A refugee by the sea

I've been abandoned to my Grandparents for practically the entire Summer holidays. Which is ok really because they live by the seaside and I get to eat junk -- A LOT. Seems every time they phone me I've got quavers on the go (and I'm not talking musically.) Still ...

No chance ...

... that's what I said to MammaLou this morning when she asked me to put my trains away.

Little Miss Naughty

Got told off by the teachers for the first time today -- because I didn't want to stand in line. MammaLou found it very had to tell me off because she was secretly pleased that I won't just be a desultory British Bystander! Have taken to refusing to brush my teeth and being obsessive about the rubbish being taken out and screaming when there are 'MARKS' on me (sock imprints).

Oh -- I also like getting up at 5am and yelling 'CAKE, I WANT CAKE' down the corridor. And I've found me a wee hidey spot where I like to drag the 'treat tin' and gobble up all the chocolates till MammLou finds me after a suspicious length of silence.

Like a big girl

I want to drive a car like a big girl. I am growing bigger every day. I am a big-up girl. I don't want eyebrows tho' because they fly away in the wind.

You say potato ...

Mummy and Daddy say the same words in different ways. Apparently this is called a 'dialect' which is something to do with being born in different parts of the country. So I have figured out that Daddy likes me to say graaaaarrrrs, and Mummy prefers a shorter grAss. Whatever. Its something they get all fussy and bickery about. So, when they tried to get me to answer if I wanted my bedtime water in a glaaaaarrrrrs or a glAss I didn't rise to it ... 'a yellow cup please' stopped their silly sausaging.

I've also found when MammaLou asks me what I'm doing (and I know it's something she probably would put a stop to) then if I say what I am doing really quickly then top it all off with an 'OK ... good, OK then' .. she is too busy laughing to stop me ...

Have also taken to grabbing the camera and taking shots of the world from my perspective ... here's one I took earlier of the big folks.

That's a really great idea ...

or that's what I like to tell MammLou all the time now to encourage her ... along with "You can do it Mum" and a golf-clap. My imagination has gone into overdrive this week ... I've taken a total dislike to a purple toy I got from the London Aquarium (fits of hysterical tears), I keep yelling in the street that "...people are following me", and today I decided to pour water all over my bed and when asked why explained, "I'm trying to grow a sunflower of course."

Of course -- come on people, keep up.

Here's me licking the spoon for the mental coffee cake MammaLou attempted to bake for Father's Day. It was all going so well until she got the butter/icing sugar ratio wrong. Still, tastes good to me!

Pint-sized but never outsized!

A lot of people of late have commented on how little I am. Tis true, I am petite. But mighty! Talking of size ... I told MammaLou I wanted a 'medium-sized hug please' t'other day ... which is arms around and a squeeze but not a squeeeeeeeeze ...

Today's culinary masterpiece ...

Choc-chip muffins ... just told Daddy "no songs please" as I don't like his singing. I have also started to say 'excuse me please' when people are not listening to me or when The Parents are being dull. My imagination has gone into overdrive this week -- I was a bit freaked out by the dragons in the conservatory -- until MammaLou told me they were just her belts. And I am completely convinced that there is a man living in our bush in the garden ... and that Po sleeps under one of our houseplants. Here I am loving my purple, shiny nails ... MamaLou says we will paint our nails girly-style every week as long as I stop biting them. Apparently, lovely hands are the sign of a lady ...

Pickle or Pockle

MammaLou calls me and LilBro 'Pickle and Pockle' ... and assigns the nicknames chronologically. But I am now insisting that I am Pockle, Atty is Pickle, Mummy is a 'Big Bossy Boiler' and Daddy is ... well, he's Daddy. My mind is a whirling dervish ...

The pox is over ... I got to 129 spots in total (MammaLou was anal enough to count them one time she was applying the calamine) ... there doesn't appear to be any lasting damage.

Oh just realised ... that's why I now consider myself to be 'Pockle' ...

