A bowl full of cherries

While at the grocery store yesterday, Kaylin and I picked up some cherries, one of her favourite fruits. So it was no surprise that she requested the same cherries for her afternoon snack. Well, that turned into one of most fun snack times I've experienced in a while.

I pulled a chair up to the sink so that Kaylin could stand and help wash the cherries. What a great washer she is! She picked up each little cherry by the stem and held it under the running water. Then she carefully put each one in a bowl, while I started to halve them and remove the pits.

But half-cherries are no fun of course. So Kaylin dove on the whole cherries. As she bit each cherry, dark red juice dripped down her chin and all over her white shirt. This would normally send me into a panic. "Stop! That's going to stain!" But on this day, I could care less. All I felt was pure joy watching my little girl's face light up with each dripping bite of cherry.

And now I know why they say "life is a bowl full of cherries."

K's Top Five of 2007

As you may recall, I mentioned in one of my previous posts (this one actually) that I am generally not fond of uneven years. So you can imagine my relief that 2007 is almost over. Not that it was a bad year. It was a stressful year. We sold our house and moved to a new city. I quit my job. Brian wondered, very early in the year at least, whether he had made a good move to his new job. But all that stress is behind us now. Life is great and I, for one, am looking forward to even more good times in 2008.

This is traditionally where a "look back at 2007" would go. But Brian suggested I do something different. So to spare you any sappy mommy-memories , I present...

Kaylin's Top Five Albums of 2007 (aka "What Kaylin demands we listen to when we drive around in the car"):











5. Raffi, Singable Songs for the Very Young
There was about a week in March where the only song Kaylin wanted to hear was "Aikendrum". And you know what? I was ok with that. Also, this was the CD that taught Kaylin the words to "Down by the Bay" which she continues to butcher to this day.












4. Regina Spektor, Begin to Hope
Kaylin calls this one "A-ha", as in, "I want to listen to A-ha Daddy!". You have to listen to the first track, Fidelity, to know why. Let's just say that it's cute when she says that and move on.












3. Raffi, The Corner Grocery Store
Even more Raffi! If it weren't for his version of "Frere Jacques" lulling a screaming, tantrumming toddler to sleep on more than one occasion, I think I might have gone back to work about eight months ago.












2. Tegan and Sara, The Con
Probably the first non-children's CD that Kaylin "let" me listen to in the car. After one listen she actually started requesting it. But all she knew was that some girls were singing. So, to this day, she asks for "The Girls". I'm always happy to oblige a request for The Girls.












1. Jack Johnson, Sing-A-Longs and Lullabies for the film Curious George
We've been playing this CD for Kaylin long before she ever saw Curious George. But I think her love for the music was solidified once she watched the movie. Now she connects the two and never fails to tell me, while track 1 is playing, that Georgie is sad and he needs a soother to feel better. (She, of course, is referring to the film's moving opening where George is sad about being alone.)


Brian and I love music. So to know that we're helping to inspire a similar love in our little girl is pretty great. To quote a line from Jack Johnson, "This is how it's supposed to be."

Happy New Year everyone! See you in 2008.

Fa la la la la

I'm not sure, but I think I had my first real taste of what it means to be a parent at Christmas time.

I had decided to buy Kaylin a babydoll set (doll, stroller, basinet, etc.) for Christmas and spent many trips to the toy aisle staring hopelessly at the assortment of dolls available. Some cried, some had blinking eyes, some wet themselves (no thanks, I have a real one already). Finally, I had found the exact one I wanted in the Canadian Tire flyer. But between Brian's recent late nights at work and the end of the Canadian Tire sale, I only had a tiny window of time when I could go and buy the doll. So I rushed out on a cold, slippery night to get it.

When I got to the store, there were only a few dolls left. But I only needed one. I grabbed the least banged-up box there and walked triumphantly to the checkout, beaming as I imagined my little girl's face as she ripped the wrapping paper off the box on Christmas morning. And as I strolled out to my car, freezing rain beating down on me and my new purchase...well, the only way I can describe it is to say it was just like that scene from The Grinch. I think my heart grew three sizes that day.

Now I understand why millions of parents stand in long department store lines, fight and struggle with other parents over Cabbage Patch Kids and Nintendo Wii's, and spend more than they can afford just so they can have that special present for their child under the Christmas tree. (Note: I do not condone the last two actions!)

Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you short checkout lines and fight-free purchases.

