January 17, 2010 by Barbara.

After Reid’s swimming class last week, I said, “Reid, if you fall asleep on the way home and stay asleep when we get there, I’ll give you a dollar.” Ken heard me and said, “If you do that, I’ll give you two dollars.” Reid confirmed, “You’ll give me three dollars if I go to sleep,” and we told her that she had understood us correctly. I’ve never given Reid money to perform a task. I try not to offer rewards since I need for her to do what she should independent of what bribe I can access. And that Tuesday night, I was joking. It was a safe thing to offer money for because it wasn’t going to happen.

Except. Except that Reid pretended to fall asleep when we turned onto our street. When we got home, I told her that I knew she was awake but would carry her in if she would come to my side of the car. Reid was shocked I could tell that she was faking and wanted her money anyway. This was my first warning of things to come. I said that I would pretend that she was asleep and it would be okay. I carried Reid upstairs and laid her on her bed and left the room. Her pretending to be asleep and me pretending that I was fooled.

Until Reid realized that Princess was not beside her. While we looked, Reid was crying. I told her that we’d find Princess. But that wasn’t why Reid was crying. The jig was up. Neither of us could fake our part - Reid was obviously awake and she saw her $3 disappear. My explanation that Daddy and I had been joking, had never expected her to stay asleep went over like a lead balloon. I ended up promising to give Reid the $3 and never to make such an un-funny joke again.

Fast-forward to this week… We never discussed falling asleep and certainly no money was discussed. Once again, Reid feigned sleep just before we got home. I carried her up to bed and took her coat off, all while she faked sleep. It seemed like she *might* fall asleep for real if I left her alone. Ten minutes later, Reid came downstairs with a look of reproach on her face. Apparently she thought I’d climb into bed with her, even though she was already fake-asleep. We trouped upstairs and she fell asleep for real. I was glad we didn’t have to have another discussion about sleep bribes.

Not that Reid has remembered to collect her $3 yet.

Posted in Mama | Print | 3 Comments »

January 14, 2010 by Barbara.

Reid is increasingly interested in reading, finally agreeing to sound words out when prompted. Her passion, though, remains math. Tonight she chose to work in an addition book while I got supper together. At first, Reid told me the numbers that she was adding together and then she gave the answer. After a bit, she started regrouping the pictures of items to be added and then asking me for the answer. When I told Reid that it was she who needed to practice addition, she assured me that she knew the answers but wanted to know if I did. When I hesitated in answering a question, Reid would offer the initial sound of the correct answer. I was tempted to defend myself - the delay was due to distraction not an inability to work sums less than 10 - but that would have seemed ungrateful since she was giving me hints.

Posted in Math skills, Language skills, Mama | Print | No Comments »

January 12, 2010 by Barbara.

Ken’s oral interaction test is scheduled for January 19th. He is working even harder to prepare for it than he did for the grammar and comprehension tests. Or, at least, it seems that way to me. Reid’s and my job is mostly to give him time to study. We speak French to him sometimes but we discuss “home” topics and don’t use the same vocabulary as he will in his test and so its not as helpful as might be. I thought of going away for a weekend or two but its nice to see him for breakfast and supper at least. Our plans have morphed into staycations instead.

On Saturday, we went to that Home Depot Kids’ Workshop and then straight to Kindermusik. We ate our lunch in the recreation centre, where Reid discovered that the lentil couscous I’ve been trying to get her to try for years is actually yummy. Too bad I didn’t feel the same about Reid’s bagel with cream cheese. After class, we had planned on going to Play It Again Sports but Reid fell asleep but I’ve extended the “don’t wake a sleeping baby” rule to prohibit waking Reid, regardless of her age. We slowly made our way home via a circuitous route to prolong Reid’s nap.

Once home, Reid applied the stickers to her calendar and then it was time for a power skating session that was offered in place of hockey. I wish the power skating happened more often. Reid enjoyed the drills - and going to the other end of the ice for the first time - and she needs the skills development. Ken came along to watch. He and I have some of our best conversations sitting in the stands, me trying to absorb all of his extra body heat and both of us thinking of what we want to tell the other. We try for a good conversation at swimming lessons, too, but the heat saps the ideas out of our brains and there is no touching.

