It Was A Terrilbe, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Tuesday!

What can I say ... some days are just like that!
It just seemed that EVERYTHING went wrong from start to finish:

• Cadence woke with a highly cranky demeanor. She's got a cold ... it's understandable, but still ...
• Mommy had a bout of insommnia and got about 3 1/2 hours of sleep ... she was cranky too!
• There was a battle to get dressed.
• There was a battle to do hair.
• The dog puked.
• There was a battle to eat breakfast.
• Cadence puked out her medicine.
• The dog marked his territory.
• Mommy didn't have time to make lunch (She was working in the office and would not be able to leave the school to pick something up!)
• The sauce stain did not come out of Cadence's dance suit ...
• Mommy didn't have time for breakfast.
• The house was a DISASTER ... mommy had planned to come home for lunch to get things in order ... that was before she found out she was going to be filling in, in the office. Mommy HATES and gets stressed when she has to leave the house in that state!
• School was relatively unstressful ... wow!
• After work, mom took Cadence to get a new body suit. Cadence had a tantrum because she wanted ice cream. She got a new pair of pyjamas!
• Cadence insisted on ice cream and a cupcake at home (20 minutes to go before dance class). Mom gave in ... push over!
• Dad showed up at dance class looking for any clues to his lost wallet.

You get the picture! We really were having a tense stressful day, but it is amazing how a little ray of sunshine, our Cadence, can change that! Sean came in after retracing his steps and Cadence asked/said:

"Daddy, did you find your wallet? I have money in my piggy bank for you!"

How friggin sweet is that??????

The day did have a happy ending ... Sean found his wallet, took us out to dinner and well ... it ended up being free ... but that's another story!

Tiny Dancer ...

Thanks to online registration I was able to get Cadence into an independent, closed door, mom/dad on the other side of said door dance class ... woohoo! She is supposed to be three to be eligible ... and she will be, the week it ends ... mwaaahaaahaa!
Here she is showing off her first pair of 'real' dance shoes ... they're "only for dance class" you know!:


Today she went to her second class ... in a whole new outfit (no photos yet!). Cadence insisted on wearing her dance outfit to the restaurant last week ... it was italian ... you get the picture ... we NEEDED a new outfit!
She is in a class with 3-5 year olds and she is having absolutely no trouble keeping up ... 'like the big kids'! It is a joy to watch ... finally ... no more lessons for mom (of couse, dance is probably one of those lessons I could really use!).

Our Wee Baker

My daughter never fails to 'correct' me any chance she gets ... apparently you don't make cupcakes ... you BAKE them! My goodness!
Here she is start to finish:








This one was taken during the 'cooling' phase. Cadence is doing a ski pose in her new winter boots ... I hate the W word!

Cadence and 'Coach'

Action!

A 'Hip and Cool' Mom

Her ...

Not me ... obviously!

Proof there was happiness after Thursday's shenanigans!

Daddy's Day from #@!!@&*

Okay, it was actually only 2 hours ... but oh what a long two hours!

'It' started out shortly after returning home from school. 'It' refers to the nasty meltdowns that seem to arise for absolutely no reason at all or for ANY reason at all, between 5 and 7 (or in yesterday's case FROM 5 to 7 ... at least!). Cadence first lost it when her granola bar broke ... twice (that's right 2 meltdowns!). Then she was 'upset' because daddy came home just as we were preparing to go outside ... the nerve! We tried to turn her around outside with 'activities' and then daddy suggested they go to 'Old McDonalds' for dinner. Her response, "I wanna go now!" We couldn't get into the car fast enough!!! But the real fun began after I was dropped off ... heh, heh!!! Sean and Cadence got their food and found a table. Daddy went to get the ketchup and by the time he returned Cadence was face down on the table asleep. He grabbed some bags to go, packed up the food and headed home. He chose to let her sleep for a mere ten minutes (just enough time to eat his dinner) and then woke her up. As you can imagine she wasn't too thrilled, but the burger and fries helped to distract .... until .... Winston got a hold of and ate her hamburger! It was back to McDs for daddy! Unfortunately upon their return the computers were down at the drive thru!!! Poor, poor daddy! By the time I got home she was settled and eating her dinner ... not quite 100% happily ... and soon it was off to bed!!!!

I was beginning to wonder if cutting out the nap was worth it. Thankfully today she was her usual happy self ... I guess there will just be days like that ... right?

