A day for Sydney & Mommy

Today was Jason's trial at Jo's, so Sydney & I got to spend a day alone. We made the most of it. We went to Bronte Provincial Park & saw some animals, played in the play barn, & went swimming. We had a great time, but man was it ever hot. On the way home Sydney crashed in the van & then continued to sleep when we got inside. I think the heat as much as the activity can be accredited to this phenomenon. It is very unlike Sydney to voluntarily lie on the couch & sleep.

It was the first time we have spent this much time just the two of us & I think it was great for both of us. After Sydney woke we went to pick up Jason, but since he was still sleeping we went for ice cream. When Brad heard all that we did he asked if I was feeling a little guilty about going back to work. My response to that is "no", this is what summer holidays are for- to do things that you can't do every day of the year.

Here are some pictures from our day.

Peacocks weren't trying to impress anyone today.

I realize it is just a bunny, but when Sydney saw it she asked why the bunny was so sad. I explained to her that he's not sad, he just has floppy ears. I don't think she believed me.

Had fun on the tire swing one minute & then crying five minutes later. A bigger kid was on the swing & Sydney ran right into the swing.

Wanted to play on the tractor until she realized how hot it was.

We cooled off in the huge pool before heading home.

Juice & cherries for snack before heading home.
Took about 3 minutes of driving before she crashed.

And continued to crash at home.
Few things melt my heart like watching them sleep.

Sunday morning without the kids

Sydney & Jason stayed with Grandma & Papa while we were at the wedding & we did not see them until meeting at Robb & Michele's after lunch. I enjoyed sleeping in- did not get up until 9am!!! As soon as I got up I called to see how things were & was happy to learn that things went great. Jason woke up at 6am, Sydney at 7am & I was thrilled that I was not up at that hour.

As much as I loved being able to sleep in, I couldn't wait to see them. We got to Robb & Michele's first & had to wait a bit before Sydney & Jason got there. Sydney came right over & gave me a hug & a kiss, but Jason would not come near me. When Graham physically gave him to me, Jason turned his head & lunged back at Papa. It was probably 15 minutes before he would come to me & it took a lot of effort on my part. I think the little boy was trying to send me a clear message.

Since today was his 'trial' day at Jo's I figured I was in for some real punishment this afternoon when I picked him up- but he was fine. Seems to have forgiven me. We will see how he feels when he goes back a few more times this week & when I return to work 2 weeks today!

Jo said he did great. He did not cry at all & did not make strange with any of the kids. She said that she did not know what we did to get two such happy children. Must say, that is a nice thing for a parent to hear.

Happy Belated Birthday Max

Saturday was a busy day. While I was getting my feet & hair done, Max's 4th birthday party was taking place at the wading pool. His best friend's birthday is either the same day or a couple days before & they had a joint party. It was a Princess-Spiderman theme & Max got enough Spiderman loot that he could open up his own theme store.

07/07/07...supposed to be a lucky day

Apparently getting married last Saturday was supposed to be the luckiest wedding day. Although I wish Cara & Justin well in their marriage- I sure hope luck has nothing to do with it. It was a beautiful day & I enjoyed their wedding very much, but there definitely were some mishaps that dispelled my belief that it was a 'lucky' day.

My personal mishaps happened in preparing for the wedding. I messed up the time for my pedicure & haircut. Thankfully she had no appointments after mine & did not mind the wait because she was waiting for the hairstylist herself. Although I was a half hour late, she did not take it out on my feet & I was very pleased with the job she did- black with white polka dots- don't you think they are cute? (Ignore my swollen feet- this was taken at the end of the night). Apparently I should have gotten a manicure as well because on the way to the wedding I noticed that I had missed painting my one thumb. I did 2 coats!!! How could I miss it twice???


Thankfully Cara & Justin had their ceremony & reception in an air conditioned location, because it was HOT! The wedding party went to a gravel pit for pictures- I am curious to see how they turn out- I am sure they will look great, but I cannot imagine how hot that must have been.

At the ceremony their were a few things that made it memorable- all in a good way.

• the flower girl was arguing with the ring bearer while they were walking down the aisle
• the best man dropped the rings
• Justin said 'Carol' instead of Cara at one point- I think it was just a nervous tongue that caused the mistake, not a "Ross" moment from Friends
  

The biggest mishap of the day actually happened the day before & probably took years off of my Aunt Debbie's life. Almost 5 years ago Aunt Debbie made our wedding cake & did a fabulous job. Since then she had done a few wedding cakes & they have always turned out great. Her mother commented how lucky she has been with the cakes & now Debbie thinks that Gramma jinxed her with that comment. On Friday, the cake toppled in transport. Fortunately it could be remedied, but with the heat & humidity the cake never set to the firmness that it should. But it could be put back together & perform it's function of the bride & groom cutting the cake.


