troopers

I'm getting braver about driving long distances by myself with the kids. The difficult part is that Adam doesn't sleep much in the car. We can usually keep him entertained but he really needs to run around. However, the trip to Ottawa last weekend could hardly have gone better.

The way to Ottawa was nearly miraculous: One mom, one toddler, one infant, 5.5 hours, one stop, ZERO crying. This is really impressive because Adam slept no more than about one hour, probably less. I'm pretty sure Naomi slept 90% of the time, if not more.

The way home wasn't much worse: 6.5 hours, two stops, maybe 10 minutes of crying (Adam only.) When we got home, Adam had indeed slept for nearly an hour. They stayed asleep while I took some pictures, and very carefully packed everything in the stroller and shopping cart so that we could get everything upstairs in one trip. I actually had to wake Adam up to go upstairs.

That there, BTW, is a one-second exposure, freehand (no tripod.) Take that!

very proud

I was really proud of Adam on last Sunday. We went to Kiefer's baptism at 12:15, then to the after-party, then straight to Jean and Ian's for a late dinner. That meant: NO NAP. That's pretty tough on a kid who usually naps for about 3 hours every afternoon.

But Adam tried to be quiet at the baptism. He didn't have much success but I did see the effort on his part. Then he played really well with the other kids at the party, which he doesn't have much practise doing.

Well, at one point he did hoard his favourite toy, a lawn mower, while he was playing with his second favourite toy, the kitchen. We didn't exactly cure his distaste for sharing overnight.

BTW, please, nobody get any ideas of buying us a toy lawn mower. They are TOO LOUD for families without a basement.

By almost 5 pm and Jean and Ian's, Adam was feeling like this:

At 5 pm, he was also terrified, TERRIFIED of Tugger and Chelsea, the dogs. He wanted Mommy a lot, but would also go to Uncle Ian (Hobbs) for comfort. But by 8pm, when I took this shot, he was still behaving like this:

And Tugger and Chelsea were his new best friends, too.

Yay, Adam!

Naomi with some Hobbses

All dressed up!

I've got to find more excuses to get the kids all dressed up. Too cute. Here they are ready to go to Kiefer's baptism.

Kiefer Robert Brian Carter's Baptism

The kids and I went to Ottawa last weekend for the baptism of my old friend Doug's third child, Kiefer Robert Brian Carter. (or was that Kiefer Brian Robert Carter? I think both sound good.) Unfortunately, I didn't get many good photos of Kiefer but here are a couple that turned out okay.

Robert, the godfather, Kiefer, and Doug

Melanie, Kiefer, and Doug

apple picking

Not Friday, but the Friday before, we went apple-picking at Chudleigh's, near Milton. The OEYC nearest us rented a couple of school busses, which Adam rode with Poh-Poh and Gung-Gung. I drove with Naomi and Clare. Becky and Rob were kind enough to let Clare play hookey from daycare so that she could come hang with us.

Adam was very happy to have his friend with him. He figured out how to hold her hand (he'd never had to "lead" before) and then would tap her on the shoulder saying, "Friend. This is your friend," and the like. super cute. Unfortunately, Adam is a close-talker with other kids but Clare stood up for herself and would turn aside when necessary and say, "No."

I think Clare had a blast, too. We were a little worried because she's having some separation anxiety but I think she was simply too stunned to cry when our car pulled away from Rob and Becky's. I suspect that she was thinking about making a scene but realised that there was no proper audience. She did cry just a little bit about half an hour later when she wanted to fall asleep in the car but couldn't. Then she asked very clearly for her binky; so, I obliged her.

Naomi. Well, pretty much she slept on Poh-Poh in the daddy magic.

Some more photos. There's even one of me - just for you, Auntie Joan!

more photos of a drowsy Adam

Adam caught on film

Adam is so active that it's really tough to take his picture these days. I can only really get him when he's (nearly) asleep or strapped into a chair.

Here he is sprawled on his "parachute blanket" as he's waking from a nap.

And here he is, finally taking an interest in the art supplies he got as "big brother presents" from us and from Naomi. He's mainly interested in squeezing the finger paint onto the tray and in mixing the colours in the tray and on the paper.

Why would you DO that?

Dion and I can often be heard exchanging the phrase: "Why would you do that?" Although, we no longer need the words - a look is enough to send the message.

"Why would you DO that?" is invoked when a sleeping baby is moved or a toddler's confiscated (but forgotten) plaything is named within his earshot or whenever a child is imprudently provoked to tears, whining, or begging.

anti-clutter campaign

Here is one of the baby steps I've taken in decluttering our condo. These steps I'm taking are so tiny that really, I feel like I'm rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic but Rome wasn't built in a day, take care of the pennies .... Any more aphorisms you'd like to suggest, readers?


Before. Notice that the boxes, clutter themselves, had become a surface on which to collect more clutter. I'd been leaving them out because I had delusions of using them "soon" in grander decluttering blitzes but I've decided that it was worth my time to collapse them and store them in an equally accessible but less visible pocket of the condo.

After. Not a grand improvement but at least the stroller belongs in the front entrance and the laundry basket has been minimized.

A blogger I follow, Swistle, is also going through a decluttering campaign. I'm inspired by her new mantras:
You can't clean clutter.
and (when deciding whether to keep or discard an article):
Does it bless? Or does it oppress?

An organising guru I once saw on CityLine once said, "Every item in your home has your permission to be there," or words to that effect. A simplification for multi-person households (he's single) but still something to consider. He also questions why people are so careless with things that they proportedly value. If it has value, it should be used, stored, or displayed accordingly.

Because infants are such easy subjects ...

Again, I had too many to choose from. I need someone to help me pick through all the frames.

I was shutter-happy yesterday.

More photos of Naomi

Not exactly the same old, same old. I'm a little disappointed that this first one didn't turn out as well as it looked on my DSLR display. Ah well.







This hand: totally looks like mine babyfied.

retouching

I should just get over myself and start using that "I'm feeling lucky" button to auto-correct my photos, eh?