Advice from a semi-pro*

Our neighbours are expecting twins in the new year and to celebrate this we and a few other neighbours surprised them with a baby shower today. It was a wonderful co-ed shower, where conversation topics ranged from sports pools to nipple cream. There were no shower games--unless you count the poker game--but there was lots of eating, drinking and chatting and really, what else do you need?

What we didn't get a chance to do (at least those of us who already have kids) is impart to the parents-to-be some sage advice about raising children. So I'll do it now. Because let's face it, I have one 2 year old. I obviously know everything there is to know about kids! OK, the fact that Kaylin rarely eats vegetables and watches far too much TV may demonstrate otherwise. But too bad. R&J, if you're reading this, here are some things you should know.

1. As everyone will tell you, sleep when the babies sleep...oh wait, you're having twins. Who knows if they'll ever sleep at the same time. OK, nevermind that one.

2. For the first few weeks, when you're both too tired and overwhelmed to even make toast, don't let anyone through your front door unless they have food in their hands. Actually, this should be a rule for everyone, babies or no babies.

3. Newborns are comforted by noises that resemble the loud shushhhhhing of the womb, such as radio static or blow dryers. Running a blow dryer near your baby will help it fall asleep. Pointing a running blow dryer at your baby will not.

4. Breastfeeding a baby burns a lot of calories so you make sure you have lots of high-colorie snacks on hand. Breastfeeding twins may even require a regular diet of McDonald's fries and KFC gravy for the first few months.

5. Your babies will change everything, but only for the better.

Congratulations R&J! We can't wait to meet the babies when the time finally arrives.

*Alright, just some useless suggestions from an often-confused mom

Living with NO

Welcome! Welcome to the world of NO! where every question posed to your toddler is answered with a resounding NO! Do you want supper? NO! Do you want to wear your hat outside? NO! It's a lovely little stage of development we like to call "The Terrible Twos."

Alright, it's not that bad. Well, actually, some days it is. The Terrible Twos have arrived at our house and I, for one, am ready to pack their bags back up and send them on their merry way. They crept into our house slowly, starting with a tiny tantrum here, a few uncalled-for tears there. Then, one day, the word NO came out flying out of Kaylin's mouth. It flew right out, shot across the room and landed behind the sofa. And we haven't been able to catch it since.

At first, we didn't mind living with NO--this little word allowed Kaylin a little more control over her world. We initially saw this as a good thing.

"Would you like carrots in your mac and cheese?"
"NO, I don't want carrots mommy."

Fine. I can live with no carrots.

But this past week, NO has grown into this horrible monster who stands next to Kaylin all day long and lunges at Brian and I when we ask the most innocent of questions.

"Do you want to colour a picture with me?"
"NOOOOOOOO! I don't want to colour a picture!"

"Can I change your diaper?"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! Don't touch my diaper!!"

"Will you please wear your coat in the sub-zero weather?"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! I don't want to wear my coat!!!"

Sigh. What are you gonna do? NO has the upper hand right now. Starting a fight with NO just results in a lot of tears, crayons strewn across the floor, and exhaustion on all fronts.

All we can do is hope that NO gets bored and decides to move on. Until then, if you see Kaylin outside with no coat on and a very wet diaper, don't blame me. Blame NO.

This is your toddler on drugs

In response to my "woe-is-me" post last month, my wonderful friend Jo invited me to her lovely Toronto home for a weekend of toddler-less fun. And let me tell you, it was pretty fun. We shopped in stores filled with breakables, we sat in a coffee shop and chatted about grown-up things, we ate dinner in front of the TV and we even went to a late movie (where I found the energy, I'll never know). To top it all off, I didn't roll out of bed until 10:30. It was a little slice of heaven. (Thanks again Jo and Rich!)

But as great as those blessed few hours were, I still missed my little gnome back home. I made it back just in time on Sunday night to spend a few cuddly moments with Kaylin in her rocking chair. By Monday morning, she and I had a lot of catching up to do. While I didn't think she'd care to know much about my weekend, she obviously had lots to tell me about hers. Now, in general, Kaylin talks a lot. But I have never heard her talk so much in her life! The funniest part was, very little of it made sense. I fear someone slipped something into her Rice Krispies. You be the judge. Here are a few examples of what I heard that morning:

• "I'm a crab. Look at me shake my body!"
• "I have a hummingbird in my nose; daddy has a dinosaur in his nose."
• "I said hi to the moon."
• "I see stars --red, green, blue, yellow..."
• "I need to help the baby with scissors. Snap snap snap snap."
• "Remember the bee, went up in the sky to get honey??" [This is Kaylin's way of referring to The Bee Movie, which she saw with B the weekend before.]

