80 posts tagged “lil'rere”
Me: What do you want for breakfast, honey?
ReRe: O-meal.
Me: Ok, I'll make you some.
ReRe: And tea!
Me: ?
ReRe: Pease.
Me: Ok, honey. (Make oatmeal and tea, which is warm milk and honey). Here's your breakfast.
ReRe: (Chugs the milk, hears Daddy upstairs) Go see Daddy!
Me: Honey, eat your oatmeal.
ReRe: No. No yike it.
Me: Come on, honey, eat it.
ReRe: No Yike It! Go see Daddy!
Me: Honey, just one bite, and then you can go see Daddy.
ReRe: ...........Ok. One bite! (takes a big mouthful and runs for the stairs).
Daddy: (From the top of the stairs) Hey honey! Are you eating your breakfast?
ReRe: No! Mummy said "Come on honey" but I no yike it and Mummy said "Just one bite" so my UM!! and see Daddy now.
Uh, dude, I'm like, right here.
I don't know why I hadn't heard about this playground before, but in High Park there is a community-build playground called the Jamie Bell Adventure Playground that is truly amazing. Here is a picture:
For anyone thinking about making a trip to Toronto with kids, the playground, and the rest of High Park, is a must. ReRe liked it so much, we went on both Saturday and Sunday. It has areas for smaller and bigger kids, and very innovative, yet low-tech, activities to try. But if you are thinking of going by car, get there early. At 9am, there is no trouble finding parking. At 11am, the nearest parking lot is full. We've only taken advantage of a very small portion of High Park (including the small zoo) but we still have not made it to the splash pad or onto the trackless train ride.
We also made it to Afrofest again this year, but for us it is turning more into just an opportunity for a family picnic, rather than a chance to really listen to the music. It is very different from other music festivals, which is both good and bad. It is good in that it is free, there aren't all those barriers up to keep out the non-payers, there is a great children's area, and it is just so free-flowing and fun. On the other hand, there is no schedule published ahead of time, so you don't know when or where you will see certain performers, and it is getting busier and busier every year, so when we are with ReRe we tend to stay on the fringes. But it is still a wonderful place to go, and it's so much fun to see our little guy running and dancing to the beats.
And could we fit in any more free fun in one weekend? Hard to believe, but yes. This is going to sound strange, but Dixie Outlet Mall is a great place to go for free fun with a toddler, since they let you use their car strollers for free (other nearby malls charge $5) and they always seem to have coupons around for free stuff - like this weekend, you could get a free cup of coffee at Cinnabon (not for the toddler), and a free popcicle (ok for the toddler) at Sears. Posh, this mall is not, and no where near as chic as saying you spent the day at High Park, but on a rainy day, it is awesome.
Last night was the first night that ReRe went right into his crib after stories without needing an extra cuddle or rocking to help him fall asleep. The reason he was eager to get into bed was because Red Teddy, a little red teddy bear that was a Valentine's gift from his grandmother, was in his crib, and ReRe wanted to cuddle with him. He's shown little interest in cuddling with toys, even though I have actively encouraged it as a way for him to fall asleep without myself or his father. The reason that Red Teddy made an appearance was because yesterdat was Teddy Bear Picnic Day at preschool, and he randomly picked him as his +1. I'm glad, because I'm awaiting the delivery of the mattress for his big boy bed, and the more comforts he will have for the transition, the better. I'm just so surprised how the order of his stages of sleep are so different than any book I read, and doing what was right for us, rather than what was prescribed, has always been the best decision. Yes, it has made it difficult for anyone other than us to put him to bed, but we've worked so hard at getting a predictable (and peaceful) bedtime routine together, that I don't want it compromised.
According to ReRe, ambulances pick up people with big boo-boos and take them to work.
While falling asleep the other night, ReRe spontaneously said, "Simon Says, tickle your ears!"
