A little head-way is made during the morning, with Alice being entertained with random toys as Mummy skits around the house like a white-tornado. Clothes put away. Tea-towels, bibs and cleaning cloths. Towels and bedding. A cloth whipped round the sink and bench-tops. A dirty mirror given a quick polish. A dusty shelf brushed along in haste.

And then the mess makes a come back over lunch, combined with a play-date (Sophie in the middle)…

Alice thinks it is all hilarious. She is absolutely laughing at me in the photograph below. Here she is, second round of eating for the day, deciding yoghurt and banana definitely taste better when smeared behind the ears, over the eyes, up the sleeve… ah well, at least she’s trying hard to feed herself – top marks for trying lass! And she’s doing a pretty grand job at 6 month’s old. Did I mention she has ANOTHER tooth! That’s three munching mashers at 6 months and I can feel a fourth swelling up and getting ready to cut through.

But the mess is so worth it, right? To hear the happy sounds of children laughing. To hear Sophie playing with her friends. Sophie is such a sociable personality and needs to be around people all the time. Charlotte was always happy to entertain herself and enjoyed her own space to create and ‘be’, but Sophie is happier surrounded by people.

So, it is worth it… even if there’s paint smeared clothes to wash and art materials to clean and put away. This lovely activity of painting pebbles ended up with wet clothes scattered around the patio and house. I’d left out a bucket of warm soapy water, for them to wash their hands in, which quickly became a mini-paddling pool. Sophie, yes my darling daughter, was the leader – even climbing in the bucket (she should be in the circus being able to squeeze herself into small objects!). Within moments I had three bubble covered, wet, shivering girls running through the house looking for towels and dry clothes (despite the Spring sunshine there’s still a wintery chill in the air in Wellington).

Sophie said to me the other day, ‘Play with me Mummy’ and I really do try. I don’t want her to look back and just remember me as the house-maid, cook and cleaner. But sometimes, when I sit down to play, my mind is wondering to all the chores I have to do. Other times, I do get totally engrossed in play and can so feel the love – know what I mean?

But I can’t play all the time and that is something my children need to know. I am constantly teaching them to be involved and responsible for their belongings. And when we all pull our weight and work together there is more time for play – yah! A friend recently introduced a ‘responsible jar’ – where the children earn marbles for being responsible and when the jar is full they get to choose a treat or a family activity. Great idea!

So, this week we have introduced ‘responsible jars’. Well, like all these reward systems they seem to get more and more complicated as the children get older and wiser. Truth be told, Charlotte already is exceedingly responsible and does so much without us having to ask. But Sophie needs a little more encouraging. I am going to have to draw up a detailed list of how and when they can ‘win’ marbles. There is already some heavy negotiations going on. This morning, whilst Dan was on the phone to his Mum (organising flights to NZ for his Mum and Dad), and I was in the shower, the girls broke into a screaming row over the marbles. Afterwards we had them sit down and write apologies to Chinese Grandma and Granddad and really hope they haven’t been put off coming out here in January for five weeks!

So, the mess, yes, it starts over breakfast and never really goes away, but ebbs and flows like the tide.

And sometimes the outcome of all the mess can be something rather lovely to look at…

The girls have been churning out the artwork, particularly Sophie at Kindergarten, and this week I’ve been working on turning one wall of the house into an art gallery (turned into two walls… hey ho). There is still a large pile of yet more delightful art, which will be winging its way to four corners of the world and wrapping itself around presents in due course.

Now it’s time for me to be responsible and go and collect Sophie from Kindergarten (got to wake up sleeping Alice though – poor love). And then it’s off to see the nurse for me – as I’ve been very irresponsible and not had a smear test since 2003 (gasp!). The nurse has been on my case and finally cornered me on the phone this week. Do I get a marble?

My calendar tells me you are 22 week’s old and you are beginning to sit, unaided, mighty fine. Your big sisters think it’s hilarious to watch you wibble wobble and topple, but they are very proud of you too. It’s quite amazing to think only 5 month’s ago you could barely turn your head to our voices.

