murderous thoughts!

I felt like murdering a neighbour today.

The first time ever, that I felt that way, because God has always blessed me/us with excellent neighbours on land or on ship. Just the other day, we were given a tricycle for Ned, just like that, by one of our neighbours and I felt so blessed, and then today, hmpf... grrrrr......

Well, the day today was nice and warm and looked promising ( almost too hot and humid for my liking), but unfortunately offspring was NOT in a particularly good mood. The smallest incident would bring a major meltdown (which involves throwing himself on the ground, lots of banging different body part on the floor and of course lot of screaming), so I was yelled at quite a lot today, which didn't really help MY moods, being a bit impatient and aggressive lately anyway, BUT I was coping rather well with it ( I did NOT hit, kill, torture or inflict any pain in any possible way on the kid) but rather let him cool off calmly and reconcile with a kiss later on. We also went for a bike ride, which he always enjoys a lot and in the afternoon/evening we set up our little blow up pool on the balcony, filled it with lots of toys and with water, of course. The funny thing with Ned is, that he HATES "NO" but still obeys it... and protests LOUDLY and persistently. Well, he purposefully stepped on the side of the pool and let the water flow out it onto the balcony and consequently down the street and mama said "NO!! Don't!!!". He DID stop, but in consequence the entire street could hear that he was NOT happy with his mama.

And that's when it happened. A youngish neighbour 50m up the hill opened his window and yelled over asking what were we doing with the poor child that he had to yell his head off. I was FURIOUS!!!!!! In my mind I dragged that obnoxious fellow out of his third story window and make him stop that brawling toddler or watch him die trying to do so.... poor CHILD, yeah.... how about poor MOTHER who has to handle brawling toddler in full blast all day long (not ALL day, but you get the picture)???? I'm still rather angry with this guy... oh where are my Christian values like "love your neighbours", "do not kill" and "love your enemies"....????? but I guess I just lost it and yelled back very viciously "we're torturing him" (and wanting to call that guy many names, which isn't the Christian thing to do either). Luckily by that time Ned had stopped behaving like a brat and played like a little angel in his pool.

My reaction made me ashamed of myself, because there wasn't much Jesus in any of my words, actions or thinking and it makes me feel like a bad mother... and it makes me sad that our neighbours must think, that this gorgeous little fun guy is screaming and yelling and brawling like a brat all day long, because that isn't the case... hang on, they actually think we're doing something bad with the poor kid and that's why he's so upset.... either way, it makes me feel bad....

To be honest, I think I need a little break and a little distance, so for the weekend we ship him off to Oma and Opa. They are happy, Ned is happy and we are happy too :o)))). I am sooooOOOO grateful that we are blessed in having one set of grandparents close by at the moment AND that they are eager to have him around AND that kiddo LOVES Oma and Opa AND that it is possible for them to have him for a weekend (I hope it'll work out as good as last time!!)

Second Birthday!!!!!

Well, Ned is now officially a two year old (not only in behaviour anymore!!)

It is weird for me, because I think back to the time when he finally decided to enter this world: a helpless, squashed up, lovable little something with really big hands and feet..... and now he is this active, energetic, charming, cheeky, adorable, strong-willed little person. It's crazy, how everything changes with such a little someone around. And although Ned didn't really understand yet what "birthday" actually means, we had a great day.

Yesterday, the last day of his first year though was NOT a very nice one, as if he wanted to rebel against turning two. We had 4 major tantrums and a couple more minor ones and a VERY exhausted, highly irritable, extremely frustrated, immensely impatient, unbelievably aggressive, telephone-waking-kid-out-of-sleep-hating mum. I really wondered what his birthday would be like... somehow having a tantrum-throwing kid on a birthday doesn't appeal very birthday-ish.

BUT we had a REALLY great day!!!! It started off with piglets (that's what I called pikelets accidentally once and that's what I will call them till the end of my days.... if you don't know what pikelets are check out: http://www.nzwomansweekly.co.nz/food/recipes/pikelets/story/3741301/ ) and that kid of mine can eat piglets like a horse (do horses eat piglets??)... I think he ate more than me.

After brekkie it was unwrapping time, and it was a joy to watch him get some new books (thanks Oma and Opa) a new sit-on "bagger" (thanks Grandma and Grandad for the money) and a sit-on bouncy horse (our small contribution).

