What we're up to (not much)

It's that time of year when you just yearn for a bit of good weather and some good health. We are still in various stages of sickness here, with Maymuna being virtually recovered (on her last day of antibiotics), Hafsa's ear infection being recently discovered she is just starting her 10 day course of amoxicillin, I am slowly but surely getting better (I think), and my mother, poor mother, has just come down with this brutal bug, a sore throat and sinus headache being her first symptoms early this morning. She only came to help while Ozayr was away and look what we did to her. Shame!

Also in the arena of punishing the undeserving, Nan has become the participant-under-duress in Maymuna's new fascination with board games. We had a few cool games in Maymuna's closet which I tried to play with her about 6 months ago. It turns out there are certain cognitive hurdles you need to jump before you can properly play a board game... There's the idea of taking turns. Of rules to follow. The idea of representing yourself with a little game piece. And attention span. Attention span is very important. Without attention span your Dora game pieces end up having a little tea party half way to the fiesta. Needless to say, it didn't work out before, but recently Maymuna has been very receptive to playing organized games and we've had some fun playing Candyland (Dora version) and Caribou especially. I am thinking of getting her Snakes & Ladders and seeing if she enjoys that. Anyway, Nan is kind of captive at the moment, and is constantly being enlisted to play Diego to Maymuna's Dora. I think she's enjoying it right now, but will probably be happy never to see (or hear) another Quacking Duck Memory Game again.

Hafsa is still quite a bouncy girl, despite her ear infection and cold. She has given Nan a few little surprises and I think she secretly enjoys shocking us a bit. I must admit I am surprised how much she is learning to do, and how fast. Last night I was reading to Maymuna, I looked up and Hafsa walked past me carrying the diaper wipes box. She's barely stable on two feet, but still feels the intense need to carry things. But it makes her a less efficient walker so... two minutes later I looked up again, she walked past pushing her walker with the diaper wipes box balanced on top!

Some of these new 'tricks' are less exciting and more worrisome... We turned around in Old Navy the other day and she was standing up in her stroller, despite the fact that she had been strapped in. Then last night, we looked away for a moment (like "where's that towel? oh here it is") and there she was, standing up in her bath seat. She's turning into quite the little Houdini... so we are keeping a fierce eye on her... and tightening her highchair straps.

As for me, my voice is finally back, and I am feeling a bit better than I have for the past week. Having my mum's great company has certainly helped to keep my spirits up. Ozayr gets back from Mexico tomorrow and then we can infect him too - mwaahahahahaa!