Mia has many friends at day care, a couple in particular that she talks about and is always excited to see when she gets there. 

This morning I noticed a new friend, an older boy called Jayden who is in the 3-6 room (Mia is in the 2-3 room).  Jayden and his dad normally arrive at the same time as us and I have seen the kids react to each other.

The difference today is that we were walking to the front door together and the kids started to hold hands.  It was so strange, I mean he is in a different room how do they know eachother.  I asked Jenny in Mia's room and the big kids end their day in Mia's room.

So a new older boy on the scene, daddy better get ready it has already started.

I took Mia grocery shopping yesterday which I dont do every week but when I do she either sits in the seat in front of the trolley or stands in the main section.  Yesterday I was feeling a little adventurous so when she asked to walk I said yes.

Nothing short of chaos then ensued, she wanted to run and I mean run with shouts of "look mummy, I'm running".  Luckily it was fairly quiet as I am sure she would have knocked a few people over, as it was I was getting glares from other shoppers but I couldn't help it I couldn't stop laughing.  She was so happy.

I ended up buying a lot more than I needed and some things we have never used after she picked them off the shelf and put them in the trolley.  It wasn't random selection she really seemed to be looking at various things then choosing and then asking me if we can have them.  Didn't have the heart to say no so we will be trying out some different things this week.

I am sure the staff were very happy to see the back of us yesterday.

Mia reached a whole new level of independence yesterday......At approx morning tea time she decided she wanted something - this is her new saying, but she can never tell me what that something is.

She pulled a dining chair over to the pantry so she could look at the top shelf which is where I keep food suitable for her - mental note should move it to the bottom shelf so she has been access.

She stood staring at the shelf for what seemed like hours although I am sure it was only minutes and pulled out the vegemite and the peanut butter in a biscuit crackers and put them on the kitchen bench which she could reach by turning around.

She got her little knife out of the top drawer and asked me to take the lid off the vegemite jar when she couldn't do it herself.  I was amazed at what would happen next, I was expecting to be spreading vegemite on biscuits any second.  But no she did it all by herself.  Made a great deal of mess but who cares I thought it was awesome.

I should also make the time to tell you that we have been toilet training on and off over the past 6 months but our hearts really haven't been in it.  Yesterday she came to tell me she had to go to the toilet so we went and got her seat and as soon as she sat down she peed.  How cool is that, of course she hasn't done it since.

Sunday I woke to a phone call from mum to let me know that Mia is sick.  She had a cough and runny nose and was a little miserable.  Dad had gone to the chemist to get some medicine for her and they decided they would still like to keep her for the day.  This freed me up to help out a friend who has just moved house.

I took this friends little boy Tyler with me to pick up Mia and she was so excited to see him.  I think she was almost more excited to see him than me.  Mia seemed a lot better and had slept well in the afternoon which is a little unusual for her at my parents place.  She looked so cute, I took her shopping earlier in the week and she had chosen her own hair clips which were pink sparkly flowers.  She showed them to me as soon as she calmed down.

Thriving on being busy I had organised to have dinner with my sister on Sunday night.  Mia played with her new bath which came with a themometer to test the bath water.  He memory is so good when I told her what it was she was putting in under her arm and then teddys arm to check their temperature.  It has been months since we had to do that for her and a completely different looking themometer.  She must of remembered the word and translated it to the one she has for the bath. 

So many things amaze me about her - they are always the little things.

It has been a huge weekend and I am suffering the consequences.  Those that know me know that I cannot sit still.  I am not happy unless I am running around like a headless chicken cramming as much into my life as possible.  It drives my husband nuts.

Getting Mia to my parents on Saturday night was a bit of a chore.  After putting her to bed for her afternoon sleep she obviously thought better of it and decided to do some colouring in on her bed.  This activity must have tired her out considerable as when I went in to wake her up at 5.30pm she was fast asleep on top of all her pencils and textas.  Not very comfortable I wouldn't have thought but she obviously didn't mind.  Unfortunately for me the lids were off most of the textas so both her cloting and the sheets were covered in ink.  Not sure if it is going to come out.

Once she woke she was very clingy, wanted to be attached to my leg at all times.  In hind site should have gotten myself organised before waking her so I could dedicate the time to her.  We eventually got out the door and stopped in to get  petrol on the way to my parents.  Thankfully I checked for my wallet before I put the petrol in (not something I usually do) and realised I had left it at home.  I had fingers crossed that I was going to make it to mum and dad's and back without the car running out.  I always leave it to the last minute.  It is such a pain to do with children.

