Library Rant

After an indoor picnic lunch date with Trevor, I took the kids to the downtown library because we were downtown already and it was raining (not conducive to the park). There was so much I wanted to say to the other mom who was there with her 3 girls. Thus, the rant.
Dear Lazy Lady at the Library,
Taking your kids to the library on a rainy day is a great idea. I love that the library is free, has thousands of cool stories and a plethora of toys to share. However, there is a sign that asks that all children under 10 years old be supervised by an adult. Supervision, my dear, means paying attention to the antics of your children instead of watching YouTube videos on your portable media player. That way, when your oldest daughter forbids a 2-year-old from entering the LEGO castle because he's a boy, you'd be aware of how awkward it is for his Momma. And then, when his Momma tries to reason with your little lady, she is sassed. (Really - who sasses a stranger holding a baby?) Also, when your 3 snooty little girls start taking toys away from the cute little 9 month old sitting so nicely, you should discipline them and not smirk at her Momma as she cries. Lazy lady at the library - you suck!

End of rant - now I feel better!

City Parks Review - 2011

One of the best parts about teaching is that I will always have my summers. One of the best things my kids and I have found to do in the summer is to hit up parks. Here's my review of our more frequented (or less frequented due to a poor review).
Candy Cane Park
A lot has changed here since I was a kid. Gone is the grungy wading pool and unsafe candy canes to climb (who's idea was that?). There is a snazzy new goose but, the slides are a little too steep for my kiddos. Simon LOVES the bus and the slide area. Claire LOVES the baby swings. Both kids can be highly entertained for hours here. This park often requires the use of Claire's Bjorn so that I can chase after Simon. This is by far one of our most favorite park. We're giving it 5 out of 5 stars.

Kinsmen Park
We spend a lot of time at this park because it's a good walk. We also get to go by Auntie Andrea's and visit with her if possible. Simon LOVES the spray pad. We wish it had softer turf (like Rick Hanson) because the asphalt hurts when you fall. Claire likes it when we let her meander through the puddles but, she's not a big fan of the actual splashes. The equipment is great. Both kids have things to do. Simon loves crawling up and sliding. He's also a big fan of the little house and teeter-totter. Claire is our little swinger and she also feels pretty important when we let her stand in the little house. It'll be interesting to see how often we get to this park once we move. It's a definite 5 out of 5 stars.

Kiwanis Park
We went here once to check it out. The equipment was much to challenging for my toddler and I was nervous carrying Claire up the play structure. The slide was too steep so, we didn't stay for long. We did, however, enjoy the Mac's across the street and the waterfall nearby. Right now, it's a 2 out of 5 but, it has potential for when my kids are older.

School Parks
Since kids have been out of school, most school parks are pretty empty. We've taken advantage of their slides. Most school parks we've been to are pretty good but, they lack baby swings. They are a good option when we need a change. Most school parks rate a 3 out of 5 for us.

Rick Hanson Park
We did venture north this summer and we checked out the RH Splash Park. Simon really like holding on to the hose but, he was frequently pushed out of the way by bigger kids. It was really busy and, the play structure was fun to climb up but, Simon didn't LOVE it. It was such a large play structure that I had a hard time keeping track of where Simon was while carrying/entertaining Claire. Once again, I think this is a great park but, I don't think I'd like to go back until the kids are older. It's a 4 out of 5.

Marina Park
The park at the Marian has a super location. The kids both loved hanging out by the fence and watching the geese. The play structure was pretty good and I really liked the rock formations. We'll probably go back as the kids get older. I'll give this a 3 out of 5.

We've been to other parks but, these are the ones that really stand out to us. I'm sure things will change up a lot by next year when I have 2 adventurous movers.
What's your favorite park and why?

Peeky eyes in Toronto

I felt excitement radiating from my children. Their eyes reflected the beam of the flashlight as we stood in Simon's closet, which he was referring to as Toronto. As we searched for "peeky eyes" in Toronto (the closet), I realized we were entering the wonderful world of imaginative play.
Simon spent most of the evening "flying" to Toronto (where the Rider game was). He asked me to come along and then pulled me into his closet. He was kept babbling about "peeky eyes"in Toronto and needing a flashlight to see them. We laughed so hard together that my sides hurt. Claire was thrilled (because she was included).
Finally, we're starting to leave behind the world of chewing, and emptying containers and getting to the good stuff: the world of imagination. As a drama teacher, a former improv participant and avid daydreamer, I have been longing for this since Simon was in utero. Bring on the search for peeky eyes, the random trips to other places, make-believe and anything else Simon (and eventually Claire) can imagine. I am pumped for this kind of play.
I remembered my improv rules and, rather then say no to or re-direct Simon's ideas, I prompted him to build and explore. This led to even sillier ideas and even more laughter.
Who knows where we'll go tomorrow...
(By the way, the Toronto idea was inspired by the Rider game. I'm sure that Simon, Claire and I were the only happy prairie people talking about Toronto tonight.)

