Transition March Break

Isn't life full of changes and surprises. We all grow up; it's part of life.

But, boy does things changes quickly take places in our household! So, here it is in a nutshell: Starting Monday, March 22, Little S will be going to a school full time. Little R will continue with his worker in the morning, she will take him to school but will stay at school for extended care. I will be dropping Little S off at her new school, then I will go to my new place of work. After work (that will be a different post on the Greening Days blog), I will pick up both the kids, take them home, eat supper, spend some time together, do the sauna and take showers, put the kids to sleep, make break, lunch and suppers for the next day... go to sleep, start all over again Tuesday.

I need to catch my breath now.

Friday morning, DH and I dropped Little S off at her new school for an hour. She was fine up until the point we started making our way to the exit and the teacher was bringing her to another direction. The poor thing was sitting at the snack table away from the rest of the children when we got back. She was so overjoyed to see her Daddy when we got back to pick her up.

I think that Little S will enjoy her new place of growth. There are many things she will stimulate her learning with there. A couple of the teachers will speak to her in Spanish, and I have begun to speak more to her in Spanish too - actually, what I'm working toward is just using my language, French, Spanish, Cantonese and some Mandarin with her. I should not use English - or use it as little as possible with her since she'll be getting that from everywhere else. In any case, the teacher there said that they will also learn some of my language to use with her sometimes.

My top concern with the school is there diet. We do not want Little S eating certain things that the Canada Food Guide promotes such as cow's pasteurised milk and milk products. This will be a toughie. But, if the catering company cannot accommodate, I will request that I not pay for food so that I can provide them for her. Now, the only thing is, I don't want her to feel that she is not part of the group because she can't have their ice cream cake or their milk - I'll just have to make things that look similar to the other children's treats. I know that the catering company's slogan is "a healthy choice," but I've come to realize my definition or standard of "healthy" is always different.

My second concern with the school is what they used for cleaning. Apparently, it's bleach. Chlorine. Yuck. Unfortunately for the teacher, I did not hold back my disgust. She explained that Health Canada had certain regulations (and I sarcastically commented "to poison") to keep things clean and sanitary. Anyway, the teacher also mentioned that they sometimes just clean with vinegar and water on the children's snack tables... I hope that this is the case.

Before the Friday, we had guests Wednesday and Thursday. Little R pushed some of the kids and screamed a lot, but everyone still seemed to have a good time. We walked to and from the park with the kids - looked like I had a daycare :) They children loved going up the apparatus and sliding down, swinging and just enjoying the outdoors.

Now, it's time for more change. E cat scratched Little R in the face (I'm not quite sure what Little R was doing to him - but often, he's quite rough with the cats), so DH put up an add to look for a good home for the cats. I really would prefer not to hand over my cats to someone I don't know. I want them to live a good life, be fed well, see light, be pet and be happy. Here is the ad if you know of someone who really loves cats: http://oshawa.kijiji.ca/c-pets-to-give-or-donate-2-Male-Cats-brothers-Need-a-Loving-Home-W0QQAdIdZ192151499. If at all possible, maybe we can teach the children to be gentle and just keep our furry friends.

Alas, many changes, many changes... but that's part of growing up.

"I want juice!" says Little S

"I want juice!" I've been saying this since last Saturday after Brother got his juice. I've been saying this phrase for cookies too. Sometimes I even say and sign "pease" (I can't pronounce the 'l' yet), and the adults think I'm really cute so they give me what I want. I think that using words may even be more effective than my loud cries and wet tears. But I still cry to get my way.

Today was a rainy day. Brother came upstairs for lunch with Liz at 12:30 PM as usual. But after lunch, and after Liz left we didn't go out for our usual afternoon wagon ride. I love walks. I get my shoes when I hear Daddy say walk. I can't put them on yet, but I try. I also know to wear my hat, and sometimes I get shoes and hat for brother, too. We watched some Barney instead of the wagon ride. We love Barney!

Finally, Mama took us out to the backyard to play. I went straight to the sand table to play while Brother swung on the swing with Mama. Then I saw the bucket of water for the plants, so I started shovelling water into some pots with plants. Brother saw me and started scooping more water out. We both got a little wet. Then Mama put the bucket on the other side of the gate. But Brother and I had other things to play with like the trampoline. Brother likes imitating what I do. When I lay down to look at the sky, he did this too right beside me! He made me laugh gleefully.

When I tried to dig in Mama's garden, Mama kept ushering me away, but I persisted. Then Brother brought a little basket over, and we filled it with pine cones, topped them with grass and presented it to Mama. She was delighted to see such a nice basket. But what was more delightful was watching Brother and me co-operate in collecting the pine cones so quietly and harmoniously.

Mama said it was time to go inside, but Brother wanted to fill the watering can with the hose. He somehow managed to open the gate (he is growing taller and taller day by day), so I managed to escape almost onto the street, but Mama caught me. However, that just gave the chance for Brother to bolt in the direction of the stumpy cedar hedge. Luckily, he did not go through the tree trunks. It was starting to pour rain, and Brother ran off into the direction of Mama's vegetable garden while she put me back into the house behind the sliding glass door. She ran and brought Brother back in.

After supper I got my juice from saying "I want juice", and Daddy took Brother and me for a walk too. And now I'm in bed sucking my thumb happily.

"Hawo?" - Little S talks

Hawo? Howwayu?

I like talking on the phone. When the phone rings, I answer it. Sometimes Mommy doesn't know, but when the voice on the phone tells me to get Mommy, I do it! But when Mommy tries to talk the phone away from me, I get mad! I walk quick quick quick to get away! My feet carry me off faster and faster every day.

