Sometime back in the summer I found the cutest most adorable crochet pattern for some baby boots and filed away the idea as a christmas gift for my little great niece, nicknamed the Diva.
I squee-d to myself as the first pair came together, the cowgirl boots, complete with fringed tassel and sweated waiting for the gold buttons to arrive to complete the stirrup strap and spur pom-pom boots.
Squee away readers 🙂
After the success of the experimental expedition, the grand plan was hatched, we would go further for longer, and thus last Monday, Big Sis, her BFF and I loaded up the car with car seat, spider man back pack and the four-foot ninja and headed to the seaside. Our first intended destination the jolly children amusement park that we remembered from our youth [and it had not changed either].
Ninja dutifully holding BFF’s hand, or the arm of my wheelchair as we crossed the roads [always saying “Thank you Mr Car” and waving when cars stopped – too cute and lovely that drivers waved back] we headed past the amusement arcades, the ice-cream/candy stalls, the mini golf games to the hustle, bells and whistles of the bustling area beside one of the piers. Tokens were purchased and soon Ninja with BFF or Big Sis were whisked off on the snails, spooky roller coaster, pirate ship [he flew solo on that one], racing cars, spinning tops, and the story land – he also biffed the heads of a few minions.
Tummy was suggesting it was time for some lunch and feet were suggesting it was time for a sit down but not before a quick look on the beach and a simply-must sight …. the donkeys.
Troy was the mighty steeds name and for a first time rider the Ninja sat up-right and every now and then as they patiently waited he stroked Troy’s soft fur, remarking how soft he was. They did their walk down the beach and back, I think Troy was on auto pilot and not in anyway phased by the bravery of his novice rider.
After lunch a walk along the pier. I always, always, had a nervous tummy as a little one walking along piers, I think it is the gaps between the boards the sense that wood rots and gives way [thank you cowboy films] and I am sure when I was young the water was further up the pier and it roared more. One thing that has not changed when you get to the end is the howling gale! Low and behold a few more rides and Ninja was soon paddling this log along the canal and then onto the motor train.
Now I will remark that if his Dad and Granddad were with us, I would not remain dry, somehow when there is a water related activity and I am nowhere near it, i get wet – I am happy to report that that genetic trait has not been passed down.
What is the attraction of sticking your head through a hole, never got it myself.
We meandered along the prom, waving at the horse and carriages, having those important discussions that four year olds have [don’t ask I am still waiting for my language app to include Ninja]. Some 2p’s hastily inserted into machines but Captain American and Spiderman would not oblige and fall, hmph. Walking along further, noticing things and mooching looking in the occasional souvenir/toy shops, a dracula minion was seen and Big Sis fell in lub and as all Nan’s do used Ninja as an excuse to get *rolleyes*. When we took a five minute rest, Ninja taught Dracula and me the merits and rules of high five followed by some skin [I am only a beginner at puppetry but Ninja seemed convinced Dracula had it], while Big Sis got the ice-creams and BFF got her donuts. Time for one of those sneaky adult tricks, there were a couple of rubbish bins near by and rather than wait and take everything in one go, Ninja merrily trotted back and forth with each separate piece, haha, kept him busy and us seated.
Then he does something so irresistibly cute and sweet you cannot say no to the little rogue. As I said in a previous post the purpose of the day is for him to have some him time now that his little sister has arrived, so we were not talking about her and letting him lead the conversation. After sitting there looking across the broad pavement at a shop he gets his thinking expression on and in a sweet voice says “Can we get a dolly for Daisy”, bless him, he was thinking of his sister. Armed with my purse, Big Sis and Ninja went and looked at the cuddles and he decided which one she would like and carefully brought it back in its bag and made sure it was carefully put in the bag hanging from the back of my wheelchair. [Apparently when he got home it immediately came out the bag and she was show it]
At the far end of the promenade is the big amusement park, but these rides were bigger and faster. However there was the seaside favourite ‘hook a duck’, which he did and decided on a fishing game for his bath or paddling pool. BFF hooked one to and decided on the goldfish in a tank. Poor fishy he had a rather bumpy journey as we made our way back along the prom [beach side this time], I imagine he was glad of his water being still while Ninja had twenty minutes on the bouncy castles. I have no idea what he made of watching us eat KFC, and his view of the other 2p machines is anyones guess. He survived the car journey and is now safely ensconced in BFF’s kitchen.
