Terrible Two's... Oh My! Part II

It's been a while since I posted an update on The Terrible Two (duh-dun).  While some aspects have gotten better, some are worse before they get better, and some we just haven't tackled at all!

Tantrums
Luckily the tantrums have lessened.  We see the appearance of one every few days, although they are still often irrational.  Life as a 2 year old is hard!

Big Girl Bed
Shortly after my first post, we started a sticker chart for "staying in bed" and gave MissE an "OK-to-Wake" digital clock.  After 5 straight nights of staying in bed, MissE received a bracelet and after 10 straight nights, a necklace.  Problem seemed solved...
THEN suddenly, we were once again being awoken by a soft "Wakey wakey up" at 1.30am and 4.30am.  Within a few days, MissE gained the nickname "Jackie-in-the-Box".  After tucking her into bed, she would slip out 5 minutes later and call down to us from the top of the stairs "I'm cooommmiiinnng dooowwwn nooow".  After several nights of spending 45 minutes tucking MissE into bed after we had already tucked her in and walking her back to bed up to 15 times a night, we only had one option left:  LOCKDOWN!  Yes, Tough Love.

• Night 1: Like clockwork, on the first night of lockdown, 5 minutes after I tucked her in, I could hear MissE jiggling the door handle.  When she couldn't open the door, she cried for less than 10 minutes and put herself back to bed.  However, at 1.30am, JAILBREAK!  She was standing by the side of my bed once again.  Upon inspection the next morning, a hard turn of the door handle promptly disables the child-lock.
• Night 2:   We jammed the lock with a long rod... or at least we thought we did, because sure enough, she was at my side in the wee hours of the morning. 
• Night 3: Aha!  I turned the lock upside down and have seemed to have outsmarted MissE!  We heard 1 attempt of a jailbreak that was unsuccessful. 
• Night 4 and so on: So far so good!  MissE no longer tries to get up in the night and waits for us to come get her in the morning.  We aren't counting our chickens yet so for the next few weeks the lock will remain on her door.

Potty Training
It seems we spend more time cleaning up rather than making "deposits" in the toilet.  And while the sticker chart worked with bedtime, it doesn't seem to work with potty training.  In addition, consulting the books has just left us confused: do we wait until next month and try again, or do we keep at it with a mop and bucket always ready???

A big milestone for MissE was moving into the Beginners Swim Class.  Her swim school, Aquabliss, move toddlers into Beginners at 2 years and 4 months, and only based on skill and maturity, which I think is fantastic (speaking as an ex-swim instructor, traumatizing swim lesson = bad).  MissE has been over-achieving in Babybliss 2 for some time now, often used as the demonstrator for new students so as we were edging towards 2 years and 2 months, Teacher Jenny said we just had to move her or she would get very bored.  After special permission, MissE had a first swim lesson by herself on April 4th.

Ready for swimming with my cap and goggles!



 

Waiting for my turn

Here's a few more photos to finish off this post:

One of our neighbor's, Fletcher, daily visits for pats

Lunch Lady E serving Sloppy Joe's at a cafeteria near you!

Shopping at Bunnings Hardware

Park Days: Taking Jaiden's Razor for a spin

Lake Cathie

Lake Cathie is a little gem in the mid-north coast of NSW.  Our good friends made the ultimate sea-change, swapping a townhouse in Penrith to a beach house in Lake Cathie a few years ago, making it the perfect opportunity for a road-trip after I finished a five-week contract (March).  The lake itself is warm, crystal clear and shallow- the perfect mini-break for toddlers.  Being 12k from Port Macquarie, there is plenty to do while keeping your feet dry!

Our first stop was Rainbow Beach in the late afternoon for starfish hunting!  MissE loved running around on the hard sand and splashing in the shallow pools of water.  Sea-creatures are best looked at and not touched though!

Hunting starfish

Found!

MissE had a stumble into the water while throwing rocks... check out the size of the rocks she was throwing!

Not sure if this one will skip...

Day 2, the weather was perfect to spend the day in the water.  We went from the beach to the lake, with a stop for fish n' chips in between.

Pilot Beach: Rashie, sunnies, tube and bucket- check!

Lake Cathie: I'm on the boat!

Laurieton Riverside Seafoods: feeding seagulls

Day 3, we headed into Port Macquarie to check out the local markets (not much to be desired!) then to the Town Green for a play at the park and ice cream.

Port Macquarie Koala Hospital

Looking for the rehabilitating koalas

Found one, sleeping blissfully!

