Playing at the sand table, taking a minute to reflect on the universe
The sand in the sand table tastes funny
Bellybutton!
A splash in the pool
Friday, July 10, 2009
More Summer Fun
I have a bunch of video footage of Clare from May, June, and July that I need to get around to posting. Here's the first one, taken in June, looks a lot like just about any Saturday afternoon (and even the occasional weekday evening) we've had this summer. It's a long one - around 3 minutes - but it's scintillating! Spoiler Alert!!! From this video you'll discover that boats go "jzh jzh" and that cats go "beow" and that Clare is kind of funny when she's got her feet dirty from the sand.
Talk to you soon,
B.
Talk to you soon,
B.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
And in other news
The trailer for "The Time Traveler's Wife" is available now on YouTube. You could go check it out. I did. It was awful.
For those of you who don't know, The Time Traveler's Wife is the book that Rob and I read together on our honeymoon. I loved it - thought it was one of the best I'd ever read. It was then that Rob said to me that if we ever had a daughter, her name should be Clare. And now we have our Clare! That's how much we liked that book!
I think I posted about this a while back now (I wish I knew how to link to that post). That they'd cast Rachel McAdams as Clare and Eric Bana as Henry. I was already kind of disappointed, worried that they were going to ruin one of my favorite books.
That trailer has sealed the deal. I just don't think I can watch the movie. I just makes me feel sad that what I loved so much about the story seems to be missing in the movie.
I wonder though, if I re-read the book now, if even on the 2nd reading it would hold the same magic for me or if I've just built it up into something it isn't. Damn!
Talk to you soon,
B.
For those of you who don't know, The Time Traveler's Wife is the book that Rob and I read together on our honeymoon. I loved it - thought it was one of the best I'd ever read. It was then that Rob said to me that if we ever had a daughter, her name should be Clare. And now we have our Clare! That's how much we liked that book!
I think I posted about this a while back now (I wish I knew how to link to that post). That they'd cast Rachel McAdams as Clare and Eric Bana as Henry. I was already kind of disappointed, worried that they were going to ruin one of my favorite books.
That trailer has sealed the deal. I just don't think I can watch the movie. I just makes me feel sad that what I loved so much about the story seems to be missing in the movie.
I wonder though, if I re-read the book now, if even on the 2nd reading it would hold the same magic for me or if I've just built it up into something it isn't. Damn!
Talk to you soon,
B.
Have you heard?
Hey -
Did you hear that Tim Hortons and Cold Stone Creamery are co-branding? That means that Cold Stone Creamery has come to Toronto. Wanna guess where? Guess! To the Tim's around the corner from my place! Woo hoo! I scream, you scream, we all scream for Cold Stone Creamery and for living near Logan and Danforth!
And in that same vein - how come none of you told me that St. Catharines got a Marble Slab Creamery over a month ago!
Last night though, I went to Ed's Real Scoop at Queen and Logan (yummy, yummy caramel nut bark). As much as I lurv the ice cream on a slab.. you can't beat Ed's!
Talk to you soon,
B.
P.S. - you folks in St. Catharines are also getting a Bath and Body Works in September! Now you know where you can shop for me at Christmas.
Did you hear that Tim Hortons and Cold Stone Creamery are co-branding? That means that Cold Stone Creamery has come to Toronto. Wanna guess where? Guess! To the Tim's around the corner from my place! Woo hoo! I scream, you scream, we all scream for Cold Stone Creamery and for living near Logan and Danforth!
And in that same vein - how come none of you told me that St. Catharines got a Marble Slab Creamery over a month ago!
Last night though, I went to Ed's Real Scoop at Queen and Logan (yummy, yummy caramel nut bark). As much as I lurv the ice cream on a slab.. you can't beat Ed's!
Talk to you soon,
B.
P.S. - you folks in St. Catharines are also getting a Bath and Body Works in September! Now you know where you can shop for me at Christmas.
Tuesday, July 07, 2009
The Zoo!
Rabbit ears
Her answer to the question "What noise do rabbits make?"
Rob requested that my next blog post be about our trip to the Zoo. So, here we go. As is our way, it seems, the photos of the trip don't tell our story all that well. We end up spending our time playing, watching, listening, and enjoying and then forgetting to take pictures.
