Our Reptilian Celebration

We held Kamryn’s 5th birthday party yesterday. It had been planned for 6 weeks. We rented a bouncy house and had all the arrangements set. I figured it wouldn’t matter all that much how many kids we invited since all I had to do was supervise them bouncing to their hearts content. When she wanted to invite her entire kindergarten class and all her friends from the street I didn’t flinch. It’s summer – half the kids we invite can never make it anyways. We invited 25. 6 declined. That made 21 kids incl. Kamryn and her brother. It was sunny and hot all week. The only day they called for rain … you guessed it. And not just a little rain. “Rain heavy at times”; possibility of thunderstorms” Ya.

So 24 hours before the party I pannicked. I cancelled the bouncy house and then freaked that I had 21 kids under 6 and NOTHING for them to do. Oh I had a pin the tail on the donkey. Ya. So I called a local Reptile Zoo and asked if they could accommodate me on 24 hours notice; oh and their presenter had to be bilingual because the majority of the kids didn’t speak english. Lo and behold they could help – I am forever beholden to this company. The party guest all arrived amid a torrential downpour – there were puddles a foot deep in the street. We took all the furniture out of our family room and stored it in the garage to make extra room. The kids had a blast. There was a python crawling around my family room. Lol

Some pics of Kamryn who I must admit was one of the most fearless kids in the room (braver by far than her mother)

With her cake before the party



Pre-party once again. This wasn’t posed but looked like such an ideal shot I took it and wonders of wonders got a “not-goofy” smile that is so rare these days.



Holding a blue gecko thing named aptly Blue:



Holding a Scorpion (Sam, after asking to hold it screamed his little head off when doing the same):



Holding a Pink-toed Tarantula:




Like her necklace? I can't remember what it's called.



The Python and the kids:



Blowing out the candle. She has a crush on the goofy (very goofy) little boy standing immediately behind her. I don't think he knows girls exist. Then again I don't think Kamryn knows that she's a girl and there perhaps lies the attraction. She doesn't by the way realize this is a crush (thank god!). But she goes on and on and on about him constantly. It's quite cute. She was devestated at not being invited to his birthday party in January. The problem with having friends of the opposite sex at this age. Ah well.

Totally aimless Vent written while steam was still shooting from my ears.

Just wanted to vent about the joys of having three children. But you say I only have two ... To this I laugh heartily. Today is my first day of vacation. Daniel is working and started his shift at 1 pm. He will be home around 11. He's very lucky.

There is a 3 X 5 foot space between the stairs to our deck and the house. Pre-deck, I'd had a little garden there and as a result it is a well fertilized, very fertile patch of dirt perfect for the copious weeds that I had taken root and some fugitive mint that I have been pulling up for years now. It was unsightly. It bothered me. So yesterday, I went to Home Depot. I bought some landscaping felt. I bought some 250 lbs of River rocks. I came home and I pulled the 3 foot tall weeds up completely by hand because Daniel informed me the weed whacker was out of string. *shrug* I lay down the landscaping felt and covered it with rocks. I looked neat. I looked nice. I was pleased.

There is a 6 x 8 hole in our basement where Daniel and my father have been putting in some plumbing for the bathroom we are putting in down there. Next to the hole is a huge pile of rubble that once was in the hole. I've been nagging (gently since I know it really serves NO PURPOSE) Daniel to get the rubble out of the basement so we can finish working on the basement for weeks.

I'm off work for two weeks and we're not going anywhere. The kids are in camp this week so no family activities at the moment. I refuse to let Daniel waste time this week and have projects that I'm "encouraging" him to make progress on. This morning I went out to run some errands and collect Sam from preschool. I left Daniel working on finishing the privacy panels for the deck (that he has been working on finishing since LAST summer). I came home and he proudly told me that he ran out of some particular type of screw so he had to wait until tomorrow to finish BUT that he had got started hauling the debris out of the basement. I got a warm loving feeling in my heart. He was working so hard. Isn't that special?

I drove him to work because he was late (as always lol).

Later in the afternoon the kids go to play in the backyard while I make dinner. I look out into the yard to check on them and they are in the process of transferring all the sand in the sand box from the box to the tent that I so kindly put up for them. I go down the deck stairs to yell at them (if I had a dime for every time I said "sand belongs IN the sand box -- I'm going to get rid of the blasted thing) and I look over to admire my handiwork from yesterday...