Go away chicky-pots

Well, it's been a tough couple of days -- Daddy didn't really sleep on Friday night seeing to me and now MammaLou has been up sine 3.30 dealing with LilBro who has the early-cough symptom of the pox ... were predicting the outbreak on Tuesday! So we're stuck inside chanting 'go away chicky-pots' and 'doing dot-dots' with calamine lotion. At least I have a legitimate excuse to stay in jammies all day, watch tv and eat choccy (MammaLou has an 'anything you want that gets us through' rule concerning poorly pickles).

Keep on dotting ...

Like a big girl

I CAN'T do it (followed by dramatically throwing myself to the floor) has been replaced by me saying "I can do it!" Mummy is v pleased with my positive frame of mind as it speaks to her favourite quote -- whether you think you can. or think you can't -- you're right. Now if she could remember who to credit that to rather than having a swiss-cheese for brains that would be dandy.

I also am following this up frequently with the observation "...like a big girl..."

MammaLou isn't sure why I am so keen to do things for myself so soon ... but I am fiercely independent -- my third best-phrase right now is "DON'T WORRY, I can sort it out". Mammalou says if I had been in charge of the banks then the worlds would be a better place ... UN here I come.

POX UPDATE -- approximately 40 spots - "DOTS" -- and counting (but not scratching).

LURGY ALERTY

I've got chickenpox. I am covered from head to toe in spots -- even in my eyelids. They started appearing yesterday afternoon and now they're EVERYWHERE. No photos until I am fit ...

Marvellous Maxxy P

My best friend Maxwell came over for a playdate ... we had a chocolate muffin AND chocolate milkshake ... and then went mental running around the place. He's lovely. He's going to have a new baby brother/sister soon ... I've been telling him all about the responsibilities that being an older sibling entails (although I keep climbing into my brother's cot at the moment and when asked what I'm doing I tell The Parents I'm 'playing at baby'). I've got a baby in my TummyHouse too and it's called Clemmie. Dad looked a little alarmed when I told him that ... but sometimes I'm also TinkyWinky and today I insisted on dressing up as a buzzybee ... so he shouldn't worry about my active imagination!

Playing at shops

I am really into playing shopkeeper -- and my shop is in Mummy's reading room. I fetch things and say 'there you go' and then the customers have to 'go and get on the bus' and go home. Daddy got a little bit overexcited today and bought me a proper cash register which even has a microphone on which he keeps saying "Spillage in aisle 9" ... he thinks it's very funny and apparently it reminds him of a Summer job he had in Sainsbury's when he kept getting into trouble with my Godfather Chris for messing about and their boss would squeak "What do I have to motivate you?" (he says he just couldn't be thrilled about stacking bog roll). I'm glad he likes me new toy.

Things got a bit hairy around here this week when I made Mummy cross by constantly throwing my trainset on the floor then telling Mummy she had to pick it all up. The naughty spot didn't work -- I had my building blocks confiscated for the day. Doesn't MammaLou know I'm practicing for my toddler exam ... we're SUPPOSED to kick-off you know.

Cheese please

I am having a strange phase of ONLY eating cheese sandwiches -- for breakfast, lunch and supper. And they absolutely must be cut into triangles. Here's me with my Lil'Bro] ... he's eyeing up the last trialngle -- NO CHANCE! I've also figured out how to emphasize -- so the trampoline is 'my favourite toy' but i LOVE bubbles!

Lovely Auntie Lizzie is in town

... and she's got a baby in her tummy house! Hurrah, a cousin for me. Plus she bought me a book ... smashing ... here I am reading it.

Much fun with the MCs

Just back from the West Country. We went to the zoo, made dinosaurs, decorated biscuits and The Parents drank lots of their special juice!

The sunny seaside?

Here's me on the Easter bankhol on the East Yorkshire coast -- as you can see it was a typically glorious UK bhol. Staying at MadNan's holiday pad was great fun. Every morning we ran along the beach and we had the lighthouse flashing as we fell to sleep with the sounds of the waves every evening. Also the Easter Bunny left me EIGHT eggs. Woweeeeeeeee

Forget Dora

I'm the intrepid explorer around here ...

Back from the seaside

Went far far far up North -- where MammaLou lamented the lack of salad dressing. Had many adventures including the Easter Bunny leaving 8 eggs all around MadNan and Grandad's house. Will tell you what I like best about Life in a Northern Town v soon but in the meantime, here's me and Dad playing at Firemen.

