Sayings of the Mancub

Time for an update on the children methinks. Especially as the confident predictions of the lawyers have come to nothing and we've been told today that permit things are unlikely to be resolved this week.

So, let's start with the sayings of the Mancub. He is two now and talking nineteen to the dozen, with an ever expanding vocabulary, but without Kitty's clear diction at the same age, so only Mama and Daddy tend to understand a lot of his chat, and even we struggle occasionally.

When thinking about a response to a question, he tends to "ummm" as well as the rest of us, but can be very polite too.

"what would you like to drink?" "ummm....milk pead Mama"

"Mancub not find dat car, not anywhere"

"Mancub rowdies not on properly" (Mancub's trousers not on properly)

during a debate about the likely existence of a second gate as beautifully decorated as one we pass every day, he declared definitively "two peacock gates actually"

"where Mama gone?"

"do dat own" is a frequent and insistent refrain,  now occasionally varied by "do dat on self"

"unna one bikpik" (another one biscuit)

He likes to eat "bango" and "bambamboot" (mango and passionfruit) for breakfast and "odip" (olives) at lunch, although occasionally he's suspicious of the quality of the fruit.


"dat one not bery good at all"

Tonight, through the baby monitor, we heard the usual procrastination ruses first, those undoubtably familiar  to most parents of young children: "Mancub want drink water", "Mancub need do wee in potty", "Mancub got notty bit" (i.e. wipe my nose), "Mancub nappy not bery uncomfortable" (slight confusion there) and then "Mama mama mama mama....." Then, a new one, at least for the start of the night (sadly increasingly common at about 5.30/6.00 ish): "Mancub got soggy bit". Wondering how he could possibly have sogged through his nappy already I went in to find the soggy bit was actually the sheet under his head. When asked how it got so soggy the response was "Mancub eat it". On turning the lights on I discovered that this also included having chewed several holes in the sheet.... where do they get these ideas from?

He knows how to save a situation and melt our hearts again though. Often the last thing we hear as we're leaving the room having said goodnight, is (repeating what he hears)

"Mama n Daddy love oo bery bery much"

What else is he up to? Playing with cars, trains, cars, buses, cars, cement mixers, cars, nee-nahs, cars, lorries and cars. These have to be "brummed" very seriously along the sofas or along the lines on Mama and Daddy's quilt, and then all lined up facing the same way in the 'carpark', and Mama has to count them. Enjoying occasional playtimes in Kitty's school playground, especially the trampoline, slides and sandpit. Loves going for walks through the shambas (little fields, banana plantations etc) in our area, especially when there are puddles and mud to wade through. Very into helping bake and decorate cakes and biscuits. Lots of songs with actions and LOTS of dancing round in circles to music like a demented wilderbeest. Getting almost 100% proficient with the potty now and increasingly keen on the 'chupis' (pants) Granny and Grandad brought out for him. Will always wear bright green or orange given the choice. Loves books, especially ones with flaps or noises and especially Thomas the Tank Engine and Spot doggy or his all time favourite "You Choose". Jumping on top of Mama and Daddy and trying to squash us flat. Jumping off just about everything. Oh, and racing around the house after a bath shouting "'Ello mister naked boy!"

What about Kitty? She is 5 and getting more grown up all the time. She is getting very good at reading her reading scheme books and has a go at other books, labels, cereal box info etc as well. Her vocab is also expanding rapidly. She told me today that "originally there were 9 planets in our solar system but because Pluto is so small they have decided that it's not really a planet, so now there are only 8". They have been studying space at school and she is very into it. She decided to tell me all about it on the way home from school today, telling me the names of all the planets, whether they are gas or rock planets, whether they are close to the sun and hot or far away. Which ones have rings or moons etc. She seems to have Mr B's ability to not only be interested in lots of detailed factual information, but also to retain it. Definitely not one of my traits. She has a few little friends now, one of whom, sadly, has just left. She likes, occasionally, to have them over, but is very happy playing on her own a lot of the time. She is still very heavily into drawing, painting, stickering and anything else arty crafty. She makes up a lot of games, which I get drawn into playing with her, and also creates schools, houses, palaces etc for her imaginary friends out of building blocks, duplo etc. Esmerelda, her imaginary mouse friend, is still with us, although we don't hear about her as often as we used to. Esmerelda's cousins Bella and Polly, Molly and Jolly are normally somewhere close by too. Occasionally baby Grace joins our family, or Tawana, depending on which dress Kitty is wearing. She loves to go to the pool or playgrounds.

They are both looking forward to our trip back to the UK in the summer. I think the Mancub is most keen on seeing his cousins Mog and Little Fish again, and, of course, going on a plane, whereas the highlights for Kitty are going to a fish and chip shop and apple picking. Mr B's looking forward to catching up with old friends, and Mama's looking forward to seeing some new babies... and chocolate not costing the earth as well.