In case you're confused, Amy is wearing the "Paige" hat.Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Funny...
This morning when I went into Paige's room she said, "I go see Booze (Jen), James, and Abby at Booze's house!" I said, yes, we're going in a few weeks. She says, "James, Booze, Abby, all the kids!" I said, "Are james and booze kids?", and she says, " not kids anymore!"
Such a funny thing to say!
Last night Paige wanted to pee in the potty at 5:00am. I brought her in the bathroom and by the light of the very dim nightlight she sat on the potty with her soother in her mouth and her hands on her knees and yawned and yawned and finally went. Then she went back to sleep. She still wears a diaper at night, but I guess she was awake enough to know that she was about to go and didn't want to go in the diaper. I bet this happens all the time now.
Such a funny thing to say!
Last night Paige wanted to pee in the potty at 5:00am. I brought her in the bathroom and by the light of the very dim nightlight she sat on the potty with her soother in her mouth and her hands on her knees and yawned and yawned and finally went. Then she went back to sleep. She still wears a diaper at night, but I guess she was awake enough to know that she was about to go and didn't want to go in the diaper. I bet this happens all the time now.
A trip to the zoo
We had told Paige the day before that we were going to the zoo and she would see giraffes, snakes, gorillas, etc. So she was very excited to see the animals which we had mentioned. "Go see giraffe" she would keep saying as we headed in that direction. She had never seen a giraffe before, and this was the first time that she had seen any of these animals outside (we have always been to the zoo in the winter). Her favourite exhibit was the baboons and she wanted to stay there for a long time. Not sure if it was because she liked them the most, neccessarily, or whether it was because she could see them through the glass on her own without having to be held. The day was a perfect temperature and we spent about 4 hours there before she was getting a little crazy, meaning time to get into the car and sleep on the way home.
Daddy's Birthday weekend at the cottage
We had a great time at the cottage over the long weekend with Mary Jo, Robin, and Evan.
The weather even cooperated and it was somewhat sunny for the 2 days we were there.Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Recently....
For the most part, people who don't know Paige think she is much younger when they see her. She is still quite small, and has such a baby face. I get a kick out of people's shocked expressions when she talks to them in full sentences. Today Paige said to a mom: "Hey-he has Thomas on his shoes!". The mom looked amazed. She thought Paige was no more than 18 months. Someone once asked if she was "around 12 months". Ah well...the story of my life growing up as a young looking kid....but nice when the big 3-0 is next year.
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As Paige continues to play for hours on end with her dollhouse and various toys she feels that it's neccessary to empty out every single one of her toys in order to have the full experience. If I try to put anything away, forget it. She yells and takes them all back out. I haven't vacuumed in ages as there is never a time that she isn't sleeping where the floor is free to vacuum. Today I can hear her chatting away as she is supposed to be napping, so I'll have to jump on the chance.
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Soccer class is a bit of a bust since the activities we do are more suited to older kids. The class only goes up to 2.5 year olds, but the lesson plan seems to be severly skewed. Sure Paige can count, jump, and tap her feet on a ball.....but can she "jump THREE TIMES, tap with the INSIDE OF HER FOOT TWO TIMES and then run in a circle" all in a sequence? Nooooo. My teacher friends tell me this isway advanced. I have to help her with every step along the way, as do all the other parents. For this age group where it's all about doing things by themselves, you can see all of the kids getting irritated that their parents are forcing them to stand up, physically moving their feet around, etc. Paige just wants to run around, and likes physical challenges that she can accomplish by herself. She asks to go home every class, and I have heard at least 2-3 more kids say they wanted to go home as well. Gymnastics, on the other hand, gives her enough of a challenge, and lets her accomplish things by herself, while learning to stay with a class and wait her turn. She loves that class.
