Coffee, swimming and more coffee!!!

Thursday 30th October 2008

Hi All,

A very busy week in the McGovern household. We had a busy day on Friday doing a big supermarket shop - mummy was cooking a stuffed lamb dish as we had a friend staying over. So on Saturday morning I woke up to say hello to Jo - who I knew in Hong Kong (and is mentioned in an earlier blog, if you were paying attention, as she bought me George!!!) Anyway, mummy went off to get her haircut and me, daddy and Jo went for coffee and then we all went out to Dempsey Hill for some brunch. Daddy went off to play football in the Citibank Olympics - he won a silver medal and also played in the frisbee final, Jo headed off to the airport and me and mummy went home to chill and pig out on the choccies that Jo bought us (thankyou Jo!!)

It was a bank holiday weekend in Singapore because it is Deepavali (Diwali as we would say), so we had a long weekend with daddy which was nice. We went to Turf City on Sunday to see the farm animals, but we went to the wrong bit so ended up looking at cars instead!! Then on Monday we headed out to Vivo City with thoughts about heading off to Sentosa Island and seeing some fishes - but we ended up being attracted by the bright lights of the shops and did not make it out of the shopping centre. We went to a Brazilian restaurant for lunch though - which was all you can eat meat - mummy and daddy enjoyed it, but they tried feeding me my lunch of Cauliflower Cheese and carrot - in a place called Carnivore (!!) needless to say I refused to eat anything (except for my yoghurt which i never refuse!)

Speaking of meat, I have had two beef dishes this week, both of which were lovely. My beef hot pot was lumpy and i ate it with no complaints and i even managed bolognaise with pasta (i have refused pasta before) so mummy is very happy.

We missed our music class this week as it was a bank holiday, but mummy has been playing the songs to me at home. On Tuesday we headed out to the River to meet Hannah and Charlotte. They are from the UK and Charlotte is 11 months old, but she was born very early and should actually be a day younger than me. We are both very similar in the things we are learning to do, so it was nice to play, chat and compare notes!! On Wednesday we had swimming which was really good fun, me and David went swimming to the bottom of the pool to pick up sticks, I did a bit of choking when i got back to mummy as i think i got too excited and drank some of the water, but everyone was very impressed that I managed that on my 4th lesson. Then today we went out with some more babies - Ava and Oscar who are both 4 months old and Mia who we have met before who is a few weeks younger than me. It was quite nice being the oldest (as most of the classes i go to i am the youngest) although mummy said that it means i have to be on my best behaviour as I am setting an example!!!

This weeks photo's are of me dressed up as Tigger in the outfit that Anna and Mark bought for me. Me in my new swimsuit getting ready to go swimming - it is an O'Neills one with the proper pull cord at the back - surfer chick!! The last one is of me and daddy on Bank Holiday Monday playing with my new toy - am not sure that daddy was all that interested in it!!

Hope you are still all enjoying hearing about everything I am getting up to in Singapore and that it is not getting too cold for you all "back home".

Sunshiney smiles to all

Eleanor xx

Teeth

Thursday 23rd October 2008

We have had another busy week. We met up with more Hong Kong people on Saturday night, we headed out to Robertson Walk to meet Lou who daddy used to play football with and his wife and daughter. It was a really nice evening and we did not get home until 10.30 - I was very good all night, mummy and daddy thought that I might go to sleep in my pram, but no chance, i was having too much fun!! We also went swimming at the weekend which is always fun and I enjoyed splashing around in the pool.

I have tried some more food this week. Daddy made me some beef and it was really scrummy think that it might be my favourite food so far. I also had a pea and courgette soup, which looks very disgusting but tastes really nice. I also had some really nice bread when we were out for dinner, mummy keeps giving me bread and i keep saying no - but the nice bread in the restaurant i really loved - think that i might have expensive tastes!!

My two front teeth have just about arrived, we can see them in my mouth and they are nearly the whole way through. I have started brushing my teeth this week as well, I watched daddy on Sunday and then copied him (although mummy helped me). I have nice banana and strawberry flavour toothpaste and i think daddy was a bit jealous!!

I am still busy singing and swimming, both of which I am really enjoying. Mummy is really improving her drumming skills, I just keep laughing at her and eating the sticks, but when I am bored of eating I do join in. I am enjoying the bouncy ball/horseriding bit now as well. My swimming is improving as well, although I am not kicking yet, I am going deeper under water now and David actually let me go this week so that i "swam" towards mummy!!

Enjoy this weeks pictures. They are of me playing peekaboo, me brushing my teeth and me getting ready to go out for a walk - with my factor 50 sun lotion on, sunhat, muslin covering me and hood up - no chance of that nasty sun getting me!!

take care and big kisses to all

Eleanor xx

Daddy

Thursday 16th October

Daddy returned from his travels at the weekend which was lovely. It was so nice to see him again and I have spent the whole week following him around and saying dada-dada constantly, much to mummy's annoyance.

