Archive for October, 2006

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I’d forgotten how busy I was when I “wasn’t working”

Tuesday, October 17th, 2006

Being at home with Reid last week from Tuesday through Friday reminded me how busy it is to be “not working”. She did more than a few funny things but I didn’t have time to write them down and by the time she was asleep, I was too once Ken went to Reno.

Poor kid had a flu that was hard to shake. I wonder if she was being punished for my email griping about her being sent home for a fever they wouldn’t have known about except for the spots. Her fever was high enough a few times to be scary but mostly she was hot and achy. I know she was achy because every once in a while she would come to me and, with a pained look on her face, say, “Ennh”. I would cuddle her and check to see if it was close to medicine-time. Fortunately, she can administer the medicine herself once I’ve measured it since the amounts are much greater now that she takes “child” instead of “infant” formulation.

Because Ken had to travel at the end of the week, he couldn’t miss work to stay home and so, I was the go-to parent. (He is usually the one who stays with Reid when she is sick.) There’s nothing as cuddly as a sick child, eh? I got back to work yesterday and felt like I’d been gone for a month. I’ll remember the cuddles longer than the chaos, though.

Posted in Mama, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

It’s amazing what comes out in a painting

Monday, October 16th, 2006

On Wednesday, Reid and I were painting on tin foil when she exclaimed in what sounded to be surprise, “boat” and later “moon” and “stars”. She doesn’t always know *what* she is painting, or at least she won’t tell me. This time, though, the pictures seemed to catch her by surprise.

Painting on tin foil is cool because the colours are so vivid and you can even use white. I can never figure out why the white paint/crayon, etc is the same size as the others since most people do most of their painting and colouring on white paper. The website where I read about painting on tin foil said that I needed to add glue to the paint to help it stick. I thought this might be a ploy to sell more glue but I didn’t want the hassle of getting more paint out to check once the glue was in the colours I’d chosen. Plus, stirring glue into the paint gave us more to do and prolonged the activity.

Posted in Mama, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

We gave thanks for the weather

Wednesday, October 11th, 2006

What fabulous weather we had this past weekend, eh?

After a brunch of bacon and eggs, etc prepared by Grandpa Terry, which
included a second scrambled egg made-to-order for Reid, we hit the road for
Campbellford to see Grandmama. Actually, I demanded a detour to an orchard
outside of Stirling so that I could pick up some Tollman Sweet apples, a
variety I’ve never seen anywhere else. It seemed like a good idea as it what
give Reid extra time to sleep. Wrong, Mama. It gave Reid apples to snack on
while we drove. We found the Campbellford hospital without trouble but were
stumped when the lady told us Grandmama’s room number and the
no-kids-under-12 rule. Since we’d travelled so far, we decided to see if we
could get Grandmama off of her floor for a visit. The nurse agreed that we
could but then we found Grandmama in a lounge and so were allowed to visit
her there. Reid and Grandmama played with stickers and markers and Reid
played in the coffee table. Ken and I tried to convince Reid to sing some
songs but she refused (it’s those cats of ours that teach her such things).
I’ve memorized a book we got from our first Kindermusik session, called
“Watch me”, which tells of elephants stomping, monkeys swinging, etc. Reid
knows many of the words and all of the actions, including how to “stop and
make no sound” like the lady bug. Grandmama liked the performance.

By the time we got back to Grandma Barb’s, Uncle Ron, RJ and Harley
arrived; Uncle Kevin and Atira had been there when we left. Reid and the
kids played inside and out. As dinner got close to being on the table, the
kids got restless and so I got out window writer markers and they decorated
the patio doors, inside and out. Lucky Grandma and Grandpa get to look at
them still. Umm, unless Grandma Barb washed them already, which is entirely
likely though she didn’t take me up on my offer to wash them before I left.
Reid gets her cleanliness from Grandma Barb.

We made it all of 20 minutes down the road on our way home before we had to
stop for a potty break and to nurse.  After that, Ken drove us safely home
and Reid and I snoozed. Poor Ken, it’s no wonder he finds weekends generally
and holidays, especially,tiring.

Posted in Ken's family, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

My princess has spots

Tuesday, October 10th, 2006

Spots, I say! Anne-Marie, one of the ladies from daycare just called to say that when playing with Reid, she noticed Reid has a rash on her torso. Of course, that meant she took Reid’s temperature and it is 38.5 (about 102) and that is grounds for being kicked out of daycare. She did reassure me Reid is not itchy and is fine other than being a bit quiet.  Furthermore, since she is spotted, we need a note from the doctor saying the spots aren’t contagious. Several of the other kids have a similar rash, she said, but they must also have notes. We need to be sure that Reid is a follower and not a trend-setter. All this to say that I’m in a cab on my way to pick up the car at Ken’s office and then to take Reid to the doctor’s. Imagine what would be involved if she were actually sick ;+)

I’m hoping that the doctor’s office is empty. It’s harder to have a healthy kid in the waiting room than a sick one, I think.

