February 7, 2008 by Barbara.

I mentioned to Ken at breakfast that Karin said that in addition to his and my “date” the next time she visits, she would like to go on a date with me. Reid looked up from her Nutrios/Rice Krispies mix (bland but nutritious once the Nutrios are in the bowl) and said, “a date with Aunt Karin, and you, and me?” I told her that it would be just Aunt Karin and me. Dates for 3 just aren’t the same, eh? Well, Reid started to fuss because she “waa-anted to go” and I assured her that Aunt Karin, she and I would go somewhere. But I didn’t give up on the other, not that I pointed out the distinction. No sense hearing that fussing for days on end. Am I a tricky, deceptive mom?

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February 7, 2008 by Barbara.

Do you remember seeing a birthday card with a hippopotamus and a bird on it? I saw it once and if I’d seen it last week, I’d have picked it up for Reid to send to Karin because those two have seen quite a few hippopotamuses together and Reid would laugh at the “Hippo Birdie to you” message on the inside of the card. But then, I’m a digital girl and I didn’t get a card. Instead I’m writing this note about her.

1. Karin can blow big bubbles with her gum. Given all of the other times I’ve written about her bubbles, I had to start there.
2. Karin and I have spent lots of time travelling together and have had lots of time to talk. She has never told me that she resented me displacing her from her postion as a “little girl” in the sense that people referred to her and Lisa as the “little girls”. So that is a good thing, unless she is secretly harbouring resentment.
3. When I was a little girl and microwaves were new in homes (and the earth was still cooling), Karin made me a sort of “grilled” cheese sandwich in her boyfriend’s mother’s microwave. It was amazing then. Just thinking of it makes me shudder now - warm white bread and processed cheese.
4. Karin was the one who took me to the hair dresser to get my first perm. Everyone needed an afro back then. It might not have been an actual afro but I’ve never claimed to have a good memory.
5. Karin was also the one who badgered, I mean, inspired me to dye my hair once the grey hairs were getting out of control. It’s important to have someone looking out for your image.
6. When I was a young maid of 10, Karin invited me to be in her wedding and caused me to wear a beautiful yellow dress. The little bridesmaid pendant that she gave to me was equally lovely.
7. Karin invited me to spend a couple of summers with her when she was living in Halifax. Well, that is how I remember it. Mom and Dad may have asked her to toake me off of their hands. I like to think that she wanted me.
8. Karin took me out driving when I was preparing for my driver’s licence test. I don’t remember her ever yelling at me but I bet I deserved it. Unfortunately for me, I passed the test without having mastered parallel parking and this, despite Karin’s best efforts and I still have difficulty parallel parking today. Karin can put the largest vehicle with the most blind spots into a parking spot that is barely bigger than the vehicle and I admire her for this skill.
9. Karin is looking after Reid’s girly-girl side - she makes sure that Reid gets her fingernails and toenails painted every once in a while and that Reid always has good shoes. Other people looked at Reid’s face when she was a newborn to decide who she looked like. Karin looked at Reid’s finger nailbeds (they’re good and resemble Karin’s) and toenails (they’re okay and not as bad as mine and Karin’s).
10. Karin is a pie-maker extraordinaire. AND she has shared her secret recipe with me. She regularly makes sure that there is a cherry pie for Ken. She invites Reid to help her roll out the dough and doesn’t flinch at the mess.
11. Karin has talked to Reid on the telephone for years, even though Reid hasn’t always spoke to her. When Reid was very small, Karin started every conversation with an excited (and loud) “Reid Elizabeth”, both in person and on the phone. Reid would grin when she heard it, whether or not she responded verbally.
12. Karin has accompanied me on a variety of business trips and has taken care of Reid in a range of North American cities. She shows Reid a good time, even when they spend the whole day in the hotel room because that is what Reid wants. I never feel that I need to rush back from a conference session lest she judge me.
13. Karin stopped at our house on her way back from the East Coast just after Reid was born to help me get Reid started nursing and to generally just help. I don’t think that it was necessarily the most restful Civic Holiday weekend for her but it was hugely important for Reid, Ken and me.

Happy birthday, sister.

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February 7, 2008 by Barbara.

Overheard at our house at bedtime:
“Row, row, row your gg-ohhh-tt. Row, row, row your ccc-ow-wuh.”
And so it continued as Reid “read” a favourite board book. I’m not sure why she decided to sound out the animals’ names but not the other words on each page. It was fun to hear her reading this book, which she has been able to recite for a year or two, in this way. I’ve taken it as a sign that I can show her words and ask her to sound them out.

We have also been playing a new game that Reid has devised. If I’m reading my own book and she wants to join in the fun, Reid will have me say a letter and then she will find it on the page. The text in my books is (obviously) small are more crowded than what Reid is used to but she finds the letters quite quickly. I’m sure this is an important pre-reading skill but sometimes she’d let me finish a chapter.

Speaking of chapters, the teachers at daycare noted on the activity board last week that they had read part of a chapter book to the kids. When we discussed it at home, Reid was talking about the tractor books at daycare. I don’t stop and correct Reid’s pronunciation, I just make sure to ennunciate clearly when using the word causing her trouble. Apparently I am not always subtle when I do this. I said, “And did you like the ‘CHAP-ter’ book that Christina read?” Reid replied, “The ‘TRAC-tor’ book was good.” Stalemate.

I followed the lead from Reid’s teachers and chose chapter books when we were at the library on Friday. I hadn’t ever noticed them but when I looked, they were hiding in plain sight next to the French board books in a section called “early readers”. I grabbed a few and noticed that early readers are in stages - if you can remember your own kids’ experiences at this age, indulge me for a bit - and while the level one is good for a child learning to read, it’s not what I want to be reading. I’m looking for novelty, folks, and books that are long enough that we don’t zoom through 10 at a sitting. An extended narrative would be nice. Level 3 early readers seem to work well for us and I’ve also borrowed Sarah’s copy of The Littles to see if Reid is ready for a book with a picture every couple of pages. I’m pretty sure Ken and I are.

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