While we were packing Eli decided that he would like to extend his smile….this is what happens when parents are otherwise occupied. Packing is going well – just two more sleeps!

Today was a busy packing day taking down the jungle gym, taking garden refuse to the dump and just generally keeping busy with the process (Wednesday is the bug move!). Fortunately one of the boys from down the street came to play and he and Grace had a busy fun afternoon jumping on the trampoline, paying Zingo, painting and playing with whatever happened to be around. Duncan and Grace are the same age and get along really well. He talks Afrikaans, she talks English, and it doesn’t really matter too much, because they speak the same language: play.

In one of Grace’s magazines there was a competition to win a Sophia the First hamper, bedding, curtains and a few other things. She decided that she wanted to enter, so we filled in the form and sent it off and didn’t really think about it again. Yesterday I get an email to let us know that she has won a hamper, and I just had to laugh. We decided to keep it a surprise and video her reaction. I was thinking she was going to be bouncing off the walls. It wasn’t exactly what I expected, but she did have some classic lines.

Grace was watching some TV and Coco decided that she needed a warm lap to sit on.

Coco can be a super needy, over the top, try to sit on every guest’s lap kind of cat, but I’ve never seen her decide to go and sit down with either of the children.

Eli slept through the night for the very first time! On Monday night, he slept all the way to 05h00, which I classify as going all the way through. Didn’t make it through last night, but we’re holding thumbs for tonight.

Grace has discovered rainbow loom, and Eli quite enjoys playing with the elastics on his finger

Eli has discovered the joy of the fountains at Willowbridge, and with the warmer weather we’ve had over the last week he has loved splashing and having some fun.

Eli’s fountain “dance”: left foot, right foot, rinse, repeat.

Eli still hasn’t slept through the entire night….ever….but we are seeing some progress on the sleep front. If I’m awake when he wakes up I’ve been opening his door just a bit and saying, “Lie down Eli,” and he quickly lies down and generally goes back to sleep very quickly. One night this week he woke up at about 24h00, went back to sleep and then woke at 04h30. At least it was a good stretch for Donné.

He did learn a new trick tonight though. Donné put him down and he wasn’t quite sleeping yet, so I just stood at the door listening. In he past he would have called out for us, but he was quiet and just lay in bed, moving around a little bit. After a short while I hear a very, very soft whisper, “Dada, dada, dada, dada,” but I really mean very soft. I just opened the door a crack and and said, “Eli, be quiet, it’s sleep time.” He was quiet, and then after a while called again. I said, “Go to sleep,” while standing at the door, and then thought, “Grace calls me like that and I go and give her a cuddle normally,” so I went in, stroked his forehead and said goodnight again, went out and he went to sleep on his own.

He went to sleep on his own like a big boy. It is a good sign, hopefully one which translates to him staying lying down in his cot if he stirs and going back to sleep quietly. We’ll see how tonight goes….

Grace has carried on learning new skills this week – she can now get herself started on her bike! She is very excited because she can now ride around without needing help to get going. She was also having fun “races” with one of the boys from down the street.

Getting going

Zooting around on the scooter