After a little over eight hours of it, Ninja was slowing down and he was returned to the care and responsibility of his parents. I think his Dad missed him, as almost before Big Sis had turned off the engine he was there. I keep meaning to message his parents and find out whether he slept well that night. I know I did, but boy my hips and lower back did not like removing the next day.
All good fun as they say – rumour has it, to be repeated next year – oh crikey!
You know when you are lazing in the wee small hours with your mind hopping and popping about and then is pings on a bright idea that sounds absolutely so right you then mention it to someone else – I had one of those. I was thinking about the new addition and how tricky adjusting can be and exhausting for parents so I thought, what if Big Sis, her BFF and I take the four foot ninja out for a couple of hours, that gives him a treat and time that is just for him, it gives mum and dad a chance to sit still for five minutes, or take a nap and we get an outing. Big Sis gave it the thumbs up and thus it was organised, on Monday after meeting Miss Daisy, we would go down the local seafront for a 2p session, some lunch, a walk about and play on the beach.
Mummy packed the avengers backpack with the essentials and Daddy rigged the car seat into Nana’s car, we all bundled in and belted up and zoomed down to the prom – which was packed, where do all these people come from, how do they know that that is there, it is not exactly tourist hot spot. We parked and Ninja either holding the arm of my wheelchair or BFF’s hand we made our way to the amusements. He had hardly put his first few in before the machine was all bells and whistles and yards of tickets come spewing forth, between the three of them I was kept busy folding and counting tickets. Tummy rumbles suggested it was time to go eat and we made our way through the queuing crowds and found the cafe and a table. Orders were placed and the little ticket said our number was ’35’, bless Ninja kept telling the girlie bringing out the food “I’m 35”, when our number was called we called yes and he put his hand up. After we had eaten he said he needed a wee, hmm where are they “You go down there and round the corner, just there, I know” so off he trotted with BFF to the adjacent room at the cafe and sure enough round the corner were the toilets. He is all about that kid!
We had said to him that after lunch we would go for a little walk [there is a broad pedestrianised walkway] to help our lunch settle down in our tummies. Eagle eyes had spotted the minion bouncy castle on the beach and asked if we would be going there, which we would after lunch had settled as we did not want it coming back up again. As we walked along, below there is the boating pond where some people had radio controlled boats, one a fast speeding race boat. Next to this is a small paddling pool area. As it was the hottest day, and he had been slathered in suncream he did not take much persuading to take off his socks which he put inside his shoes and left for me to take care of.
Now we are all intelligent persons here and if you take one child and add some water you get …….
We had packed prepared 😀 He merrily wandered about, cooling off, trying to swim while laying on his tummy. Nana got splashed a couple of times *teehee* she didn’t mind, it soon dried. Time to return to Aunty who was in charge of shoes and bags, quick change [must remember with little boys the importance of making sure that the winky is straight and comfy in the pants, its an important job]. Reclothed and shoed we walked back down when Ninja said his lunch had gone down more now and were we going to the bouncy castle. He waited in line patiently and was let loose for the fifteen minute session on the various bouncing things and assorted play items.
The most hilarious item of the day was next, when they returned to where me and BFF were waiting, we adults were sitting on the hard slope that goes down to the sand and Ninja was playing in the sand when some ended up in his face and he [without panic or tears] said there was some in his eye, he walked to Nana and as we grabbed tissues, cardigan or something ready to blow and get the grain away he declared ‘Is okay, I’ll use you” and grabbed the hem of her flowing top and wiped his face. BFF and I were trying so hard not to laugh out loud we were snorting air!
