Maia is still a bit grizzly and whiney at the moment, which is quite hard to deal with. I am not sure what is prompting it. She is normally pretty cheery, and as whining doesn't get rewarded, she is getting frustrated when she doesn't get her way.
Anyway, we were in the car, coming back from dropping off the vacuum cleaner to be fixed (it is all about the glamour, here) when Maia starts grizzling over something or other in the back seat. I say "That is enough Maia, no grizzling please. If you talk to me in a Big Voice I can help you." and then do my best to ignore the grizzles and wait for the Big Voice, and an explanation of what is bugging her.
She moans and half cries for a bit, and then starts mournfully singing
"red...(sniff) and yellow...and pink (sniff sniff) and blue..." all in this Little Grey Cloud Raining on Eeyore voice.
Mum and I are doing our very best not to burst out laughing. I sneak a look at her. She catches me looking and starts to sing more cheerfully. Once she is done, I tell her that she is like a little Grey Cloud singing the Rainbow Song, and that we should all sing it like Sunshine. So we belt out a verse of I Can Sing A Rainbow that takes us home.
I don't want to deny her the right to let us know that she feels grotty - we all feel like crap at times. I also don't want to force her to repress genuine feelings and display false emotions to make us feel better. But God DAMN, I want her to stop whining... Answers on a Postcard, please.
Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Inventive Use of Everyday Objects, Number 324
I was going to a fancy dress party on Saturday, and collected a whole load of alternative costume bits and bobs on my bed to assemble into Something Creative. The theme was Enchanted Forest, and I was either going as a woodland fairy-type thing (in green and brown) or a Narnia-esque Ice Queen. In the end I went for the green and brown, twisted ivy in my hair and donned lots of green make-up.
But not before I had bought some white feathery hairsticks that looked like little mini feather-dusters that had caught a particularly glittery spiderweb. Maia was sitting on my bed 'helping' me get ready when she chanced upon these.
"Oooh, Mummy! Did you buy these as a present for me?"
"Not originally - I was going to put them in my hair to be a snow queen, but I don't need them now, so you can have them if you would like them."
She hopped off the bed, clutching her prize. Standing by the bed she looked intently at the hairsticks, and then at me.
"Look, Mummy! They are for sweeping toes!"
And she amused herself for the rest of the time it took to apply my makeup by sweeping my toes, her toes, and Bear's toes.
But not before I had bought some white feathery hairsticks that looked like little mini feather-dusters that had caught a particularly glittery spiderweb. Maia was sitting on my bed 'helping' me get ready when she chanced upon these.
"Oooh, Mummy! Did you buy these as a present for me?"
"Not originally - I was going to put them in my hair to be a snow queen, but I don't need them now, so you can have them if you would like them."
She hopped off the bed, clutching her prize. Standing by the bed she looked intently at the hairsticks, and then at me.
"Look, Mummy! They are for sweeping toes!"
And she amused herself for the rest of the time it took to apply my makeup by sweeping my toes, her toes, and Bear's toes.
Monday, January 30, 2006
Siren Songs
Dance for your Daddy, my little lovey
Dance for your Daddy, my little lamb
Ye shall have a fishie, on a little dishie
Ye shall have a fishie, when the bo-at comes in
Maia is entranced by this song. She gets a dopey expression on her face and thinks it is wonderful.
On the other hand, Duelling Banjos makes her run around the kitchen table as fast as she can, giggling like a banshee. Talk about mood music...
Dance for your Daddy, my little lamb
Ye shall have a fishie, on a little dishie
Ye shall have a fishie, when the bo-at comes in
Maia is entranced by this song. She gets a dopey expression on her face and thinks it is wonderful.
On the other hand, Duelling Banjos makes her run around the kitchen table as fast as she can, giggling like a banshee. Talk about mood music...
Maia and The Monkey
When I was a kid and staying with my Dad, we all had a nemesis. Obviously, we were wonderfully behaved ANGELS, so anything rude, naughty, messy or dangerous we did was carried out by these evil twins. They were named after our backwards names, so mine was Acire (AK-ee-ray), Gen was Eveiveneg (EH-veh-nedge), Jono was Nahtanhoj (NAT-ah-noj) and Alec's was Cela (Keh-Lah).
Maia's nemesis is The Monkey.
When she is being whiney, or a ratbag or grumpy, Pat looks at her in surprise and says "Is that The Monkey?? What have you done with Maia?!?" It usually gives her an excuse to snap out of her icky mood and return to her sunny self.
Although I do fear we are setting her up for trouble in later life...
"Honestly, Ossifer, it wasn't me...it was The Monkey"
Maia's nemesis is The Monkey.
When she is being whiney, or a ratbag or grumpy, Pat looks at her in surprise and says "Is that The Monkey?? What have you done with Maia?!?" It usually gives her an excuse to snap out of her icky mood and return to her sunny self.
Although I do fear we are setting her up for trouble in later life...
"Honestly, Ossifer, it wasn't me...it was The Monkey"
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Dramatic License
When Maia is being told a story, and she doesn't think the drama is going along at a cracking enough pace, she has a great way of moving the action on. She interrupts with an enthusiastic "And SUDDENLY..." and the person telling the story then has to introduce a wolf, or a whale, or something large and dramatic and of greater interest...
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Kassy's Return
Kassy is back! I am sure you will have heard the yelps and screams and joyous noises from where you are...
Skoolz
I filled in Maia's school choice form today. We had to choose three. She will probably be starting in January 2008 - the next intake after her 5th birthday, which means that I had been feeling very smug about going to see schools AGES ago and getting everything sorted so far in advance.
This smugness soon dissipated when I realised that the deadline had sneaked up on me, and that we had to do it by the end of this month. I don't think it is first-come, first-served though, so all those super-organised parents who did this 3 years ago don't get a better place. Ha!
