Final Pool Party?

We are squeezing out every last ounce of summer we can! Yesterday we enjoyed a pool party/bbq with some friends. Of course, our Cadence would not cooperate when it came to preparations ... She, who typically naps from 1 - 2ish (the time I'd scheduled for final clean up and appetizer preparations) did NOT!!!! In fact, the little miss decided today would be the day to break out! This attempt ended in quite a fall ... no injuries, but she sure was shaken up! Would this discourage her ... 'NOPE'! After a battle of the wills though, I won ... she fell asleep at 2:15. Did I mention my guests were arriving around 2:30? Man, can I whip things into shape under pressure!
Here are the girls enjoying a hot tub:

Aidan, the fish:

Our trusted 'lifeguards' on duty:

Enjoying the 85 degree water on a hot day ... finally:

The boys chillin':

Today we are off to Oakville for more of the same!!!

Thanks guys for the contributions ... we enjoyed having ALL of you!

Saturday Morning

Does this look like the face of someone willing to share her doughnut?

See the next post for the answer ...

Answer

As if you had ANY doubt!

Backtracking: The Bachelorette Party

All dressed up ....

The REAL bride's reaction ....

Formal photo ....

Sharing a toast ....

The 'reception' ... and our naughty bride to be ....

We also have exclusive rights to photos of ... 'THE DRESS'! These are not to be released until after the big day.
Oh, and of course no cameras were allowed at the All Male Review ... there wasn't anything worth seeing there anyway ... LOL!

Hostess with the Mostest!

Most days Cadence makes sure her Night Garden guys are 'taken care of'! Each one of these characters is given food and drink ... she comes by this honestly I think!

Today we took the 'guys' out ... in a purse ... unfortunately I got stuck carrying this purse the most!

In Other News...

Yesterday I picked Cadence up from daycare at noon and as we were exiting the home, Cadence said, "Mama, backpack!" Honestly, how does a mere toddler remember a detail like that? I mean, there wasn't anything exciting in it other than a hat and sweatshirt AND let's face it, the mother didn't remember it! She's gonna keep me on track that's for sure.

Speaking of daycare, yesterday was her last 1/2 day ... Tuesday it's full speed ahead! I have spent the afternoons all week enjoying the moments I am going to miss and spending as much quality time as possible. Funny how after each nap this week, Cadence has fallen back asleep in my arms ... for an extra hour ... and I've let her and loved every second of it! This is what my heart will break for the most next week ...

Last night a small group of us girls from work took a colleague out for a nice dinner and a few drinks to celebrate her upcoming wedding. We arrived 'in style' ... for the 80s that is ... pictures to be revealed tomorrow ... too late to upload tonight ... I'm tired! It was a nice evening for a great lady! We are just so happy for you L!

And today, although I managed to drop into the local passport office without anyone in front of me, not all went well! She took one look at Cadence's picture and warned me that it would probably be rejected ... I'm ticked! I read EVERY bullet on that instruction sheet and NO WHERE does it mention no cute ponytail on the top of the head. She said they consider ponytails a head dress ... come on?????

Well, this is it ... the last weekend before I return to work! I am already starting to get a tight chest ... the anxiety (not the good kind!) is building. I know we will ALL manage just fine, but truly ... it is going to take some adjusting to. I've got the weekly spreadsheet prepared ... that should help. In the meantime, we are going to darn well enjoy these last few days with our girl!

Expect few words next week ... very few!

Animal Behaviour

Cadence decided to try out a new bed. In keeping with the theme, I quizzed her ...

ABCs with Cadence

As is typical ... Cadence sang the 'abc' song numerous times ... until I pulled the camera out! She is such a little stinker!

Thinking Back ...

