The Rest

Other tidbits from our 'holiday'.
Cadence was a trooper when it came to our calendar of events. She outplayed and outlasted us all ... and without even getting cranky! Most nights she was up til midnight and most days she slept til 9 or 10 ... she even graced us with a few naps! We decided to get her out of the house one day just because ... so, we headed out to visit Uncle Steve. Within minutes, Cadence was fast asleep in the car. She remained asleep while I transferred her into the Mazda shop, onto the counter, into the Mazda Miata, back onto the counter and into the car again. She finally woke up once we were back home ...

We took my mom out for a dinner ... she deserved a break from the cooking after all! Cadence ordered for herself ... the usual, "Milk and pasta." She also enjoyed two big helpings of cesaer salad and managed to butter her own bread ... god forbid we should even suggest helping her!


Bathtime at Baba's was a breeze ... especially when one gets to wear the froggy towel!

Cadence insisted on doing jobs too. The only problem was each item she dried was tossed back into the wash water ... it was a never ending job. Talk about getting your butt to work ....

Tradition

For over 40 years, I have been spending Christmas with my extended family at the same house. Each year we feast, drink, laugh and catch up with one another. And as always there is music ...

Boxing Day

Boxing Day marks the final event of our 'festivus' trilogy. Once again we all come together as family for fun, food and fluids!
The names of the games here are Pass the Ace and Steal the Prize. There is nothing like healthy competition among relatives ... especially between the spouses!
It's not a party until it moves into the kitchen.

Keeping the cards close ... a good strategy!


Doing the dishes ... in the tub?

The whole gang ... almost!

You've Heard of a Horseshoe ....

This is a pre-Christmas story ...

The day before Christmas Eve, we had the car packed and ready to go ... just had to get Cadence 'suited up' and buckle her in.
As I began dressing her, she announced that her bum hurt. Great!!!! I envisioned spending Christmas Eve at a clinic for a bladder infection or something. As I put her in the carseat she once again shared that her bum hurt. Oh well. Three hours later we arrived at our destination. I pulled Cadence out of the car and carried her into the house ... guess what? ... her bum still hurt. I decided I needed to take a look so, I pulled off her pants and her diaper, laid her on the floor and had a good look. Low and behold, I actually saw a little something peeking out at me ... just the tips so .... I pulled. Here's the source of the problem ....

Yep ... her bum hurt!~

Christmas Morning ...

As would be expected ... Santa arrived on time! Cadence was excited to find a collection of fun items left in the stocking in her crib. They entertained her for quite a while ... in fact she didn't even really take notice of the piles of stuff under the tree. This gave us big kids time to grab a coffee and Baileys, stuff the turkey and get ready for the day. It was exciting to watch her open gift after gift. She insisted upon opening that we 'open it', which meant undoing each wire that held EVERY single loose piece of each toy in its package. I have to say, she has quickly caught on to this whole Christmas craze. But as would be expected ... by the end of it all, she was plum tuckered out!

Bad, Bad Blogger!

Well ... I was close to getting in the 500th post by the end of the year, but given my last week's track record ... that is NOT going to happen! I have photos in the camera that are ready to go and we've had 'occasions' that deserved blogging, but to put it out there ... I've just been a little lazy these days (AND busy too!). As ready as I've been for the holidays, there have been things that have come up that have just taken precedent so ..... my dear readers, you will need to wait a bit longer I'm afraid. It really is too bad ... we've had some real fun here with Cadence and it is sure to only get better!
In the mean time, we are packed and almost ready to head north tomorrow. Let's hope we beat the forecasted snow ....
It has been an absolutely WILD winter thus far ... the snow just keeps coming and coming ... and me ... I'm not a big fan! The only good thing I can say about it is ... now I can sit in the hot tub and plunk my pomtini right in the snow bank beside me to keep chilled.
I wish everyone reading a very happy holiday season ... safe travels to all! And to those waiting parents, I wish you much patience and hope that this is for you, the last Christmas without your child ... I know what you're going through! Merry Christmas everyone ... see you in the New Year ... there's no 'net where we're going!

Peace!

Phone Girl

Another 'conversation' with Baba ...

"Dis MY Christmas Party!"

Cadence made it VERY clear that this was HER Christmas party ... "Not mommy's Christmas party, Not daddy's Christmas party."
Of course, "Mommy, you come to my Christmas party, daddy, you come to my christmas party too!" were the sentences that followed. As brave, independent and social as she can be ... Cadence also has a quiet, reserved side. She takes her time and watches from the edge, slowly finding her way and when she does ... well ... then there really is no stopping her!
We took her to the Panda Club party to 'hang' with her 'sisters' for the afternoon. She stuck pretty close to mom and dad most of the time, but did manage to get in a song and dance or two with the girls ...

All dressed up and ready to go:

Enjoying the fruits of her labour:

Getting crafty with mom:

Getting only as close as needed to the big guy in the red suit:

Ready for dessert:

Let's Get the Parties Started!

