We're glad the snow has gone. Lily especially didn't like going out on the ice, so we ended up feeling stuck in the house.
Trying to get her out of the house would just turn into a song and dance.
(If the version below isn't HD and you're desperate for that, you can see it larger here.)
Happy birthday big girl!
This video was supposed to be done by last Monday, to go online to celebrate Lily's fourth birthday. However, Windows Live Movie Maker turned out to be a dog (or to be more fair seems to have an issue with video created by the make of camera I have). After a few wasted evenings I turned to a trial of Sony Vegas Movie Studio 9, and thing I may now buy it.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Fork 'andles
It's Lily's fourth birthday on Monday, and we had her birthday party today in our house. In previous years we've thrown a big bash in a hired hall for Lily, jointly with two other kids born in the same week. With many of the kids now having younger siblings, and entertaining four year olds being different to younger kids, we didn't do that this year. Instead we had a much smaller gathering with only five guests Lily's age, plus parents and siblings. It was a shame to downsize so much, but it was still plenty for us to handle!
It went well I think. Well, Lily enjoyed herself, and no one got hurt. Win! We started with some dancing games, and a few rounds of pass the parcel. I'd wanted to use some inappriopriate music (I'd suggested Creep byt Radiohead) but settled for Brown Eyed Girl, Yellow Submarine and Let's Stick Together.
After pass the parcel, I took the kids into the front room for some more games. I'd got some modelling balloons and a pump from Amazon, and was aiming to learn how to do a balloon dog. I leaned first how to do a sword, and learned the dog later. By this morning I could do these two relatively confidently. I planned to give these as prizes for musical bumps, dead lions etc. I made a load before the party, since I figured making them each time would slow proceedings down and the kids would get antsy. As it was the baloons went down better than the games and it decended into me making dogs and sword in the requested colours. And the kids having baloon sword fights. The baloons I'd made beforehand are now making our house resemble a baloon graveyard.
Anne made a castle cake (egg free, natch). She was happy with her baking, but not with the icing. Egg free cake tends to be a bit crumbly. It looked like a castle though, Lily recognised it as a castle when it was revealed, and the chocolate finger drawbridge was a big hit.
It went well I think. Well, Lily enjoyed herself, and no one got hurt. Win! We started with some dancing games, and a few rounds of pass the parcel. I'd wanted to use some inappriopriate music (I'd suggested Creep byt Radiohead) but settled for Brown Eyed Girl, Yellow Submarine and Let's Stick Together.
After pass the parcel, I took the kids into the front room for some more games. I'd got some modelling balloons and a pump from Amazon, and was aiming to learn how to do a balloon dog. I leaned first how to do a sword, and learned the dog later. By this morning I could do these two relatively confidently. I planned to give these as prizes for musical bumps, dead lions etc. I made a load before the party, since I figured making them each time would slow proceedings down and the kids would get antsy. As it was the baloons went down better than the games and it decended into me making dogs and sword in the requested colours. And the kids having baloon sword fights. The baloons I'd made beforehand are now making our house resemble a baloon graveyard.
Anne made a castle cake (egg free, natch). She was happy with her baking, but not with the icing. Egg free cake tends to be a bit crumbly. It looked like a castle though, Lily recognised it as a castle when it was revealed, and the chocolate finger drawbridge was a big hit.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Santa's visit
Season's greetings and all that everyone. We're off to my mum's for a few days. I'll leave you with some photos of the girls meeting Santa last weekend. Lily was impressed, Bella less so.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Simon says she's a sly one
On Saturday evening I was getting Lily dry and into her pyjamas after her bath. This can sometimes be a fraught time, with the girls tired and their parents tired too. I entertained Lily with a new game.
"Do you know how to play Simon Says?" I asked Lily?
"No."
She'll enjoy this, I thought. I explained the rules to her once, but knew the best way to teach it to her was to play it.
I began: "Simon says put your hand on your tummy".
She complied.
"Simon says put your hands on your head".
Again, she followed my (or Simon's) orders.
"Simon says put your hands on your shoulders.".
She obeys again. Now I'll catch her out.