While I'm very happy to hear his speech coming along, I'm also just a little sad at hearing the end of some of his own words for things. For the longest time, he called bananas daddle-la's, watermelon was watermetton, and oatmeal was o-o-oatmeal.
That's it for this week!
ReRe finally decided this week that he had had enough of us "Going to Work", and decided he was going to find out what this Work thing was all about. Tuesday night after dinner, while his Dad was still at work and we were catching up on some Thomas, ReRe got up suddenly, and quite firmly told me "I'm going to work now, mummy." He went and got one of his ride-on toys and headed for the stairs. This is the point at which I should have told him that he couldn't go to work, but I really had nothing planned for the rest of the evening, and I was curious to see how much of a concept of 'Work' he had. So instead I just watched as he tried to get his ride-on up the stairs, and then stopped and said "Mummy, take truck upstairs please." So I did, and he pushed it to the door out to the garage, sat down, put on his boots and coat, and asked me to open the door. As I did this, he put his hand on my leg as if to stop me, and said "No mummy, you stay, I going to work now." But he soon realized that he was going to need my help getting out into the garage, and out the door. So I helped him as he carried his ride-on down into the garage, and he put it right where his Dad's car is usually parked, and pointed at the garage door, since asking me to open it would have been stating the obvious. So I opened it, and he headed down the driveway, calling over his shoulder "Mummy stay, I go work!" Now, if this were the 1950s, I may have let him go, but this the the 21st century, so I couldn't let him out of my sight, and headed down the driveway after him. He got to the street and turned left, and headed for the corner. We passed one of our neighbours, who he informed of his intentions. ReRe looked at her derisively when she laughed. But then he got to the corner, which was pretty far under his own steam, and turned to head up towards the highway, and I had to stop him. He got quite upset with me, and was crying that he wanted to go to Work, and this pretty much tapped out my mummy skills, cuz all I knew to do was pick him up and carry him home. I'm going to need to come up with something that can constitute 'Work' for a 2-year old, without violating UN Protocols. Thinking about gardening.....
Today ReRe had a doctor's appointment, so he showed up for montessori an hour or so late. When I opened the classroom door, he and his little friends looked so relieved to see each other, and they started to run towards him. ReRe ran a couple steps forward, but managed to trip and end up on his back somehow, but then got up and headed back to me at the door. So I have this image of him being pursued across the classroom by this mob of 2 year olds. I had to quickly squat down to catch them before they all made it out the door, and ReRe got a big group hug from his friends.
So those are the week's highlights, have a great weekend!
I'm in the midst of packing to go up to Ottawa for a few days for a training workshop, and it will be the first time that lil'ReRe and I will be apart overnight. And it won't be just one night, but 3 nights. I feel just sick about it, but this particular course is only being held in Ottawa this year (it was in Toronto last year, but fell over ReRe's birthday weekend) so if I want to take it, I have to go. Getalife has taken a light work week, so that he'll be available to get up with ReRe, get him fed and clothed, and off to school, then picked up, entertained, fed, bathed, and off to sleep. I have joked with my husband that my biggest fear will be that they will be able to get by just fine without me, but I know that what I'm most dreading is a little boy crying over the phone. That will completely kill me. Just last night we were out for dinner with friends, and their 4-year-old son had the babysitter call them because his ear hurt. After some assuring words from his mom, he went off to bed, still crying, but 5 minutes later the babysitter called back to say he was asleep. Our friends were very calm and firm on the phone, but you could see how hard it was for them. I'll try to channel their strength when the time comes. I know the course will be jam-packed, and I only have 2 free evenings to fill, but it turns out my old employer is having their board meetings, so many of my old colleagues from overseas will be in town, so there shouldn't be any shortage of distraction. I'm just going to miss his little face so much. I've scheduled my flight to leave after his bedtime, so while that means a late night for me tonight, at least I'll get to give him his bath, and try not to bawl my eyes out.
