MILLIE'S CONQUERED THE POTTY!

This past week Millie has been so proud of herself: done a couple of #1's and #2's in her potty, for which she is given a special reward - a yellow frog. But she's very private about it: no one's allowed in the bathroom when she's operating!

Bella is harder to get to sleep than Millie, and creates quite a fuss at night. So Millie has been sleeping in her 'Pooh Bear' room upstairs (she's asleep right now down the hallway), and her Dad comes up for her later in the evening.

In the morning's Millie's usually awake by about 7.30, but Bella can sleep until 9.30 if she's had a disturbed night.

They're both well at the moment. Yesterday Jan and I went for a walk with Bella - one of the few times she has us both to herself (Millie was away swimming with her aunty Judy - which and whom she loves!) Bella was very quiet for the first leg of the walk, sitting in her stroller and looking at everything - other walkers, people on bikes, our dog - but on the way home she chortled and chuckled quite a bit. We stopped to feed the two ducks her Dad once released into the creek, and she enjoyed that.

P.S. I've started a new series on Jesus: the first ten articles (of ultimately 100 or more) are in a special section of the John Mark Ministries website.

Shalom!

Rowland

BELLA'S ASSERTING HER LITTLE SELF!

Bella is getting more 'personality' every week. She claps her hands when she greets us (or her mum takes her away), waves to us, shakes her head in fun, and loves sitting on someone's knee for a story-book.

The other day Jan (Grandma) was reading Millie a story, and Bella crawled over to her feet and cried! She wanted to be in it too!

She is now squarking (how do you spell that?) when Millie is too 'physical' with her, or takes her toy. Millie is still sometimes exerting her 'big sister'/'I was here before you' attitude - even to putting the magnetic numbers higher up on the fridge door so Bella can't reach them!

Sometimes we've caught her kicking Bella. Where did she learn that? Probably from some adult with his hands full giving the dog a lesson in obedience. We have to be careful, don't we?

The big 'developmental' phase for Millie now is potty training. It's a challenge not to make too much of it, but also not too little!

Two gorgeous girls!

Shalom!

Rowland

BELLA'S NOW ONE YEAR OLD!

Bella was born on St Valentine's day, and last week she had a couple of parties with each lot of in-laws. She got a nice fluffy dog from us (and Millie got a smaller one!).

The Health Nurse says Bella is in the 50th percentile for length, 90th for head size, 15th for weight (though she looks quite nicely chubby to us).

Bella can now wave good-bye with one arm, and claps her hands. She can sit up from a crawling position. She turns over the page of the book we're reading when we tell her. She has very definite food tastes, and is almost impossible to feed if she doesn't like something (especially weetbix and some vegetables. So we have to mix small pieces of 'vegies' in her yoghurt, which she loves!)

Bella's a very light sleeper, and very alert. We have to creep around when she's having her bottle, 'cos she sits up and wants to watch anything moving. Millie's a sound sleeper: so you can guess the logistics of getting them both to settle down (in the same room) each night!

Most Thursdays Millie goes swimming with her aunty Judy, and loves it. Today she came home tired and threw a tantrum when her mum tried to feed her something before her afternoon sleep. When she woke I was there to greet her, and we had about ten minutes talking together with her on my knee (a long time for Millie) - it was wonderful!

Shalom!

Rowland

YOU HAPPY WITH ME GRANDMA?

This morning Millie sorted out all her wooden jigsaw puzzles, and put them in a line on the floor. 'That's wonderful Millie' Grandma said. 'You happy with me Grandma?' 'Very happy when you tidy things Millie.'

A little later Millie didn't want to eat her porridge so she slammed the (plastic) plate on to the kitchen bench, and a bit splashed around... 'Oh Millie! Grandma said. Millie was still and quiet for a full minute, then said, 'You happy with me again grandma?'

Bella is crawling everywhere, and is a delightful, happy, contented child. She cuddles into our shoulder when we pick her up. Millie will do that if we ask her, but she's not a 'hugger'...

