Maddie's birthday comes in about a month, which means of course it's time to start planning! We all know how much I love to plan a good birthday party... Yay to decorative cakes that take 4 hours to ice! Yay to matchy-match plates and cups and napkins and invitations! Triple Yay to themes!!!
So this year (if indeed we do have a party, as her birthday always falls on Thanksgiving weekend, so we always have to send out an informal save the date email to gauge potential attendees before actually planning the party) the party will be a Princess Dress-Up theme.
Sidebar: I'd like to totally give props to my brilliantly crafty friend Vone, who I am completely stealing this idea from.
And now that Maddie is OBSESSED with dressing up (current fave? a ballerina-firefighter-with-glass-slippers), it's an ideal time to have the party.
Since it's a birthday party anyways, and everyone is (likely) bringing gifts, the invites will encourage people in lieu of gifts, to instead bring dress up items to fill her dress up trunk... This is a great way to build up a wardrobe of fun dress up items for your child, and at the same time - have fun things for all the kids to play with during the party.
We've got our eye on a set of 4 Disney princess dresses from Toys R Us (yes, totally taking the easy way out) - but I'm also pairing that with a custom-built dress up box for our little miss. It's essentially an open box with a garment rod at the top (inspired by this post I saw on another blog ages ago), this will be perfect for her closet and a great way to keep all dress up items in one spot, nice and organized! Love it...
And since we LURVE Disney Princesses at our house right now, the cake will be made using again by renting a cake pan from Bulk Barn (love this service!)... iced within an inch of it's life and hopefully looking like Cinderella...
Will post pics of the party when we finally have it!
xxoo.S
Monday, August 30, 2010
We survived
It was a single-parenting weekend here and we survived. I was about to type "barely" but actually, we did a bit better than that. It helped that Katie is still napping like a champion (it's hit or miss if she'll actually go down, but when she does, she sleeps for hours on end).
And I find that Maddie acts differently when Daddy's not around - not when he's just at work or something, but when she knows that he's actually away, she's .... I don't know? Easier on me? Is it possible for an almost-3-year-old to summon up that kind of empathy?
She gives less hassles at bedtime (usually). Eats her meals without complaint (mostly). And just generally is a bit more easygoing (sometimes).
Hmm - good thing Hubs doesn't read this, as I don't need him feeling less guilty about all his man-cations. So let's just keep this between us, yes?
*************************
Adorable cuteness ahead:
On Saturday afternoon (taking advantage of one of Katie's super-long naps) Maddie and I were outside. She: splashing in and out of the pool, playing hard in her playhouse, with her stroller, on her slide. Me: weeding and gardening our poor decrepit backyard that has been ignored all summer long.
At one point, as I was pulling up some of the finished plants in the garden, she came over to "help" (read: dig up shovels of dirt and dump it on the lawn). I came across what I suspect now may have been a tree root from our neighbour's tree. I snipped it and tried pulling up the one end - which must have been longer than I thought because it was really stuck. As I was yanking and pulling and yanking and pulling Maddie started to cheer me on, "Good job Mommy! You're doing it! You're doing it like a big girl!"
It cracked me up listening to her cheer me on with the same phrases, verbatim, that I use when encouraging her to do something on her own (vs. me having to do everything for her).
And yes, damn right I pulled up that root like a Big Girl.
xxoo.S
And I find that Maddie acts differently when Daddy's not around - not when he's just at work or something, but when she knows that he's actually away, she's .... I don't know? Easier on me? Is it possible for an almost-3-year-old to summon up that kind of empathy?
She gives less hassles at bedtime (usually). Eats her meals without complaint (mostly). And just generally is a bit more easygoing (sometimes).
Hmm - good thing Hubs doesn't read this, as I don't need him feeling less guilty about all his man-cations. So let's just keep this between us, yes?
*************************
Adorable cuteness ahead:
On Saturday afternoon (taking advantage of one of Katie's super-long naps) Maddie and I were outside. She: splashing in and out of the pool, playing hard in her playhouse, with her stroller, on her slide. Me: weeding and gardening our poor decrepit backyard that has been ignored all summer long.
At one point, as I was pulling up some of the finished plants in the garden, she came over to "help" (read: dig up shovels of dirt and dump it on the lawn). I came across what I suspect now may have been a tree root from our neighbour's tree. I snipped it and tried pulling up the one end - which must have been longer than I thought because it was really stuck. As I was yanking and pulling and yanking and pulling Maddie started to cheer me on, "Good job Mommy! You're doing it! You're doing it like a big girl!"
It cracked me up listening to her cheer me on with the same phrases, verbatim, that I use when encouraging her to do something on her own (vs. me having to do everything for her).
And yes, damn right I pulled up that root like a Big Girl.
xxoo.S
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Because apparently I like to cause neighbour wars...
Oooooooooh I've been dying to post about this! But it's been one of those weeks where hubs is away (no, not on a fancy business trip, but more a golf-with-an-old-buddy-and-party-like-he's-24-again-trip). Where I get a taste of single-parenthood and spend any precious minute of time to myself not blogging, but instead texting him to remind him just how awesome of a wifey I really am...
ANYWAYS... onto the exciting news. I finally got a chance speak to (read: confront) my neighbour about her repeated lawn cutting transgressions! Let's set up for you, shall we?