Gammy Nail

Bonjour folks ... not been saying much lately (because the camera broke and so no pix to adorn) ... but like April, I am highly changeable - sunshine and songs one minute then rain and rancour the next. "not going to bed", "not going in the bath", and 'not going to school ever again" seem to be the only things I say to MammLou these days. Although I also like the word eeeee-nooooor-mous ... and my counting and reading is coming on a treat. I now send The Parents away at bedtime to 'read myself'. Fair enough. This morning saw me in hospital with a very gammy left thumb ... got an infection from biting my nails. EEEEugh ... copying Daddy and Granny. Must stop that!

Hanging out with Grandad

Went to the seaside with Grandad ... we jumped the waves, scoffed ice cream, played in the arcades and sorted out the boats!

Minxy moo

.... have performed two spectacular tantrums this week, which included throwing myself to the floor, screeching and refusing to come out from under the table ... I can go for 20 mins without stopping! Also told MammaLou to stop moaning this morning ...

Mummy sort it out!!!!!

... is my current mantra -- along with 'Mummy help me', 'Delilah do it' and 'No Mummy no'. This is in reference to everything and anything -- to batteries running out, tv programmes ending, wanting hotchoccy etc etc etc. I command and demand these days. MammaLou (on 98 days now with no sleep) is being remarkably patient ...

Secret stories

... in my den with Dad

Tall tales

On rainy days I like to build a den and read stories. I have also started to make stories up ... today for example I insisted that my teech at school had hurt her leg ... when MammaLou asked her she laughed and said she was fine. Reminds MammaLou that she used to go to her Granny's House and tell a tall tale that she hadn't been fed. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree! Also, I will not nap in my bed ... MammaLou found me asleep standing up with my head on my book on the chair ...

Building in the snow!

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow ...

Was it the orbs?

An exciting week -- not only did Granny knit me a FANTABULOUS and colourful new jumper (pictured) but Auntie Lizzie came over from Dubai bringing me a cupcake-purse with a big clasp and a pen with a teddy atop. Now mad-Nan is here with songs-a-plenty and The Parents have been running around looking at houses (which they seem to do every January) because some lady called them up and said she might like to buy our apartment. Phew. The thing is ... we love our home ... it would have to be a pretty spectacular offer to get us to shift. MammaLou says its the sight of the HUGE orbs from the outside that shine over The Common that has renewed interest in the place ... given that she just realised the whole of the town CAN see her giving 'milkybooby' (as I like to call it) to Atty when she sits with me at the kitchen window for lunch, I suspect its not an electrical orb that's attracting attention ...

Sibling success

My clever brother slept through the night at last. MammaLou is much happier today and is dancing around the house ... ohoh quite liked her under par .... she was more amenable to letting me watch the 'big telly' while she slumped soporifically. Might have to tell Mr PoopyPants that keeping her awake has its advantages for us ... gotta keep these big folks in line! Here's me doing a little dance for him ... that's my 'flash hands' ... I've also got a BIG FINISH now ... and my current favourite song to sing is 'Zipedeedoodah...'

Weeeeeeeeee

If you can watch this and not smile then it's time to see the doctor! Weeeeeeeeee

JUMPING for joy in jolly January

Don't be winter-grumpy -- be january-jumpy!!!

New term - new books

Mummy is allowed to indulge in her book obsession with the start of each new school term. At the moment I am loving 'Do princesses scrape their knees' ... which was a gift to me from the lovely Kevan Chambers (thank you!). Although I have gone back to the books about babies growing in MummyTummy houses ... playing catch up I guess. Am very happy with ATTY BATTY BOO BOO now ... he's a little chubs whose regular PARPS make me laugh! Anyway ... gotta go jump on 'MummyDaddyBed' and dance around; Mummy has taught me 'flash hands', spinning, marching, and a BIG FINISH ............... (Pappa says she's a show off...). Here's me making gingerbread men ... thank you to Matt and Lisa who bought me the baking set for Christmas.