The Sweet Smell of Success

subtitled "diary of a nag".

George has had his eye on my perfume for some time. The tell tale signs have been questions such as "Can I hold your perfume bottle?" and "Please can I have some of your perfume?".

He finally snapped this week and advised me "Some people in this house have two bottles of perfume and some people have none. It's nice to share you know mum."

I found an old bottle of "Bugs Bunny" childrens perfume at the back of a drawer and handed it over. If I just say that we won't be needing any air freshener for some time to come, then you will probably have a fair impression of what it is like living here just now!

Questions, questions

This morning before 9am George asked me the following questions. If zero is before number one then why do we say twenty and not twenty zero, why I wanted children, why is people's wee all different colours and if God made the outside of the Earth, who made the inside.

Luckily at 9am my friend came and took him off my hands for a few hours. By the time he came home, his parcel of Kinder egg jellyfish had arrived from ebay (the sealife obsession is alive and well), and he has played jellyfish games all afternoon.

A Grand Day Out

George and I had a day out today at the Liverpool maritime Museum, with some friends. Although my friend's daughter E is a good deal older than George, he is always keen to see her, and once we were home he told me that he'd had one of his best days ever.

Trying to look at museum exhibits with George in tow is still interesting to say the least, but hopefully everyone enjoyed the day. This is George posing...

and this is George, lover of all things mermaid related, in the children's corner

George's other friend E who used to be his pre-school teacher had tea with us and some other friends last night. She has offered to look after George for a few hours tomorrow morning and take him out whilst I tidy up. I have jumped at the offer as living with George just now is like living with the speaking clock, but being unable to hang up. Luckily his daddy is home on Monday to share being talked to!

Return of the sock

I searched high and low for the missing sock last night. I needn't have bothered.

George has milk and cookies every morning downstairs while I get dressed. This morning when I came downstairs for the second time, George was sitting on the sofa with both of his feet in the one missing sock.

Sock puzzles

Where do children's socks go to? We have one tidy sitting room with very little in it, and one sitting room that looks like a bomb has hit which has George's toys in it.

This evening George was watching tv in the tidiest room on his own. He wandered in to see me in the messy room, with his feet already bare, complaining that his feet were cold. I have just been to look for his socks, and can only find one.

Two weeks ago we lost a pair of George's socks in the same room. I still haven't found them. Maybe George is right and there really is a sock monster...

A Funny Old Week

It's been a funny old week with one thing and another. George and I have both felt a bit sad, so we haven't been up to much. George's pre-school teacher was sacked from his nursery last week (yes I do know the full story, and no, she didn't deserve it), and it's upset both of us.

George has been slightly more rebellious than usual - understandable I reckon, and I haven't felt like taking him far in that kind of mood.

On Friday we visited Kidz Aloud again. George met a friend from nursery there. His friends mum was also pleased that her daughter had found a friend, and we ended up staying for four hours!

On Saturday we went to a birthday party. I can really see the diference in George now he's getting older and more confident. Six months ago he would have just clung to my leg whinging, but this time he joined in and had a really good time.

It's been a very mixed experience time for us - like I said, a funny old week.

Fast food and slow walks

Fast Food
Today we went to Burger King, as we do now and then. I believe in teaching small people to eat in company and how to behave themselves whilst doing so. George the non-eater usually just has chips and ketchup.

Today he asked for chicken nuggets and ate them . I was shocked, amazed, and pleased. Although it is not the sort of food that I would prefer him to eat, it proves that he is starting to try new foods. He has never eaten meat before whilst with me, although his nursery have reported him eating chicken twice.

Slow Walks
This evening at 6:30 pm he announced the he NEEDED to go for an evening walk. Never being one to refuse any reasonable request, I put his socks back on, encased him in wellie boots, a cardigan, a scarf, his hat and his coat, and we set off.

We did two circuits "round the block" which is about 10 minutes each circuit. We inspected the building site at one end and George was very excited to be out at night and equally pleased to see the moon.

We did the second circuit singing "If you're happy and you know it", but making up our own verses such as "If you're happy and you know it squidge your George" and "If you're happy and you know it walk along". He went straight to bed when we arrived home (after brushing his teeth), so the fresh sea air must have done him some good. I have to admit that I enjoyed it too. With his daddy away I don't go far in the evenings and it was good to stretch my legs and have some fun with George.

Incidentally, he has more than made up for his lack of food intake yesterday. He had cornflakes for breakfast, nuggets and chips for lunch, and cheesy mash and beans for dinner. In between he has had one home made fairy cake, 2 pieces of shortbread, a kit kat and probably at least a pint and a half of milk. The sniffing has stopped. Coincidence? I think not!

A cold

George has a cold and a runny nose. Sadly, despite a lot of effort on my part he still doesn't understand how to blow his nose. He has sniffed roughly every 30 seconds today. He hasn't wanted much to eat either. I assume this is related to the sniffing - well it must be going somewhere.

I hope he's better soon. Apart from being a bit grumpier than usual, and the sniffing, there isn't much to show that he's ill. let's hope it stays that way.

Mr Caring

Last week George's friend B was too poorly to come and play. I know that B was back in nursery this week as I met her mum on Monday. Today I asked George if B was feeling better.

"I didn't ask her, but her nose isn't red any more mummy" was the reply. Now I know 4 year olds aren't renowned for their sympathy or empathy, but still. When George had flu just before Christmas (proper can't get off the sofa, fetch me carry me manflu), I was expected to dispense sympathy on a very regular basis. It's obviously a one way street.

Bullseye

I was getting in the bath tonight when I suddenly felt a blast of icy water where there shouldn't have been any. A triumphant voice announced "I shooted you in the bottom mummy". He certainly did! George was given his water pistol in a party bag about 18 months ago, but he is careful with his toys, so even though it is small and made of plastic, it has survived intact. He has obviously been practising with it as I can't fault his aim.

When he asks for one of those super soaker water thingies, I'm leaving home!

Pedal Power!

George has owned a little tricycle since he was two years old. The art of pedalling it has defeated him completely. On Saturday, we gave up flogging the proverbial dead horse, packed the trike in the car to pass on to my friend's grandson, and bought him a new bike from Argos.

It's this one in the picture. I thought that having his weight above the pedals may help him finally realise what was supposed to be happening. Tonight, at the grand age of 4 years and 3 months, George finally pedalled his bike across the kitchen. He was so delighted and excited that he was jumping up and down on the spot afterwards. Yay for George the cyclist.