Happy photos coming tomorrow ....

Confidence and Code of Conduct

Cadence was playing her computer game with Sean this evening and doing remarkably well according to both father and daughter.
Quote from Cadence: I'm really really good at this game!

As dad prepared to take his turn he told his not quite three year old that he was going to "kick her butt".
Cadence's response ... "You can't say that dad, it's rude!". You go girl!

And for the record, I'm sure she kicked his butt!

Zoo Time

We had planned on visiting the big 'city' zoo this summer, but just didn't get down to it. In the end, that turned out to be a good thing ... this past weekend was a freebie for educators and we took advantage of it! It was actually an absolutely fantastic day ...

Cadence checks out the first wee animal, up close and personal:

Posing on the big cat:

Coming out of her shell:

Hop to it:

Arctic fox in a warm climate:

A hands on display:

The only hippo not submerged today:

The big gulp:

First sleep on a 'park' bench:

Home time?:

MMMMM ....

Chocolate!!!

She wears the fudgesicle well!

On Wednesday, Cadence and I 'baked' our bedtime snacks.



By Friday, she was the expert and showed dad how to do it! She's quite the chef!

Here's our little diva all ready for school ... with a style all her own:

This is the 'move' we get any time we ask her to 'pose':

Obviously she is not paying attention dure ANTM!

Can You Say Ritalin?

Crafts 'n Such

This is one of Cadence's crafts:

She calls it 'BEACH'!

This is MY craft for the week:

I call it getting even more organized! This is a clear over the door shoe holder that I have 'transformed' into a coloured coded hair accessory organizer. Hey ... it works! Credit goes to Salsa Momma.

In keeping with my organizing frenzy for the week, I began sorting through Cadence's 'stash' of clothing. Low and behold, I discovered I had a whole box of size three summer stuff that I had forgotten about, complete with a set of matching barrettes for the dress she wore today! Sure hope she has another opportunity to wear it again ... with the matching accessories of course! And I'm hoping she will still get into some of these size 3 articles ... they are all brand new with tags! Not so organized after all am I? Well, I'm on that ... I've got a list that breaks it all down: 3 pants, 7 shorts, 9 t-shirts, 4 skirts, 12 tanks/tops, 4 dresses, 5 bathing suits, 2 cover ups, 4 PJs. I'd say she's basically all set for next season (or March Break, if we're lucky!). Once the weather really cools down, I'll get the fall stuff going...
Right now ... BB11 Finale ... I know ... pathetic!

Happy Birthday Allie!

We had a little family celebration to celebrate Allie's 2nd birthday...
Complete with hats and favours:

Bring on my cake!:

The onlookers:

Cheers to me!:

'School', Gymnastics, Fishing and OSD

Cadence had a great first week at school! Her 'teachers' report that she is right into the routines, has made friends easily, has great language skills and has quickly adjusted! It has been a treat to be able to give her a little peck through the fence when I'm doing yard duty or to have my lunch bag hand delivered. I think Cadence is understanding her boundaries in terms of access to mommy. This will become more important as she gets older and becomes a full fledged student. She sure is tired when she gets home! This has been very helpful in getting our bedtime routine down ... she's going to sleep with very little effort ... it's keeping her up between 4-7 that is tough! I'm sure as she adjusts to her schedule things will settle.

On Saturday Cadence started up gymnastics again. This time around she is the 'senior' kid in the class. She was VERY impressive ... followed all routines and instructions and did NOT want ANY help from me at all! The head coach of the facility who runs this tot class said she is ready for the independent class. Of course, she wouldn't bump her up ... there are RULES and they have to be THREE! Bottom line, I will be sitting in the mezzanine come January! Next week we are trying an independent dance class (AND breaking the rules to boot!). More on that later ...
We also went to a friend's pool party ... the preparations were a little tense. Everything I tried to do just wasn't going right. Was it any wonder that when we arrived and Cadence had to go pee that I discovered I forgot to put underwear on her?!

I have come to the conclusion that I suffer a mental health issue: OSD (Obsessive Shopping Disorder). Truly, I cannot go into a mall, store, etc. without making a purchase. The fact that clothing is now available at our local grocery store has jacked up our grocery bill. I need to stop, but I just can't help myself! I keep buying cute little 'articles' for Cadence every week, despite the fact that I am getting ready to pack up the summer stuff and have found SEVERAL items with tags still on them ... HELP!!!