On Sunday morning, Reid and I went to the Canada Agriculture Museum for our first visit since the fall. It was sooo cold! I remembered why I don’t usually go to The Farm in the winter. Our arrival put us too late for the rabbit and cow care sessions and before the afternoon sessions started but we were able to say farewell to the ram, about whose departure I had read on Twitter, and visit the pigs, sheep, bull and donkey in the main barn and the cows and calves in the dairy barn. The cows are suffering from ringworm - which they said doesn’t actually involve worms - and we weren’t able to touch them. The calves were behind a door. They’re so cute it’s nearly impossible not to touch them, or rather, they would find it impossible not to touch the people. They are lickers and nuzzlers to a one, those calves.

We ate our lunch sitting in the parking lot and then went to visit my friend, Carol, and her husband in the rural part of Ottawa. We took our snowshoes with us and were out for about an hour, walking along the Jock River and then through a field of pine trees. It was a sunny day and the landscape was quintessentially “winter in Canada”. Carol’s two dogs - one of which is nearly as big as the pony Reid rode when we were at Deerhurst and the other is smaller but still large - accompanied us. They rolled in the snow, ran away and came bounding back, occasionally sniffing at Reid. She was the tiniest bit hesitant at first but only for a short time. She has come a long way from her fear of Zoëy, the smallest (and cutest) Yorkshire terrier I’ve ever met. I thought that the big walk might have worn Reid out but she stayed awake for the whole trip back. Carol and Michael live near one edge of Ottawa and we’re close to another. The city might not be densely populated but it is widely spread out.

I made Madras chicken curry for Ken’s half-birthday, which we were celebrating belatedly. He’d requested a cherry pie, too, but I’d spent too much time away from the house to deliver it. I substituted three store-bought cupcakes that each had a plastic hockey jersey on the top. Reid and I got Senators jerseys (Go, Sens! Go!) and Ken got a Canadiens jersey (Boo! Hiss!).

And all of a sudden, our weekend was over and it was time for bed.

Speaking of the Montreal Canadiens, do you know what the “H” on their jersey signifies?

Posted in Pastimes, Kindermusik, Museums, Mama | Print | 3 Comments »

January 9, 2010 by Barbara.

I took Reid to Home Depot for their Kids’ Building Workshop on Saturday morning. She asked why I was taking her instead of Ken. Like I haven’t taken her more than he has, though he took her to the last workshop. I’m not sure whether Reid thought building was the sort of job that a Daddy would do or whether she thought he was better, regardless of gender or if there was a third answer. It’s hard to know which would be a better answer.

The project was an interesting one - we made a perpetual calendar. There were 8 nails involved, which meant there was just the right amount of hammering required before Reid could paint. Reid did most of the hammering, for the first time, and her aim was much improved and we didn’t bend any nails. Maybe having Ken at that last workshop *was* better. ;+)

Mid-way through the workshop, I started wondering whether Lowes or Rona also offer workshops for kids. I’m pretty cheap, as you might have noticed, and free activities for kids are high on my list of things I like to spend time on. I’ve done a bit of research and see the Rona has a Little Hammers Club and Lowes in the US does as well. I couldn’t find any info on the Lowes Canada site but I’ll call. It turns out I’m not all that loyal.

If you’re looking for Reid on the morning of the 30th, you should check Rona. All that’s to be decided is whether she is stuck with second-choice Mama again.

Posted in Pastimes, Mama | Print | 1 Comment »

January 7, 2010 by Barbara.

I thought I’d make two resolutions this year:
1st to send a message every day so that Grandma Joyce would get into the habit of checking her email and so that I had a better record of what we did and what I was thinking of; and
2nd to send a message to mark everyone’s birthday. We’re so far from all of you but we think of you lots and it seems like I should tell you once a year, at least.

So far, I’m 0 for 2 on those. Since diets don’t have to start on Monday, I’ve decided that New Year’s resolutions don’t have to start on January 1st, though early January is good.

Posted in Mama | Print | No Comments »

November 21, 2009 by Barbara.

Reid chose a Granny Smith apple with groceries last week. It wasn’t the first she’s had but I warned her at the store that they’re much more sour than the Royal Galas that we usually buy. After her first bite last night, I asked her if her face was all puckered up from the sourness and Reid said it wasn’t and that she could handle more sour than me. “People are different,” she said. “I can do more sour. And I’m quicker and I don’t make messes like you. Everyone has things they’re better at.” I wanted to challenge Reid’s assertion that I make more messes than her but I was even more curious to see what she thought I was better at. I asked and Reid had no answer. I suggested that I was better at driving, since I could and she couldn’t but Reid dismissed the idea. She said that I can drive because I’m an adult and she isn’t. She never did come up with anything I excel at. Oh, my poor ego!