Last night we took them out to the 'piggery' (our humorous name for the food court at the local shopping mall) and Bella and Millie played a game of shaking their heads sideways at each other, much to the amusement of passers-by...

I love Millie's faraway look as I ask her about her holidays, or anything else where she uses her imagination. She's putting perfect sentences together now ('There's a crimson rosella Grandpa').

I took Bella around our housing precinct for a walk the other day, as I've done many times with Millie. I talk to her softly, pray with her and sing to her. When we arrived home and I handed her over to her Mum, she clung to me (first time that's happened: Bella is happy to go to anyone). I was - what's the word? -'chuffed'! Bella's now doing 'high fives'.

Millie now stands her ground sometimes when told to do something she doesn't want to do. Her Dad brought her up the other evening to get one of our high chairs (they had visitors with a small child), and said, 'OK Millie, we've got to go back downstairs now.' Millie stood her ground. I'd been playing a game of Nintendo Ms Pacman and had paused it (it's my half-hour of unwinding some days) and that game intrigues Millie, and she wanted to watch. She didn't rebel as such: just stood there. We encouraged her to go with her Dad, and after about a full minute she did. (PS. Got a score of 329,000 that night - a record).

As you can perceive, these two little ones are a great delight to us!

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

BACK FROM HOLIDAYS

Yesterday we came home from a couple of weeks away (at the most beautiful place in our home state Victoria - Mallacoota) to a wonderful welcome from the two little girls.

Bella can now move from a sitting to crawling position, and is quite mobile! She also has one tooth (upper gum, but neither of the front positions - don't know its name).

Millie gave us her squealing/running welcome-routine, and Bella had lots of smiles.

We'd phoned home from Mallacoota to talk to the two little ones. Bella was looking behind the phone to see where we were, and Millie did her jumping-for-joy jig, and actually talked in a small voice to us.

Two remembrances from the last couple of days before we left:

* Millie's grandma: 'Let's go downstairs now Millie!' to which Millie responded, but then instantly got engrossed with her building blocks. Twelve and a half minutes later (Jan timed it!) Millie said 'Wait for me!'

* The little girls on The Wiggles' Show started dancing and twirling their dresses. Millie: 'Where's my dress?'

Yesterday we joined the little family for lunch on the verandah, which was a beautiful experience.

Happy New Year everyone!

Rowland Croucher

ORIGINAL SIN?

Millie was told by her Mum and it was reinforced by Grandma that she couldn't have a lolly until she had eaten her lunch.

A little later they spotted her standing over there, with her back to the two authority-figures. When they investigated, Millie had opened the lolly-wrapper (lolly = 'candy' for North Americans!) and the sweet was in her mouth.

Needless to say she lost the sweet, and was scolded.

How did she know she was doing wrong? Classical Western/Catholic theology teaches that she was born with 'Original sin', the stain of which is removed by baptism. Recently the Roman Catholic Church has removed Limbo (the place where babies go who were not baptized, to prepare them for heaven) from its teaching/dogma - not before time.

I have a problem with the idea of Original Sin and its concomitant Limbo, because they're ideas not taught specifically in the Bible. They are derivative, inferential, from other observed realities. I have problems with 'theology by syllogism' (see, for example, this article for more...)

Bella and Millie have been unwell in the last week. Yesterday Bella 'sicked up' on my Sunday best as we were taking them both to church (their mum and dad were getting ready for family-Christmas-lunch). Sometimes Millie says 'I'm actually feeling sick grandpa!'

Have I said Bella is progressing at a different rate from that of Millie? She gets up on her hands and knees, but doesn't yet crawl. Yesterday I found her sitting up in her cot: first time she's done that from a lying position. She occasionally makes a 'Dad... dad... dad' sound, but not much more in terms of specific 'baby-words'... Sometimes we've wondered if she will eventually 'get there' developmentally. She also has no signs of teeth yet. But when she smiles with a very big grin, and flaps her arms and legs excitedly in her high-chair waiting for food, she's so adorable!