It's Monday night, Hubs is in Maddie's room doing the "one last book" dance while I pace around our bedroom with Katie, the whining bear. During my pacing I look out our front window. And see that neighbour, mowing her front lawn! This is exciting because a) I haven't really seen her AT ALL in the past month + a bit and b) I'm actually going to be able to watch and see if she's going to try and give my lawn a Brazilian again...
Now, if you happen to be friends with me on Facebook (hi Facebook!), you'll know that I got A LOT of advice on my last post about this, to "turn the other cheek" instead of saying something, because I would only be starting a neighbour war, it wasn't worth it, it's just a little piece of lawn that she keeps cutting, it will make things uncomfortable forever etc etc etc... And while I DID take this advice for a while - well, facing facts, it's just not in my nature to ignore it - and so...
As Hubs comes out of Maddie's room I beckoned him, "She's cutting her lawn - let's watch and see if she's going to try and cut ours too!"
His response, a droll, "Yes, you're very undercover here with all the lights on, standing at an open window, shouting about her cutting the lawn."
My response? "Shut up and let's watch."
It didn't take long. In fact as I was saying those words, she puttered the lawn-mower over the driveway towards our little strip of lawn...
I think my heart jumped out of my chest. It was time. Time to STRIKE.
Practically throwing the baby at Hubs, I raced downstairs, shouting the whole time, "She's not cutting my effing lawn again!"
In fairness, I did reign it in for a minute to turn back and ask Hubs if he was on board with me going outside and saying something.
He wasn't.
I took that into consideration.
Then I grabbed my keys for my car (this being my "excuse" for just happening to wander outside at that very moment).
I beeped my car locks as I came down the steps, which caused her to hurry back over the driveway to her lawn with the mower. Grabbing some empty grocery bags from the trunk of the car (yes, my "excuse" for coming outside just at that moment apparently involved me needing a shitload of reuseable grocery bags inside my house for the night... erm? what?), I smiled at the neighbour and gave a cheery "Hi [insert her name here]! How's it going?"
As she smiled back in response (with a look on her face that read TOTALLY. BUSTED.) I strolled over, ever so casually, to the little strip of lawn between our two driveways. The little strip of lawn particularly in question of this whole drama.
And then, mustering up all my gumption to actually not chicken out, I took a deep breath and said, "Hey, noticed you cutting this part of our lawn. Actually if you don't mind not cutting it, that would be great. We're trying to let it grow and get as healthy as we can get it." Insert mega shoulder shrugs and eye rolls here, as if, I realize it's never going to get healthy, it's a shitastic part of the lawn, but what-can-you-do, it's all the Husband's fault, you know? I'm just the messenger. Ah-ha-ha-ha.... I'm breeeeeezy*...
She smirked in response. And then with an expression I can't really describe as I still don't really know how to read it: part eye-roll (in response to mine? because she sees through my breeziness and hates me now? because she has no hope that our lawn will ever be healthy? because she just thinks I'm a total douchebag full stop?) and part half-laugh (nervous laughter? laughing at my audacity to actually call her out on her douchebaggery? laughing at my poor decrepit lawn???), and then she said, "Okay, sure."
I smiled and tried to be all friendly like - coolio, thanks dudette. I bid her goodnight and practically skipped inside. Where I attempted to give the Hubs a big high five and a victory hug and ended up just jumping around like a schoolgirl, feeling so relieved that I FINALLY SAID SOMETHING.
You know how boys in highschool have a beef, they get all riled up, then at a party on the weekend, finally say something to one another, get into the fisticuffs and then everything is all good again? Like, no hard feelings, let's go share a beer?
That's totally how I felt. A huge weight lifted from my shoulders. All animosity about the whole situation is gone - left entirely. I can finally be all chatty and neighbourly again.
I'm not entirely certain she feels the same way though.
As I jumped around all self-congratulatory, I said to Hubs, "Aren't you so glad that's over? Aren't you glad I said something."
His response? Laughing + "No, not really. But I'm glad you're glad."
I expect a lot of you out there won't necessarily agree with me on this. But I had to say something. My outlook on it was like this, it was pissing me off. She had no idea it was pissing me off. So I nicely (really nicely I think) asked her not to do it anymore. Now she knows that we would prefer she didn't do it. Slate is wiped clean and we're on even ground again. And if she does it again?
Well, then I'll egg her effing house.
xxoo.S
*Gold Star to anyone who got this little reference to that Friends episode where Monika leaves the so-not-breezy voicemail for Richard and ends "I'm breezy!". One of my more repeated lines of all time. That and Pretty Woman's "These are broken. Mine are broken." Yes, I'm a weirdo.
"Monster #1 required six, that's SIX, books before bedtime tonight."
"Monster #2 will. not. stop. crying. Also? I so hate you right now. Hope you bogey'd that last hole!"
"Have I mentioned lately that: You. Owe. Me. Bigtime. No? Well, consider this your reminder."Yes, I love to play grinch to any of the good-time vibes he's been experiencing. It's a way of joining in the fun really...
ANYWAYS... onto the exciting news. I finally got a chance speak to (read: confront) my neighbour about her repeated lawn cutting transgressions! Let's set up for you, shall we?
It's Monday night, Hubs is in Maddie's room doing the "one last book" dance while I pace around our bedroom with Katie, the whining bear. During my pacing I look out our front window. And see that neighbour, mowing her front lawn! This is exciting because a) I haven't really seen her AT ALL in the past month + a bit and b) I'm actually going to be able to watch and see if she's going to try and give my lawn a Brazilian again...