Sigh.

Now that the weeds are gone what a perfect place to store tons of yucky old broken up concrete!!!!

He's lucky I'll be asleep when he gets home from work.

My shoulders are killing me from hauling it all into the wheelbarrow and an empty garbage can (that is now to heavy for me to move). I have cuts all over my right hand because I did it with only one glove because wonder of wonders he didn't put the garden gloves back where they should be an I could only find one old glove and not its pair.

He's lucky he's working late.

So I cleaned up the yard. It's NOT a pretty yard but for once it looked relatively neat and tidy if not prosperous. Why ruin it? Next he'll be wanting to park an old car back there.

Kamryn's Card

Hum drum...

So its mid-summer and everyone is away on vacation and I’m acting boss. :) I’m actually acting boss + ½ since my boss’s, boss is also away and the colleague that is covering for the boss’s boss is only working half days – weird and long boring story. So I’m also doing a teeny bit of work on his behalf and skipping that entire level of responsibility whenever I need to get anything approved (okay I’m a career bureaucrat so don’t laugh when I tell you how MUCH I enjoy that lol). Did all that make any sense?

Anyway, last week was extremely busy. I felt very efficient and competent and finished each day rather disappointed that there was nobody there to point out how amazing I was. This week it’s really dead and I’m just bored.

So what have a done this week:

Work wise, there hasn’t been much. Not even enough to fill a complete morning and it’s Wednesday now so stretched over three days – pretty painful. I like to busy – run off my feet busy. This is torturous. I started a new project where I meant to scan our library of old archived speeches into the computer and after one speech decided that we should hire a summer student to do this – next year. I’ve also compiled a handbook for the new employees we will get in the fall on everything you need to do this job. Yup. Oh and I’ve supervised my staff of … um… two – one of whom has been home sick for two days now. The other is a near genius who could easily supervise me. She’s cool though and I enjoy at least hanging out with her. All my efforts still didn’t fill an entire morning.

So what else have I been up to:

- I helped a colleague (the near genius) apply for a promotion.

- I’ve made birthday invitations for Kamryn’s 5th birthday party. Really cool invitations in my humble opinion – I’ll post a picture. :)

- I planned our summer vacation. To save money for Disney World in February 2008 we are having a “local vacation” this year. There are tons of things to do in the “National Capital Region” we just never do them. So I’ve planned a rollicking week – Parc Omega, Mont Cascade Waterpark, Storyland, Upper Canada Village, Museum of Nature. And the ability to sleep in my own bed each night – bonus! I’m actually looking forward to it. The challenge is to keep Daniel from accepting any work during that time.

- Oh and I’ve played a lot of Sims (I’m an addict.)

- Today I decided that I should write in my blog.

So I am filling my days – or a least trying to – but not in a way that would thrill the Canadian taxpayer. I’m trying though I really am and I would work if I had anything to do. Whine, whine, whine.

Just thought I’d let everyone in on my exciting days.

Thursday, Kamryn and Sam have been invited to a birthday party. It’s for the neighbours son who will be turning 6. This is the third year they have invited us. This is the first year the kids will go. My neighbours ALWAYS have this party in the middle of the week and they ALWAYS seem to think that everyone can drop everything and drive an hour to the cottage to enjoy the party. I’m going to be at work – doing nothing – so I can’t go. This has been our reason for not going for three years. This year I suggested Daniel take the kids on his own. If he was working and I was home that’s what I would do… I don’t know why I always try to make things easier for him but martyr myself. So he’s taking them. Another neighbour who went last year ran on ad naseum last night about how much fun it is so they should all have a good time. Me, I’m secretly thrilled. The party starts at 3. I should be home from work by 5. They won’t be home until at least 8; maybe even later. I’ll have the house ALL TO MYSELF! That never happens.

I have a whole relaxing night planned. I’m going to drink alone. There is wine in the fridge already opened lol. I’m going to order Pizza. I’m going to rent a chick flick. I’m going to take a bath – without a companion who likes to play with rubber bath toys (and no I don’t mean Daniel).