Rob requested that my next blog post be about our trip to the Zoo. So, here we go. As is our way, it seems, the photos of the trip don't tell our story all that well. We end up spending our time playing, watching, listening, and enjoying and then forgetting to take pictures.
When Clare first saw the camel, she pointed at it and yelled 'Dog!'. Mmm.. nope, sweetheart. That's not a dog.
We took a laid-back approach to the zoo - trying to remember that we were there for Clare who is equally fascinated by seagulls as with ostriches. Our first stop was the "Kidzoo" a small area that caters to the smaller set. There were tunnels to crawl through (though Girl was reluctant) and plastic lily pads to jump on (this she loved). The animals were of a quieter, tamer set than elsewhere in the zoo. We ended up spending quite a lot of time there looking at bunnies, pigs, goats, and prairie dogs. From there we moved on to the yellow trail - taking us through the "Eurasia" area. We saw fish and birds, bugs and snakes in the pavillion, walked through the butterfly park, spotted a tiger and some camels. All the while Clare was hopping in and out of her stroller enjoying the freedom to walk along, more or less, wherever she wanted to go. We stopped for a picnic lunch and then Clare was ready for her nap. We'd only made it through half of the Eurasia path. So, she slept in her stroller while Rob, Cynthia, and I continued on.
We took a laid-back approach to the zoo - trying to remember that we were there for Clare who is equally fascinated by seagulls as with ostriches. Our first stop was the "Kidzoo" a small area that caters to the smaller set. There were tunnels to crawl through (though Girl was reluctant) and plastic lily pads to jump on (this she loved). The animals were of a quieter, tamer set than elsewhere in the zoo. We ended up spending quite a lot of time there looking at bunnies, pigs, goats, and prairie dogs. From there we moved on to the yellow trail - taking us through the "Eurasia" area. We saw fish and birds, bugs and snakes in the pavillion, walked through the butterfly park, spotted a tiger and some camels. All the while Clare was hopping in and out of her stroller enjoying the freedom to walk along, more or less, wherever she wanted to go. We stopped for a picnic lunch and then Clare was ready for her nap. We'd only made it through half of the Eurasia path. So, she slept in her stroller while Rob, Cynthia, and I continued on.
Mid-day nap
When she woke about an hour later, we could tell she wasn't feeling very rested, and Rob was getting tired too. We decided to head back to the car on a route that took us past the monkeys. Another tiger and then a peacock were the other animals we saw on our way out. All in all we lasted about 3 and a half, maybe 4 hours. Not too bad really. Clare had a great time. I'm not sure which was her favorite part. Earlier in the day she was 'fresh' and spent a lot of time with the bunnies (we didn't rush her). But even later in the day she was pointing at almost every bird. The other animals she watched with an intense curiosity. She tried to repeat the names or sounds of the animals as we said them to her. Since we've been back, she's been playing with the 'zoo animal' puzzle that Uncle Christian gave her - even more than before. All of the animals from the puzzle say "Roar" - even the ostrich, rhinoceros, and giraffe.
Talk to you soon,
B.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Winding Down
Things are starting to wind down after a very busy couple of weeks. The show has come and gone (fabulously well, I might add!), my legs have recovered, the costumes are washed and put away. I visited with Cynthia who, like the show, has also come and gone. And on a more serious note, we attended the funeral of my step-father’s dad in St. Catharines (that time it was us who came and went).Having Cynthia here this past week was great! She doesn’t seem to mind that the house is messy or that Rob and I are kind of lame or that sometimes Clare throws a tantrum or food. She fits so seamlessly into our little world it’s like she’s lived with us forever. Tuesday night, Cynthia agreed to be my date and we went out to see “Away We Go” – a movie Rob was reluctant to see with me. On Wednesday all four of us went to the Toronto Zoo and had a really relaxed and enjoyable day that we followed up with splashing in the pool and playing on the back deck. Clare, Rob, and Cynthia recovered from our big adventure on Thursday while I went to work and then to the funeral home. We all spent the day together again on Saturday just hanging about the city, walking to the market and around the Danforth, making dinner, playing Scrabble and getting to bed early for Cynthia’s 7 am flight back to Vancouver.