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Potty training is going really really well. I stopped with the potty chart stickers since we would have filled up 4 charts or so by now. She never wets a diaper unless it is bed time (and also because she has had a few accidents in underwear--she is still not good at telling me when she needs to go unexpectedly). But if I put her on the potty before bed, after bed, before going out, etc. she will usually always go. We even risked 1 walk in the underwear, and tried to use a public washroom...didn't have to go in the public washroom, but also said it was "too big" so I might have to get a portable potty seat.
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As Paige continues to play for hours on end with her dollhouse and various toys she feels that it's neccessary to empty out every single one of her toys in order to have the full experience. If I try to put anything away, forget it. She yells and takes them all back out. I haven't vacuumed in ages as there is never a time that she isn't sleeping where the floor is free to vacuum. Today I can hear her chatting away as she is supposed to be napping, so I'll have to jump on the chance.
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Soccer class is a bit of a bust since the activities we do are more suited to older kids. The class only goes up to 2.5 year olds, but the lesson plan seems to be severly skewed. Sure Paige can count, jump, and tap her feet on a ball.....but can she "jump THREE TIMES, tap with the INSIDE OF HER FOOT TWO TIMES and then run in a circle" all in a sequence? Nooooo. My teacher friends tell me this isway advanced. I have to help her with every step along the way, as do all the other parents. For this age group where it's all about doing things by themselves, you can see all of the kids getting irritated that their parents are forcing them to stand up, physically moving their feet around, etc. Paige just wants to run around, and likes physical challenges that she can accomplish by herself. She asks to go home every class, and I have heard at least 2-3 more kids say they wanted to go home as well. Gymnastics, on the other hand, gives her enough of a challenge, and lets her accomplish things by herself, while learning to stay with a class and wait her turn. She loves that class.
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Potty training is going really really well. I stopped with the potty chart stickers since we would have filled up 4 charts or so by now. She never wets a diaper unless it is bed time (and also because she has had a few accidents in underwear--she is still not good at telling me when she needs to go unexpectedly). But if I put her on the potty before bed, after bed, before going out, etc. she will usually always go. We even risked 1 walk in the underwear, and tried to use a public washroom...didn't have to go in the public washroom, but also said it was "too big" so I might have to get a portable potty seat.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
And the potty training begins...
You have to understand that I wasn't ready for this. I knew that we would have to potty train Paige at some point, and I had a feeling it would be sooner than later. But as everyone knows, I can't stand staying in the house all day. This is why staying home for days on end so as to be close to the potty didn't seem appealing. I already had a million excuses in my head as to why we shouldn't start now because we will be going to the cottage, we have classes going on, etc.
Then, the other night Paige asked to go on the potty while she was in the bathtub. I put her on the potty and she peed instantly. I said to Mike, "if she does this again we better continue on with the training". Then last night she had a bath. I said, "let's try to pee on the potty before putting on our diaper and going to bed". Put her on the potty....instant pee. Well, this was it, better keep going. This morning before soccer...."let's try to go on the potty before soccer". Sits on potty....poo. After soccer..."let's sit on the potty before lunch". Sits on potty for quite a while.....more poo. So not stressful so far, but we have success. After every success is a sticker on the potty chart and high fives from mommy, and then high fives when we tell daddy. I think when she reaches the end of this chart she might get a bigger prize! I think it might be time to start the underwear in the next couple of days as well. I think this will excite her to no end.
Update 5:15pm: After her nap she peed on the potty right away. I then put her in some underwear under her clothes and we went outside to play in the sandbox and with some water. She ended up peeing in her clothes. Oh well. We're definitely ahead though! And now she only wants underwear.
Update July 30th: Has continually peed and pooed on potty every time. The only wet diapers we have had are while out at gymnastics and the toy store, and the night time diaper.
Then, the other night Paige asked to go on the potty while she was in the bathtub. I put her on the potty and she peed instantly. I said to Mike, "if she does this again we better continue on with the training". Then last night she had a bath. I said, "let's try to pee on the potty before putting on our diaper and going to bed". Put her on the potty....instant pee. Well, this was it, better keep going. This morning before soccer...."let's try to go on the potty before soccer". Sits on potty....poo. After soccer..."let's sit on the potty before lunch". Sits on potty for quite a while.....more poo. So not stressful so far, but we have success. After every success is a sticker on the potty chart and high fives from mommy, and then high fives when we tell daddy. I think when she reaches the end of this chart she might get a bigger prize! I think it might be time to start the underwear in the next couple of days as well. I think this will excite her to no end.