Here are a few more pictures from the day.

Gramma, Great Uncle Mac, & Great Aunt Lois

Happy to see that Justin took his dance lessons seriously

Less than 10 weeks now & it is Sandi's turn

Me with my brother Craig & sister Kim

Us with Mom

Me with my Gramma

Not sure what Brad is doing

I had to confiscate the beers from Christa & Curt. I told them they weren't dancing at the Ag Hall in Listowel- show some class!

Stuck in her ways

Sydney may only be 2, but she is definitely a girl who gets stuck in her ways. This morning she said she wanted a sweater- even though it was already about 25 degrees. Instead of a sweater I gave her a vest & immediately she wanted the hood up. This is typical with her too.

When I picked her up at Jo's this afternoon it was plus 30 degrees outside & Sydney still had her sweater on. I asked her if she had worn it all day & all Jo could say was..."You know what she's like". Yes, I know what she's like- stuck in her ways! I had to shake my head when I saw her, but I honestly can't say that I was surprised. I tried to get a picture of her when we got home, but there isn't one where she is very smiley. Who could be happy & smiley when they are sweltering hot in a sweater!!! Thank goodness she didn't keep the hood up all day- probably only because she knows she is supposed to wear her 'floppy' hat in the sun.

Heavy Heart

It is with somewhat of a heavy heart that I face today. Today is my last day with just Jason. Sydney is at daycare today & Jason starts his trial next week. Therefore, today is the last day that the little guy & I get to hang out alone together. It is going to be a hot one, so we are making plans for water this afternoon. I am hoping to take him over to the neighbours for a swim this afternoon since that is something I have not done yet with just him.

Right now he is in his room not napping, but banging things around. So maybe he too senses things are about to change & would rather be hanging out with Mommy than sleeping the day away. We shall see.

Riverside Park

Today we made it to Riverside Park with moments to spare. The main reason we were going to this park was because they have a little train ride & carousel for the kids. We were meeting a little guy from Sydney's daycare, Ben, & his mom & baby brother, Adam. Leanne thought that the rides opened at 11am, but when she got there she learned that in the morning it only runs from 10-11am. Sydney, Jason & I arrived at 10:55 am. Thankfully the lady running the rides was a very nice woman & she gave an extra ride on each so that the kids who were all in line would not miss out.

The reason we were so late was because I ended up putting Jason down for a nap because he was up at 5:45am this morning. I was worried that he would not sleep in the van & would then be a monster for our play date. He slept an hour and I literally pulled him from the crib and plunked him into his car seat. Therefore we arrived at the park with him still in his p.j.'s & of course I planned to change him as soon as we got there. However, since there was the time crunch for the rides I had to wait until after our train ride- which he went on in his p.j's.

Overall the park was great, but there was not much socializing between me & Leanne. It was just too darn busy.

Happy Belated Birthday, Canada

It was a very busy weekend. Saturday we prepped for our party then headed to Tottenham to visit with Kim, Pete, Regan, Bailey & Brooke. Sydney had fun playing with her cousins & I think was a little sad that she wasn't staying for the sleepover. She got over it. She fell asleep in the van on the way home. Both kids were carried straight from the van to their beds.

On Sunday we had our annual Canada Day barbeque & I believe it was a success. There were 18 adults & 18 kids in our backyard, so I say believe because I honestly did not get a chance to talk to even half the people for more than a few minutes. Thankfully the kids were on good behaviour & when Jason was having issues he was willing to let my friends assist him with his woes. Nothing like being in the kitchen hearing your child cry in the backyard & hope that someone can help him. It was a very late night for Sydney, but she did pretty good. Tears were starting to come quite easily by the end though.

Today we laid low & had Brad's parents over to help us eat some leftovers. This was not originally planned, but a last minute thing. So I did not have enough in the fridge to make a salad so had to ask Dale to bring one. Nothing like having people over for leftovers & then asking them to bring something. I am sure I would get a gold star for that.

Now, I am just going to chill for the rest of the night because tomorrow is my third last day of having Sydney & Jason home together before I go back to work. So, we are going to Riverside Park in Guelph to meet up with some friends.

Not too many pictures from the weekend (too busy tending to other things), but here are a few.