Now, if you happen to be friends with me on Facebook (hi Facebook!), you'll know that I got A LOT of advice on my last post about this, to "turn the other cheek" instead of saying something, because I would only be starting a neighbour war, it wasn't worth it, it's just a little piece of lawn that she keeps cutting, it will make things uncomfortable forever etc etc etc... And while I DID take this advice for a while - well, facing facts, it's just not in my nature to ignore it - and so...
As Hubs comes out of Maddie's room I beckoned him, "She's cutting her lawn - let's watch and see if she's going to try and cut ours too!"
His response, a droll, "Yes, you're very undercover here with all the lights on, standing at an open window, shouting about her cutting the lawn."
My response? "Shut up and let's watch."
It didn't take long. In fact as I was saying those words, she puttered the lawn-mower over the driveway towards our little strip of lawn...
I think my heart jumped out of my chest. It was time. Time to STRIKE.
Practically throwing the baby at Hubs, I raced downstairs, shouting the whole time, "She's not cutting my effing lawn again!"
In fairness, I did reign it in for a minute to turn back and ask Hubs if he was on board with me going outside and saying something.
He wasn't.
I took that into consideration.
Then I grabbed my keys for my car (this being my "excuse" for just happening to wander outside at that very moment).
I beeped my car locks as I came down the steps, which caused her to hurry back over the driveway to her lawn with the mower. Grabbing some empty grocery bags from the trunk of the car (yes, my "excuse" for coming outside just at that moment apparently involved me needing a shitload of reuseable grocery bags inside my house for the night... erm? what?), I smiled at the neighbour and gave a cheery "Hi [insert her name here]! How's it going?"
As she smiled back in response (with a look on her face that read TOTALLY. BUSTED.) I strolled over, ever so casually, to the little strip of lawn between our two driveways. The little strip of lawn particularly in question of this whole drama.
And then, mustering up all my gumption to actually not chicken out, I took a deep breath and said, "Hey, noticed you cutting this part of our lawn. Actually if you don't mind not cutting it, that would be great. We're trying to let it grow and get as healthy as we can get it." Insert mega shoulder shrugs and eye rolls here, as if, I realize it's never going to get healthy, it's a shitastic part of the lawn, but what-can-you-do, it's all the Husband's fault, you know? I'm just the messenger. Ah-ha-ha-ha.... I'm breeeeeezy*...
She smirked in response. And then with an expression I can't really describe as I still don't really know how to read it: part eye-roll (in response to mine? because she sees through my breeziness and hates me now? because she has no hope that our lawn will ever be healthy? because she just thinks I'm a total douchebag full stop?) and part half-laugh (nervous laughter? laughing at my audacity to actually call her out on her douchebaggery? laughing at my poor decrepit lawn???), and then she said, "Okay, sure."
I smiled and tried to be all friendly like - coolio, thanks dudette. I bid her goodnight and practically skipped inside. Where I attempted to give the Hubs a big high five and a victory hug and ended up just jumping around like a schoolgirl, feeling so relieved that I FINALLY SAID SOMETHING.
You know how boys in highschool have a beef, they get all riled up, then at a party on the weekend, finally say something to one another, get into the fisticuffs and then everything is all good again? Like, no hard feelings, let's go share a beer?
That's totally how I felt. A huge weight lifted from my shoulders. All animosity about the whole situation is gone - left entirely. I can finally be all chatty and neighbourly again.
I'm not entirely certain she feels the same way though.
As I jumped around all self-congratulatory, I said to Hubs, "Aren't you so glad that's over? Aren't you glad I said something."
His response? Laughing + "No, not really. But I'm glad you're glad."
I expect a lot of you out there won't necessarily agree with me on this. But I had to say something. My outlook on it was like this, it was pissing me off. She had no idea it was pissing me off. So I nicely (really nicely I think) asked her not to do it anymore. Now she knows that we would prefer she didn't do it. Slate is wiped clean and we're on even ground again. And if she does it again?
Well, then I'll egg her effing house.
xxoo.S
*Gold Star to anyone who got this little reference to that Friends episode where Monika leaves the so-not-breezy voicemail for Richard and ends "I'm breezy!". One of my more repeated lines of all time. That and Pretty Woman's "These are broken. Mine are broken." Yes, I'm a weirdo.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Two Months
Dear Katie,
Two months and already it feels like a lifetime. You fit into our family perfectly - all attitude, all up in everyone's business, all opinionated and LOUD.
But you do let us put you down now. In fact you spend far more time in the bouncy chair, watching your crazy sister bounce around the room, than I ever imagined you would. Or you like to chill on the playmat, "talking" to the hanging animals or at that other baby looking back at you in the mirror.
Coo's have replaced the grunts - we like that. You sound and act much happier these days. Especially if someone takes the time to just sit and sit and sit with you. You're smiley and talkative and I swear you have silent laughed at some of the faces I pull at you.
The sleep is getting better...you spend the first half of the night in your crib now - all swaddled up and cozy in your sleep positioner. But you rarely let me put you back down in there after your first wake-up. And so I spend the rest of my night with you, sleeping in the daybed. You have done a few 5 hour stretches of sleep, but those are random and certainly not the norm. Oh well - at least the second time around I realize that this stage, while exhausting, does eventually end. Even your sister, the worst sleeper in the world sleeps through the night now- you'll get it...eventually.
