October Stay-cation

At one point we thought we might go away over this break, but then we realised that we had enough to keep us busy with here. And we sure did!  We have managed to get out and do something every day which is pretty cool (and has got us back into the swing of 'doing things' - I hope we keep it up before the weather really turns on us).  We also have been getting though our 'to do' jobs list around the house which is quite satisfying.

We had a bonus day of holiday at the start when Scotty had inset on Friday but Leila was home.  Granny was still here visiting and so we headed into town to go to the Peasant Museum and visit their market there.  We ended up buying various little things from the stalls and snacking on some cheese sticks from the bakery there (they hadn't yet made the chocolate donuts which was a shame).  We had a bit of a nightmare trying to get a cab home from Piata Victoriai but made it in the end and managed a bite of lunch and a long nap.

Saturday and we headed off to Obor Market for a browse (and to buy a hat for Gramps).  To add to the adventure we took the car!  The journey there was straightforward enough (apart from the terrible roadworks along the Pipera-Tunari road) and we parked in the underground parking.  Scott stayed with E asleep in the car (Scotty stayed awake this time!) whilst we went off to start shopping.  The first thing we found were the pumpkins in the food hall - yey!!! Outside we discovered that there was a Havest Festival of music and dance taking place too.  We wandered around for about an hour and bought various things - the kids were happy enough as they had covrig to eat.  Again it was really nice to get out and do something even though we didn't necessarily _need_ to go.  The journey home though was terrible!  We had factored in enough time to get home for lunch and we made it all the way to the Pipera Metro, but then the traffic was at a standstill for 20 minutes!  The only time the car moved was when a car ahead turned round and abandoned the road - we decided to join them as there was no indication of what the hold up was.  Our self-designed diversion resulted in us approaching the Pipera-Tunari from a different route which was again blocked so we turned around straight away and headed across town to get home.  It took us an hour to get home. Crazy

Sunday and we woke up slightly confused as we had forgotten that the clocks had changed overnight.  This meant that Edward actually work at 4am so I decided to give him a morning nap in the sling whilst Daddy and Leila had a treat - chocolate cookie in a coffee shop!

Monday and we get cracking on our 'jobs' as we head to Baneasa to visit Ikea and Brico.  Scott manages to get the rope lighting around the swing (a job that took far longer than he first thought!) and start preparing the build the sound booth upstairs.

Tuesday and another job to tick off the list - I need to submit my CNP application after a failed attempt last week (needed another document translated).  Scott and Leila dropped Edward and I off at the office whilst they went to Promenada for another coffee shop treat.



My visit was once again thwarted (the wrong office hours and needing more photocopies), but I decided to get my paperwork in order whilst E had a power nap and then just sit it out.  Finally I got my application submitted and we managed to coordinate a pick-up to all head home together for lunch and nap.

Wednesday and we are back at Baneasa again but this time we split forces with Scott heading to Brico for more supplies whilst the kiddies and I do Carrefour and a coffee.  We then meet up for a spot of bowling!  This is the first time we have taken Leila bowling and it was a lot of fun.  She really enjoyed herself (possibly because she won both games - we were both a little rusty....)

Thursday we spend the morning around the house as I try and do Halloween crafts with the kids and Scott tries to finish the sound booth upstairs.  After naps we jump in the car and head to Herestrau - but not the Herestrau we know!  We go to a new, different part that apparently has a funfair and ferris wheel. And indeed it does!  Leila shouts "Ferris wheel!" when we see it and we are totally bemused as to how she knows this (Dora).  We have a lovely ride and it's a nice view from the top of all the autumn trees - we promise ourselves that we will go again in the snow.  We do a few more rides but the kids are then easily distracted by the park play equipment next door (where we bump into another mum we know).



It's a late drive home but the kids have a little tea then head to bed and we treat ourselves to getting a pizza in and watching Dr Who.

Friday and we're in the swing of things so head to the Natural History Museum (before going out Scott manages to carve Leila's pumpkin).  This is the first time we have taken Leila to a museum and we have a great time there together.