Anyway, our first choice is Carfield School, which is the school directly behind our house. It is a great old Victorian building, and it was crammed with the children's art and crafts. Lovely feel to the place. We have had the advantage of being able to peer over the wall and see how playtime was supervised, and (apart from one kind of shouty man) they all play nicely, no huge fights or bundles. At least in the back playground that backs onto our house, that is...
The other schools we put down were Meersbrook Bank School, across the park from us, and Ann's Grove Primary which is a bit further into Heeley. Ann's Grove is moving into a fabulous new building, all built to sustainable design principles and across from Heeley city farm (and they have a wind turbine! Hurrah!) However, if she gets sent to Ann's Grove, we are going private - the results are DREADFUL and it seems to have a very difficult and transient population as a catchment. Cool building, tho.
Anyway, the first thing they look at for places is siblings of existing kids, and then the next criteria is proximity to the school. As we can swing a rope ladder over the fence to Carfield and get her to class on time, I think we are well in. But I will let you know.
Here is the website if you fancy a gander...http://www.carfieldprimary.org.uk/
This smugness soon dissipated when I realised that the deadline had sneaked up on me, and that we had to do it by the end of this month. I don't think it is first-come, first-served though, so all those super-organised parents who did this 3 years ago don't get a better place. Ha!
Anyway, our first choice is Carfield School, which is the school directly behind our house. It is a great old Victorian building, and it was crammed with the children's art and crafts. Lovely feel to the place. We have had the advantage of being able to peer over the wall and see how playtime was supervised, and (apart from one kind of shouty man) they all play nicely, no huge fights or bundles. At least in the back playground that backs onto our house, that is...
The other schools we put down were Meersbrook Bank School, across the park from us, and Ann's Grove Primary which is a bit further into Heeley. Ann's Grove is moving into a fabulous new building, all built to sustainable design principles and across from Heeley city farm (and they have a wind turbine! Hurrah!) However, if she gets sent to Ann's Grove, we are going private - the results are DREADFUL and it seems to have a very difficult and transient population as a catchment. Cool building, tho.
Anyway, the first thing they look at for places is siblings of existing kids, and then the next criteria is proximity to the school. As we can swing a rope ladder over the fence to Carfield and get her to class on time, I think we are well in. But I will let you know.
Here is the website if you fancy a gander...http://www.carfieldprimary.org.uk/
Monday, January 16, 2006
Reluctant Miss Maia
Well, Maia has moved up into the Warren room at nursery, and she is not actually properly settled yet. She has changed teachers - Mrs Hunt has stayed with the Sunshine class - and she is now with Mrs Cross.
She seems to think that Mrs Cross is nice (and I think the questions I asked her were only slightly leading, your Honour) but she is expressing relucance to go to school at the moment.
Nothing major, we have not yet had to pick her up and manhandle her into the classroom. Nor is she refusing to get dressed to go to school, sabotaging the trip by hiding the car keys or phoning in bomb scares to the school. But she is a smart girl, so if she really doesn't want to go, I expect to be seeing some crafty tricks soon...
She seems to think that Mrs Cross is nice (and I think the questions I asked her were only slightly leading, your Honour) but she is expressing relucance to go to school at the moment.
Nothing major, we have not yet had to pick her up and manhandle her into the classroom. Nor is she refusing to get dressed to go to school, sabotaging the trip by hiding the car keys or phoning in bomb scares to the school. But she is a smart girl, so if she really doesn't want to go, I expect to be seeing some crafty tricks soon...
Do Nit Panic
OK, so maybe she doesn't have nits. I am very confused.
When I combed her hair with the free comb, there were little white bits (one or two...) but there don't seem to be any more. Maybe it was just general fluff and stuff that was caught in her locks.
Or maybe they are hiding. As well they should...dare to be on MY baby!
When I combed her hair with the free comb, there were little white bits (one or two...) but there don't seem to be any more. Maybe it was just general fluff and stuff that was caught in her locks.
Or maybe they are hiding. As well they should...dare to be on MY baby!
Friday, January 13, 2006
Name-Dropping
I bought Maia some cool bath crayons for Christmas, and since then, a good portion of each bathtime is spent scribbling away on the sides of the bath.
She can now recognise everybody's name, and dah Dah DAH DAH! write her own name.
A genius in her own bathtub!
She can now recognise everybody's name, and dah Dah DAH DAH! write her own name.
A genius in her own bathtub!
Nits and Crosses
Ugh.
We got given a nit comb at school this week, by Mrs Cross, Maia's new teacher. I thought it was a marketing thing "Here! Have a comb!"...Until we used it, and discovered a couple of little tiny white eggs. And now I am all itchy.
I don't want to freak Maia out, so I have been talking in VERY general terms about getting some Special Shampoo and changing her pillow. We spent a while in the bath, wet-combing her hair and she seemed distracted enough by the bath crayons not to ask too many questions.
I wonder if she would be freaked out, at all. Probably not. She does tend to take things in her stride, but then she has never had critters living in her hair before.
S'cuse me - must go buy some Super Strength GETTHEMOFFME Shampoo.
We got given a nit comb at school this week, by Mrs Cross, Maia's new teacher. I thought it was a marketing thing "Here! Have a comb!"...Until we used it, and discovered a couple of little tiny white eggs. And now I am all itchy.
I don't want to freak Maia out, so I have been talking in VERY general terms about getting some Special Shampoo and changing her pillow. We spent a while in the bath, wet-combing her hair and she seemed distracted enough by the bath crayons not to ask too many questions.
I wonder if she would be freaked out, at all. Probably not. She does tend to take things in her stride, but then she has never had critters living in her hair before.
S'cuse me - must go buy some Super Strength GETTHEMOFFME Shampoo.
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