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

MILLIE'S FIRST COMMUNION

This morning (Sunday December 4th) I wasn't preaching anywhere so I took Millie out for a couple of hours, attending a beautiful Advent service at the local Anglican Church (Christ Church Heathmont).

We sat at the back with some Sudanese children, and they made Millie very welcome. They helped her draw pictures, trace around her hand, and one of them, Alak, made up a colourful poster with this note: 'Dear Ron (the contraction of my name which I use in traditional cultures, or with folks for whom English is a second language) and Millie: It has been wonderful you coming to Heathmont. I hope you have a fantastic Christmas this year and every year. From Alak Nai'

Millie was intrigued with a Sudanese baby boy (Moses) a couple of rows away, and went and sat down next to him - then followed him around as he was passed from person to person!

During communion I took her forward, and the vicar (Rev. Janet Turpie-Johnstone) gave Millie a special blessing on her forehead and gently asked if it was OK for her to have a communion wafer. Of course it was - and because her parents attend a local Salvation Army church, this is probably the first time Millie has encountered communion.

In the children's talk and the sermon Janet spoke of desert-space and the importance of reflection (enriched no doubt by her part-aboriginal heritage...)

Next Sunday I'm also preaching on the theme of Advent, at South Yarra Community Baptist Church, and this morning was good preparation for that event.

When I'm out with Millie we can be sure to attract a lot of attention!

P.S. See our website for many articles about the situation in Sudan: these people have been through hell!

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

'TEN PAST O'CLOCK'

Millie seemed tired at mid-morning and Grandma asked: 'Are you tired Millie? What time did you get up?'

'Ten past o'clock!' she responded!

Bella's still not crawling... but it won't be far off!

We have a beautiful little routine/litany when Millie comes up the back steps: 'I'm here Grandma/ Grandpa!' We respond 'Who is it?' 'It's Millie!' (later she'll add 'Stupid!')

One of the beautiful habits is Millie's dancing and squealing when she sees us. Occasionally she'll say 'I'm so excited!'

Yesterday she dropped the last plate (a soup bowl) of a set we bought in the 1970s, and which has been to Canada and back. Jan picked her up quickly so she wouldn't tread on the pieces (she wasn't wearing shoes) - which gave her a double fright, and she cried very loudly (though briefly when he mum comforted her). So today I went to a couple of Two Dollar Shops to buy some nice dishwasher-proof plastic bowls and plates... And also some Santa Claus stickers she can peel off and play with.

Yesterday she was dancing along with the Wiggles and some little girls on the DVD. She suddenly noticed the little girls were wearing skirts. She had jeans. 'Where's my skirt?' she asked...

Millie loves grapes. They're down to $5-something a kilo so I bought some for her yesterday...

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

BELLA'S ABOUT TO CRAWL!

Every parent compares the physical/linguistic etc. development of their baby with others' - or the 'average!' A parent's second-worst nightmare (after serious illness) is about her child not being able to do stuff well, particularly in our Western competitive cultures - but also in traditional societies where healthy children will be needed to help the family survive.

We've been wondering about Bella. She has a beautiful, easy, happy temperament, but she's 'behind' Millie's physical and verbal development at this stage. She rarely makes 'DAD DAD DAD' sounds, and has only in the last week got up on her hands and knees.

But the local infant welfare sister says she's OK, so we all have been reassured!

Millie, meantime, is a bright little person who needs a lot of stimulation - playing, reading, running, jumping (onto and over our lounge chair). She loves outdoors, so Jan and I have to think of toys she can play with on the upstairs verandah. A sand-pit's no good (the sand goes through the flooring and clogs up the roof/drainage), nor are small toys she can push through the railings... Quite a challenge! Last night we bought her a ride-in little car, and we'll soon probably reassemble the 'cubby-house' for her.

Phew! We get exhausted keeping up with energy of two little people. Jan is very tired and looking forward to holidays and a rest. So is John, their dad, who has to mind the kids every weekend morning until Amanda wakes up.

But we have no regrets: they're a joy to live with!

Shalom!

Rowland

ARE YOU SAD GRANDMA?