It helped that it was quiet and so we could go at our own pace (pretty fast) and be ourselves (shrieking with excitement when we recognise an animal). Leila later told us that her favourite bit was seeing a swordfish (she has one on her wall).  We also enjoyed talking about the skeleton animals from Funny Bones, spotting lions, snakes and elephants (and having Edward make the sound effects for us), and the dinosaur attack video screen.  Another cab nightmare getting home after having lunch at Springtime (a new restaurant for us, but the Romanian equivalent of Arzak, so pretty cool and great portion sizes). 

Granny!

Granny came to visit for Leila's birthday week (although it was slightly shorter than a week due to one thing and another) and we were all very excited!  Leila especially, as it helped her count down to her birthday!

Leila went to school on both Wednesday and Thursday whilst Granny stayed with me and Edward (Wednesday just playing at home, but Thursday going to Tick Tock).  I was a little worried that Leila would want to stay home and be with Granny, but we made sure that she was actually excited about Granny taking her to school.  In fact Leila was so excited to be collected by Granny that she ran past me at the school gates and straight to Granny!  She wanted to hold Granny's hand all the way home and stopped for an impromptu song and dance!

Thursday Tick Tock was a little different from usual as the toddler group had been invited to the BSB Halloween party.  All very exciting, but Leila would be going too....it turned out fine as although Leila came over to us to say 'hi' she was then encouraged to go back to her class and hold her teacher's hand.  We had a lot of fun playing the games there - Edward enjoyed the skittles the best

Leila enjoyed trying to suck a marshmallow up from a plate using a straw (!) whilst being dressed as a skeleton (Funny Bones).

First Half Term

So Leila has completed her first half term at Creche.  And Scotty has completed his first half term as head of faculty. And Edward has completed his first half term of Toddler Group. And I have completed my first half term of being a school parent. How have we all done?

Leila has settled in really well to Creche.  She had a great first few days and we thought for a moment that maybe we would never get the 'I don't want to go to school' whinge, but we got it the second week in (possibly coinciding with Leila having a cold). After a few tantrums at drop-off we managed to ride it out with the help of the teachers (they are amazing to keep calm with all of this) and although she might say it once or twice a week there is no real passion in there.

We had thought initially that Leila might do part days or part of the week, but actually she has settled well enough for it to make sense for her to attend full time (if she came home part days it would only be a challenge putting both L and E down for a nap together in the afternoon).  What has amazed us is that she eats and sleeps well there (on the whole) - something that isn't always a given when she's at home.

Leila has continued in increasing her confidence and language so far in creche and another step forward has been becoming fully potty trained (poos and nap times are nappy free now, she only wears a nappy overnight).  The focus in creche is on social interaction and of course she still has a long way to go with this (she came home one day last week saying that she had been naughty at school as she had taken a scooter off another kid - I'm sure there's more to that story!).  Her crafting skills are coming along and she can do some good drawings now which have more than a passing resemblance.

Leila continues her love of music at school with the often-talked-about Mr Johnathan.  He is also her PE teacher and she seems to have a lot of fun in both lessons.  The main way that we find out about what goes on in school is through role-play at home ("you be Ms Claire" etc).  Leila also is continuing her love of books and reading and is beginning to become really interested in learning letters - she can recognize and give an example of an object with that letter for most letters already. When signing her 'thank you'cards she suddenly decided to scrawl a well-formed "L" in them.  We plan to start helping her along with phonics at home to nurture this interest as we know that school won't start to cover this yet with the class.

Although it remains a chore to get Leila dressed, fed and out of the door on time for school (we have moved from buggy/sling to buggy/scooter to buggy/buggy board so far as modes of transport for getting to school), and to pick her up on time (as I have to wake E from his afternoon nap to get there in time), the 'school run' can be a lot of fun as it gives time to talk to L and E and to the other mums and kids we meet along the way.  It is strange for me to suddenly be part of a different community, but a really nice one to join.


