April 2009


Life28 Apr 2009 04:33 pm

Spring has arrived along with long days of beautiful sunshine. I am loving this weather as we can go out and about without layering up and get to spend a lot more time outside. Leah and I venture out to the local parks on a very regular basis and enjoy exploring the playground equipment as well as meeting up with friends. We have also enjoyed a few picnics outside. What a treat!

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With spring upon us, Leah’s birthday is coming up fast. What a wonderful year this has been.

My mommy group threw a big party for all eleven of the babes who were turning one or who had turned one within the past or next few weeks. It was an absolute blast with moms and dads, grandmas and grandpas, friends and relatives and babies wherever you could see. All the moms were to contribute some food to the party so we made some special cookies to share with everyone (some cupcakes, #1’s and balloons). Another mom made a special cake for each of the babes with a candle on top and everything. I had to force Leah to eat a little piece to show her it tasted good. Even then, she would only eat it if I spoon fed it to her which didn’t totally feel right. I left the cake eating in Grandma’s hands but she still ended up only taking a few bites. Some of the other kids were making the cake eating experience into a tactile adventure which was fun to watch. We will try again in a couple of weeks when we celebrate with our families.

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Life21 Apr 2009 04:15 pm

On Saturday, we ventured over to Victoria and enjoyed the sun and flowers. Leah thought hard about who she would vote for in the upcoming election while admiring the grounds of the parliament buildings.

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Leah had a great time ordering her first meal at a fancy restaurant. I was going to share some pasta with her but was concerned about the lack of vegetables in her diet all day so we ordered some veggies just for her. I asked for plain pasta with a few well cooked veggies. Fortunately, Leah is allowed to have cheese and oil or whatever dressing her pasta was soaked in along with her zucchini and other assorted vegetables that she enjoyed very much. I think she appreciated the deluxe version more than the plain macaroni with carrots and peas served at home.

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As you can see in the above picture, we are preparing Leah for the university-prep preschool I am sure she will get in to (you know, just go through a few interviews and pay lots of money so your kid will be smarter). I am totally kidding and was appalled when the news was trying to show a correlation between those who had attended preschool and daycare and those ready to face the challenges of university. I could go on and on but for now I will share how excited I was when I saw Leah sitting ‘criss-cross applesauce’ unaided and umprompted. I have spent countless hours teaching and reminding children to sit criss-cross applesauce during circle (teaching time at preschool/daycare) and story times so my heart beamed when I saw Leah sitting like this. Even if it was for only half a minute at most.

This last picture was captured in on the ferry in between Leah’s insatiable love for the slide which had stairs that she could crawl up with someone spotting her. She loved racing this yellow car so she could be just like her Uncle David with his fancy, yellow race car. Here you go Dad, a go cart your granddaughter can drive with her parent’s approval.

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Life07 Apr 2009 03:17 pm

There is someone new venturing the local streets who may pose a great danger to other citizens embarking on their daily errands and such while minding their own business. Living in this retirement town, you may think you have seen the worst of walkers and motorized scooters but I want to warn you the worst driver I have ever seen has just made her way on to the streets. She alternates between her top of the line Fisher Price walker and scooter. If you see this face, just move to the other side of the road.

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Don’t let her smile and happy demeanor fool you. She has no hesitation about running into anyone or anything. If you see her on the loose, please report the sighting to her mama.

Life06 Apr 2009 12:29 pm

Last Friday was such a beautiful, sunny day, I called up a friend of mine last minute and decided to meet her at the park. I didn’t have time to walk over so I was going to drive over and meet her in twenty minutes. By the time I remembered Morgan took the car to work, she had already left so Leah got a nice, unplanned ride in the jogging stroller. We were a little late but still had some time to play on the swings and explore grass and bark mulch.

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The beautiful weather was extended all weekend which allowed us to enjoy more outside time soaking in the sun.

Morgan and I have joined a softball team and have been playing every Sunday night. It feels so good to go out and play ball again. I played for quite a few years before I was pregnant with Leah. The teams I have played on are mostly for fun with some competitive spirit thrown in. It’s a great way to get out and enjoy the beautiful outdoors while getting some exercise and meeting new people.

This year will be a little more challenging as we both are playing and we have Leah as well. We joined my brother’s team along with my sister and brother-in-law with our home field closer to where my parents live. My parents came to a lot of their games last year, Morgan and I made it out to a few as well, so we decided this would be a good fit as far as babysitting goes. Last night was a little busy for my mom as she was score keeping as well as holding Leah, feeding her dinner and keeping her entertained while cheering us on.

It was so sweet to watch Leah clap as she cheered both teams on. She learned to clap last Thursday night and has been doing it at any opportunity where praise is due since.

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Life01 Apr 2009 09:27 am

As the big number one is coming up, the cake question is sure to arise as well in this day and age of so much emphasis on organics and natural eating. Do you let your child go crazy with a chocolate cupcake or piece of cake that is full of refined sugars and unnatural ingredients? We have had to make a stand early in Leah’s life that some sweets wouldn’t be allowed until some predetermined date way in the future. For example, Grandpa has been offering her smarties since she was under a month old (and her parents have been happily confiscating them ever since).

I want Leah to experience a wide variety of healthy foods with a few treats along the way. Right now, a treat for her is unsweetened apple sauce. If she won’t eat dinner because it is pretty chunky and she is tired, just add some applesauce and voila. Not that I want to make this habit but I do certainly need a few tricks up my sleeve when dealing with an overtired, hungry toddler who refuses to eat dinner before bed.

As she gets older, I want her to have the enjoyment of a cookie in the afternoon and dessert after dinner when it is offered to her. As far as birthday celebrations go, if everyone else is eating a piece of cake I will stand about five feet away with the camera and let her go at it.

Apparently she has already gone ‘at it’ before. I was making a cake for dessert at Bible study and needed to get it done before we left in a couple of hours. Leah was not helping this process so I put her in the sink to watch. She happily watched the ingredients go in and the mixer go round and round. She was even content to sit while I washed the dishes. I noticed she was licking the palms of her hands. I looked over and there was a bit of flour on the counter and wasn’t too worried as she would figure out soon enough that it wasn’t a pleasant taste. When I looked a bit closer, I saw some sugar as well. So Leah has introduced herself to refined sugar. I am sure it won’t be the last time either. At least she got some enjoyment before I wiped the counter clean.

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For the record Leah has fed herself with a spoon twice. Both times I was not present. But I will keep trying to see this feat that she apparently can accomplish.