Millie loves playing with Rummycub numbers. She sorts them into colours, and other sequences, and puts them into little holders which come with that game. But the little holders have two ‘legs’ which we put in to keep them half-vertical, and when one of these came out and the little set-up collapsed, Millie got so angry that she swept everything off the table onto the floor all over the room!

Her grandma scolded her, and told her she would have to pick them all up.

A little later Millie asked ‘Are you sad grandma?’ Jan said, ‘Yes, and I'm also cross!’ Millie: ‘Are you bery cross grandma?’ ‘Yes I am very cross!’ Grandma had to turn away so that Millie would not see her smiling…

In a little while Millie picked them up, all by herself – quite a job for a little two-something year old!

This morning we were both cross again with Millie, who poked her finger into Bella’s face while grandma was reading them a story. It’s hard to share with your little sister-intruder… And later she threw a tantrum when her ‘high-rise’ pile of lego-blocks fell over!

Such is life!

But then, she and Lockie (our border-collie) and I went for a walk to the bush-trail nearby. She played 'peekaboo' behind the trees, and was quite intrigued by a couple of large fallen trees. 'Perhaps they're asleep Millie?' 'Shhhh!' she responded.

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

ARE YOU LISTENING?

Millie was in front of her mum, and talking (which she does a lot of the time, and does very well). She reached up with both hands, grasped her mother's chin, looked into her face and asked 'Are you listening?' (Now where did she learn that?)

Bella was introduced to her other grandparents (the Southwells) today as the most relaxed baby in all our clan; Millie is the most dynamic personality of any of our two-year-olds!

Bella extends her arms sideways and 'flaps' them when she's excited - together with kicking her legs. This happens especially when she wakes up and sees one of us, or is being fed!

Millie loves hide'nseek: she hides her face, and counts to ten, while the other person runs and hides. Then she excitedly comes looking. Talking about excitement, yesterday I said to her parents (in Millie's hearing) 'I'll take the dog for a run around the block eh?' Millie immediately ran for her shoes and brought them to me and said 'Millie's excited!' I had no idea she knew the expression 'around the block' and of course she expected to come too - like she's done other times!

Each time she comes up the stairs we call out 'Who is it?' 'It's Millie!' she cries out excitedly. She now regularly asks 'Upstairs?' to her mum and dad (we're chuffed that she loves coming to visit us!)

I'm about to start another Blog on some of my reminiscences. Watch for it! (But for a reason which may or may not surface, I'm not putting my name on it).

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

'I'M NOT HAPPY GRANDMA!'

Millie went to a picnic on Melbourne Cup Day last week, and was scratched from gravel, and bitten by some bugs, and needed two bandaids to soothe her pain (and feelings). Next morning Jan was changing her nappy/diaper when she said 'I'm not happy Grandma!' Aren't little people beautifully honest?

For those of you who are Oz-ignorant, the Melbourne Cup is an annual horse-race which stops the whole nation: kind of equivalent to the English Darby/Epsom or whatever it is (I'm not knowledgeable about these things). When a horse-race appears on the news, Millie has to jump off our lap or wherever she is and 'ride' on her 'big bear' (which I bought for her at a Salvation Army Thrift Shop).

Millie's happy now, particularly with an extended verandah to play on.

But Bella isn't smiling so much: she has a cough and runny nose, and maybe some sinus (it's hay fever time in Melbourne). Bella, we're learning, hates a lot of noise, and gets cranky in crowds. Millie likes to go to sleep with music, and Bella doesn't: now there's a challenge for parents whose kids sleep in the same room! But they both love soft music when they're awake...

Millie can now count to 15, she can do a 15-piece jigsaw by herself, and stayed with a little friend and her mum alone the other early evening while her mum played netball. First time - and she didn't fret. (However, the next day when her mum was leaving her to go downstairs she put on a tantrum, and wanted to be with her... ).

Millie while playing near us will suddenly say 'Hello Grandma' or 'Hello Grandpa'. Just to be happy/nice! Isn't that cute?