Update 5:15pm: After her nap she peed on the potty right away. I then put her in some underwear under her clothes and we went outside to play in the sandbox and with some water. She ended up peeing in her clothes. Oh well. We're definitely ahead though! And now she only wants underwear.
Update July 30th: Has continually peed and pooed on potty every time. The only wet diapers we have had are while out at gymnastics and the toy store, and the night time diaper.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Beginnings of an imagination....
I haven't written much as my spare computer time is being devoted to my blog book (volume 2!). However I have had a bit more time than usual since Paige has taken to playing with her dollhouse and all of her "guys" for hours upon end. Seriously. She will play with her toys for over an hour easily. She makes them walk all over the house, go in a car, drive around, puts them to sleep under little blankets, etc. And she talks constantly the entire time about what she is doing. She doesn't even need me to play with her at all. She will play with me if I get down on the floor and engage in whatever she is doing, although she is perfectly happy to play by herself.
Funny because this kind of play came on so fast. I was just saying to someone 2 weeks ago how she isn't into her toys for more than a few minutes at a time, and now we have taken the leap to hour long play sessions. If she is downstairs she mentions about how she wants to go upstairs to play with her dollhouse. She didn't nap today, and then went straight to the house.
The next big toy we are thinking of investing in (Christmastime) is a Thomas train set. She has one Thomas, but there are tons and tons of things you can get. She has always loved train sets at our classes, and at toy stores, and now that I see how well she can play I am beginning to feel way way better about snowy winter days!
Here is a blurry picture of something I caught her doing the other day with her dollhouse. She told me the baby was in the bath and the mommy and daddy were watching. I thought this was quite smart for her age.
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Cruise recap
We have been back for almost a week but due to a cold (me), and sorting/cleaning/unpacking, I am only now sitting down to give some background to some of these pictures I put up on the blog!
First of all, our strategy of preparing Paige to go to the cottage for the week with her Grandma and Grandpa (and getting her all excited about it) worked. When it was time for us to say goodbye she said "Bye...going on a plane". She didn't yell "mommy!" with arms outstretched or anything gut wrenching like that. So it was a bit sad, but easier than anticipated.
We then made our way to the airport and after an uneventful plane ride (extremely uneventful when you're talking only the 2 of us sans Paige on the plane watching movies and sipping pepsi and wine) we arrived in Vancouver for the night. Had the worst room ever at one of the most expensive hotels in vancouver (the Westin Bayshore) right beside the elevator where we had to turn the AC on full blast to drown out the sounds of the elevator. What a rip off, but had a nice meal the night before and a great breakfast when we met up with Jen and James the next morning. They had been in Victoria and took the ferry over that morning. We then took a taxi van to the Cruise ship terminal.
I have to say the check in procedure with Celebrity was far superior to that of Carnival. We basically were whisked through every line and before we knew it were sipping complimentary champagne up in the Palm Springs Cafe on deck 11. We got to relax for a few hours and try a few drinks that "will sneak up on you like a thief in the night". Then the ship set sail at 5:00 where we proceeded to sail for days on end. The original itinerary was to stop in Sitka, Alaska on the Tuesday. Due to a medical emergency we unknowingly set sail back towards BC on the Monday to meet with a helicopter to transport a little girl to hospital (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/helicopter-airlifts-sick-child-from-cruise-ship/article1218589/) . In order to get her to land safely we had to divert from the itinerary and as a result had to miss the first port. Everyone was very understanding, and the crew on the ship were great with putting together a great itinerary for our extra day at sea. By the time we actually got off the ship on Thursday though we were ready to get off after so many days at sea.