Posted in Mama | Print | No Comments »

November 20, 2009 by Barbara.

We have a crazy weekend scheduled (even for me!): We’re going to SENSational Friday - where we skate on the Sens ice at Scotiabank Place, play games in the concourse and, according to Reid, eat hotdogs for supper. (It’ll be the second time for the hotdog but Reid holds tight to “traditions” involving hotdogs, no matter how new.) In previous years, we got our picture taken with one of the players but since they’re not yet vaccinated, all public appearances have been cancelled. Ken told Reid last night and she cried. Considering she nearly cried last year when we *did* get our pic taken, I was a bit surprised. Dennis and Bobby Hull will be signing autographs. I guess their health does have the same cost-benefit considerations. Spartacat is also planning to attended - I guess H1N1 doesn’t affect cats - and he is always a hit.

Tomorrow, Reid has hockey and Kindermusik as usual, but we also have tickets to a Family Adventures concert called “The Listener” in the afternoon and then are driving to Brockville for supper at Grandma Barb’s new place. Reid and I haven’t been there yet and so we’re very nosey, umm, I mean excited. I have Reid scheduled for her Christmas card photos on Sunday morning and then she and I are going on an adventure of some sort to allow Ken to cram for his written French tests on Tuesday. Whew, just writing it makes me tired.

Writing it now is a better way to keep track of all that we did -  my writing time is much diminished now that I am able to get a ride to work many mornings.

Posted in Pastimes, Mama, Ken's family | Print | 1 Comment »

November 5, 2009 by Barbara.

Reid and I took our car to the dealership for routine maintenance to have the snow tires put on this morning. When I mentioned yesterday that I had to complete this errand, Reid was insistent that she accompany me. I don’t remember any particularly enjoyable time spent in the waiting room at the car dealership but maybe I’m forgetting something. In any case, I couldn’t see the harm in Reid and coming and so she did. She was interested in why we drove into the building, why the service guy asked the questions he did and how toasty warm some parts of the garage were. She asked a bunch of other questions, too, but mostly I didn’t have the answers. Putting on snow tires is definitely a sign of impending winter, regardless of the date on the calendar.

As we walked the few blocks to her school, Reid noticed a fire hydrant with a bar on it. As I explained that the bar helped the city workers to find and dig out the fire hydrant after the snow plow had passed, Reid’s eyes started to sparkle. She has been talking about the snow banks we had two years ago - when she was able to sit in the branches of our tree - for a while and the hydrant bar made the link for her.

Posted in Language skills, Mama | Print | 1 Comment »

October 21, 2009 by Barbara.

Reid has been waking up early for the last while. Not earlier than me but earlier than I want to be out of my cocoon of blankets and before I want to think of more than the implications of the first sportscast of the day or the Frugalista’s latest report. One morning Reid said that she wanted to count and wanted my help. My assistance hasn’t been required for Reid to count in English in more than a year but it was early and so I played along. Reid said “1″ and pointed at me and I supplied “2″ and then she said “3″ and signalled me. We continued like this for a few more numbers and then Reid asked if I knew that it was a “patteren”. I had noticed the pattern, I said, and that she’d been saying the odd numbers and me the even ones. Reid asked the difference and I said that even numbers were divisible by 2. She nodded and said, “There are two sets of 2 in 4,” before I’d even decided how to explain “divisible” to her. I’m in such trouble if Reid grasps math concepts so much better than me.

But Malcolm Gladwell, in Outliers, taught me that math success is a matter of hard work not talent. There’s still hope for me, if I work hard enough. Of course, he also said that 10,000 hours are required to master something. Maybe Reid is the only one for whom there is real hope.

Posted in Math skills, Mama | Print | No Comments »

October 12, 2009 by Barbara.

I’ve trying to think of something profound to write about for Thanksgiving but what keeps coming to my mind is the feel of  soft, polar fleece, footie pajamas, especially when worn by a certain sleepy five-year-old who cuddles into me as she sleeps. But I wouldn’t be writing this if not for Ken, who prods me to do what I love - write - even when I’m dragging my feet about getting started or re-started. Reid and Ken are at the Museum of Science and Technology for their Wheels, Wings & Waves: A Lego history of transportation exhibit and he suggested that I’d best reassure folks that I’m still alive.  Alive, I am, and grateful to him and Reid for being the fabulous people that they are.

Posted in Mama, Daddy | Print | 1 Comment »