As the anniversary of the day we met and held our daughter draws near, I am constantly thinking back to what I was doing this time last year. On this day in 2007 I wrote THIS POST. I will definitely be able to dress Cadence in the gorgeous Puma outfit this fall ... she will be all set for 'nastics'! The pink ribbon is still in their spools ... in retrospect, it's a good thing! Had it been applied to the walls, there would most likely be a section missing by now ... the section around the change table! And I have yet to have that re-training on transferring my videos to the computer ... not that I haven't tried. This, I am most disappointed about. I would really love to share that moment with you ... perhaps things will work out in the next couple of days!
Other than that, I have been busy in the mornings getting prepared for the world of work and Cadence, I am happy (and sad) to report is enjoying daycare. We have been managing to get her there around 8 o'clock ... but ... it's tough ... and there really hasn't been any pressure. Next week will be a whole different story. Stay tuned for those adventure!
In the meantime ... just a couple of hockey pics today to keep you coming back:

Drawings, Diapers and Digestives

Cadence LOVES to draw ... so far we are lucky in that she has only drawn on the white cabinetry once ... so far! She has now begun to tell us what her picture is of ... this week's pictures are all entitled, "Mamma pool pool" or "Dadda pool pool". It's a good thing she can tell us ... at this point we have NO CLUE!
Still working on getting rid of diapers ... aka potty training. We aren't actually pushing too hard, but Cadence daily makes the connection and will tell us she has to peepee potty ... god, don't you love this new language?! Most of the time she is successful so we get all excited, as we know we should. Well, today I went peepee potty and got quite the applause myself!!! I'm such a big girl I guess ... it WAS sweet!
Baby powder ... not digestable I would think ... and definitely not pleasing to the palette ... just ask Cadence! Don't think she'll be trying to 'drink' out of THAT bottle again!!!

Sorry no photos today ... maybe a little video clip later in the day!

The Essence of Cadence

This one's a tad long ... hope you have the time!

TWO Puppies!

When I arrived home with Lucky, Winston's brother whom we are sitting, Cadence declared, "Two puppies!". Oh yeah, our girl can count! Okay, so she's only up to two ... it's a good start!
Here are the two boys:

Cadence is telling the boys to stay although they would much rather be across the street meeting the hound who's passing by:

Our little helper is hand feeding Lucky ... apparently:

Looks like someone would like to have a nap:

Yep ... she's ready alright!:

The Week in Review

Once again, I have failed to keep this 'up to date' ... so, I'll just give you some of the week's highlights and of course, photos! With any luck you can check back tomorrow for some video clips.

Confirmation
It appears that my 'diagnosis' was correct: HFMD. The doctor recommended taking Cadence off the antibiotics. We did so and she continues to be her old self. At this point her feet are also cleared up ... so all is good for now!

Baseball
We took in the opportunity to catch daddy's ball game. Cadence cheered her dad on briefly but after chasing her off the field and out of the dugout, mommy gave up and headed home ... we really only missed the last 10 minutes of the game. The point in the game where Sean's team turned things around and won! Way to go Cooper Tire!


Registration
Remember all that complaining I did about the gymnastics 'workout'? I've chosen to subject myself, I mean Cadence, to it again! Little did I know that registering for this fall program would be an 'event' in and of itself! I arrived, with Cadence in tow, about a half hour past the starting time, to stand at the end of a LONG line that stretched right out the doors ... under the big, black, heavy clouds! Yep, within 20 minutes ... rain ... heavy, bucketfuls of rain! The club managed to move everyone inside, but in the chaos, many individuals lost their 'places'. I managed to score in the move, but in good conscience, had to relinquish my post ... I don't need to make enemies there just yet! AND then, just as I was approaching the end of the long line, I discovered I didn't have the required cash OR cheque! Thankfully, they took whatever little I had in my wallet as a down payment, so ... gymnastics is ON! Not sure if I'm excited about that yet ...

Getting Away From It All!
I was fortunate this week to have an opportunity for a girls' night away ... overnight even! After the stressful weekend, this was just what the doctor ordered. Myself and a couple of girlfriends headed to the city for dinner, theatre and drinks ... followed by some shopping. Good food, good wine, good friends ... that's what I'm talkin' 'bout!