And in fairness, you sleep like a bloody champ during the day. While you still much prefer to be sleeping either on my lap or in the sling, you will let me put you down in the crib for a nap or two a day. (I've experimented with putting you down on your belly and you sleep forever like that - even with me checking on you constantly. I know you'd sleep forever at night if I put you on your tummy, but I'm too nervous, maybe next month.)
I'm trying to find us a mommy-baby yoga class to take in the fall - this is something I never got a chance to do with Maddie and I really hope I get the chance to do it with you, my little Katie-bear.
You are getting so big - I have no idea what your weight is right now, but I'm guessing you're up at least a pound or more from your six week appointment. You're filling out, putting on the baby chunk that makes you feel so much less fragile and "new" like.
So that's us at month two... Falling into routines. Learning about one another. Doing the dance only young families can do - learning and re-learning and adjusting and re-adjusting. Some days are hard. Some days are amazingly easy.
Happy month two, my little Katie-bear!
Love,
Mommy
PS - blue eyes still going strong... Gooooooo blue!
Two months and already it feels like a lifetime. You fit into our family perfectly - all attitude, all up in everyone's business, all opinionated and LOUD.
But you do let us put you down now. In fact you spend far more time in the bouncy chair, watching your crazy sister bounce around the room, than I ever imagined you would. Or you like to chill on the playmat, "talking" to the hanging animals or at that other baby looking back at you in the mirror.
Coo's have replaced the grunts - we like that. You sound and act much happier these days. Especially if someone takes the time to just sit and sit and sit with you. You're smiley and talkative and I swear you have silent laughed at some of the faces I pull at you.
The sleep is getting better...you spend the first half of the night in your crib now - all swaddled up and cozy in your sleep positioner. But you rarely let me put you back down in there after your first wake-up. And so I spend the rest of my night with you, sleeping in the daybed. You have done a few 5 hour stretches of sleep, but those are random and certainly not the norm. Oh well - at least the second time around I realize that this stage, while exhausting, does eventually end. Even your sister, the worst sleeper in the world sleeps through the night now- you'll get it...eventually.
And in fairness, you sleep like a bloody champ during the day. While you still much prefer to be sleeping either on my lap or in the sling, you will let me put you down in the crib for a nap or two a day. (I've experimented with putting you down on your belly and you sleep forever like that - even with me checking on you constantly. I know you'd sleep forever at night if I put you on your tummy, but I'm too nervous, maybe next month.)
I'm trying to find us a mommy-baby yoga class to take in the fall - this is something I never got a chance to do with Maddie and I really hope I get the chance to do it with you, my little Katie-bear.
You are getting so big - I have no idea what your weight is right now, but I'm guessing you're up at least a pound or more from your six week appointment. You're filling out, putting on the baby chunk that makes you feel so much less fragile and "new" like.
So that's us at month two... Falling into routines. Learning about one another. Doing the dance only young families can do - learning and re-learning and adjusting and re-adjusting. Some days are hard. Some days are amazingly easy.
Happy month two, my little Katie-bear!
Love,
Mommy
PS - blue eyes still going strong... Gooooooo blue!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Babysitter
She came. She sat. She conquered.
We had been preparing Maddie all day on Saturday for the fact that Gabrielle was coming to hang out at dinner time. That Mommy and Daddy were going out and taking Baby Katie with us. And therefore, it would be Gabrielle who did bath-time, story-time + bed-time with her.
I had no hopes that all of this prep-work would stick. In fact, I fully expected to have a nightmarish, leg-clinging toddler on my hands when it actually came time to go.
Oh how wrong I was! She (meaning Maddie) was awesome - totally took it in stride and informed Gabrielle of all the above facts. "You gonna give me a bath, then read me books, and then put me to bed!"
So it would seem we have found a babysitter. Woot.
xxoo.S
PS - our night out was fabulous - thank you R&V for the great dinner invite!
We had been preparing Maddie all day on Saturday for the fact that Gabrielle was coming to hang out at dinner time. That Mommy and Daddy were going out and taking Baby Katie with us. And therefore, it would be Gabrielle who did bath-time, story-time + bed-time with her.
I had no hopes that all of this prep-work would stick. In fact, I fully expected to have a nightmarish, leg-clinging toddler on my hands when it actually came time to go.
Oh how wrong I was! She (meaning Maddie) was awesome - totally took it in stride and informed Gabrielle of all the above facts. "You gonna give me a bath, then read me books, and then put me to bed!"
So it would seem we have found a babysitter. Woot.
xxoo.S
PS - our night out was fabulous - thank you R&V for the great dinner invite!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
My first cute project
I recently acquired a new fantabulous sewing machine (because you know, I'm getting so crafty I just had to have something beyond the beginner setup I was dealing with before) ... it's so smooth and powerful and just plain loverly that I keep comparing it to how a new sports car must feel...
And wow - it must be fantastic as it inspired me to make this:
How did I make this adorable little frock you ask?
Beginner Crafter's Note: I probably should have used some kind of fabric or backing on the inside of the onesie to sew the flower to for reinforcement, instead of just to the garment itself, because all those petal layers makes the flower pretty heavy. Am I going to rip out the stiching and take my advice to fix this error? Hell to the no!
Katie loves it...
And wow - it must be fantastic as it inspired me to make this:
How did I make this adorable little frock you ask?
- Take a plain white onesie (purchased for 25 cents or something ridiculous at a garage sale earlier in the year)
- For fabric, scrounge up some jersey material from a fuchsia top that I've worn perhaps once in the past 3 years of owning it...
