135 + 31 Weeks (2 Years 7 Months + 7 Months)

This week we have had lots of family time in the back yard, as Carmen has decided it is OK to go out there again.  Today she was watering the garden and managed to spray Jeffrey and Arley while he was getting a bottle - he erupted in torrential screaming.  We have had scorching hot weather as well as cool weather, and we had a trip to the Golfy for lunch with my parents, and Carmie has had two successful outings to the beach (she even went in the water).  Carmen has not been going off to school as well as I would like.  She starts the morning off by repeating endlessly that she doesn't want to go to school, and this ends in clinging to me and crying when I try to leave her at school.  But, they tell me that she also seems happy there and the crying ends a minute after I leave.  On Tuesday morning she was trying so hard not to cry, her eyes were as big as saucers and were full of tears.  It broke my heart.  And it didn't help that she was crying too when I picked her up that afternoon.  Apparently a little boy had hugged her from behind, but actually kind of strangled her, but she was more upset about the fact that he had taken her witch's hat which she has been wearing to school.  They tell me she still doesn't socialise much (could it be the witch's hat?), but that she is miles above the other kids in her language and literacy skills.  They said that she doesn't do anything unless they tell her to, even to the point that last nap time she was missing, and they found her still sitting on the toilet because they hadn't told her to get off!  Dingbat.  She also got a big scare from a new Bananas in Pajamas episode this week.  She actually went white in the face and started scrabbling for me, and she was shaking from head to toe (I actually thought she was having a seizure), and when she could finally talk, she said that the Bananas scared her.  She has been talking about it for days.  And she also called me a genius this week.  I was cleaning the cobwebs off her slide, and she said, "Good job, Mum.  You're a genius!"  :)

As for little Arley, he is still a breeze.  He is a little needier, just because he is at the point where he needs a bit more entertaining, and he gets upset sometimes if I leave the room.  I am trying to get Carmie to play with him more.  He absolutely adores her, and watches her incessantly, and laughs at the slightest thing she does.  He is eating well, sleeping two long naps a day and a good 12 hours at night, he is sitting up strongly and likes to babble.  He still loves his pasta, and he also loves little pieces of toast, and pretty much anything I put in front of him.

Here are some videos from this week: 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xHf4Okzg2g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3VNU_UDGkE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1WZryGIAgE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vWMEaHjtZw

There's nothing like a bit of naked gardening.

 I took this next bunch of photos because the kids hardly ever are sitting together, and for a minute they were, so I took the opportunity to grab the camera and try to get a good shot.  Major fail!

Arley's new hat that his Lolo knitted for him.