Guilty pleasure. Bear with me I’m not a horribly ungrateful mother. It’s just that I haven’t had any appreciable time at home alone in longer than I can remember (maybe never?). It just never happens. Sometimes no kids, often no husband but never just me. A little mini-vacation. Maybe I’ll leave work a little early. Lol But not too early I don’t want to make the party (I’m not a huge fan of Cottage life as it is). Shhhhh…. our little secret.

Graduation!!!! ... of sorts :)

I thought I was over getting teary eyed at things like pre-school graduations.

Nope. Not so much.

Wednesday Sam "graduated" from pre-school (not really unlike most of his classmates he has another year to go before elementary school). It was so darn cute and it amplified how very far he has come in a year. He got his little report card and it was all good news (vice Christmas when they pointed out that he had to work on his ability to follow directions/listen).

He did super well at graduation too - until he fell off his chair of course. He is SUCH a social kid and just LOVES being the centre or at least the object of much attention.

Some photos – I’m going to drown everyone in photos. :)


Getting his diploma (rolled up blank piece of paper tied in a bow) which he then proceeded to chew on.



It was his inability to stay in his chair that ended with him sitting on the floor sobbing and eventually leaving his spot to come and sob in my lap.



With his teachers.



With his best bud who sadly is off to elementary school next year and who he will miss terribly. Although I've heard about this kid constantly for a year this was the first time I actually spent any time with him. After about 2 secs. I understood why Sam liked him so much. What a nice kid.

My Sporty Son

So today was Sam's first soccer "practice." Yes -- he is too young. Yes -- he is too immature, as is his attention span. But, you've never seen a kid more miserable than Sam being told that he couldn't play at his sister's soccer practices. And, you've never seen a kid more thrilled with the prospect of playing as Sam was today. He has more ball control than his older sis and he definitely tries harder. He doesn't listen to instructions though and those that he does hear I'm not so certain he understands (I spent the first half of practice chasing after him trying to get him to understand that its a class and he has to do what he is told and what the other children were doing.) It's a 3/4 class and I suspect MOST of the kids are nearer to 4 than 3. Sam isn't short in the slightest (75th percentile last check-up!) and he IS the shortest kid there so maybe one of the youngest? He was definitely the least with it kid but he was happy and was also definitely the most enthusiastic. We have to practice putting the ball in the actual goal though. Here are some photos of my soccer star and how about a couple of Kamryn during her first soccer practice.

Okay this has NOTHING to do with Soccer but was too cute not to add. Sam's birthgrandmother sent him roller skates for his birthday - ugh! He begrudgingly tried them -- he's a coward and a big cryer. He didn't last long. lol Note the picture is of him sitting down. He wouldn't let go of me when he was standing so I couldn''t take anymore pictures.




Okay soccer ones:



Taking on his coach:





And one that just shows how wacky 3/4 year old soccer is. Note the net in the picture -- that's the end of the playing field. Note the hurd of children in the distance -- that's where the ball is. lol



Yes the best photo I got of Kamryn was snack break. lol



She has her hair in a pony tail in this one and looks just like a boy -- oops. That's her best bud standing next to her -- don't they look into the whole thing.

I'm going to audition for Sesame Street.

This morning Sam came into my room as I tried to pull myself from bed. He patted me on the head and commented how he liked my hair... uh hunh? Then he completed his sentence and explained that it was "just like Ernie's" LOL I have Ernie's hair. Sam has a soft spot for Ernie. I've always had one as well. :)

Go Sens Go!

Protesting

So I’m busier than I’ve ever been at work and at the same time I have nothing to do. The nature of the job is that you write like a mad person, wait for someone(s) to review, edit like a crazed lunatic, wait for some to review, write like your hair is on fire, wait for someone to review. That’s with one speech. Right now, because things are crazier than crazy I have two on the go (at one point it was three!). That might not sound like much but it gets very confusing. Right not I’m in a “waiting for someone to review” lull. It’s my last level of approval before I am done, done, done and I’m not expecting major changes from the very important and busy people that are currently reviewing my drafts. I’m also not expecting to hear anything today. So I’m kind of just chilling.

It’s also a really nice day out so I went out for a walk. I wandered down to a REALLY nice shoe store that I should avoid because its kind of expensive and always makes me want to buy 10 more pairs of shoes than I need or want. I bought a pair of sandals (planned purchase); grabbed and ice cream cone for sustenance and proceeded to take the long way back to the office.