My parents popped-in unexpectedly just before lunch (and we ended up having them around until after dinner, which was nice, yummy steak, thanks to them :o) ). We thought them far off in the Alps and not in the neighbourhood, but the weather was so bad on their holiday, plus my mum had quite a bike accident (inclusive a broken pinky), so they decided to come home early and be with their precious grand-kid on his birthday. After lunch they went off with him for a walk and later on to visit my grandparents and I had some nice time to relax and read my bible. I love our kid, but sometimes I also love him to be away, supervised, of course :o))).

When we were still on the ship I was almost a bit "jealous" of our neighbour kids, with whom it was always great fun reading books, because they were interested in you reading to them or finding things and animals on the pages, but Ned would not do that. Well, he has changed and is a big boy now and he LOVES books and it's SOOOO much fun going through them with him. He tells you the different things he knows and if you ask him to show you something he points it out, and if there happens to be a "bagger", well, you should see the joy on that little boys face. He also loves pointing out babies, and he got a new book about babies. His favourite page is the one, where you can lift a flap and look inside the mum's belly and there is this little baby. He loves bellies in general, but he just looks at me funny, when I try to tell him, that there is a tiny baby in mine. Maybe the book helps him to understand.

Now that he is two, I also thought it's time to get rid of his nappies (I honestly think, that two kids with nappies will exceed our bin capacity, and it WOULD be nice to only have one kid with stinky nappies). Unfortunately he is one of those kids, who doesn't mind having a squashed-up, yucky poo sticking to his bum. But well, I thought I'd just give it a try to regularly put him on his potty while there is only one kid to take care of, and maybe we are lucky and by the time number two decides to come he'll get the hang of it. His love and patience with books actually helps a lot with the "potty training" as he can sit on his throne and "read" for a long time. In fact, this evening he sat for 1/2h and didn't really wanna get off it, hahaha.

It's funny how happy some little pee in a potty can make parents, you REALLY DO CHANGE once you have offspring (I could have NEVER EVER imagined myself being so happy, pleased and proud of someone peeing in a pot... ah, good old single or being none-parents days, sometimes, I do miss them). Now listen to me, I really do think that I do have the "MAMA"-sickness. I hated visiting people with the "mama"-sickness (statements like: "Little Sarah is having REALLY a hard time getting her poo out today" are a indicator of the "mama"-sickness), and here I am, infected myself, writing about it on my blog..... sorry people :o)))).

Ned on his new bagger and Hemie on the little one

Baby!!

No, not what you think!! The newest Wyatt addition hasn't arrived yet (although I wouldn't mind if it didn't wait until July!!), but we had visitors for the weekend. For the first time, we had a family staying with us. They have a little boy (16 months) and I was very curious how Ned would react to having a little fella' around. Well, at first he did look a bit sceptical and even a bit shy (my kid and shy????? It happens....), but he got used to it pretty quickly. Unfortunately they arrived Friday evening close to bed time, so there wasn't soooo much time to play together the first day, but bed time was a struggle (normally he is really cute going to bed) and he wanted to be with "baby". In the end we had to get him up again and show him, that "baby" was also going to bed, then he was fine. Waking up in the morning though, the first thing was: "Baby?????". It was baby here and baby there and baby everywhere. It gives me "hope" for the time when there will be another baby permanently around :o)))))

Teddy daddy

Here we go again, Hermie and Ned. About half an hour before bed time Ned decided it was time for Hermie to go to bed. So he tucked her into his sleeping bag, zipped it up, gave her something to drink from his water bottle and (with daddy's help) but the fall-out-of-bed-protection-board in place. After all that effort he crawled in himself, lay next to the beloved teddy bear and pulled the covers up. Isn't that a good teddy daddy????

I should be in bed right now, it is almost 1am, but I just can't sleep... bummer!! So I got up again, made myself a hot milk with honey and write a bit, maybe that makes me tired again.

I also had a chat with a couple of other mums today and that encouraged me immensely, daily tantrums are TOTALLY normal, nothing wrong with neither me nor offspring and one of their daughters has tantrums even with age 9 (that's not so encouraging) but at least it doesn't mean, that I am the mum of a aweful little monster, because if you hear some people talk you'd think their kids are angels (the funny thing is, sometimes my mum "complains" about Ned's little scenes and I just can NOT imagine that neither my brother nor I have been little angels, but maybe you forget about those challenging times and only remember the good ones...???)

