Catch-Up

It's getting harder and harder to maintain my blog (again)...mostly because right now J-Man is in to World of Warcraft again- so I am only getting little snippets of time on here. I can spend as long as I want in the mornings before he wakes up, but that isn't really how I like to use the computer...I'm more of a "chunk in the morning", and little splurts through the day, then "chunk at night"...lol.

We've bought parts for a second (grunty) computer, so it might be a little different from now on.



J-Man has got his main character up to level 53, and several other characters are getting higher and higher too. I love watching his passion for the game- it looks like it will never end...but then it has done many times beofre. He hasn't really touched the game for 6 months. There's an awful lot of learning going on when one plays WoW...typing, spelling, reading, maths, networking, social skills, geography- all manner of things one wouldn't really expect.

He's had a sleepover with his best friend J11, and J11 stayed here on Saturday night too. They get on so well. They used to occasionally have little spats, usually after being togehter just a teeny bit too long (I think), but there have been no issues whatsoever this year. I think J-Man is just that little bit older, and is now appreciating what a good friend J11 is.



Princess has been watching a tonne of tv...I'm a slow-learner really- I thought she was doing what she was most happy doing at the time, but recently I commented, "Honey- you've been watching TV for the entire day...is there anything else you would like to do today?"

She lit up, and came up with 3 ideas- all involving time with me...and I began to wonder if Sky is just a substitute for what she would really like to be doing. Plenty for me to think about there.

Tombliboo is 21 months old today...he is a little darling. Right now he likes to pretend Swiper is coming to steal our stuff. It's very cute...and no sooner have we stopped Swiper in his tracks, but he is trying to steal something again! I love the way we can interact now, and have bits of conversation.

He is absolutely *not* interested in the potty/toilet right now. We have had "potty pauses" often enough, but this one seems different- he doesn't want to hear any *mention* of the potty even. Also, the "catches' we have always got (after sleeps, and when out) even through potty pauses are no more. Sadly, I am putting him in (reusable) nappies as often as he will allow it.

Still, I think (hope!) as with J-Man and Princess, there will come a time (not too far away hopefully) where he will want to keep undies dry. It is such a change for us, but I feel we are listening to what Tombliboo wants right now, and being as respectful of him as possible.


His other funny thing, is if I ask what his name is he says "Pain-a" (Panda)...it sends us all in to fits of giggles, because he is being very deliberate about it. Once when I asked him, he said his brother's name, and another time, I asked, "What's you name?" and he said "Dadda", then laughed. If I ask him to say his name, he gets a twinkle in his eye, and says "Panda". It's rather lovely. He has never said his name, though he will say other people's names. It is fun to have a little joke with him.

I remember when J-Man was a similar age...I had read you could have little jokes with toddlers, like pretending bowls are hats, or spades are spoons...I was doing this one morning with J-Man, as he ate his breakfast. He laughed and laughed, then picked up his bowl of cereal and threw it sideways, saying "rugby ball". It was a giant mess to clean up, but very funny :0)

We have all been sick, and are getting over it slowly. We sold our car....I had become unhappy with he amount of carbon emissions we were contributing- especially with such a big car (a people-mover, where we could fit in half of it). We are goign to attempt to live without a car through the week. We have full use of Hubby's company car in the weekends.

We can do this by using public transport, and also by living very close to loads of amenities. It works on many levels- better for the environment, Tombliboo's dislike of the carseat, my desire to be fitter, J-Man's preference for riding on buses, more economical (no insurance, half the amount of "petrol" money, no WOF, no registration costs, no servicing and maintenance). I'll probably be complaining about it before too long- but I am happy for now.

Our other big news is that J-Man, Princess and I will be filmed for a tv ad in a couple of weeks. Princess has done 3 ads, J-Man was filmed for a kids' show (paid with a Bionicle and a couple of small toys), but I've never done anything of the sort...and to be honest, I never thought I would- I'm just not tv material. It's fabulous for J-Man's confidence. At auditions you really only have a minute or 2 to show who you are. For Princess, that's easy. For J-Man, it takes more time.

We're all really chuffed about the opportunity. Daddy will take a day off work to look after Tombliboo, while we film. It will be nice for me to do something just with my "big" kids, and it will be quite a holiday for me (lol). I'm not sure I'll be able to watch the ad though (haha). It's a cause of a lot of discussion round here- mostly about how we will spend the (very generous) payment.

I've finished a month of "mind-mapping" in preparation for Princess's exemption from school, and will type it up soon and put it on here for those who are interested.

And now, I've stalled long enough- the house is in it's usual post-weekend (bombsite) state, and the washing machine won't go...I have a lot of work to do ;0)