Perhaps her Krispies were clean after all. (Can't say yet, the drug test is still out at the lab.) But I like to think that our little mouse just has a very vivid imagination.

Noah...er, Nemo the Loot Bag

We're proud to announce the arrival of our newest family member, Nemo (a.k.a. Noah--see explanation below) the fish. Nemo was Kaylin's "loot bag," the take-home gift she received for attending her cousin Besmah's baptism. I have to say, it's the most interesting loot bag I've ever seen.

When we got home from the baptism, we asked K what she wanted to name her new fish. Well, we had a bit of communication breakdown, it seems. Kaylin is very much my daughter in that she often speaks softly and mumbles her words. And oh yeah, she's only two. So when she named her fish, I could have sworn she said "Noah." I was so pleased. What a great and original name for a fish and how smart for a two-year-old to come up with Noah! Gee my kid is great.

But as the days passed, Kaylin began correcting me when I called the fish Noah. And yet other times, she would also refer to him as Noah. Well, she straightened me out today when she exclaimed over lunch, "No mommy, that fish s'not Noah, that's Nemo!" And she was mad about it too.

I stand corrected.

Candy!

What do you do when you spend $30 on an adorable Halloween costume for your toddler? Well, you go trick-or-treating to ONE house, of course!

Last night was Kaylin's first taste of trick-or-treating. Unfortunately, she slept through her first two Halloweens. Her first year, she dozed in her snuggly chicken costume while daddy carried her around the neighbourhood. And last year she was so worn out from a fun day at daycare that she was asleep before we could take her out. Even so, she wasn't old enough to understand the rituals of Halloween or to eat candy.

This year, she was old enough to know that it was a special night. We started the evening at Grandma's house so that Brian could hand out comic books (and promote his biz) to a larger "audience" of kids. (According to our neighbours, only 10 or so kids came to our end of the street.) But when asked if she wanted to put on her costume and go out, Kaylin replied that she wanted to watch TV. This was just fine with us. It was too cold and windy last night anyway.

When we got home from Grandma's, we were able to convince Kaylin to put on her lion costume and knock on our neighbour's door. It was her first and only stop, but it was great one! She was so thrilled the get candy in her pumpkin-bucket. Candy! she exclaimed. She couldn't get over it. With the wind whipping at her mane, our little lion headed back home, dumped out her bucket (she scored five little chocolate bars from one house - thanks guys!!) and counted each piece. She was one happy lion. It was the best Halloween I've had in a long time.

Gastump saves the day and where did our babies go?

For the first time since we moved in March, Brian and I visited our old stomping grounds this weekend and had a fantastic time catching up with some family, as well as some old friends. While we really miss everyone in the Ajax/Whitby area (well, not everyone, just the people we know there), we were quickly reminded of one of the major reasons we left the area -- the traffic!

Our first stop was to Kaylin's old daycare, where we were expecting a joyful surprise reunion with her favourite former teachers Debbie and Jen. Well, Jen just happened to be sick that day and Debbie...well, Debbie no longer works there! (Debbie, were you sick of the traffic too?!) So sorry we missed you.

Next we visited our friends and former neighbours, Jay and Jill, at their beautiful new house. Brian received some helpful tips on electrical wiring while Kaylin showed Jill and I how to decorate a coffee table with rocks and candles. Then the three of us hightailed it out of there before we could help clean up the dinner dishes. Thanks for a great visit guys! Please visit us soon.

We spent the weekend at Uncle Dennis and Auntie Tina's house in Brooklin where Kaylin was reunited with her favourite fluffy cousin, Gaston the kitten (or, "Gastump" as K calls him). All I have to say is thank goodness for Gastump. Kaylin had so much fun playing with him and all his toys that she slept really, really well...and I got my first nine solid hours of sleep in months, maybe years! Yayyyy Gastump!! If I weren't allergic to you I'd kiss you all over. Thanks for being such wonderful hosts D&T. We have an opened, partially-eaten bag of "hot cereal" for you as a thank-you gift!!