- Cut out a bunch of various sized circles of fabric for the front flower and some strips for the back ruffles
- Layer the circles and sew directly onto onesie using about a trillion stitches - making sure you stitch in some random beads (saved from a necklace Maddie broke recently) for the middle
- Add a few more stitches to the bottom layer of the flower to try and reinforce it a bit better - learn that this doesn't actually do much...
Beginner Crafter's Note: I probably should have used some kind of fabric or backing on the inside of the onesie to sew the flower to for reinforcement, instead of just to the garment itself, because all those petal layers makes the flower pretty heavy. Am I going to rip out the stiching and take my advice to fix this error? Hell to the no!
- For the ruffles just line up the first fabric strip, pin it in a few spots to gather it up and give you a guide for sewing... and then just sew the fabric sloooooowly - gathering it up bit by bit as you go.
- Voila! You have an easy-peasy (trust me this was easy as I'm no Martha) cuted-up onesie for your munchkin...
Katie loves it...
And now I just have to figure out how to make a similar shirt for Maddie, as she was mighty jealous watching me make this for her lil sister...
xxoo.S
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Five years
Only five years married - but a lifetime of knowledge.
Growing together. Becoming friends, then becoming a bit more than friends, and then friends again.
Sharing the same taste in music.
Enjoying a beer on the back deck, listening to Zeppelin and basking in the warm sun.
Sharing the same goals.
A cottage, a dock, a boat. Listening to Otis sing about this very thing while we watch our kids jump, run and play.
Sharing an upbringing.
Content with a suburban life, happy to leave the hustle/bustle behind and raise our children in a similar environment that we enjoyed as kids.
Sharing the fundamentals.
Both only children - understanding the difficulty of sharing, understanding the comfort and selfishness and spoiling and loneliness of being one all at the same time.
Sharing hobbies.
Golf (well, someday we'll be able to do this together again - maybe when the girls are 18). Concert-going (again, someday...). Movie-watching, BBQ'ing, outside-backyard-enjoying, gardening, reality-tv-loving, weekend-lounging.
Sharing temperaments - but not too much.
I bring you up, I add the loudness. You ground me, you bring the sanity.
Sharing a future.
A long one.
xxoo.S
Growing together. Becoming friends, then becoming a bit more than friends, and then friends again.
Sharing the same taste in music.
Enjoying a beer on the back deck, listening to Zeppelin and basking in the warm sun.
Sharing the same goals.
A cottage, a dock, a boat. Listening to Otis sing about this very thing while we watch our kids jump, run and play.
Sharing an upbringing.
Content with a suburban life, happy to leave the hustle/bustle behind and raise our children in a similar environment that we enjoyed as kids.
Sharing the fundamentals.
Both only children - understanding the difficulty of sharing, understanding the comfort and selfishness and spoiling and loneliness of being one all at the same time.
Sharing hobbies.
Golf (well, someday we'll be able to do this together again - maybe when the girls are 18). Concert-going (again, someday...). Movie-watching, BBQ'ing, outside-backyard-enjoying, gardening, reality-tv-loving, weekend-lounging.
Sharing temperaments - but not too much.
I bring you up, I add the loudness. You ground me, you bring the sanity.
Sharing a future.
A long one.
xxoo.S
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Kijiji blind date
We interviewed our first teenage babysitter today. I have (for the past year or so) been trying to find someone through a "neighbour referral" - to no avail. I supposed it doesn't help that we don't actually know that many people in the neighbourhood, and those that we have met, only seem to have 12 year olds (a little young to be babysitting until 11pm).
So to Kijiji I went... (and can I just for probably the eleventy-millionth time tell you how much I HEART Kijiji? Especially since I've been selling all my old maternity clothes through it lately and making a nice little cache of spending $$ on items that would have otherwise just found their way into the Goodwill bin)... but finding a babysitter through Kijiji? I felt a little sketchy. Especially as I studiously ignored all the "I'm 30-something and just love kids and want to make some extra money on the side" ads ... not that I don't think that it's all possible, but there's just something more legit about a teenage kid wanting to do some occasional babysitting, you know?
And so the first "normal" looking ad I responded to, asking if she'd be willing to come for an interview first so we could meet each other, Maddie could meet her etc etc etc.
She showed up with her mom in tow (which I found to be somewhat reassuring - they were just as nervous about our "kijiji meet up" as I was) (and also? I'll totally be that over-protective mother). Things to note about future babysitting interviews:
- Perhaps I should at least attempt to prepare some questions beforehand. I'm anal and love my lists, but didn't think to actually write down any of the questions or things I wanted to go over ahead of time - which meant I missed about 5 things I wanted to cover. Dumbass.
- Setting a time of 5pm for anything (especially an interview with a complete stranger) borders on the demented as Maddie is a) whiny and annoying at that time of day, b) hungry and demanding a snack before dinner, and c) only interested in parking her bottom in front of the tv to watch DORA on repeat until dinner is served.
- 5pm also happens to be Katie's clusterfeeding / fussy time. Again - not all that conducive to trying to get to know a complete stranger.
Needless to say - it was a LONG 30 minutes. Filled (luckily) with the babysitter's mom's anecdotes about having babies + toddlers and the chaos that goes with this stage. But in the end? I think we may have found our teenage occasional sitter - she is a sweet, unassuming girl who is going for her lifeguard certification this fall, who enjoys playing intramural soccer, who attends a private French school and therefore is completely bilingual, and who volunteers on the weekends to teach art to children.
