June 11, 2009 by Barbara.

Reid is going to Aunty Amanda’s for supper tonight while Ken and I go to hear Malcolm Gladwell (author of Tipping Point, Blink, and Outliers). Reid has been looking forward to this visit ever since I first mentioned it. Amanda asked me to confirm that Reid eats rice. I responded strongly in the affirmative and said that we need to encourage her to also eat meat and vegetables. My little carbohydrate lover would eat bowl after bowl of rice - white and otherwise - if permitted.

We were discussing Reid’s visit to Aunty Amanda’s last night and how Nam and Nam’s parents would also be present at supper time. Reid wanted to know the names of Nam’s parents. I was stumped. Reid calls most of the adults in her life by their first names, including her teachers. I don’t know how Nam’s parents will want to be addressed. I played it safe and said that I wasn’t sure but that she might need to call them Mr N and Mrs N (only I gave the full last name). Since Mr and Mrs are unfamiliar, I explained that some people call me Ms Dundas (not many, of course ;+) instead of Barbara and some people call Ken, “Dr Reynolds”. The latter caught her off guard, “But why do they call Daddy, ‘doctor’?” she asked. I explained about his doctorate and Reid nodded as though to say, “Oh, that was obvious, I can’t believe I forgot.” She chattered about him being a doctor and the boss of soldiers. Reid clearly thinks that Ken’s job is important. I asked if Reid she thought I had an important job. She said that she thought I did and so I asked if she knew what I did. Reid said that I “write for the government”. Bingo! I was flattered that she knew.

This morning, I reminded Reid that Aunty Amanda would pick her up this evening. Reid asked me who would take her to school tomorrow morning and I told her that it would be me because she was coming home at bedtime. Reid was not pleased. She wanted to sleep over. I said that wasn’t going to happen and Reid asked, “But can I stay overnight the next time I go there?” I don’t know what Aunty Amanda will say if Reid shows up with her sleep toy and toothbrush.

Reid is determined to stay overnight at someone’s house, especially a friend’s. I’m not so sure that I’m ready for Reid to embark on sleep overs. On the bright side, lying with Reid to put her to sleep doesn’t seem to have hindered her readiness for sleep overs.

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August 9, 2008 by Barbara.

Reid has worn her glasses all day, each day since we picked them up on Tuesday. The teachers have been impressed. She takes them off in the car on the way home to day care but puts them back on.

On Thursday night it rained and Reid took her glasses off when we got back to the car from the grocery store, she didn’t want them back on. I’d called Melissa to tell her that Reid would be wearing her glasses to be sure that the kids didn’t react with anything less than enthusiasm. Reid had an attack of shyness, though, and wouldn’t put her glasses on to show them. After supper, she wanted something from Sarah and I recommended that Sarah agree on the condition that Reid put her glasses on. Sarah grinned at my trickiness and asked to see Reid’s glasses. They all said that Reid looked cute - which is true - and Reid was proud of herself.

I forgot Reid’s glasses at home Saturday morning. We’d finished breakfast at Eddie’s and were rushing to the Puppets Up festival in Almonte before we realized the glasses were missing. I suggested that we might skip picking them up and have time to watch an extra play but Reid was committed to her glasses. I zoomed home to get them and Reid showed them proudly to Aunty Amanda. I don’t know if Reid could see the puppets more easily but it’s good to know that her glasses don’t bother her.

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October 26, 2007 by Barbara.

Aunty Amanda and Aunt Jane (Amanda’s mother) came for supper Wednesday. I invited them last week before I knew about the parent-teacher night at daycare. As it worked out, though, they came for supper and then Ken and I ran out to daycare, leaving Reid with them. (Yes, I asked them if they minded in advance.) Reid was not concerned at all when we left, she has added Aunt Jane to her collection of Ottawa “aunts”.

At supper, Reid had decided that all of her food needed to be kept separate. In separate bowls, as a matter of fact. The chili went into her pasta bowl and she borrowed my salad bowl for her cheese. Aunty Amanda made some comment about Reid’s bread being able to go in the bowl with the cheese, causing Reid to realize that she needed *another* bowl. (It’s good to have Aunty Amanda around to notice the things you’ve overlooked ;+) I explained that bread went on plates and handed her one. There are things I have to fight with Reid about, using multiple bowls and plates at dinner last night wasn’t on the list. It’s an interesting change from when she asks, “What can go here?” as she points at an empty region on her plate. That’s what she has been doing lately.

Reid was sitting on Aunty Amanda’s lap listening to a story when we got home. We heard that Reid had been a good girl during her bath, listened to some stories and generally did as she was asked. Reid’s hair had been brushed and put into a braid. I expressed surprise and asked if Reid had cried. Aunt Jane said that Reid had said, “Mama hurts me when she brushes my hair. We all laughed and then I asked if Reid had cried when Aunt Jane brushed and braided Reid’s hair. “Oh, no,” Aunt Jane said casually. Of course not! Reid saves the tears and wailing and gnashing of teeth for Mama.

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September 8, 2007 by Barbara.

When Amanda was over visiting recently, I asked her if she wanted something and spelled out the “something”. Not missing a beat, Amanda said the word and then said, “yes?” Something like, “You said,  ’cake’ and what of it?” Ken and I laughed and told her that we spelled words when we didn’t want Reid to know what we were discussing, not when we wanted to test our friends. It’s funny the things that are sort of reflex for parents and just odd for people without kids.

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June 13, 2007 by Barbara.

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May 17, 2007 by Barbara.