I woke yesterday with a bad dream. I was in Leeds, England, and some homeless men abducted Millie. As I woke I was figuring out how I could quickly do a metamorphosis to become a homeless person to find her. I didn't go back to sleep after that!

Shalom!

Rowland.

P.S. Here's the wedding talk I gave at Bella's and Millie's mum's and dad's wedding 10 and a half years ago. I'm adapting it for a wedding I'm about to perform today.

TIME WITH FAMILY

We love having a little family downstairs (last night's walk to see the moon with two year old granddaughter Millie was a special part of the day...

Thich Nhat Hanh was with a friend who had a young family, and asked him how difficult family life was. Not giving a direct answer, the man noted that he used to divide his day into time spent with his son or daughter, time spent with his wife, and time for household tasks or work. Whatever was left over was 'his time'. But then he tried to think of the moments he spent with others as his time too, instead of wishing that he was doing something else. The surprising result, he discovered, was: 'I now have unlimited time for myself!'

~~

Millie rarely has tantrums with us (we nip 'em in the bud quickly), but sometimes when she wants more of her mother she sets up a squealing show! (Isn't it interesting that a two-year-old doesn't know any shame over such antics :-)!

~~

I came out late the other morning after sleeping-in, and Millie asked 'You awake grandpa?' Good question!

~~

We've just complete an extension to our side verandah, with gates fitted. Millie and Bella will love it in the summer-time...

~~

We're trying to teach Millie not to scare the birds (rainbow lorikeets, doves, crimson rosellas etc.) which come and feed on our back verandah... I think it's working (but wait until summer-time at the beach: will we let her chase seagulls? Probably!)

~~

We're also trying to teach her not to empty the bag of toys all over the floor. She was scolded for this the other, ran to her room, put a dummy in her mouth, and flopped on to the bed. But she soon came out to help us clean it all up (though somewhat reluctantly).

~~

Bella's asleep ('Shhhhh' says Millie of anything that's gone to sleep - the moon, the cars in the garage, the birds in the trees last night...) Bella's her usual adorable, smiling, uncomplicated self...

Shalom!

Rowland.

I TAKE MILLIE TO PLAYGROUP

Millie's becoming more affectionate lately. Her love-language is probably not 'touch', and up until now she stays on one's knee for a short while only, before wanting to resume her play. But now she runs up to me with her arms in the air for a cuddle.

Sesame Street is helping her learn lots of numbers and letters: she goes to find the plastic version of each to play with while the show is on.

And when people are dancing she copies them: she's a 'natural'!

A new play area is being constructed at the side of our place - a nice sheltered balcony. A large tree from next door (our son's place) will come down soon to give that area more warmth and light.

I took her to the church play-group today (her mum and dad are sick with a gastric bug, which Millie had a few days ago; and Jan has a cold). We had a lovely time. I learned that up to 3 or 4 most children engage in either 'solitary' or 'parallel' play in groups: that explains quite a bit...

Bella is still her uncomplicated little self: lots of smiles and occasional giggles. When one of us goes in to pick her up she coyly turns her head to one side then the other. Very cute!

She'll be crawling soon.

P.S. If you stumbled across this Blog by accident, learn more about us at http://jmm.aaa.net.au

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

PICNIC WITH MILLIE

Today Millie and I had a couple of beautiful hours together. I took her to Knox Shopping Centre, and we rented a yellow car for her to 'drive' (she chose the colour).

First she explored the children's playground, then we did some shopping, then she had a ride on 'Blinky Bill'...

For lunch she had a good meal of pasta, cheese, topped off with a Ribena (apple & blackcurrent) drink...

On the way home she listed all the special 'people' she would soon meet - 'Mummy-oh', 'Grandma', Lockie and Tear (the dogs)...

It was a beautiful time. And her new word is 'picnic'...

Shalom!

Rowland.

IT'S BEEN A HARD MONTH FOR MILLIE

I've been away speaking at back-to-back conferences for about six weeks, and I think Millie has missed me.

