Mommy is a Princess

Just a quick one this time:

"I'm a rock star, Daddy is a drummer, Mommy is a Princess"



 How much I love my little one.  Boy, do I need to feel like a princess most days...and now he tells me I am one almost every day.  Now that it is sunny out and I'm wearing skirts, he also keeps telling me my princess skirts are beautiful.  Thank you, my little rock star!

Choosing Life as a Parent

The journey towards parenthood consists of so many pathways, each with their own set of twists and turns, hills and valleys.  As I write, the different routes taken and experiences of myself and those around me are incredibly diverse: a single woman who took conception and childbirth into her own hands without a partner; married women who are pregnant with their second and third children; a married woman with a newborn; a lesbian couple looking to embark upon conception with a donor; couples who had to use IVF for the first child only and for their second child only; IVF with singletons and twins; spontaneous miscarriages; an ectopic pregnancy.  The range is incredible.
Sometimes, all we want is to be parents.  The path may be simple and sweet, or long and arduous.  Either way, we learn and grow, and find ourselves full of incredible strength and love.  We are reminded again of the power of community and family, and the importance of both reaching out and giving from ourselves.  Sometimes, all we want is to add to our family, but the most important step is to appreciate the blessing of the many families we already have.

Letters

In the past month or so, you have just really begun to understand that letters represent people's names.  You have been practicing spelling your name, and always pick out a K whenever it flashes by, whether it be quickly on the side of a bus, in a book you are reading or on store signs.  You especially love finding K for Kai, M for Mommy, D for Daddy and Derran, and O for Oscar.  You ask what certain letters are often, and are working on the letters C for Carrie and Christine, A and I for Kai, K for Kelly, B for Brady, J for Jason, L for Lisa and Lizzie and G for Grandma and Grandpa.  You are also starting to add people to the letters you know, like Oma and Opa.  I love this fun phase.

You are beginning to send letters to people as well.  You are colouring pictures of your favourite objects, like race cars, monster trucks and fire engines.  Then we get out the stamp and stamp pad to 'sign' the picture with your name and address the envelope.  We put on a stamp (and of course some kind of sticker on the back) and give it to Daddy to put in the mail.  Once we find a mailbox around here, you can start putting them in yourself.

So proud!

Kai...

1.  You are loving playing with your stuffed animals right now, assigning them the role of Mommy, Daddy, Kai and sister.  (No, there is no reason he has a sister in there that I know of.)  Often they go on adventures, go to sleep and play cars.  You are more frequently sharing your breakfast with them, although I have been discouraging the sharing of such things such as pancakes with syrup on them. :)

2. Your Daddy has been showing you how to pee standing up, outside in the garden.  So now you often ask to go 'pee in the garden', which translates to peeing on the back porch more often than not.  You have also tried to use your potty to practice this skill, but the height difference does not work in your favour.  Please use the toilet, my growing little boy!

3.  Hockey.  There is little better than playing hockey with Daddy on your inside hockey net.  You have great aim and can shoot with both sides of your stick, often one-timing it.  You love saying "Go Canucks, go!", even though you do not really like it when we try to watch a game rather than play with you.

4.  Swimming.  You began swimming lessons a few weeks ago.  Let's just say the first lesson we had trouble getting you into the water with your Daddy.  You sat on the ledge for a long time and only went in with a 'security-blanket-like' kick board.  Then the only way you moved was if I went across the pool and you kicked over to me.  When I took you to your second lesson you were kick board-free, in the pool the whole time and actually participating with the class.  What progress!  So when we went for a fun swim at Hillcrest with Oscar and Paul, you spent most of your time in deeper water, jumped off the edge multiple times, and even asked to go under the waterfall twice!  Such improvements and bravery, Little Buddy!  We're so proud of you!

5.  Singing songs.  You are often singing songs that you have learned at daycare, and are really great at changing lyrics to make up new songs with me.  One of the best lines you sing is the beginning of Oh, Canada!  You actually think the words are "Oh Canada.  Are you home and naked?"

6.  You had to say good-bye recently to your daycare friends Ben and Mia, who moved on to new daycares.  This happened about three weeks ago and you still don't really understand that they aren't coming back.  You often bring something to daycare to 'share it with Ben and Mia.'  Although you understand that they are at a big kids' daycare, you still seem to think that they are coming back while at the same time asking where your big kid daycare is.  It is odd that you are the big kid at daycare now and younger children copy you...it seems like just yesterday that you were the little boy looking up to the older kids.  We will definitely stay in touch with Ben and have playdates.  You are such good buddies.


7.  Soaking in the knowledge.  Caterpillars turn into butterflies.  Learning the ingredients of cookies.  Copying everything we do and say.  Your brain is a sponge right now and it is so fun.

8.  Hammering real nails into styrofoam with a play hammer.  Such concentration.

9.  Sharing your feelings via role play.  Example:
      "Mommy, I'm going to work. [gets backpack or notebook and pen] Give me a big kiss! "
     "No, Mommy.  Now you cry because you are sad.  Keep crying, Mommy."
     "Okay, now I'm home from work."

Or...
     "Mommy, Daddy and I are going to play hockey.  You stay home.  Cry!  You are sad!"

Could our little boy be telling us something???  So sad. :(

10.  Tantrums.  The tantrum stage so far is not as bad as I thought it would be.  Yes, you have tantrums.  You cry, plant your feet on the ground and refuse to move or do anything we ask of you.  You eventually can be distracted out of your pout, or bribed sometimes, but you refuse to listen until you are ready.  Luckily, most of the time so far we have patience and time to wait it out.  We work really hard to help you understand that there are some rules you MUST follow, and that saying you are sorry after hurting someone is very important.  What hard lessons to learn.  Thank you for being so cheerful and playful the rest of the time, MOST of the time.  It makes these harder lessons easier to teach.  We love you!

Where You Are Right Now: 2 1/2 years

You are...discovering your senses.  "Mommy, what's that smell?  Mommy, ask me what I'm looking at. "

You are...opening the fridge door to help yourself to yogourt tubes.

You are...getting through milk withdrawal at bedtime.  It makes for much better eating throughout the day, although you can't see the value in that yet.

You are...calling us Mom and Dad, rather than Mommy and Daddy, most of the time.

You are...currently obsessed with the Cars movie and would watch it every day if we allowed.

You are...rocking out to AC/DC music videos, with a headband and a guitar.  You have this great 'serious' expression on your face while you head bang and copy their moves.  I guess we'll have to begin looking for rock bands with more appropriate lyrics soon.

You are...ready for potty training, although you still like to be babied sometimes and changed on your change table.

You are...putting on your own bottoms from unders to shoes, taking off shirts and putting on coats - all by yourself!

You are ... beginning to try reasoning with us.  "Yes, Mommy, big boys can play with that VERY CAREFULLY." (while trying to get into my buttons, brads and tiny grommets, you cheeky one.)

You are . . . pulling out the dramatic crying to get what you want.  At least you come from the drama equally on both sides. :)

You are . . . so full of hugs and kisses.  I love it!

You are . . . very focused on taking care of your bear, aka little baby.  You put him to sleep, put  him in a blankie sling to carry him around, he goes potty with you and you even took him upstairs for a trip to the 'library'.  You keep asking me if I have a baby in my belly, and even if you can go back in my belly. Oh boy!

You have incredible sweetness and energy and a wickedly mischievous grin at times.  How we love you...