Well, it's been a regular old week, but what makes this one special is I'm turning 35. Yuppers, standing at the precipice, the tipping point, that age when I'm supposed to finally get my sh*t together cuz there's no fooling around any more. I'm a real freaking adult now. I wanted to take the day off completely, no work-work, no course-work, no house-work, but that's not going to happen, so I'm going to try to get all of that done this morning and then go buy (yes, leave the house and get someone else to prepare) me some lunch and knit the afternoon away, and then tonight Getalife and I are going to a comedy club to laugh our collective butts off.
So on to this week's little moments that I don't want to forget.
- in lil'ReRe's little mind, people he doesn't know are divided into babies, Baby Mommies, Baby Daddies, Amas (grandmas) and Apas (grandpas). This meant that the gentleman sitting in front of us on the plane on the way home from Nassau was a 'Baby Daddy'. And ReRe made sure he was aware of this by pointing at him and saying "Baby Daddy! Baby Daddy!" over and over again. Nice.
- What was very cute was when we were out front playing, and our elderly neighbours, Keith and Barb, were out for a walk, and ReRe started calling them Keith and Ama. Barb was very touched by this, and gave ReRe rides on her walker.
- Being the good parents we are, we leave small metal objects lying around the kitchen. ReRe found a keyring with 3-4 keys on it, and told me he wanted to carry them in his pocket, so I obliged. The next morning, he informed me that he wanted to take the keys to school to show his little girlfriend, A. So I said fine, but that I would carry them to school, and then he'd have to give them back to me after he showed them to her. He reminded me constantly of this plan while he got dressed and ate breakfast, and we drove to the school. When we got there, we got his coat and boots off, and I handed him the keys, and he earnestly walked into his classroom to find A. I explained over his head to one of the teachers what was going on, and she said "What, he wants to show her he has his own car, his own condo, a summer place?!" I hadn't thought of it this way, and nearly died laughing watching my little guy show his little girlfriend his keys. I tried to keep it inside, because he looked so earnest, and I know as a child I HATED it when people laughed at my actions, but it was so absurdly cute, I couldn't stand it.
- on a more personal note, I had a dream that my old friends, Peter and Mary, came by to give me some biodegradable shampoo and conditioner for my birthday. There was a little missing from the bottle cuz they wanted to try it first to make sure it was good, and it turned out to be really nice, so they got me to feel both of their hair to show how soft it makes your hair. And they were right, their hair was really soft. They even got me the tinted stuff so it would maintain my colour. Thanks guys!
- GinBaby's link to a Rick Rubin-produced song reminded me of this remake of a Skids song, a collaboration between U2 and Green Day, produced by Rick Rubin, which has one of the most startling videos I've seen in years. If you haven't seen it, please take a moment:
Lil'ReRe's second birthday is in a few weeks, and I am going to be out of town the few days before it, so I've started the planning and delegation. My first strategy was to divide the party into two parts - the first for a regular kids' party at a local indoor playground (here I'm delegating the food prep and entertainment) and the second an afternoon barbeque with family and closer friends. I was trying to figure out how to have a party that would be appropriate for ReRe's little friends and their parents/guardians to come to, but also my in-laws, and their friends, who expect more of a big family party with adult food, etc., that could stretch into the evening for however long people want to stick around, so I figured the easiest thing to do was just split it up. For the latter, I am also delegating food prep, as my MIL loves to cook large quantities of food, and my SIL loves party decor, so she's on the job for that. For simplicity's sake, we've chosen Thomas the Tank Engine for the theme, since ReRe loves him, but I've had to discourage my husband from making a banner stating "Sodor Railway: 15 Minutes Accident Free!". I also nixed "Happy Birthday! Causing Confusion and Delay for 2 Years!"