The girls
Bailey, Sydney, Regan, & Brooke

It was cold, but the girls still went in. After getting out, Sydney didn't want to get dressed & walked around in her bathrobe. I should have gotten a picture of that to show our little Hugh Hefner of the party.

Yes, the picture is staged.

Thankfully Jason had a great nap before the party, so he was quite content to move about on his own & I just had to ask people to keep an eye on him. He hardly noticed that Brad & I were not around at his immediate beck & call.

Eleven Months Old

This month you have managed to learn some new tricks. You decided that crawling just wasn't for you & choose to scoot around. You will crawl when you are in a tight spot, but once you are through you plunk down on your bum & scoot away. You manage to travel very quickly & get into all sorts of stuff. You do not to spend too much time with one activity, so there is quite often a path of destruction in your wake. I have chosen to live with the mess rather than constantly following you to clear a path. Your Daddy & sister who are self-proclaimed neat freaks seem to have learned how to tolerate your destruction.

You now have eight teeth. This past month has not been the most restful one. You were quite restless at night and during your naps. The cause of this was never quite clear, but I think your teeth coming in really bothered you. However, you did also have a bad cold & there were so many things you were trying to master. You have mastered pulling yourself to a stand & you did climb the steps once. We don't think you enjoyed the experience because you screamed the whole way & have not repeated the attempt since. I am quite alright with you not being able to climb the steps, it is just one more avenue for you to get into trouble. In the past few days you have also started to try to stand up in the middle of the floor. You are still a long way from getting up, but it is great to see you try.

You are continuing to become a more social being. You have abandoned your wave as your neatest accomplishment & have moved onto clapping. Unfortunately this came after we have been trying to teach you to sign "more" for us. So, in your highchair we are not always sure if you are clapping to say 'look at me!' or if you are trying to tell us 'more'. You will always eat more, so we don't want to assume you are saying that if you are not. It is amazing the change in you when it comes to mealtimes. I cannot believe that you are the same kid who a few months ago was driving me crazy with your eating habits. Now, you will eat readily & pretty much anything that we put in front of you. Hopefully your willingness continues!

Pointing is also one of your new favourites. When we get you out of your crib you automatically point at the window & you want to look out. In your highchair you point at the food that you want. At Grandma & Papa's you are always pointing at their glass birds that move & they of course rush to please you & make the birds move. The rest of the time you are pointing at something & making your little grunting noise & it is up to us to figure out what you are trying to get us to see. When reading stories you will point to the moon when asked to & you will point to the animals for us to name.

There are many, many things that you do each day that bring us joy, however as seems to be the pattern with you there is always one thing that crops up each month that makes us want to pull our hair out. This month, it is diaper changes. Preparing to change your diaper is like planning your next move in chess. This process involves trying to find something for you to hold that will distract you long enough that you will lie still to be cleaned up. If the distraction doesn't work you are flipping over onto your stomach & trying to crawl away. Many changes become a bit of a wrestling match with you screaming while I try to pin you down. You see, you can be quite dirty & I don't really want you smearing that mess across the carpet & we had to abandon the change table a long time ago. Once you are clean I am willing to work with you & have learned to put your diaper on you while you are in a crawl position or a standing position.

I have added a video that we took today that demonstrates 5 of your current abilities or traits:

1. your love of music (although you can't hear it in the video) & ability to dance
2. your scooting method
3. your chase after me when you notice the camera
   
4. your tendency to not stay with any activity for much longer than 15-30 sec
5. and of course your big, happy smile

As you will notice, Sydney ended our video session.

Every girl loves a man who is good in the kitchen, so he is practicing early

He finally learned

Jason seemed determined to figure out how to get under the coffee table & get back out. Sydney has demonstrated the form to him many times & it seems that he finally has it 'mastered'.

When things seem bad

When you have a bad day it is always nice to hear or see something that reminds you of how much you do actually love and enjoy your children. Last night after blogging I finished taking some pictures off the camera & got my reminder.

Aside from the snotty nose, this picture melts my heart.

A few things make me love this picture.

1. Sydney's fashion 'sense'.
2. Her love of books & reading, although she currently is too interested in reading A Friend for Dragon- which is a horrible story, but her cousin Tyler gave it to her & she will not part with it.

Today was a long day

Today was a day that did not make me feel sad about going back to work in three weeks. Instead it was a day that has me looking forward to that day saying, "Reign freedom, reign!". Here is a summary of the events.