"Nope" and "Mmmm Hmmm"
Cadence has replaced no with 'nope' and that is her answer to just about EVERYTHING!!!! Not only does she say it incessantly ... she MEANS it! And yes, has been replaced with "mm, hmm" ... she's like a teenager! Honestly!!! Here she is using one of her other favourite words ... "MINE" ... which in this picture refers to the truck. Nice try peanut!

Changing It Up
We pulled out the sprinkler to entertain Cadence this weekend ... there were few choices given the heat! Oh, what about the pool? "NOPE" ... not interested on this particular day!


Dinners with Family and Friends
This weekend we had Sean's family down for a BBQ and pool party to celebrate our neice's visit from Calgary. Thankfully the weather was cooperative ... HOT even! Cadence really took to everyone, especially Mackenzie ... she is the first 'sitter' to get our girl to sleep! Thank you Mac!
We then had an invitation to enjoy dinner at some friends the next evening ... yay ... a night off for me!
Sorry, no photos for either occasion ... I'm slipping ... I know!

Random Photos
Here is our girl balancing my cheque book:

Every girl needs to primp:

Well, that should keep you going for a bit .... thanks for checking in!

I Cried Yesterday!

So I dropped Cadence off for daycare yesterday morning ... with the intention of a full week of mornings (9-12). Now that she has an unexpected doctor's appointment today, the full week thing is history. Anyway, Sandy informs me that 9-12 means she stays for lunch ... WHAT???? When I got home to tell Sean, I cried! I wasn't prepared for that ... I mean, I had lunch all planned ... and we were going to eat together! I really am going soft!

Going for Gold!

... in 2020!
Cadence actually sat and watched the gymnastics competition for 15 uninterrupted minutes ... then, she turned on her own 'performance'! Here is a wee glimpse of it:

On the Mend?

Well, after our couple of rough days, Miss Cadence appears to be on the mend! So much so that she was back to laundry duty:


Oh, there was some time for fun and games too!:



But ... looks can be deceiving! Today, AFTER I picked her up from daycare, she had no interest in going in the pool and threw a number of complete fits! She had an absolute meltdown regarding wearing a diaper. During our battles, I noticed red spots on her heels and a minor rash starting on her bum ... hmmmmm? I remember reading about HFMD on one of my chat groups so I looked it up and the symptoms fit Cadence to a T! Just waiting to hear back from the doctor's office, but it looks like hand, foot and mouth disease. Not to worry ... it's pretty common. Oh, the joys!!!!

I Don't Suck that Bad Afterall!

You may need to read the previous post to fully comprehend this one. To update you on the milk thing ... let's just say I have one photo of the carpet after much of the clean up was done. Goldfish ... they're orange ... so too is an area of my carpet. Is it divine intervention that ensures puke ends up on the berber as opposed to the ceramic tile or hardwood even???? Something to ponder ...
As for the crankiness ... I've heard about mom's knowing best, not giving up and being insistent until things get resolved. Guess what ... it's TRUE! And now I am even crankier! I just had this feeling still from yesterday that Cadence was not right and I decided not to trust my family doctor's quick exam ... we hightailed it to the clinic ... guess what's in our fridge right now??? Yeah ... amoxicillan ... an antibiotic ... 'cause my kid is SICK!!!! Oh, I am so mad!!!! I was really trying to stay ahead of her pain and catch it quickly ... I did my best! On a positive note ... she is now sleeping soundly and me ... I'm going to tackle some of the other 'issues' around here: refilling the pool, continuing to get the orange stain out of the carpet and laundry. Yeah, it's been one hell of a day ... tomorrow ... should be better!

Parenting Award? ... Not Today!