The nature of working steps from Parliament Hill is that there is always some protest or another one going on. As I meandered, I ended up right in the middle of one. Turns out it was the “National Walk for Life” — an anti-abortion protest. It was huge. One of the biggest I have seen.

I’m most definitely anti-abortion (and no I don’t care what the circumstances surrounding the pregnancy are) but it’s not a cause I wear on my sleeve or talk about much. In reality I don’t think about it much. Okay, I’m not a strong person; I much prefer to pretend something that I know I have little power to change doesn’t exist than to rail ferociously and ineffectually at it. I’m also not the most confrontational person in the world. Don’t get me wrong, I like a good argument but not about huge moral issues. If I think I can change something watch out but other things I work hard to just squeeze out of my mind. I know it’s not a good character trait but hey I never said I was perfect.

Anyway, back to the march. As the rivers of people flowed by I walked along slowly and thought seriously about what I believed and if I belonged in the middle or if I should be walking on the sidewalk and emphatically demonstrating that I didn’t support the cause. I decided I belonged in the middle of the protest and I stayed. AND I got quite teary eyed.

I started thinking about the kids birthmothers. Kamryn’s birthmom didn’t find out she was pregnant until the 5 month. I don’t know where she stands on abortion. I know she very emphatically didn’t want to be a mother. I don’t know what she would have done had she known at say 6 weeks. Sam’s birthmother … sigh. She wanted to be pregnant very much. Sam was definitely planned. She went home at 5 months pregnant and her family took care of her. She has been pregnant twice since. Again her family has taken care of her. Sam has no siblings.

In the middle of this march, I got to thinking that with just a small change in circumstances one or both my children might not be here. I don’t think this is an issue I can push from my mind anymore. It’s right there in the open and I don’t think I can look at my kids and not feel it tugging a little at the corners of my mind. I guess, starting with this blog entry, I’m going to be a little more outspoken on the topic than I have been in the past.

Again I must apologize for being MIA

Sorry I keep doing this. Been working insane hours. Daniel asked when I would be home from work yesterday; I told him after the war. I was partially serious. Sigh. Turned out to be just after 8 which wouldn't be all that bad except that's pretty much what its been for FOREVER as long as you don't count 1:00 am last week. Ugh! Tomorrow I need to pack a change of clothes - comfy clothes - because dashing out for a dinner break and buying a new set of clothing because I know I'm staying until midnight is getting expensive. lol

I guess I shouldn't complain -- no one is trying to blow me up. Life could be more difficult.

For the first time, on Easter Sunday, I had a good long cry over what is happening to our guys in Afghanistan. We lost 6 guys Easter Sunday. I've felt sad before over losing soldiers but this was definitely different. It was EXACTLY what the Taliban had hoped to achieve. Bloody Taliban wanted to shake us to the bone and they did. They aren't nice guys to put it mildly. I have nastier descriptions of them but I spent the day drafting different ways to say "bad guy" and my brain is fried.

Easter Sunday Canadians were busy commemorating not only Easter, but also the 90th anniversary of Vimy Ridge. They knew what they were doing when they planned that attack. They succeeded in rocking a nation. But, Afghanistan isn't Iraq; its a VERY different situation and I do believe we belong there. Still it is hard. I've written statements for the Minister to give after a death. I've drafted countless justifications as we struggle to explain what we are doing so far away and why our guys are dying for people who for the most part have never heard of Canada. When you do stuff like that day in and day out you have to do a pretty thorough personal inventory. I don't know how I would do my job if I didn't believe that what we were committed to was right. No matter its an emotionally difficult job to do but... no one is trying to blow me up.

Hmmm... 3 kids?

So last Monday we got 15 cm of snow. They were calling for rain and snow overnight so it wasn’t a complete surprise but I was a little surprised when after getting up an looking out the window Daniel started to laugh. I asked him if it had “stopped raining.” He looked at me and said you could say that – there is a half foot of snow on the ground. It was a miserable day. It was wet and slippery and rained/snowed all day – picture slush falling from the sky. YUCK!

Friday, I wore a sleeveless blouse to work with a hoodie over it to keep out the early morning chill (it was casual Friday). I took the hoodie off at around 10 am and never put it back on. I was hot walking home from the bus stop after work. What a glorious weekend we had. It got over 23 each day. Humidity was non-existent (very odd for “the valley”). And with snow still on the ground in some places (VERY few places) there were no bugs. Glorious.