Before we headed back to London we spent some time with Kaylin's "first friends," Tasha and Nika. The three girls were all born within six weeks of each other (Kaylin and Tasha were actually due on the same day) and their moms and I spent many an afternoon chatting about motherhood, celebrating baby milestones, and marvelling at how quickly our little girls were growing. It's only been eight months since we last saw Tasha and Nika, but I can't get over how grown up our little ladies have become! Let's just say each toddler has developed a mind of her own. It's was wonderful seeing all of you again and we hope we can set up another playdate in the very near future!

Here are pictures of our girls then...and now. (They're a little squirmier now)

What about me?

Just before our weekly yoga class was about to begin, my friend asked me when was the last time I went away without Brian and Kaylin. When was the last time I got away by myself? I couldn't give her an answer off the top of my head.

I spent the first half of that yoga class trying to remember a time I went away for a night and left Brian alone with Kaylin. There must be at least one time! This was really breaking my concentration; my downward dog was getting sloppy. Think, think, think. Aha! I remember, there was that weekend in Montreal with my three girlfriends...oh wait, I was 6 months pregnant at the time. Hmmmm, nothing else is really coming to mind.

OK, so I guess I haven't been away by myself in some time. That's not good, is it?

I spent the last half of that yoga class dreaming of where I could go for a little "me time." Would I hop a plane to some warm climate and sip fruity daiquiris on the beach? Well, that's a little out of my time- and price-range. Maybe a night visiting friends in another city? That could be fun, but they're all so busy with their own lives. Perhaps a weekend at my parents' house, cleaning out my childhood bedroom and eating (a lot of) my mom's delicious cooking? That might work.

Wherever I decide to go, I just know that it's time. It's time for me. I need to be able to hear myself think. I need to not plan my day around nap schedules and snack time. I need to sit down for a meal before the meal starts, not after everyone else has what they need and are already eating. I need to be selfish. I need to feel like me again.

Whatever I decide to do, just know that there will be NO diapers in my purse, there will be NO Raffi playing on my car's CD player, and there will be LOTS of sleeping on my part. It's going to be good.

Being thankful

After being in London for just over seven months now, I can say without hesitation that moving here was probably THE best decision Brian and I have ever made in our lives. Just this past week, the stars seemed to be aligning. Everything is going so well for us right now, knock on wood, that I’m actually a bit giddy about our future. Giddy!

Brian’s really found his niche at work; he is inspired and confident. And he gets good bonuses. Yayy for bonuses. We can afford to pay our property taxes!

As for me, well, where do I start? Staying at home with Kaylin is such a treat. She’s really into having living room picnics right now. Twice a day we sit together at a 16 square inch doll blanket (sometimes with a stuffed monkey named Ralph, sometimes not), eat raisins and pretend to drink from plastic cups. Need I say more?

And, with Kaylin as my excuse, I’ve developed some wonderful friendships with some amazing women. They are moms who, like me, are just trying to “keep their shit together”. No supermoms here. We get together at least once a week and vent about life. And we drink a lot of coffee while our children yank toys out of each other’s hands. Play dates really are excellent therapy.

To top it all off, I just got my first gig doing some volunteer writing and editing for a local parenting magazine. My plan to become a freelance copy editor is taking shape quite nicely. (I’ll let you know more about this after I get a few assignments under my belt.)

Add to this some great neighbours, wonderful family - most of whom are even closer, and the fact that it’s autumn, my favourite time of year. Well, as I said to Brian tonight, I’m very happy.

Tales from the crib

Kaylin is getting her “big girl bed” today! So exciting to watch my daughter move from her baby crib to her toddler twin! Maybe she’ll be one of those kids I always hear about who don’t even know they can get out of their bed without mommy or daddy. This is going to be great!

4pm: I showed Kaylin her newly-delivered bed and let her jump on the mattress, hoping she will get excited about the concept of her big bed. Yayy, big girl bed!

6:30pm: We had “big girl bed day” cupcakes to celebrate the special occasion. Sweet and delicious.

7:30pm: Hmmm, maybe not such a good idea to fuel the toddler with sugar before bedtime.

7:40pm: Brian dismantles the crib and we wave “goodbye” to it. Kaylin doesn’t seem to mind that her crib is out of the room. Gee, she’s so easy going.

7:45pm: The new bed is set up! Hmmm, also maybe not a good idea to encourage the toddler to jump on her bed. She seems to think it’s a trampoline. Oh well, I’m sure she’ll figure it out.

