What marvellous fun

is a bucket of sponges.

I cut out some sponge stamps for Widget about a week ago, but today was the first time we got organised to use them. She had a great time stamping them onto big sheets of butcher's paper while Midget pottered around outside.

When we were cleaning up Widget helped me rub the paint out of the sponges under the tap and I was throwing them into a bucket with a bit of water while Midget sat underneath us. She had the best time! Squeezing them above her head and getting the water on her face, sucking on them (cough, choke, splutter), hitting them on things, leaning on them and watching the water shoot out.

You want a really easy way to entertain a 10 month old baby?

Bad Mummy! Stop laughing!

It was bad but so, so funny at playgroup today. Widget tried to climb through a wooden chair between the back and seat and got stuck. It was one of those old school type ones with a metal frame and really thick wood. I tried to get her to go forwards and she couldn't get her bum through, then I got her to go back and her head was too big. Even twisting it around she couldn't get it back through.

At that poing Midget got all worried and started crying, and some other parents noticed what was going on. Another Mum took her and I was about to break the back off the seat when a Dad suggested getting her to stand up. So poor little girl stood there while this Dad and I held the chair and worked it down. It was getting caught on her overalls so I had to undress her as we were going and she got a bit of a scrape on her back.

After Midget was crying and trying to hug her, and I ended up having to cuddle both of them in my lap. Poor little thing, but I just couldn't help laughing. So then we all traded stories of how we've managed to injure our children, falling off beds and dropping them, and felt better because we've all done it.

So what's the point

of caffiene free diet coke?

There's no sugar, no caffiene, how on earth is that supposed to keep me going?

Through the baby monitor

While DH is playing with the girls on our bed:

Widget: Hey!!
DH: I'm trying to turn you off.
Widget: There's no button on me!

De-cluttering

I feel a bit like I'm in a self-help book, you know something trendy that talks about simplifying your life. But we are finally doing it.

The house was getting ridiculous - we met in the country, so we both had a full set of house things. It's hard to get rid of things in the country - they're too good to throw out but there isn't anyone to pass them on to or anything like the Good Sammies. Then we emptied the Darwin house and brought it back here. I've lost a lot of weight and my clothes were too big, and throw in the fact that I'm a hoarder, and have all these grand plans that I haven't got around to finishing yet.

When we got back I did my clothes. Two big plastic tubs of mostly maternity clothes to take down to playgroup and then go to the op shop. Then last weekend we did Widget's room. Emptied the big cupboard, threw out all the fitted sheets that had lost their elastic or were getting a bit sheer, neatly folded everthing and put toys on the bottom shelves she can reach. It's a bit sad to fold up all the tiny baby clothes, but there are people to pass them on to.

This weekend DH did the bathroom. And next week we're having a garage sale.

The really interesting thing is that since we got home we've been eating dinner at the table every night because it's finally been clear enough. And we've barely turned the television on at all. So starting anew and cleaning up has had a big effect on how we're living.

The Electrician is here

And Widget's having the best day! She's his little shadow, shining a torch at him (whether he wants it or not) running out to give us updates, looking after his tools and keeping Midget away.

And now Midget has actually gone to sleep and I've put her down!!!! That hasn't happened in a couple of months.

Half an hour off

I got half an hour without the kids yesterday, and seeing there is so much to do here I wandered around the supermarket. It was actually quite interesting (that's pathetic, isn't it) to look rather than search for things quickly while keeping the toddler occupied. So I bought:

- Coloured mini patty pans. Great for making flowers, snowflakes, collages, you can even use them in cooking.

- Water bombs. It's pretty hot here!

- Balloons. An absolute favourite. I never used to be able to tie balloons, look at the new skills you learn as a parent. It makes my skin crawl the way Midget grabs them and digs her fingernails right in, but it doesn't seem to bother her when they explode.

- Icing pens. Tubes of icing you can use to draw on biscuits and cakes. We make biscuits at least once a week, Widget is going to love them.

- Sponges. For cutting into shapes to use for stamping paint.

- Hydrogen peroxide. For neutralising bleach when I use it to reverse tie dye fabric. Although having had a closer look at the bleach I think it already contains it, I think American bleach must be different.

And that was my exciting break without the kids.

My poor little baby.

So Midget has cut her first tooth. That isn't the problem, both the girls have been good teethers. A grizzly day or two, then oh look, there's a tooth.

The problem is that she seems to have christened it.

I moved their little paddling pool onto the driveway where there is rough concrete so it would be in the shade. I don't know whether she was bouncing up and down, or if her feet slipped out, or if the edge bent down, but suddenly poor little Midget tipped over and landed on her face.

I dove over there and grabbed her, but of course she was wet and wriggling around and I almost dropped her again, luckily I didn't. It looks like as she fell she scraped her chin and mouth along the rough concrete and the inside of her lip is all cut, but she might have put the new tooth into it - we weren't interested in checking too closely.

I carried her inside while Widget announced to DH that she had blood all over her "And it wasn't me! It was an accident!"

It got better.

After she was cleaned up I got some ice for her. I was holding a block to her lip when she sucked it in and it went right into her throat. There was no gagging, this was the real silent choking. By the time I had shifted her around in my arms to help tip her the ice came flying out, which is about when I felt like panicking.

Dinner was interesting, spoons were not good so she ended up having frozen yoghurt which she loves. After that she seemed to have completely forgotten it. And she had no problems latching on for her bedtime feed.

I have a whole series of photos of Widget with a big bruise on her cheek from when she started standing, I can see that these will join them as "Mummy blackmail material."