We headed back to the amusements to get rid of the last remaining 2p’s and feed our tickets into the counting machine, we were just a few shy of 1000 [they were very generous with their tickets]. He saw a minion but they needed more and the purple minion was at 1000 but the kind lady let us off those few – grand prize for the day and large [15inches tall] cuddly toy.
As we got back to the car there was a fairly large ship sailing into the harbour and he watched that while we left the doors open and aired the car, and got me in. After we were strapped in and the engine started, in a sweet voice Ninja asked “Nana, can you take me home now?”, which is where we were heading and he followed that up with ‘I’ve had a lovely day” [awe, brings a lump to the throat].
He was returned to the care of his parents a mere four hours since we had remove him, lol. What pleasant relaxing thing did daddy do? He had a shave! Later reports said that he was full of chatter and fast asleep by 9pm. Mission accomplished.
It was not until later that is occurred to us that during the four hours with temptation and delights everywhere, there were no tantrums, he never ran off [he asked to run up the slope], he never created when we said we were leaving somewhere, he was not fidgety waiting at the cafe, he never asked or badgered for the shop or an ice cream. He was a very well behaved little boy.
Rumour has it we are going to do it again in a couple of weeks, heading into town, to the children’s fun park … oh my ….
When it was discovered that the slow growing bun was likely to be a girl I began the frantic thinking of what to make to celebrate her arrival. For the four foot ninja I cross stitched a Winnit The Pooh and friends ABC, I began trying to find something similar with numbers, I found one but it was out of stock, I contacted the manufacturer but it was a discontinued item. Poop. Next the bright idea of designing on myself, I found a couple of kits with the Disney characters but could not get the numbers to look ‘right’. I needed another brain wave.
Listening in on a conversation I overheard comments about baby girls in headbands and pink dresses. An idea formed and I scuttled to my source of all things “Google”. The array of patterns, styles and dainty daintiest all raising more and more awes anc squeals of delight. When a pattern was found for the little post toe flip flops, the project was settled.
Keeping it a secret from everyone was the hardest thing ever over the past few months, but finally with Daisy Marie’s safe arrival they were washed, dried, wrapped, boxed and presented to the parents.
Photos have been promised – I’ll keep you posted.
I’m a Great Aunt [again] .. well I’m an abso-blooming-lutely fantastic one we all know that! Let’s do this right and proper like.
“Her amazing greatness my Niece [in-law] has been safely delivered of a baby girl”
Daisy Marie made her arrival in the early hours yesterday to become little sister to the four foot ninja. This evens up the ratio a little, although as I have often joked, by the time she is fourteen with her fake nails and hair extensions, looking stunningly beautiful she will be able to strip an engine and discuss the merits of torque, in short a girly girl petrol head – and quite probably the boss.
Super big congrats to Nephew, Niece, four-foot ninja, [and Rizzi the cat] … let the pandemonium begin!
As I said before, Tuesday was hair cutting day, my nephew’s wife [always call her my niece, coz that is what she is, family] is an awesome hair stylist and so they all bundle round for KFC, a catch up, she harvests my hair and the boys vacuum up.
Ever since great-nephew was a two-foot terrorist he has been able to get my Henry Hoover out, plug it in, switch it on and [with minimal assistance] suck up some hair. Well things have moved on, well in truth he was just shot up, and up. We are still a month away from his fourth birthday but he is now lovingly promoted from two-foot terrorist to four-foot ninja. He is far too smart, far too clever and remembers everything immediately – the classic toddler – lethal and totally adorable.
So he bounds in, off comes the coat, shoes and sunglasses [we are a seriously cool dude]. He spies the array of small cuddlies, he selects one and brings it to me asking “Get this from 2p’s?” [I reply yes], he selects a second one “Get this from 2p’s?” [again I reply yes], he goes back for a third and fourth and fifth, each time asking the question with the same inflection “Get this from 2p’s?” and i feel my reply becoming more and more embarrassed and timid, a cross between an intervention and being caught out. But in my defence, M’Lud, these are the result of close to ten 2p visits over the last couple of years. His parents just beamed a smile.