In the next building along from Leila is 'Daddy's work!'  Scotty has been run off his feet doing his own teaching and HOF stuff. Admittedly he's also running a daily podcast, two clubs and trying to do his own band practice regularly. With the kiddies sleeping as the do (don't) at home he's as tired as ever. He's managed a few nights out this term and a gig too which was a real target after not gigging for a whole year.


For me I have found that being a parent of a kid at school and doing the 'school run' is really a way of life.  It's weird to suddenly be walking along the same stretch of road four times a day (although for Edward I'm sure it's more dull than weird).  But it is nice to be exposed to a new group of people (mainly people that I had seen around school before when I went to the Toddler Group, but had never really had the reason to talk to).  I'm trying to make the most of having E at home to myself (although we're hardly ever at home playing what with two toddler groups a week, shopping and  a morning nap to fit in).  I am also trying to do more than just looking after the kids and have been spending time on my new website and have started some tutoring work in the afternoons (once Scott is home from school I have a few hours to tutor before coming home for bathtime).  I have had two nights out myself this term too (FLC gig in Herestrau and a Cheese n Wine night at Jo's) and I think we might be close to having a night out together with a babysitter booked - if we ever think we have enough energy to do more than go on the laptops and watch telly once we have cleaned the house at bedtime).

And as for little Edward, well he's not nearly as little anymore!  Our monster toddles about all over the place and although he looks on the brink of falling over he manages to stay upright.  He packs his food away (and still feeds with me for sleep) and is putting on weight nicely it seems - I swear he feels not that much lighter than Leila!  Edward is really our little happy chappy - in the scheme of things he rarely cries and just gets on with exploring and entertaining himself.  He can walk, walk fast (I wouldn't describe it as a run yet - although he will need to soon if he wants to keep up with L), and it's hilarious to see him bend his knees to try and jump too! He doesn't really have any 'words' yet, but some sounds are getting there; tractor, digger, dada (although he calls me dada too), dada (that sounds a little like sister) are all is favourites. After a summer of two long naps each day we are phasing in to just one nap.  This has been pushed by the school run meaning that he has a sling nap after drop-off and his second nap must finish by 2.30pm. I'm hoping to get his lunchtime nap to be a single nap of decent length to allow me to get things done around the house, but this doesn't always happen. Sleep isn't as bad as it could be, but it;s not as good as it could be either.  We had about a week of sleeping through the night but that has gone now.  I'm trying not to co-sleep (mainly as I like to wake in my own bed if possible).  Edward enjoys being physical and being affectionate. He likes books and music, but not as much as Leila did at this age.  He really loves imitating though - and doing what Leila is doing, or copying what we are doing.  His favourite thing at the moment is to try to vacuum up any mess with the toy vacuum cleaner and his own sound effects.

Leila's 3rd Birthday

So our big girl is now 3!
It feels like this half term has been full of birthdays (so many in August and September) and that we have been promising Leila forever that she will soon be three, so thankfully the day has finally come!

We had a party for her at the weekend, but on her birthday itself we just celebrated at home.  Granny arrived on Tuesday night and Leila was very excited that this was going to happen.  To help her get her head around the fact that her birthday party was on a different day to her actual birthday we told her that she had a 'birthday party day' and a 'mummy daddy, edward, granny birthday'.

We let her open a few presents in the morning when we all got up, but then we had to get a wriggle on to get ourselves ready for school.  I had worried that maybe Leila would fuss about going to school (it being her birthday and with Granny having just arrived), but she was very good and actually the novelty of having Granny and mummy (and Edward) drop her off really helped.

When we came to collect her after school she ran straight passed me to Granny!  At least she was happy and had had a good day (apparently she had painted a picture of me in orange though). When we got home (finally!) we played for a bit but then put Leila to work making icing for the birthday cupcakes we had made.  She chose to make yellow icing of course.

Daddy then came home from work and we opened the rest of her presents (trying to find the balance between getting her to look and play with each one and getting them all open before tea time).  Tea was roast chicken (slow-cooker) with roasties. Yum!  At least the kids thought so.  We then got Leila back in her seat (which she swapped with Dad so that she could sit between Daddy and Granny) to sing Happy Birthday and have some cake.  The re-lighting candles did their job and we had a lot of fun!