Holy shiznay, right? She really does seem like a perfect child - don't expect she'll be inviting boys over for a snog after Maddie goes to bed.
So we are covered and free to attend a friend's housewarming party this weekend + numerous "date nights" in the near future. Woot to Kijiji!
xxoo.S
PS - No, I'm not leaving baby Kate with her as well - she will be tagging along with us. Babies that don't speak and don't run around and (hopefully) don't cry are welcomed at this non-kid affair. We'll just tuck her in the corner somewhere so she can sleep through it... (who are we kidding, she'll be in the sling worn by me all night)
PPS - Funny embarrassing story of the day? In the middle of the interview, Maddie randomly began demanding to be nursed. DEMANDING it. Like "Mommy! Mommy! MOMMY! I want boobie milk!" all while feeling me up with the obnoxiousness of a 15 year old boy. I told my audience that I wasn't sure why she was doing this, as she is no longer being nursed and never asks for it. The mother's response? "Oh they just know the right buttons to press to get the attention they want in these situations." Touché Wise Woman, touché.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
I think the Hubs can take this one...
Singing along to an episode of Dora:
Maddie: Back-cack! Back-cack!
Me [realizing she cannot turn three still calling it a "back-cack"]: Bugaloo, it's pronounced back-PACK. With a P.
Maddie: Oh... Back-cack.
Me: No - with a P. Like Peter. Can you say Peter?
Maddie: Peter.
Me: Or like Peas. Can you say Peas?
Maddie: Peas.
Me: So try it with a P... back-Puh-Puh-Puh-PACK.
Maddie: Back-Cuh-Cuh-Cuh-CACK!
Me [laughing too hard to correct her again]: Um, sure.
xxoo.S
Maddie: Back-cack! Back-cack!
Me [realizing she cannot turn three still calling it a "back-cack"]: Bugaloo, it's pronounced back-PACK. With a P.
Maddie: Oh... Back-cack.
Me: No - with a P. Like Peter. Can you say Peter?
Maddie: Peter.
Me: Or like Peas. Can you say Peas?
Maddie: Peas.
Me: So try it with a P... back-Puh-Puh-Puh-PACK.
Maddie: Back-Cuh-Cuh-Cuh-CACK!
Me [laughing too hard to correct her again]: Um, sure.
xxoo.S
Bedtime routines
We started our bedtime routine with Maddie at a very young age. I think she was only a few weeks old when we started bathing her every night, doing baby massage/lotion etc afterwards in a desperate attempt to make her understand that this meant "bedtime" and bedtime meant "sleep".
As she got older the routine expanded - books + bedtime bottle + rocking chair cuddles were added. When we changed her room over to "big girl" status, we got rid of the bottle + rocking chair - but somehow more books were added to the routine and a sippy cup of milk became a requirement.
It got to the point that it was taking almost an hour from start to finish to "do" bedtime. Which meant we needed to get started by 7:15 at the very latest to get her down for 8pm.
That was - until last week. You see - Maddie spent the past two weeks at Gramma V's. And god bless her heart (because thank you to any grandparent that will take an almost-3-year-old for an extended visit!)... but now we have a toddler with a 10pm bedtime, who wants her overhead light to be on all night and who is demanding about a thousand books to be read to her before night-night.
And that? Makes for an almost two hour bedtime routine. And we were thinking one hour was excessive.
So the past five days since being home, we have been working on ridding Maddie of these habits.
First to go was the overhead light being on. (Sidebar on this: not sure how or why, but Maddie developed a fear of the dark during her stay in Kingston. Which meant she asked for the overhead light to be put on before going to bed. Which then meant she either woke up to bright shining light at 4am and wanted to play, or woke up to it being turned off sometime before the adults went to bed and screamed bloody murder for it to be turned back on. It was..... in a word.... NOT fun). I wasn't about to let her get into this same habit at home - I figured if we had any chance of getting rid of this habit, it would be in her own room, where she felt most comfortable and where I felt most comfortable letting her cry if she didn't like it. It took one night to break this habit.
The additional books in the routine were a little harder - but we've just been consistently firm - she gets a total of 3 books ONLY and she chooses which books these will be before getting into bed. There have been tears and tantrums about more books, but again, with us holding firm she seems to be getting the picture that we're not giving her an endless supply of stories at bedtime.
And the last little wrinkle is moving the bedtime back up to where it needs to be. This has been trickier - and she can fight (oh she can fight) going to bed like no one's business. Requests for more milk, a glass of water, one more story, just one more kiss, a hug from daddy, please mommy - don't leave me here... we've heard it all. And being told that "Please don't leave Mommy, I miss you" is a bit heart-breaking when you need to walk away.
But the temper tantrums have been epic. There have been time-outs. There have been cry-it-outs. There was even one small (diapered bum) spanking administered by Daddy. (Yes, I can't believe I'm even admitting it out here in blogspace - let the vultures now rip me to shreds) But we're making progress. She went to sleep last night by 9pm with barely a complaint. If we can shave another 1/2 hour off in the next week, we'll be back to normal (since 8:30 is acceptable in the lighter days of summer)...