Arriving at mum and dads was a blessing even if I was an hour later than I said I would be.  Story of my life, I dont think I have ever been on time for anything.  Mia absolutely loves my dad,  He is first in the family pecking order most times, so her spirits lifted when she saw him and it was easier for me to say goodbye as I headed out to dinner and drinks with friends.

I was running so late that by the time I got to the friends house all the other girls had left (it was supposed to start at 4.30pm) that didn't stop my sister, my friend and I sitting up chatting and drinking until midnight.  A drunken phone call to Richard finished the night off once again for birthday wishes.

A very happy birthday to Richard for today, I wont tell you how old he is I will leave that to him.  Funny that in his location it isn't quite his birthday yet I think it is somewhere around 2am in San Francisco right now.

We called him this morning and Mia and her friend Tyler sung happy birthday in beautiful voices (meaning at the top of their lungs).  We will have to repeat tomorrow when it is his actual birthday over there. 

This morning we had a trip to the doctor to get my infected tattoo seen to.  I had to have some needles so Mia was taken into another room as she was freaking out a little.  I have had the tattoo for 8 days now and half of it is infected.  The picture is half devil half angel and it is a little ironic that the devil half is infection and the angel is not - read into that what you will.

Shortly after we picked up her friend Tyler (4 yrs old) and met my sister and little Hugh at the zoo.   We hired a wagon (pull along trolley) for the two older kids so they could get in and out as they pleased.  It was the perfect time to go most of the enclosures had a zoo keeper in them to show us the animals.  The kids got to pat a snake, look at a penguin up close and watch the keepers walk the elephants around their enclosure.  They were great holding onto each others tails, almost like little kids holding hands.

Lunch came with the traditional chasing of birds around the park area.   A ride on the carousel and an ice cream finished off the outing.  Three very tired children at the end of it.  We arrived home an hour after Mia's usual sleep time but after yesterdays non event I thought it would be better if we delayed it a little.  The down side is that we missed Rich on skype, he is either still out partying hard or fast asleep.

When Mia wakes she is going for a sleep over at my parents and will be with them for the full day tomorrow before we have dinner at my sisters.  Always so busy.......

Unsurprisingly Mia didn't really have an afternoon sleep today, more like quiet time in her room for an hour.  Afterwards we took the new bath outside to fill it with water.  I thought she would be keen to submerge her dolls into the water for a bath, but out she came with Teddy (thank god for stunt double ted)

Teddy had a great bath and in fact was so dirty Mia decided that the bath had to come inside and into her bath for the evening so she could continue to wash him.  It was a site.  She was so distracted she even let me wash her hair without putting up much of a fight. 

After getting organised into pyjamas we headed out to Penny and Andy's place around the corner to get her settled for Andy's babysitting duties.  Now this is the first time he had babysat for us so I was a little nervous at Mia's reaction.  She is fairly adaptable so I shouldn't have been too concerned.  She has been to their house a number of times and many herself at home fairly quickly.  She even took Hugh (thier 13 month old son) for a dink on his little walk on bike.

I managed to settle her to bed before we left so thankfully Andy had no dramas in his duties.  I had given him the heads up on the possible night terror that could occur but it was alll quiet. 

With kids settled the girls went out locally to a place called Reflections in South Perth.  Richard and I have always thought we wanted to try it but never got around to it.  I think it has changed hands since opening as I am sure it used to be fine dining.  It now has the look of fine dining but has the food of a good pub.  It was great food, great wine and great company. 

Home now and Mia tucked up into her own bed awaiting tomorrow's visit to the zoo - one of her favourite outings. 

Good night.

Thank god for a child who sleeps from 7pm to 9am.  I would say after the past few nights she definitely needed it.

I have been so tired myself I even forgot about the Australian's playing last night or should I say early this morning.  Three cheers for gaining entry to the next round.  I have already sorted baby sitting to hit the pub on Monday night for the next big game.

Mia woke a bundle of joy this morning, we got out of the house in record time by telling her we were going to have breakfast with Sha and Zali two of her favourite people.  We met at Gloria Jeans another favourite of all of ours for baby chino and of course the smartie biscuit.  It's all about the smarties for Mia she never eats the biscuit just picks the smarties off the top.  When we remember we buy a box of smarties so the biscuit doesn't go to waste.

Myer had a huges sale on and always I got suckered in to buying Mia something.  It never ceases to amaze me how a child so young can have such an imagination.  She has so much fun playing with her dolls (or babies as she calls them) using the high chair, cot and kitchen we bought for her.  Today's purchase was a dolls bath to add to the collection.  No sooner had we got home than all the dolls plus teddy had been given a good bath.

Before arriving home we met my parents for lunch at mum's work, Mia always woos those around her especially when we go to cafe's.  She looked so cute in her little denim dorothy the dinosaur dress, tights and cool shoes.