9

Claire,
You're 9 months old today. You're an incredible little lady. You eat solid foods with wild abandon (resulting in raspberries and banana always in your hair). You want to go, go, go even if that involves dragging your poor Momma around by her hands. You want to be a part of everything and feel hurt if you think you're being left out. You can sit and play by yourself for chunks of time (which comes in handy while I run Simon to the potty or administer time outs). You show your tongue when we ask you to, you give me hugs and kisses when I ask you to and you do this great hand dance when you hear music.
You think you can walk with your walker (I hold your shirt from behind) and your goal is to either chase Fergus or Simon. You love walks in the Bob. You're starting to pester your brother by touching him to get a reaction (and boy, do you get one - I can see the entertainment factor). You're a stinker when it comes to naps because you LOVE to be held but, your night sleep is pretty stellar.
I love to dress you up in dresses and girly clothes. I love putting your hair in piggies and sticking in pretty little clips. (Our biggest fights tend to come from me doing your hair or you trying to eat your clips. I think hair fights are common for Mommas and daughters.) I love your giggle and your ready smile.
You're a lot of fun, little lady!
Love, Momma

Tresspassing

Last night, we went exploring with the kids. We drove out to our "Someday House", climbed into the frame and toured the main floor and peered into the basement. Trevor and I drove away feeling so pumped. We both dreamed of the house in our sleep. I know it probably won't be until next summer when we make our big venture to the north west but, it sure is fun to see our dream becoming reality.

Generous

We have an overproductive crab apple tree in our backyard. I don't do a thing to it (except pick the weeds at it's base) and it always wants to give me a million little crab apples.
One year, I made some desserts with the apples. Most years, Trevor has lawn mowered them. Some years, I pick them up so as to not attract the wasps.
This year, however, Simon has discovered them.
"Simon pick apples."
"Simon eat apples."
"Simon is super apple man."
"Simon give apples to Baby Claire."
"Momma pick apples off tree for Simon."
"Momma say Gross."
"Simon Gross."
He eats so many apples (rotten and not rotten) that some of his diapers have been atrocious.
Claire likes to bite hard and suck. She's teething and this seems to make her happy.

I get to pick weeds in peace.
Thanks, crab apple tree. I'll miss you, your blooms and your fruit when we move to the Someday House.

Little Gangster

When we picked Fergus (our cat - I know, it's been forever since he's shown up in a blog post), we chose him because he's beautiful. We ignored the snuggly little female who purred on my lap. Instead we chose the Ferg; his reaction to this was to hiss at us. We thought that was cute. We should have taken it as a sign.
Fergus is an alpha male. He's aggressive and he likes to dominate.
We've finally given up and we allow Fergus to wander the mean streets to his heart's desire. This has lead to a very contented, snuggly and sleepy cat when he's home and inside. Outside, he's a beast to be reckoned with.
Other cats in the neighbourhood totally kowtow to him. He's the alpha male on our block and the other kitties tuck in their tails and skirt around him when he's lounging in our front yard. The other day, he was carrying a nearly dead adult bird in his mouth. Fergus had caught a bird?
This is my confession - I let my cat wander. (We've all been a lot happier about it.)

Yuck!

Last year, when I introduced Simon to food, I couldn't get over how GROSS he was. Claire is now at the GROSS stage. I hate, HATE, hate the floor cleaning that I do daily. Sticky fruit, star puffs and who knows what else all over. There's two of them and, they team up against me.
(Someday, I'm going to miss this!)

Life's a Beach

Happy long weekend, folks! We took the kiddos to the beach yesterday. It was really windy (precursor to a very intense summer storm) but, we loved being mellow, eating "bips", trying out a new slide and wallowing in the sand.