Well, I'm on my second cuppa milk now, it's taking its effect, I think, so I should go back and hit the sack.....

New favourite song!!

Well, I have told you before, that Ned just ADORES "Baggers" (diggers). Well, the other day I checked something on youtube and I stumbled over an old German song, and Ned just LOOOOVVVVVVVEEEES (!!!!!!!!!!) it. He actually tells me to sing it at times, great.... !!!!! Well, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGf3vb17Cy8

His favourite line is: baggerbaggerbaggerbagger baggerbaggerbaggerbagger baggerbaggerbaggerbaggerbaggerloch, fancy that :o)))

I've noticed that so often on this blog, I only write about the challenging moments with Ned and forget about all the wonderful times. And believe me, the fun times definitely outweigh the tantrum times, but I'll put it in J.R.R.Tolkien's words:

"Now it is a strange thing, but things that are good to have and days that are good to spend are soon told about and not much to listen to; while things that are uncomfortable, palpitating and even gruesome, may make a good tale, and take a deal of telling anyway." [The Hobbit, Page 49]

Somehow Ned's tantrums make better stories to tell and are easier to write about, but I shall try my best to show his angel-side a bit more as well (not that you end up thinking we have a little monster who spends most of his time laying on the ground and screaming his head off or in consequence lives his entire live in punishment in his room).

Ned loves his teddy bear "Hermie". He can be sooooo gentle with that little guy, ahm, girl (okay, he can also throw her out of his bed across the room, but I am here to tell the cuty side of him :o) ). The other day I prepared dinner in the kitchen when all of a sudden Hermie's head appeared on the counter top and it moved from side to side, as if telling me: "Isn't there something to eat for me???" Unfortunately there wasn't or he would have easily achieved his purpose.

A couple times a day it is also our duty to give Hermie kisses and cuddles or Ned insists that Hermie sits on one of our laps or has a drink (he even tried to give her a bath once but that wouldn't be so beneficial) .

Ned and Hermie, they are as thick as thieves and she gets kissed, cuddled and loved, despite the fact that her fur isn't as soft and well-groomed as it used to be, neither that her eyes aren't as shine as when she newly arrived at the Wyatts, nor that she stinks like a skunk, because Ned loves sucking her little tail and repeatedly salivated-on little teddy tails do smell pretty bad.

Living with Ned for the last 1 1/2 years definitely left tremendous marks on her, but nonetheless she looks a happier and more content teddy bear. I just hope, that Ned doesn't turn out like Mr. Bean in any other ways then how he treats his beloved teddy bear!!!

Things I discovered

I think, I just have to accept the fact, that I am the mother of a charming, but strong-willed child, or to formulate it in a positive term: a very persistent child. We're still having around one tantrum a day, and if young mister doesn't wanna do something, he just doesn't wanna do it, e.g. walk up some stairs (those couple of stairs took us around 1/2h instead of 1 minute) or if he wants something, he WANTS it, like an apple today. Unfortunately the apple-want coincided with dinner, so we didn't want to give him the apple but rather pasta (which he normally really likes), but no, offspring wanted apple and complained loudly. In consequence he spend the next 20 min in his room screaming his head of while we had our pasta. Then we got him out again to have another go with the pasta, but no way, the only thing offspring wanted was apple, so he ended up in his room again for another 20min or so. Well, after that we got him out again, and he was very cute and cuddly, so he sat on my lap in the kitchen giving and wanting affection when all of a sudden he said one single word again: APPLE!!!! Ben and I just started laughing, it was too comical, and we decided he wasn't strong-willed, but only VERY persistent and single minded. After that one word though, he actually he devoured the pasta (I guess screaming ones head off makes one really hungry), had one or two bites of an apple after that and wasn't interested in that stupid apple no more.