Daniel and I played golf on Saturday. 18 holes. We walked because the course was too wet for carts. I normally prefer walking anyways. This was torturous. A swampy LONG course (4 ½ miles if you play like Tiger Woods and don’t have to dipsy doodle all over the course) combined with my out of shape body – by the 14th hole I was completely dead. We great to be out this early though.

Sunday, the kids were barely indoors. We went to this huge new park near our house. It’s still technically under development I guess (i.e. they seeded for grass in the fall – said grass is still pretty sparse but it is only April). The play structures are wonderful. It’s a “fully accessible” park. So if you’re a kid in a wheelchair you can pretty much get everywhere a mobile kid can. What it means for parents is that you can climb on the play structure without fear of anything (on you or the play structure) breaking. There are ramps and handholds and steps. It’s wonderful and big and the kids get a great kick out of it.

We got there and I commented to Daniel that Kamryn and Sam were at a great age. An age where we can let them just go – we have to watch to make sure we know where they are but we don’t have to hover every minute. Almost (but not quite) totally relaxing. Lol So there we were; I’m comfortably reveling almost being completely out of the toddler stage and then I started thinking that this would be a great place to take pictures for an “Dear Birthmom” letter.

Daniel said “no way!”

I wasn’t really serious, but it did cross my mind. Briefly. :)

The Gospel According to Kamryn

So I'm trying to explain Easter to my Kamryn. We do go to Church BUT the Children's service is at an inconvenient time for our family so she's stuck with the adult service and most of it goes right over her head I'm sure. She also goes to a Catholic school but I have no idea what they are teaching them about this given their ages. Anyway we've been talking a lot about the religious meaning of Easter in the past week trying not to be overwhelmed by bunnies and chocolate eggs.

She gets that Jesus died on the cross (my children have an odd fascination with cruxifixes). In fact she was explaining to Sam this morning (with the help of a book)how bad men came and took Him away (this is what prompted the conversation in the first place). She kind of understands sins (not really but getting there) but it's her idea of resurrection that had me stiffling some giggles this morning.

Remember my whole "mission d'étre" here is to try to explain the religion behind the whole thing absent commercialization. So we were talking this morning about how after Jesus died he "came back to life" and she looks at me and says...

..."like Frosty?."

Ah well. If the commercialism of one holiday will explain the next I guess I can't knock it too badly. Frosty as a Christ figure? Hmmmm.... :)

Wordless Wednesdays - A short photo essay

A Kamryn Funny

So Kamryn noticed a few hairs in her brush last night after I brushed out her hair and asked me where they came from. I explained that when I brush her hair sometimes a few get pulled out and caught in the brush but that it was all right because they would grow back.

I then took advantage of the situation to reinforce a "rule" about combing her curly haired American Girl doll's hair. I explained that the pulled out hairs were the reason we don't comb Ella's hair because, as she was just a doll, the hairs wouldn't grow back and she would end up bald.

Kamryn nodded sagely and then commented that maybe Daniel shouldn't brush his hair either.

So I haven't abandonned you...

The Minister of National Defence said something he shouldn't have and it's meant 14 hour days for me. During my "spare time" we've been redecorating Sam's room -- we're almost done.

Took the day off on Wednesday and wrote this to commemorate how wonderful it felt. lol

So I took the day off yesterday because we had no childcare available and I had one leave day to burn before the end of the fiscal year. It was sooooooo great. I felt so productive.

My schedule:

8:30 drop Kamryn at elementary school
8:45 drop Sam at preschool

Zip home because I had forgotten my cell phone. Take the opportunity to package up Sam’s crib tent that I had sold on E-bay. Off to the post office. Mail said package.

Stop to buy Diabetic candies for sick Aunt.

Off to the fabric store to find fabric for Sam’s new bedroom curtains. Buy fabric – Cars! Cars! And more Cars! Lol.

To the hospital to visit sick Aunt.

11:30 pick up Sam from pre-school.

Grocery shop. Home for lunch.

1:00 Sam down for a nap.

Finish touching up the paint in his bedroom (he was napping in Kamryn’s room). Remove the tape from all the trim.

