Ann's Cross Stitch

Seeing that I've been deprived of proper sleep for 2 years now I allow myself to 'lie-in' for a few minutes each morning after Andy woke up (which is usually round about 7am). Now that Andy is bigger I just have to keep half an ear open for him while he usually spends those few minutes either hitting me with books shouting 'READ, READ!!!' or playing with Cindy in the lounge. This morning though I was only asked for milk and after giving it to him was left in peace (which should have looked very suspicious to me had I not been so tired and incapable of proper thought). At any rate while I thought my sweet boy was playing with Cindy in lounge he was actually...



and...



Need I say more.

We went to feed the ducks at the nearby duck pond yesterday and Andy thoroughly enjoyed it and of coarse after making us stay much longer than we intended, he screamed his little heart out when we had to leave. So this afternoon we needed to pop up to the shop and told Andy so, which he interpreted into 'duck pool' (as he calls it). He started jumping with excitement going to the kitchen to fetch the bread and smiling at us with such pure faith that we are taking him, that only the cruelest parents on earth could refuse setting out on an overcast, cold, windy afternoon to feed the ducks at the 'duck pool'.

Master Andrew van Blerk recently received a present in the post from Uncle Simon, Aunty Lisa and cousin Juliette in the UK. It was a delightful unexpected surprise for Andy cause when he realized the parcel daddy came home with after work was for him, he started doing his 'excited dance' which means bouncing around the lounge and squealing at the top of his voice then finally throughing himself full force onto the couch. After this ceremony he took the parcel from daddy and proceeded in opening it...





Pointing out the animals on the cute birthday card...



The present... (A cute turtle backpack with a little rain hat - which when on, makes an adorable turtle named Andy)







Thank you Simon, Lisa and Juliette.

A very appropriate saying on a gorgeous T-shirt from Gran. Andy was so excited when he got it that he wanted to put it on immediately...

Andy's uncle, Andrea, and aunt, Rachel's, names are too difficult for Andy to pronounce so he invented his own names for them. Here's...

Zi and...



Wowo...

We had a birthday party for Andy at Kids Heaven on the Saturday before his birthday. He had a cute party room and they had two hours to play on the playing equipment.







Here's the cake... (provided by Kids Heaven)



Andy listening to everyone singing to him (I think he only realized then that this whole party has something to do with him)...



A family photo...



He spent most of the two hours on the trampoline...



The ball pond...



A slide...



On his birthday we had a little party at home for his grand parents and great grand mother and some uncles and aunts. He had a wonderful time and got lots of beautiful presents. One of these is a sandpit from granny Celia which he loves. On rainy days he stands longingly at the sliding door looking out and asking for sand and on sunny days he spends most of the day playing in it.

I don't encourage having a untidy house but on those really rough days when housework and looking after a toddler gets a bit overwhelming, this poem shows what's important...

I TOOK HIS HAND AND FOLLOWED
Mrs. Roy L. Peifer

My dishes went unwashed today,
I didn't make the bed,
I took his hand and followed
Where his eager footsteps led.

Oh yes, we went adventuring,
My little son and I...
Exploring all the great outdoors
Beneath the summer sky

We waded in a crystal stream,
We wandered through a wood...
My kitchen wasn't swept today
But life was gay and good.

We found a cool, sun-dappled glade
And now my small son knows
How Mother Bunny hides her nest,
Where jack-in-the-pulpit grows.

We watched a robin feed her young,
We climbed a sunlit hill...
Saw cloud-sheep scamper through the sky,
We plucked a daffodil.

That my house was neglected,
That I didn't brush the stairs,
In twenty years, no one on earth
Will know, or even care.

But that I've helped my little boy
To noble manhood grow,
In twenty years, the whole wide world
May look and see and know.

I had the privilege of babysitting Aiden recently and Andy had lots of fun playing with him although Andy did remind Aiden several times that I belonged to him by hugging me close and saying 'mine'. It was real cute though and a good experience for Andy to learn to share (even if it means sharing mommy for a few hours) and be with someone younger than him as he's always been the youngest where ever he was.

Aiden loves dancing and was demonstrating one of his unique moves to us... he's very entertaining...



Very busy playing in the room...



Andy demonstrating how the little train works while Aiden relaxes and has his snack...

A few Saturday's ago we went with THE WORLD'S NO.1 GREATEST AUNT AND UNCLE to Stoddels to feed the animals and Andy had a wonderful time and the Llama made sure Daddy had a good time too... (Llama tickling Luke's hand with his tongue)



Feeding the goats...



Family photo with our fun-loving Llama friend in the background...

Andy was a bit too quite in his room so I went to go see what mischief was happening and discovered a barrel of smiley Lego...



Or rather exaggerated smiley lego...

I haven't blogged for a while so here's what we've been up to lately...

Peeking at the neighbours...


Wait, I've got to get a better look at this...


If only this wire wasn't here I could pull those feathers off and see how chewy that red comb is...


My new black board, let's see how white I can make it...


Morning homeschool hour...


My new jersey mommy knit for the winter and my charming smile for the camera...


Getting my daily Thomas dose before bedtime...


Mmmmm... I wonder what the neighbours are up to...

Andy just loves painting and did so this afternoon for the fourth time today. When I saw Cindy afterwards though I had my suspicions that more than the paper got painted.



The things best friends would endure are endless.

I went through the house at Andy's level and wiped all the walls but the worst was at the front door and his room. We left him unattended one night for less than one minute with a crayon (he was busy drawing on paper by the coffee table before bedtime) and we had a scribbled orange mural at the front door. The one wall in is room where his art table is also had scribbling and I tried everything to get it off but the cleaning products was no good. I tried the really expensive type and also the not so expensive but the only thing that worked was the cheapest, purest form of soap (ironically). So here's the wall in his room before we started...



Here's the award winning soap...



Here's mommy's faithfull little helper...



And here's the wall restored to it's former state of cleanliness...

Andy's Jack Russel puppy, Cindy, is his best friend and they do everything together but really, this is taking it a bit far. I was busy on the laptop in the lounge while Andy was having his bubble bath. I, of coarse, always leave the door open and keep a sharp ear out. All of a sudden I heard him giggling his head off, the same giggle he does when Cindy licks the back of his neck and tickles him. I ran to see what it was and found this...



Cindy had desided to join him in the bath! It was so funny for a moment I could do nothing but laugh then I ran for the camera and then took them both out the bath. Never a dull moment with a toddler and a pup.