Bringing up baby: Hamilton Gardens, with child

We had a brilliant day, and mostly everybody stayed happy.

Highlights:

• Getting out of the house on time,
• Tilly staying awake the whole 1.5hr it took us to arrive there, A very nice weather day, Seeing lots of interesting things with Tilly, Tilly's interest.

Tilly's highlights:

• "Dragon Turtle".

I dressed Tilly in his going-out gear, complete with his much-despised vest (it covers up the dog picture on his t-shirt), which he acquiesced to nicely enough, with the promise he could take it off once we arrived at Hamilton Gardens.

Mummy and Daddy took longer to get ready, what with me wanting to pack a snack-box for three people, just in case we got hungry before the designated lunch break.

We eventually got out, and I'd brought what I though was necessary, including our sun hats.

Onwards on the motorway we travelled. I thought I had to keep Tilly I interested in the journey,so we pointed out the highlights when we thought he could see them from his car seat.

"Look, Tilly! Cows!"

"Black cows!"

"Brown cows."

"Cows."

"cows"

"cows"

"Hawk!"

"cows"

"cows"

"cows"

"cows"

"Sheep!"

"cows"

Not bothering to mention any more cows, as even he had stopped being excited.

We did see some swans in a field, and a couple of horses, however we whizzed by so fast Tilly probably couldn't see them unless he'd been looking out for them.

"Waikato River!"

***

The kauri rickets I the car park has grown taller, which is a good thing.

Koala bear (new addition to Tilly's menagerie since Aunty returned from Australia) was his companion of choice, despite our objections. It was supposed to be a nice family day, so we acquiesced to his decision despite my misgivings.

Dad and son strolled around Turtle Lake, I visited the latrine. It has gone upmarket since we last visited. For the better. There's even a Dyson hand-dryer, Mark II. [Aside: a couple of drawbacks - too noisy, scaring babies and small kids; bigger small kids can't reach in to dry their hands.]

I caught up with the family, and Tilly informed me they had been watching "fantail". We continued the stroll, and saw another fantail and some other bird.

Tilly wanted to hunt for the flighty fantail. We dissuaded him, saying the fantail would find us after it had gotten it's lunch.

I went to the Information Centre and got yet another map. Realising that we no longer had the luxury of faffing about with map reading, I asked the nice lady to circle our places of interest:

• Italian garden,
• Indian garden
• Sustainable garden,
• Playground.

Buoyed, we set forth.

***

Tilly was suitably impressed by the wolf and two babies statue (Romulus and Remus, and adoptive mum).

He was less sanguine about departing widely from his stroller. A real hullabaloo.

We departed the Italian garden, parental units chastened and wiser.

***

Indian garden was a big hit, and Tilly got out to play with the small fountain burbling by the river.

He loosened up enough to play with mum and dad.

He even played with pushing his stroller.

***

English garden was apparently interesting to Tilly, although there wasn't much as the lawn was herbicided and fungicided.

***

Japanese garden was all right. Tilly liked it enough to want to explore the Shinto rock garden of contemplation.

***

Chinese garden was good. Twelve large orange goldfishes, dad pushing the stroller uphill up the shallow steps. The Dragon Turtle. Tilly was very impressed. I was too slow to take a photo of his first encounter. Sigh. On the other side of the path, Tilly pointed out "butterfly". As we left the area, mum and dad saw the butterfly.

***

Back to the entrance/exit area. Tilly toddled off into the English garden again, pursued by Daddy.

I savoured a yoghurt coated rice cake. I was famished, and ready for a spot of lunch.

***

Onwards we trouped. We saw the Kitchen garden, and the crop garden. I never can recognise oats. It looks like grass.

***

To the Sustainable Garden.

It was fascinating enough, with it's chicken coop and chickens. I saw a free range mouse.

The garden was cramped and narrow, and when I tried to remove the stroller to a more open area, Tilly became insecure.

Parental unit not wise enough.

***

We diverted to the Tudor garden, with its dragons, unicorn, and gryphon.

***

Gotta be lunchtime. Had lunch.

Tilly enjoyed himself quite a lot, climbing over Daddy.

We ended the session with Tilly sitting contentedly in his stroller, watching Turtle Lake, chatting to me. It was so nice.

***

We found Daddy, and Daddy found the playground. Daddy and Tilly played while I sat in the sunshine and watched their leisure pleasure.

***

Husband drove us home. What a hero.

***

On Sunday, preparing to go out, Tilly (after he had distributed the sun hats) said, "Dragon Turtle?"

