but when she looked down and saw it... Instant disapproval! So the princess shoes (with the heels) are on, with back-up shoes again in the bag.
But I was adamant that the pants must stay on underneath the dress! It is cold here in the mornings!

Her dad says she walked all the way to class, very impressed with herself. (She usually wants to be carried)
Basking in the comments of the parents, and teachers...

Princess in the making!


Related post:

Princessionista

Movie Clip Monday #29 - Ballet Concert

The Toddler had her end-of-year ballet concert, after she had been going to ballet classes for the entire year!

It was the first time we got a glimpse of what they had been doing...

We've seen some steps and moves at home, but it was eye-opening to see what the ballet teacher Jacqui has done with them.

They were all very cute!

Noticing the shadows

41 months of the little person in our lives.

We have been smiling all along...
Sometimes we have to hide a laugh, because we do not want her to know that we are laughing at her.
But her perspective makes us look at things totally differently.

The shadows
She noticed the "brown" (her word) spot in the bath last night. We explained that it is her shadow, and I proceeded to show her my hands making shadows on the bath.
She has seen it before, but last night she became terrified and wanted to jump out of the bath immediately.
Luckily when she went to sleep, she asked again about the shadows. I could tell her that it is dark and that they are not there any more...

Growing legs
We have been joking about the socks growing legs and going on holiday. We have always only one sock coming back from the wash!
One of the toddler's wash cloths also got lost, and we said that it got legs as well.
I found it later in the cupboard.
The Toddler was at first not impressed and did not want anything to do with that particular wash cloth: "It's got legs!"

Prayers
Prayers always make for a lot of hidden smiles on our side. The most recent prayer that her father retold:
"Thanks for my dad's hair (he hasn't got that many), and thanks for my mother's course legs" (we presume it's the stubble...)

Nothing that keeps you more grounded!

Slippers
The Toddler loves her new Hello Kitty slippers. She went to sleep for two nights in a row with the slippers still on her feet.
She threw a tantrum yesterday morning when she saw I had substituted the slippers for boots for the day... So she went to school with her slippers!
It was very dirty last night and we had to put it in the washing bin, or else I am sure she would have insisted on wearing it again...


Thanks for all the cuteness!

Where we are at - Mom vs Toddler at 40 months

Meme seen over at Dear Max by Tanya.


It is good to know where the two of us are at the moment.
She is 40 months now.

Favourite expression/word
Mieka: asseblief (please with a whiny voice)
Mom: fantasties/fantastic

Favourite outfit
Mieka: soft tracksuit pants with a fairy skirt
Mom: jeans

Favourite hobby/activity
Mieka: dancing/sketching/putting plasters on "bloed" (blood)
Mom: iPad/blogging (doing this post from my iPad)

Favourite drink
Mieka: iced tea
Mom: Cappuccino

Favourite food
Mieka: pasta
Mom: salad

Most overused word/expression
Mieka: Mom/Dad says Yes!
Mom: No!

Favourite apps
Mieka: Tom Cat & Tab Tales
Mom: Blogger & Instagram & Kindle

Favourite TV programme
Mieka: Mickey Mouse Club House/Dora the explorer
Mom: Modern family

Favourite book
Mieka: Disney books
Mom: The storm before the calm

Worst activity/chore
Mieka: tidying
Mom: doing monthly stats

Latest discovery
Mieka: asking to "loan" something (but meaning permanent)
Mom: trench coats for winter


Always growing in cuteness!
What a pleasure to have her in our family!

Three days left – we can do this!

Mieka playing with the dog's bed this afternoon, and Benji, the new addition to our family

The holidays are three days away. We can smell it already!

I had my “shopping day” today. Once a year we get an extra shopping day, instead of our normal afternoon off a month. It is a huge bonus, and we plan long before the time on how to spend it.

We had some rainy weather the past couple of days which has been a huge relief. How I wished this morning that we did not make any plans... But the teen had me booked for a manicure at eight o’clock - a Christmas present from her. Guess what? We were on our way, and the friend (whom she wanted to support) cancelled on us! We could have spent a bit lot longer in bed!

We went to the shops and tried to do some Christmas shopping. It is very difficult with a busy toddler. It is not getting easier. No, she is getting busier, and we have to keep a constant watch! I have a renewed respect for ALL mothers who get their shopping done with toddlers in tow.

We could show some shopping bags at the end of our shopping excursion. Which I am very proud off! It feels like an accomplishment of sorts! (Huge smile!)

I also had an afternoon nap on this Monday afternoon with the toddler. It was one of the best afternoons in a very long time! Sleep is not overrated here! No, it is more precious than gold! And I could spend some time with the toddler. She is extremely cute nowadays. I think this is the cutest time in a child’s life!

When do you think are they their cutest?

Only Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday that lay ahead. Thursday is a public holiday here this week! Then HOLIDAYS and time with the family and toddler!

Related post:
Things to consider when shopping with the toddler

The toddler is 23 months and saying her own name

One month, and I am getting my life back. No, joke! We are never going to get our lives back. (Not that we want to...)

I have always held the magical number of two years as a milestone. That is how I remember I felt with the teen when she was two. I felt I got some sense back of me. They are more independent, and you are able to do more of your own stuff again.

The toddler started at long last to say her own name this week! We noticed that we could get her to say all the names of people in her life, except her own name. We were worried for a while. Now when she looks in a mirror, she says “Mieka”! And she exclaims “Mieka” when she sees herself on photos and videos.

Cuteness!

The toddler loves going to the tiny gymnastics, and usually she is a big star. But we noticed that the not crawling had a big impact on her movement on Saturday. They had to crawl up and down and over. Every time she sat on her bum, and did the crab creep (again) when she actually had to crawl or jump over or off! Luckily we have the tiny gymnastics every Saturday to help with it!

The vocabulary is coming along at a great speed. She string together two or three words, and sometimes I hear that she is even getting creative with her use of words. She loves her Goggatjie DVD.  This morning she woke up, and asked for Goggatjie, nothing else. She called me “Mamma-tjie”. The “-tjie” was something she thought of on her own. (We have never used the word “Mammatjie”. )


We had the whole family at our house today, and the toddler had a ball with her grandfather and grandmother, as well as her uncle visiting from London.  She was crying for her grandfather when they had to leave. She is used to seeing him every day at the day care because he drives around the children in the afternoon. She cries when he has to put her down. Only sometimes he can placate her by saying that he needs to go and pick up children...

The toddler did not have her regular nap-time, and she was out at half past six tonight. Her regular nap-time starts at twelve at the day care. She needs that nap, and I have seen that she sometimes take two naps during the day when she is with us. When we bypass the naps she gets very cranky!

Off course we enjoy her even more! She gets cuter and cuter, especially with the use of words.

Where does the cuteness stop? Even while they are toddlers, or after that?
(I can’t remember.) Not that I am not looking forward to the other phases, because I loved all the phases my teen went through as well!