Holy smokes!.. What time is it!!! I woke up in a daze. It's the weekend and I need to beat the rooster before it's morning crow. The rooster goes “cock-a doodle- doo”, and I scream “MUMMMMM” interspersed with some powerful screaming similar to Celine Dion in her Titanic rendition of "My Heart Will Go On", but mine sounds like the sky collapsed on me or something.  Anyway, personally if you ask the opinion of a 24 month old, parents should not sleep in on a weekend, I mean you're up earlier during rest of the week, why make a change.

Hey as the saying goes if it ain't broken, don't fix it. Just as I vamped up my screaming an octave higher. The delinquent five year, Miss Perfect, my annoying sister from the same mother, rushes in. “It's Mother's Day baby, let Mummy sleep”, she screams in the Queen's English. This stopped me in mid scream....juuust great, could someone please keep me in the loop, I mean I'm just a baby with no access to social media, how was I to know. Big Sister stands there quite proudly, “I made Mummy a card and now I'm making breakfast, what did you do diaper butt?”. Hey hey I'm in either a play pen or a cot resembling a cage, there's nothing much I can get up to..how the dickens could I have got mum a mothers day surprise.

Gosh aren't I going to look like such a dweeb, Big Sister sensing that she has won making her look like the better child, gives me a flying kiss of jubilation and runs off to finish off her surprise. Wait in times of necessity strains of geniuses hit me. If I can just get myself out of the cot, I see the paints over there I can make Mummy my very own work of art. Right one leg over the cot I make a mission impossible move out, drop and roll, Mr. Ethan Hunt, would have been impressed. Hooray got the paints, there's no paper, let me just use the bedroom wall, why restrain artistic geniuses, on must never hold back, ouu... feel those gooey colours, first some red, such a happy color and Mummy is always happy to see me, maybe some blue..mummy does have such a calming effect on me like the ocean, top it off with flecks on green, symbolizing life and my mother is my life. Oh well some of it has dribbled on the nursery rug.. no worries I think.

Ahh I hear Mummy coming...she is going to be so happy with my work of art ..door opens, crash, bang, Mum's dropped her tea and now she's emitting her own version of Celine Dion's heart will go on scream style, yes mum my heart will always go on for you.. HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY. I heart you!!!!!!!

Creative Play in Babies

Right from birth, babies are observing, communicating and learning. All babies are curious, and play is the natural way they learn and develop. Here are some play ideas and creative activities for your baby.

Talk with your baby or young child. With support, even young babies quickly learn the back and forth of conversations and like to take part.

- Tell stories and read books. The earlier you start reading aloud to your baby, the better.

- Go for a walk. A walk in the park, at the beach, on a farm or in any different environment adds to the store of information your child builds about the world and helps fire up baby imagination.

- Recite nursery rhymes, with actions if you can – for example, twinkly star fingers while singing ‘Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star’.

- Give your child paper and a crayon for scribbling.

- Listen to music. You could also help your child make musical instruments – like a toy xylophone, some bells, saucepan lids for cymbals, or a jar full of rice or dried peas for a shaker.

- Try toys such as blocks, which can be turned into whatever your child wants. These toys are good for open-ended play.

By Mayuri Jayasinghe