The boys are awake at 5:45am. I'm not too impressed at this.
I get them to lie in bed with us for another 15 minutes, but SamSam gets fidgety. He goes out of the room and brings back 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' book, so I read this in a very sleepy, whispery voice, and mostly with one eye open.
They start to get loud, and I don't want them to wake grandpa who's visiting, so I hoist myself up and walk them back to their room. I try and catch some more shut eye in JJ's toddler bed while they play picnics with the pretend food and Winnie the Pooh - and his other stuffed toy friends - on a blanket on the floor.
Finally it's 7am. Breakfast is raisin toast followed by Powergrain and Bubbles. Grandpa is also up now, and I can hear them singing the Alphabet song together as I get changed in the bedroom. It's very, very cute to hear two toddlers and an 80 year old singing the alphabet together, over and over.
Their conversations are quite funny to listen to because grandpa doesn't quite catch what they are saying, even though they are answering his questions and making conversation with him. I'll have to remember one and write it up next time!
It's Sunday so we head off to church and after some worship songs, the boys go to Sunday school. SamSam has been showing some separation anxiety recently - they say it happens particularly around the 2 year old mark - but he's fine today. It makes a big difference that it's Daddy dropping them off at Sunday school and not Mummy - who'd probably crack under the pressure and take SamSam back into the creche room!
From Sunday school the boys bring back a cutout star and a shepherd which they've coloured in. They say they liked Sunday school. The church is raising money for missionaries by selling lunch boxes of noodles - which are yummy! This is the boys lunch followed by a cupcake from yesterday's school fair.
While they're eating we play a new game - "Put your hand up if you like..." - they have to put their hand up if they like whatever comes next. If they keep their hands down (or cover their face!) it means they don't like it.
The things they liked included: Thomas, ice cream, Mummy's kisses, Maisy Mouse, swimming and cupcakes. The things they didn't like were crocodiles, Scarface Claw (fictional book character - a cat), and the big bad wolf.
They play for a while in their room with their toy cars, and have fun rolling on top of each other and squashing each other, while I fold some clothes. Then they're getting a bit too rowdy, and it's nap time.
After a really good sleep, they have a little snack and do some drawing. I've been noticing that SamSam is quite careful when he draws. He has a good think about where he is colouring with his pen - check out how he coloured in the hippo on the below left! JJ's is on the right.
We play 'going to school'. JJ and SamSam wear their backpacks and want me to be 'Miss Honey' - the name of the bear school teacher in Richard Scarry's books. They pretend to take the school bus, and sit at a desk. They want to learn about the letter 'i'. We write the letter i, and then the only words I can think of to teach them that start with i are 'ice cream' and 'igloo'. Their mum is an ignoramous! So much for the letter i!
We read 'Hairy Maclary from Donaldson's Dairy' again, and then the sky looks like it might rain soonish, so we quickly put on our jackets and shoes and go out on the balcony for some outdoor playtime. I'm sooo glad I bought the trike and the bike. They go round, and round, and round the balcony, and are having such a great time. They think it's funny to chase each other and are laughing.
The wind is getting really blustery, and JJ says we should go inside because it's too windy. We go inside and they play supermarkets for a little while, and because I'm a bit pooped I succumb to putting on the Richard Scarry DVDs - ABCs and 'Best Learning Songs Ever'.
Dinner is Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian dish (I'm realising we've been eating a lot of Malaysian dishes recently!). SamSam has seconds. They both eat a big stack of prawns.
It's still early, so daddy takes them for a walk to the community vegie patch - where we have a small allotment growing fruit trees and asparagus. It's nice for the boys to go out with their Dad and do 'man things'! (well it gives me a breather anyway, and I get to soak the dishes and wipe down the dinner table).
They get back, and after a shower, grandpa reads them 'Maisy Goes to the Fair' - what a treat!
Today's devotion is about how before the Bible was written, God gave messages through angels - like to Mary that she was going to have a baby. His messages are always true. I ask JJ what was the name of Mary's baby? He says Jesus! He must be learning well at Sunday School!
After some more books with mummy and milk, it's already time for bed. They look pooped!
I get them to lie in bed with us for another 15 minutes, but SamSam gets fidgety. He goes out of the room and brings back 'The Three Billy Goats Gruff' book, so I read this in a very sleepy, whispery voice, and mostly with one eye open.
They start to get loud, and I don't want them to wake grandpa who's visiting, so I hoist myself up and walk them back to their room. I try and catch some more shut eye in JJ's toddler bed while they play picnics with the pretend food and Winnie the Pooh - and his other stuffed toy friends - on a blanket on the floor.
Finally it's 7am. Breakfast is raisin toast followed by Powergrain and Bubbles. Grandpa is also up now, and I can hear them singing the Alphabet song together as I get changed in the bedroom. It's very, very cute to hear two toddlers and an 80 year old singing the alphabet together, over and over.
Their conversations are quite funny to listen to because grandpa doesn't quite catch what they are saying, even though they are answering his questions and making conversation with him. I'll have to remember one and write it up next time!
It's Sunday so we head off to church and after some worship songs, the boys go to Sunday school. SamSam has been showing some separation anxiety recently - they say it happens particularly around the 2 year old mark - but he's fine today. It makes a big difference that it's Daddy dropping them off at Sunday school and not Mummy - who'd probably crack under the pressure and take SamSam back into the creche room!
From Sunday school the boys bring back a cutout star and a shepherd which they've coloured in. They say they liked Sunday school. The church is raising money for missionaries by selling lunch boxes of noodles - which are yummy! This is the boys lunch followed by a cupcake from yesterday's school fair.
While they're eating we play a new game - "Put your hand up if you like..." - they have to put their hand up if they like whatever comes next. If they keep their hands down (or cover their face!) it means they don't like it.
The things they liked included: Thomas, ice cream, Mummy's kisses, Maisy Mouse, swimming and cupcakes. The things they didn't like were crocodiles, Scarface Claw (fictional book character - a cat), and the big bad wolf.
They play for a while in their room with their toy cars, and have fun rolling on top of each other and squashing each other, while I fold some clothes. Then they're getting a bit too rowdy, and it's nap time.
After a really good sleep, they have a little snack and do some drawing. I've been noticing that SamSam is quite careful when he draws. He has a good think about where he is colouring with his pen - check out how he coloured in the hippo on the below left! JJ's is on the right.
 |
| SamSam with backpack, riding on the bus. |
The wind is getting really blustery, and JJ says we should go inside because it's too windy. We go inside and they play supermarkets for a little while, and because I'm a bit pooped I succumb to putting on the Richard Scarry DVDs - ABCs and 'Best Learning Songs Ever'.
Dinner is Nasi Lemak, a Malaysian dish (I'm realising we've been eating a lot of Malaysian dishes recently!). SamSam has seconds. They both eat a big stack of prawns.
It's still early, so daddy takes them for a walk to the community vegie patch - where we have a small allotment growing fruit trees and asparagus. It's nice for the boys to go out with their Dad and do 'man things'! (well it gives me a breather anyway, and I get to soak the dishes and wipe down the dinner table).
They get back, and after a shower, grandpa reads them 'Maisy Goes to the Fair' - what a treat!
Today's devotion is about how before the Bible was written, God gave messages through angels - like to Mary that she was going to have a baby. His messages are always true. I ask JJ what was the name of Mary's baby? He says Jesus! He must be learning well at Sunday School!
After some more books with mummy and milk, it's already time for bed. They look pooped!