And we finished the day at Lake Cathie

Unfortunately, all vacations come to an end... with a quick stop to Ricardo's Tomatoes and Strawberry Farm. MissE enjoyed picking strawberries from the vines... and giving them a little squeeze and/or nibble before putting them in her basket.

MissE's pickings!

I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hop, you don't stop... Happy Easter!

Easter is upon us, and lucky for us, in Australia it also coincides with Anzac Day which means we've had an extra long break.  Festivities for us started with MissE's Easter Hat Parade at her daycare.  MissE walked the walk and was visited by the Easter Bunny.

Easter Bonnet made by me (paper flowers, a pink chick (unseen) and beaded butterflies (unseen)

Thank you Easter Bunny!

Good Friday
Our annual trip to the Royal Easter Show is one of the things I look forward to every year.  We started the day with a visit to the Dog Pavilion.  Then we moved onto the agricultural exhibits with a visit to the cattle, sheep, alpaca and horses.  This year, the Royal Easter Show featured, Fonzy, the largest cow in Australia, standing at 1.885metres!  He really is one big cow!

The Fonz

We had a hard time pulling MissE away from a friendly alpaca named Supernova.  He kept coming over to nuzzle MissE's head.

And finally, we spent nearly 2 hours in the Dairy Farmer's Nursery.  It's a favourite of mine, a chance to get upclose and personal with sheep, lambs, goats, calves, donkeys, etc.  She loved the chickens running wild.  See Mama chasing MissE chasing the chickens!  MissE (aka the Goat Whisper) would not leave until each and every goat received a "kiss" and "cuddle".  I see Farm Stays in our near future!

Sheep cuddles!

Me chasing Eloise chasing the chickens!

No show is complete without a visit to the Show Bag Pavilion.  MissE picked a Sesame Street and a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse showbag.

The loot: Singing in the rain!

Easter Sunday
We hosted a Toddler Easter Egg Hunt and a brunch for family and friends.  We had 3 very excited toddlers hunting eggs (it seems CJ is missing the 'Y' chromosome that seeks chocolate!) and desperate to eat them all up!  Luckily we had brunch ready to be served.

Shh! Be very quiet!  We're hunting chocolate eggs!

This is how I roll!

How much did you get???

We had the pleasure of attending our first Indian 1st birthday celebration.  The women were gorgeous in their saris, the food was delicious and MissE boogied the night away until 10pm to the latest in Indian pop music.  Oh yes, and it marked a milestone for me!  It was the first time in as I can remember that I was able to be in the same room, in close proximity to a clown without hyperventilating in the corner.  Go me, conquering my fears!

Hand-painting

Itsy bitsy

Umm... not sure if that's the right way to limbo?

Balloon animals

My giraffe

Let them eat cake!

Bollywood, up to no good!

Self-professed Craft Nerd

I am a Craft Nerd.  There is nothing I like more getting a new craft book, pouring over each pattern and deciding which to do first.  Or the delight I feel when the super-cute fabric I ordered from my favorite online fabric shop arrives ( http://www.funkyfabrix.com.au/ and http://www.spoonflower.com/) .  And even more fabulous, I actually have the time to turn my weekend sewing projects to during the week projects!  (See 'Just Call Me Petra Pan')

Here's some of the projects I've been working on:

We're all expecting in my Mother's Group, and what better way to celebrate a new arrival than with a handmade gift.  These were made for this "spurt" of new arrivals (January and February births).

Animal bunting made for Cameron

Reversible dress for Sofia

Back of dress with reversible-side showing

Reversible dress for Lana (the apples are perfect for her mama who is a teacher)

Back of dress with reversible-side showing

I love Japanese 'Kawaii' fabric, especially the fairy tale designs.  I often think it's too cute to use though!  Even though MissE is too big for a fairy tale quilt, my craft goal is still to make her one. 

I love this fabric!  (Created by Kukubee http://www.kukubee.com/, and purchased on Spoonflower) I thought it was perfect for the 'Toddler Pinafore Smock Top' from One-Yard Wonders.  It's a bit too big for MissE at the moment but she'll grow into it. 

This book is fantastic for easy sewing projects, using only one yard (or there is an Australian version, One-Metre Wonders).

I am currently trolling my favourite fabric websites for 'inspiration' to make No.2's crib set.  I have it narrowed down to 5, all very different of course!

When I am not sewing, I love felties!  They are so fun... and cute.  What's the perfect for someone who loves Halloween and felties?  Zombie Felties: How to raise 16 gruesome felt creatues from the undead by Nicola Tedman and Sarah Skeate.  I can't wait to start the "uprising"!