Baa Baa Baa Sheee

Baa Baa Black Sheep

This is the new song she loves to sing... I smile everytime I hear her singing. Quite often when she wakes up she lies in bed, turns on her little aquarium music and she sings. What a great way to wake up.

We have learned Maddie loves to be tasked with something to do. If you ask her to help you she almost always will. If I am cooking I ask her to help me and she stands on the chair beside me and we chat and cook together. She especially likes to bake, and the flour on the floor is a good indicator of how much she is enjoying herself.

Maddie also likes to give some of baking to Daddy and tell him she helped to bake it. Nothing like seeing pride in such a tiny face.

I look forward to Christmas baking this year. The time slotted for this event might have to be considerably longer, but much more enjoyable than ever before.

So as a working Mom sometimes there are business engagements after work. I had to attend a dinner last night with co-workers.


I think I could actually hear Maddie's heart breaking as she hung on for dear life to the gate at the top of the stairs. The look in her eyes was trying to soak me in, ensure she would remember what I looked like since this was our last goodbye...ever.


Poor loving Daddy had to endure what was literally ten minutes of "maaaaaaa-maaaaaaa" as she swung from the gate. Thank goodness it is affixed so securely.


I got home and was able to be there for bedtime activities, such a treat when I have something to go to. And I got one of the best hugs in the world, I was the long lost missing Mommy. She welcomed me home with giggles of happiness that I twirled in. Unfortunately with age comes the realization she will not always have that kind of a welcome when I get home. These moments will be only in my memory I have from today. And I love them...

Music to dance to...?

If the advertising guru's only knew. Children love music and to dance. Maddie loves a new ad out for Healthy Choice cereal. The ad begins and then a little later some music starts. Doesn't matter where she is or what she is doing she drops everything and starts to wiggle/dance.

Funny how now I realize when this ad is on and look for the little hands and feet to move to the music. Funny thing is she just about wiggles to any type of music.

I can only attribute this to my wonderful husband's keen music sense, as I have none.

Relationship Update...

"Good Morning" I said as we walked into the classroom at daycare. Evan ran over to Maddie and gave her a hug. And then off he ran back to Sponge painting with everyone else.

Now the funny thing is that Maddie will push you away if she doesn't want a hug. There was no push, we did not let go of Mom's hand, we just accepted the hug. I guess it is better to act like you like it - but not too much. Maybe it's the reason she gets them coming back for more? I don't think I ever learned that.

So as I said goodbye and gave her a kiss, I laughed knowing she will be happy today at school with a hug from a boy already and it wasn't 8:00 am yet.

New Language

Ok, now that I am a parent I have started to wonder how other parents don't mimick the new language of their infants in regular conversation?

How could it be possible to have never heard this before? Now, I realize it is not professional...but it would really lighten up the workplace! Perhaps, we are definitely not as cute when we say them. I fight not to pronunciate these words like Miss M every day...it tickles me so much to hear them.

• Peeazz = Please
• Thai U = Thank you - does signing with this too
• Bay Bee = Baby
• Buu Buu = Bunny/Bun/Bottle/Back/bye bye/Birdie
• Moor = More
• Naaii Naaii = Night Night

Shooz and what makes the fashion cut...?

Again I try my best as a parent to save time and make sure Miss M is looked after by running errands whenever I can. Top of the list was shoes for fall - to keep her little feet warm. She has been only wearing her sandals, and has grown out of the shoes she wore in the spring. I won't even tackle the thought that she has not let a sock touch her foot for months now...

So I thought I would pick her out a couple pairs to wear this fall on one of my lunch hours from work. I got a 'girly' pair that were brown and pink with a few little flowers, and a basic white pair (Nike) so I thought hey these both fit the bill, and she would be happy to go to school with her new shoes on.

Um, sadly no. My score as a parent.... 50%.

The 'girly' shoes were acceptable, and she loved them right from the start. Maddie had to put the shoes on her feet and run around the house with squeals of delight saying "shooooz". Little wisps of hair flying in the wind...

The plain (apparently hideous) white Nike runners were not allowed to come within inches of her feet (insert eyebrows furrowed, and smile upside down). I thought (again wrong) that perhaps the next day we could try the Nike's. Nope. Tried for a few days before I finally stood in return line at the shoe store. "And the reason for returing the shoes?" I was asked. I laughed and said "the reason is, she will not even let them touch her feet." The girl laughed as I explained the other shoes had made the cut.

Imagine at 18 months being so particular about your choices in fashion....what does our future hold? I am sure I will have no need to ask what to write for my Mommy blog, that's for sure.