But before that, the ship went for some scenic cruising to the Hubbard Glacier. We completely underestimated this part of the cruise. The build up was fantastic. You could see the glacier for miles as we approached it, and the captain of the ship with the help of a special "pilot" person or ship (not sure if it was a person on the ship or in a smaller boat out front), was able to manoeuver around icebergs in the water so we could get within a very small distance from the massive glacier. The cruise ship is so big that as we were moving through the water it was pushing through massive ice chunks, and probably only avoiding the bus-sized ones. (We were told by the onboard naturalist that there are things called ice bergs, bergie bits, and other various names for the different sizes). When we got up close to the glacier there were literally building sized chunks breaking off. I think I have a few pictured of that in the slideshow. Obviously as we were sailing through the ice we couldn't help but think of the Titanic. Anyway, words can't describe how cool this was. You just have to experience it for yourself (and bring warm clothes, because when there are icebergs in the water it is obviously cold!)
Speaking of the onboard Naturalist, there was a man named Milos who gave talks almost every day on various topics...Alaskan Wildlife, The Moon, Volcanoes, and Glaciers. Very informative, and made us feel like we were on a cruise and learn! We would take a cup of tea to go from the cafe and just listen to the talk. I loved that it reminded me of being in a university lecture hall minus the note taking and pressure. The naturalist was also on the intercom the entire time we were at the glacier giving a commentary.
On Thursday we went Whale Watching and got to observe an apparently rare behaviour of humpback whales which is "bubble net feeding". I won't explain it, but apparently it is the only time that a bunch of humpback whales feed together. So, in essence, we got to see lots and lots of whales. We also went to the Mendenhall Glacier. After everything we went shopping.
On the Friday we went ziplining. This was through the Tongas rainforest. Very picturesque. This excursion also involved going down the longest and fastest slide i have ever seen in my entire life.
Funny that both excursions were operated by very very young staff, and in the case of the ziplining, they were all under 21. But because we weren't in Mexico for a change we felt very safe! ;)
Other activities on the cruise involved a trip to the spa, a yoga class, a scrapbooking class, tons and tons of food and drink (they told us that the average person gains 1-2lbs a day on a cruise!!??), talking with the staff, reading on the deck under many blankets (they have a few towels by the pool, but mainly blankets), relaxing in cafes with a coffee, watching a magic show, going to the casino, listening to music, and so many other things. It was sooo much fun to go with Jen and James, and fun that our rooms were right next door so we could run back and forth borrowing things, watching movies, eating more food, etc. Nice to be waited on hand and foot for a week. I find that after our twice daily room cleanings on the ship, our bathroom at home always feels like a mess! And our meals are not up to par! We definitely miss Jen and James though, and are eagerly anticipating staying with them for 12 days in September!!
But, of course it was nice to see Paige when we got home. She yelled "DADDY! MOMMY!!" and frantically reached out her arms for us to hold her. Such a nice welcome back. She had been prepped as well and repeatedly said "Welcome home daddy mommy.... I love you!" the entire way home.
First of all, our strategy of preparing Paige to go to the cottage for the week with her Grandma and Grandpa (and getting her all excited about it) worked. When it was time for us to say goodbye she said "Bye...going on a plane". She didn't yell "mommy!" with arms outstretched or anything gut wrenching like that. So it was a bit sad, but easier than anticipated.
We then made our way to the airport and after an uneventful plane ride (extremely uneventful when you're talking only the 2 of us sans Paige on the plane watching movies and sipping pepsi and wine) we arrived in Vancouver for the night. Had the worst room ever at one of the most expensive hotels in vancouver (the Westin Bayshore) right beside the elevator where we had to turn the AC on full blast to drown out the sounds of the elevator. What a rip off, but had a nice meal the night before and a great breakfast when we met up with Jen and James the next morning. They had been in Victoria and took the ferry over that morning. We then took a taxi van to the Cruise ship terminal.