Make curtains (lined!). I don’t sew so this was a biggie for me – took me most of the rest of the day. They came out really nice if I say so myself. :)

2:50 wake sleeping Sam and zip to pick up Kamryn at school.

Home. Kids run around like silly buggers destroying the house while I finish the curtains.

Start supper and discover we have no onions so the Shepherd’s pie I was going to make is out. Defrost Sweet Potato Soup leftovers instead and make fresh biscuits as a side.

Pause to paint “accessories” for Kamryn’s room (little shelf with hooks for clothes etc. and brackets to hang a quilt on her wall).

Load kids in the car and zip to Sear’s catalogue pick-up to pick-up some linens and accessories I had ordered for Sam’s new room.

Home; feed kids and Daniel. Kids in bed, stories, finish curtains.

Time to put my feet up and watch my PVR’ed Lost.

I felt like a mini-Martha Stewart and was thinking how productive I could be as a SAHM. Then I remember what I was like as a SAHM. It’s so much easier to procrastinate when you know you have more than one-day (at least in my case). Lol I never got half as much accomplished.

Back soon - I promise. :)

Dismantling the Nursery

I didn’t think it would be so hard. I didn’t think it would be so soon (lol it's been 2 kids and 5 years I guess that's not all that soon).

I remember how much fun it was to put together. To plan and dream and imagine when all had seem so hopeless and pointless for sooooo very long.

The wallpaper design was taken right out of a picture from a book at the wallpaper store. It's a completely odd and kind of unbabylike design and that's why I liked it. I had never bought wallpaper before and was clueless about how much things cost. I was so excited to be decorating a nursery finally that I just ordered everything so it would look JUST like the picture and I don’t think I hid the shock very well when the clerk asked me for $700 to pay for it. At that point I felt I was a little too far in to back out. Lol It did look just wonderful to me though.



We started decorating in the midst of being considered for a baby that in the end was not to be ours. Still we knew we would eventually be parents.

I remember going in there and sitting in the glider rocker and imagining rocking a baby months before there was even an inkling that there really would be a baby. It was sunny and warm and gave me a happy feeling in my heart.

I remember the lone outfit that I had bought for future-baby hanging so lonely in the closet because I had this cockamamie idea that I would jinx myself by buying any more clothes.

I remember sitting there with Kamryn after her baptism feeding her as mayhem ruled in the rest of the house.

I remember sitting there and singing to her as an infant.

I remember how Sam used to fall asleep so easily in my arms after we first brought him home, sitting and rocking in that rocker. Such an active, strong and angry little guy, so easily calmed in that rocker.

I remember how mad I was at 16-month-old Kamryn (I think that’s how old she was) when she ripped that wallpaper border off the wall. She was so proud of herself and well its not as if I could punish her for it. Now it’s going to be me ripping off all that paper.

I still love the room.

Daniel comments that the seams now show on the wallpaper, and how the glue is yellowing the edges of the paper. He’s not as nostalgic as I and only sees what is no longer perfect. I don’t see those imperfections. I still think it is a gloriously beautiful room. It brings me peace. But, it’s not my room. This weekend we will start the transition from “baby dinos” to “dum-da-da-dum… Superman”.

Sam, who will be 3 in a couple of months, will love it. I’ll miss the pale purple wallpaper that DH argues is not at all masculine and is probably damaging our son psychologically for life lol. Who cares what I think? If I’m all that nostalgic I guess we have some wallpaper border left over, I can put it up in my own bedroom. Lol

Yup, the baby has left the building.

Our weekend and Build-A-Bear

Kamryn is spoiled silly. I love it. We had a blast while her brother and father where away on their little mini-vacation. We ate out twice – once at Wendy’s and once a Perkins (kind of like Denny’s) – nothing but the best for the T. women. Lol She came to work with me twice and charmed everyone. On Friday I foolishly braved a bad snow storm so that we could take in the movie “Happy Feet.” Saturday she joined me in hosting a good portion of our family in and 85th birthday celebration for my Aunt. She had a blast playing with her cousins – young and old – and she didn’t hit the sheets until almost midnight. Sunday I took her to build-a-bear to build my (oops I mean her) dream bear. Lol I planned to have her pick the $15 basic bear and then get one simple outfit. Ha! How could I, I mean she, resist. I broke down within seconds of entering she she picked one of the most expensive bears – a snow leopard – I tried to hold firm by telling her if she picked this bear (indicating a simpler/cheaper) bear that she could dress is up afterwards. Who was I kidding?