Peas and Thai U

Chicken hot dogs and buns. I stand at the bar-b-que ready to make an exquisite dinner for my family (please note sarcasm).

Maddie points to the BBQ, and says “bu-buu”…this means so many things I am not sure if she saw a bunny? I said “bun?” in disbelief. Nods her head yes…and says “peez”. Well with that said so sweetly, of course I will give her a piece of bun and anything else she wants. As she walks away to her little chair, she throws out “Thai U”.

Manners?

My baby said 'thank you'?.... And to me?

We complete this cycle about ten times while the hot dogs cook and I fall deeper in love with my baby girl each time. As I am so positively sure no one on this earth has had such an amazing child ever…(insert snicker here).

Do not break the bubble, I urge you do not break this parent bubble….

POP!

Time to go to bed and the meltdown ensues……..I can still hear her cries echoing in my head.

Another Farm Visit

Well we packed up and left for a different farm. Valleyview Farm. So much fun, so little time. Granny came with us and we had so much fun looking at all the baby animals. With little squeals of "beebee" and Maddie's finger pointing to them.

As parents we have given her yet another nick-name of "Captain Maddie" as her pointing finger has become quite a tool of communication. Especially when other people are around and she is shy, and doesn't talk as much - but watch out for her pointer finger.

At this farm with so many animals - we encountered the newest activity Miss M likes to do....drive. There was a large wooden truck there with a steering wheel. She loved it and looked around like it was her truck. Granny and I used our very best parenting tactics to get my child out of the drivers seat and the two of us adults out of broil setting under the sun. No avail...she was driving!

Well at least I know I will have one more thing to look forward to...Maddie to drive Mommy around later in life. Maybe I will point to everywhere I need to go?

Or maybe she will include me on her farm visits with her children and we will use our best tactics to get her "beebee" out of the driver's seat ;)

The Farm for the First Time

We were packed. Maddie with her purse and hat. Mom (me) with my purse, packed with two coats, snacks, money, cell phone, wallet with ID for her and I. Off we went and sang songs as we drove to the Farm. Our premier trip to the farm...I was so excited. I told Maddie we would see the cows “mooooo”, and the pigs “oink, oink, oink”, and the sheep “baaa-aaaa”.

I was so excited to show her the animals and see her little face light up that I became painfully unaware of how long the trip from the parking lot (with purse and hat) would take. Madeline is a big girl and as such, needs to walk in order to show off her growing independence.

“Can I carry your purse for you Maddie?” …head shakes no.

“Do you want Mommy to carry you?”…head shakes no.

We stopped looked at the rocks (gravel parking lot) approximately (seemed like) 400 times. We looked at the sky which was overcast. We pointed to the cars in the parking lot.

A parent did not (I cannot stress this enough) design this parking lot and entrance. We walked for days (it seemed) just to get to the booth to pay for our ticket.

Finally! We were there. I was so happy thinking about seeing her excited too.

So we made it up to the first barn where we went in and saw a pig. A ‘model’ pig. You could sit on the pig and put a coin in for it to “oink”. She loved it. She didn’t want to leave the pig. So we got a really nice picture of her with exhibit A - the model pig. This marked the beginning of our first farm visit.

Then we saw two bunnies, we pointed and we laughed. Up the stairs in front of the cage to point at the bunny. “Buuu”…..”Buuu…” with a shriek of happiness. My baby was happy. She loves bunnies...and now, I too, love bunnies. Madeline has been waving to the bunnies in our yard for months now.

If I can say one thing about our day …as a parent we have to be the ones to control our excitement as our little ones create their own levels of excitement. They pace themselves at a healthier pace than Mom and Dads are used to. And that is good. We all need to look at the rocks, the sky and how many cars there are in the parking lot. Why not? I got what I wanted from the trip. Just to see her happy and smiling with what we were doing together.

Pajama’s, Pizza and a Movie

For $5! Maddie’s first real party with other kids was at daycare on a Friday. How exciting.

Off we went in PJ’s for Maddie’s first real party. When we arrived all the boys had on their favourite PJ’s. I saw baseball PJ’s, Spiderman PJ’s and also trucker PJ’s. Maddie did not have any branding on that day – only pink with different coloured striped pants and a green t-shirt.

It is also a BD day today, so they would have cake too. My goodness in the life of a child can it get much better than, pizza, PJ’s, and Cake too? I wondered how our night would be…

We picked Maddie up and guess what? She didn’t want to leave. She had to show us around. All the toys, the paintings on the walls, and the little playhouse. Why wouldn’t we want to stay and play, didn’t we realize she was having fun there, and we should too…?