Brother likes to talk on the phone too. Sometimes he shares with me, and I share with him. I think it's what your supposed to do. We even let E Cat and H Cat talk on the phone, but they just meow and want to be pet.

Brother and me love the kitties, but Daddy and Mommy talked about finding them a new home because their fur made brother sick. I hope the kitties can stay. Maybe I can help keep the house clean so the kitties don't have to go away. Mommy and Daddy have to clean the house every night after Brother and I go to sleep so that everything is ready for us to mess up again in the morning.

I still wake Mommy up every night. But last night I got her up only one time! I am growing up so fast, and I am learning so many things every day. Today I showed Mommy a picture of Brother with Gong Gong and A-Bak, and I said to Mommy, "that's Gong Gong." Daddy says I'm pretty smart and cute.

Daddy is sick again today. Mommy has been sick too, but today she is feeling a little bit better. Brother was a the sickest for the longest time. He just stopped fevering and vomiting last Wednesday. But before that, he was sick for almost two weeks. Before that he was well enough to go to nursery school (where they think I'm cute too) for a week. Before that he was sick for a week. Poor Brother. I hope that he will be well now. I love playing with him. And lately he seems to have shown some interest in me too! A few days ago he tried putting my shoe on me so that we could go out.

Oh, I also love hats. I walk around talking and putting hats on. Then I go into the kitchen where Mommy is usually doing something, and I show her the hat that I put on.

Since last Monday, a nice energetic lady comes to our house from 9AM to 1PM. She comes and takes Brother downstairs to play. I hear her tell Brother to "blow a kiss" and "clap your hands" and many other things. When I hear her commands I do obey them! I know how to blow kisses and clap my hands. I'm learning new words every day too. Daddy just taught me "kaka" yesterday. I know I'm "dirty" and "gross", and I like eating "aca-does" (avocados).

I don't use a baby towel anymore. Mommy took a shower with me yesterday, and I peed three times on the floor before and after the shower. Mommy told Daddy she had no clue how I was able to pee so much. I like being naked and free to pee anywhere.

Hawo. Babai. (wave bye-bye)

Phone hog

Little S is a phone hog... some of you may have already experienced this. Maybe you've called and some little innocent high pitched voiced answered, "hawo?" That's Little S for you. She pretends the remote, a magnet, a block, anything is a phone. But what she loves most is the real phone. Apparently she's even called out with my cel phone. I hope I still have minutes to make emergency calls.

The little baby is growing up just as she should be. It's great to have her take some focus off of the not-so-great issues we have to deal with. She walks around a lot faster and with a lot more confidence. Often she will show up somewhere without you knowing because she would be so quiet and quick.

She is still using her pre-talk babble to communicate. She is practicing, and day by day I can start making out phrases like "how are you?", "what's that?" "what's going on" (in Chinese), "Huxley cat". She can listen to my questions and answer them. And, yesterday I asked her something that I had never asked before. She just looked at me for about 3 seconds and attempted a reply. I think I was asking her where her hand was. It's simply amazing how a child acquires language and communication! This time is absolutely priceless, and I'm so very glad that I won't be sending her to daycare. I'm just hoping she won't be a telephone chatterbox when she's older.

Little S is walking!

Our little girl is growing up. When Sister D started coming over to help with taking care of the kids two weeks ago, she said that she was going to make Little S walk by the time she was done.

Well, when we came back from the paediatrician's with Little R, Sister D showed us just that! DH quickly grabbed the video camera (luckily there was still 3 minutes left) to record her first real walking day. I walked in to the brightly lit kitchen to find everyone excited. Little S, with my open cel phone in hand, wiggled and she took stumbly baby steps toward me. Then she kept doing it in the living room, in the hallway, in her room, in my room, in Little R's room... and she kept talking on the cel phone (she loves pretend chat). Well, looks like this is the beginning of a whole new level of exploration for the curious kid. And alas, perhaps more toddler proofing ;)

The first steps

Little S has become a wild ball of fire. She dazzles us with her blazing smiles, the funniest faces, her tiny finger pokes in the eyes, nostrils and mouth, and her unstopable intonated chatty voice. (Oh, she's crying loudly now in the middle of her sleep - ah, DH will get her.) She still wakes me up at least twice a night. She expects me to hold and feed her back to sleep, but no more! I must take back my slumber. Yes, she will cry, but she will still wake up happy in the morning with the sun peaking between her opaque royal blue curtains. She babbles in her crib, rolls around, plays with the hippo, elephant and cat until someone comes to greet her. Her excitement in seeing you is priceless. We cherish these days very much.

She's now fourteen months but still not walking around yet. However, on the weekend when my sister D was here, Little S took her first steps toward herself. Yes, that's right: Little S took three steps to her own reflection in her brother's toddler height mirror! She was thoroughly excited by her success. She has continued to take two or three steps here and there (but mostly in front of the mirror), but has also been standing for much longer periods. Her standard mode of transportation is crawling or the "mommy bus". She stands on the toddler picnic table while playing (and drooling) with playdough sometimes for fifteen minutes or so. She also enjoys watching the outside world through our low bay windows at the front of our house. More recently she has expressed great interest in cooking like her brother. In the photos, Little R was making a vanilla cake, and when he went to bed, Little S took over to make the chocolate cake. It was her first time standing on a kitchen chair at the table to prepare food. How fascinated she was.

As the children develop more skills, there are so many more things that we can do together. After watching an episode of Chef at Home with Michael Smith, I got Little R to play basketball. He actually played and was excited. I hope that he will be just as excited when I teach him how to clean and organise. When teaching him to pick his toys, Little S eagerly crawls over and starts putting the pieces away. But, they are still creating more mess than they're cleaning up... at least for now.