On Monday we had some more visitors, Rhydian and Elizabeth came to stay for a couple of days. They arrived after I had gone to bed and I was a bit shocked when I was eating my weetabix quite happily and a big ginger welsh man suddenly appeared!!! However, he did make me laugh and played with all of my toys (mummy checked my toy bucket before he left to make sure they were all still there!!) The picture at the top shows me with Rhydian and Elizabeth before they flew off to KL and Borneo to see the orangutans.

I have been busy with singing and swimming again. We started a new music topic this week and the group seem really nice, Maurice (my German friend is still in the same group which is nice) We played with bouncy balls, triangles and drums - I liked the noise of the triangle but enjoyed eating the beater more!! Swimming was really good fun as well - I went fully under the water this week with David holding me and I was really good and enjoyed most of the class.

Unfortunately my teeth are really hurting at the minute and I have ended up crying during my lunch and dinner as I am hungry and love my food, but it hurts my teeth so I do not know what to do!! I have also been causing problems for mummy as i managed to change the computer screen to zoom so the screen kept moving around and then i ripped a key off the keypad - ooops!! I also managed to send a text to daddy without mummy knowing - think i might have picked up a techno-gene from somewhere.

Well that was this week I think. Hope you enjoy the pictures

Ellie xx

Singing and swimming

Thursday 9th October 2008

We have had a slightly busier week this week. As well as the usual coffee and malls, we have started a couple of new classes.

On Monday afternoon we started Kindermusik class. This was really good fun as we sang songs and played with different instruments, we used maracas (like giant lollipops and i enjoyed eating them) and drums with mallets (again big sticks with lollipop ends) and we also bounced in time to the music on a bouncy ball. We hid under the parachute at the end and our mummies had to come and find us. I made friend with a german boy - he is slightly bigger than me and kept walking up to me and making me giggle - we kept hugging each other (but don't tell daddy!!) We start a new topic next Monday, called Rhythm of the Day, so there will be lots of new songs to sing.

We have also started Aquaducks on Wednesday. I love being in the swimming pool and it was nice to meet some other babies in the pool as well who are the same age as me. I am the youngest in the class of 5, but i think i did quite well. I was splashing with Hannah in the pool, she has just turned one, but we are the same height as each other!!! The instructor is really nice, he is called Dave, (mummy says he looks like Wentworth Miller!!) and he played some fun games with us, we went on a speedboat (float) and played Humpty Dumpty by jumping off the side of the pool into the water!! Some of the bigger babies, swam (very briefly) under the water to their mummies, but i just whizzed through the water to mummy, for now!!!

Other news. I am now facing forwards in my pushchair, as mummy was fed up of me twisting round the whole time when i was facing her. I have now had minestrone soup, which I love lots and lots, shepherds pie (without the shepherds which i am not that keen on yet) and chicken and vegetable gratin, which i really love.

I am still chewing on everything in sight and biting mummy all the time, but there is still no sign of those elusive front two teeth. Fingers crossed they will arrive soon as my mouth is really sore - my frozen teething rings are definitely my favourite toy at the moment.

Anyway, will say bye for now. Daddy is home on Saturday, so I am sure he will update you in the next blog on how grown up I am now!!

love to all

Eleanor xxx

Fast cars and beaches

Thursday 2nd October

Mummy and I have been visiting more shopping malls in an attempt to find things and keep in the nice cool air con this week. Although we have been good and have not spent too much of daddy's hard earned money whilst he is away. Largely because all the shops are now getting their winter clothes in - winter in Singapore?! 30 degrees - anyone for tights and woolly jumpers!!

Anyway, we had the Grand Prix this weekend. We listened from the balcony but could not hear any of the cars. We did however meet up with Rob and Vicky from Hong Kong who were in town for the GP. It was lovely to catch up and I have attached a photo of our afternoon coffee session.

It has rained this week in the late afternoons which has stopped us from making it out into the pool - we managed friday and that was it. However we did make it down to the beach today to meet up with Jadie and baby Mia. Mia is only 3 weeks younger than me and one of my friends from HK who has moved out to Singapore as well. It was lovely to catch up and I had my first experience of sand - not quite sure what all the fuss is about and yes Uncle Jonathan I agree, it is just annoying when it all gets stuck between your toes!!

Mummy has been busy cooking this week, so I have tried corn chowder, vegetable broth and macaroni cheese. I have also had some bread and butter, but was not that keen on it and spat it out. Apple yoghurt has also been added to my list of puddings. I love my food and mummy is a bit worried about how quickly I gobble it all down - she usually cannot get the food on the spoon before I am sitting with my mouth open awaiting the next lot!! (unless it is something nasty she is trying to feed me - like pasta and veg - yuck!!)

Well, will say bye bye for now.

Speak to you all next week

kisses

El x