She slept extra well that night after such a big day….with pizza and cake!

Is a kiss …just a kiss?

“…Mommy, can we have another baby?” a good friend of mine told me her son asked her after being at daycare with Miss M. Maddie is all GIRL. It is now that I really can confirm that they are born with their own little personality.

After this conversation I laughed and told my hubby. We thought it was ‘cute’ (insert any other over used baby adoration adjective here).

Well today I picked up the Peach (one of many nicknames for her) and I was told she had been kissed on the cheek. My darling daughter kissed on the cheek by someone other than her father, mother, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins…wow, who?

Now, why would I ask? Why wouldn’t I imperatively know since I just had a conversation with my good friend about her son yesterday? Nope, no clue.

Evan and Maddie were walking around hand in hand quite a bit, and he kissed her on the cheek. Apparently, my little girl loved it. Wonder if they will date long…? Should I be buying her a diary to keep her thoughts in? I can hear the phone ringing now…”Um, Hi there, is um, Maddie home?”

Times like these I feel like Gossip Girl. Is there just too much information out there? I will have to let her know about her first kiss from a boy – when she is old enough. For now, I will keep it a secret and only tell, well…everyone I know since it is so darn cute!

When an acting job is just not good enough…

Oh to hear my daughter ask us for a hug with arms wide open is such a treat. She has just started doing this over the past week. Last night however was something new on our radar being first time parents.

After supper, Maddie had such a burst of energy that she felt the need to run around the house with her little pink pail in hand. Giggling wildly, she thought she was quite the wonder as her fine wisps of hair blew in her self generated ‘wind’… Then as I followed the cyclone through the house, it happened. She fell and landed flat out, like I had said “drop and give me twenty Maddie”. It was quick and she lay there a bit stunned and let out a little moan as she was not decided upon whether to have a full out cry or not. So as a pushover Mom, instead of letting her decide what type of hurt this was going to be…I leaned down and said “you ok sweetie?” and gave her a hug with a gentle back rub.

Well, she was re-charged instantly and off to a run again….until she got to foot step #8 and it hit. The fabulous, earth shattering idea! I could see the light bulb go off as she stopped. Maddie softly and gingerly lowered herself into lying face down on the floor again. She softly whimpered and turned eyeballs only to glance at Mom to see what the reaction would be…another hug perhaps?

If I wasn’t so petrified of the ever surmounting cost of the psychologist she will be seeing later in life due to the parental units she has, I would have laughed out loud even harder! I said “Maddie is a Faker!” and then called my hubby at work just to inform him of the new modus operendi.

Only one in a long list of the true joys in being a parent. I am hoping the real brain wave hits and the light bulb goes off soon. When she knows we are always there for hugs…and they are given free of charge.

…the Parkdale Market?

What I meant to say and what I did say – two very different things. And somehow my Mom knew what I meant.

What I said “would you like to go to the Markdale Parket with Maddie and I?”

My Mom laughed and said “the Parkdale Market? I would love to go and I should be ready in about 15 minutes.”

That is why we love her. She knows the insanity – been there, done that three times over.

And we had a super time as we walked up and down the sidewalk to see the wonderful fresh vegetables, fruit, and plants. Maddie and I came to get our supply of blueberries and strawberries for the week – she has been dying her shirts blue and pink everyday she loves them so much. We also got some fresh sweet peas which were delicious raw.

It was a fun time, and the sun was great that day…we have had so much rain lately.

So I guess all this to say, when you’re a Mom…it never goes away. You know your kids inside and out. You will always know your kids. And love them just the same.

Are terrible two’s only for two year olds?

The thought actually hit my husband first as she was lying on the floor crying. Face down on the floor. Drool pooling on the floor. Arms and legs outstretched.

I had to ask him to repeat what he was asking me as I could not hear over the (17 month old girl) ‘tantrum’.

“Can the terrible two’s start earlier than two?” he said loudly. Sounded like a pretty reasonable question at this moment. Apparently the frustration level of humans from 1 to 3 years old is quite high as their comprehension level is so high compared to their communication skill level. And not too mention all the things she wants and cannot have (even just for safety reasons) and then also everything she wants to do physically but has not yet mastered (apparently things like tight rope walking).

