Three and a Quarter

In the past month my life has changed dramatically, the reason being is that Sophie is now mobile (horrors!). I still haven’t really grasped the fact that my once immobile sister can now move (and what’s more, get at all my toys!). I am learning that anything left within her reach she deems is for her to play with. I am developing a sixth sense for when Sophie is approaching one of my lego creations and getting adept at moving my masterpieces out of her reach at lightening speed.

I am also helping Mummy by putting up a barricade when Sophie is approaching dangerous territory (such as MY art room or the stairs).

I am quick to say, ‘No’ and take away any offending items from Sophie’s grasp (and learning the art of distracting Sophie’s attention swiftly elsewhere, or suffer an ear piercing squeal!).

All this extra work has driven me to drink, by drink I mean ‘fluffies’. Well, Mummy has her ‘fix’ of a daily latte (or three!) – not to mention the ‘happy pills'(!), so I need something to pick me up too! When I’m not consuming flufflies then I ride around the house, as though it were a speed circuit, on my pick of trike (watching for Sophie’s fingers naturally!).

Also new to my life is ‘Blacky’ the cat, which I so named. She has been hanging around our house for a while and I understand that cats have a tendency to choose their owners and this is certainly the case with Blacky. She has taught me that not all cats are schizophrenic in nature (namely Simba). Blacky is very loving and attentive and follows me around the garden (even braves it on the trampoline from time to time – until I start doing my latest trick – sitting bounces). She rarely comes into the house (Simba is definitely King of the house), but she is certainly Queen of the garden and has no trouble putting Simba in his place. She has taken to sleeping on a cushion under the porch, outside the back door.

Playcentre is great and I’m beginning to see the pleasure of playing within a larger group of children (and there’s always lots of cool things to do, such as obstacle courses). Though from time to time I find the whole thing a little overwhelming and just want to be by myself, for I am a free spirit who loves the outdoors and am happy to sing and play in my own little world for hours. I’m adapting well to the necessary ‘rules’, such as washing my ‘ringa, ringa’ (Maori word for fingers/hands) prior to morning tea. I actually surprise myself at how civilized I can be (though I have been known to run out of the room in appalling floods of tears when the chosen song prior to eating was ‘Old Macdonald Had a Farm’ – Please! Have some taste!).