Rob, Clare, and I spent Friday attending the funeral and wake for Ron’s dad. It was a 12 hour trip to St. Catharines and back - a whirlwind visit with family (lots of hugs for Ronnie and Mac and Mum). Despite the sad circumstances for the visit, it was nice to catch-up with the many cousins I haven't seen in a while. Through it all, Clare held up remarkably well! She sat quietly all through the funeral, napped when it was nap time, played with the kids at the wake, talked to almost all of the grown-ups around her without feeling shy, and was happy to go about the place even when Mum and Dad weren’t especially close by. She played with the puppy and was nice to the other toddler. She shared her toys. She ate when she was hungry and didn’t throw food on the floor when she wasn’t. It was wonderful!
Saturday was a different story though. I think probably, Clare was tired from all the excitement of Friday. She was easily frustrated on Saturday morning and nearly unwilling to meet any requests from me. Plus, her tummy was pretty upset. She got angry when we walked past the fruit market without buying anything (I had to use the washroom, so we were on the way to the bakery. I kept saying to her “No, you cannot have fruit right now – we’re going to buy some cookies! No, no fruit – you’re gonna eat a cookie! Oh dear.) She cried at the toy store because she didn’t want to wear her shoes, and then she cried when we went back to the fruit market because she wanted to eat the tomatoes she was carrying and I wouldn’t allow it until after we’d paid for them. Folks at the market thought it was just the cutest and funniest thing EVER that this tiny little girl would want the tomatoes so badly that she was crying for them. After lunch and one more mother-daughter misunderstanding, Clare finally got some sleep. After her 3-hour nap she was back to her charming self!
The weekend culminated in a perfectly lovely Sunday. Clare and Rob watched Wimbledon together while I cleaned up around the house and ran a few errands. In the afternoon we played outside with some of our PushPULL friends – dancing in the pool, digging in the sandbox, and devouring strawberries and watermelon. The picture up above was taken at the end of the day on Sunday. While Clare and I were playing, Rob was busy installing his Father’s Day gift on his bike. He and Clare took their very first bike ride together. She LOVED it and was more than willing to wear her new ‘hat’while they rode. From what I hear, she enjoyed her bike ride into daycare this morning, just as well.
Now that things are starting to slow down a bit, I'll have some time to post pictures. Keep an eye out for photographic proof of all the fun we've been having this summer.
Talk to you soon,
B.
Sunday, July 05, 2009
Lollipop
When Cynthia comes to visit, she always brings Rob and I each our own box of the most delicious chocolates. This trip, Clare got a lollipop. We let her test it out the day of our zoo trip. Her delight and joy in eating this thing was hilarious. She didn't stop smacking her lips for a good minute. She was barely willing to take it out of her mouth. Later, at lick-fest number 2, we had to pry the sticky candy out of her hands and she cried for a while.
Talk to you soon,
B
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
A Very Proud Mum
There are many days when I stare at my girl with pride and joy filling me up (the day she sat on the counter and helped me bake - pouring and stirring as best as she could, chatting all the while), but nothing beats how proud I was of her last week.
It started on Tuesday. I'd was missing Clare pretty badly, having been at rehearsal or work much of Sunday and Monday. I convinced Rob to let me bring Clare to the theatre for an hour while we were getting ready for our run-through. When I first brought her in, she was tentative and shy, as she often is. We went to the dressing room where the girls were fawning over her. She hid her face. That is, until Sarah and ML asked about her shoes. Then began the evening long chat with the ladies about shoes, playing with the various keys, ID badges, and purses that everyone had around. Starting to relax, she even let me leave her with folks she didn't know. She watched me go and didn't make a fuss at all. From there, we went upstairs for warm-up. I wasn't sure she'd even let me put her down. But there we were, all 30 dancers and Clare on the stage. The lights were on and the movement started and that was all it took for Clare to become completely herself (at least, the crazy, funny, outgoing self that I see at home). If we waved our arms around, so did she. If we clapped our hands, so did she. If we moved our feet, so did she. And the entire time, she wore a big grin, giggled, laughed, shouted her own kind of song. I can't even explain the raw joy and utter glee that she was expressing. She was laughing so much it was almost like she was being tickled.