She is now asleep and even though I got a great sleep in this morning I am heading for  nap before a big night wiht the girls tonight.  Sleep tight.

Thankfully a very quiet night tonight with no battles.  I picked Mia up from day care after work which i haven't done in some time.  She was sitting down to sandwhiches and cake and saw me as a bit of a novelty I think.  It certainly curtailed my fears of messing with the routine.

We left and there was the usual tired whinginess in the car but this soon stopped when we arrived home.  She helped me put the bins out for the garbage men and I promised her we would bring them in tomorrow together.

There was one hot priority for her when she arrived home and don't ask me where this came from but Dorothy had to put on some undies.  Dorothy is a stuffed dinosaur from the Wiggles who is almost as big as she is and lives in her room just next to her bed.  The moment we arrived home she pulled her out, went to her underwear drawer pulled out some undies and asked me to put them on.  Very strange.

Dinner consisted of weet bix, after a cooked meal for lunch at day care and sandwhiches and cake at 5pm who am I to complain that she wanted weet bix for dinner.  Besides she had 2 1/2 servings which is huge for her. 

Given the late hour we skipped the bath and straight to bed.  Not one complaint just a big kiss and a cuddle making sure I tucked her snug as a bug in a rug.  She is a cutie.  Pity I cant post any pictures but my husband has our memory card adapter thingy to transfer the photos to the lap top.  Not sure of the right word as those who know me know I am a little technically challenged.

Off to bed myself now.  Good night.

Sometimes Mia can be such an angel and other times I am convinced she has been taken over by the devil herself. 

My mum picked her up from day care yesterday at 3.30pm for a couple of hours play time with her and dad.  An angel they said, they took her out for their usual coffee at Carousel (nearby shopping centre)  and she charmed the pants off the other patrons and staff.  My parents are always so proud of how she handles herself in various situations.

Enter Stage - Mummy to pick her up and take her home - well my mum had bought her a new horse to play with - named horsie funnily enough with the idea that she would leave it there until she came next so she had something to play with.  There was no convincing her that this was a good idea, even with all the toys at our place she just had to take this extra one.  I told her that she could bring it home if she could carry it to the car and put it in the boot.  Hat off to her she did just that - now this thing is a horses head on a big stick with wheels at the other end that you can ride on.  Heavy and difficult, but there was our stubborn 2 year old dragging it across the drive and lifting it into the boot.  She then looked at me all smiles and said "see mummy, told you it would fit".  How do you argue with that?

Bed time was a whole new experience for me, she kept repeating over and over again, I want something I want something but couldn't tell me what she wanted other than she didn't want milk.  At first I thought she was hungry so offered her various options but she declined them all.  I then realised she was delaying the inevitable.  To cut a very long story short it was just before 8.30pm when she finally settled down for sleep.

It was a difficult night, 4 wakings crying out for mummy, unusual for her so kept going in staying a little while and then crawling back into my own bed.  Was dreading waking up this morning assuming she would be in another cranky mood with limited sleep and no daddy to get her ready.

This wasn't the case, she woke all smiles and in a great mood, very easy to get dressed, and even sat still first time to have her hair put in a poney tail.  We were running very late due to a sleep in but gave me no trouble as we were going out the door.

I will be picking her up tonight from day care for the first time in months, another change to her usual routine, not sure of the consequences of this one yet but will keep you posted.

 

Well this is my first blog entry.  Not sure what the format will be as this is my first real blog but thought I would venture into this new world. 

The main reason is the departure of my husband (Richard) and father to Mia yesterday to the US for 2 weeks.  He has been away before but as Mia gets older (she is now 2/1) she certainly is becoming more aware of our comings and goings.

We pre empted his trip by telling her that daddy was going on a big plane and would be away for 2 weeks.  She seemed to accept this and didn't ask for him at all yesterday.

This morning a whole different story, normally on days that I work Richard gets Mia organised for day care whilst I organise myself and then I take her to the centre and he picks her up after work.  As soon as she woke up the questions started. "Where's Daddy"?  On holiday I respond, remember he went on a big plane. 

And then the fun began - her standard response to everything from what do you want for breakfast to lets put your clothes on was "NO! only Daddy do it"!  In the end out of pure desperation I took her to day care with no breakfast and still wearing her pyjama top.  I was a little embarressed in explaining to Jodie the carere that yes I was aware that she had her pyjamas on but no it was not worth the fight to get them off.  It should be noted that these particular pyjamas were purchase by daddy on his last trip to the US a few months ago.

Anyway the idea of this blog is to keep 'Daddy' updated on the days in the life of Mia while he is away.