This weekend was the beginning of the Christmas party blitz!
Sean and I attended his staff function on Friday night and left Cadence in the hands of a very competent babysitter with a driver's licence!!!!
On Saturday, we headed out to an open house hosted by some friends. It was a busy place ... food, drink, adults and kids everywhere ... god bless you Patrice! Once home, mommy laid down with Cadence and well, let's just say, mommy didn't have the energy to make it to the final soire ... could it have been those three glasses of vino???? Not likely!

Cadence getting 'dressed' for the party:

Rock star outfit complete with fuzzy vest:

Hanging her first, homemade ornament on the tree:

Thanks for all the help Katie!

Back to Normal

Cadence is feeling pretty much back to her old self and thus life is almost back to normal around here! We did anticipate some difficulty getting her back into her own bed, but surprisingly she did quite well Monday and Tuesday. Of course we were proactive ... me in my usual 'spot' and daddy 'in the rocking chair' on the first night ... but hey, it worked. Oddly enough, when I went to put her down tonight, she whined for a bit and said, "I sleep in mommy and daddy's bed." Ah, no ... you don't ... nice try sweetie! As much as I do love snuggling up, and know how soon those days will fade, I also know it is the right thing to halt this now ... we can still do our 'thing' in the mornings ... sometimes, the very early mornings!
With the holiday season well upon us, I've taken little photos ... in fact I don't think I've taken any in a week! By now though most of you should have received this:

I was happy to include both these photos. I thought she looked so old in the smiling one, yet the standing shot seemed to capture more of her toddler image ... plus I really wanted the dress in full too. I had originally planned to order about 30 ... turned out I had to order at least 50 ... good thing ... I only have 2 left!
Well, I really am ready for the holidays ... everything is bought and wrapped, the house is decorated, (the cleaning lady comes Friday!) and let's face it ... heading home to mom means I don't have to cook or bake! All that is left is to pack our bags and try to fit everything into the truck ... that should prove to be a feat itself!
To date, this has been a very exciting start to the holiday ... Cadence has lit our little corner of the world with her joy! She literally was jumping up and down chanting "my Christmas tree!" when it was all set up and she is totally into watching "Christmas specials"! We had to laugh when we realized her impatience had to do with the fact that she's never watched a program that had commercials in it! I am looking forward to enjoying it all and capturing as much of it as I can ...
We've a few Christmas parties this weekend (four to be precise) so there should be some photos next week ... probably ... likely ... maybe!!!
Cheers!

Rough Days ... Rougher Nights!

I know ... there has been a lack of posts this week! There has also been a lack of clean bedding, sleep, patience and confidence. The good news ... I THINK we are on the mend. At least I am hoping so! Although, there are other issues to work on as a result, I'm afraid.
The shorter version of events goes something like this:

-weeks probably of runny nose and cough
-cough inducing vomiting during the nap 2 days in a row
-day 3 - repeated vomiting at bed time (seems to be brought on by coughing at bedtime)
-day 4 - doctor says, "healthy", but does prescribe a short term antibiotic ... bedtime ... Treehouse to 2am, screaming til 3:00
-day 5 - seems better but WILL NOT sleep in crib at all no matter what, reluctantly goes to bed at 10:15, wakes coughing 30 minutes later, small amount of ... ya you know what, brought up
-day 6 - wakes up CRANKY, will not be soothed for an hour, head to clinic, right ear VERY inflamed, throat mildly inflamed, some rattling on the right side to follow up on in a week (not quite pneumonia yet!)
WTF!!!!!

Bottom line, today's doctor says, she's not well ... you don't say!!!! On a good note, he at least prescribed the same meds as our family doctor. I just don't know where to go with this. Obviously, I am feeling a HUGE lack of confidence in my family doctor ... but GOOD luck to anyone trying to find a doctor these days! I'm thinking perhaps of asking for a pediatric referral????
Although Cadence seems to be better right now (post 3 hour nap and 3 pancakes ... yay!), I am afraid of what bedtime will bring. Sean and I think she may be freaked out now by the puking and associate it with going to bed in her crib. Looks like we will be starting back at square one in a way .... argh!!!!

On the lighter side: this week's language ... "Doing mommy?" in the form of a question for everything and when I answer she says, "Oh!", like she gets it! She's too cute (except when she's sick ... which explains the lack of photos too!).

Reading: A+

Here is a clip of Cadence reading one of her books! Truly ... she can read it!
As for the clothing optional state of our little one in the last few blog entries ... I have no comment!

The Halls are Decked!

It took a village, but we got it done! Believe me when I say it is no small feat ... and I was keen to just put 4 of the 6 sections up again this year. I have to admit, I'm glad Dave was keener to see it in all it's glory because to tell the truth ... it looks pretty amazing! And to see Cadence's excitement was just the star on the top!!!! I truly wish I had captured her in action.
I set out to capture each addition, but quickly got too caught up in the action ... maybe next year!
Check it out:





It was a nice afternoon/evening all around. The girls enjoyed getting playdough into EVERY fibre of the carpet downstairs, the other 'girls' enjoyed the first rum and nog of the season, the boys did the 'man' stuff and we all enjoyed a great dinner. After bath and video, our girls were all set to crash ... ours did ... YAY!!!!!
Thanks again, Unckie Dave!!!!!