Here's my question to the moms out there though ... how long is your bedtime routine? What does it involve? Are we insane to be happy enough with a 45 minute routine that includes 3 books? Or is that normal? (Is anything really normal?) ... tell me peeps... I want to hear your opinion on this.
xxoo.S
As she got older the routine expanded - books + bedtime bottle + rocking chair cuddles were added. When we changed her room over to "big girl" status, we got rid of the bottle + rocking chair - but somehow more books were added to the routine and a sippy cup of milk became a requirement.
It got to the point that it was taking almost an hour from start to finish to "do" bedtime. Which meant we needed to get started by 7:15 at the very latest to get her down for 8pm.
That was - until last week. You see - Maddie spent the past two weeks at Gramma V's. And god bless her heart (because thank you to any grandparent that will take an almost-3-year-old for an extended visit!)... but now we have a toddler with a 10pm bedtime, who wants her overhead light to be on all night and who is demanding about a thousand books to be read to her before night-night.
And that? Makes for an almost two hour bedtime routine. And we were thinking one hour was excessive.
So the past five days since being home, we have been working on ridding Maddie of these habits.
First to go was the overhead light being on. (Sidebar on this: not sure how or why, but Maddie developed a fear of the dark during her stay in Kingston. Which meant she asked for the overhead light to be put on before going to bed. Which then meant she either woke up to bright shining light at 4am and wanted to play, or woke up to it being turned off sometime before the adults went to bed and screamed bloody murder for it to be turned back on. It was..... in a word.... NOT fun). I wasn't about to let her get into this same habit at home - I figured if we had any chance of getting rid of this habit, it would be in her own room, where she felt most comfortable and where I felt most comfortable letting her cry if she didn't like it. It took one night to break this habit.
The additional books in the routine were a little harder - but we've just been consistently firm - she gets a total of 3 books ONLY and she chooses which books these will be before getting into bed. There have been tears and tantrums about more books, but again, with us holding firm she seems to be getting the picture that we're not giving her an endless supply of stories at bedtime.
And the last little wrinkle is moving the bedtime back up to where it needs to be. This has been trickier - and she can fight (oh she can fight) going to bed like no one's business. Requests for more milk, a glass of water, one more story, just one more kiss, a hug from daddy, please mommy - don't leave me here... we've heard it all. And being told that "Please don't leave Mommy, I miss you" is a bit heart-breaking when you need to walk away.
But the temper tantrums have been epic. There have been time-outs. There have been cry-it-outs. There was even one small (diapered bum) spanking administered by Daddy. (Yes, I can't believe I'm even admitting it out here in blogspace - let the vultures now rip me to shreds) But we're making progress. She went to sleep last night by 9pm with barely a complaint. If we can shave another 1/2 hour off in the next week, we'll be back to normal (since 8:30 is acceptable in the lighter days of summer)...
Here's my question to the moms out there though ... how long is your bedtime routine? What does it involve? Are we insane to be happy enough with a 45 minute routine that includes 3 books? Or is that normal? (Is anything really normal?) ... tell me peeps... I want to hear your opinion on this.
xxoo.S
Monday, August 16, 2010
Picnic
Sorry for the silence - we've been away, visiting family for a week. I usually bring my laptop along, but living in the land of no wireless networks, renders it a bit useless. 'Twas a busy week, with lots of fun, lots of visits and lots of challenges (a whole 'nother blog post).
So for the weekend, we laid low a bit. Painted our nails. Made juice pops. Went for walks. Played in the pool. Had picnics. Enjoyed the BBQ with good friends. Caught up on Big Brother.
And now I'm home with the girls on my own for the first time today. A little nervous - but Katie is rounding out on the 2nd hour of a nap in her crib and Maddie is begging me to come outside and PLAY MOMMY!
So that's what I'm gonna do...
xxoo.S
So for the weekend, we laid low a bit. Painted our nails. Made juice pops. Went for walks. Played in the pool. Had picnics. Enjoyed the BBQ with good friends. Caught up on Big Brother.
And now I'm home with the girls on my own for the first time today. A little nervous - but Katie is rounding out on the 2nd hour of a nap in her crib and Maddie is begging me to come outside and PLAY MOMMY!
So that's what I'm gonna do...
xxoo.S
Thursday, August 5, 2010
The turning point
I remember talking with a friend about breastfeeding my first time-around. She said, "It can be really hard for the first six weeks - but if you make it past six weeks, then it gets easy."
Another friend, offering advice when I was moaning about no sleep (again, with Maddie), told me, "The first six weeks are difficult - but then they start getting into a routine. Hell, even some babies start sleeping through the night by six weeks." I have actually met some women to who this has happened - and no, I didn't stab their eyes out in a jealous rage. But I may have wanted to... {kidding} {sort of}
For us, breastfeeding routines get into place within the first couple of weeks - with both girls they did. I will never say breastfeed is "easy", but I've been lucky in this regard that it hasn't been as difficult as it can be for some.
The sleep - well, clearly I make good eaters, but not good sleepers. I'm sure I could be better at putting them down more often (Maddie spent a lot of naps sleeping in my arms as well). But I've come to terms with the fact that I don't like to put my babies down. And for that, I pay a bit of a price. And that's okay (some days) with me. Just remind me of this post the next time I decide to whinge on about no sleep, m'kay?
The biggest thing I personally notice at six weeks is the interaction. Get to six weeks and they cease to be so baby-blob-like and much more like a little person. They smile. They coo. They interact. You can put them down in a bouncy chair, awake, and walk out of the room and they don't (necessarily) freak out - because there's things to look at and see and watch and wonder about.