Blink

Maybe it's because she's the second child but, Claire's babyhood seems to be disappearing in the blink of an eye. Today, I put her hair in pig tails for the first time and I swear she aged. Then, she proceeded to spend the rest of the afternoon (it was a short nap day) driving Simon's little car. She gets this little glint in her eye, cocks her head, and moves those little feet as fast as she can. She's pretty fast too.
She's trying to wean herself (any advice on this - I'm not really ready to pay for formula so, how do I keep nursing until she's one?) and all she wants to do all day is walk, walk, walk (assisted, of course - my aching back!) She's wearing 12 month sleepers (she's pretty skinny in them but, she's definitely long enough) and I've put away most of her 6-9 month clothes.
She has 2 teeth and that's changed all of her expressions. Gone are the days of gummy smiles and now, she bares her teeth at us and sticks out her bottom lip to express an array of emotions.
She's a sweet little live wire. I can hardly wait to see who she's becoming!

Quiet Supper

Every other Wednesday evening, I leave the house and go off on my own for a "quiet supper". Usually, this is a meal at a nearby mall, an ice cream cone, a trip to the library, a walk around the mall and a delicious hour of reading a book. No feeding little mouths or wiping little faces or meeting anyone's needs. It's delightful.
In total, I usually spend 1 1/2 - 2 hours away from my kids. It's a wee sanity break in a busy, blissful little world.
I'm so thankful to have a wonderful husband who realized my need and provided me a way to meet it.

Away

Boardwalk walking. Beach sitting. Wading with a toddler. Wet towels drying in the sun. Playpen sleeping. Book reading. Outside eating. Picnics. Ice-cream delights. Family visiting. Oma and Opa story reading. Catching up. Anniversary-ing (5 years). Being spoiled. Sleeping in.
We loved being away.

Holidays!

Simon's been walking around the house today saying that he's on holidays (little does he know that his life is a constant holiday). Trevor's off work for a week and we're heading east for some fun in the sun and some relaxing with Trevor's extended family.
I am super pumped.
This is our first family road trip with Miss Claire Berry and I'm curious how she'll sleep, eat and travel. She did well in Ottawa but, that was half her lifetime ago so, we'll see how things go this time.
Our little Mazda 3 is going to be packed sooo tight, we'll be nearly bursting. Good thing there's no IKEA to visit in the city we're headed to or we'd be in real trouble.
We finished the last of the cloth diapers in this cycle and, I won't be starting another cycle until we get back. I love my cloth diapers but, I'm excited to be a bit lazy for a while.
It's our anniversary on Friday and I can't think of a better way to spend it. I always like it when we can travel on our anniversary. That way, I can remember specific locations for specific years rather then have a jumble of restaurant nights out blurred together over the years.
It's also amazing what having 2 parents around can be like. I don't feel pulled in two directions all the time and both kids love the extra attention.
Happy summering to you all!

Endless Circle

Laundry and housework are like stringing beads on a thread with no knot at the end.

The floor under our dining room table makes me shudder (and I clean it at least twice a day).

Follow up and peace

I had a meeting today with the HR guy from my school division. I could have brought in an STF rep or our school division president but, I chose to go it alone. Did I want to appear non-confrontational? I hope it appeared that way. The truth is that I just didn't have the heart to inconvenience anyone at the start of summer holidays. Oh, to be a doormat... sigh.
It was a good meeting. I said my piece, aired my concerns, cried a little (professional tears and not the ugly sobbing this man encountered on the phone during our first conversation) and left feeling like a weight had been lifted from my chest. Nothing has changed about my situation. I am still transferring to an elementary school. I will still be scrambling to make long range plans for ELA 6/7, Social 6/7 and Career Guidance 6/7. I still experienced poor handling. However, this man took time to listen to me, encourage me and tell me that, at the soonest opportunity, he will move me back to high school. Nothing like a little hope to make a bitter pill go down better.
Now, I am closing this chapter in my work life. I have done what I could and now I am moving on.
Elementary school and short students, here I come!

Happy Canada Day

Happy Birthday, Canada.
We celebrated with cousins, sushi, cupcakes, not enough napping at nap time, flag waving, flag wearing and park going. Later, we left the kids with a baby-sitter and took in the fire works.
I think Canada Day is one of my favorite holidays. Don't even get me started about how much joy it brings my son. Captain Canada was ecstatic!!!

and again...

