I really love how caring Grace is for Eli. They definitely have their prickly moments (like when he pulls her hair and laughs about it), but overall they are quite fond of each other. Grace is very protective and usually willing to share to make sure that “baba” is taken care of. She even comes to his defence when he is in trouble and being disciplined (which has its challenges).

Would you like some chicken baba?

Today was a pool day, with the Baker’s joining us for a splash. Grace and Eli are now getting used to the colder water (or the water is warming up a bit), and both of them are loving spending time in the water. Grace at least gets out to warm up a bit when she can’t control the shivers any more, but Eli just wants to keep going – no matter how blue his lips are turning.

Ben and Liam didn’t seem to be too convinced that the cold water was a good idea, but Liam did end up taking an unintended dip.

Ready to embark

Ooh, yummy, what a delicious cinnamon bun Aunty Donné has made

Some splashing fun

Tonight was Eli’s first night without milk, not because it wasn’t available, but because he chose not to have when given the chance….and was grumpy later when he couldn’t have. We’ve been shifting his pre-bed feed around as part of the weaning process. He was having milk before going to sleep, and we have now shifted it to before bath time to remove the bed time relationship. Tonight he didn’t want to drink before his bath, so we explained what was going to happen, but he stuck with his choice. It did take him a long time to go to sleep, and lots of asking for milk, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow. If he refuses again, then this might be the end for night time milk.

Grace did her first ballet exam today. In many ways it seems like it hardly even registered with her because she was just excited about going to her classes graduation this evening, but she did enjoy dancing and everything seems to have gone smoothly according to her ballet instructor. It will be interesting to get the feedback tomorrow.

Number 2, ready to do her umbrella dance (but not willing to smile for the camera)

Waiting to go in

Eli has a sound for any tool or household item that is motorised, something along the lines of “Juuu.” The sound he makes is the same kind of sound as a cordless electric drill, vacuum cleaner or mixer.

When I came out of my office he had a long story to tell me about how he had helped mommy to make cauli-rice by using the “juuu”

Helping out with the chopping

Grace has become very independent in making her own snacks. In the morning she goes downstairs while I get ready and makes her own pre-breakfast snack of fruit and yoghurt, and she is gradually expanding her skills. Donné explained to her how to put the toast into the toaster and take it out without burning herself, so I’m pretty sure she is now going to be making butter toast (which she says she loves) over and over again in the day. She does currently have a insatiable appetite, so more food making skills are a good thing.

Waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for the toast to pop

Butter time! Grace was making toast for Eli and herself to go with supper

Just to add a comment on the quantity of food she is eating at the moment: supper was 1 boiled egg, 2 fried eggs, 1 slice of toast, 2 slices of bacon, 2 mini salad corns, some snap peas, watermelon, an apricot, she found some Niknaks that weren’t finished from the day, as well as half a leftover roll…and she still seemed good to go if there had been anything else on offer.

Sometimes Eli gets really sad about things, things like: you cut my sandwich in half, you packed away the sharp knife I wanted to play with, and so on.

Today he got sad getting out of the car after dropping Grace off. I’m not sure exactly what he wanted to do, but he got very upset when I took him out of the car, and ran off calling, “Mama, mama!” He starts up the stairs and Donné is coming down, but he sees that her hair is down and that just pushed him over the edge, because it is entirely reasonable to expect your mama to wear here hair in the exact way that you want. And hence we have the sad stair pose.

We have egg cups – a pink lion and a turkey – that I used to use when I was a boy. I made myself a soft boiled egg today and decided to use the cup, as that was going to be the easiest. Grace had just finished her snackwich but when she saw my egg cup she was certain she also wanted to egg. She did finish the egg, along with all the other food she asked for today. I think she is busy making sure she has reserves for the week ahead.

The pink lion egg cup

Eli harasses works with Sam when he is here, raking, digging, sweeping (I think that is his favourite), and now he has also added mowing to his repertoire.

Just a bit of painting to keep little hands occupied

Making Christmas decorations with Rebecca