Bringing up baby: 4 July Painting

04Jul13 paint (c) Atilla 2013

Medium: paper, paint, glitter, sparkle paint.

You don't get the full effect. There is sparkles on the blue-purple paint, and glitter painted over by green paint.

Bringing up baby: 6 July 2013 what a nice day!

It was absolutely amazing. Atilla was nice all day! He was friendly, playful, and listened to his parents!

 It was my turn to parent Tilly in the morning. He had his milk, his nappy change - he scarpered off, so I waited for him in the nappy changing room, and he wandered in after a brief while.

He played ("Tasty!) while I installed the new kettle. He did have a tantrum when I took away his blue playdoh, on the basis he isn't supposed to eat toys at home. This tantrum lasted a long while, enough to boil a max kettle 3 times and to make Daddy his tea. He was ok during this tantrum. Sure, he wailed and gnashed his teeth, and tears rolled down his soft baby cheeks onto the table. He lay down on the floor and sobbed loudly. He quietened down. I sat with him at the quiet stage. I explained that he isn't to eat toys at home. I explained he could eat the playdoh at daycare if he wanted (I think it's ok as that stuff is made to a published recipe than out of a tub). I asked him if he wanted me to stay. "No." I finished making Daddy's tea. I asked him if he wanted to help take Daddy's tea to him. "Yes."

The tea ritual completed, we returned downstairs for breakfast. 

• Yoghurt, banana on toast, he reminded me about taking my pill. He ate, he sat on my lap, he played around me. He read a couple of pamphlets. We finished breakfast, it was 10am. Time Daddy was up.
• Daddy had breakfast, reminded me it was WoF time. We persuaded Tiily out of the house within 30mins and without a tantrum (a record!) Tilly was very good at the WoF place. He played very well.
• Lunchtime at a Japanese place. Tilly ate very nicely. When he'd finished, he wandered outside under Daddy's supervision.
• He dozed in the car, and finished his nap at home.
• We went to the playground for sometime. Then to the bookshop. Then back to playground, then home.
• Tv time, dinner, bath by 7pm. Upstairs by 7.30pm.
• Toileting for an hour.
• Bed, Mog the Forgetful Cat, Over the Rainbow song, and sleep by 10pm.

Atilla was a pleasure to be with today.

Sent from handheld

Bringing up baby: 22-23 June 2013 Walks in the rain, and Kelly Tarleton's

Remembering the good times.

22 June 2013 - Walks in the rain.

As per routine, I parented Tilly on Saturday morning. This was the weekend of wild woolly weather. This was the weekend of wet, cold, and rain. Most of the weather completed on Thursday and Friday, so I thought that Saturday was a good time to go for a walk.

Saturday morning was a good time to go for a walk, as Daddy was still feeling the effects of being ill, and we needed breakfast brought into the house.

I persuaded Tilly to go for a walk to the local bakery. This persuasion took probably an hour. He was an enthusiastic participant by the time we walked down the front steps. He had on his gumboots, his rain jacket, and held the folded up shopping bag. I had on my boots, and Daddy's jacket, and held a purple umbrella.

We sauntered, forthwith. Tilly looked so cute, so serious, holding the folded shopping bag by its handles.

On the walk, he found one of the pockets on his jacket. He put his hand into his jacket to keep it warm. It was a cold day.

We bought several buns from the bakery.

Tilly toddled outside, and insistently clambered onto a chair, and sat expectantly. I overrode my first concern to bring food to Daddy, and acquiesced to my current concern of not disappointing Tilly. I gave him half a sultana bun. I ate the other half. He munched on his. Occasionally he would say "Shoo bird" at the gathering sparrows. They paid no mind.

The rain had stopped, and the sunshine was warming up the glass table and chair and me and Tilly. It was nice.

When Tilly finished, I persuaded him we needed to share the remaining buns with Daddy. Tilly acquiesced. We sauntered back home. Tilly had to walk all the way without being carried, as my hands were fully occupied with the bag of buns, umbrella, and holding onto Tilly's hand.

We had second breakfast at home.

Interlude.

After our weekly grocery shopping trip, Tilly still wasn't settling for a nap. So, this was a good time to visit the local wetland/pond/ducks.

Preparation felt like it took 30 minutes. Dressing Tilly, dressing parents, getting pushchair, prepping pushchair for wet weather, getting out the frozen stale bread (yay! more freezer space!).

We strolled. I remarked on the changes in the neighbourhood.

