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| So not sleepy |
So what are our options? She seems to be fitted with duracell batteries. No need to recharge. Lock her in her room, so she can't escape? Calpol her into collapse? Let her stay up till we go to bed so we get no time alone, and she doesn't get enough sleep, and is irritable all day.
I've been testing the theory of tiring her out in some way each day. We swim, go to the library, baby group, wiggle time, indoor climbing frame, and occasionally the park if it's not too cold, so above minus 10. The problem with this is the preparation. Even if I finally get her to sleep, and prepare the night before, she has to inspect the bag, taking everything out; declaring it's the wrong swimming nappy (since watching Finding Nemo, Tigger just doesn't cut it), wanting a different towel, wandering off with her arm bands. Then whichever coat I have selected is dismissed and a tantrum thrown over choice of footwear.
I've tried the usual tactics of restricting her choices, while giving her autonomy, "Which shoe would you like to put on first?" But it just doesn't cut it. She knows the wellies are somewhere else. And her current response to an either/or question is 'yes', which drives me nuts.
If we do manage to get to our destination, she enjoys the activity so much she doesn't want to leave, even if they are switching the lights off. Then there's the inevitable battle of the coat and gloves whilst avoiding a full scale lying down tantrum in the muddy puddle of any entrance hall.
From this I may get her to nap on the way home in the buggy, and with ninja-like stealth transfer her to her bed (fully suited and booted), only to have to sweep the floor, do the washing up (dishwasher packed in), and sort through the washing and drying (the industrial monsters are efficient, if you don't mind the static). So blogging gets done in 5 minute blasts here and there.
The thing I seem to forget is that everything is new for Charlie. She carried a block of ice home two days ago, and wanted to keep it. We let her have a bowl to watch it melt, and tried to explain, but the next day she just wanted more; there's plenty outside, she seemed to say.
Cooking is another way to entertain her although the clear up post seiving and mixing is a serious undertaking. We made boiled egg sandwiches for lunch one day. She peeled the shell and helped mix it all together, amazed by the yolk in the middle. She's had eggs before, but doing it herself, despite the mess, seems to have taught her something new.
In one of her many bathroom visits (personal space means nothing to her) she stroked my leg and said I had a hedgehog. I hadn't shaved for a while, so assumed it was a metaphorical reference, and agreed I was a bit spiky. She disagreed, and said I wasn't spiceky (not to be confused with spiceky food) but had lots of hedgehogs, and pointed to my moles. Yesterday she put her knowledge of moles to good use pointing them out while changing after swimming. I showed her the giant freckle on my hip and large mole on my back, only to be loudly corrected that they were an 'ouch' on my side and I have boobies on my back.
I don't think it matters what we do or how tired she is, Charlie just wants to be up exploring the world and doing what we do. Maybe she'll write the next blog...
I've been testing the theory of tiring her out in some way each day. We swim, go to the library, baby group, wiggle time, indoor climbing frame, and occasionally the park if it's not too cold, so above minus 10. The problem with this is the preparation. Even if I finally get her to sleep, and prepare the night before, she has to inspect the bag, taking everything out; declaring it's the wrong swimming nappy (since watching Finding Nemo, Tigger just doesn't cut it), wanting a different towel, wandering off with her arm bands. Then whichever coat I have selected is dismissed and a tantrum thrown over choice of footwear.
I've tried the usual tactics of restricting her choices, while giving her autonomy, "Which shoe would you like to put on first?" But it just doesn't cut it. She knows the wellies are somewhere else. And her current response to an either/or question is 'yes', which drives me nuts.
If we do manage to get to our destination, she enjoys the activity so much she doesn't want to leave, even if they are switching the lights off. Then there's the inevitable battle of the coat and gloves whilst avoiding a full scale lying down tantrum in the muddy puddle of any entrance hall.
From this I may get her to nap on the way home in the buggy, and with ninja-like stealth transfer her to her bed (fully suited and booted), only to have to sweep the floor, do the washing up (dishwasher packed in), and sort through the washing and drying (the industrial monsters are efficient, if you don't mind the static). So blogging gets done in 5 minute blasts here and there.
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| Discovery of egg yolk inside of egg! |
Cooking is another way to entertain her although the clear up post seiving and mixing is a serious undertaking. We made boiled egg sandwiches for lunch one day. She peeled the shell and helped mix it all together, amazed by the yolk in the middle. She's had eggs before, but doing it herself, despite the mess, seems to have taught her something new.
In one of her many bathroom visits (personal space means nothing to her) she stroked my leg and said I had a hedgehog. I hadn't shaved for a while, so assumed it was a metaphorical reference, and agreed I was a bit spiky. She disagreed, and said I wasn't spiceky (not to be confused with spiceky food) but had lots of hedgehogs, and pointed to my moles. Yesterday she put her knowledge of moles to good use pointing them out while changing after swimming. I showed her the giant freckle on my hip and large mole on my back, only to be loudly corrected that they were an 'ouch' on my side and I have boobies on my back.
I don't think it matters what we do or how tired she is, Charlie just wants to be up exploring the world and doing what we do. Maybe she'll write the next blog...
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