Last year, we spent a lot of time doing this:

Now, we're doing a lot of this:



Note that we found some walking wings (my dream from last year). We borrowed them from a friend last summer. Simon HATED them. Claire's too young to really understand. She's just really pumped to be up and moving. She's working on the backwards push crawl but, gets super frustrated. This is where she's happiest. Yeesh... she's barely 7 months old. I think I'm going to have my hands full!

Oh those British...

Every day, Simon asks me to buy him a British flag. Why? Because he's in love with the red, white and blue of Britannia. Today, we went to the British Tea Shop and Purveyor of British Goods. My assumption is that they'd have a British flag of some form or another. I forgot my Baby Bjorn and carried both kids in. Simon had made the connection of what we were looking for and hoping to buy. He was way too excited.
Unfortunately, the British Tea Shop and Purveyor of British Goods had no flags... except a lovely display flag that was not for sale (no matter how Simon tried to convince me to "Momma buy, Momma buy").
Sadly, I left the store with a baby on my hip and holding the hand of a devastated toddler who almost threw himself into parking lot traffic in mid-tantrum. (He's hard to hold on to while tantruming mid-parking lot while I'm trying to keep his sweet, wiggly sister on my hip.)
After many, many tears and much convincing that Momma will someday buy him a British flag, we headed on our way.
As consolation, we watched, on Youtube, the British flag while listening to the British national anthem. Sooooo boring but, made my little man very, very happy.

He also asks for an Italian flag and a Saskatchewan flag. If any of you dear readers come across or already have one of these flags and are willing to part with it, let me know. I have a flag aficionado on my hands.

Attach, Idiot, Attach!

I hummed and hawed and consulted like crazy. Then, I wrote, re-wrote, edited, consulted some more and created my letter of concern to my employer (see previous post).
I typed a polite little greeting, cc'd all those who needed a copy and fired off my letter.
Or I thought I did...
I forgot to attach so, I wrote another polite little greeting and attached my letter.
Eeeekk... I'm peeing my pants.
So much worry in so short a document.
I need to spend more time reading Philippians 4:6-7 and much less time fretting.

Little Miss Meek

After a lot of thought and persuasion from some work friends, I'm going to write a letter to the Teacher's Federation and my school division stating that I am upset with the way my transfer went down.
I know, I know, ooooo, a letter.
This is a really big deal for me. This means that I have to stand up to my employer, a figure of authority and say something that might not be agreeable.
This causes me stress.

Why is it that I can teach my students to stand up for themselves and to advocate for themselves but, I have the hardest time doing it for myself. It's less stressful to just roll over, curl up and cry.
Although I've accepted the transfer part and the new school and new job seem okay, I still cry when I talk to my colleagues about how things happened. That can't be good for my morale, can it?

Today, Little Miss Meek is about to make a peep. I wonder what it will be like to be heard or, if I'll be heard at all?

Blur...

I'm in a crazy blur stage of life right now. I feel like there's always someone attached to me and never enough time.
Claire is really struggling with naps in her crib... she'd much prefer just laying in my arms. So, we go out in the mornings because she still transfers so well in her car seat. That way she naps (usually a good hour and a half too). However, that still leaves an afternoon nap. Usually, we fight and I lose. Today, I just held her and didn't feel like such a failure because I didn't try putting her down a dozen times. That means my house is just on the edge of chaos and my desire to do yard work is depleted. I also wouldn't mind being alone for a few minutes in my day or answering my phone or making phone calls... sigh. Luckily, I get a pretty decent sleep at night.
Fortunately, even when not napping, Simon is content to have Quiet Time in his crib. He plays quietly or sleeps. It's good to look at him and remember where we came from... that gives me hope for Claire.
I looked at the calendar and realized that it's mid June already. Golly, how did that happen?

My beautiful man

Happy B-day (yesterday) to my love. Thanks so much for making me feel great even though half of my plans for your B-day were taken over by the kiddos. Thanks for going to work every day even when you're exhausted from a rough night with the baby. Thanks for accepting me for who I am. Thanks for your sense of humour, your great listening skills, your positive attitude and for the way you look after me and our little ones. You're the best husband and father of our children that I could hope for. I love you soooo much!