Posted in Daycare, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

On the road again

Sunday, October 8th, 2006

After Kindermusik on Saturday, we once again hopped on the highway, this time destined for Trenton. The weather was fabulous – sunny and warm – and the trees along the highway were gorgeous – with reds, yellows, oranges and greens (and brown, as Reid pointed out but I was trying to be poetic) – and the sleeping was good, too. Ken said the traffic and construction were a challenge but I wouldn’t know about that. Reid slept from just after the rest stop where we had lunch until we got off the highway. She prefers to sleep at high speed, I guess.

We spent the afternoon with Grandpa Keith and Granny Rhonda. We enjoyed the sun and warmth on their deck and in the backyard for quite some time but even Reid and I weren’t brave enough to try the pool. Ken snuck away to take a nap for a bit and I didn’t blame him. I fell asleep about 8:00 Thursday and Friday nights last week but he didn’t even get home until after 10:00 on Thursday.  Reid helped Granny make a pie and a salad with dressing from scratch while I tried to dig out some of the stuff from our car. It looked as though we were still in the middle of a road trip (which we kind of are) but it was even bad enough to bother me. Imagine how bad that has to have been! Grandpa had grown some yellow tomatoes in his garden and Reid was bold enough to ask for one (and then another). I found it disconcerting that they were yellow like apples but tasted like tomatoes. Reid liked their taste, too, but also their yellowness. After supper, Reid shared some of her instruments and played harmonica with Grandpa and showed how the shaker egg, bells and harmonica worked but not when I tried to get her to something in particular. Ken pointed out she isn’t a trained animal and with our cats as role models, she never will be.

We got to Grandma Barb and Uncle Terry’s about 7:00 and Reid walked in like she owned the place. I’m so pleased that she has this outgoing nature. Grandma Barb was busily finishing up getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. It’s not easy working and hosting family meals but Grandma does it anyway. As soon as it was time to dishes, a task I am qualified for (thanks, Mom), I bossily sent Grandma to play with Reid and I started washing the dishes. Grandpa Terry dried and we were soon done. Reid and Grandma built a big tower. Grandma was impressed to see what a good job Reid does at building towers since she had specialized for so long at knocking them down. I gave them a big pad of paper to draw on and Reid chose a page near the middle (the first page was too obvious, I guess) and had me put Grandma’s name on the facing page and so there may have been a method to her madness. Reid found many pencils to draw with and used them one after another in rapid succession since she isn’t usually allowed to use pencils, until Grandma charmed her out of them.  Once their pictures were done, Reid chose some books – okay, Reid started emptying the toy/book bag and after 10 or more books were on the floor, Ken took the bag away and Reid chose books from what was on the floor – and Grandma read to her until it was time for bed. We headed for bed about 9:00 and Reid was asleep very quickly and slept til 8:15 and is ready for another busy day.

Posted in Ken's family, Kindermusik, Uncategorized | 160 Comments »

Learning the rules of tea parties

Sunday, October 8th, 2006

Aunty Amanda was over for supper on Thursday night and brought wee little chocolate cakes for dessert. In keeping with the “wee little”, we got Reid’s minature tea pot and cup and saucer out, too. Grandma Joyce had suggested using a towel for a table cloth as Reid perfected her pouring technique – she has to remember to hold the lid on. I remembered the advice as I was wiping up the cider that was posing as tea. After the second potfull, I realized that the trick was to put only as much juice into the teapot as would fit into Reid’s cup as she doesn’t stop pouring til the teapot is empty. Since I’d learned that lesson, Reid had to change the rules and so decided that she should be the one to pour the cider from the bottle into the teapot. Boy, was I glad I’d run to get the towel/table cloth before the second pot of tea was poured! With her tea cup and mini cake she looked just like a proper lady (if proper ladies pick up entire cakes and take little bites off them ;+)

Posted in Amanda, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Swimming lessons have started

Sunday, October 8th, 2006

We started the whirlwind of swimming lessons on Wednesday. Since our first-choice class at 5:30 was cancelled we have a bit more time and don’t have to be there until 6:00. The change meant Reid had time to eat her plate of leftovers and I had time for a slice of bread with peanut butter on it. Reid, though, had other ideas. She wanted a “big bread” of her own, none of this have-a-corner-of-Mama’s stuff I usually do. And she needed to use the knife herself to put peanut butter on it. Then, she ignored the plate I’d lovingly reheated and ate her bread.

