What did I hear?

Mia: What did you hear?, asked Noddy suspiciously.
Me: What!? Suspiciously!?
Mia: Was it a fart? (giggle giggle)

Today we started reading 'James and the Giant Peach' and I'm sure we would have finished it, had a big parcel not arrived! A lovely big parcel containing lots of fun surprises and beautiful books and clothes and photographs - the last of the boxes my Mom sent from home. (It was inadvertantly left behind when all the others were sent, so they couriered it to our front door - great!). We had such fun opening all the presents sent to us from friends and family, it was a real treat. All the clothes sent to Mia and Josh will still fit and the books are all already a hit (read them all 3 times already). The best treat for me was all the photographs included. I need to devote a wall or 2 to them, one day.

Joshka can now climb onto the couch and happily dart/crawl from side to side. When all is quiet, you can be sure he is sneakily climbing onto the table next to the couch. He's still being a bit stupid when it comes to climbing off and is not learning from my coaxing of coming off legs first, preferring to explore the floor nose first. He's tumbled off a few times too. But I am grateful for carpeted floors - it's a bit bouncier.

I managed to find a record (LP) player the other day (one that worked) so that I could make a recording of my old 'NODDY' record (that was shipped to me by my Mom a while ago). I had to find an old cassette too! Anyway, it's a hit, as I knew it would be, and it's been a favourite over the last week. It does free me up from my story-telling duties to get the kitchen tidy or hang up the washing, or whatever. It's a bit un-PC with lots of smacking going on - Noddy smacking the wobbly man as hard as he can, but he never falls over. or chasing the naughty monkey who didn't pay a sixpence for the taxi ride... which is a bit of a no-no since we're trying not to encourage any more beating up of Joshka than is absolutely neccessary! Poor Josh, most of the time we hear (as he approaches Mia and her blocks/books/toys) 'No! NO! Not for you Bosh, for me. You're not allowed, no! NO!'

We call him 'Bosh'. Joshka bo boshka...Joshky boshky pudding and pie, kissed the girls and made them cry... I imagine his name to look like one of those Pop art paintings (Whaaam!): -!BOSH!- Anyhow, you know how cats, and dogs, sometimes get in those CRAZY moods where they just run up and down the passage, chase their tails and pounce on things, frantically biting them and scraping with their paws...well, Bosh gets in those moods too. It's funny...and a bit scary if you're on the receiving end of the biting frenzy. When he's not in a crazy state, he's stil pretty adorable and copies the sounds you make. My favourite is to make kissing sounds and hear him go 'mpa mpa' like he's blowing kisses (or offering them). Sometimes I get lucky and manoevre a 'kiss' to land on my face. Great. He can say MA MA...(I knew he would!!!!), but hasn't started using it with intent...just copying my prompts. And he can clap hands and loves splashing wildly about in the water. I marvel at the 'boyness' about him as he pushes the toy cars along the carpet and over my face (yes, as I lie on the floor being an obstacle course) going 'brm brm'. Ben and I can't remember telling him cars go 'brm'? He loves all things mechanical. I was cursing the next door neighbours as they mowed their lawns between 7.30pm amd 8pm as I tried to get Joshka to sleep - his head was up, looking around to see where the noise was coming from. Very interested. Not interested in going to sleep. GRR.