Izzy objecting to our choice of Radio 2

Roz's favourite occupation

Emptying the kitchen cabinets while I cook.

What do you have there, che-che?

Lunch at Bill's Cafe, Mama's favourite new restaurant

They all want to be geeks

The grommets are coming

So we've set an appointment for Roz to have grommets put in her eardrums in November, although the nurse warned that a lot of holiday leave needs to be taken between now and then. The procedure may be moved in event of annual leave or emergency surgery required by someone else. I have some paper with some gory pictures I have to go read.

But it's a simple procedure, she'll be under anaesthetic for about 10 minutes, which is how long it will take to clear the wax and then make a little cut in the eardrum before inserting the grommet - a little pipe. If it happens in the morning she should be discharged by lunchtime and she'll be fine to go to nursery the following day.

I still can't really tell any difference with Roz's hearing, although I do not she is not speaking as much or as clearly as some of her peers. But I am also convinced quite a lot of this is down to her. She can mimic words when she wants to - a few nights ago it was 'thunk koo' when I said thank you. And she then said it several times more. But since then has just done the stare whenever I've asked her to say it.

The words she uses almost daily are: Bubble (as in 'I had a little turtle...'), duck - or 'duck-duck' - which she uses for any bird she sees and quite a lot of animals too, daddy ('deh-dee'), more ('mo'!'), bye, hi, hello ('hewwo'), po-po (ie by which she means not just carry me, which is what it is in Cantonese, but also give me a cuddle - used when she's upset), and uh-oh.

The last is of course her favourite. Used whenever she drops something accidentally on purpose on the floor. Spoons, tissues, her torn-off bib, cups half full of water, bowls of food she no longer wants. That quite joyful tone to the 'uh-oh' may be the only thing that stops me from spanking her whenever it's one of the more messy options.

Basically when she's in the mood and interested, she'll repeat a word a few times. Tonight it was door. But then ask her to repeat it and she won't.

A friend visiting a couple of nights ago noted that Roz didn't seem as smiley as Izzy. I concurred. So to show him what her smile is like - as she was busy glaring at his outstretched arms, inviting her to be carried - I said 'Roz, do you want some ice-cream?'

Any time you ask her this, she responds as follows:

Her eyes narrow and a satisfied smile slowly stretches itself across her face. She throws her head back and laughs in the manner of a Bond villain - slow, low chuckles. If you're carrying her, she'll arch backwards like a cat asking for a tummy rub, grinning all the while. And she'll keep grinning and follow whoever goes into the kitchen, to make sure they're taking out that tub of vanilla ice-cream. It's about the only food that never, ever finds its way onto her clothes.

Izzy meantime is busy counting down to her birthday. On the 1st of September the first thing she said to when I picked her up at nursery was 'Mummy! It's September one! That means my birthday is coming!' We still don't have a plan for her party - which worries me slightly - and since the first day ('That means there's ... eight more days to my birthday!') she's been counting down every day.

Now we have to work out what to buy her as well. I don't really want to get her any more pink plastic crap but that's what she tends to ask for. I was thinking of getting a jumbo box of playmais because she really quite likes cutting and sticking things together and although the playmais can be cut into quite small shards at least it's biodegradable and non-toxic so it won't matter if we bin the stuff or Roz eats it.

And Roz would be able to play with the stuff too. And yes although a jumbo box seems a bit much - not least because it costs a bomb - I'm wondering whether, as with the Hama beads, it's something that's just cheaper to buy in bulk than as separate little themed kits.

Something else she's asked for is a trampoline. But we don't really have space for this in the new house, not if we want to be able to use any part of the garden anyway. So, sadly, no trampoline.

I'm tempted to suggest we tell her the piano we'll buy when we finally move into our house will be part of it but I think she might be a bit underwhelmed. Maybe we'll just have to have another think when we finally get the keys to our house - which we should do tomorrow - and see if we can work some bedroom furniture into it.

That's not my snowman, he's covered in cheese

Argh consequence of leaving the mini menace unattended while I make my
breakfast.

'We are blackberry fairies!'

This afternoon's harvest

Minus a handful of peas, tomatoes and several blackberries that we
snacked on.

And so is Daddy

I can see the teen photo booth pix already

Pinkalicious

Strawberries

And cherries

And an angel's kiss in spring

My summer wine is really made from oh so many things

PYOs - satisfaction guaranteed

Face-painting at the Wokingham Food Fest

Food not so impressive but the bands and child entertainment were
pretty good.

A little weekend arts and crafts

Roz's Handiwork

My but she kicked up a fuss when stopped from painting Izzy's rocket.

Look here, Roz!

The really bad group on X-Factor

Today we are channelling Harajuku

First tomato of the year

I should have let it ripen for the weekend really but it was good. And
only a bit acid.

Yes, brush harder, before they all fall out!