So she got her snow leopard and then we immediately began trying on hoards and hoards and hoards of clothes. Sammie ended up leaving bedecked in black jeans, a red t-shirt and a red and black hoodie. He almost got a leather jacket too but my 4 year old informed me he didn’t need one. She did feel he needed shoes but I held firm on that one – strong aren’t I? She also felt I should buy him a Halloween costume and I declined. Lol

Okay it was a RIDICULOUSLY expensive venture. Sammie ended up costing us almost $70. Oh but it’s been worth it. He has gone everywhere with her. Every night she undresses him and puts him in one of her old newborn sleepers which fits him perfectly btw. Every morning she gets him ready to go to school with her. On Monday morning she appeared at my bedside, dressed and ready for school. When she then informed me that she had already dressed Sammie and he was ready for school to I cracked up. On Tuesday Sammie didn’t get to go to school because she had left his hoodie at school. Since his hoodie cost almost as much as a hoodie for her would I informed her that until everything came home nothing would go back to school. Kamryn needs incentive since she seems to equate school with giving all her things away. His hoodie came home and since then he’s been her faithful companion. It’s very cute to watch and I’m enjoying her enjoying it so much. I great experience for the two of us.

Well it's time to pack up the crib

I guess I owed a blog entry – technically – yesterday. But with Wordless Wednesday (which I posted on Tuesday lol) and all … I never really got around to it. So I’m writing one now. I had my right retina repair done today so I’m seeing a bit wacky right now since one pupil is the size of a saucer and the other quite normal. Still, since I’m here at work not working I might as well blog (which looks to the casual observer that I am indeed hard at work.)

Poor little Sam this week.

Just this week — after mulling it over for quite a while — I made the decision that Sam should get a new bedroom set for his birthday in May and we should move him to a bed. Now Sam is quite happy in his crib. He sleeps well in it. He still fits in it. He’s contained. I know where he is. He’s safe and I had no intention on moving him until the summer.

The problem really isn’t Sam but rather Kamryn. Right now the rule in our house is that she isn’t allowed to leave her room and attack us – oops I mean come into our room to get us until 7:00 am. She is quite good at sticking to that rule and only occasionally needs reminding. But then again there is NOTHING for her to do at that hour of the morning anyways. If she gets up early, she gets dressed and plays quietly in her room until the appointed hour. I like this arrangement. I’m worried that with Sam free – it will be a free-for-all. These kids truly love each other and have a blast together. I’m positive they will both get up to mischief together and I will never sleep again.

Anyway I firmly stated quite a while ago that we would leave Sam in a crib until his 18th birthday. I relented a bit when the weight limits on the crib were pointed out to me. I also thought that potty training may be a factor but boys are harder to train and just because Kamryn night trained without even blinking I didn’t expect Sam to do the same. Ummm… ya. One of my projects this weekend will be to box up all the extra diaper paraphernalia and get it out of Sam’s room. I should probably combine that with setting up his new bed. Sam virtually potty trained himself a few months ago now. We told him where the bathroom was and put him in underwear. It wasn’t much more involved than that – although we had a protracted struggle (if you can call a few weeks a struggle) over the “where to poop” thing. We were having a problem with him overflowing his pull-up so we decided to start waking him when we go up to bed and making him use the toilet then. We did that one night and he didn’t wet the bed after that. A few weeks ago he asked if he could wear underwear to bed and I couldn’t think if a reason why not (except that I have 50 or so pull-ups that I don’t need) so I said yes and ta-da he’s night trained. We still do the 11 o’clock potty-run but it’s been almost two months since we started waking him and he hasn’t wet the bed even once when asleep that is. The continued presence of diaper stuff in his room is simply evidence of my incredulity that it was this easy (and my highly honed skills of procrastination). That brings us to the bed dilemma.

Because he is in the crib he can’t take himself to the bathroom. What it means for us is no longer languishing in bed pretending not to hear him when he calls to be let out in the morning. Hop to it my boy needs to pee! We know that and work hard not to stress him too much over it. Yesterday morning though his calls (a little earlier than usual so not expected) were muted by the TV (serves as our alarm clock), a still closed door and the garbage truck's arrival and we didn't get to him in time. :( Poor little guy was VERY upset. I can only imagine how he felt. His little sobbing voice about how he had to go to the bathroom right away. He tried so hard and we failed him.