So what did she get?  Well her favourite present it seems is the tube of toothpaste we got her (Little Teeth for 3-5yo) because it has a number three on it and it has the same colours and mum and dad!  We got her some puzzles and books and clothes.  From Nanny and Granddad she got some very cool pirate duplo.  From Grandpa she got some clothes and a halloween costume.  From Granny and Gramps she got a baby dolly ('hat baby') and  ukulele (yellow of course....but she said it was orange when she first opened it).

And at three years old what is she doing?
Well Leila is really physical now and likes to treat the swing (and us) as climbing frames. She can run, jump and climb as well as swing on a big swing.
She loves music and enjoys playing instruments and signing songs.  She likes to change words to songs she knows or to make up totally new lyrics to the tune she knows.
Her language and communication is really strong - we can have actual conversations and she offers reasons and explanations (some are hard to argue with!!).
She had a great imagination - as well as making up songs, she knows some books from memory and even makes up new stories for existing books. Her favourite thing to do is to give characters new names in books (which cane make it hard to remember as a lot of the names are made up!)
She is comfortable sleeping in her cot bed with the side off and on most nights will not get up after being put to bed (out story, sitting-up then lie-down story, three songs and lights out).  Most nights though she will call out in her sleep (sleep talking or a bad dream), most of the time I go through to see her and tuck her in again (her covers are always being kicked off), but most of these times she not actually awake. Sometimes she does wake in the night and will call out for me or will come through to our room.  We then put her back to bed (unless it is after 6am in which case she can come in with us until E wakes)
She can eat well but is a bit of a fussy eater.  At the moment she doesn't really like meat in tomato sauce - apart from the times that she loves it....I'm generally able to make a packed-lunch for her that she will eat, and they have a little more variety than poor Daddy and his cheese and pickle sarnies every day!
Leila genuinely loves her brother and she does really sweet things for him like pick up toys, give him toys and hugs and even play together and laugh together.  This isn't the whole time though....she can equally be the one taking the toys away and pushing him down.  Oh and they are both 'biters'.

Oh and it was also Back to the Future day today too!

Play Place Birthday Party!

Today was Leila's birthday party :-)  It was a joint party with, Jasper, who's birthday is just four days after hers, and we held it at the Jolie Ville play place.

It was a great party and all the kids had lots of fun.  It was a really lovely mix of friends, with half a dozen 'baby/toddler group' friends and then some kids from her class and some kids of teacher friends from school. Most kids were around 3, but we had the three babies and a few older siblings.  Leila was really excited to know that the two other girls from her class were coming (although I did have to lie in wait for their mum's after drop-off to follow up the RSVP) and it was lovely to see them play together.

The kids arrived from 10.30am and all played and ran around.  We had the food served at 11.30 but most of them didn't eat much as they wanted to play still really.  After a bit more play we did pass the parcel which was fun to watch - everyone gasped with excitement as they layers were opened! We did the cake earlier than planned as although we had the party hire until 1.30 all the kids were tired out.  Leila and Jasper sat at the head of the table and the lit cakes were bought to them as we sang (Leila first as her birthday is first - and I think delayed her birthday even longer would have broken her). Leila needed a little help to blow her candles out but looked really pleased to finally have the birthday song and cake and candles just for her.

Leila was spoilt by such lovely presents. A toy mixer set for her kitchen, a doctor's kit, a Tigger toy and a set of mini Pooh books, a lion puppet and the Ikea bed for her dollies.  A simple gift, but Leila loved a ruler and pencil set and spent a good ten minutes drawing straight lines in the new notebook.

We were exhausted by the end of the day - and thankfully the kiddies were too. Bed at last.

Pre-party prep

Thank-you presents wrapped.
Pass the parcel wrapped (home made wrapping paper).
Prizes wrapped.
Cake baked.
Cake filled.
Jaspers present wrapped.
Icing and smarties to add tomorrow.