2

Hard to believe that this pretty little Missy is already 2. Happy B-day, Princess!
Love, Auntie

32 Today

I'm 32 today.
Simon walked outside and said "Glorious day, Momma!".
I agree, Little Man.
Claire only woke up once for a quick feed and Trevor let me sleep in today so, I feel like SuperWoman.
I'm so very blessed with a fabulous little family (and extended family), great friends, a continuing work contract, a handsome hubby (who makes good French toast), a great home (and an even greater one to come), an amazing church, good health and a crazy cat.
I'm exactly where I want to be in life and my only wishes are more prayers about things I have no control over.
I've known Jesus for ~30 years and He's blessed me with so much.
Thanks for all your sweet B-day wishes. I'm reveling in the sunshine today and being completely spoiled.

Oh yeah - photo proof

Not the greatest shot as I haven't actually done it since it's been cut. I kind of like the crazy waves I've got going on... makes it easy not to do. :)
Here are my 2 favorite shots of the kids this week as well!

(Dr's appt today. Simon screamed bloody murder. Claire smiled and performed amiably. Claire is 18 lbs and off the the chart for height. Simon is a whopping 29 lbs 8 oz and almost a meter tall. Simon's got a cold and losing his voice - his little raspy talking is pretty cute. Claire's trying to walk when we hold her standing. Yeesh - time is flying by for me with my kiddos!)

Vanity

A good friend of mine is in the midst of chemo. She cut her hair short to prepare her kiddos for the potential hair loss that comes with chemo. A group of us girls decided to chop our hair short to support her.
This week I learned that I am terribly vain about my hair.
I love having long hair. I love the feel of it swishing from side to side in a ponytail, I love how Simon snuggles into it and how Claire wraps her chubby baby fingers around it while nursing. The last time I had short hair (the shortest it's ever been is just above shoulder length) was when I was 15.
I have basically had the same hair cut for 17 years. My hair style had grown into an eleventh grader. Yeesh. My biggest style changes were growing out bangs and long layers.
Last night, Lindsey P. from Sheers (awesome hairdresser if you're looking - there's my plug) chopped off my locks.
I still don't recognize myself in the mirror. My head feels light. Washing and brushing my hair feels ridiculous and my neck gets chilly. I've also realized that I have really wavy hair.
It'll grow back. Until it does, I'm going to embrace this changed look.
I know that we made my friend smile and that was the point.
(I'll post pictures when my kids are in bed - neither want to sleep this afternoon... sigh - too much of a shock for them, I guess!)

Outside

"Outside, outside, outside" is Simon's mantra every day. Rain or shine, all the little guy wants to do is run wild in the backyard or explore the many fabulous parks our fine little city has to offer. His favorite activities involve picking berries off the vine (and storing them in his cache in our apple tree), picking dandelions and playing in the mud or dirt. He comes inside covered in dirt, mud, grass stains and he has the grimiest little face and hands. Good thing we have baths and do laundry.
Claire's a pretty good sport. She's a happy baby in the Bjorn and she's trying new things like the slide and the swing. Mostly, she just wants to sit on the lawn and chew on pieces of grass or other things that make her way into her grabby hands.

Unruly

When Trevor and I first bought our house, I spent the summer inside painting and organizing our nest. I completely ignored our yard until August... BIG mistake.
The next summer, I was much, much more dutiful in my yard tending. I changed a few things around the yard, I resurrected our crappy (literally - the previous owner had a big dog and multiple cats) grass and I planted tons of perennials.
For our third summer, I enjoyed yard work and took tender care of my little plants.
Then I had Simon.
We spent a lot of time in our back yard, Simon and I. We sat on our picnic blanket and watched the wind blow the leaves of our huge tree around. If I tried any yard work in his presence, his shrieks of despair convinced me to stop. Other then a few frantic weeding sprees and some disgruntled petunias, my yard was largely ignored.
Last summer, Simon slept every afternoon. Ideally, this would have been the perfect time for me to do yard work and, I did, on occasion. Usually, I just slept. My pregnancy with Claire and mornings with a demanding toddler took all my energy and I desperately needed my afternoon naps. This led to scraggly pansies and an outbreak of Creeping Charlie in both my front and back grass.
This year, I am taming the unruly! I have a great baby monitor and Claire is just going to get better at sleeping during the afternoons. (Hopefully, she'll get better at nights too so, I won't need to nap anymore either).
Look out, dandelions. Enjoy your last days, Creeping Charlie. Have one final foray, stinkweed. I am going to take my yard back!!!