Wanting to distract him from this hilarity, I asked him a question “Is that yellow one a Moshi Monster?” … to which he quickly and calmly responded “Yes, it says it here” and pointed to the laundry tag which has the name logo on it. There was a definite undertone of ‘you should know that, Aunty’.
But the best was when he sat leaning against me as we waited for his Dad to come back with the Kfc, when out of the blue the following conversation happened.
Ninja :: I’m a little boy
Me :: Yes, I know. You are a little boy
Ninja :: I am a little boy cuz I stand up when I do have a wee
[Myself and Mum are trying not to burst out laughing, because he is utterly serious]
Me :: Oh right.
Ninja :: Yes, I do stand up
Conversation over.
That is one for the memory box, along with when he instructed his Nana as she was driving along a country lane that had a sharp bend in it “No Nana, don’t drive in the bushes, drive on the road” complete with aeroplane batman style arm signals, just to emphasis the point.
Oh boy are we in for some fun when he start school in September!!
How was it for you guys? Our Christmas will go down as a rather good one. It began on the Eve at around 5.20pm when like prize chumps we were jumping about the patio getting all excited at a light travelling across the skies – it was the International Space Station and we quickly phoned Nephew to show Great-Nephew that “Santa is on his way”. We broke out the party nibbles and invibed a toast and got all snuggled and festive.
The big day itself was quiet, we started with egg on doorstep toast for brekkie, accompanied by some bucks fizz and the morning service on BBC radio 4 from Portsmouth Cathedral. We ‘face-timed’ with the little one who was donned in his pirate costume and playing Hungry Frog with Mummy and Daddy all excited to tell us that Santa had posted his magic key back through the door for next year. Oh the joy of white lies that the innocents revel in. tradition was smashed as we opened our gifts before the Queen’s Speech [apologies ma’am]. We opted for a later lunch and settled down to a roast pork with the most excellent gravy ever! In the afternoon a family friend popped in for tea and nibbles. Before long it was supper time and to enjoy some festive telly.
Santa has a weird sense of humour, he brought what was on my first christmas list …. photos of a several £5 notes, a few £10 notes and a couple of £20 – I will have to be more specific next year. He also got me some new tea towels, eight of them.
Boxing Day was when Nephew, Niece and Great Nephew descended for round two. Bless him for a 3 1/5 year old he is good, he showed us his new angry bird bottoms and minion teeshirts santa left at Nana’s house, he played with his new train pieces and buckaroo. The giggles as the three men [granddad, dad and child] played with the racing car track, plenty of thrills and spins, a spot of Hamilton v Rosberg was going on, not sure who won. We were sang to and entertained a plenty.
The day after Boxing Day my Sister’s best friend comes round and more jollity ensues, as well as good eats.
Back home now, and the service here is lousy, it is “serve yourself”, the food is not a patch in comparison and the bed in lumpy!!
Dec’s come down tomorrow 😀
With one thing and another it has been a busy sort of week or so – last weekend there was a wedding.
The weather was gorgeous, nice and sunny, not too breezy to blow hats, skirts and sculptured hair [not mine] and not so hot as to make the collection of pre-schoolers tetchy and irritable. My Nephew and Great-Nephew looked super smart in their suits, and GN kept his cream waist coat clean the whole day, which is a miracle for a three year old. Standing side by side, mannerisms mimicked by the mini one looked so adorable cute and grown up! Nephew’s wife [always call her my Niece] made a beautiful bridesmaid for her Sister, the colour of the dress suited her complexion.
