Cruising for a Bruising

This is me doing some kitcheneering: its like mountaineering but at a safer altitude and without all the ropes and funny shoes. You still have to be sure to chalk your fingers and maintain three points of contact at all times.

Sometimes though, I slip (that's were the second part of todays title comes in). Don't worry though: when this happens, I simply activate my distress signal (i.e. I bawl my head off). The kitchen rescue team (aka Mummy and Daddy) arrives within seconds (I think they must be watching me or something) and pick me up and give me a hug. Then I set off again.

You wouldn't believe how far I can go these days, using this technique. Right from one corner of the lounge to the other. But I still have to use my Zimmer Frame if I want to visit the wild interior!

Mid-morning nap

I don't usually sleep much during the day. 20 minutes in the morning, 20 minutes in the afternoon. I just have so much to do that I can't afford to waste time.

But last week I was a bit poorly (ear infection - I'm better now, thank you for asking), so I allowed myself 2 hours. This allowed Mummy and Daddy to fit in one and a half episodes of 24! 

Aunty Tara's wedding plans

Aunty Tara came to visit me today. She fed me doughnuts. Then she and Mummy discussed boring things like wedding plans, so I played with Daddy instead. 

My Activity Table

This is me with my birthday present. Sshh! Don't tell Granny, but it isn't my birthday for another month.

This table is very special, because it can sing, and flash lights at me, and teach me my alphabet (whatever that is). 

Out of Clear Blue Eyes

I think my eye is a lot prettier than the Lord of the Ring's. 

Granny's Friend Jill

My Granny's Friend Jill came down to see me at the weekend. She stayed at Granny's house, so I guess she saw Granny as well. I hope she likes her picture. 

Expressing myself

Nine for the price of one today! 

Busy Daddy

There now! Hasn't Daddy been busy today. I think he might have read what I said about not taking enough Photos. He's given me some more as well, but I think I'll save those until later in the week.

What a big mouth I've got

Another silly photo of me. I think I was trying to swallow the camera (not that I'm in need of an endoscopy you understand). 

My Great Grandpa's Birthday

My Great Grandpa (Daddy's Daddy's Dad) is having a birthday this week.

I wonder how old he is?

Whilst we are on the subject of shoes...

One last picture of my shoes (I can only have one first pair of shoes you know - I've learnt that much about counting).

And if anybody from Clarks Shoes would like to use this picture in their advertising ... you can leave a comment! 

I am still beautiful

You might have been wondering why I have been posting word pictures rather than photo pictures. Rest assured that it is not because my beauty is failing with old age. It's just that my regular photographer, Daddy, has not been as dilligent as he ought to be.

This is one he took tonight. 

My First Shoes

I went with Mummy to Merry Hill today. We bought my first pair of shoes.

Mummy's and Daddy's shoes shown for scale. 

44 Peas and counting

I love Sunday Dinners, and this Sunday, I discovered a new favourite: Peas!

Mummy says I've eaten peas before, but they've always been mixed in with the other goop that she feeds me, so I can't tell. This time she put the real things on my plate, for me to pick up with my fingers. And did I pick them up!

43 of them I ate, non-stop, making sure that any other intruding vegetables got dropped over the side of my seat (gives one a great medieval feeling doing that!). Then I had pudding (peach crumble and custard since you ask). And as Mummy was taking me out of my high-chair, another one rolled out from a crevice somewhere, so I grabbed that too. 44 in total.

(It was Mummy doing the counting, by the way: I can't, and Daddy had better things to do.)

Horsey-riding, Horsey-riding

Granny bought herself a rocking horse a little while back ("It was half price and I couldn't resist!"). I think it might be a bit too small for her, but I didn't say anything. Anyway, since the horse has been stabled in our lounge while she prepares her cats for a new companion, I thought I'd have a go.

Fits me quite nicely. 

Will I have to go to Jail?

Today I took on a bigger, and weightier challange: shoplifting. You might wonder how one so small as I could pick up a shop and raise it into the air? Well apparently (according to Mummy anyway - and she's always right) you don't have to do that to be a shoplifter.

We were in the supermarket today, and Mummy was picking things up and putting them in our trolley, so I thought I'd have a go. I saw a packet of angry raisins on the shelf (Mummy called them Cranberries) and thought they might calm down a bit if I gave them a cuddle. So I held on to them all the way through the checkout (the bit where Mummy gets everything out of trolley and puts in in bags: why doesn't she put it in bags straightway, seems a bit silly to me) until we got outside.

The raisins hadn't got any less red in the face then, so at this point I showed them to Mummy to see if she could help. Then for some reason, she rushed back into the shop, to the checkout again, and showed then the angry raisins. That was when she said I was a shoplifter. I still don't really understand.

Did I do something wrong?

Progress Report

I said at Christmas that I'd let you know how I was getting on with my Zimmer Frame. I've now got something to report.

But first, a word (perhaps even a sentence or three) about my crawling.

About a week ago I was lying on the floor (crumb-hunting possibly - I don't remember) at one end of the lounge, and Mummy put something interesting down on the floor at the other end. It didn't take me long (20 milliseconds maybe) to realise that it was raisins - black squidy sweet things, not to be confused with the other black squidgy things which definitely aren't sweet. Why she put them on the other side of the room, when I was this side, I don't know. Mummy does things like that sometimes, poor dear. Perhaps I had my eyes closed at that moment so she couldn't see where I was.