Of Things Past, Present and Future

Some 'quips' to catch you up on:

Not only did I end up with pink highlighter everywhere while daddy was away ... little miss Cadence also managed to lock herself in the bathroom! The following 'conversation' ensued:
Mommy: (while not quite frantically jiggling the doorknob) Cadence turn the little button honey.
Cadence: No, mommy, you do it!
What happened to the usual, "Me do it!"??????
After a few minutes of failed attempts, I decided to phone the firefighter brother in law, before the actual fire department.
As luck would have it, I figured out the secret to unlocking the door from the outside just as Dave picked up. Phew!!! One disaster averted!

I've discovered my daughter is a 'closet eater' of sorts:

Okay, well it's actually a cupboard ... same idea! Even though I said no to the cookies, the crackers were of reach!
And after 'snacking', my little monkey put on a video ... then she decided she needed to "pee pee toilet". Minutes later, I discovered her sitting on the toilet while watching Dora on the DVD player on the floor! Honestly!
By the time I came down with the camera, she was pretty much done:

For the record ... I was preparing dinner!

Cadence went to her first 'organized' birthday party today! We chose not to partake in the swimming aspect ... there is NO WAY this mommy is putting on a suit at this time of year! I was a little concerned as we set off ... Cadence, after having just celebrated her own birthday, didn't quite get that the wrapped present we were carrying wasn't for her. In the end though, she did great!!! She coloured and ate, did a craft and graciously gave the present to Gwen. Mommy and daddy were very proud ... but mommy and daddy, didn't bring the camera! That is sooooo not like me!

Also want to let you know Santa here has smartened up! ALL the gifts are now wrapped! See ... I'm gettin' it!
Not only that, I'm just about done shopping and most of the holiday decorations are up ... tomorrow, we tackle the tree! Even the Christmas cards are in hand ... just need a new gold marker and I can start sending them out tomorrow ... perhaps, if you're good, I'll post a preview here ....

Well, that really is about all folks ... It is beginning to get a little crazy and hectic but I will try my best to update as much as possible. Enjoy the balance of your weekend ........... They really do go by so fast!

Santa Rookie

Yep ... already I suck at doing the big red man thing. I had NO clue a two year old could actually find their Christmas presents.
This Santa has GOT to find better hiding spots ... yeesh!

Wordless Wednesday

Weekly Phrases

Cadence seems to change up her language on a weekly basis. A couple of weeks ago was the "I don't like ______" phrase, last week the "I NEED ______" and "Oh no!" phrases. This week we are starting off with "Hurry, hurry!". Honestly, I don't know where it comes from. Really, I don't!

Here are a few more pictures from the weekend:



As for the highlighter story ... my lips are sealed! I will say this much ... daddy was away.

You Better Watch Out!

Santa Claus is coming to town!
We enjoyed some prime real estate for this year's Santa Claus parade! Had our chairs, snacks, hot chocolate and even a little Bailey's for the moms!
Here are the kiddies:

Cadence's first cup of hot cocoa:

A respectable audience:

A little 'warm up' time:

The big guy himself:

Much thanks to the G family for letting us tag along and to S and M for the use of their driveway and front yard ... could it have been any better??? Well ... we did miss our daddy!

Question?

How does one remove pink highlighter from leather? Or wood? Or fabric?
No reason .... just asking!

First Major Fall

Snowfall that is! We got quite a dumping of snow over the weekend ... but that didn't get us down ... no way!
We suited up:

And headed out to get the chores done:

Cadence enjoyed shoveling, making snow angels, snowballs and sliding around. Here are the two pictures I captured before the batteries died:


Oh, and here's a tree that has suffered some major damage from the weight of the snow:

It's a funny tree! Since we have lived here, both our front trees have kept their leaves right through the winter ... any arborists out there who could shed some light on this? Anyway, not too worried about this particular tree ... we've had power here ... some, just 1 minute north of us and beyond, were without power for days!

The next day, Cadence made me giggle! She was standing at the window watching Sean outside, lamenting, "Oh no, daddy's blowing the snow away!". It was sweet!

Daddy's off to see his idols this weekend, the Fighting Irish ... wish us girls luck! I think it's MY first solo weekend ... yikes!

Toddler Hangover?

This is Cadence the morning after her birthday ... so much for "Party Girl"!

A Half Hour Later

She's TWO!!!!!!

I can't believe we are already celebrating another birthday ... the time just seems to whiz by! My little Cadence is quickly becoming my little girl ... the baby is almost gone (insert big SIGH here!). As I watch her grow I can't help but wonder who and what she will become ... What I hope, at this moment, is that Cadence will be all she is now ... 20 years from now: strong, independent, lovable, smart, funny, energetic ... just one awesome kid!

Cadence, we wish you a very happy birthday today! We love you more than you could ever imagine!

Here are a few more pics from her weekend celebration:
Opening presents ... with a little help from a friend!

This is the cat's meow!

The coast looks clear ... I'm going in for more ...

Just hangin' with my peeps!