Tales of Life with a Girl on the Go

Ken had a meeting downtown Friday afternoon and so we met at the end of the day and went to get Reid together. Normally, having both of us go in to pick her up is a highlight of Reid’s day. It didn’t work out that way on Friday since one of the teachers (or maybe me) had mentioned that there was a paper that said Uncle Roger was authorized to pick Reid up that day. I’d made arrangements in case Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger were early. Reid had decided it was set in stone and would have preferred to wait for them. We, the second choice pickup team, talked Reid into the car and went off to swimming lessons.

Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger were at our house when we got home. I unstrapped Reid from her car seat and she jumped right out, with none of her usual dilly-dallying. She tossed off some comment about her “favourite people” as she went running to the porch where Grandma Joyce was sitting. Ken and I were left looking at each and coming to terms with our demotion on Reid’s “favourite people” ranking. Grandma and Uncle Roger had collaborated on spaghetti and meat sauce – one of Reid’s favourite meals – and we were able to eat pretty much as soon as we got home. What a wonderful way to start a weekend!

On Saturday, Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger came with us to Kindermusik. It was “bring a friend” day and Reid grinned at the idea of having Uncle Roger as her friend but she didn’t have him accompany her into the classroom. We went to Westboro afterwards. The supposedly fabulous splash pants I bought for Reid last fall were torn again, despite the duct tape reinforcement of all seams as well as the patches. The pair I bought from Loblaws weren’t up to the task of keeping Reid dry, though they didn’t tear at least. I thought I might find something more durable at Mountain Equipment Co-op or Bushtukah. Mountain Equipment Co-op had only one piece rain suits in Reid’s size. While they thought they’d have pants again this week, I couldn’t wait. I did find a great sun hat and a long-sleeved No Zone sun shirt. We went to The Works, a gourmet hamburger restaurant that offers sweet potato fries as a side dish. Mom and I shared a “Ho Hum #2″ burger that came with cheese and bacon. We weren’t brave enough to try the ones topped with peanut butter and banana or with avacado, salsa and cheese and many others with more unusual toppings/combinations. Reid had a Plain Jane burger and Uncle Roger had Black and Greens (blackened chicken on a Caesar salad). Mom and I also split an order of quesadillas but should have stuck with the burger. The quesadilla was good but we didn’t need it, especially since we also had 16 oz milkshakes. After lunch, I went to Bushtukah and found a rain suit with separate pants and coat but no pants-only options. Reid now has a spare coat, in addition to the much-needed pants. She napped on the way home and through a quick visit to Costco so that she was ready to play when we got home.

Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger needed a nap, though, and so Ken, Reid and I went to the library. Reid is like me in that she likes to choose the books that the librarians display on the top of the shelving units or tables. I made a bee-line to the “early readers” section. Both Reid and I had to drop off the books we’d collected before going back for more. When Ken joined us in the childrens’ section, he commented that we had already chosen “many books.” Reid was unfazed; “I like many books,” she said. With 2 extra adults in the house, though, I thought the books would get read. When I left to buy groceries, Reid was snuggled on Grandma Joyce’s lap for stories.

Uncle Roger took Reid to the park to play while I was away. The best one could say about the weather was that it wasn’t cold enough for snow and the rain wasn’t as coming down as hard as it had been. Uncle Roger is a hardy soul, though, and Reid loves to be outside. Reid went zooming down the slide and ended up spread-eagled in the puddle at the bottom. Uncle Roger said that her mittens were completely soaked and he put his gloves Reid. Reid also went on the swings – big kid and baby – and Uncle Roger pushed her up “bery high”. Last year, a gentle push sufficed but I think Reid’s daredevil streak has grown a great deal over the winter. I credit gymnastics but maybe it’s swimming, too, since in both lessons Reid is mastering skills on her own.

On Sunday, Ken and I went out for lunch at Baton Rouge and then to the Museum of Civilization. We went for the Secret Riches – Ancient Peru Unearthed exhibit and also saw the exhibit on Glenn Gould: The Sounds of Genius and the Canadian Personalities Hall. I’d not taken Reid into any of these exhibits before and probably won’t. It was nice to do this “grown up” thing with Ken. We topped our afternoon with a visit to the downtown Chapters.

Reid had a big nap while we were gone and played with Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger. When we got home, Uncle Roger was reading to Reid in her room. Grandma Joyce was listening through the baby monitor. I went to turn it off and she protested because she wanted to hear how it ended. The story in question was Something Good by Robert Munsch, if you’re looking for a book that will hold the interest of a girl who is nearly 4 and one who is nearly 68. At supper, Grandma Joyce asked if Reid had woken Uncle Roger up. Uncle Roger said that he wasn’t sure. I suggested that maybe he hadn’t been asleep, merely “resting his eyes”. Grandma Joyce said that she could hear his snores, but I defended his honour and offered the option that Roger was only making his fake sleeping seem authentic. Reid reported that there was something different about her bathroom. While we were away, Uncle Roger had installed a motion sensor light switch. It’s very handy for my girl who can barely reach the switch and then only if there isn’t stuff on the counter. The motion sensor light is environmentally friendly, too, of course. The only problem is the brightness during a middle of the night bathroom visit. The bathroom has a light bar with 6, yes, 6! sockets on it and we have a 60 watt bulb in each. It would be perfect for putting on make up, if anyone in my house did such a thing. We don’t, of course. It’s definitely time for lower watt bulbs and/or fewer of them. After supper, Reid showed Uncle Roger how she can ride her bike around block while Ken, Grandma Joyce and I tidied up and then Reid showed how she could do it again. It really is quite a distance for a small girl on a small bike. The whole experience was very different from last Monday when Reid was out in her short-sleeved shirt. Sunday evening required a coat, mitts, and a toque.

On Monday morning, while Ken and I were getting ready for work (have I mentioned how nice it was to have extra adults in the house?) Grandma Joyce went to Reid’s room when she woke up. Reid refused to budge because she was waiting for Uncle Roger. Grandma Joyce went down and Uncle Roger took her place as person-in-charge of walking Reid downstairs for breakfast. As soon as Reid had finished her breakfast, she invited Uncle Roger to go and play. He quickly finished his breakfast, saying “It’s like I’m the big brother you never had,” as he followed Reid from the room. And it’s almost true, when he visits he is pretty much as her disposal as a playmate. I don’t think that big brothers are quite that accommodating. Mine were indulgent but not always at my beck and call, more’s the pity. Ken and I came home to a happy kid and a roast beef supper – quite the contrast to our usual snack at gymnastics and then something fast after the class. We had time for a few stories from the day that Reid, Grandma Joyce and Uncle Roger spent together before they had to leave.

I hope that this past weekend’s visit plus a few phone calls and a web cam conversation or two will tide Reid over until we go to Wheatley for Brianna and George’s wedding.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 11:02 pm and is filed under Barbara's family, Museums, Pastimes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.