March 16, 2007 by Barbara.

I “discovered” a stack of library books on a bookcase today and most of what we read was from the pile:

• Touch and Feel Tractor (no author), a book which we have had for a long time but it still brings a smile to Reid’s face as she polishes the smooth tractor hood and the nobby tire and so on;
• No Haircut Today! by Elivia Savadier, which I chose hoping that it would be about a child who ultimately decides that a haircut isn’t so bad after all. Not so, unfortunately for me;
• Hi, Harry! The moving story of how one slow tortoise slowly made a friend by Martin Waddell, a book that is either sad or inspiring because the tortoise makes friends with a snail after being ignored by a bunch of fast-moving animals and one can’t be sure if he was settling or finding an ideal chum;
• Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, too? by Eric Carle, a book that we read as a sort of a call and response where I ask the question and Reid supplies the response;
• Green Eggs and Ham by Dr Seuss and I like the lesson that one should try things before rejecting them;
• I’ll Always Come Back! by Steve Metzger, which as I think I have mentioned doesn’t have enough scenes with daddies;
• Giddy-up! Let’s Ride! by Flora McDonnell, with children riding horses, camels and elephants; and
• Princess Bun Bun by Richard Scrimger, a book set in the Castle Towers condominium and a little girl’s imagination fills in the details to make the fairy tale come alive with a monster, a witch and a princess.

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March 16, 2007 by Barbara.

This morning when I was helping Reid with her cereal, a Nutrio fell into her shirt. I’ve never claimed to be the world’s greatest baby-feeder or self-feeder for that matter. Without missing a beat, Reid reached into her shirt and plucked the “o” out. Maybe it’s that I was remembering the marathon phone sessions yesterday but I had a flashback to Grandma D. pulling a tissue from her bra.

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March 16, 2007 by Barbara.

When it was time for Ken to leave for the museum last night, Reid started to fuss and say, “nooo” in a suitably whiny voice. Reid is not used to Ken leaving her. Normally, I pick her up from daycare and we go straight to Melissa’s. While Reid knows he is at the museum she doesn’t take it personally. I picked Reid up and carried her to the foyer. She laid on the floor and made unhappy noises until I picked her up again and she gave Ken a kiss and hug. I distracted her from her sorrow by reminding her when we needed to bake cupcakes for when Daddy came home. We headed for the kitchen. Then, Ken came back in and said he needed the keys for rental car (another story entirely). I handed them over and went back to the kitchen. Then, Ken came back in to ask if I had happened to grab his eye glasses from our car since he needs them to drive. Since I hadn’t, he left to catch a bus and I went to the kitchen. Then, Ken came back in to ask how we were going to manage to get to work and/or daycare in the morning as he still wouldn’t have his glasses. When Reid heard the door open for the third time she started to laugh. Given Ken’s state of mind, I’m glad she didn’t tell him how silly she found the repeated return although I was glad she did find humour in them rather than more sadness as with his first departure.

This morning, when she woke up, Reid said to me in a serious tone, “Daddy at museum.” I guess she didn’t remember him kissing her when he came home, though she turned and stared at him. I told her that he’d come home while she was sleeping and even kissed her. She smiled a big smile.

Life with Daddy isn’t an emotional roller coaster exactly but isn’t boring either.

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