Jason didn't have a morning nap, so I thought we would go to Costco to get the things we needed. While there Sydney got into a pout because I wouldn't buy her a book (which I actually had gotten one for her to save for a 'special' occasion, but don't want her expecting to get something every time we are out), then she cried because she hurt herself on the cart & wanted to be carried. Yeah, like you can carry a child and steer one of those massive carts at Costco. Jason did great until I realized I forgot to get the propane tank which was the main reason we went, then he started to SCREAM! So I was one of those people pushing my cart as fast as I could in the store with one child screaming & the other with a sad look on her face. So needless to say, I have the propane tank but need to go back to get it filled.

Sydney's behaviour in the morning clearly demonstrated to me that she needed a nap, but she thought otherwise. When I caught her playing in her room and told her to go to sleep I was treated to the phase, "I don't like you Mommy!". Yes, I am already being treated to that retort from her. I am sure it is not the first time nor the last time that I will hear it. I left her in her room for awhile & could hear her chanting, "I don't like my Mommy, I want my Daddy". So, I finally went in & told her that she could either nap now or get up, but it would be early bed tonight & no stories before bed. She opted to get up, but she was a sad girl tonight when I did not read her any stories.

Jason did nap this afternoon, but clearly not as long as he needed to. So, they were both up at 2pm & the afternoon was filled with either clingy or crying children. Supper was a disaster & to make it worse Brad was going out for drinks with his boss after work- so he didn't get home until Sydney was in bed. While I was reiterating my day to him he thought I was whispering, but I told him that is all the voice I have because my throat is so sore. He clearly felt bad that I had such a crappy day with the kids & asked if there was any highlight & the only one was that both kids went to bed very easily.

Now I am off to get myself to ready for bed because, tomorrow is another day!

Flurry of Accomplishments

In the past few days Jason has (1) learned how to clap, (2) adjusted to no longer getting a morning bottle, and (3) climbed the stairs. In typical Jason fashion, none of these accomplishments have come easily. I feel like I have been trying to get him to clap for weeks & all of a sudden he finally did it last Wednesday. Now of course it is hard to tell the difference between when his is clapping & when he is signing 'more'. Thankfully more often than not he is happy to have you just clap back, so I think we are usually interpreting him correctly.

Last Monday I stopped giving him a bottle when he gets up in the morning. Monday morning was tough. He was pretty whiny before he went down for a nap & then didn't really nap at all. Actually, he never really had a morning nap all week- coincidence??? By Wednesday morning he seemed to have adjusted to this missing bottle. He is quite happy to be plunked in his highchair with some Cheerios & his milk while I get his real breakfast ready. Gerber makes a soft straw sippy cup & Jason is a master at drinking with it. I don't think Sydney mastered using a straw until about a year ago, but Jason can drink from a straw but still doesn't understand how to use a cup.

Now the stairs accomplishment seems to have come about quicker than any other of Jason's accomplishments. On Thursday, Sydney & Jason were playing & Sydney ran upstairs to get something from her room. Next thing I know I hear 'bonk' and then Jason is crying. I assumed that he had been standing at the base of the stairs & then fell & bonked his head on the wall when he tipped over. This happened again on Saturday & because I saw it at a different moment what I now believe happened was that he crawled up one step & then sat back down which of course had him toppling over on the floor. So, I encouraged him to crawl up the stairs & he seemed able to do it but was not wanting to do it so I stopped after a couple of stairs. Well, on Sunday morning when I was still in bed he attempted them again. Brad went up the stairs behind him & encouraged him the whole way, but Jason was having a FIT! I had gotten out of bed to see what was going on because I assumed that he had really hurt himself.

It seems that he must have some residual memory of tipping backwards off the step, because he sure seems afraid of crawling up the stairs now. It's a double edged sword really. Would love to see him achieve this 'milestone', but it just means more places he can get to & create more chaos. The other thing is that we can't really put a gate at the bottom of our stairs that go up to the bedroom. Because of the placement of the moulding & railing, there is no good way to secure a gate. This was never an issue with Sydney because if you said 'no Sydney' a few times, she didn't do it. Not Jason. He will try & try & try. I swear his goal is to wear us down. So, what did I do to prevent a major injury? I put foam pads at the base of the stairs. Luckily there is only about 6 steps to the next level so the risk of a bad fall is not great. I know that I will see Jason before he gets to the top (or hope I will), but know that if I am trying to get things done that I can't keep him from going to the steps completely.

I said to Brad that I am not sure what kind of mother that makes me when I am trying to minimize the injury rather than prevent it. I may not win the mother of the year award, but at least I am realistic about my child's impulses and my ability to harness them.