Our poor little munchkin has been a little under the weather over the last couple of days. It started out with a fever and CRANKINESS ... major CRANKINESS ... which is totally contagious I might add! She didn't have much of an appetite, was drooling like a geyser and had her fingers in the sides of her mouth constantly. Once again we were thinking ... final molars ... but since we were WAY wrong last time AND we had a appointment booked, again, to have her final vaccination I asked that the doctor take a look at her throat. He did a quick check and said everything seemed good. Off we went ... without the shot ... ugh! Cadence
remained pretty cranky the rest of the day, into the night ... hardly ate, whined, said, 'no milk' ... WHAT???? ... she loves her milk!
She went to bed well, but was up within a half hour and again after another half hour and then again ... this time to puke (our first I might add!). By midnight she was down for the count ... well, until 6:36 am., early for her (and us!). She was finally feeling cool to the touch which was good news. She laid in bed with us and we all napped a bit longer ... phew! I thought we were in the clear when she asked for milk ... her typical morning routine ... and boy did she suck it back!!! Yup ... all was right with the world ... right????? Ummm ... NO!!!! Two minutes after that, Sean came up asking if I thought the milk was off ... I couldn't really tell ... I don't drink the whole stuff. Well, upon pouring some into the coffees the answer was thick and clear ... yeah the milk ... the sippy cup full that she inhaled ... was in fact sour! So now, we wait ............. and get some fresh milk!!!!! We suck!

400th Post and Final Visit

I can't believe I've written 400 entries ... do I really have that much to say???? Usually ... and I'm not necessarily a woman of few words either ... although there are days I just don't have the time ... lucky you!
To the heart of today's post ... our final home visit. This evening Chris, our social worker, came by for his last visit with us as a family ... he has been an integral part of our adoption story right from the very beginning ... long before Cadence became a reality. All that is left is his final report and our signatures and we will have completed ALL the paperwork China requires from us ... this is EXCITING!!! For those of you who have been and/or are in the midst of an adoption process, you will understand just how long this long paper trail has been ...
Passport application and photos are all set to go as well ... just waiting for the passport clinic this Thursday and then we're set for travel ... who knows where or IF we'll be heading anywhere soon! Oh well, it's nice to be prepared!

Training Day!

If you know me REALLY well, you will know that I have a thrill seekers side. My passion ... roller coasters ... the higher, the steeper, the faster ... the BETTER!!!! Oddly enough, I am also petrified of heights ... figure that one out! Well, yesterday we began 'training camp' for Cadence. We took her to Santa's Village ... and what a time we had! She was an absolute dream and as much as I want her to remain my little girl forever, there is a part that can't wait for her to join me on the big girl rides! Of course, by that time yours truly may be too old to enjoy them herself!
Cadence did everything ..... from the swans to the Ronno concert to the roller coaster. I have some photos ... unfortunately, just as Dora arrived my battery died! It's just as well ... the line up was LONG and my girl got 'turfed' out of the way for allegedly attempting to butt in ... hah! Okay, when children under two are invited onto the stage to 'shake it' and Dora is also on the stage ... what does one expect?! Now back to the day's photos:
Cadence and I starting off slowly with a relaxing paddle on the swans.

Kicking it up a notch with the airplanes that go 'round and 'round and ... and go up and down!

Getting strapped in for the 'Drop Zone'. Cadence is saying, "Down Mama" ... sorry darlin', not this time!

Check her out ... hands up in the air ... that's my girl!!!!!!

Every kid's gotta do the merry go round ... even if it's not their speed.

No shots of the roller coaster, but I can assure you she loved it.
As for Santa ... somehow, we missed out on him ... but is that really what Santa's Village is all about ... not for me and my girl!

Happiness is ....

a set of drapes ...

Move Over Martha ...

Finally, a towel rack out back:

Some new additions to Cadence's room:

And most impressive ... my Leonardo Da potatoe salad:

Impressive huh?????

Show Time!