Anyway, when I saw that it was something more substantial than crumbs, I flipped onto my front (an old trick, but a useful one), and then got up onto my hands and knees. At this point, I usually try rocking backwards and forwards to see if the object in question will move towards me. Now from experience, I've learnt that things can be quite stubborn in staying put (particularly the floor when I'm falling towards it - doesn't it know that it would be polite to move out of the way). So this time I tried something new.

I lifted a hand, and placed it a little way in front of me. Then the same with the other hand. Feeling a little stretched, I realised that my legs were getting left behind, so told them to catch up. The raisins seemed a little closer. Then I did it again. Mummy looked pleased, but this was tiring work. Could I keep it up?

It was the thought of the sugar buzz that spurred me on. Centimeter by centimeter, I got closer and closer, until finally I was there. The look on Mummy's face was almost better than the raisins.

But I'm not sure Mummy is so pleased now. That first crawl has shrunk the lounge to a cot. I can get anywhere in a moments notice. Over to the fireguard, that Daddy still hasn't fixed to the wall. Then to the videorecorder with the funny little flap on the front (I haven't found out what's inside - yet!). And not forgetting the behinds, and the underneaths of the chairs with the geological layers of forgotten toys.

I bet Mummy wishes she never started that game!

But back to by Zimmer frame. Walking with it is easy. So next up is running. My theory is that if I run fast enough, and then launch myself from it, my speed will keep me up all by myself. If only the floor would stop getting in the way.

My First One-Liner

Amongst other things, my sense of comic timing is developing nicely.

Take today for example. Mummy and I (I've been learning grammer also) were sitting in the lounge, when we heard the Ice Cream van drive tunefully past.

"Who'd buy Ice Creams at this time of the year?", said Mummy.

"Dada!", said I.

If that hat doesn't fit?

Mummy got a new outfit to go with a pretty dress that Lynn bought her. That hat was the most interesting part: I think my brains need to grow a bit before she'll hand it on to me. I wonder when her head will grow out of the hat? 

Mmmm... smell those thistles.

Daddy bought Mummy some flowers the other day (nice of him wasn't it?). Strange though: if flowers are all different colours, why are the sponge cakes that Granny makes me all the same colour. They have flours in don't they? 

In the hot (pink) seat!

Mummy bought me a Totseat. This is me trying it out the other night. It means I can be a big girl and sit in a big girls chair. You can buy one too if you want from http://www.totseat.com/ (no harm in a bit of product placement!). 

A rare photo of Daddy

You don't often get to see photo's like this: Daddy is usually at the safe end of the camera lens! 

Travelling Business Class

The great thing about having a Business Class seat in Daddy's car is that I have a reclining seat in which to compose myself before my next public appearence! 

1000 Visitors

1000 people have visited my blog: how do I know? Look at the counter at the bottom. They're probably not 1000 different people - most of them are probably Daddy at work, checking that I'm still as beautiful as when he kissed me good bye in the morning.

I'm glad you didn't all try to visit me at home: you wouldn't have fitted in my cot!

Call again soon.

What a funny face!

This is me with my funny face mask on - you don't think that's my real face do you?! 

Growing Bananas

Help Mummy! I've got a 'Nana growing out of my mouth! 

Me with my Mummy

Here's me with my Mummy just before Christmas.

Another one of Grannie's photos. 

Standing up for myself

Today I stood up for myself. I've never done that before. Mummy or Daddy have always had to give me a hand or two. This morning I pulled myself up using my baby gym.

I forsee that start of a new game: after I stood up, Daddy went to get his video camera. So I sat down again (well, toppled actually). And stayed sat down. And laughed at Daddy from the floor.

What will the future bring, I wonder? (Can you guess what film Mummy and Daddy where watching the other night?!)

My first tooth!

Attention please! Attention please!

I am delighted to announce that after months of drooling and red cheeks, I have produced my first tooth.

No pictures yet, I'm afraid. But Daddy will confirm that it's there, and it's sharp. (He stuck his finger in my mouth, and I showed him that I know how to use it!)

My Austrian Dress

Daddy thinks I look like a little Austrian girl in this dress. What do you think? Aunty Tope bought it for me. I think I look very pretty. This picture was taken a couple of months ago, and I don't think the dress fits me any more.

(Another of Granny's Photos.) 

My Dadies' Favourite Photo

This is one of my dadies' favourite photos of me. It was when we were on our holiday in Tenby.

(Thank's to Granny for this Photo.) 

Me and my Baby

I had a baby at Christmas. It was wrapped up in shiny paper. Do all babies come like that?

I have to be careful, because it seems to take less work to look after than me. It doesn't seem to want any food - I did poke some at it, but it didn't open its mouth; it never needs its nappy changed; and it goes to sleep as soon as it lies down. I hope Mummy and Daddy don't like it more than me, and decide to send me back (I think they must have thrown my box away though - so does that mean they can't send me back? And I'll have to chew up my reciept if I can find it)!

(This is another of Granny's photos. Thank you Granny.)

It all came tumbling down!

All I wanted was a bauble - just one. So I rolly-pollyed over the floor to the Christmas tree at Granny's and choose the one I wanted. A nice sparkly one that looked like it would taste nice. And I pulled - and the whole tree came down on top of me: I think there must have been something wrong with its roots. I got my bauble though.

(This is one of Granny's pictures, by the way. There will hopefully be a few more of these to come.)

My Balloon

I had a balloon for Christmas. It's funny: all my other toys fall on the floor when I push them away. This one goes up in the air.