Get Off the Couch...

Get on the floor. (Everybody walk the dinosaur?) This is something I love doing with my kids. It lets me play with them at their level instead of making them come to me. Sometimes I lie on the floor and let Caitlin crawl all over me. Other times, we all settle in for a living room picnic. We play with dolls, walking them through pillow parks and along blanket trails, making little doll beds out of those same pillows and blankets. We build amazing forts. We climb in boxes. We also find all the dust bunnies that aren't so visible from up above.

Girls vs Boys

Victoria likes to label the boys and the girls. "Daddy is a boy and Grandpa is a boy. You me and Caitlin are girls." Today I asked her how she knows who's a boy and who's a girl. She thought about it for a bit and said "girls drive cars and boys drive trucks. Boys go to work while girls stay home with the kids." Indoctrinating my daughter into the world of gender stereotypes? Check!

Eyelashes

Bedtime is my snuggle time with Caitlin. This is when the two of us head into her room to cuddle in the glider rocker. I get her tucked into her sleep sack and settled comfortably on my lap (we have a special arrangement of pillows that helps us out). We dim the lights and close the door. For these few moments, it is just the two of us. No older sister, no chores, no tv, no computer. Just the two of us, enjoying an amazing closeness. At first, she is a bit restless, sometimes sitting up, sometimes just trying to nuzzle into me, in just the right way. Slowly, she moves a bit less, though her little hands still grab at me, periodically, just to let me know she isn't quite ready to sleep just yet. For my part, I simply look at her. I look at the way her amazing red hair sits just perfectly on her forehead. The curve of her cheek, her button nose, her peachy-pink skin. The way her eyelashes feather across her butter-soft skin.

Happy St Patrick's Day!

I took this photo from our yard, last night after 6 pm sometime. It was a bit early but I figure it still must be good luck since it occurred less than 6 hours before St. Patrick's Day. You could actually see both ends, as well as the outer "double" rainbow and if I had been a bit more on the ball I bet I could have found that pot o' gold.

But Where's the Bird?

Kids are funny. We all know this. Here are two recent examples, courtesy of Victoria.

1. We had friends over for dinner, one of whom is a bit of a trickster. This evening, he points out the window and says "Look at that bird Victoria." She eagerly looks out the window while he steals her plate (what is with boys needing to do this? My dad used to love this trick!). When she looks back she notices that her plate is missing but is totally unconcerned, asking, "but where's the bird Jim? Where's the bird?" The point of this trick is totally lost on her, but none the less she realizes something is up since we are all laughing. Someone tries to get her into the spirit of things by encouraging her to take Jim's plate. She's a good sport and with tons of enthusiasm yells "Look! A bird." Jim "looks" and she very quickly steals her own plate and hides it.

2. Later that evening Scott is watching football. It is Victoria's bedtime and she's asking if Dad can put on one of her shows for a few minutes before she hops into bed. Jim, who along with Scott is a bit of an obsessive sports fan, tries to turn her off of this idea saying "but this is your show." (Really? Is she that stupid? I don't think so.) Victoria very promptly, and somewhat condescendingly, informs Jim that no, "this is Caitlin and Dad's show." Hehehe. When Caitlin was brand new Scott used to spend lots of time watching football and bouncing on the exercise ball with herwhen we were trying to put Caitlin to sleep. (Don't judge - this seriously seemed to calm her down. Football puts me to sleep too.) Now, it will forever be Caitlin's sport.

Yep, I'm a Mom

Things I hear come out of my mouth that can only mean I'm officially a mom:

• Put on a sweater; you'll catch a cold.
• You can't go outside with wet hair; you'll catch a cold.
• You don't need to yell. I'm right here.
  
• I'm going to count to three....
• Don't make me come in there.
• Shhhhh.... Not so loud.
• Go to your room! Now!
• Hop to it. (Usually, she hops like a bunny after I say this. Kinda cute)
  
• If you get out of your bed one more time.... (I'll do what?)
  
• You can't get down from the table until you finish three more bites.
• Be nice to your sister.
• Answer me when I ask you a question.
• Pick that up. Now!
• Get off of there!
  
