Honda Odyssey

We have a new car. Finally. After moaning for a long time about our luscious top of the range, expensive to maintain 1999 Red Ford Mondeo - we have a 1996 Silver Honda Odyssey.

Eden did not respond positively at all when we told him a few days ago that we would be getting a new car. He loves the 'red car'. But he has now gotten used to the idea and joined in the excitement of exploring it on Thursday night when Duncan brought it home. It came up on the train and Ferry by itself - all the way from Christchurch (where cars seem to be cheapest). We are the first NZ owners and It's previous Japanese family have looked after it very well.

And what will I miss about the red car? The sound and feel of the V6 motor and the 6 slot CD player. The leather seats are pretty great with kids too. The Honda has a funny humming sound - I try to tell myself it is the sound of efficiency. It also feels clunky. Nevermind. Although it is old by some people's standards - it is well engineered right up there with Toyota and hopefully will give us many miles of cheap motoring plus some extra seats when Grandparents come to visit. We could even squeeze the Chernishov family in until Caleb graduates to a bolted in car seat!

The next job is to sell the Mondeo. A task we are not yet approaching with enthusiasm or urgency - especially the cleaning of it - lucky it is awful weather this weekend! But it is blocking up the car pad so we are sure to get onto it soon.

leaps and bounds

I don't know what it was about the long (Easter) weekend but suddenly Eden has turned a corner.

After two accidents at the Troughtons on Good Friday, he had a good day at the Baileys on Saturday. I was astounded that his nappy was dry from all the way through his afternoon sleep and all the way in the car from Whitby to home.

We left the potty at the Baileys which actually made a good excuse for little man to have to use the toilet seat - which he did with a couple of chocolate egg bribes - and also for the next two days at Mopsy and Papa's (Babbage Grandparents).

Whilst in Waikanae Eden sought me out for the first time - too late unfortunately - clutching at his shorts - instead of being secretive about pooping. I nearly fell over on Wednesday afternoon when he actually told me in advance of the event and he finally got his Thomas train reward. I don't know how long it took him to do 5 in the potty but it has felt like weeks and weeks.

Suddenly he just seems to 'get it' instead of me having to be his prodder and catching him in the act. Amazing - I thought it might take all of winter.

After having quite a run of dry nappies (from an afternoon sleep or an outing) - we haven't had one in days - must be time to go away again. We have therefore not gotten as far as I thought we might on his new sticker chart for dry nappies. We'll get there eventually I figure. I have run out of stickers so he gets to draw something in a box with a felt pen - very special I assure you.

legendary sleep

Caleb's routine is more or less feeding at 8am, 12pm, 4pm and 8pm give or take half an hour or disturbed sleep or being out and about. But this is the routine that works the best for everyone and if he doesn't wake for the feed I get him up - though I am not enjoying waking him for the 8pm feed - it's just not a nice thing to do!

That said, Sunday and Monday night Caleb had got a bit out of kilter probably due to being out and about and only sleeping a trifle both mornings and I had not needed to wake him at 8pm because for whatever reason he was awake around Eden's bath time and he just got put to bed after that.

We had a nice and relaxed routine day at home yesterday. And last night, I got an awful lot done in the evening and was feeling quite pleased - except that I had gas bagged so long with Mum (with my head set on) that it was very late. I got off the phone and was about to get ready for bed when I said to Duncan that I had just realised that I had forgotten to get Caleb up!

He was surprised that I didn't want to get him up and feed him rather than having to be woken at 4am or something but I said that I was too tired and that we may as well take the risk.

Caleb slept from 6pm last night to 7:15 this morning - 13 hours!! Very hungry -his last feed had been 4:30pm yesterday!!

tomato

This just has to be remembered.

No one knows how or why it started but it started in the little - and I do mean little bedroom that is adjacent to the living area at my Mum and Dad's in Pirongia a few weeks back.

I had just done the whole bed time routine and just as I was shutting the door, Eden called out "Mummy" and I said "yes" and he said "tomato" and gave a grin. I laughed a little and looked quizzical. He went he he he giggling and it made me giggle. I must have asked him what he was on about but discovered there was no point.

So every now and then - and sometimes when I need to be snapped out of a grumpy or a rush rush mode he will say "mummy" and I will say "yes" and he will say "tomato" and it just makes me smile and sometimes laugh out loud. Very strange and I wonder how long it will last. So far it is more than a month.

laughing

Did you know that in the Dutch culture the word for laugh is the same as the word for smile? I learned this recently. It takes pondering.

Caleb laughed for the first time yesterday. It wasn't a giggle like Eden's was more like a mouth wide open and kind of Bert from Sesame Street he he heeing - but much quieter and not nearly as irritating.

He was sitting on my lap after a feed and I picked up a tape measure. I told Eden that I would hold onto it and invited him to pull the tape over to the sliding door. When he got to the door, he would say "say it Mummy" and I would say how many centimetres and then he would let it go and it would zoom back into the reel. Of course this cannot be done just the once - has to be repeated a dozen times. Somehow this really tickled Caleb's fancy watching Eden run there and back and the pinging etc. Very cute.

new sticker chart

Please excuse the nitty gritty of my day job.

We have a new sticker chart. Eden had completed 3X 20 star charts for deposits in the potty and received a tiny excavator, steam roller and bulldozer - well he only got a $5 paint set for Christmas from us..

The new chart goes like this:
5X No.2 in the potty = Thomas the tank engine train for his train set - (secondhand off TradeMe) and
5X days without an accident in the undies = a crane to go with the train stuff - (not the $50 Thomas one!) just a cheapy.

This may seem like big rewards for doing very little but we are honing in on specific skills yet to be mastered shall we say.., the next step up. I am in dire need of talking with an experienced toilet trainer as I think we may be travelling on a plateu - and I have a plan that I hope is OK. There is no hint of Eden initiating events so it is more 'toilet timing' as they say. I don't think he is developmentally ready to fully toilet train.

At the moment he wears a nappy when he is in bed and out and about but wears undies at home. My plan at this point (unless someone encourages me otherwise) is that once this current sticker chart is complete (and who knows how long that will take) and the weather is getting colder, I will just stay with this stage until he turns 3 or begins to show more independence.

He has enough toys (!), and I don't want to do any more sticker charts until it is the next step up eg going out without a nappy or something + the novelty of the whole thing will wear off soon I am quite sure. We'll just have some lollies or dried fruit or something stashed away for the big events and plod along like that for a while.

So there you go. Now it is down in black and white and I have confirmed the plan. I do love plans. Makes life much more straight forward. Now I can relax. Sorted. Sort of.