So my husband and I were discussing the plans, and I asked him what he would think about asking people to not bring gifts (his parents excepted, of course; no one can stop THAT train). He thought it was a great idea, since ReRe is in need of nothing at the moment, and we already have too much stuff around. I was still mulling this over, when we got an invitation from a little girl around the corner that said at the bottom "Birthday hugs and best wishes only". So, is this a more common idea than I thought it was? Is it only because we're getting into the toddler birthday circuit that we're becoming aware of this trend? I know 2 events do not a pattern make, but it was nice to see that someone else in our little circle was on the same page.
Have you ever had a premonition about something that came true?
Submitted by Sheri.
Oh, you mean like having a premonition that if my son kept climbing up on his high chair, and I wasn't fast enough to catch him, he'd fall off onto the hard, ceramic tile kitchen floor? Ya, happened yesterday. Spooky.
Evidently, to a toddler, these look like diving platforms.
As our lil'ReRe grows up, and gets closer to eating regular food at every meal, we've been having a real struggle getting him to eat outside of a few choice foods: yoghurt, bananas, cheese, mac'n'cheese, scrambled eggs, cold plain chicken breast, steamed veggies and apple juice. Every once in a while he will devour some new food, and there will be much rejoicing, but then when he sees it again, he pushes it away, or reacts in my least favourite way, the full body shudder, like I'm making him eat raw eel or something. He's caught on to the fact that we want him to eat more than he actually wants to eat, and I think he's feeling the power that he holds in this equation. I do know that a majority of the food put in front of him will get eaten, if its only as left-overs by myself. But far too often, in the rush of activity that usually follows every meal, something gets left out, and I'll find a banana too far gone to eat, some room temperature yoghurt that would have been salvagable if it weren't for the bloated, congealed rice puffs in it, or some animal crackers that were perfectly fine, except for the apple juice spilled on the plate. Too much food in the garbage. It drives me crazy.
So I'm thinking that my fatigue with food waste and a power-hungry toddler pushed me to take some action last Friday. We had driven downtown for an early doctor's appointment, and while heading back to Mississauga, I was trying to get ReRe to eat a snack before I dropped him off at daycare. I had only managed to get him to eat one bite of banana, and we had to get on the highway, afterwhich feeding him from the driver's seat would become extremely dangerous. We were stopped at the intersection just before the on-ramp onto the Gardiner Expressway, I was trying to convince ReRe to take another bite, and he was giving me that "think you can sweeten this deal, hmm?" bemused look that he has inherited from his father. I glanced forward to see if the light had changed, and noticed a panhandler standing there with a sign that said something like "homeless and hungry - any help is appreciated". I looked back at my son. looked out the window. looked at my son.
I rolled down my window and gave the half eaten banana to the panhandler.
He thanked me and told me to have a nice day. This was the most appreciation I'd received for my food provision duties in a while. But instead of feeling good, I thought, I've just given away my son's food. I looked back at him, and he had this slightly confused, "What the - ?" look on his face. Just then, the light changed and we headed onto the highway. ReRe was completely silent the rest of the way out to Mississauga, until just before we hit our off-ramp. From the backseat, in a quiet little voice, I heard,
"More banana please."
I apologised and said the banana was all gone. About 30 seconds later, we were at his day care, and they were heading into the bigger kids' room to meet a firefighter. He didn't even turn around to say good-bye before getting in line with the rest of his class, which I tried to not take personally, and told myself it didn't mean he was mad.
I've had really mixed feelings about this, since on the one hand, I wanted to teach him that food isn't something to just throw away, and thought the whole scene was quite humourous. But on the other hand, he's just so young, and obviously didn't 'learn a lesson' that he is turning down food while other people are hungry. If however, he continues to refuse to eat his dinner as he gets older, I may find myself saying "I know a guy, just under the Gardiner..."
well, I wouldn't wish my teeth or nose on him, but I think the strongest resemblance between myself and my son is a propensity to keep your mouth open during photos.
(and before anyone gets me wrong, I love my nose and teeth. I just love the way his nose looks exactly like his father's even more).
