Getting better and updates (Anna)

Emma's on the mend, after a brutal four days of fever, crying and misery. The only part I didn't join in on was the fever. And Caroline's program has launched, which is quite the relief.

Heroes of the week:

- Our next-door neighbours, for bringing us a meal (a healthy meal!) one night when cooking felt impossible. There was even enough for lunch the next day. You have earned yourself loyalty for life.

- Our neighbour a few doors down, for making it possible for me to attend Caroline's opening ceremony, and taking Emma for a while when she started climbing up the seats, so that I could see the performance of my script. Thank you!

- The little blue truck, whose beeping through the city has got us through many long hours over the past few days. I love you dearly, little blue truck, and if there has to be a favourite book that gets read over and over...and over and over...I'm glad it's you. But, really, I would be happy never to see you ever again. I predict that you will get lost under the bed in the very near future.


A few updates:

Emma is now tall enough to reach for a bowl of cereal on the kitchen bench and upend it all over her head. Our knowledge of this new trick is, unfortunately, more than just theoretical.

Yesterday, one of her sandals was wet (why was her sandal wet? Oh right. Somebody in our house likes to throw things into the bath...I've tried to tell Caroline to stop it...) She put her foot in it, and then said "No. Wet. No". When did our daughter start to have a problem with wearing wet sandals? And when did she learn the word "wet"?

When she wakes up from a nap on our bed, instead of bawling and waiting for us to go and get her, she happily wriggles off the bed, toddles to the top of the stairs and calls "Mumma?"

She loves to identify everyone. She points to me. "Mumma". She points to Caroline. "Mumma" (we say, "Mummy!" and she repeats Mummy, but then reverts back to Mumma.) And then she points to herself and says "Em-ma."

Alas, gone are the days when any book would do as long as she was cuddled up on our laps and could turn the pages. Now she has - horror! - preferences and will say no ten times if she needs to before we offer her the book she wants.

She is crazy about cars, buses, trucks and aeroplanes.