• No playing with balls in the house.
• Don't just throw your coat on the floor.
• Go ask your dad.
• Don't talk with your mouth full.
• Does it look like we're there yet?
• You can't know you don't like it if you haven't tasted it.
• If you're too full to finish your dinner then you're too full for dessert.
• Yeah, well life's not fair.

My Girls

Victoria's Story

Caitlin's Story

Wildlife Park

We have been enjoying some amazing weather recently and decided today to go to the Wildlife Park. We packed a picnic, bundled up the girls and off we went. We checked out snakes, got up-close with an owl and saw two crazy peacocks (I totally did not know that peacocks can fly into trees). We marveled at the size of the buffalo and watched a bear nap in the sun. Victoria's favorite part was, of course, the train. In the end, we skipped the picnic since a breeze came up and even with beautiful weather it was not ideal for sitting around. I'm thinking about heading back over Easter.

A Little One-on-One With My Little One

Today I had an opportunity to spend a bit of one-on-one time with Victoria. I don't think we've had that kind of time together since before Caitlin was born. Usually, if I have someone looking after the kids it is because I need to accomplish something or take one of them to an appointment. Today though, my mother-in-law came in and looked after Caitlin so that Victoria and I could go on a "date" and just enjoy each others company.

We went swimming, which Victoria loved. She is so confident in the water and would have stayed there all day. It was extra nice at the pool since there were hardly any people there, probably because of an event that was taking place, taking up all the parking spots.

After swimming we went out for lunch together. I always marvel at how grown up Victoria can be, when she chooses too. After we were seated the waitress came around and Victoria informed her that she would have an apple juice, a pepperoni pizza and french fries please. When we were ready to go and the waitress was clearing our plates Victoria let her know that she would like to take the rest of her food home, so that she could finish it later. We had an enjoyable conversation while we ate, punctuated by lots of cuddles, silly noises and kisses. Victoria was clearly on her best behaviour (listening when I asked her to sit down and not stare at the other diners) and kept saying "I really like our date Mom. We're having so much fun, aren't we?"

The best part of our date, for me, was being able to put aside all of my obligations and to-do lists and just enjoy the company of my daughter. By making the day about her and not trying to accomplish anything, I was able to step outside of time and just enjoy the wonderful little girl that my daughter has become.

The Poor Lonely Cheese

Off The Mark Cartoons

In the car today we were singing The Farmer in the Dell (as we are prone to do) and when we got to the big finish we happily sang about how "the cheese stands alone." At this, Victoria, in a moment of beautiful 3-year-old empathy, says "the poor cheese is probably lonely. He doesn't want to be by himself. I wish the others would all got stand with him"

Do you remember when you were in school and played the Farmer in the Dell? For whatever reason, the cheese was always the most popular role at my school. I'm not sure why. I can't even remember exactly how to play the game, though I'm pretty sure if you are the cheese you stand in the middle of the circle and dance by yourself. All by your poor lonely self.

So Sweet, and So Annoying

Around midmorning today, as I was snuggled in the rocking chair with Caitlin, cuddling her to sleep while basking in the soft sunlight, I was startled out of my dreamy bliss by a monstrous Victoria banging open the door and loudly growling "I LOVE YOU MOMMY!" over and over again. Caitlin's little eyes fly open and we both jump a bit. How can the sweetest words ever, from the sweetest little 3-year-old ever, be so annoying and yet still so cute?

Boot Scootin Boogie

Victoria has given up shoes. When I try to put them on (any shoe, too big, too small or just right) she loses her mind, kicking and screaming that they hurt her feet. She will only wear boots. I've tried pointing out that runners are better for running in (hence the name?) and that boots will be too hot in summer, but she assures me that they won't be too hot and she can run just fine in boots.

I'm clearly just going to have to wait this one out. Pick my battles, right?

An Abstract Concept

This picture was taken shortly after Scott and I got married - about 2 years BV (before Victoria)

This morning Victoria and I were looking at pictures of Scott and me before Victoria was born. Victoria asked who was looking after her and I said that no one was - it was before she was born. What a hard concept to grasp when you are three!

V - But where was I Mommy?

Me - Nowhere - there was no Victoria yet.

V - But where WAS I Mommy?

Me - You didn't exist yet.

V - Was I with Grandma?