As if that wasn't enough to make me smile, Clare attended the Sunday matinee and was a fantastic audience member. When she first saw me, she shouted out for 'Mumma' and tried to reach out for me, but she quickly settled in. I watched her a bit from the wings, eyes as wide as saucers, mouth open, completely absorbed in watching the movement and hearing the actors, and just taking it all in. She clapped for the dancers (and especially hard for Mumma), cheered on the parts she especially liked, waved to the dancers on the stage, and again wore that classic Clare grin - the really big one! She's not quite 18 months old and she managed to sit through almost an entire 2.5 hour show. She only missed the last two numbers (Rob says she got a bit fidgety after Auntie Kelly called out to her from the wings, wanting to go back there to see her)
After the show, she waved and talked to the other dancers and her friends who were in the audience (Uncle Kevin and Aunti Su especially, which is fantastic 'cause she was previously scared of Kev). She joined me in the dressing room to 'help' me clean up and gave Nao a big hug. She walked around down there like she half owned the place!
I guess this whole long story is about the theatre and what it's meant to me all these years and just how excited I am that Clare also seems to be comfortable and confident there. Not that I think it means anything about her future really. It just made me so so proud. There's just no better thing in the world that seeing your beautiful little girl wave at you from the front row - happy to watch you dance for her.
Talk to you soon,
B.
It started on Tuesday. I'd was missing Clare pretty badly, having been at rehearsal or work much of Sunday and Monday. I convinced Rob to let me bring Clare to the theatre for an hour while we were getting ready for our run-through. When I first brought her in, she was tentative and shy, as she often is. We went to the dressing room where the girls were fawning over her. She hid her face. That is, until Sarah and ML asked about her shoes. Then began the evening long chat with the ladies about shoes, playing with the various keys, ID badges, and purses that everyone had around. Starting to relax, she even let me leave her with folks she didn't know. She watched me go and didn't make a fuss at all. From there, we went upstairs for warm-up. I wasn't sure she'd even let me put her down. But there we were, all 30 dancers and Clare on the stage. The lights were on and the movement started and that was all it took for Clare to become completely herself (at least, the crazy, funny, outgoing self that I see at home). If we waved our arms around, so did she. If we clapped our hands, so did she. If we moved our feet, so did she. And the entire time, she wore a big grin, giggled, laughed, shouted her own kind of song. I can't even explain the raw joy and utter glee that she was expressing. She was laughing so much it was almost like she was being tickled.
As if that wasn't enough to make me smile, Clare attended the Sunday matinee and was a fantastic audience member. When she first saw me, she shouted out for 'Mumma' and tried to reach out for me, but she quickly settled in. I watched her a bit from the wings, eyes as wide as saucers, mouth open, completely absorbed in watching the movement and hearing the actors, and just taking it all in. She clapped for the dancers (and especially hard for Mumma), cheered on the parts she especially liked, waved to the dancers on the stage, and again wore that classic Clare grin - the really big one! She's not quite 18 months old and she managed to sit through almost an entire 2.5 hour show. She only missed the last two numbers (Rob says she got a bit fidgety after Auntie Kelly called out to her from the wings, wanting to go back there to see her)
After the show, she waved and talked to the other dancers and her friends who were in the audience (Uncle Kevin and Aunti Su especially, which is fantastic 'cause she was previously scared of Kev). She joined me in the dressing room to 'help' me clean up and gave Nao a big hug. She walked around down there like she half owned the place!
I guess this whole long story is about the theatre and what it's meant to me all these years and just how excited I am that Clare also seems to be comfortable and confident there. Not that I think it means anything about her future really. It just made me so so proud. There's just no better thing in the world that seeing your beautiful little girl wave at you from the front row - happy to watch you dance for her.
Talk to you soon,
B.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Speaking of Shoes
I found these silver, Stuart Weitzman gladiator sandals for Clare at Winners last week. How cute!So far, she's been refusing to wear them - quite possibly because they aren't pink. She's been preferring to wear her Converse Mary Janes or her hot pink Croc brand sporty flats. Now, I bought her these sandals because she kept taking her shoes off and I thought her feet were too hot. I'm convinced that if she just TRIED the sandals, that she'd really like them.