Now you reach out for everything around you with such avid interest. As I cart you around the house in my arms I notice the eagerness with which you observe my every action. I see you clocking the location of every object and making a mental note of it for when you are mobile. My make-up bag in the bathroom drawer shall have to be moved. The magnets on the fridge will have to go. The cat will have to eat quickly and outside. The fish food will have to be moved out of reach.

You naturally want to explore everything with your mouth, as well as your hands. And books hold a special intrigue, as you are frequently read to by your sisters and always drift off to sleep at night listening to the sound of my voice reading with Sophie or Charlotte.

You haven’t had the chance of a bedtime routine of your own, but are so far happy to be involved with your sisters and love to play in the bath with them. You coo like a crazy dove at Charlotte’s blue paper light shade and go delirious over the horse and princess posters on the ceiling of Sophie’s bedroom. Normally you conk out on Mummy’s milk and have a strong ’suck to sleep’ association (terrible sleep habit some books would tell you – but we’re not concerned at the moment).

You are certainly very happy on life and barely ever cry, except for two week’s ago when you got a virus, combined with teething and I could have sworn you said, ‘Maaaa, Ma!’ as your bottom lip quivered.

You have two pearly milk-teeth already, which hurt when you suck on my fingers! Thankfully I haven’t been bitten whilst you feed… yet! Both your sisters accidentally bit me – but only once or twice. I quickly removed them in a state of eye watering shock and think the sound of my yelps put them off biting again! I managed to feed Charlotte till she was two, when she self-weaned with a final kiss and the words of, ‘Bye-bye ba-boo’ and Sophie would never have stopped… but finally did just after turning four!

But milk isn’t the only thing to have crossed your lips now, as it has become impossible to keep food from you at the dining table. In the past couple of weeks you have sucked on banana, sucked on cold water melon, wrapped in protective netting to avoid any large pieces chocking you, and enjoyed peas and peaches (not together) too. You haven’t had much, just tiny tastes, but they keep you happy. You smile at us with great pride at joining the big folk.

You love to sip at a little water from an egg cup too. It’s hard to hold you in my arms and drink a glass of water without you reaching out to knock it from my grasp.

And your hands love to explore textures.

It’s wonderful to see you reaching out to everyone and everything. Each week there’s something new. Charlotte & Sophie are loving the journey of watching you grow and learn.

Today you looked amazed as your hands touched the keys of the piano and produced a sound.

You are such a happy bubba and a keen observer. And when the world gets too much you simply zone out and drift off to sleep like a little bird on a perch; except you’re usually on my shoulder And when we’re out and about, racing around, like we were on Friday – from the swimming pool to the library, from the playground and lunch on to Charlotte’s dancing, you simply snuggle up in the buggy and catch some shut eye, whilst the world spins around you.

We all love you so much Alice. Thank you for blessing us with your happy spirit and showing us the world anew through your eyes.

We believe there’s more than one after having read, ‘The Diary of a Tooth Fairy‘ by Alan Durant (Author) & Vanessa Cabban (Illustrator). When Charli was younger she used to say she saw fairies and loved being read the stories from ‘The Rainbow Magic‘ fairy series.

Now, at nearly seven year’s of age, Charli is not completely convinced that tooth fairies are real and thinks maybe her Mummy and Daddy might have something to do with it. She has said she would like to keep her last tooth that falls out. Whether or not she believes, someone came to visit last night and Charli was very delighted with what she received…

And she’s looking forward to visiting The $2 Shop to spend her tooth money!

When I’m not busy eating, I love to sit and wriggle (haven’t decided how to move, considering bum shuffling, thank goodness for nappies!). I also LOVE to bounce in the jolly jumper and get very excited when Charlotte puts on her favourite Latin American tunes and we shake rattles to the music.

I’m enjoying my new bedroom and beginning to sleep longer stretches (though a new tooth has made me a bit restless). Here I am enjoying a nap in my buggy and waking up all smiles.

At the tender age of 5 months my first two teeth have cut! I wasn’t particularly bothered, though my rear end did decide to protest at the appearance of my first two pearly whites.

I’m busy trying to perfect rolling onto my tummy at the moment and have finally worked out how to get my big toe to my mouth (mmm, tastes good!). I’m still too wobbly to sit up by myself, but getting stronger by the day.