"Put your hands on your ears."
She remained with her hands on her cheeks, and her expression slowly changed from one of innocence to one of extreme cheekiness. Could she really have understood the game first time?
"Simon says put your hands on your bum."
Hands on bum.
"Simon says nod your head."
Head nodded.
"Simon says shake your head."
Head shook.
"Stick out your tongue."
Nothing. Nothing but an even more cheeky expression.
I was flabberghasted. Surely I could outwit a three (nearly four) year old at Simon Says. "Are you sure you've never played this before Lily?" I asked.
"We play it at nursery Daddy. I was tricking you."
I was shocked. I don't think she's ever shown such concious deception and trickery before. I think we may be in trouble here.
I'll teach her to play Risk next. Surely I can win at that?
"Do you know how to play Simon Says?" I asked Lily?
"No."
She'll enjoy this, I thought. I explained the rules to her once, but knew the best way to teach it to her was to play it.
I began: "Simon says put your hand on your tummy".
She complied.
"Simon says put your hands on your head".
Again, she followed my (or Simon's) orders.
"Simon says put your hands on your shoulders.".
She obeys again. Now I'll catch her out.
"Put your hands on your ears."
She remained with her hands on her cheeks, and her expression slowly changed from one of innocence to one of extreme cheekiness. Could she really have understood the game first time?
"Simon says put your hands on your bum."
Hands on bum.
"Simon says nod your head."
Head nodded.
"Simon says shake your head."
Head shook.
"Stick out your tongue."
Nothing. Nothing but an even more cheeky expression.
I was flabberghasted. Surely I could outwit a three (nearly four) year old at Simon Says. "Are you sure you've never played this before Lily?" I asked.
"We play it at nursery Daddy. I was tricking you."
I was shocked. I don't think she's ever shown such concious deception and trickery before. I think we may be in trouble here.
I'll teach her to play Risk next. Surely I can win at that?
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Lily's a panto diva (Oh no she isn't!)
My mum got tickets to the Welwyn Garden City pantomime for Saturday. She and I took Lily along. I was unsure whether Lily was old enough for a panto. I figured she'd be OK but you can never tell. It was perfectly possible she'd be bored or scared and wanting to leave after ten minutes.
The panto was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She's into her Disney Princesses (shudder) so that gave us a better start than, say, Aladin. She was most impressed when Granny gave her a Snow White dress to wear there. Having been to play barns and kids' parties over the last few years I fully expected Lily to be one of many girls there dressed in these ubiquitous outfits. As it was there was just one other little girl dressed as Snow White. There isn't a Disney Store in WGC, so maybe these clothes aren't as widespread there as they are in Cambridge (though I notice you can get then in Sainsburys and Tesco nowadays).
As we walked in people were commenting on her dress, and Lily strolled through the foyer seemingly unfazed by all the affection, as if saying "Yes, I'm a beautiful princess. Deal with it."
We were soon appraoched by one of the staff who asked if Lily would be OK with going up on stage at the end of the show to do the teapot dance (not a request I often get myself when visit the theatre, but I live in hope). They gave me a numbered card, and I warned the lady I didn't know how Lily would cope with the panto and we may have to leave early. She told me that was fine, they always lose a few and that there were three loud bangs in the show.
Lily enjoyed the show a lot. She was taken aback by the first bang, so sat watching the show with her fingers in her ears until the third bang had passed. Other kids were scared of the baddies, and I heard a couple screaming they wanted to leave, but baddies don't really bother Lily (she's fine with them in Disney films and anyway panto villains are at about the level of Robbie Rotten in Lazytown, Lily's current favourite show on TV).
She kept asking if it was time for her to go on stage yet. I was a little concerned. If she was scared of loud bangs, how would she cope with going onstage in front of hundreds of people and performing. It was a long show - about two hours and twenty minutes in total, but when the time came for the four chosen kids to go on stage I took her to the steps and she went up to meet Muddles, the child-like main character. He complemented her on her dress, which again she took in her stride. ("What? This old thing?")