The teachers at daycare are convinced that she's taking off her shoes to prove that she CAN .. and that I should just let her wear whatever shoes she wants.
Clare and the teachers at daycare are winning!
Talk to you soon,
B.
P.S. - Why don't they sell Stuart Weitzman gladiator sandals for grown-ups at Winners for less than $20?!?!?!
A Day in the Life -
I thought it might be fun to give you a glimpse into the life of Miss Clare -
6:15 am - Wake-up and start crying in an attempt to get Mum and Dad to come and get me.
6:17 am - Throw Mr. Bun overboard and cry harder to see if this will work better.
6:18 am - Yep. It worked. Dad's carrying me downstairs to the kitchen. I'm shaking with excitement as I watch my bottle of milk get heated up. 10-9-8-7...3-2-1!
6:30 am - We all cuddled in bed while I drank my milk. Nice, but kind of crowded!
6:45 am - Mum's in the shower, dad's getting me dressed. Has anybody noticed that I emptied the drawer in the bedroom yet? Where's that cat?
7:00 am - I'm STARVING! SOMEBODY FEED ME! DO I NEED TO SCREAM!
7:01 am - Ahh.. yogurt. I like eating it from a spoon but will happily use my fingers to get the rest out of the bottom. Toast is good too.
7:20 am - Strapped in the stroller, on my way to daycare with Dad by TTC. I took my shoes off twice before he could get me out the door. Not sure why he keeps insisting. Think if I try it again, it'll be funny this time?
7:40 am - Carmela! Toys! Friends!
8:00 am - More breakfast. Any minute now will be dancing time, craft time, singing time, stroller time. I'll be too busy to write.
11:30 - LUNCH!!
12:00 - Taking a nap.
2:30 - Awake, out for a walk. Feeding the birds is fun but the slide, swings, and teeter totter are much better.
4:45 - Mum's here to pick me up. I wave (and say) bye to all the folks at daycare. Change my shoes for outside, grab my back pack and hit the road.
4:50 - Despite furious wiggling and a fit of tears, I'm still stuck in this carseat. Misery.
5:00 - Home and playing in my sandbox. Definitely a good part of the day.
5:30 - Dinner time. Still not sure why I can't sit in Mum's lap when I eat, it would make eating off of her plate so much easier.
5:50 - Bubbles, jumping on the bed, playing with blocks,
6:30 - Oh how I loathe the bath. They won't let me bring Mr. Bun or Binky in here. This sucks. GET ME OUT!
6:45 - PJs, bottle, cuddle, song, bed. ahhhh.
7:00 - I've lost Binky! Biiiinnnky!!! BINKY!!! Ok. phew. Dad brought it back to me. Night night.
Talk to you soon,
B.
6:15 am - Wake-up and start crying in an attempt to get Mum and Dad to come and get me.
6:17 am - Throw Mr. Bun overboard and cry harder to see if this will work better.
6:18 am - Yep. It worked. Dad's carrying me downstairs to the kitchen. I'm shaking with excitement as I watch my bottle of milk get heated up. 10-9-8-7...3-2-1!
6:30 am - We all cuddled in bed while I drank my milk. Nice, but kind of crowded!
6:45 am - Mum's in the shower, dad's getting me dressed. Has anybody noticed that I emptied the drawer in the bedroom yet? Where's that cat?
7:00 am - I'm STARVING! SOMEBODY FEED ME! DO I NEED TO SCREAM!
7:01 am - Ahh.. yogurt. I like eating it from a spoon but will happily use my fingers to get the rest out of the bottom. Toast is good too.
7:20 am - Strapped in the stroller, on my way to daycare with Dad by TTC. I took my shoes off twice before he could get me out the door. Not sure why he keeps insisting. Think if I try it again, it'll be funny this time?
7:40 am - Carmela! Toys! Friends!
8:00 am - More breakfast. Any minute now will be dancing time, craft time, singing time, stroller time. I'll be too busy to write.
11:30 - LUNCH!!
12:00 - Taking a nap.
2:30 - Awake, out for a walk. Feeding the birds is fun but the slide, swings, and teeter totter are much better.
4:45 - Mum's here to pick me up. I wave (and say) bye to all the folks at daycare. Change my shoes for outside, grab my back pack and hit the road.