Aunty Amanda and Nam came over to watch Reid last night while Ken and I went out for dinner. They’d planned to take Reid out to McDonald’s and then the Museum of Science and Technology but we couldn’t get Reid’s car seat into Nam’s car. I tried offering pizza as an alternate and Reid went running for her highchair where she informed me that she wanted to eat “with my own family.” Wow, can she tug on one’s heartstrings. We were leaving her with *Aunty* Amanda though, and went out as planned. We came home to a happy girl who’d had a hamburger and fries compliments of Nam’s delivery service, gone to the park, read some books and watched some Toopy and Binoo. Oh, and the lion that Nam had drawn on her little magnetic sketch screen - I think I may never again insult that toy with my scribbles!

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May 2, 2007 by Barbara.

At 6:50 last night, as Amanda, Ken and I were finishing our desserts, Reid went upstairs. She didn’t sneak away, oh no. She called out as she climbed each step. I offered Ken a quarter to chase her, he countered with fifty cents for me if I’d go or a dollar if Amanda would. Amanda said that she’d go, without the dollar but Ken will come through with the cash. Eventually. Reid decided to put her diaper and pajamas on. Although she did make a brief appearance downstaid again, she asked me to take her back up again. Reid climbed into my lap without any silliness or wandering around as is usual and snuggled down for a few stories. I thought maybe we would be reading for a long time, since it was just after 7:00 when we started reading instead of our usual 7:30. It didn’t happen like that. Reid chose four fairly short books and then said no to anymore books. Daddy stopped in for a kiss and hug once Amanda left, just in time. She nursed a bit and went to sleep. Wow, thought I.

Reid’s sleep was rough over night. She tossed and turned and talked a lot. As she woke up this morning, Reid was fretting and speaking about a “hotel”. I told her that tomorrow Daddy would be staying at hotel but not us. She piped in, “Going to Grandma’s. See Dylan. In hot pool.” It’s nice to know she has been paying attention and also what her expectations are.

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April 13, 2007 by Barbara.

The longer that Ken has been gone, the more Reid has talked about him. He is now, somewhat unofficially, referred to as “My-Daddy-Far-Away”. If she sees a need, Reid will append “-in-France”. It has a Native Canadian sort of ring to it.

On Tuesday night there was almost an “incident” when Reid was setting the table. We have four pasta bowls that each have a different flower in the middle of them. I handed her three and she started her work. But then, she noticed that I had given her the bowl that she has assigned to Ken. I don’t keep track but Reid does. So there was Daddy’s bowl and a hungry Aunty Amanda but no Daddy. I assured Reid that Dadddy likes to share. I didn’t think she would believe that he doesn’t even know which is *his* bowl. We repeated the process with glasses (Ken’s is red, but I knew that although I didn’t think that she’d object when I took it out). Again we discussed it and Amanda got the privilge of using Daddy’s stuff. Ken is always a good sharer but in abstentia, he is practically monklike in the things about such things.

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March 12, 2007 by Barbara.

On Saturday morning, Reid and I met Amanda for breakfast at Cora’s. It’s not a fancy restaurant but you do need to wait to be seated. We were early but I figured Amanda might have gotten there even earlier since she doesn’t have a tyke in tow. Now this is where I often have trouble. When we met, Amanda had blond hair but it’s been brown for at least four years. I have trouble remembering that and often describe her as blonde when asking for her at restaurants. On Saturday, though, I was visited by a flash of brilliance. I asked the hostess if she had seated a woman that looked like me. The woman grinned and knew instantly where to take. For those of you who haven’t seen Amanda, I’ll state the obvious, she looks a lot like me. People often ask us if we’re sisters or assume we are and speak to us accordingly. It was funny and effective.

Once we established that if Reid didn’t want to sit against the wall, I got to get in first, we settled down at the table. I ordered a breakfast that came with one egg, a cinnamon bun done as french toast and a great big mound of fruit. I, of course, gave Reid the egg which she quickly ate and then looked reproachfully at me upon the news that there was no more. She ate some cantaloupe, strawberries and grapes before noticing that I was dipping my fruit in English cream. I offered her some on her plate but she refused. Reid appropriated the little pitcher and a strawberry which she shoved down into the pitcher before proffering it and immediately going for another piece of fruit. As Reid held out the kiwi chunk, with English cream dripping from the second knuckle on three fingers and a thumb, I convinced her that I didn’t need anymore fruit. She is just too helpful, that girl of mine, but still I diverted her to eating some of the cinnamon bun.

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February 27, 2007 by Barbara.

The first thing in the morning, we visited with an old friend at Violet’s House by Julie Aigner-Clark, a baby einstein  book that we have had for a long time. We can all pretty much recite the book, I think. There are many details in the illustrations as well as the textured segments, which give us much to discuss and this keeps us sane.

Aunty Amanda came for supper and Reid persuaded her to read Valentine by Carol Carrick. Amanda found the book scary and dark. The story is about a little girl and grandma who find a sick lamb in the barn and nurse it back to health on Valentine’s Day. I have to admit I have always liked it for because the sick lamb is brought into the kitchen and kept near the stove, just like we did with chicks sometimes when I was growing up.

We also read:

• Skidamarink: The “I love you” song, illustrated by Jacqueline East with images of winter activities like ice skating, playing board games and eating hot cereal (I love you in the morning); and
• Farmer Will by Jane Cowen-Fletcher. Reid and I love this book. The pastel drawings, the story, the little animals and Farmer Will are all beautiful.

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