It was the school outing for the term today, and off we went to the fire station, with Grace asking, “Can I ride on the fire engine?”

Flying horses while waiting for everything to be ready

Fire engine!

Eli enjoyed the visit too

Having a go with the fire hose

Cupcakes for Grace’s birthday which falls in the holidays

I think I’ll just sneak in another turn….

Eli is officially cruising! He has mastered the art of pulling himself up at our couches and Grace’s table. So now he pulls himself up, looks for scraps of food or things that Grace has left lying around and puts them into his mouth. He is working hard at getting speedier, and is able to do the 1m dash to grab remote controls which he is not allowed to have.

This is Grace practising smiling with her eyes open…

…and telling a joke about Noddy and his army

Dad…can I pleeeeease have a cup cake? (Donné and Grace have been preparing them for Grace’s school birthday tomorrow)

Grace was riding on my back like a horsey, and after a few times up and down the passage my knees where starting to take strain (and I now understand why Eli’s knees are bruised). I flopped down flat on the floor and said, “Agh, the horsey is dead.” Grace continues to sit on me and says, “Rise up!”

It took me a while before I did “Rise up!” mainly because I had to recover from the fits of laughter.

There has been a big build up to the red toothpaste. I can’t quite remember when Grace first saw the red toothpaste – I think it was Caleb’s and from that day on (probably more than a year ago) she has been asking when she can get the red toothpaste.

With her being nearly four the new red toothpaste was lined up. She finished the blue one, and it was time for the new, shiny red toothpaste. She puts it into her mouth and her whole face pulls back in disgust, she spits out the toothpaste, “Yucky! I want the blue toothpaste.” Sorry Grace, too late for that. The toothpaste is out of the tube, and we’re going to see this transition through.

We did make a compromise though. After smelling the red Aquafresh toothpaste and being suitably put off by the overpowering bubblegum smell, we went and found a strawberry toothpaste. It got the same “Yucky” treatment, but she seems to be getting used to it – at least she is willing to brush her own teeth again.

My father’s day card, and a “tie” filled with chewy chocs. At school they made packets of braai spice for the dads.

And on the other side of the card, what my daughter really thinks of me…

Sharing some chewy chocs

Grace has had a bit of a runny nose which has now affected her voice a bit, so she is croaking and squeaking along.

We joined Thea for her Dora party today. I’m really enjoying watching Grace in new environment with new people these days. She just slots in and has fun. There were between 20 and 30 girls, most of them around 5 years old, and Grace immediately settled in and started having fun – it is just lovely to see her engaging in a way that she wouldn’t have a year ago.

They had to search for stars with the binoculars they made

After figuring out what toys Swiper had swiped they headed over to the cake.

It is funny to get punched if you are a boy….or maybe it is just that sis’ punches like a girl….or maybe just because it is sis’…

Eli has been loving the musical instruments

…and having great fun with the new xylophone

Food colouring + salt = happy girl

Some kiddie fun

I went to speak at Grace’s school today about electronic engineering and took along a box of things to make bristlebots.

One toothbrush head and some double sided tape

Add a vibration motor…

…and a battery

And you have a bristlebot!

There are some more instructions on Evil Mad Scientist

We had some trouble getting them all going in class today, but they were a hit with the children.

Well, what more can we say?

Grace made a Rorschach test….what do you see?