The joy of travelling solo

More words

Kind of. Roz also says 'kai-kai' for going out, and just today: 'uh oh' when she dropped a pencil case she was trying to pass me. She tries to say susu but it tends to come out oo-oo and is usually more effectively communicated by her jabbing my chest fiercely with a forefinger.

Knicker thief

While I was washing Izzy in the bathroom tonight Roz crept in, picked
up Izzy's pants and pulled them on. When Izzy noticed and cried hey
Roz scrambled out of the room in the fastest little drunken waddle
I've seen, cackling uproariously, the pants only halfway up her legs.
Fortunately she didn't trip and later sat down to adjust them.

Izzy reciprocating with her own silliness

Rare moment of quiet

The pampered princess

Naming the wrong one Qin

Was listening to the BBC Proms on TV earlier tonight - it was a Sondheim special, it being his 80th birthday this year - and Roz was absolutely captivated by it. We've already clocked that she's much more interested in music and rhythm than Izzy was at the same age. She nods her head or rocks side to side to songs she likes, claps along or waves her hands, and, most noticeably, actually concentrates when music plays. Now that she can walk, she also loves holding on to someone's hands and dancing from foot to foot.

Izzy has grown to like music as she's gotten older and now does what I do - learns lyrics as soon as she likes a song - but, to my recollection anyway, was never as rapt to it as a baby. Typical, no, since we named her 'knowledge' and 'music'.

Anyway was most impressed with Roz and the music tonight - she paid a lot of attention to the first song we caught when we switched to the programme - Sunday in the Park with George - and clapped when it finished, but then she claps after almost any song and particularly when other people are clapping as well.

And she loved it when I sang along to Send in the Clowns, laughing after every line, and trying to put her fingers in my mouth when I whistled the tune. But then she continued to listen to every song and even when she finally started to fall asleep on a cushion on the floor, was turning her head to listen to the music to the last.

We're thinking of something funny

Something really funny

Really very funny

Tonight's vegetable selection for dinner

Still making up for a year of dairy allergy

She uses duck with meaning!

Hurrah! As we were watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse this horribly muggy evening, Roz pointed to the screen and said 'duh!' As the plot involved 12 rubber duckies and she accurately said 'duh' each time they appeared, I can now confidently say Roz can and does use the word 'duck' with meaning.

Alex was trying to tell me she did the other day, as he was showing her animal cards. But she refused to repeat the feat of saying 'duh' when shown the duck card and I thought that maybe she can mimic but isn't really taking the words in.

Well not any longer. She says duck. Or duh. Close enough. One more toward the 10-20 words by18 months, Mr ENT consultant! Woo hoo!

Happy birthday, Popo!

'Gud grrl'

Roz has finally made the link between words and communicating, I think. Now she quite frequently tries to copy particular things I say. Or maybe I've just started to make more effort to speak to her, now that the 10-20 words at 18 months milestone is looming.

Anyway her current favourite phrase is good girl, which she pronounces as above. In a particularly fine mood yesterday morning, when I asked, tapping her chest 'who's this?' she smilingly pointed to herself and said 'gud grrl'. Hah. Then at dinner time, having had her sippy cup taken away after the third time she poured her drink on the table to play with, and I narrowly caught her bowl before she sent it to the floor, she grabbed Izzy's cup and tipped it over.

Definitely a grrl anyway.

Also a toddler now

O yes before I forget Roz is definitely toddling now. She started off cruising and taking the odd steps - but NOT when anyone was looking. It's quite funny but the nursery staff said if she thought no one was looking, she'd try walking on her own. But if they saw and encouraged her she'd look all cross and sit down and refuse to do it. Then about three weeks ago one of the girls told me she'd done about 16 steps and actually turned around on her own halfway. Which was way impressive because with us she was still refusing to do more than three or four before falling into our arms.

But fast forward to now and she's quite able to get up on her feet reasonably quickly, pushing up on her hands, and I'm still trying not to have heart attacks when I see her let go of something she's holding amd launch off on her own. She's immensely happy about it. If one of us is holding her arms she sometimes launches forward really quickly, cackling with glee as she goes.

Always thinking ahead

Izzy is (in)famous among the nursery staff for her ability to plan ahead: she asks when they plan to do activities she likes, to ensure they aren't done on the day she's not in nursery. Today, having paid for our groceries, we were given a token with which we could 'vote' for which one of three charities the supermarket would contribute to. I explained to Izzy that she could choose between a charity which wanted to spruce up the village centre, the local under-seven football club, and a group that helped the sick and elderly. She thought for a second then asked 'Will you need help when you're old?'

'Um maybe,' I said.

Then while I got my breath back and was wondering whether to be touched she dropped her token into the village prettification slot.

Izzy's new teeth

Harvest time on the plot

Izzy helped dig up the potatoes and pull up the carrots.

This should provide three or four portions of veg

Lettuce, red amaranth, rainbow chard, pak choi, sorrel, peas, mange
tout, and red oak leaf.

I'm looking forward in particular to trying my sorrel

And red amaranth

Er and at some point we'll vacuum the house.

