30 September 2011

Weekly Photography Challenge - Week 40: Technology

When I saw this week's theme I didn't quite know where to begin. Technology in our house?? Never!

Messy Tech, originally uploaded by rattyree.

Weekly Photography Challenge - Week 37: Triangle

Stole Alex's blocks for this while she napped otherwise I would've been in trouble.

Blocks, originally uploaded by rattyree.

Weekly Photography Challenge - Week 35: Yellow

I did three photos for the challenge this week. Only eight to go. What? Did I say something about not falling behind again?

Mmm spring!  Boo hayfever!

Daffodils, originally uploaded by rattyree.

29 September 2011

Rats, Cats and Toddlers

When I had pet rats this list of Rat Property Laws always amused me:

  1. If I like it, it's mine. 
  2. If I've peed on it, it's mine. 
  3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 
  4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 
  5. If you've got something larger, it's mine. 
  6. If I'm chewing something up, all the pieces are mine. 
  7. If it's in my reach, it's mine. 
  8. If I saw it first, it's mine. 
  9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically becomes mine. 
  10. If it's broken or it tastes bad, it's yours. 

I was also amused by the fact it had been adapted from a list of toddler/kid property laws and can now appreciate that aspect just a wee bit more.

As I watched Miss Alex destroy a box of tissues last week, it occurred to me that I'd witnessed this before...

Rathenn

Zari

Alex

It is also a well known fact that rats like to gnaw on things.  Teething babies like to gnaw on things.  It hadn't occurred to me that cats also like to gnaw on things until tonight, when I watched Special Cat himself munch on a teething rusk that Alex had thrown across the kitchen (she didn't want it dammit!).

Mazik

Alex

Basil

...Yep.

So there you have it.  Even if you discount the fact that they will all happily play with cat toys too, Rats, Cats and Toddlers are more alike than you'd think.

16 September 2011

Mullet be Gone!

For her birthday post I mentioned that Alex just needed a haircut, some teeth and to learn how to walk and she'd be a real toddler.  Well, we already have two out of three!  

Eight days after her birthday she cut her first tooth.  I told Nev it was a birthday present from Alex, but then she made me a liar because she refused to actually let him see it.   It's come through more since then (as I imagine teeth do..) but its mate hasn't made an appearance yet so she's still a one tooth wonder.

Today we sorted out her mullet with a quick trip to the hairdresser.  I highly recommend Salon Gowri to those in Wellington!  They've got a corner dedicated to kids, with a TV and stack of DVDs, special kid sized chairs (though Alex sat on my lap) and kid sized capes.  Alex was very well behaved but kept turning to see what the hairdresser was doing, so I put one of her TMBG videos on my iPhone.  Annnd she started dancing instead.  Whoops!   

Mullet

No mullet

Before

After

Thank you TMBG for getting her to sit still for the photos!

The hair that was hanging in her eyes has been trimmed, but I insisted on no proper fringe as then she'd be in bowl-cut territory.  A fate worse than natural baby girl mullet!

As for walking, she's started pulling herself up onto her knees regularly and has got as far as sticking one leg out the side but doesn't quite know what to do from there.  I don't mind for now - I like having stuff on the coffee table.

05 September 2011

I Worry..


As you know, we're keen to encourage Alex's genius but I'm starting to worry she doesn't have as many smarts as we'd hoped.

Exhibit A:
 

Exhibit B:

Yeah.

She got a cat toy with a feather stuck back there a couple of nights ago, and of course it was tickling her neck.  Little baby arms are not great at reaching back to swat things away, so a lot of gammy flailing ensued.  It was dinner time so I rescued her from the tricksy feather and popped her in her high chair.  Upon removing her from her high chair after dinner I found a peg down the back of her bodysuit.

It seems that she's not too fussed on protecting her head either, preferring instead to use it as a battering ram.  She wanted to get behind the cat tree today, so there she sat rocking back and forth and headbutting the tower in the hope it would get out of her way.  Then there was the time she wanted to crawl under the coffee table to get to the forbidden land of TV cabinets and sleeping Basils, so she crawled up and headbutted the horizontal bar until she dipped low enough to get under...only to get stuck trying to get out the other side.

Actually, maybe that's why she was wearing the colander on her head in Exhibit A...