Marcus Cake

I am a big girl now … I am now one.

I have learnt some amazing new things. I no longer have to wait for someone to take me somewhere. I can go myself. I have been telling them for months that they should get me some carpet. How is a bubby meant to learn how to move on the slippery floor wearing pyjamas. I was going nowhere fast. It was very frustrating. I also tried long sentences of different sounds, but they just don’t understand. They will get there.

Then I had a breakthrough. We watched Star Wars one night. I saw the Jedi Mind trick. Since they just don’t understand what I am saying, I have had to revert to using the Jedi Mind trick on them. I don’t think they mind, they wouldn’t want me to be uncomfortable and a bubby’s got to do, what a bubby’s go to do. I can’t quite stand just yet and I am not quite as good at waving my hands. I have my own method. I sit very still, I really focused on the spice containers and I thought, “Helena needs carpet for traction”. This didn’t work, so I decided five words were too much. I tried “Helena needs carpet”. Sure enough, the carpet was delivered. I now know they can’t understand any more than three words using the Jedi mind trick. And the sentences of sounds may take a lot longer before they understand.

After the carpet was installed. I learnt to crawl very quickly. I can move quickly, but still find it difficult on the slippery marble floor. After a few days, I even started pulling myself up so I was standing. Standing is great. I can see more of what is going on. And Mum and Dad know that I want to be picked up if I crawl over and hang onto their legs. In an ideal world, they would understand my long sentences and come over and pick me up. They are taking a lot longer to train than I had hoped.

My first birthday party
My one year birthday party was fantastic. Mum said that I could only have one guest for each year of my age. She read it on a web site and that is the rule. It didn’t bother me, cause I am only new so I only have a few friends. But I knew how to get around the rule. I used my Jedi mind trick “Pisani twins”. Sure enough, they couldn’t invite one without the other. I get two friends over - I figure I have at least ten years before they figure out my Jedi trick. Mummy cooked great food and we had lots of music and toys over the floor. The “devils on horseback” and “angels on horseback” were meant to make an appearance, but I didn’t see them.

The twins were great. We got along really well. We didn’t cry we just played. They are a month older so they can stand and walk better. I am not quite ready to do that. I prefer to be carried, I get a cuddle thrown in. The twins and I crawled over each other. They are the only bubbies I have visit me. I have been using the Jedi mind trick “girlfriend needed”. I heard that our friends Francesco and Karen will be delivering my new girlfriend in a few months. I dont know why it is taking so long. Bubbies must be harder to make than carpet. If I had know bubbies took so long to cook, I would have ordered two.

Is Lil’Iguana a Jedi Master? I think so.
There is a lot to talk about. I have my own videos now and even a playlist on our Ipods. My favourite is Lil’Iguana. He has all his friends over and they talk and sing songs about being safe and going to school. Not sure what school is or that yellow box with wheels, but they all seem happy about it. I think Ill stay home with mumumum and D for a few years. I really try to get Lil’Iguana to come down from the TV and play with me, but I am still perfecting this Jedi thing. I get real close and stare at him, but it doesnt work. LilIguana is green like Yoda on Star Wars. He is a Jedi master. I decided to stop. It is easy doing the Jedi trick on mumumum and D, but I shouldn’t toy with a Jedi master.

Mumumum gave me some crayons and some paper. She didn’t tell me what she wanted me to draw. I waited. I waited. Anyway I just tasted the crayons and drummed them on the page. She was very excited with the spots they made. I could have copied a Picasso. Anyway, I should keep the Picasso in reserve. I figure I can pull the Picasso out any time in the next twenty years when I really get in trouble and that will make her real happy. For the moment, Ill do a few spots and squiggles. I may give them a crayon house next Christmas. It should be an easy run with Mumumum and D for the next decade.

Christmas? Not sure what is is! It was the first time I got to tear some paper open. Which I really love. Paper tearing doesnt happen often and Christmas was the first time. We spent the day at home. There was lots of food on the table and Sam and Ben our neighbours came to visit. All very simple. No long trips out and about and a minimum of people. For some reason, my Jedi powers don’t work in a crowd so mumumum and D take forever to give me what I need. So I have to revert to primitive yelling and then we spend time trying to guess what I want. I prefer the solitude of my fisher price aquarium temple which magnifies my powers.

I love kisses. Mumumum and D give me lots of them, particularly Mumumum. She is always kissing me. I kiss her on the cheek - she is really wonderful. Some time I try to kiss her on her belly. I lift her shirt and connect, but she gets really nervous and shrieks something about raspberries. There aren’t any raspberries here. Anyway I discovered something when she yelled raspberries. She yelled and moved and I accidentally blew on her tummy and it made a funny noise. It made mummy laugh. I like to make mummy laugh and I try to do it all the time. Its all so much fun! Mumumum poked her tongue out at me one day and mumbled something - which happens if you have you tongue out. I did it as well. I like to mimic her. It makes her happy. This time the mimic thing was a really new experience. Mummy grabbed her tongue. I grabbed mine - as I do. It was really interesting. I tried to pull it out for a look, but couldn’t. So I just hung onto it for a while. Every now and again I grab my tongue, just to see if I can get it out. No luck so far!

We all went to Sicily last month. We caught a big boat there on a Saturday morning, a few trains and a boat back. I bounced along some cobbled pavements in Catania, and I thought the Malta footpaths were a rough ride. We went shopping. I saw some high heel shoes that I really liked for fifteen euros. Unfortunately, I was in a crowd. I ended up with some pink overalls for my birthday party, some butterflies and a flower that wraps around my pram. One of the best parts was playing in a cardboard box at the markets. In my quiet moments, I think about the high heel shoes. I don’t know why, I can t walk yet.

As a matter of necessity, I needed to learn how to dress. It is winter here in Malta and it can be cold. I need “changing” every now and again. Mumumum and D like to see me in new outfits during the day. Personally, I am really happy in my sleeping jumpsuit and I want to stay in that all the time. Anyway I digress. Mumumum is really quick with the changing. D seems perplexed by the process and lays everything out, usually forgets something and it seems to be much harder for him than mumumum. D gets the job done, but it takes longer and I can get cold. So I help D by helping him with the whole changing thing. Just every now and again to get through the really tough bits - like taking the shirt off over my head and putting my arms into the sleeves. I showed mumumum and she praises me a lot. So now I do it every time, it helps each of them in their own way. Its the least I can do given everything they do for me. I love them a lot!