Playing out the year

Balance

Pretending to sleep

Feeding a new friend

We have a sunny break in our winter weather to see us into the new year. It's cold but not too cold for the park. Fiona and I took the bus downtown made even more fun for our fellow passengers with a round of "the Wheels of the Bus go Round and Round." We went for a play at a newly constructed park at the Louden Nelson Center. It was all sorts of fun. Pretend napping on the equipment, feeding of the pretend dinosaur, climbing, running, sliding, chasing and more. Afterwards we went for our usual Bagelry date, Fiona is now ordering her own bagels complete with pleases and thank yous. She told me while we were eating that she was happy that I was with her today and "not at work...." Something that I was thankful for too.

Have a Happy, Safe, and Playful New Year.
Love
Louise

Merry Christmas

And Behold, the blue YoYo

Well, it all worked out, despite a few forays into being naughty recently Fiona still had the ear of Santa and He pulled through nicely this morning. She woke up at about 7 after a sleepless, then drugged with benadryl, night. She looked out into the porch where the tree was and Said "GOODNESS" with a high squeal. Thank proceeded into the porch to stare dumb founded at the heap that Santa had left for us all. She really liked unwrapping things and as it happens the blue book and blue yo yo that had been requested last week were provided.
Oh and by the way, he and the reindeer even ate the snack.


Merry Christmas,
Love
Louise

Christmas Eve with Ned Kelly

Last night, rather than sit around for fiona's tantrums (she's still a little sick with her sore throat) we went for a drive to see Christmas lights. This, after a particularly painful lesson about picking "only two" Christmas cookies out of Jim and Mary Jo's wonderful assortment. We thought that a drive at least meant that she would be strapped into a chair and we could turn the radio up loudly if needed. The drive around town was peaceful except when Fiona and Luna had a space war in the back seat necessitating a brief stop. Once home we diverted the "I dont' want to sleep" argument by reading The Night Before Christmas, thus reinforcing all the Santa stereotypes. It seems to have worked and she is now successfully indoctrinated.

This morning, Christmas eve, she roared through breakfast dressed as a paper bag with a hole cut in it so she would stop bumping into the tables. Clever Mummy. She is feeling much better it seems but the tantrums erupt over small details and would be readily quieted if I would just give in but I won't. Mean Mummy.

Tonight we are planning on putting out cookies and milk for Santa and pulling a few carrots for the reindeer. We hope that Santa finds you too, whether drawn by reindeer, or Six White Boomers.

Take care,
Love
Louise

Publish Post

Ear Ache

Last night Fiona was grizzly and woke up crying over and over, She had a little temperature before going to bed and a bit of a runny nose...so we'd given her the tylenol and put her to bed, she was very tired after a long day sailing, partying etc. When she woke up in the night she sounded really upset and was damp and sweaty, so in she came to "mummy's bed" which is a rare treat for her only when she is sick. What a bad sleep. All night she woke up about every 30 minutes and cried MUUUUUUMMMMMYYYYY but wasn't quite awake...she tossed and turned and cried, At 4:30 she woke up and was quite articulate and said "my ear is hurting" then "both ears" are hurting, she wanted a bottle of milk, she got some more tylenol, I started to plan my morning and imagined sitting in the urgent care at 7:00 when they open, with a bunch of other grizzly kids...then I smiled and thought, how great, this means we won't be there on Christmas! Anyway. I had to take this picture because it gives you a good idea about how much room I had to sleep last night. I'm up, they're sleeping, and I imagine that there will be some big naps all around today.
Love
Louise

Afternoon update: No trip to the Dr yet as there is no more fever, but fiona still has a rather short fuse and we are experiencing the terrible parent trap of "kid too tired to sleep" at the moment she's working on her nap after a couple of false starts....who knows what she'll be like when she wakes up.

On Santa's Lap...well almost.

Hi All, We finally made our pilgrimage to the mall to visit Santa. Fiona was a bit worried about sitting on his lap, and chose the seat next to him instead. She has been excited to tell him about her present wish this year...a blue yo-yo and a blue book...Santa is now working on this and will no doubt leave these items under our tree next week. After we sat with Santa for a bit we said "good bye" and were on our way out of the north pole themed area, Fiona pulled at my arm and said, "I forgot to give him a cuddle!" She ran back to fix this apparent slight and squeezed under the barricade that keeps Santa in...Gave him a big cuddle with both arms, and then came back to me quite content with her whole experience.

Here is also a picture from a preferred lap, playing banjo with her dad.

Tanks for checking on our blog. Keep in touch,
Love
Louise

And on to other things...

Hi all,It's been a busy first week of december, Fiona continues to forge on ahead without her dummies, she only asks for them occasionally. The Faries are occasionally accused of taking the dummies with a rather disgusted tone of voice, but it seems that she will be OK.

Here are some highlights from this week:

Fiona and I went to Natural Bridges state park to watch the Monarch butterflies roosting on a cool afternoon, we went to the beach after that and collected feathers and watched the crashing waves. (Jane, fiona brought her purple datsun 240 dink to play with in the sand)

I took this of fiona and she took the next one of me....

On saturday night we stayed out late watching the Lighted Boat Parade in the harbour. There were lots of boats decked out in lights and fake santas aplenty. Fiona is really interested in the whole santa thing this time around. She is quite excited to meet him and get the blue yoyo she has been asking for. I tried to tell her today how late he would come to our house and that he had a lot of presents to deliver...So far she knows that we need a tree and that we don't have one yet, and that he brings the presents to put under it. It should be really fun... anyway, the boat parade was great. Maybe we'll decorate ours next year.

Her e is Fiona "helping" Marieke bake a cheesecake.


And this picture is of Devon and fiona tonight reading, "Where the Wild Things Are" complete with rolling of eyes and roaring and gnashing of teeth etc.
I hope that y'all's dinner is still hot by the time you get to it.
Love
Louise

The Fairy Cape

Well, Things are still a little rough. Fiona has had a bit of trouble sleeping without a dummy for her nap today. I think that it will get easier for her. I keep reminding her that the fairy babies are using them and she replies, "just one." Back rubs help. we'll keep you posted.
Love
Louise

The picture shows her Fairy cape (with sparkles), her fairy necklace, and the box with the thank you note from the fairies.

Update: Tonight at bed time I told Fiona that if she woke up in the night and wanted her dummy she should just tell the fairies "I'm a big girl and I don't need a dummy." She carefully repeated a couple of times with a big smile on h er face. We look forward to hearing this rather than crying tonight.

The Dummy Fairy Cometh

Last night, after a few days of Fiona explaining the dummy fairy (The dummies are needed by baby fairies so just put your old dummies in the magic box and there will be a surprise in there the next morning and the baby fairies will be Soooooo happy) excitedly the night was upon us. Fiona was having a few misgivings I think that she realized that if all her dummies were in a box under a bush in the living room then she wouldn't have one for the night.
The night was a bit rough, she ended up in our bed at some point. We are holding our ground though. The Fairies came through with their part of the bargain. In the fairy box this morning was a beautiful fairy cape and necklace. I'll post a picture of that later.
Love
Louise