Tonight's Commute

We were driving home from work, and chatting about whatever when suddenly there was a huge shriek-scream-wail from the backseat. I whip around and look at Aria, and she's got big eyes as she meets my eyes and says repeatedly:

"Llloud!"

It was especially cute with her big over-pronounced Ls which are pretty much two syllables.

Night Ride

We were coming back home from visiting friends tonight, and Aria was in her cute, tired phase. (It's the one right before she goes into over-tired meltdown.) She was buckled in her car seat, kind of in her own world. She was saying "Woah...Woah!" and I could tell she was smiling and getting a kick out of it. So I said it back to her. "Woah!" Her smile broadened. When I said it again, she giggled.

She'd start saying it, and would do this reaction-seeking fake laugh she's developed. (It's totally adorable!) And then I would say "Woah!" or "wo-wo-wo-Woah!", and she'd just start belly-laughing. It was a full-throated laugh, with helpless little toddler splutters added in. We staved off meltdown tonight just by saying "Woah" in every possible way we could imagine, and we kept her smiling until we got home, at which point we could settle her (though somewhat slowly after all that stimulation) and put her to bed quietly.

I think we'll keep her...

A Clever Biscuit...

Our daughter is such a smart cookie (or clever biscuit according to Brad's sister Beth as a child). Here's a few MORE examples from recently:

Hanna is a little girl who's mom cleans the church. Aria & she were going up the stairs, and counting.

Hanna: one
Aria: one
Hanna: two
Aria: two
Hanna AND Aria: three
Aria: four
Hanna: four

WHAT?? Did my 1 1/2 year old daughter just count to four??!!


Today:
Mom: you can get it.
Aria: I got it.

That's right, again with the pronoun and conjugation. She's SO SMART!!

A Video Experiment

I have a new camera that I'm really pleased with. It's one of the new breed that has video built in, which is really new for DSLRs. Using video, it doesn't autofocus all that well, so I didn't even try. I love the dreamy, magical look it gives drifting in and out of focus, and this is really the first thing I've tried with it. There's certainly lots of room for play here. I need to re-think my entire skillset, and begin to think about myself as a videographer again. Maybe...

Quick Looks from September

On Mondays I get Aria all to myself. That's not easy when she's feeling miserable (she's been fighting a cold) or when she's teething (that's been happening a lot recently too). But then there are moments that make the hard times all worth while. These are going to be a little harder to find as the weather changes (though the leaves are starting to look amazing!), so we may as well share the ones we've got.

There was someone flying a small radio controlled plane at the park, and between that and all the other stuff there, it wasn't hard capturing moments where she drifted into her own universe. I love watching that happen. Last week she sat on her chair and read a book for at least 20mins, looking at the pictures and telling herself the story. She wasn't fazed at all by the fact that the book was upside-down the entire time. :-) When she caught me watching her, she walked over with the book, climbed into my lap, and stayed attentive for as long as it took me to read it. That's a first, especially for longer Dr. Seuss type book.

She dazzles us with her verb conjugation and grasp of pronouns: we'll say "You can do it," and after she does she'll say "I did it!". I wish I could learn something like Russian that easily.

Awesome Autumn

Aria loves to say "Awesome", but she's not strong with the "s" sound in the middle of words, so it sounds like "Autumn", and as the leaves change, and the rain falls, I think it's fitting that she can say that word too.

I love my job. And I love my daughter.

I really love my job. Every time I go there, I just enjoy it. I love the interactions, I love talking about drama, I'm excited about the play, I love my colleagues, I love going to work, I'm even enjoying marking!

I also really love my daughter. I love going to pick her up when I'm finished a day at work, I love chasing her around the house and grabbing her and tickling her. I love my time with her.

I wish I could do both. All the time.

Today Aria was super cute when I went and picked her up - she ran up to me and was so excited to show me around a new house (Cianna's sick - so she's staying with someone else). I also had the best drama class I've had in a LONG time, and two others that were pretty great too. I know that I'm a good teacher, but I also know that I get way less time to just hang out with Aria. I miss that. We are either at the church, or getting ready to go somewhere. When I pick her up, she's often ready to go down for a nap and then by the time she wakes up, it's time to pick up Brad.

It's a tough balance, but I truly love both. If it was just about making money, I could find something that paid more for less work, but I've been coming home every night saying "I was a good teacher today". It's a good feeling.

Sorry it's been so long. This blog is a lot lower on the priority list since starting work!

A Watched Tot...

I own a cheap digital watch that I never use anymore. As is the way of many household items, it's migrated to Aria's toybox. She's just entered the stage of putting her arm through things to carry them: pails, purses, camera bags(!), bracelets and, yes, watches. So the other day she put this old watch on, and started to toddle her way out of the living-room. For a laugh, I asked her "What time is it?"

She stopped, turned, looked at me and said: "Now!" -- and continued on down the hall.

This little girl is certainly wise beyond her year!