Our instructor’s name is Mike but he said people call him “Monkey”. I wouldn’t confess to that but I’m not a teenage boy. He is a really good teacher. He told us what to do and then what the kids would get out of it (Seems obvious and I bet George does that, too, but we generally have friendly people who lead the class but aren’t really “teachers”). we were in the wave pool section of the comples which means there was a nice long, slow slope that we could walk out on which gave Reid lots of confidence. Mid-way through the lesson she asked to go to the “nother waterpark” and pointed to the smaller pool. Unfortunately for her we weren’t at Great Wolf Lodge and had to do what the teacher said. She is kicking her legs pretty consistently when she swims but she doesn’t move her hands. It’s been so long since I took Suli, etc. for lessons that I don’t remember when to expect her to start. Reid jumped into the pool from a seated position a few times but the water is so deep that I didn’t ask her to try any jumps while standing since I can barely reach her hands when she sits. We’ll have to see whether she’ll get brave enough to try without my hands or maybe Mike will have a different plan. We finished up at the slide in the hot pool (or at least it’s hotter). The slide is set in the middle of water that is knee-high to Reid and so she can go up and down on her own, though I stay real close. I think the biggest lesson that the kids will learn may be how to take turns on the slide. Reid is familiar with lining up from daycare but she lets other people barge in front of her. I mostly hang back but did intervene after the third boy (yes, BOY!) cut in and held my arm out to let Reid climb the slide. As I did, that little guy’s mom was also correcting him and so maybe the other ruffians were from the pre-school class that swims without their parents.

Daddy watched from the deck which made Reid happy – she would have liked him to swim with us but since he couldn’t, she liked him being there. He forgot to leave his socks at home, though, and ended up with wet feet while getting Reid dressed. I was dry and dressed so fast by myself! All those times I’ve envied other women who have handed their kids over to someone else and then *I* was them. The glory of it ;+)

Posted in Daddy, Mama, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Things for which I think Reid is grateful

Sunday, October 8th, 2006

With Thanksgiving Weekend upon us, I’ve been thinking of what Reid might say she is gratefiul for and this is what I’ve come up with (in no particular order):
* the colour yellow because “lellow” is fabulous;
* doing things by herself for herself;
* being able to say “Hep, Daddy” or “Hep, Mama” and having someone spring into action even if that same someone was just told not to help because “Reid doed it” seconds earlier;
* bare feet. She still takes her socks and shoes off on the way home from daycare several days a week and when she doesn’t, they come off when she is nursing;
* books, especially ones that rhyme and / or have animals;
* Dora the Explorer stuff (though mean Mama won’t let her watch the tv show);
* finger painting, painting with brushes and colouring with crayons and markers;
* playing with blocks and playdough and also Baby and dollies;
* being healthy and growing taller to reach all of the things she couldn’t before, including some things she shouldn’t;
* spending time at daycare with her teachers, Karen, Tammy (who puts stamps on her belly), Anne Marie and Rachelle and all of her friends there, including Lexsie, Amadou, Julia, Nicholas, Kianna and a bunch of others whose names I don’t know;
* having friends like Aunty Amanda, Melissa, Peter, Stephen, Sarah and Ben (especially Ben);
* having a big family, with many Grandmas and Grandpas, aunts, uncles and cousins who are fun to play with and who love her “tisses” and hugs;
* having three cats to watch from afar (Mars), to bat hands with and sometimes kiss when he isn’t watching (Leo) and to pet, cuddle and fight with for Mama’s affection (Clio);
* playing with Daddy on the floor because he can build towers, read books, wrestle, tickle and cuddle; and
* playing in the tub with Mama, nursing and singing in bed and having Mama sit in the backseat when the road is too long.

Reid’s Mama and Daddy are thankful to have all of you in our lives, too. Happy Thanksgiving.

Posted in Barbara's family, Cats, Daddy, Ken's family, Language skills, Mama, Melissa and Peter, Uncategorized | Comments Closed

It’s never the wrong time for housework

Friday, October 6th, 2006

On her way back from a potty break at 4:14 this morning, Reid notcied Ken’s underwear on the floor. As I tried to shepherd her along she stopped and picked up “Daddy’s umunuh” and then we had to go to the laundry bin before going back to her room. I think I’ve mentioned before that this dedication to housework seems to be on a recessive gene that skipped both Ken and me. In Ken’s defence, putting his underwear in the laundry is a task that Reid claimed long ago and she doesn’t like anyone else trying to do it.

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Grandma Joyce, Dressmaker to the Stars

Thursday, October 5th, 2006

I offered Reid the choice of two outfits this morning, pointing out that one had a cat applique and the other had a mouse on it. She looked at them and said “Grandma”, a logical thing to say since Grandma Joyce had made both of them. When it was time to get her clothes on, she wanted to wear only the “dress”, which is actually a long-ish top with straps over the shoulder. Definitely not warm enough for 3 degrees! I started fighting her into the blouse but she said, “Reid do it” and then she asked her dad for help (music to my ears at that point in our day ;+) Never mind the big man fingers and little girl buttons. He got the blouse on and the top over it and I took her down to do her hair. She never asks for Ken to do her hair, which is a good things since his “doing” of her hair would involve scissors. We listened to the Treehouse music channel – if anyone ever sees Tom Chapin’s “Da babysitter”, please buy it – and I got pigtails in her hair, and many hugs and smiles as she tried to convince me that she needed neither pony tails nor barrettes. Then, I wrestled her into pants and socks and held her feet still for Ken to put on her shoes. Rowdy Reidie Reynolds, wrestler extraordinaire, is good at trying to break out of the Mama Bodylock but she is fighting out of her weight class.

Posted in Barbara's family, clothes, Uncategorized | 66 Comments »

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