At the pond, the birdlife was plentiful gathered on the sodden grass. Ducks, geese, pukekos, sea birds.

We had fun feeding the birds on the grass. The rain came, so I volunteered to hold the umbrella so other people could continue feeding the birds.

We fed the birds in the rain.

Eventually the rain stopped. Eventually we ran out of bread.

We walked home. Tilly napped.

***
23 June 2013 - Kelly Tarlton's Sea Life Aquarium 
(website)

This place has changed since we last visited. The entrance is now in the polar area - more room for queues. There is no more snowcat ride. Shame.

Tilly was very quick. He walked quickly through the Explorers' hut, not wanting to stop for anything. He stopped for the live penguins exhibit. He was fascinated.

We were there for a bit of time. Not as long as when Tilly was watching seals at the zoo. Sufficient to sate his desire for penguins.

He'd had enough, and pulled parental units onwards and upwards.

(Did we pass the 12mo Giant Squid? "Biiig!")

This was then the open cafe area, with rock pools, larger aquarium of fishes, rays, kid's section. He had fun. I was ho hum, and had fun watching Tilly.

He mucked around for a while in the kid's section. He was gentle with the turtle shell. I was proud of him for showing some respect to a dead animal part.

After 15 minutes or so, he pulled parental units onwards. Past the rays, past the shark models. Past the resting rays.

Into. The Tunnel.

Tilly really enjoyed the Tunnel. We went through it twice.

I rested at the eel area.

Tilly and Daddy went through the Tunnel four times. Tilly came back and thought I ought to enjoy the Tunnel too.

We went through a couple more times. I persuaded the family to retire to the cafe area for sustenance. Oh that was a nice break.

We went through the Tunnel a couple more times, then parental units insisted it was the end of Tunnel and it was time to visit another exhibit.

Sea horses, sea dragons, puffer fish, live octopus, etc. Exit via shop area. Exit to carpark.

"Next time, Tilly. We'll come back another time."

***
highlights of this weekend: walking in the rain, Tilly's enjoyment of Kelly Tarlton's.

Bringing up baby: vocabulary, and Play

Play vocabulary: "Poo-kah poo-kah poo-kah" "Poo-ba poo-ba poo-ba"

***
I've probably mentioned before, but I'm saying it again. Tilly has taught me how to Play.

My spare time is usually spent on a Goal, e.g. knitting an item, watching DVD, reading, working on a project, playing computer/Nintendo/app games (not in that order). Something with a defined end-point, "finished".

Playing with Tilly has no defined end-point. It is continuous and morphs. There is no Goal. No-one 'wins'. Everyone has fun.

Brilliant.

Bringing up baby: Queen's Birthday year 3

It's been a great weekend. Today was marvellous. I spent the day playing with Tilly, more or less. He was nice to us too, mostly. He didn't have any screen-time at all. Wow.

We're experimenting with no daytime sleep for Tilly. Mum and Dad will still take a nap when we need it after lunch, so Tilly has to look after himself. He seems ok with that ad hoc plan. He's got his water bottle, and I put out some snacks for him to find. When we're ready for company again, we call out, "where are you [name]?" (as popularised by Tilly himself).

Tilly is also combining lots of words together. I can only assume he's been doing much more often at daycare, given the verbal reports I've had of how well he speaks when he's there.

We played Stick, we played Hit the Ball with the Stick, we played Drag the Stick, I got to do quite a bit of knitting of Tilly's second half of his third slippers, we listened quietly to music, we did jigsaw, we played Kick the Balloon, we read The Cat in the Hat Comes Back, we read Animalia, Tilly tried pooping, we generally spent a lot of time together.

He gave me a hug when I asked for one. He's so sweet.

He also let me sleep in from 6.30am to 8am. He's fantastic.

***

I still miss watching him run, as a 1-2yo. His joy in speeding along, propelling himself head first, his arms sticking straight behind him, his eyes squinting and his grinning face. I regret I don't have a photo of that.

Baby Tilly running joyously (c) ^_^ 2013

Bringing up baby: 1 June 2013 - Drawing: Spider web

spider web draft i (c) Atilla 2013

spider web draft ii (c) Atilla 2013

spider web draft iii (c) Atilla 2013

spider web final (c) Atilla 2013

Atilla was busy using ColorPadFree app on the ipad  and I was worried he might erase his work again. So I saved draft I and II and III, and he saved the final version, saying "Finished". This kid is smarter than I give him credit for. And a quick learner.