Today, I finally got to my front yard. Ironically, when Trevor was cutting our grass earlier, our neighbour across the street complimented us on how cheerful and nice our yard was. (Thank the yellow tulips and the fact that Creeping Charlie can't be seen from across the street.) Thanks... I guess.

Laughing Through My Days

Kid, you make me laugh! I love being your Momma!

6 Months

Dear Claire,
You're six-months old today... and you're miserable. Poor girly - those 2 front bottom teeth are giving you grief. Your happy place right now is cuddling your Mama and gnawing on my shoulder. Not the best way to celebrate. (I caught myself telling you not to be such a "baby" about the pain and then I remembered that you are a baby - yeesh... silly Mama!)
You're talking a lot more. You think Fergus is your boyfriend and try your best to lure him over to you. You adore Simon (and have LOTS to tell him). You can stand (with support). You chew everything. You eat 3 bowls of cereal and fruits/veggies a day. You still get up 2-3 times at night (sigh). You roll like a champ and you're trying to creep. You play strange which makes a lot of people sad. You have a reverse hair mullet (tons of hair in the front and everything rubbed off in the back). You're wearing 9 month clothing. You still LOVE to be a part of the action.
Claire, you are also adorable. Your big us convince us to do whatever you want. You're patient with me as I look after your dictator of a brother. :) Your face lights up when Daddy walks in the room.
We love you, Little Miss Sunshine!

Transfer

I'm totally bummed to announce that I received a job transfer this week. Being on maternity leave made me vulnerable. My employer has to give me a comparable full-time position but, not necessarily at my original school. Sigh...
This will be my 4th school.
The only place I ever really "warmed up" was in Lanigan. At my inner-city school, I only had 1 year to get to know people and, as much as I tried, I knew those relationships would be fleeting. Now, just as I am starting to feel safe, to feel confident and comfortable on staff, I have to go and start over. (As friendly as I am, I'm as slow to warm as Simon about new places and people.)
The other sucky part is that it's an elementary school. No offense to elementary school teachers but, your job scares me. All day with the same kids. All year with the same kids. Blech.
I am also only going back part-time (mornings). Maybe elementary school will be more compatible for that. There's probably less extra-curr. Recess is kind of like a coffee break (more then the 5 minutes between classes that I use to photocopy, discipline after class, file discipline reports, go potty, get coffee/snacks and prep for my next class), right?
Of course, I don't go back until just before Claire's November B-day but still, there's a lot for me to figure out before then.

Claire's dedication

Today, we dedicated Claire to God. Although a little sleepy, she did great. We had a big lunch for our families in our backyard to celebrate her. The church gave her this verse:
"My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken." Psalm 62:1+2

May you never be shaken in your faith, little girl. May you always, always, always feel the peace that only God can bring. We love you, Claire Bear, and we're pretty pumped to be your parents!

A Walk Out

Reasons thousands of SK teachers walked out today!

Democracy in action

I'm not technically in the classroom right now but, I still have the rapt attention of two little students. Yesterday and today, Simon learned to say "democracy" and that democracy means "everybody votes". Today, he followed me as I marked my ballot and helped me put in the box.
As a teacher, I believe in modelling. This has led to some silly situations for me (being the only one over 18 not wearing my shoes to the shoeless assembly, weeks carting around my own baby egg, etc.) however, I believe that if I show kids that I buy into whatever it is I'm teaching, it's easier to sell them on it too.
I hope this will work as a parent too. I hope that Simon (and Claire) will take democracy seriously and will vote because their Momma and Daddy have told them about it, showed them how.

Besides... "field trips" are fun!

"Wild Things"

28 "Wild Things" cupcakes
22 people in our tiny bungalow
5 yummy dishes in our little brunch potluck
1 sad cat hanging out in the garage
2 years of Simon to celebrate

We had a "Wild Things" themed B-day brunch for our little man (based on one of his favorite stories). It was a blast.

Two

Hard for me to believe but, my baby boy is a two year old! Happy Birthday, Schmoo!

Sad Cries - Part 2

Honey,
I give up! I can't handle your sad cries anymore. As annoying as it is to hold you all the time, that is why I get paid the "big bucks". You're also welcome back in our bed because Momma and Daddy miss sleep. We get that you're too little. We'll try again in a few months.
Love Momma

P.S. - You at least sleep. Your brother was an absolute stinker and look at him now. He's amazing. I just have to remember that when I get irritated. It's just a little phase and you'll outgrow it in a bit.