7:50pm: I let Kaylin pick the sheets for her new bed. She picks the all pink ones. Well, not the ones I would have chosen, but, what the heck, she’s a big girl now!

8pm: Put Kaylin to bed. She’s not asleep yet, but she looks pretty drowsy. I’m sure it will be a matter of minutes.

8:01pm: Kaylin ran out of her room. Ha ha, isn’t that cute? She’s so grown up! I gently escort her back to bed.

8:01:45pm: Kaylin ran out of her room again. Hmmmm, this isn’t going as well as I had hoped. I give her a serious gaze and escort her back to her bed.

8:03pm: Kaylin came out of her room and asks me to rock her in the rocking chair. Hmm, well, I guess I can do that. I do like rocking her. Ok!

8:10pm: I rock her for a few minutes and lie her in the bed. She looks like she’s going to go to sleep. That wasn’t too bad, but I mustn’t rock her tomorrow! Must help her to sleep on her own. Must must must!

8:11pm: Kaylin came out of her room. Gee, I sure would like to go watch some TV. The Fall line-up’s starting, you know. I sternly say, “Back to bed Kaylin!” and watch her jump into bed. Good, she’s starting to get the idea.

8:15pm: Kaylin comes out of her room. Sigghhhh, this isn’t fun at all. I’m starting to miss the crib already. We really shouldn’t have had those cupcakes. I escort her back to bed.

8:19pm: Kaylin stands at her door, calling for me. This really isn’t going well. I’m desperate. I offer to lie in bed with her for a few minutes, just to help her get settled. I won’t do this every night, just tonight. Hmmm, these pink sheets are really soft. Oh, and this is a great pillow. I should buy one for myself. Maybe it will help if I pretend to go to sleep. Yeah, that should work. I’ll just close my eyes for a sec......zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

There are no words

I've been in a bit of a slump lately, feeling sorry for myself and complaining about my "oh-so-tiring" existence as a stay-at-home mother. Just see my last post for a refresher.

Well, I quickly snapped out of it this weekend after reading a short news article in the Toronto Star. We've all read about them before..."mother charged with abuse after child brought to hospital with two broken ribs..." or "father charged with assault after infant found with bruises on back..." Unspeakable things happen to tiny children every day. It breaks my hearts, as I'm sure it does yours. I don't normally read these articles. I'd rather not know that all this is happening outside my front door.

But this weekend I read one. I read the whole article. And by the end I was sobbing. To sum it up for you, a mother came home to find her two-year old daughter sitting up in bed and crying, her face scalded by hot water to the point that her eyelids were sollen shut and large sores were forming, while the girl's father sat in the living room watching TV.

The man claimed it was an accident. He argued that he didn't have any money to take the little girl to the hospital in a cab. So, instead, he watched TV while this innocent little girl sat alone in her bedroom, crying, burning, wondering what she had done to deserve such a fate and knowing that she couldn't find any sympathy or love in the man who sat out in the living room. This tiny toddler stayed in her little bed, in pain, for hours, until her mommy came home and took her to the hospital. I cannot fathom how someone can hurt a small child and leave them to suffer just steps away. Even worse, I can't even begin to imagine what deep sadness that child must have felt, knowing that her own father wouldn't do anything to help her. I hope I never come close to experiencing such an emotion.

I read this and all I wanted to do was wake Kaylin up from her nap and hug her and tell her I love and tell her that her mommy and daddy will never, ever let something like this happen to her.

I also felt a renewed joy in being a mother. I have the energy, the will, and the resources to give my child a wonderful life. How lucky am I? So many parents don't and so they lash out the only people they know can't fight back - their children.

I guess I just want to sa that I'm in a particularly thankful spirit right now. I'm "snapping out" of my tired-mom mood and I'm going to keep trying to be the best mom I can be. Because that's what every child deserves, especially my own.

At least I'm not alone

It's 2pm on a Thursday afternoon and I'm frustrated, tired and annoyed. It's one of those days where I wish I worked outside of the home just so I could get a coffee break. It's Kaylin's nap time but she has been bouncing around in her crib for over 40 minutes now. Meanwhile, I'm in the next room losing my mind.

Yes, staying at home with Kaylin has its definite advantages. I don't miss a single moment of her day. I get to do all sorts of fun and interesting things with her. We sometimes hang out in our PJs until 10am. And I can get a hug and a kiss from her any time I want. I really do love it.