So fresh we have the snails to prove it

Adding insult to injury

He pooed. The bright, green poo of all my lettuce he'd been eating.

Mama's little helpers

Izzy pods, Roz helps herself.

Summer days are long and weekends full

O yeah you gotta love those kerchiefs

There's Morris dancing in the park

Village fair children's races

Dinners in pub gardens

Home-made pizzas for lunch

Lemonade ice-lollies

And paddling in the garden

School visit

Izzy went to her school for the first time today. And fortunately it ended well. When I went to pick her up from nursery she started going all clingy and weepy and on the way down she was crying 'I don't want to go, I'll miss nursery.' Even though I kept saying we were only visiting for a short while and that we would be back in nursery quickly.

Part of the reason she's so upset is that her key worker Tara, who is the last person who originally worked at the nursery at work, before they all moved to the new nursery, is leaving at the end of the month.

When another member of staff told me this on Monday, I realised that Izzy was listening intently and then when we got to the car she began crying saying she didn't want Tara to go.

I've just let her cry mainly, and explained she wants to leave so she can be closer to her friends and family who live in another part of the country (well that's what we were told anyway). But Izzy's taken it hard.

It's probably also a combination of all the changes coming up - school and the fact that we'll be moving house - that are unnerving her.

Fortunately although she was sitting on my lap and clinging to me in the school office, her teacher was really welcoming and came right down to her and said hello and I could see Izzy was won over from that point. Three other children, two boys and two girls, were visiting at the same time. And I was quite impressed by the fact that both parents came for each of the other children.

We then got shown around the class and the outside area and were told to make ourselves at home, basically.

Izzy saw a table with clipboards and decided she wanted to put some paper in and start drawing. Fortunately a boy wandered over and sat down and started drawing with her. He - Beau - was a total sweetie and I started talking to him, asking him his name and whether he liked school, and he happily chatted away about his picture and everything. And soon Izzy was chipping into the conversation as well, looking quite at ease.

So we sat there happily for about half an hour, chatting and drawing, and then he wandered off and the whole reception year lined up to go and visit next year's class teacher. Izzy was then asked to go and draw a postcard that her teacher would send her over summer. Unfortunately she'd had quite enough of drawing by now - she'd done about four outside - and just scribbled her name and scrawled on the card before declaiming she'd finished and went over to another table to play with some houses and cars.

Then they all sat on the floor and listened to a classroom assistant reading out a story. Izzy was a bit quiet at first but towards the end she was responding to questions and speaking up as well. So that was nice.

I have to say colleagues who've got children in this school were certainly right about the fact that the reception year is very good in terms of how they accustom the children to it. Next Friday one of the teaching assistants will be going to the nursery to observe Izzy and another child coming there. Then in summer they will send her a letter to say they're coming to visit.

Then the week before school her teacher is coming to visit us at home. And then the children apparently have staggered starts - in that they come for two to three hours at first, then the hours they attend get longer as they get more used to it. Great for the kids, nightmare if you're working.

So we're going to have to think about what we do with Izzy. The school does have an after-school club, so the club operators pick up the children from school and take them to either a nursery or some place near the swimming pool we go to, and they get to play there and usually have tea, until you pick them up.

I'm not sure I'm so keen on this so am mooting a 6am start to the day. Alex will just have to get involved and get them ready for school, so I can then pop back and pick them up and drop them off. Joy. Will have to see how it goes as we go along I suppose, sigh.

Sometimes life is a bowl of cherries

Izzy, Ziggy and Iggy enjoy the afternoon sun at the end of Ziggy'
birthday party.

Hmm interesting

Last night as the girls were going to bed I showed them a video of themselves taken thia weekend. As soon as the video started playing Roz smiled and began miming putting something in her tshirt and shaking it - ie what she did in this video we took of her on holiday more than month ago. She did it once more so then I showed her the video and she started laughing.

Wallace and grommets

TV continues to provide Izzy's moral compass. She was
Refusing to put on her pjs as we played on the bed and being a bit whiny so I began mocking her by copying what she said. "Mummy don't - you're Wallace," she said, referencing an episode of Humph on Nick Jr where said Wallace does indeed get his comeuppance for copying his friends. "Stop copying me, Wallace!"

Which I did. After telling her to put her pjs on only another four times.

Roz also had her latest ENT appointment yesterday and it's looking like we might be putting grommets into her ears - little pipes into the inner ear area - to help clear the congestion behind her eardrum.

Not so helpfully the clinic had misplaced the notes so the consultant said he would wait another two months to see if the congestion cleared on its own.

Asked how many words Roz is saying I thought of the following:

Mama
Mum-mum (for food, milk)
Papa, sometimes Daddy
Baba, referring to self
Che-che, for Izzy
Boo, as in peek-a-
Bye

That's a bit fewer than you expect as a kid normally has 10-20 at 18 months. So on one hand I worry a little but on the other she is a stubborn bub who nevw ever wants to do what you ask so...