Funny...

Julia, Rafa and Diego were here this past weekend and thankfully Adara was 100 percent well. Rafa and Adara, for the first time ever, were just loving each other. Adara has been a bit standoffish with Rafa in the past. They were running around tickling and chasing and telling each other how "funny" they were. Adara was also checking out little Diego (2 months old). She was calling him the "Tiny Baby", partly as a reminder from me of how she needed to be gentle. After they left later that day Adara asked me "Where Tiny Baby?" (envision this with sweet little open handed shoulder shrug that she does when asking a question). I said, gone home. Then she said "Where Funny?" and through my hysterical laughter I replied that "Funny" had gone home too. She looked a little bummed!
New phrases this week
"I coming"
"Come and get me"
"You funny"
"Husha, Husha, we all fall down"
"1,2,3 go"
" I right here"

A pretty good list of sentences for not quite a year and a half, I think.

Sick and sappy

Adara has been sick with some kind of flu virus for the past five days. Aside from the bodily fluid explosions, it's actually been ok. Mostly we've laid on the couch with a very snuggly baby. Not a bad gig all in all, although it might be nice to be spending some more time outside. She's been pretty slow and lacking in energy but has started eating again thank heavens. So, I did friday and saturday with her, Len did Monday and Tuesday and now I'm on Wednesday so had to take the day off work. Here's hoping that we don't get a thursday out of this too.
In other news though, she's really progressing on the discipline front. She understands immediately when I'm unhappy with how she's behaving now (hitting people or throwing fits), stops within a minute and says "Sorry" without hardly any prompting. I'm really pleased with this as it's a major improvement on four weeks ago.
Now, if we can just get one week straight with no one sick... My co-workers bought me a spa certificate because they thought I needed a break and Len has been trying to plan me a weekend away. Three mondays in a row now I've had to cancel my spa visit because someone was ill. Alas, no break for this mamma right now. Oh yeah, except for the endless watching of treehouse tv with sicky!

For Grammy

For Grammy who bought this outfit before I was born. We love you and miss you!

Cognitive Leaps

Adara has made a huge leap ahead cognitively this week. First, she started "caring for" her dolls. She's been diapering them and washing them and feeding them and rocking them (violently) and tucking them into beds with great vigour. I find this interesting as it came out of nowhere, with no prompting whatsoever from us. She's also suddenly caught onto the idea of sitting with us. Prior this she would jump up and down on us, or roll around near us just generally run around. This week she's suddenly interested in sitting beside us in big comfy chairs or on our laps. We're not complaining!
Finally, tonight I asked if she wanted a cookie and she answered "Absolutely!". Now, this is a word that I say fairly often, but still, a honkin' big word for not quite seventeen months, I think!
In other news, I'm well and Len is sick now. I'm really hoping that he gets well next, cause I don't want to pass stuff around anymore. I'm seriously considering just sending him to a leper colony in order to ensure no more illness passing! :)

Happy baby

Adara is so happy right now that she can play outside! She literally dances down the street, jumping up and down with joy. We were out walking around our neighbourhood for about an hour this evening. Here's a couple of pics from this week. A couple of Julia and Rafa's sweet baby boy, Diego and a couple of my wee one in some new clothes from Auntie Ruthie.

Planets Align

This morning Adara was uber-cranky for no particular reason. Her fever has gone down but she was just pushy and nasty this morning. So, Len and I got out the tin whistles and harmonica to entertain her. For those of you who don't know, we have two tin flutes, a harmonica and two guitars in the house.
Neither of us know how to play any of these instruments.
As a child I played the organ, In highschool I played trumpet, french horn, and tried to teach myself guitar. I never really had enough time to learn guitar. I could acceptably play trumpet and french horn, but don't own either of those instruments: plus you just don't play them casually for yourself or at a party. So, while I theoretically play instruments, I never do. Len never had any training but has always wanted to.
So, this morning, we were noodling around for Adara, picking out little tunes. It took me back to my grandfather Slesser, who was a great harmonica player and played all of the time. I remember him playing Roll out the Barrel, Oh Sussanah and My Darling Clementine by the campfire all of the time and in their living room when my mother would play the organ and my cousin, the piano. It was always a great time and as kids we would jump around like mad and sing along. I miss this. Len and I talked about how we never have time to learn ( and more specifically practice), sighed and moved on with the day.
Tonight, I was Listening to Randy Bachman's Vinyl Tap on CBC. It's on CBC radio every saturday night and I usually listen while I do all of the chopping and prepping for the big weekly meal that I make on sunday nights. With Adara and I home alone on Sunday I have to start prepping saturday night in order to pull off a big family meal for six pm on Sunday. So, Randy Bachman's show is great for cooking to. Good tunes (50's, 60's, 70's and 80's), inside stories from the music business and details about how songs are structured and interrelated. I love it! So, anyhow, tonight he's talking about a guy ( Adam Gussow) who teaches beginner to advanced Harmonica over youtube. It's Kismet, I was meant to check this guy out and see if I can learn the harmonica. So, I'm off to try that in a few minutes and I'm uber excited. Realistically between baby, crazy work, house cleaning, cooking, occasional workouts, finishing a baby quilt and sleeping, this harmonica obsession might last a week. Then again, you never know where planetary alignments will lead you!

Recovered Mamma, Sick Baby

I got over my cold, Adara has a fever again. Is there something about weekends that brings this on with her?

Recovered Baby, Sick Mamma

Check out the very much recovered baby below.
She was so content tonight, she laid on my chest sucking her thumb and patting her cow for 25 minutes without a sound or movement. This kind of contentment without motion/toys/books/songs is so out of character for my wee one that I took her temperature. It's fine, I guess that she was just relaxed. I'll belive it for real if she's not sick tomorrow!
Len and I went to our dance class last night and finally mastered the cha-cha that has been the bain of my existance for three weeks. I think that I'd had so much to be angry at at work all day, that I decided not to be annoyed by the cha-cha, went at it in good humour and conquered! It was actually quite a relief cause we were both within an inch of giving up on it.
In the midst of Adara being sick I forgot to mention Liam and Kristens' visit. They were here for family day weekend. LIam and Kristen went to Medieval Times to see the jousting knights and Len took Liam to the Science Centre. Kristen showed up with gifts and wines and cheeses as per usual; that girl makes an awesome guest!
Thursday of this week Julia and Rafa are coming with their new four week old baby, Diego. They're arriving thursday around 10 pm and leaving friday at 5 am, so a very quick tour. Jenn's going to come by and say hi too, so a very busy midweek.
Meanwhile, at work, all of my grants are due at the end of the week. They were well in hand and ready to go when the arrangements for one of my shows fell through. So, a quick rethink, rebudget rewrite, all to be done by Friday. Woo Hoo! I'm reallly a fan of this kind of last minute bleeping grant crap. Oh well, the last time this happened to me, the show that we substituted in at the last second ended up winning four major theatrical awards. Let's hope that this ones' worth as much!

Hurray!

Kiddo was back to her old self this morning. Slept more in her usual pattern, ate breakfast without complaint this morning. Also far sunnier and easier to get along with today.
Thank heavens!

Len's Birthday Party

Left for the party an hour later then it started so that I could put Adara to bed comfortably. Arrived at the party two hours late due to travel time. Left the party an hour and a half earlier then planned as the babysitter was worried about her as Adara was crying throughout the evening. Total party time, one hour, 45 minutes. Total travel time, one hour 30 minutes. Total exhaustion.
Still, the babysitter made the right decision. Better to be cautious then not.