But, as I explained to Brian the other day, being a stay-at-home mom is like any job. There are days that you love your job and days that you want to quit.

And when someone's been "on the job" for hours on end without any time to stop and have a break, it's not unreasonable for that person to get tired, cranky and irritated--if not a bit irrational--when things aren't goint well. I mean, we've all cursed at the office printer for refusing to print that overdue report, haven't we? So it's completely normal that I might get a little short with my toddler when she exerts her own will and refuses to sleep. Right?

I used to think I was a bad mom because I sometimes got frustrated with Kaylin. But I was relieved and, to be honest, thrilled to find out that the other moms in our playgroup have all felt the same way! Who knew?

That's why I look sooooo forward to getting together with other moms on a regular basis. It's comforting to open your front door to find that same tired, "I-hardly-slept-last-night" look in someone else's eyes. It's nice knowing that you're not alone in the sometimes-scary world of child-rearing. And it can be scary, let me tell you!

Well, it's been almost a full hour of crib-bouncing. I think I've lost my coffee break today. I'd better go spring the toddler from her "prison" so we can carry on with our day. Maybe I'll get that break tomorrow. Maybe not.

Kaylin sings the hits!

I've wanted to post this video for a few weeks, but our MovieMaker software has been down for a while. Without further adieu, here's Kaylin singing one of her favourite songs, "Down By The Bay", which, incidentally, she learned from riding around in mommy's car with the Raffi CD blaring.

Turn it up loud!

Happy 2nd Birthday Baby Doll!

Wow, how time flies. Two years ago this morning, I was sitting in the living room of our old house, timing my contractions together with your father's help, completely unaware of how drastically our lives were about to change. I would have never guessed then that two short years later you would become the most amazing person I had ever met.

Today you are two years old! (I actually have a two year old!) I've said it before and I'll say it again, your new toddler sentences blow me away. Last night, in the bath tub, you told me you needed a towel. I don't even know if you've said the word "towel" before.

I can't even recall a time when you didn't speak in sentences...how did we communicate three months ago? How did I know that you needed or wanted anything? How quickly I forget.

Possibly better than sentences, however, is the singing. I love your singing! I could just eat you up when you sing "bicycle!" at the top of your lungs to Queen's "Bicycle Race". You've helped me get over my own fear of singing in public. Now we happily belt out tunes as we stroll through the grocery store or walk through the park.

I don't care who hears me, I'm just enjoying my duet while you'll still sing with me. One day you'll say what I used to say to my mother all the time: "Mom, don't sing!" Until then, we will sing and sing loudly!

I could go on, but I know that these wonderful times are just the tip of the iceberg of what we have to look forward to together. Happy birthday Kaylin. Even though you are two years old now, and you're more a little girl than a baby, you'll always be my "baby doll".

Love, mommy

Who are you and what did you do with my baby?

I'm not sure what happened. Kaylin went to sleep one night a baby and woke up the next morning a little person! All joking aside, the past few weeks have seen some of the most amazing changes in Kaylin. She's changed so much and so quickly and, while it's the funnest thing in the world to watch, it also makes me a little sad to see my "baby" gone for good!

Over the past few weeks, she's begun speaking in full sentences, the most common of which begins with "I want...". My favourite request today was, "I want apple juice in a cup." (Because apparently she disliked the juice box I had offered her earlier.) Her imagination is blossoming before our eyes. She tells us stories about all sort of people and events...both real and fictional...all day ("Dinosaurs fly in sky" she tells me, referencing the dino-shaped hot air balloon we saw last night). She lets me know when she doesn't feel well ("Mommy, my 'beddy' hurts!"). She sings full songs, the most hilarious of which is "Down By the Bay", which tonight included the line, "Did you ever see daddy kissing a goose?"

She's becoming very sensitive to people's emotions, particularly crying babies she hears in the mall ("Baby's cry-ning! She needs sooder!") She's learning the rules and enforcing them on her own ("No pushing daddy!") And she's started asking about things around her, such as "What's that?" or "Who's that?"

And finally, as you can see in the picture above, she put her own boots on today! (On the wrong feet, mind you, but I wasn't even in the room and she did it all by herself!) She looks pretty proud, doesn't she?

Brian and I can't get over how quickly she's developing at this stage. She blows our mind on a daily basis and more often than not, makes us cry from laughter at the things one tiny toddler can dream up.