I've spent more time this past week, just hanging out with Katie, watching her, watch the world. She is taking so much in - learning, absorbing - I find it fascinating to watch. And I love the added freedom of being able to just set her down and let her be. While I do the dishes. Or make dinner. Or write this blog post.
Not to say there aren't downfalls. Like at 2am last night, when all I wanted to do was sleep and Katie was all, "Hey hey! Wanna Play? Looky at that over there! It's a curtain! Let's stare and smile and coo at it for a while. Oh no? You don't want to? Well watch me smile and be adorable for a little bit then. Because I'm not closing my eyes ... nope - not gonna do it. Let's chat at 3:30 and see if I'm tired then okay?"
So yes. That will be my advice to new moms. Survive to six weeks and watch your little one become a little person who is in love with the world around them. And interested. And learning. And interacting.
It's a fabulous time.
xxoo.S
Another friend, offering advice when I was moaning about no sleep (again, with Maddie), told me, "The first six weeks are difficult - but then they start getting into a routine. Hell, even some babies start sleeping through the night by six weeks." I have actually met some women to who this has happened - and no, I didn't stab their eyes out in a jealous rage. But I may have wanted to... {kidding} {sort of}
For us, breastfeeding routines get into place within the first couple of weeks - with both girls they did. I will never say breastfeed is "easy", but I've been lucky in this regard that it hasn't been as difficult as it can be for some.
The sleep - well, clearly I make good eaters, but not good sleepers. I'm sure I could be better at putting them down more often (Maddie spent a lot of naps sleeping in my arms as well). But I've come to terms with the fact that I don't like to put my babies down. And for that, I pay a bit of a price. And that's okay (some days) with me. Just remind me of this post the next time I decide to whinge on about no sleep, m'kay?
The biggest thing I personally notice at six weeks is the interaction. Get to six weeks and they cease to be so baby-blob-like and much more like a little person. They smile. They coo. They interact. You can put them down in a bouncy chair, awake, and walk out of the room and they don't (necessarily) freak out - because there's things to look at and see and watch and wonder about.
I've spent more time this past week, just hanging out with Katie, watching her, watch the world. She is taking so much in - learning, absorbing - I find it fascinating to watch. And I love the added freedom of being able to just set her down and let her be. While I do the dishes. Or make dinner. Or write this blog post.
Not to say there aren't downfalls. Like at 2am last night, when all I wanted to do was sleep and Katie was all, "Hey hey! Wanna Play? Looky at that over there! It's a curtain! Let's stare and smile and coo at it for a while. Oh no? You don't want to? Well watch me smile and be adorable for a little bit then. Because I'm not closing my eyes ... nope - not gonna do it. Let's chat at 3:30 and see if I'm tired then okay?"
So yes. That will be my advice to new moms. Survive to six weeks and watch your little one become a little person who is in love with the world around them. And interested. And learning. And interacting.
It's a fabulous time.
xxoo.S
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
6 weeks = smiles
We got so used to this face every day. Grumpy. Unsure. Thoughtful.
And then, after weeks of getting all up in her face, sing-songing, "Kaaaaa-tieeeee"
...we started to get some reactions. An amused grimace here. A hint of grin there...
...and she started answering back, with her own little "ooooowwwwww" noise...
...until one day she gave up and just started smiling at all of us acting like jackasses in our attempts to make her happy...
We love you Grump.
xxoo.S
Monday, August 2, 2010
Thoughts on a holiday Monday
- Babies are really fun to dress up and take pictures of. I'm talking, big flowery headbands/hats, tutus etc. Can't wait to see the pics that my good friend Tracy of Artistically Drawn got from our photoshoot yesterday.
- At a neighbour's BBQ yesterday afternoon, I: a) chatted with a newly-met neighbour about the latest goings-on of Corrie Street, b) met neighbours originally from the UK (but not the Corrie St fans interestingly enough) and so drooled my Anglophilia all over them, c) watched as Maddie took off and played with the other kids in the house, without any adult supervision and was totally fine with it -- holy shit she is growing up fast. All in all - a blissful Sunday afternoon. We are finally making neighbourhood friends. Yay to that, it only took 3+ years...
- Why do I insist on checking on a crib-sleeping Katie a thousand times? Just because she's not sleeping next to me or in my lap, I think something bad is going to happen? Really wish this crazy instinct/paranoia would relax a bit. Also? Because I'm sure I wake her up by doing this, and that just makes me a dumbass...
- I started a list this morning of all the projects I want to accomplish this coming year. At the top of the list is "Create list of projects to complete on mat leave in order of priority". This is the only thing written on the list. I am nothing, if I am not redundant...
- The fall community activity guide came in the mail this week. As I was perusing for classes/groups to sign us up for (figure this will be the best way to spend my winter-mat-leave without losing my mind) I realized that there are A LOT of classes going to be held right here in our little village. All due to the new library/community centre that will finally be finished this fall! I was SO incredibly excited about this that I actually went and found a yellow highlighter so I could highlight all the classes/groups that I wanted to consider joining. N.E.R.D. People don't believe me when I tell them I am one. This? Should verify it completely. Gold star!
I am now going to spend the next unknown amount of minutes of freedom I still have (while Katie naps) trying to sew a few more pillows. Martha Stewart I am not. But I may be learning a lil bit...
Enjoy your holiday Monday!
xxoo.S
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