Happy Birthday Mabel!

There is still lots going on for us at the moment. Important decisions to be made and things to happen. We continue to live out of boxes and battle for time.

I've read lots recently about creating balance and indeed our New Years resolution was all about regaining balance and we had wanted to redo a kind of 'audit' thing and do some thinking about priorities etc for the year ahead. Funnily (good I think that we see the irony) we haven't had time yet to do the planning session we had down for start of Jan. Feels like it will never settle down, maybe this is it and life just gets faster and faster. Maybe we will never get a chance to think while we are always accepting of the fact there isn't time to think. Anyhow I completely digress.

Our little lady turned a big 3 years old on 25th Jan and I wanted to blog about her party. Also about some other things with our little people that are making us smile right now.

Mabel very much got the fact it was her birthday this year and in particular had asked a lot about a party. Now I kind of blame Peppa for this but also her love of cake and musical statues. I think it could have been just me and G Kisby, a bit of chocolate sponge from M&S and a game of trying to keep a toddler still (poor Wilf, he is out every time) and she would have been happy.

Granny and Grandma Babs making each other laugh

As it was we invited the family round for a small celebration. Pizza, cakes (natch), more cakes, balloons and indeed party games.

She was beautifully behaved, said thank you to everyone for her gifts and wonderfully giddy about the whole experience. It made us smile when at a later date asked if she was 3 replied that no, it was last week, she is 2 again now. Thinking I might start saying that.

Uncle Dave made beautifully decorated Maisy mouse cakes and Grandad a whole feast of puddings - mmmmmm. Possibly her favourite gift of all (including our gift of a balance bike) was some more lego. She has taken her building to a new level and has whole villages on the go. Well not quite, normally a hospital and a house, sometimes with a car, but even so. Wilf enjoys. well, breaking it down. He plays the role of King Kong in the village. Or the largest baby in the village. She starts saying, "Mummy distract him, distract him" and tries to get her buildings onto the sofa. If it didn't make me laugh (sick I know) I'd get there to help sooner but normally he does make away with some sort of roof or hospital bed in his clammy mit. 

Yuuuuum

 I have included here a picture of Wilf in a bunny suit. It was one of Granny's slightly random gifts for Mabel, it didn't fit, it felt wrong to waste an opportunity for humour. I have to be honset there is no other reason for its inclusion than that.

Anyhow there are a few other things we don't want to forget:

Wilf is has turned a little tricksy (surely not two headstrong children). The back arching when trying to get him in the car has started (remember from Mabel), only this time it is like battling to 'chop' a teenager.

He sleeps with his bum in the air and head rammed right into the end of the cot. Always has. is very cute. 

Shortly after Xmas they moved into a new phase, one which for about two wks was incredibly hard. Wilf just wanted everything Mabel had and they annoyed each other constantly. Luckily that is now only 50% of the time. Mabel has such amazing patience considering how frustrating it must be and shares so well. Wilf is then stroppy and doesn't yet understand sharing. The lovely side of the change is that they also play together, not just alongside each other or tolerate each other, actual games. Like catch (Mabel throws it at his head still, often a bit harder than necessary but at least he picks it up and launches it back now), she helps him climb into the washing basket with her and pretend its a boat, they, erm, wrestle. Wilf stands on her, she finds it hilarious. That last one always ends in tears. Not the 1 year old's as you'd expect. And he knows he is funny now and plays to it. He is funny. And truly adorable.

Mabel is the happiest little girl and very charming. She is still incredibly strong willed (new nursery have started commenting on it) and has an amazing imagination. Unfortunately Wilf has become a bit feardy as a result of her vivid descriptions of horrible beasts and big bears. She is always describing one hidden in the dark bedroom or round the corner or even in the bushes (poor Wilf). He has even become terrified of the Gruffalo. Like literally we can't open the book without his panicking. Whereas she remains fearless, a huge slide at the play centre caused actual friction burns right down her back but she insisted on going on again and again. She has what she calls. "her chicken pox" wounds to prove it.

Yes a Gruffalo dress up. Poor Wilfie again

She still has a pretend friend (Lulu - boy) who makes an appearance at random points and with whom she enjoys a game of catch (hmm flawed surely, at least play cars) or babies. It is very funny to listen to now as she speaks for the other characters,
""Raaah, raaah I don't want to go to bed", said baby Anna" and then describes, "that was baby Anna crying Mummy, its just pretend". The fact she thinks the explanation is required probably a reflection of how often I say stop making that silly crying noise.

They both love to dance. Especially in front of the mirrors in Mabel's current bedroom. And Wilf is saying loads more words. Random ones like, 'back' when he goes down stairs and 'Babel' which is very cute. Occasionally he will use two together now too, 'cach ball' 'duck, cak, cak'. It is ridiculously stereotypical but he loves a set of dinosaurs Granny bought for Xmas, carries one around everywhere and still loves water and pouring.

So happy birthday gorgeous girl, we love you too much to even describe!