Silence - not always golden

You know those times as mothers when you just have stuff to do and can't seem to get it done. Well, yesterday I needed to do some things and Percy just wasn't ready for his afternoon nap - thanks to a spectacularly long morning nap. Cutie was down for the count so I just let Percy play about the house. I went into the office to work on the computer and rejoiced that he doesn't require the constant entertainment his sister needs - yet. I checked on him a few times and then got busy with the stuff I was doing. You know how it is. At first you're just thankful for the peace and then you realize the peace has gone on too long. And then I heard the bang of an upstairs door.

I made a quick leap up the stairs and was met with complete silence. I thought Percy may have made his way into his sister's room and woken her up, but the door was still closed. I made a quick search of the remaining rooms. No Percy. No sounds. I cautiously opened the bedroom door and there he was (did he know that closing the door would buy him more time?) holding onto Cutie's headboard and pulling at her hair. She must have been sound asleep because she just rolled over and I snatched him away before any squeals of protest could even begin to register in his brain.

As I turned to go back downstairs, this is what met my eye:

They come out with such geometric precision, mommy. A guy's just gotta appreciate that.

So what do you do? Run downstairs for the camera and catch all the nautiness on film. Fortunately, in the realm of messiness and waste, this one was pretty minor, but wow does Percy love that nappy wipe box!

Sleeping

Percy likes to wake up between 5 and 6am most days. He sometimes coos contentedly in his cot, but more often, he sets up a racket that would wake the dead. I've tried all sorts of things, including the "you will too wait until 6:30 to eat!" route. Hubby is a bit of a softer touch than I am (and possibly a bit brighter some days, but don't tell him that) and he was very concerned that our little guy might be wasting away in hunger so early in the morning.

See, daddy's right. I am starving.

So this weekend, he put his theory to the test with the evening "wheetbix challenge". For the non-Australians, it's a breakfast cereal. Cutie, of course, needed to get in on the action, too.

After a sizable evening meal and a bath, everyone trooped downstairs for snacktime. It was held, for some strange reason, in the doorway of the kitchen just in front of the refrigerator, but who am I to question these things. Three and a half wheetbix later, Percy declared it a day.

Well, okay, maybe I'm not starving after all.

Cutie finished the remnants and everyone gathered upstairs to finish the evening routine. By now, I know you're waiting with bated breath to hear if the solution worked. Unfortunately, the next day was an early rise for everyone so could we test it, NO. We have continued the official evening snack - now migrated to the living room to watch the World Cup highlights - for five days now. He certainly wakes up happier, but he was up at 5:15 this morning. The jury is still out.