The pool of drool and tears was starting to grow outside the outline of her little frame as she lay there on the floor while the parents stand and meditate on the theory of terrible two’s not being just for two year olds…does this sound like an ad? “Terrible two’s are not just for two year olds, no silly parents, the whole family can join in this behavior!”

Realizing we were not paying enough attention to the ever hug and kiss starved child (extreme sarcasm here), we both tried to give her a hug…ask her if she was ok. Will we never learn?

She then hit us away….yes swatted at the two of us like we were flies buzzing around her head while she was in such ‘pain’.

In a loud voice my husband then said “do you think she is bi-polar?” One of the main reasons why I married this wonderful man. His sense of humour and my sense of humour are intertwined so tightly most people might not laugh at our jokes. Oh the two of us giggled and looked at our spawn on the floor having a meltdown.

Well then I said "hey want to go for a walk outside to see Na-Na?" A nod and a run to Mom and all was good in the world again.

Sometimes I wonder if these little times are meant to slow us down as parents. Recognize you are a family and everyone has their good and bad days (or just crazy moments in the life of a pre two year old).

Do you do the chicken dance at home?

Yes that is right. I say it again “do you do the chicken dance at home?” This is what I was asked when I went to pick up Maddie at Daycare today. As I stood there in disbelief, I could not believe this question, being asked to me. Me, who on several occasions told friends I would leave my own wedding if they made me do the chicken dance (ick).

The chicken dance.

My very shy little daughter is apparently the reason for this question. The teacher said since she is new and shy, she has not danced with them, so they thought she must have learned the dance at home. Today was her day. Maddie was in the play yard and decided it was a good place to practice her new dance moves. Well apparently the chicken dance is at the top of her list of dance moves.

I had to chuckle out loud. Thinking to myself, not my daughter, she must be wrong…the chicken dance of all things…(chuckle again).

Wonderful hubby and I sat with Maddie at the dinner table and I told him the story of the chicken dance, and as my ever faithful friend…he laughed. He knew. He knew we are not chicken dance people. But with the mention of the chicken dance, off she pops from her chair and starts her rendition of…the chicken dance.

And we loved it! Now, we constantly sing the tune so that she breaks out into dance with her little arms out to the side like wings and a smile showing how proud she is of herself.

Isn’t it funny how one little person who happens to weigh less than my shoe collection can change our lives and perspectives on so many things….?

Ladybug Sweater and Hot Sauce

A few years back we had a log home and lived in the country. Very close to Carp, and every Saturday in the Spring, Summer and Fall there is a Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. We loved it. Well just recently I remembered the market, so we went.

When I was newly pregnant we went and bought Maddie her first sweater. The woman asked me "how old is the child you are buying the sweater for?" I answered by poking my belly and saying “6 months”. She laughed “are you sure you don’t want to wait to see if she is a larger or smaller baby for the sweater to fit right?” And in reminding myself of this story, I know where my daughter gets some of her stubbornness. And with my stubborness of wanting to have a new sweater hanging in her closet for her, we bought the most adorable purple sweater with pink flower buttons’ and pink bunnies. The comments we have received of what an adorable sweater Maddie is wearing are too numerous to mention and I swell with pride at my insistence that we purchase that sweater at that time.

On this visit though, my darling hubby had his pork on a bun, I shared crepes with sliced cinnamon apples on top with Madeline. We walked in the sunny weather an enjoyed the community. Madeline even was swinging her feet from her stroller as we made our way seeing all the inside and outdoor vendors.

We vowed to never forget the virtues of the country again.

Slipper Slip ups…

My daughter has never been a good sleeper mainly due to her acid reflux issue since birth. We have gotten it under control with medication and her diet. Unfortunately it took until she was just over a year old. Which meant sometimes waking up in excess of 15 to 18 times per night – even though I was back to work (ugh). So basically with my new role at work - sometimes travelling, I have not had a good routine since my dear Madeline was born. No complaints, just background into story…and of course my excuse.

Darling hubby was on night shift which meant we were alone that morning to get ready. As I got ready for work and packed Maddie her lunch and gear for the day at daycare…we ran around the house until we loaded ourselves into the car with a flurry. I drove down the street and was just approaching the school at the top of the hill when I realized I had my slippers on. Mmmm, this is not appropriate attire for work. Nope. Have to return home for shoes.

Off we go back home. Wish I could stay home with the way the day has begun. I am old enough to wonder if this will be the way the day will go today. But needing to show Maddie it’s all ok, any adversity including something as simple as slippers is easy to handle. We laugh at Mommy and her pink slippers and race back in house to change up into work shoes…

All done and ready for the day – take two.