Case in point ... went to CT to pick up a couple of necessary items ... ended up with a bunch of 50% off pool stuff that we probably didn't need (hey, I put the inflatable pool slide back!). I just can't pass up a deal!

Here are Cadence and her dad enjoying a fishing trip:



Trying out the new water wings ... the ones that fit:

Making a fall fashion statement in her Emus:

Words and Why, WHY, WHY???

"Well, actually..."

is one of Cadence's most recent favourite phrases to use ... along with hand gestures for extra emphasis. I could listen to her for hours! (Actually, I have been listening to her go on in her bed for the last 52 minutes ... and counting!). My personal favourite recently though has been,

"That's so cool!".

She really has become a total little person ... with a BIG personality I might add!

Cadence continues to question EVERYTHING! Tonight for example, while reading the bedtime book she asked a 'why' question for EACH and EVERY page:

"Why does the deer sleep on the ground?"

"Why do the birds sleep in nests?"

"Why is the mouse in a treee?"

I'm guessing there were about 12 pages. I'm still trying to determine whether she was actually curious in this case or simply trying to drag out book time ... I'm leaning toward the latter ...

she's crafty!!!

First Day of 'School'

This was 'technically' Cadence's first day of preschool daycare. Although we had to wake her up by 7:20 the rest of the morning went fairly smooth.

Hamming it up before departure:


Our emission-free mode of transportation:

Ready and willing:

Relaxing and decompressing after a long hard day:

Cadence did really well today (or so they report), but she was completely exhausted! It took all of our energy after school to keep her from falling asleep. Bedtime tonight was a dream ... down and out in less than 5! Gotta love that!

Summer in Review

I think Cadence can sum up summer in this last photo:


Let's see, how can I sum up the summer:

• I did not need to buy sun screen from Costco this year.
• What we saved on central air, went right to the pool heater.
• We had a lot of visitors ... and we like that!
• There was time for everything, even me!
• Skipping naps does NOT mean Cadence will go to bed easier or earlier.
• Playing golf more, does not necessarily improve your 'game'.
• The fake hornets nest guarantee is a crock!
• Cadence is full of energy ... almost all of the time.
• The zoo pass was a GREAT investment.
• Weather does not dictate the type of summer you will have.
• I am thankful that I chose my profession well ... the holidays are a main fringe benefit.
• I am more thankful that I have the opportunity to really spend quality time with my family.
• I am now going to need to D and D (diet and detox)!

I am sure there are other summations in my head ... somewhere ... maybe they're swimming around in that last wine cooler I had! Whatever, it is time to hit the hay and get rested up for those three little words:

BACK TO WORK!!!

G'night!

PS: For the record, Cadence who needs to be up by 7ish, is still mumbling in there ... HELP!

There is Even a Low Battery Visual

These are the only photos I have to show for Sunday's visit with the T family AND they were taken prior to our guests arrival so ... no photos of them! We did have a lovely afternoon and we thank B and H for sharing the game, "What time is it Mr. Shark?" with Cadence. We have been playing that game non-stop while in the pool ever since (okay ... it's only been one day!) Gotta admit, it's kinda fun! And thank you for the chocolate fishies ... yum! Not only did the kids and adults get in on the pool action ... Winston 'enjoyed' a wee swim too ... not by choice I'm afraid. Poor little guy ... now those are some photos I wish I had!


And today while the battery was charging I missed out on several opportunities for pics of Cadence with her cousins ... who she called on the phone to invite over ... such a big girl!
To think ... if only I'd paid attention to the battery power visual on the screen ... sheesh ... they make it so easy!

Doin' the Hoolie Hoop

Fire's Burning ...

Last night we treated Cadence to a 'campfire' complete with roasted marshmallows.

Preparing the 'pit':

A must have firestarter:

Carefully adding kindling in just the right places:

Someone's anxious and ready:

Ahh ... just the right amount of heat:

Getting ready to roast the mallow:

Turning it ever so gently;

Hmmm ... not sure about this:

Heck, I'll eat it anyway!:

We had a really nice evening ... the only component missing of course was the 'camp' ... but who needs that anyway?!
This would be just about my favourite photo, despite it's horrible quality:

The summer really is winding down ....