When bloggers unite....

This morning Paige and I went to meet some new friends (Cara and her daughter Leyla) at a drop in play group. We met through our blogs, and after months of exchanging blog comments decided to get together. You could call it a blind play-date (except I knew who to look out for from the pictures on the blog...and felt like I knew a lot about them, so I suppose it wasn't a blind play-date at all). And there was one time over a year ago when I saw them in a drugstore, knowing very well that I recognized them from the blog, but didn't say anything since that would come across and stalkerish and strange since I didn't even know they lived in Burlington, and I hadn't introduced myself as a reader online. How weird is that?

But anyway, it was fun to meet some new friends since we have been reading about them for a long time! Unfortunately the drop in place was a zoo, and looked like a daycare from Hell with kids running all over the place (it was in a church though so I guess I shouldn't say that). It's really nice that they offer these things for free though, and even have crafts and circle time.

I normally do a lot of cleaning on Friday afternoons, but instead I'm blogging and banking online. The reason for this lack of cleaning can be attributed to the following: We have a door mat in our house that I had never cleaned before. I'm embarrassed to say that I thought it was something that you used until it was too dirty and then threw out. Well, apparently it can be cleaned. After I washed it and then had to clean both the washer and dryer from 3 years worth of mess from the mat, it was spotless. Now our hardwood floor is immaculate since Paige isn't traipsing dirt all over the place. I was about to mop and thought, "what's the point??". Now I will just wait till Paige is up so I can do jobs that might, God forbid, wake her up.

Paige is off to a sleepover tonight so Mike and I can go out with Amanda and James for dinner. I promise at some point over the weekend I'll take some Paige pictures and put them up since I have been seriously slacking lately.

Boy vs. Girl

It dawned on me the other day that I could try to teach Paige boy vs. girl. So I said "Paige--girl, mommy--girl, daddy--boy". And then I name off other people and she guesses if they are a boy or girl. I say guesses because I'm not quite sure she has grasped the concept of gender yet. She said "Tyson Boy!" right away, but has gotten mixed up a couple of other times. I think she can basically understand it, she just needs to get the words memorized. Now I often find her pointing to herself and saying "Paige girl", or saying it as she is in her crib.

Next semester...

I keep referring to each round of sessions of programs for Paige as "semesters". haha. So next semester we have Diaper Fit on Tuesday morning, Water Stars on Wednesdays at 5:30, Our Special Time on Thursday mornings, and Tumble Tots on Friday mornings. That should keep us busy. Add in grocery shopping and playdates, and we're good to go! I felt like we could do with one more thing (gymnastics is new) since Paige wakes up so early now and by the time 9:00 hits she has played with most of her toys and done a craft (and watched a Dora or Wonder Pets). I don't feel like I need to get her any more toys since I know she won't play with them. She just likes getting out of the house and seeing new things and burning off energy on slides and that sort of thing. Summer will be great for that when we can just go outside. I've been looking into kids tables or a sandbox for outside. I'm thinking we need something for her outside that has an umbrella. Our backyard has sun for the entire day. But anyway, we've got a lot of time to think about that.

Back to the toys though. When I see her at Our Special Time, her favourite thing to do when she is in a room filled with toys is collect things. She will find anything matching...like these coloured ball things. She will then walk around with all of them at once. Or get the baby stroller and push them around. This is the exact same thing that she does at home. So I'm not seeing anything new in the way of toys that I have to get her. Actually, I think she could do with a new puzzle. I like that...educational, easy to store, lasts for a long time.

Trip to the zoo.....

We decided to go to the zoo this past weekend since it wouldn't be busy and I had a super long week with the "no napping malarkey". We had a fantastic day, and there were only ever about 3 other people looking at each exhibit. Paige said hi and bye to all of the animals. We spent around 3 hours at the zoo and Paige slept in the car on the way there and back, so she was in good spirits all day. I think her favourite part was walking around on her own in the pavillions. The floors were inclining and declining and she kept saying "climb climb climb!!!". She got enough walking in that she didn't mind going back in the stroller every so often for a rest.

We had a nap!!!

Woohoo! Yesterday I tried a different approach and brought Paige upstairs right after lunch and put her to bed. She fell asleep right away and slept for 2 hours! I'm trying really hard not to get my hopes up and think that she will nap every day now. I'll continue to try the nap right after lunch. What's the worst that could happen? She won't nap. Well that was happening anyway.

She has been spending a lot of time practicing talking (probably why she isn't napping), and I have noticed that she has started to make up sentences on her own rather than repeat them. For instance, she saw some paints on the top of my desk and said, "mommy reaching paints?" when she wanted me to get them for her. I thought this was pretty smart! Normally it would be "PAINTS! PAINTS!".

Not sure if I mentioned this in a previous post, but I'll mention it again. Paige has been perfect. No tantruming happening at all! Even despite the no naps. I''ll take the no naps over tantruming anyday. At least we can go places in a civilized manner.

No naps....

Paige has had 1 nap this week. If I put her in her crib she just talks and eventually calls for me and yells OUT OUT OUT! DOWN DOWN DOWN MOMMY MOMMY MOMMY......etc, etc.

I refuse to believe this is it for the naps....but 1 nap this week? She's also starting to get mad when I bring her to her room to get ready for her nap since she knows I will make her go in her crib.

Shape Sorting and Counting...

Painting....

I think she may have a little Great Grandpa Leon or Uncle Chris in her!!

This tadoodles brand of craft supplies is usually really good on the mess factor. Her stamps can drop on the ground and nothing happens. These paints were a different story, and I realize she is wearing a completely innapropriate sweater for painting. I thought they would be far less messy. But on the plus side, they wash right out, and she loved them.

Commenting....

I just had to turn my comment moderation on since my blog was just spammed 7 times with advertising comments. So that is why you have to complete the word verification if you are leaving a comment...annoying but apparently neccesary....

Peanut butter sandwich....

That's what Paige had for lunch. Since she doesn't get much protein I was hoping to introduce peanut butter into her diet, but was worried for obvious reasons. After concurring that in neither Mike's family or mine do we have ANY allergies, I decided it was probably safe. Also, in the summer she held peanuts in their shell numerous times while feeding chipmunks...this should have been clue #1.

The other day I put a tiny bit of peanut butter on her lip and nothing happened. Then yesterday I put a thin layer on a banana. Today I decided to go for the full blown sandwich.

I think when I was in school I had a peanut butter sandwich for lunch for about 5 or so years. I guess Paige won't be doing that.