Archive for January, 2007

Potato Head

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

It has been “all Potato Head, all the time” lately. I had bought the potato heads and bucket of parts for Reid for Christmas last year but she received so much that we decided to hold it back. I wasn’t sure that she’d like it but I had warm and fuzzy memories from childhood. Turns out, she likes it, too. A lot. She enjoys having Ken or me playing with her and she does need assistance getting some of the pieces in and out. Reid has a clear idea of what should go there. I like to mess with her mind and put arms on the front and tongues in the ears and that sort of thing. It really stresses her out; she says, “no, no, no” and pulls them out as fast as she can. Ken is a much better assistant and he mostly does what she wants. I’m not sure why, but the Mama Potato Head always needs to have the moustache on her face. Reid says that she doesn’t think *I* have a moustache but maybe she is trying to protect my feelings. She often gives the Daddy a purse which causes Ken to comment but at least isn’t a judgement of his physiology.  ;+) Reid mentioned that there is hair for the Potato Heads at daycare but I’ve never seen any. Have you?

If ever you’re in Ottawa, ask about the potatoes and I’m sure she’ll dig them out.

Books we read, January 18th

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Before work, we read: Hippos Go Beserk by Sandra Boynton and after work we read: Olivia Counts by Ian Falconer and Funny Bunnies (no author). Uncle Roger and Grandma Joyce did most of the reading today, though. Reid doesn’t like to bring a pile of books to be read. Instead, she chooses a book off of the shelf and brings it over; Grandma Joyce would pull her up and then read the book; when done, Reid replaces the book, chooses another and the process repeats. They read:

There were other books but Grandma Joyce and Roger didn’t know that they were supposed to be keeping a record. Not everyone can be as particular as me.

Books we read, January 17th

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Wednesdays are busy with swimming but we still read:

Books we read, January 16th

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Amanda was over for supper and so was able to join in on reading to Reid. She quickly figured out the theme of my recent book buying at BookCloseOuts.com. Between us, we read:

 

 

Uncle Roger of the Yellow House

Thursday, January 18th, 2007

Uncle Roge and Grandma Joyce have come to visit. We have been hoping that they would be able to come while Uncle Roge was off but found out only yesterday that they would be able to come. This means they’re probably now scrounging for food because I’m in a “clear out the cupboards and freezer before you shop phase” but Reid will be entertaining them so I think they won’t mind too much. As I was getting Reid up this morning, I told her that she would be staying with Grandma and Uncle Roge. She asked, “Uncle Roge yellow house?” and I confirmed that his house was still yellow. Maybe Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm had a niece who was as obsessed with farms as Reid is with yellow. I imagine that this is how surnames evolved as well. The added descriptor helps with categorization.

Turns out if you don’t eat supper, you’re hungry at bedtime

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

Reid served herself several spoonsful of yellow beans last night and asked for a slice of bread. I buttered the bread on the wrong side in Reid’s estimation – apparently she knows what side her bread is buttered on but reserves the right to object – and so she refused to it. I’m not sure what crime the beans committed, and since they’re yellow I would think it would have to be sever, but she ate only a few of them. After drinking some milk and ordering us to do the same (Amanda stared Reid down but Ken and I drank), Reid announced she was done. I think she noticed that Amanda was nearly done eating her supper and so Reid saw a chance to get in extra Potato Head time since Ken and I always make her wait until we’re done eating and Amanda was already finished …. I could almost see the gears in her head turning. Shortly before bedtime, though, Reid was asking for beans and milk. “Are you hungry?” I asked innocently. “Unh-hunh,” she replied without a speck of remorse. Beans and Mama meat (lunchmeat) and milk appeared to sustain Reid and torment Leo. He loves the smell of lunchmeat and would eat it off of Reid’s plate. In fact when she is sitting on her white stool, using the top as a table, he tries. You can’t really blame him. Every self-respecting cat is obliged to try to get food in that situation. And, if you’re wondering, we don’t try to teach her the consequences of not eating (being hungry all night) since she would just try to make up the calories in night time nursing. We’ll talk about it instead.

New age parents, what are you going to do!?

Outtakes from the November photos

Wednesday, January 17th, 2007

I was looking at the photos that I have taken in the last while and came across this one from November. Reid was not interested in wearing shoes with her fancy dress, thinking that her “Winnie Pooh” boots were the go-anywhere sort of footwear.

