Mud & Mischief

To everyone for lovely comments and emails and cards. It’s feels good to know there’s so many people thinking of us.

The funeral is on Friday afternoon - my Mom is coming up to sit on the girls, as I don’t think it’s appropriate that they go to a funeral yet. They’re still way too young to fully comprehend what’s going on. Although Myf did show she has at least grasped the edges, by asking if we could go to Poppa’s this afternoon, as opposed to asking to go to Grandma’s. I think she does know what it means in theory, but it’ll probably take a while for the reality to sink in.

Piglet’s temper continues to amaze and astound me. Where does she get that hellion streak from? Terrible twos nothing - this is full on screaming, defiant rage. And her excema is worse, so it’s probably combined with that. She’s completely off dairy, so I have no idea what is making her arms flare up like they have. And her legs, the back of her neck, top of her buttocks… poor little mite. Although she did announce the other day that her left arm was her picking arm and her right arm was her scratching arm. Eurgh, revolting child.

She made me smile in the bath tonight though - I was leaning over the edge holding her yellow boat. “That’s MY pirate ship,” she states in that defiant tone that means she knows she’s being obstreperous. I just stare at her and say ‘manners’.

“Please may I, uh, this is MY pirate ship.” Clutching it to her chest.

I give her the raised eyebrow.

So she puts the ship back in my hand.

“Thank you Mommy, please may I have my pirate ship back please?”

All big blue eyes and damp curls. Little cow.

Tea and Myf seem to be enjoying school. Tea is delightful, whimsical, very hard on her clothes, has perfected the blank vacant blue-eyed stare, autistic-ly stubborn and uncommunicative at times, capable of babbling for 20 minutes straight without a breath at others, is by turns clingy and independent, and is actually perfectly lovely.

Myf is 6 going on 16, with her “Kevin and Perry” attitude and bullying manner towards her sisters. She’s also very loving, bright, smart-mouthed, eats everything in sight (except meals that involved potatoes that aren’t fried or rice - wants bread and butter instead), stroppy, opinionated, and bloody minded. And I don’t have a clue how she ticks. Still.

And Piglet (in addition to the previously mentioned temper) is adorable, selectively deaf, bolshy, rude, huggable, grey-hair-inducing, bad-tempered (had to mention it again), precocious, incredibly loud and still the baby. Just.

I remember reading about a book called ‘Raising your spirited child’ and think I’m going to have to search it out, as Piglet is developing definite ’spirited’ characteristics. ie, she’s too bloody minded for her own good. I have absolutely no control over her whatsoever. Which is depressing to admit, but I think I need help! And I’ve tried everything from the ‘naughty step’ to smacking her hands, to taking away toys, to ignoring her, to getting down on her level and ‘discussing’ it - I wonder if they do those electric collars you can get for dogs in Piglet’s size? As it might just be the only thing that can stop her in her tracks when she’s tear-arsing away from me towards a main road.

I have resorted to using a wrist strap, and she is oh-so-not-amused. Even patient explanations of ‘walk holding my hand and I’ll take it off’, couched in terms ranging from baby talk to grown-up Anglo-saxon have failed. One of those studded harnesses you see people walking Bull Terriers in would be useful.

Here’s a gratuitous Land Rover pic, to reassure you all that normal service will be resuming shortly. “Seeing Double”.

Taken at the Gaydon show a fortnight ago, ours is on the right.