As with these kinds of events it is hurry up and wait, the bride looked beautiful and it was lovely to see people putting in the proper effort for the couple. I detest people turning up to these things in jeans, I don’t care if they are bargain designer, a jean is still a jean, it is outdoor work wear or weekend loungy wear, it is not wedding attire. The after do was informal and fun with the kiddos providing enough entertainment, GN came charging through as the opening strain of gangnam style began – he’s got the moves and listens for his cue and the beat. His ‘wiggle-wiggle-wiggle’ is just too tooooo toooooooo adorable.
Monday was our usual sift and sort day or getting errands and jobs done, a brain exercise day of who did what, where, funds for this, directions for that, phone calls and such. Wednesday Big Sis, her BFF and I went to the Royal Norfolk Show, arriving just about 9.15am and leaving just before 4pm. A long day of meandering, people watching, oooing at the lovely dogs there, being nibbled by a sheep [why do they like to try and eat my wheelchair!]. We always like to watch the heavy horses in harness in the Grand Ring, seeing the 3 or 4 in hand, complete with brasses and ribbons, they look so handsome. The Black Percheron’s won this year and they did look stunning in the dappled sunlight, the Shires came second and third.
Spending a day out and about really does drain me of all energy and I end up needing a day or two to recover, and with the heavy oppressive air that we’ve had with the sunny warm days – I have struggled to maintain a level of awakeness.
Across the weekend I lazed and mooched and nibbled on the pork crackling purchased at the show.
Off to the dogs tonight, last minute thing.
Even if I do say so myself, I do have a damn fine looking family 😀
There is nothing like the impending visit by the not-so-tiny terrorist [aka great-nephew] to make you get on and do all those smaller jobs that have been let slide.
He whirls in, deposits his toys, plays his swanny whistle and pan pipes, bounces from chair to chair, tiny fingers creep towards new fluffy and oops it fell off all by itself even though it has sat there quietly for over a month. I need an app to translate the musings and generally you find yourself envious and exhausted by his energy.
You laugh at his “Yes, Daddy go get dinner”, he dives in his bag and gets his cutlery and is ready before Daddy has got as far as the car [KFC], his casual mention “Monster in there” [my dark bedroom], his excited “I did it” and as he is leaving “Bye, see you morrow again”.
His Mum is an awesome hair stylist so I have been lopped, cropped and put into order. Tinker tot loves it because he goes and gets out my hoover [it’s a Henry] and before she has dampened me down he is there ready to suck up everything that drops [plugged in properly, hose at the ready, seeking on button]!
He’s all about, that kid!
Just noticed, the difference between a treat and a threat is just one letter 
I shall treat myself to some tennis and crochet this afternoon … oh hang on there is some hand sewing that needs attention, maybe that instead … but there is left over KFC for lunch, yumyum.
Just had one of those silly, sweet, milestone moments – that make your heart melt and turns your brain to mush and all you can utter is “Awe”.
The phone trilled into life and the caller ID declared it to be my sister’s number – oww-err is this the twenty minute warning that I am about to be invaded by Nephew and his sidekick the two-foot terrorist, aka great-nephew [2 1/2 going on 5]?
No, for a little moment there was the sound of a light breath and then a crystal clear confidant child’s voice proudly states “Hello aunty”
Stop me, I’m welling up!!! “Hello Tyler. Are you out playing?” I ask, it is always tricky trying to ask a question that a) the child can answer and b) you can understand their answer.
“No, no playin. At Nana Soggar’s House” His first utterances when trying to pronounce ‘sausages’ came out soggars, and as breakfast at Nana’s house is sausages they have been christened “Soggars”. So sweet, this little voice making conversation, the image in my head.
I could hear Nana prompting in a whisper mentioning lunch
“Dinner? No dinner. Had getti” deduction and listening to the whisper meant that for lunch Spaghetti had been consumed
“And graps” he is a lover of fruit, so a dozen grapes had been devoured, probably joined by a banana and some raisins.
After a short while the phone was handed to Nana and she went through why she had called and then when it came time to aue revoir, the innocent voice declared “Buyee Aunty, luvu”.
Awe, bless!
Just Me, Nobody Special 