Operation: Collect parcel

Since sorting E's British birth certificate about a year ago, I haven't really set myself any huge logistical challenges it feels, so maybe it was about time one came along....

Scotty ordered some t-shirts to be delivered from the states and for some reason instead of being delivered to school he got a note saying they were at the post office. The note said that to collect them you would need a tax code and passport and certification etc etc. So I did some reading online and it seems that 'yes' the Romanian postal system is the bureaucratic.

 I thought I would try my luck though and so went along on Monday to the Pipera Volutnari post office with just my passport in an attempt to collect the package. It turns out that it wasn't there - leaving it at the local post office would be too straight forward. It was downtown. It was south of downtown. It was further that we've traveled in Bucharest before....

So if I was having to travel an hour across town and ptentially queue forever, I wasn't going to take any chances. I took both our passports, Scotty's original work contract, CNP and a letter of authoriation (including translation) on headed paper.

 We took the bus. Edward saw diggers. He loved it!

We found the right place.  Apparently.

The Post Office look abandoned, but there was a small window into the back room where a lady grabbed by chitty off me and then told me to turn to the right.  There was a closed door and a few other blokes standing around.  So I stood and then about two minutes later someone called out "Allsop" so I went through.

I said the whole "I don't speak Romanian" and smiled nicely - hoping that Edward was doing the same.  They asked for my passport and my signature.....and nothing else!

Success!

Whilst we were all that way from home I thought we'd may as well explore. So we found the nearby park which it turns out is also pretty big and pretty pretty.  We climbed a hill and saw dogs, cats and a horse!

 E just loves textures

A walk with my boy

Horse!

Mum-son selfie

The view :-)

Keeping busy - Mummy weekend

This weekend Daddy was in the UK visiting Grandpa, so Mummy was in charge of keeping everyone busy, fed, watered and generally content (an upgrade to 'happy' would always be a bonus).

We got through tea time on Friday night in one piece although those first four hours seemed like forever!!!

On Saturday morning we got up and it was a bit chilly - autumn has properly hit us now.  But regardless I wrapped the kiddies up and we headed off out.  Leila in the bug and Edward in the sling we headed on the 301 bus and got off to walk to Kisaleff Park.  When we got there we had a snack and a play which they both enjoyed.

Learning to drive like Mummy

After that we kept on going and arrived at the Peasant Museum where they were having an autumn fair.  We got a few wooden toys, but mainly browsed the stalls and tried to stay out of trouble.  After a visit to the toilet (got to get used to planning ahead for wee-wee stops now L is out of nappies) and a gogosi (basically a large shapeless donut with sweet filling) we headed home.

In the afternoon Jo came over with Livvie and Jack for a bit of a play and then we headed out to the Strip Mall where apparently there would be a Wine Festival.  When we got there though all the music and stuff had packed up and it all looked rather pitiful.  Not sure what else to do we went to the Beer Hall for tea - could this become a habit??? After eating as many of the four plates of chips that we ordered as we could, and all of our sausage, we went home.  Leila rode on her new buggy board that Jo had lent us - a real hit!

Sunday morning was Anastasia's birthday party.  We arrived 15 minutes late (due to a yoghurt-based incident requiring an outfit change) but were still the first guests for half an hour!  It was a really nice time and L and E enjoyed themselves.

L and the 'rabbit baby'

E doing his own version of Smash the Cake

It was pretty miserable weather the rest of the day so we stayed inside and skyped GrannyGramps. Leila was on good behaviour for this - the rest of the weekend she had been a bit cheeky and gringy.

Another teatime, bathtime and bedtime done and the weekend was nearly over - just one packed lunch to make tonight before attempting to convince Leila to go to school on Monday without seeing her daddy.

Monday went well - thanks to the buggy board I think. Although for E it was a tough day as he is in between one nap and two and we had toddler group so he was all over the place really.

A final tea time, bathtime and bedtime for them. Lunch-making and BuchwithKids-ing for me and then bed. Both of them have bits of cold now and are getting restless overnight, but we all survived and were happy to wake up to Daddy in bed on Tuesday morning.

Scooting home from school