He asked the kids questions, and a copuple were too shy to answer. Lily had no problem, and answered. He asked some kids what they'd asked for for Christmas. I was hoping he'd ask Lily, since her plans had now been thrown out as she'd been planning to ask for an umbrella and a princess dress. She'd now changed that to an umbrella and (for some reason) a mouse outfit, which I thought would sound suitably odd. He didn't ask her that, but she answered his questions confidently and then proceeded to do the teapot dance ("I'm a little teapot...") with aplomb. She was the youngest (and by far the smallest) on stage, and I suspect the shyness shown by a couple of the other kids will come with age. Lily didn't seem affected by performing in front of hundreds, I'm guessing partly because she couldn't see much of the audience due to the bright lights.
I got my camera out to take a photo. My mum told me I wouldn't be allowed to take photos in the theatre. I realised she was right. I took one anyway, got told off by a member of staff and said I had no idea. I got a photo out of it, and realised I'm one of those parents who thinks the rules don't apply to me because my child is special.
Lily was given a goody bag to leave the stage with, in which she showed no interest even though it contained a balloon and a chocolate selection box. She acted as though it was all nothing while it made her granny's and my day.
The panto was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. She's into her Disney Princesses (shudder) so that gave us a better start than, say, Aladin. She was most impressed when Granny gave her a Snow White dress to wear there. Having been to play barns and kids' parties over the last few years I fully expected Lily to be one of many girls there dressed in these ubiquitous outfits. As it was there was just one other little girl dressed as Snow White. There isn't a Disney Store in WGC, so maybe these clothes aren't as widespread there as they are in Cambridge (though I notice you can get then in Sainsburys and Tesco nowadays).
As we walked in people were commenting on her dress, and Lily strolled through the foyer seemingly unfazed by all the affection, as if saying "Yes, I'm a beautiful princess. Deal with it."
We were soon appraoched by one of the staff who asked if Lily would be OK with going up on stage at the end of the show to do the teapot dance (not a request I often get myself when visit the theatre, but I live in hope). They gave me a numbered card, and I warned the lady I didn't know how Lily would cope with the panto and we may have to leave early. She told me that was fine, they always lose a few and that there were three loud bangs in the show.
Lily enjoyed the show a lot. She was taken aback by the first bang, so sat watching the show with her fingers in her ears until the third bang had passed. Other kids were scared of the baddies, and I heard a couple screaming they wanted to leave, but baddies don't really bother Lily (she's fine with them in Disney films and anyway panto villains are at about the level of Robbie Rotten in Lazytown, Lily's current favourite show on TV).
She kept asking if it was time for her to go on stage yet. I was a little concerned. If she was scared of loud bangs, how would she cope with going onstage in front of hundreds of people and performing. It was a long show - about two hours and twenty minutes in total, but when the time came for the four chosen kids to go on stage I took her to the steps and she went up to meet Muddles, the child-like main character. He complemented her on her dress, which again she took in her stride. ("What? This old thing?")
He asked the kids questions, and a copuple were too shy to answer. Lily had no problem, and answered. He asked some kids what they'd asked for for Christmas. I was hoping he'd ask Lily, since her plans had now been thrown out as she'd been planning to ask for an umbrella and a princess dress. She'd now changed that to an umbrella and (for some reason) a mouse outfit, which I thought would sound suitably odd. He didn't ask her that, but she answered his questions confidently and then proceeded to do the teapot dance ("I'm a little teapot...") with aplomb. She was the youngest (and by far the smallest) on stage, and I suspect the shyness shown by a couple of the other kids will come with age. Lily didn't seem affected by performing in front of hundreds, I'm guessing partly because she couldn't see much of the audience due to the bright lights.
I got my camera out to take a photo. My mum told me I wouldn't be allowed to take photos in the theatre. I realised she was right. I took one anyway, got told off by a member of staff and said I had no idea. I got a photo out of it, and realised I'm one of those parents who thinks the rules don't apply to me because my child is special.
Lily was given a goody bag to leave the stage with, in which she showed no interest even though it contained a balloon and a chocolate selection box. She acted as though it was all nothing while it made her granny's and my day.
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