double drat

After experiencing a taste of the good life of broadband, gliding over all terrains in google earth, effortlessly navigating my way from website to website, trawling for inspiration and feeding my curiosity about this and that - wherever I may find myself, following link to link...I have been sucked back to dial-up reality. It turns out I should most probably have switched off the router at night and perhaps I overdosed on the pretend-glider-plane-google-experience. We've already exceeded out monthly cap and have been pulled back to dial up speed. It feels slower than it ever was. But at least I know things are still possible - after all we have been dialing up for um, uncountable years now.

In other news, the rain continues and the children have been grouchy for the last 4 days. It's probably a good thing we didn't go to the island - they have been torturous. Today, however, things seem to be shaping up since both of them slept well, for a change. Mia is reading and telling stories and told me this morning , "I don't want to be called Mia." Oh. How about Janet? "No." Tabitha? "No." Um,..."I want to be called 'Kanga'". OK! Now I know! I sometimes can't tell the difference between Mia, Kanga, Piglet, Pooh or Noddy. It's best to ask so as not to offend. She continues to give a running commentary on Kanga's escapades - always in third person: "So off she went to visit Tigger and Roo and Piglet. 'Hello Roo,'she said, 'what are you up to today?'she asked..etc" I seriously can't do it justice. And if I want to record her, she stops. But she's at it as I type. Wonderful. She babysits herself.

Joshka is a speedy crawler who takes enormous delight in smashing down Mia's block tower creations. Only Mia's. We can make towers specifically for him to bat over, but he speeds on by, legs a blur, to get to Mia's creation. Over legs, under legs, always pushing (would do well in a scrum) with a frantic determination. Not happy to be diverted at all. If he's not crawling furiously about, he's pooing (5 a day) or pulling himself up to a standing position, holding on to the couch, the chair, the cupboard, my shorts, Ben's legs - he has an extremely strong little grip and would do well in nipple wars - I've heard Ben yelp a few times with Josh pulling himself up on Ben's lap. He can copy sounds now : BA BA, DA DA, MA MA, SSSSSSSSSSSSSS being the most prominent on his repertoire. At least I won't have to wait 19 months for 'mum' like I did with Mia (da da was all she needed.)

Ben is trying to get me off the computer so he can go and get his hair cut. Always interesting. (Unruly hair with loads of cowlicks).