Leila Rose Petal

While we were at Sovereign Hill, some tourists were fussing over Leila. It started with her smiling at them, then one lady took to pushing Leila’s curls off her face as she ate her icypole. In the end, the were all taking turns sitting with Leila and getting their photos taken.

This did seem a little odd but the tourists were having a lovely time and so was Leila.

Leila has really enjoyed Christmas this year. She knows all about presents and his keen to wrap them. She got two dolls. The first is a massive baby from Santa/Mum and Dad and is called Lucy. The second, chosen as a present by Finn, is dressed in a lamb costume. They are, by far, his favourite presents. She also got lots of games, toys, puzzles, and clothes.

Right now, she is sitting in front of Curious George which is her new favourite film.

Food and Drink
“Can my hab a sammidge?” – with pouty face and peering out from under eyelids.
“I want joooce!”
“I want a tocklate”
“Can my hab my toast?”
“Can my hab a bickit?”
“I not habbing any beckfast/lunch/dinner.”

Clothes
“I not wearing dis one”
“No dress for my”
“I want sheep/rabbit tshirt!”
“Where my shoes?”
“No socks for my”
“I want underpants.”
“Tshirt off!”
“Pants off!”

Pets
“Catty!”
“I not touching de black cat.” (Grandma’s cat is black and grumpy)
“Zelda’s hiding”
“Dog! Go ‘way!”
“Indilooo!”
“Not gibbing my dinner to dogs. I eat it!”

Out and About
“Finn at gool.”
“We go a Gym Monkeys.”
“We go in my wed car”
“Look! It’s Bumblebee!!” (any yellow car)
“Look! It’s Op’mus!!” (any red or blue truck)
“I go bikewide with Dad. I go in a twailer.”
“Can we go to Grandma’s now?”

Playing
“You don’t grab my babies!”
“Where my baby ellent?”
“Where my mummy ellent?”
“I made a wobot!”
“Can my hab playdough?”
“Can my do dwawing?”
“No Finn! Gib it a me!”
“Can my hab playschool?”

My Puzzle! by MarkOMeara

She really does love her puzzles.

Whenever we play games together, Leila loves to be involved. Tonight we had a new tin of marbles and Leila dutifully sat down on the floor to play with Finn and I.

She was really good at copying our behaviour, at taking terms, and about being lovely the whole time. She’ll go far.

Leila has taken to puzzles recently like a duck takes to water. At first we did most of the work and she issues instructions and offered the occasional piece. Now she is managing twenty piece puzzles all on her own. Admittedly, she has done them before, but she is still very confident, clever, and determined.

Puzzle by Nicky P

Leila is very interested in puzzles. Very, very interested. Her favourite at the moment is her ‘monkey puzzle‘.

She knows it so well now and is so adept that she can do most of it on her own. The joined pieces in the picture were done by her.