I spend most of my waking hours chuckling at the antics of my big sister (I find it particularly hilarious when she’s being told off by Mummy!).

Aside from all the fun I’m being brave as my last molars make their way through. I’ve had one cut, after another, over the past six weeks or so and now have one more to go… (lots of sleepless nights for Mummy, but she’s a trooper!).

Only five weeks till baby is due to arrive (and Mummy is hoping it’s not seven weeks!). I keep giving baby lots of hugs and can’t wait to meet bubs.

I’m also trying to talk and good at making lots and lots of noise! Some words I’m trying to say are; moon, shoes, more, that, go, balloon, ball, book and lots of others that Mummy and Daddy haven’t heard yet (I like to babble to myself in my cot – it is my favourite place to practice!).

I’ve been spending lots of time playing with my friends and been on quite a few outings to the beach, as we’ve had some really lovely weather (in between the really bad days, when we sing ‘Incy, Wincy Spider lots!). My friend Amber and I love playing together. She keeps trying to tell me to take a break from all the running around I do and stop to eat something. She actually fed me a biscuit the other day as she was concerned I wasn’t eating enough. We love playing on the beach together and chasing balls.

I am really loving the moon at the moment. I love the story, ‘Papa Please Get The Moon For Me,’ by Eric Carle and keep pointing to the sky when it gets dark and trying to say ‘moon’. I actually saw the moon the other day, during the day time – which was very confusing as I thought I could only see the moon at night time. When it was a full moon it was so bright that a shaft of light crept through my skylight window and I awoke from my sleep and had to let Mummy and Daddy know – even though it was 2 o’clock in the morning!

This weekend Daddy bought me a glow in the dark moon, which is on my wall. I’m still waiting for him to get me the real one to play with – even just for a little while – but he says he needs to build a very, very long ladder – and that will take him a long, long time. Oh well!

But since he got me the glow in the dark moon I’ve started to sleep through the night – Mummy and Daddy are hoping it lasts! Did I tell you I have my first molar tooth? Well, I do. It hurt when it came through and I’m not looking forward to cutting the rest of my teeth, but they do help me eat lots of yummy food!

That’s all for now, lots of love to my family and friends, Charlotte xxx

I’m still waking up at night – but it’s just like when big people have alot of busy, stressful things going on in their lives and they can’t sleep, I’m doing alot of things too. I’m learning to talk, learning to walk and then I have these white, pearly things called teeth coming through my gums and hurting lots. Then there’s all the new food I’m eating. My digestive system is getting a real work out (which makes for much more interesting nappy changing – especially now that I can roll over in a millisecond and crawl away mid change!). But I am quite a good sleeper really. I go to bed between 6.30 and 7.00pm and sleep through till after 6.00am (but happen to wake up three times a night and need to be given a cuddle). During the day I usually have just over an hour’s nap in the morning and one in the afternoon and then play like crazy the rest of the time!

Oh – and did I forget to say – I talk and squeal lots too! Babble, babble, babble… and (one more thing!) I’m waving ‘hello’ and ‘goodbye’! Bye, bye for now!

I am now waving hello and goodbye at everyone (and everything – including cats, dogs, trees…!). I played in my paddling pool when the sun had his hat on and invited me out to play. But really it was Aunty Lucy who invited me, as she had rescued a paddling pool that had blown into our garden in the storms we’ve been having. She has beautiful sunflowers on her deck.

On Saturday I went swimming and went underneath the water, it reminded me of being in Mummy’s tummy. I practiced lying on my back, but didn’t like the swishing sound in my ears and stayed curled up like a ball, with my legs in the air!

I have also got a new tooth! My first top tooth!

I’ve had a lovely week and survived the terrible storms Wellington has been having. Daddy took me swimming this week and I went under the water for the first time, which I loved. At the weekend we went for a walk and played on the beach, where I got very excited playing with the sand, trying to eat the pebbles and squealing at the doggies.

Still no sign of any more teeth. I’m now enjoying solids more, especially all things sweet (my latest favourite is apple custard – yummy!). I also love ‘mousetraps’ (marmite on oven baked toast). Yummy, yummy, in my tummy!