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All but the wiggling eye brows

Tuesday, January 16th, 2007

Reid’s range of facial expressions and tones of voice seem to have grown lately. Sometimes after she has been nursing quite a while, I will tell her that I think that the milk is all gone and she needs to wait for my body to make some more. If she is determined, she will say, “try it” in a particular tone that implies, “Come on, you’ll like it. Remember all of the fabulous things I’ve convinced you to try.” And her eyes sparkle and her eyebrows go up and her face reinforces her words and her tone. All she needs is too learn to wiggle her eyebrows. She could sell me the Brooklyn Bridge and since I know my logic will prevail I often do let her try it. Reid doesn’t like for me to be the one to end the nursing session anyway. When I’m in a hurry, I’ll give her a time warning and then, when the time has elapsed, say that I’m going to count to 15 or whatever. Reid says “No, 15″ and then suckles once or twice and announces that she is, “All done.” There’s that control thing again.

Some nights, Reid decides that she would like to sleep in the big bed. As this means that Ken will be displaced, I make her ask him. She walks over, half-shy and climbs into his arms before she says, “Sleep Daddy bed?” She raises her eyebrows, adds pleading to her voice and maybe even offers a kiss as a bribe. How can he resist? I use this powerful tool carefully and never let her ask when I know he needs a good night’s sleep.

Reid can use the darker side of the expression spectrum as well but unfortunately for her she is too cute, even when she doesn’t want to be. If she has been denied something Reid will look meaningfully at you from underneath her eye lashes with her lip stuck out. If you don’t relent, she concentrates on sticking her lip out to best effect and looking downtrodden. There’s no doubt that she is displeased but she is still my sweet Reid.

Books we read, January 15th

Monday, January 15th, 2007

Ah, Monday. Back to the having to plan to read routine rather having many opportunities for Reid to wander by the bookshelf or notice the pile of library books and pick something up. Before supper we read Snoozers: 7 Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids by Sandra Boynton. Reid isn’t particular about only reading bedtime stories at bedtime. This one is pretty lively and maybe too rowdy for bedtime anyway. I really like the story “I’m Not Tired” about a little bear who keeps saying that he isn’t tired even as he falls asleep while hiding under a rug. We also read Mischievous Angels: A mini pop-up storybook (no author).

At bedtime I told Reid that I’d read three books and she countered with “six”. The pile of books in Reid’s room is dwindling but not her pickiness and so we read:

  • My room (no author), a little board book with a very few words but pictures worth discussing;
  • On the Farm: An Usborne lift-the-flap book by Alastair Smith, which was once a frequent-read but has lately been hidden in the pile;
  • Bear Hunt by Anthony Browne, a book we got at a book sale. It is a bit strange in that there are hunters with a gun after the little bear. He uses his pencil to get himself safely away, though; and
  • A Dragon in a Wagon: A book about ways to travel by Jane Belk Moncure, a book that we received as the free preview book from some company that I promptly refused membership in. Grandma Joyce has the same book and I bet she got it from a yard sale from someone who did the same thing I did.

Books we read, January 14th

Monday, January 15th, 2007

Reid didn’t sleep well Saturday night and so was particularly ready for listening to books on Sunday. Unfortunately, I was too tired to take note of reactions. We read:

  • Soft Shapes: Seasons by AnnMarie McLaughlin, a book that I think Ken will be glad to see fall from favour. Reid likes to take out the shape from each of the season pages and doesn’t mind the paucity of words;
  • Count! by Denise Fleming;
  • Opposites: A teaching train book (no author);
  • Hushabye Lily by Claire Freedman;
  • What a Scare, Jesse Bear by Nancy White Carlstrom, nice enough but not as good as Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear?
  • Emily’s Balloon by Komako Sakai;
  • Maisy at the Fair by Lucy Cousins;
  • Jesse Bear, What Will You Wear? by Nancy White Carlstrom;
  • Pocoyo and Friends: A first book of friendship (no author);
  • Wheelies Trusty Tractor, illustrated by Julia Oliver;
  • Baby-O by Nancy White Carlstrom, which is set in the West Indies and didn’t seem to really engage Ken and Reid; and
  • One Day, Daddy by Frances Thomas.

And at bedtime:

  • Going on a Field Trip, a Read and Roll book;
  • A Tune-Up for Toby, a Read and Roll book; and
  • Curious Kitties, A Colors Book by Sam McKendry.