Happy Easter

Our Easter was pretty fabulous. I'm still in a chocolate-induced coma and enjoying having my partner in parenting home for 5 days. It's also pretty awesome that the weather has been spectacular. Hope your Easter's been "egg-cellent"!

Sad Cries

Dear Claire,
You are now 5 months old. You eat solids like a champ. You nurse like a pro. You smile at everyone and you have your Daddy and I wrapped your finger. You love to jump and stand. You adore your big brother and Fergus. You are content and easy to care for.
Our only caveat is that you are having some sleep challenges. Just last week, you were going to sleep, waking up once to eat and we didn't see you again until 6:30 am. We were delighted. For the past 3 days/nights, you won't let us put you in your crib. We hold you and cuddle you and as soon as we make the move to put you down, you scream at us... so we try again. Sometimes, we've tried for 1-2 hours to put you down.
Last night, we tried a new "trick". We put you down and let you cry (and cry and cry and cry). We went in to reassure you a few times and eventually, you gave in and went to sleep. We continued to do this through the night (although I did feed you at your usual time). It sucked, little lady. I'm not a fan of cry it out. It's ironic because I'm also not a fan of co-sleeping but, we did that with you for a while too. You're getting too big (and wriggly) to be in Momma and Daddy's bed. (Momma thinks this is the root of her back problems too.) If you can train us to hold you a certain way and wake up when we put you down, you're old enough to learn to fall asleep without us.
Therefore, this is a note of apology in advance, little one. Tonight, I will nurse you and cuddle you close and love you but, you will have to sleep in your crib and I'm not picking you up every time you cry.
We should have done this with your brother much, much earlier in his life.
We love you and we hate your sad, sad cries,
Momma

Gratitude...

Today was a frustrating day. I think I tried putting Claire to sleep about a hundred times only to have her awaken or be awakened all day long... sigh.
I need to make a list of the good to remind myself that they outweigh the bad by a long shot.

1 - Outside. Simon can't get enough sunshine. He can manage to play without me there for about 15 minutes (supervised from the window). He begs to go out from the time he gets up until bedtime. It's great.

2 - Laundry. I do piles of it mostly because I change Simon's socks and pants twice a day because of the mud. (We still haven't found rubber boots to fit on his post-club feet). I'm thankful we have an appliance that does the heavy work. I still don't know how those pioneer women did it.

3 - Husband. I'm married to my superman! He's good at rescuing me from me! (He also has a 5 day weekend!!!)

4 - Madmen I'm finally done LOST (super weird last season - even for LOST)

5 - Houseplanning - lots of decisions = lots of fun for Trevor and I!

6 - A purring lap cat.

7 - A pot of tea.

8 - A homemade Easter cream egg (thanks Bethany)

9 - Promises of delicious Easter meals to come.

10 - Two babies in bed... finally!

Babies Don't Keep

I hope that my child, looking back on today
Will remember a mother who had time to play;
Because children grow up while you're not looking,
There are years ahead for cleaning and cooking.
So, quiet now cobwebs, dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby, and babies don't keep.
(from www.nurseryrhymes4u.com)

Today, we had a playdate. Claire fell asleep on the way home so Simon and I rousted ladybugs from their slumber and ran around on the flattened, frozen grass. We played, ate sushi and cuddled before his nap. Claire woke up in time for me to play with her, cuddle her, read to her and sing to her. Then, we took a nap together (this has become a bit of "treat" since she's been in her own crib for the past 3 weeks!). I brought up some frozen soup and didn't fuss much about supper. If I could relive a day, I would choose today. When I'm 97 and in a home playing "Go Fish" with the ladies, I'm going to miss this!

Outside... peeease!

All my boy wants to do is play outside. We go through so many pairs of pants (falling in puddles) that I may just start potty training to justify the laundry. It's much more fun now that he can walk. It's also a little frightening because he can get away so quickly.

Friday Nights

It was just 5,6 and 7 years ago that a Friday night meant a long drive to my parents' place from Lanigan to have supper with my family and Trevor. Then, we'd stay up way to late talking before Trevor left to go back to the city.
Swimming lessons have started so now, our Friday nights will be lessons, Burger Baron (maybe Milky Way if Claire's okay) and home for bedtime by 7:30ish.
Definitely a decade of change and I wouldn't want it any other way. :)