Number 2 Number 2

That's right - Aria did her second#2 in the toilet today. YAY YAY YAY!!

Of course, this isn't something that I'm pushing, but if she's in the tub and making "the face" she gets quickly transferred to the toilet, and thus, an easy toilet session and LOTS of celebrating afterwards!

She's great.

A New Picture...

I know, I owe this blog more than just a photo from time to time. Something coming, but for now, recovering from holidays, getting ready for school and finishing off wedding photos for couples are taking up a LOT of time.

In the meantime - here's our favourite shot from a bunch we took of Aria one night.


And a movie from earlier in the summer.

And we got photos done by a friend - Renee Delleman. Brad's taken her photos a number of times - check out kissoflight to see her belly all painted up. Here's my FAVOURITE photo of our shoot.

B-Log

Here's a blog post about a log...Aria's first...in a toilet!! I was so proud.

She was in the tub, and started making that lovely face that's so recognizable to any parent, and so I grabbed her, sat her on the toilet and she pooped into the toilet. I then called the whole family over (Brad's parents are out right now) and they all clapped and cheered as she sat there.

No, she's not CLOSE to being toilet trained and I'm keeping my expectations LOW, but this was a VERY positive start!

My Daughter and my Dad

This is my new favourite snapshot of my Dad and my daughter. I love that their faces are mostly hidden by a gesture that reveals more than it conceals. There's no shortage of love or joy in this image.

Independence Day

Independence...ahhh....independence. It's great - but, it's painful. We all need to develop independence - I see the desperate need for that in kids I teach who are STILL driven to school (they live down the street), who are in Grade 11, in kids who still have a curfew in university, whose parents get to determine their friends in university, who ask their profs when parent teacher interviews are....(that story I "heard", I don't know anyone personally who tried that particular one out).

At the same time, if we have too much independence, it's not healthy either. It can lead to unnecessary isolation from those we need - emotionally, physically, intellectually, spiritually. Finding that balance is something I'm reminded of everytime I'm carrying a baby and five bags & someone offers to help and I say "I've got it". Then in my head I say "I'm a moron, why NOT ask for help? Why not accept that I'm part of a bigger community that's here for me?" It's a challenge to find that line. I don't want to be clingy and needy, but I also need to be in community with friends and others who will take care of me. People have volunteered. People LOVE to help out with babies - and yet I feel alone. And so many moms feel alone. All of us, alone and independent, because we wouldn't want to admit that help is vital, and necessary, and good.

Perhaps we should all take a little break from all our independence.

Except babies. They're allowed to be independent. This post was inspired by one written by my sister-in-law who has a son who's a week older than Aria (not all of you know this story, for those of you who do...I apologize). He's developing independence in spades. Read it here, and you'll see what Aria's been doing these days...only more cautiously (after all, she is Aria).

When Brad got home from Saskatchewan she was so excited she started showing off to him, I'd never seen her do it before, and she seems to only do it when he's around, but she'll spin in circles and go "Wheeeee....Wheeeeee....Wheeeeee...." Oh my goodness, it's so adorable.

Other things that are fun enough to go "Wheee..." :
Driving in the car around corners
Jumping from mom to dad in the pool
Sliding down slides
Throwing balls
Dancing to kids music (thanks again, Bec)
Just...sitting...

Yeah - she's not super picky.

Other things she's doing to show her growing independence / physical development:
Climbing stairs: 75% on her hands and feet, 25% holding on to a railing, on her own (only up so far standing)
walking backwards. We were on our way home from Fernie the first time she did this, she was holding my hand and she tried walking off the sidewalk, and it was a rather steep incline, and so she backed up onto the sidewalk. I thought it was weird, and couldn't figure out why - and suddenly realized that she was walking backward.
Climbing into her stroller on her own...a good indication it's time to get out of the house! Once she fell out when the shade cover gave way on her and she fell backwards...oh well.
Climbing onto our patio from the ground. Dirty, but good to know she can do it.
Falling asleep on her own in her crib.

And so much more, but she's woken up now, so I gotta go.

Deb

It's SO hot...

It's so hot it feels like Ontario - except we don't have the coping mechanisms in place here, such as AC in every building & car - so we're all just melting.

SO...does anyone have a great "it's so hot..." comparison?

It's so hot you could fry an egg on the sidewalk
It's so hot my sprinkler evaporates before it even gets to me

Yo mama so hot....oh no wait, wrong kinda hot...

Anyone else??

Oh yeah, it may be hot like Ontario - but there's still almost no mosquitoes - one thing I'm especially grateful for hearing Brad's Northern Saskatchewan stories.

Come on guys...It's so hot...?

Random Childhood Memory

Aria has just learned to spin in place. This is highly amusing to watch, especially because she gets such a kick out of it. "Wheeeeee!" It reminded me of something from my own childhood:

When I was a young kid and I got the hiccups, I'd start spinning until I got dizzy. That way I could see what being drunk was like. :-)