Imogen Archives - Caitlin's Happy Heart

Book Review, books, Imogen, Uncategorized

Why Do Little Girls Like Unicorns? (Like Thelma the Unicorn)

February 16, 2015 10 Comments

Last week Scholastic Australia gifted us with a lovely new book by Aaron Blabey, “Thelma the Unicorn”. I was excited to see the book, because our family had really enjoyed his last best seller, Pig the Pug, so my expectations were high. Even with such high expectations, I was astonished how Imogen fell in love with the book the moment she saw the front cover.

She immediately gasped, grabbed the book declaring she loved it and demanded I read it instantly. It may have been that the title is featured in glitter. My girl doesn’t mind a bit of bling. I suspect that perhaps a small pink obsessed girl may have instantly been attentive because the cover also featured “her colour”. God help us if someone drinks out of the pink cup in our house. Princess over four brothers, she has a self proclaimed entitlement to all things pink. I have protested in vain that pink is everyone’s colour, it is not a girl’s colour. The four boys and little mademoiselle disagree and ignore my attempts to make colours gender neutral.

What I did not expect was the instant endearment she felt towards unicorns. The small girl has no exposure to unicorns up until this point. Yet after meeting Thelma she is besotted with them. How did that happen, I ask you? I mean Thelma was not even a real unicorn! She was a plain little ordinary pony who stuck a carrot on her nose and was fortunate enough to have a truck full of pink paint and glitter lose control and deposit the contents on her, making Thelma an overnight sensation.

Thelma immediately felt that she was special, and I have to say that my daughter agreed.

I am still perplexed. Why? Why are unicorns special? Truly, horns really aren’t that attractive are they? After all, it is a live bone with a coating of keratin and proteins. I know that unicorns have all sorts of magical abilities, and I can see that there can be an attractiveness with the myth. But my daughter fell in love with a pretend unicorn instantly!

I’m not sure whether Immy has altogether picked up the greater message in this book that to be happy with who you are is far more worthy than fame or celebrity. I’m hoping so, because it’s a message that all children, but particularly girls need to hear.

(I’m also hoping that this early exposure to the cruelties of fanatical fans and relentless media might discourage her from this young aged to never be a deranged stalker fan or loathsome paparazzi. You know, it’s always good to get some of those subliminal messages in there!)

In any case, even though this has opened my little girl’s eyes up to the perplexing beauty of unicorns, this is a darling book, and I think if we keep reading it. Not that I have a choice, she insists we reads it. She will get the real message in time! Interestingly, when I read to all the children, the boys instantly liked Thelma’s plain old mate Otis. They didn’t really get what the unicorn fuss was about, and were truly happy for Otis that Thelma decided to ditch the horn and become content being herself.

Linking today with Essentially Jess for IBOT.

Imogen, Jayden, toddler triplets

22 Month Old Triplets

August 10, 2013 1 Comment

Triplets at 22 months are full of energy. Lots and lots of energy. They seem to have reached a new level of development and are very keen to explore and always want something to do, but their concentration span is still limited. So during their waking hours life in our household proceeds at a frenetic pace.

Take for instance yesterday morning. I have photographic evidence documenting typical madness. The camera making the appearance because there was paint. Paint and toddlers always makes for good photos.

We now have a craft room. The craft room is out of bounds to the babies unless they are accompanied by an adult. They totally disregard this rule if the door is not shut. Normally the mess they make is throwing pencils around the room. Yesterday they discovered the paint stores. Actually, I should be specific. Imogen and Jayden discovered it. Toby was a good boy.

The culprits. I was in the middle of taking their clothes off when I had the bright idea to photograph their state. Why is it that of all the colours available, black had to be their favourite?

The scene of the crime. I am so glad that my beautiful purple formal dress had plastic over it.

The unrepentant duo. Kissing each other after a ‘job well done’.

Of course the third party wanted to join them in the bath. At which point I realised that the reason he had been so quite is he had been creating a huge dirty nappy. It was a pleasure to give him a bath after it had been changed.

Trent getting in on the action. Photobombing is a popular sport for my boys and their cousins at the moment. They prefer the bomb to not be so subtle, they just shove their face in front of the lens.

Sometimes it can get really hectic with dressing the trio after their bath. Such as in this picture. Jayden and Immy wanted to get out of the bath at the same time. Desperately. I got Jayden out, went and put Playschool on, got Immy out, started dressing her, she ran away and in the meantime Toby starts playing with the taps, so he was out too, so I just dressed them one by one in front of the television.

Later that afternoon, they had a debrief about the whole affair. I’m sure it was a debrief. It couldn’t possibly be a planning meeting about further exploits. Could it?

Isn’t it great though, that you can be so incredibly busy and have so much to accomplish in maintaining a home, but God can be teaching you so much to develop your character at the same time. Patience really isn’t one of my strongest virtues, and I can be prone to panic. Having triplets is helping me to learn to stay calm, get things done, one bit (or person) at a time, deal with the most urgent need and working my way down the scale. It helps to remember that I am one person, and doing my best is absolutely good enough.

Today I’m linking up with Graced Simplicity

family life, Imogen, Missy

Imogen's Chair Obsession

October 23, 2012 10 Comments

It’s normal for us females to have little obsessions. Shoes are a popular weakness. Handbags are another thing that females can develop an obsession for. Jewellery makes some go weak at the knees. And the thing about these female obsessions, age appears to be no barrier. Little girls go clomping about in Mummy’s high heels wearing their plastic beads and swinging a little handbag.

My girl has developed her first love.

She likes chairs.

This was the first time she discovered she could climb up onto a chair by herself. She then sat their like a queen and watched the boys playing with a regal air.

In the next few days we travelled up to my parent’s beach house for a holiday. Imogen was overjoyed to discover some chairs there. Once again, she was happy to recline and supervise.

From then on, you never knew when you would turn around and discover you were being observed from her seat of prominence.

I know she’s in the same outfit as the first photo, but it is a different day. The wine behind her isn’t hers. Although she did discover it before I remembered I had put it in such a foolhardy spot. I’m happy to report that neither girl or wine was harmed thanks to super quick Mummy reflexs.

The many faces showing the delight that chair sitting brings.

And a little chair is an excellent perspective upon which to enjoy one’s birthday balloons.

And then one day it seemed that kiddy chairs were no longer sufficient. I walk into the lounge room to discover little Missy calmly sitting on the lounge chair reading a catalogue. Although it appears when you are only just one page turning is tricky.

Next she discovered the tub chair. She was pretty proud of herself.

The boys joined in. They all thought it was a fun chair to hang out in.

(Until Missy crash tackled one to the ground rather than share it. No really it’s true!)

But back in the early days, the boys would have done well to heed this warning face. Basically it means, “You toucha ma chair, I breaka your face.”

Because the other day Toby was discovered sitting on HER chair. Immediate action was initiated.

And before you knew it, she showed him who is boss of all chairs within this house! You sit on my chair, I sit on you.

What are you obsessed with? (Or do you have a child with a strange obsession?)