Springridge Farms

Springridge is just near the top of the escarpment,
so the view from the farm is quite picturesque.

This morning I took Sydney & Jason to Springridge Farms. They have a few animals (Sydney was disappointed that there were no horses), a corn maze (really just a corn path that kids won't get lost in), hay bales, and of course STRAWBERRIES. I did not venture out into the field to pick our own, not a task I am willing to take on right now with Jason & Sydney together.

Jason didn't nap again this morning (fourth morning in a row- could he be dropping this nap already?) & I knew I wanted to get them out. I also knew I wanted some fresh strawberries since the season around here is almost over- very short this year. So off to Springridge we went. It took much longer to get there than I remember & the way home was a little tricky trying to keep Jason awake. But Sydney enjoyed her time there looking at the animals & jumping on the hay. I am not sure if Jason's expression of "I am not impressed" was due to (1) being tired, (2) being hot, or (3) watching his sister have all the fun while he was stuck in the stroller. He did get a kiss from some little boy, for a reason that I am not sure. I was helping Sydney up onto the hay bale & turn around to see this little boy giving Jason a kiss. I wish I had a picture of the expression on Jason's face after that happened. He looked like he thought the kid was nuts.

Sydney did pretty good jumping on the bales, but when other kids were coming close to her to pass- she would cover her eyes. Not sure what that was all about. Just before we left I did take Jason out of the stroller so that he could sit with his sister for a photo op, but of course that resulted in me pulling hay out of his mouth. I so cannot wait for the everything in the mouth phase to be over.

Next year Jason, I promise you can join in the fun.

Watching the Storm

I hope very much to have children who are not afraid of storms. So, when one is coming in I try to make a big deal about listening for the thunder & watching for lightning (at a safe distance, of course). Sydney, really couldn't care less about my game. Which is good because it means that she isn't afraid of the storm, but it doesn't give me someone to sit & watch with either. So the other day when we were getting some good rain, I tried to encourage Jason to watch with me. He at least showed signs of wanting to watch out the window which of course then got Sydney interested too.

Maybe kids learn to play one parent off of the other from us using one kid to play off the other kid. Hmmm.

First missed moment because of work

Today I worked half a day and met with Jen who has been covering my job during my absence. She will be leaving on her mat leave a week before I return, so we are covering the details now.

It was Sydney's day at day care & Grandma & Papa kept Jason. Since Jason didn't make a sound when Dale put him down for a nap, she went in & checked on him (any other time she has put him down- he has cried before he went to sleep). When she peeked into the room she could not see him in the crib so she had to go right over. Apparently he was sitting facing the corner of the crib with his knees drawn up to his chest & his head was resting on the bumper pads. He was fast asleep. She could not believe he had fallen asleep sitting up, but that is where he was. She waited a few moments and went back in to lay him out because she was worried about how he would feel when he woke up.

She said he looked so funny, like a little budda baby. Unfortunately she didn't take a picture, so I will have to use my imagination to satisfy myself with what he looked like.

Brad's worried

We have noticed that Jason has found a new thing to play with...the phone. He picks up the phone that goes with his little kitchen & tries to hold it to his ear & sounds like he is saying "hi ya!". Jason has been much more of a babbler than we remember Sydney being, so it looks like Brad may be the only "strong silent type" in this household.

We will see if either of my children will have report cards similar to their mom's when she was in school. Two thirds of my elementary school report cards had a comment similar to..."Kelly would do much better in class if she did not chat so much".

She does listen

On the weekend we had our first incident of Sydney biting Jason. When I asked her if she bit him, she said "no". I knew she had & asked her again, also telling her that if she wasn't telling the truth that meant she was lying and that was a bad thing to do. She still denied biting him but when I showed her the teeth marks on Jason's finger, she immediately fessed up to her crime. Apparently Jason wouldn't kiss her, so she bit him. I don't think she was trying to be mean to him, I think she just was testing for a reaction- well she got one.

I am not sure if this incident will be the end to her lying. But I do know that she did hear my lesson about telling the truth because this is a phrase she has used a few times in the last couple of days. Yesterday when we were at Grandma & Papa's she was telling her Grandma something & I heard her tell Dale, "that's the truth Grandma!".

Boys of Summer

Today Jason had another play date with Graham. Thankfully these are starting to go much better.

Drying off after their swim.

Common theme these days when trying to take a picture of Jason. Better hope the first one is a good one, because once he sees me with the camera- he after me to get it.
This is a picture of him mid-scoot.