Here's a couple of Cadence's latest performances:

This Week's Photos

Olympic spirit:

My bright eyes:

Hangin' with my dad:

Giddy up!:

08/08/08

Congratulations to China for a fantastic show ... the opening ceremonies for the Olympics were amazing ... in my humble opinion anyway! I must admit that every year I get a little choked up by the ceremonies of the Olympics, particularly when the torch is extinguished ... don't really know why, but I do. This year I felt myself tearing up when the footprint fireworks were going off ... maybe it's because of my new found tie and gratitude to China for the gift it has given me. Anyway, in honour of the Olympics, the host city and my daughters homeland, she and I donned our Olympic t-shirts today ... photos later!

Also of special note, today marks our eleventh year of marriage. Check us out:



Our aprons say, "Will cook for shoes!" and "KISS the Cook!".

Happy Anniversary Sean ... consider this your card ... sorry!

Long Overdue!

I have been meaning to share some of the 'cuteness' of Cadence's personality for a LONG time, but I tend to get sidetracked with photos. And to be honest, someday down the road I want to remember and recall all of the moments that made me smile ... and there are just sooooo MANY that I know I won't be able to remember them unless I've recorded it somewhere!!!! So today I want to focus on Cadence's three most widely used words: Uh-oh, Mine and No.

Uh-oh

This little phrase was originally a reaction to 'mistakes': a spill on clothing or the floor, dropping an item, a tear in a book, to name a few. It soon evolved however into a phrase used when our little 'angel' purposefully and with intent, spilled things, dropped things and tore pages in books. Today, uh-oh has once again been restored to its original form AND has even alerted Sean and I to issues such as the chair that fell into the pool or the hat that fell out of the stroller unbeknownst to us! (Unbeknownst ... is that even a real word?)

Mine

Let's just say I almost purchased the letters for this word to put on the outside of Cadence's bedroom door. Then, I rethought that idea and figured it would more appropriately be placed prominantly on the front door of our house! Yes, everything and ANYTHING is Cadence's ... according to her ... the toys, the juice, the furniture, the pool ... when it comes to typical behaviour, she certainly doesn't disappoint!

No

For the longest time, Cadence was a yes girl ... how I miss those days! As of this last week, "NO!" is the answer to EVERYTHING (except, 'Do you want ice cream?'). And with such attitude I might add! I've tried to stop asking her things but she hasn't seemed to take notice of this ... she still tells us quite effectively that she is not interested in whatever food, activity or request we are presenting to her. And she really MEANS what she says ... I won't admit it to her now or in the near future, but someday, I'll confess how darn cute she was when being defiant. Truly it is adorable ... for now! Okay, some days not so much, but mostly!

Okay, only three weeks left before I head back to work ... when these posts will undoubtedly be fewer and farther between, so I will do my best to keep the updates coming til then ... I said I'll TRY!

Rockin' With Cadence

Attempting another procedure ...

Frustration!

I have been unsuccessful at loading videos for 4 flippin' days ... I'm soooo frustrated!
If I get some time, I'll try to figure out what's up with that!
Stay tuned ............... grrrrr!!!!!!!

Evolution of 'ROCKSTAR'

Another fine lesson delivered by Didi:

The End of Another Long Weekend

To end this long weekend we took Cadence down to the waterfront festival's kidzone. There were about a dozen activities for children to participate in, a few appropriate for our girl's age.
We started with a bouncy castle thing which she seemed to enjoy:

She looks happy ... right?:

Next was the bubble filled with balloons blowing all over the place ... I thought she'd LOVE this:

WRONG!!! Sean had to go in and rescue her within 10 seconds! I'm sure it didn't help that there were no other kids in there with her at the time. After that, she was pretty much done ... scarred I'm sure! She wasn't even interested in the pony ride ... poor little thing! That meant mommy could check out some vendors again. Hey Di ... look what I ended up going back for:

Sean thinks I should have got the deal for 2 ... I'm thinking he was right ... oh well, next year I suppose!
And finally, here is Miss Cadence on the throne, enjoying some light reading before doing a small deed:

Twice in one day ... that's progress for sure!