In fact she's been grieving for a couple of weeks now - especially over the attention we've had to give to her little sister-invader. For a while Millie expressed herself by occasionally attacking Bella, and we've had to strongly restrain her. It's tough disciplining someone who's been the centre of four grown-ups' attention for so long eh?

Millie seems to be over that now, and she readily goes to her little sister and gives her a hug and kiss. Phew!

It's Springtime and the days are getting warmer, and Millie points out the beautiful wattle trees to us.

Two days this week I took her for a walk by the creek - once with Bella. Millie spent about 15 minutes just dropping pebbles into a muddy pond and was fascinated by the ripples. Isn't it wonderful how little people can enjoy simple things which we adults take for granted? We have little routines when we walk: one of them is to look through a hole in a neighbour's fence at the small dog yapping at us. Another fascination is with her shadow... And most times we take some bread to feed two ducks which we let loose into the creek - Caramello and Cinnamon. These ducks are always in the same area of the creek, and have become a neighbourhood fascination. They're quite unlike any of the native varieties!

And then when she's tired, it's 'Grandpa carry me?'

Yesterday her cousin Will came to play with her for an hour. Millie loves Will, who draws pictures and sits on the floor looking at books with her. But when Will left Millie was upset - and as she sometimes does when feeling this way, ran to her upstairs bedroom and hid behind the curtain. Hard lessons for the little one!

She can communicate just about anything to us these days. 'Grandpa, I don't feel well' yesterday. Occasionally she looks up at one of us and says lovingly 'Hello Grandpa' or 'Hello Grandma' with heaps of love in her eyes.

Today while shopping I bought her favorite fruit - watermelon, and some 'Tiny Teddy' biscuits which she loves.

~~

Bella is getting more and more beautiful, still smiling all the time, but these days shaking her head from side to side. Very cute! She's the least complicated baby we've had among our four children and six grandchildren. Today it was mild outside, so I sat with her for a while on the back verandah in the shade. I read, while she was in the rocker next to me playing with her soft toys.

She can now roll over easily, and doesn't mind doing 'push-ups' for a couple of minutes!

'Lord, may their respective guardian angels do a good job of protecting them please. Thank you. Amen.'

If you haven't visited our websites why not? It's http://jmm.aaa.net.au

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher

MILLIE'S TWO

And she's developing a more independent will! She knows now how to get our attention - verbally, and occasionally with a tantrum.

We went for a walk the other day, but it was only half our longer route. She wanted to cross the road and walk by the creek, but we didn't have time. I told her we were going home but she stood fast on the footpath ready to cross the road. I had to ask her again, then go and hold her hand to resume our journey!

Another day I told her not to touch the powerpoint, but a little later after my back was turned she moved behind a nearby curtain touching it again!

The other day I kissed her grandma (wy wife Jan) and she asked 'Kiss for Millie?'

Last week she hit someone at Playgroup for the first time, and had to be disciplined. And she's beginning to act like 'Grandpa's special little girl.' A couple of days ago I sat in a chair near her mum who was reading Millie a story. Millie climbed down from her mother's lap, came over to me, and asked for some of my fruit juice - as if she has an equal right to it as I have! She does the same when I cut up a banana to put on my muesli: Millie now wants a few slices for herself! That's what little granddaughters have a right to eh?

A favorite conversation: 'Millie, what colour are grandma's eyes/Bella's eyes... etc.? To which she replies in a full sentence: 'Bella's got brown eyes...' etc. She's now up to five and six-word sentences.

For her birthday she was given a quite large kitchen setup (with pots that make a sizzling noise when put on to the hotplate!) and (plastic) crockery set from Toys'RUs... no doubt she'll play with this for years to come.

I'm traveling interstate for a series of conferences this month, and she looks mystified when I say good-bye to her and we tell her I'm going away on a plane.

BELLA. Many mornings I go downstairs to pick up Bella, to bring her up to her Grandma, and even when she's drowsy she'll manage a smile.We think both our little ones are teething - dribbling, fist in mouth, a little cranky, etc.