Daniel went bed shopping today.

Yikes -- Sam in a bed, perhaps we need to invest in more house insurance.

Wordless Wednesdays

Another Blog that I read does this. I really like it. So not to ruin it with lots of explanations ...

Difficulty Adjusting

I took Kamryn to soccer practice for the first time this session. Daniel normally takes her but as he was away Maman was on. So it's a bunch of three- and four-year olds doing what three- and four-year old do best -- their own thing. Sometimes they did what the coach was asking them to do. Sometimes they twirled around on the floor or wandered about aimlessly or dissolved into tears for various inane reasons. So there is this one Mom there with her EXTREMELY clingy daughter trying to keep her engaged. The little girl was likely 4 -- she was about the same size and skill level as Kamryn. She wasn't doing at all well. Mom stops to explain that she is having a tough time adjusting to all the changes in her life. uh---hunh. What changes would those be? Mom goes on to explain that with the pregnancy and all. uh-hunh. What pregnancy -- it is only then I notice she has a little (we're talking small here!) belly. I'm guessing she was about 4 months. 5 if she carries small. I'm not the only one who didn't notice (and Mom was wearing a tight little track suit so not hard to see her every contour). One of the other mothers asks if she has told the little girl or not. Mom says "well I can hardly keep it secret" and point to her belly. Uh hunh.

Problems adjusting eh? One day we put Kamryn on a plane and told her we were going to meet her little brother. She was two and a half. Her parents had been walking about like crazed zombies for at least 3 weeks. We took her on 2 planes. We took her to a house that wasn't hers where she had to live for a week. We introduced her to a family VERY different from her own who mostly ignored her no matter how desperately she tried to please them. We spent a lot of time with this family trying to get them to accept us -- they didn't and things were pretty tense the whole time. We introduced her to a little brother who liked nothing else than mouthing ALL her toys wasn't terribly into sharing (what 1 year old is) and who cried A LOT. Then we took her away again after she got to know and like this little boy. We waited for another 2 weeks and told her he would come again. The day he was supposed to come again we took her to preschool for the first time ever she cried when we left and didn't want to stay. Then he didn't come because he was sick and couldn't fly. We dealt with crying drop-offs at preschool until a few days later when he finally did come. Then she had to share her parents and her universe for the first time ever. She had to take the back seat while we worked hard on attachment with her new brother (who was far from an easy child in a far from easy situation). I remember one unprovoked meltdown that was obviously from the sheer stress of everything. I took her outside and we sat on the steps and had some mommy-and-me time and that seemed to help. We dealt with a bit of challenging behavior but nothing all that mentionable. She was two-and-a-half.

Now my impressions are a little coloured. Coloured by having spent five days on my own with my four-year old. It's damn easy to take care of a four-year old "only" child. Infants are a challenge I think no matter how many kids you have. Kamryn was an extremely easy kid and even then it was exhausting. It's the constant state of vigilance you must maintain. Four-year-olds -- it's glorious. They keep themselves relatively entertained with only the odd tweak here and again to keep play moving in a positive direction. No diapers to deal with. No need to keep a little stopwatch in your head to remind them that maybe they should visit the bathroom. They can dress themselves, feed themselves. Mostly, without a partner in crime my particular four-year-old was stunningly well behaved. She wasn't clowning or performing for anyone or competing for my attention in any way. Add her brother into the mix and parenting because a little more challenging. Okay a lot more challenging. Daniel reports that while on their little vacation Sam has also been quite angelic (and he's far from a calm kid normally). He notes that Sam has had almost no time-outs where at home he is on the verge of being declared a habitual offender and sentenced to permanent jail time. Anyway, this is all to say that I was in a "my four-year-old is so easy; parenting is so easy, what's your problem" mood. So I probably wasn't being completely fair.

But, I looked at pregnant Mom and her clingy daughter and a raised my eyebrows a bit, sighed quietly and shook my head. I can't imagine the problems she's going to have when there is an actual person instead of a bump in her kid's life. I also can't imagine how neurotic her children are going to be.

Good grief.