4:50 - Despite furious wiggling and a fit of tears, I'm still stuck in this carseat. Misery.
5:00 - Home and playing in my sandbox. Definitely a good part of the day.
5:30 - Dinner time. Still not sure why I can't sit in Mum's lap when I eat, it would make eating off of her plate so much easier.
5:50 - Bubbles, jumping on the bed, playing with blocks,
6:30 - Oh how I loathe the bath. They won't let me bring Mr. Bun or Binky in here. This sucks. GET ME OUT!
6:45 - PJs, bottle, cuddle, song, bed. ahhhh.
7:00 - I've lost Binky! Biiiinnnky!!! BINKY!!! Ok. phew. Dad brought it back to me. Night night.
Talk to you soon,
B.
17 Months
I've been trying to compose some thoughts that would best describe Clare's 17th month. In a lot of ways it seems like she's a whole new girl, that one morning we just woke up and before us was some other child who was kind of like Clare but not exactly. She has left baby-hood behind and is a full fledged toddler now, nay young girl. It's like another miracle has happened right before our eyes and we're just left standing there in amazement.
From 16 months to 17 months there's been a lot of physical changes - growing taller, slimming down, changes in her face. She's definitely more adept at navigating the world. And words - so many words now! Clare is on the cusp of a language breakthrough. She's able to mimic and imitate sounds pretty well now. The remarkable thing is just how fast it's improving. New words tumble from her every day.
There's definitely a new confidence in Clare that I hadn't noticed before. Or maybe, to be more fair, it's a more defined confidence. Again, it seems that she's right on the very edge of making huge social strides. Less intimidated by new people and new situations.
We also found last month that Clare has becoming somewhat of a connoisseur: binkies and shoes. No longer would any Binky do - but now she'll request a particular binky. The same goes with shoes. She has her favorites and she's not shy about letting you know which ones those are. If you'd like to win over Clare's heart, just ask her about her shoes.
This first week with my 17 month old girl has been such a fantastic and magical one already - I can't wait to see what the rest of the month holds for her.
Talk to you soon,
B.
P.S. - Love you Clare!
From 16 months to 17 months there's been a lot of physical changes - growing taller, slimming down, changes in her face. She's definitely more adept at navigating the world. And words - so many words now! Clare is on the cusp of a language breakthrough. She's able to mimic and imitate sounds pretty well now. The remarkable thing is just how fast it's improving. New words tumble from her every day.
There's definitely a new confidence in Clare that I hadn't noticed before. Or maybe, to be more fair, it's a more defined confidence. Again, it seems that she's right on the very edge of making huge social strides. Less intimidated by new people and new situations.
We also found last month that Clare has becoming somewhat of a connoisseur: binkies and shoes. No longer would any Binky do - but now she'll request a particular binky. The same goes with shoes. She has her favorites and she's not shy about letting you know which ones those are. If you'd like to win over Clare's heart, just ask her about her shoes.
This first week with my 17 month old girl has been such a fantastic and magical one already - I can't wait to see what the rest of the month holds for her.
Talk to you soon,
B.
P.S. - Love you Clare!
Baby Lew Two!
Congratulations to Karen, Dion, and Adam - who are welcoming Margaret Naomi Lew into their family. Little did they know (because I'm quite sure that Karen would have been appalled) that I've been secretly referring to her these past 9 months as "Baby Lew Two". The name they've chosen is so much more elegant!
Rob, Clare, and I got to meet Naomi on Sunday afternoon and she's even more lovely in person than in the pictures on Karen's blog. Clare was quite gently with her, stroking her head softly. That is, until she decided to honk her nose! Poor Naomi. If things go as I suspect they might, Clare's gonna have to watch out. I'm sure she'll be outsized by Naomi in a year!
Take care guys!
B.
Rob, Clare, and I got to meet Naomi on Sunday afternoon and she's even more lovely in person than in the pictures on Karen's blog. Clare was quite gently with her, stroking her head softly. That is, until she decided to honk her nose! Poor Naomi. If things go as I suspect they might, Clare's gonna have to watch out. I'm sure she'll be outsized by Naomi in a year!
Take care guys!
B.
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