Tantrums make me feel aweful. Sometimes I'm able to stay totally calm and relaxed (like with the apple incident) or I start of calm and relaxed (like with the stairs incident). I just sat down on the stairs and let him rage for a while.... but after some time without getting anywhere and having to get home to make lunch I slowly lost my rather limited amount of patience. And by the time I reached home (and discovered that I'd forgotten my keys inside) I was dissolved in tears. Luckily I had my mobile phone with me and I could call Ben and he knocked off work a bit earlier, but while I sat outside the door, I still had screaming kid in the pram. We'd managed to walk up these particular stairs, I put him in his stroller which he wanted the entire time, but it didn't make him stop screaming, so he was still screaming when I sat outside the house waiting for Ben (actually one neighbour walked down the hill just to check if everything was okay, or if some accident had happened). I was in a rather murderous mood, which made me feel really aweful. I know being enraged myself doesn't help neither me nor Ned, but still, that's what I was feeling. I try to work on staying calm and relaxed, but I guess I'm a bit stubborn myself (oops). Once I look at those happenings once I "cooled" down I can actually have a good laugh and I hope I can learn SOMETHING of it..... I just hope that those tantrums will belong to the past by the time baby arrives.... I don't know if my nerves can handle two screaming little once :o)))

Another thing I've discovered is the importance of backing up pictures and stuff on an external hard drive. I have been rather slack with it, and unfortunately our laptop crashed about a week ago and all pictures of the last two months or so have disappeared into cyber space, bummer!! Ou well, hopefully I will learn here as well :o)))

Another thing we discovered is that Ned is old enough to spend a weekend without us at Hotel Oma and Opa, they were happy, Ned was happy and an angel and WE WERE HAPPY, although we did miss our little trouble maker:o))))

I guess it is time for a new update :o)))

Ned enjoys our new IKEA bookshelf while it was still on the floor

Well, I have been a bit of a slacker lately, I do admit, and although I'm "just" a housewife presently, somehow time just slips away.

3 weeks ago, we have moved back into our old flat from 3 years previously, which has been a tremendous blessing. The flat has 3 room, a spacious kitchen, a little bathroom and a store room in the basement. Ned just LOVES running around, obviously enjoying the space to be able to run around. And although it still looks a bit like a mess and there are still boxes standing around, it slowly starts to look like a home again. (For those of you who knew our flat before: It isn't as colorful anymore, and all the walls are rather boringly white). We also do have a phone now and wireless with is really cool..... compared with the ship our connection is soooooooooooo fast (although it isn't the fastest there is, but I don't complain:o) ), I almost feel like a normal German citizen:o))).

Unfortunately, to be a normal German citizen you also have to do quite a bit of a thing we call "Burokratiekrieg" in German... which means, you have to run from A to B to get yourself registered and stuff like that. I hate it!!!! Unfortunately I not only hate it, but dread it. Seriously, I AM afraid of it, and that fear sometime immobilizes me. It is such a silly fear to have, I know, but for me just to pick up the phone and call one of those offices to get informations or whatever is almost a nightmare. Well, Ben made me do it (bless him), and although I overcame my fear this time, I still hate it:o))), but I'm also "proud" of myself for fighting this silly fear.

Spring has moved on as well. Now everything is sooooooo green and pretty. My friend Heike once said: "Looking at the grass don't you wish you were a cow at times???" and I heartily agree. The grass looks sooo vivid green and fresh, you just want to bit into it (although I'm sure the taste isn't the best). And not only the grass, there are so many pretty flowers around and the blossoms of apple trees and cherry trees... ahhhhh.... I love spring!!!

Ned continues to be a little cuty and charmer. Our landladies living on top of us (they are around 60 and 90) just fell in love with him, although they also can hear the not so nice side of him. Well, one tantrum a day presently. Yay!!! I just LOVE being yelled and screamed at, especially in the supermarket. Somehow you would think that he realizes that it doesn't help him whatsoever, but no, here we go, almost day after day a major meltdown which always end up with him being send to his room until he's okay again. The advantage of it is, that afterwards he is always very cute and loves giving kisses:o)))

Thanks to Emirate airlines and frequent flyer points Ned's also now the proud owner of a "bobby car". I don't know if that's a German thing, but most kids have a bobby car at some point of their toddler-hood. He loves it, especially he loves unscrewing the little nut and bold with holds the steering wheel on the bobby car, no idea how he always manages that. And thanks to Emirates again, we also have a DUPLO zoo which included a Mama giraffe.... which obviously made him VERY happy!!!



His favorite word is still BAGGER (digger) closely followed by MAMA, which can be quite tiring at times, if you get called a thousand times a day. It's also rather cute when he says: "Oh no" or "uppa", when something goes wrong.... I guess i say those words quite a bit:o)))