I have to say the check in procedure with Celebrity was far superior to that of Carnival. We basically were whisked through every line and before we knew it were sipping complimentary champagne up in the Palm Springs Cafe on deck 11. We got to relax for a few hours and try a few drinks that "will sneak up on you like a thief in the night". Then the ship set sail at 5:00 where we proceeded to sail for days on end. The original itinerary was to stop in Sitka, Alaska on the Tuesday. Due to a medical emergency we unknowingly set sail back towards BC on the Monday to meet with a helicopter to transport a little girl to hospital (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/helicopter-airlifts-sick-child-from-cruise-ship/article1218589/) . In order to get her to land safely we had to divert from the itinerary and as a result had to miss the first port. Everyone was very understanding, and the crew on the ship were great with putting together a great itinerary for our extra day at sea. By the time we actually got off the ship on Thursday though we were ready to get off after so many days at sea.
But before that, the ship went for some scenic cruising to the Hubbard Glacier. We completely underestimated this part of the cruise. The build up was fantastic. You could see the glacier for miles as we approached it, and the captain of the ship with the help of a special "pilot" person or ship (not sure if it was a person on the ship or in a smaller boat out front), was able to manoeuver around icebergs in the water so we could get within a very small distance from the massive glacier. The cruise ship is so big that as we were moving through the water it was pushing through massive ice chunks, and probably only avoiding the bus-sized ones. (We were told by the onboard naturalist that there are things called ice bergs, bergie bits, and other various names for the different sizes). When we got up close to the glacier there were literally building sized chunks breaking off. I think I have a few pictured of that in the slideshow. Obviously as we were sailing through the ice we couldn't help but think of the Titanic. Anyway, words can't describe how cool this was. You just have to experience it for yourself (and bring warm clothes, because when there are icebergs in the water it is obviously cold!)
Speaking of the onboard Naturalist, there was a man named Milos who gave talks almost every day on various topics...Alaskan Wildlife, The Moon, Volcanoes, and Glaciers. Very informative, and made us feel like we were on a cruise and learn! We would take a cup of tea to go from the cafe and just listen to the talk. I loved that it reminded me of being in a university lecture hall minus the note taking and pressure. The naturalist was also on the intercom the entire time we were at the glacier giving a commentary.
On Thursday we went Whale Watching and got to observe an apparently rare behaviour of humpback whales which is "bubble net feeding". I won't explain it, but apparently it is the only time that a bunch of humpback whales feed together. So, in essence, we got to see lots and lots of whales. We also went to the Mendenhall Glacier. After everything we went shopping.
On the Friday we went ziplining. This was through the Tongas rainforest. Very picturesque. This excursion also involved going down the longest and fastest slide i have ever seen in my entire life.
Funny that both excursions were operated by very very young staff, and in the case of the ziplining, they were all under 21. But because we weren't in Mexico for a change we felt very safe! ;)
Other activities on the cruise involved a trip to the spa, a yoga class, a scrapbooking class, tons and tons of food and drink (they told us that the average person gains 1-2lbs a day on a cruise!!??), talking with the staff, reading on the deck under many blankets (they have a few towels by the pool, but mainly blankets), relaxing in cafes with a coffee, watching a magic show, going to the casino, listening to music, and so many other things. It was sooo much fun to go with Jen and James, and fun that our rooms were right next door so we could run back and forth borrowing things, watching movies, eating more food, etc. Nice to be waited on hand and foot for a week. I find that after our twice daily room cleanings on the ship, our bathroom at home always feels like a mess! And our meals are not up to par! We definitely miss Jen and James though, and are eagerly anticipating staying with them for 12 days in September!!
But, of course it was nice to see Paige when we got home. She yelled "DADDY! MOMMY!!" and frantically reached out her arms for us to hold her. Such a nice welcome back. She had been prepped as well and repeatedly said "Welcome home daddy mommy.... I love you!" the entire way home.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
Taking the new wheels for a spin...
Good thing there is a handle, she doesn't know how to push the pedals. It was fun though, I pushed her all the way to the park.
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