"That dad"

Brian asked me tonight why I haven't updated my Blog this week. I told him that I couldn't think of anything to write about. He rightly suggested that I might want to mention what a fantastic father he is.

Well, I thought that was obvious to the world. But perhaps I should elaborate.

Did you know that since I've become a stay-at-home-mom, Kaylin has become, at times, VERY attached to me? So much that when Brian comes down for breakfast or comes home for dinner, Kaylin often runs to me and hugs my leg until she gets used to the idea that daddy is there. Sounds awful, but it only lasts a minute because every single time, Brian does everything in his power to make his little girl giggle or smile, or join him on the sofa, or colour a picture with him. He knows it's just a phase she's going through and doesn't let it bother him. He doesn't use her behaviour as an excuse to make a quick exit and watch TV or do some work. No, each time, he hangs in there, gets in her face, and let's her know that he loves her. He demands kisses and hugs, he asks her how she is and how her day was, and lets her know that he missed her. And if that fails, he tickles her. He doesn't have to feel bad or left out because he knows that within seconds, Kaylin will be squealing with laughter and it will be because of something he did.

Did you know that Brian is "that dad"? You know the one. The one who is a big kid himself. The one who has all the other kids at the party gathered around, laughing with him, playing with him. The one who picks up his daughter and swings her around until she is howling with laughter. The one who all the moms at the mall grin at because he is having such a great time with his little girl and it shows. The one who won't hesitate to roll around on the ground with his toddler or do Muppet impersonations during bath time.

He's the one who lies on his back on the grass beside his two-year-old daughter, points up to the sky and teaches her to see stars and airplanes with her imagination.

Yep, he's really "that dad".

WHATCHA DOOO-ING???

In the spirit of one of Kaylin's favourite new questions, "whatcha doing?", here are some recent pictures of what she's been doing lately.

Enjoying a FREE! Passion Flakie Mousse at Sunfest last weekend. Ahhh, lard and sugar.


Playing with her "new to her" kitchen. I bought it sight-unseen from someone online. It's in good shape, though the sounds no longer work and none of the accessories were included. But watching her yell "stoppit!!" at the microwave door that won't stay shut made the $25 well worth it.



Watching the men who are STILL pushing dirt around the back of our lot. But this is it! The sod is going in tomorrow morning! Yayyy.



Helping daddy make a blueberry-banana smoothie (or "smoodie"). We now consider the banana "smoodie" one of Kaylin's four major food groups, along with macaroni and cheese, toast, and ice cubes.

Toddler travel highs and lows

Call me a wimp, but I find traveling with the toddler stressful and tiring. And we only went away for one night!!

Brian and I took Kaylin to Niagara Falls this week for a quick little vacation. Looking back, we had a wonderful time. The weather was beautiful and Kaylin was such a good little girl. But I'm still glad to be home.

Here are some highlights and not-so-highlights from our 28-hour trip.

Highs

1. Kaylin got her first glimpse of the stunning Niagara Falls.
2. Kaylin saw killer whales, beluga whales, and seals up close. She got to touch both deer and a snake!
3. Brian and Kaylin had their first real swim together in the hotel pool.
4. Kaylin enjoyed her first taste of cotton candy.
5. Wonderful memories to last a life time.

Lows

1. Kaylin didn't care about the Falls. She preferred to go up and down the nearby stairs then look at the amazing sites around us. Oh well, maybe next time.
   
2. Kaylin fell asleep at 6pm, just as we checked into the hotel. Instead of the three of us going out for dinner as planned, Brian and I quietly ate Chinese take-out on the sofa in our hotel room while Kaylin slept.
3. Kaylin hardly ate anything all weekend. We even opted for a breakfast buffet one morning, thinking she would certainly be tempted by something delicious. Instead, she danced around our table and refused every morsel we offered, except for a few spoonfuls of oatmeal.
4. Marineland has barely changed since 1979. And yet it dares to charge $40 per person admission.
5. Some bold seagulls took Brian's BBQ chicken right off his plate less than 20 seconds after he sat down at our outdoor table. Combine this with the exorbitant price of that crappy lunch and the cranky, not-eating toddler at our side, and this moment was the low point of our trip.

All joking aside, we had a lot of fun on our little jaunt but look forward to a time when Kaylin is just a little older and can enjoy all the sights and sounds a vacation has to offer without falling asleep every four hours.

Here are a few snapshots from the trip.