Bella can now turn herself over when we lie her on the floor: we have to be constantly vigilant. She can now lift her head when we put her into a rocker. I was walking with Bella recently and a friend asked to cradle her, and Bella smiled as usual. Then the neighbour pretended to drop her - let her go and caught her an inch down. It's a long time since I've seen someone do that to a baby, and I wonder about it... but Bella took it in good heart. She's a verysecure little person.

Two nights ago she had her first 'solid food' - farex mixed with formula. The little one didn't know what to do with it in her mouth, but some of it went down.

I was in Adelaide this past weekend and missed both of these beautiful little ones, but today I was 'on duty' with them and their mother while Jan visited the prison. A beautiful day...

Shalom! Rowland.

BELLA SMILES ALL THE TIME!

Bella is the happiest baby we’ve experienced: except for when she’s tired, uncomfortable, or hungry she smiles all the time (why aren’t they all like that?)

Shalom! Rowland

SHE'S TALKING SENTENCES!

Our near-two-year-old has developed some amazing language skills (that's what should happen I guess from having four teachers as her carers!). Not only has she copied some of our exclamations ('Hear it!' when the grey butcher-bird sings or 'Exciting!' when the Wiggles DVD is about to play or of course 'Peekaboo!') but she can put a subject-verb-object sentence together.

Like: 'Grandpa going to sleep?' 'Mummy eat grapes?' 'Grandpa pick up teddy?' And her mimicking of our commands to the border collie Lockie: 'Lockie, stop it!'

How about this: 'Millie adorable!' 'Mummy adorable?' 'Grandma adorable?' 'Keys adorable?' Which led to an animal/vegetable/mineral lesson...

Richard Rohr in his brilliant book 'Everything Belongs!' talks about 'kinesthetic knowing.' Both our little girls are very secure because they are regularly hugged, and kissed, and taken for walks...

Millie is a natural humorist. She bumped her nose on a door and cried a little. Later, she crawled back to the offending spot, and touched it with her nose!

And she loves dancing - especially to the Dorothy the Dinosaur song (from the Wiggles). Isn't it amazing how little people don't have to be taught to make graceful bodily dancing movements?

Two nights ago she was off her food. Although she'd been nauseous earlier in the day she didn't 'act sick', so we encouraged her to eat, and she bravely tried... and ate half her meal... But later she vomited it all up. We felt really bad...

But the highlight of our life at the moment is when Millie looks up at us and smiles to us - for no reason at all! Magical!

And Bella? She's the most contented, smiling baby we've known. Uncomplicated.

They're both a joy to us, but tire us old folks out sometimes. Which is why a four-day break last week was most enjoyable.

Shalom!

Rowland.

KISSING IT BETTER

Little people live in a high-risk world. One common problem is drawers and doors and little fingers.

We have the doors and drawers in the kitchen tied up so she can't open them (inconvenience for the rest of us) but we're teaching her to be careful. Every day there are new lessons about the log-fire (even though it is a closed heater - and with a protective cage-thing around it).

This morning she was in our bathroom, and she got her fingers caught in the cupboard door. Fortunately the door was light-weight, and it didn't hurt too much. But grandma and grandpa (me) and her mum had to kiss her fingers better before she settled!

She has many many words now, and can recognize quite a few letters of the alphabet (she's now 22 months).

The other day she came up to the lounge-chair where he mum was sitting and said 'Scuse me!' and clambered up next to her. (That's her mum's favorite expression when a little person invades her space!).

Sometimes when we tell her 'You're beautiful!' she points to her chest and says 'Gorgeous!'

And when we move from one place to another she has to say 'Bye bye' to lots of people/things - ducks, trees, the plane overhead, whatever comes into her mind...

And little sister Bella is growing into a beautiful happy baby - lots of smiles when she's happy, sleeps all night most nights, and very strong and wriggly when she's hungry!

They tire us out (we're going away for a week soon - can't wait) but we love them both dearly!

Shalom!

Rowland Croucher...

BTW, feel free to drop me an email anytime!