First Date Night

Can you still call it date night if your baby comes along? Probably not, but at this point, we will take what we can get!

Last night, while the two older girls slept over at Grandma's, my husband suggested that we (including Baby) eat an early dinner at a restaurant...Initially, I was a little reluctant. What if she was disruptive?

In the end, she had a two and a half hour nap just before heading out, and was on her best behaviour. She looked around curiously, didn't cry, and even sat still in her car seat while we ate our food.  Perhaps we can make this a weekly event...

My meal!

Baby patiently waiting!

First Swimming Lessons

Getting ready!

They had been talking about it for quite some time. Finally, Tuesday January 14th arrived, the first day of swimming lessons. It was the only time slot I could find where both girls could simultaneously attend swimming lessons. I signed up our almost 2-year-old for a parent-tot class, and our oldest daughter was signed up for White, the first level of the Olympic-Way Swimming Program.

We arrived 20 minutes early. Thankfully, the aquatic center in question had a wading pool for splashing around before and after lessons. The girls thoroughly enjoyed this smaller pool before heading over to the larger pool for lessons. I wasn't sure how my oldest would react. I would be in the pool at the same time with her younger sister. Would she be calling out to me? Would she attempt to swim over to me?

In the end, my fears were unfounded. She listened well to her teacher, and was the first to do everything...including jumping in, and swimming to an inflatable boat.

My almost two-year old enjoyed her class as well. She held on to me very tightly, sang the water version of a few nursery rhymes, and slid down a bright yellow slide.

The 30 minute class flew by, and before I knew it, it was time for a shower. As we were getting ready to leave, both girls were particularly whiny..."Why are you whining so much?" I asked. To which my oldest daughter simply replied "we want to stay!"

The Wading Pool

Swim Lessons

Slipping and Sliding

She dressed herself!

Many north-American cities were dealt some very strange weather these last 2 weeks, and Montreal was no exception.

For the first time in nearly a month, we decided to go out for a walk. We had avoided outdoor adventures for a few weeks due to the colder than average weather. However, Monday forecasted above average weather, with a high of 5C! So it was that after breakfast, I bundled up the girls and headed out to a local cafe for some croissants. The baby was in my carrier, our almost 2-year old sat in the stroller, and our toddler was on foot next to Mama.

As if on cue, the rain slowed to a drizzle. We hadn't gotten very far when we ran into the concierge, who warned us about the sidewalks. "Oh, we are just going down the street," I remember saying...

We did eventually make it to the cafe. It took us over 30 minutes (normally it would take 10). The streets were empty, and we were the only ones on the sidewalk. I should have turned around, but I was driven by the thought of being cooped up indoors for another week.

The icy sidewalks made for some interesting slipping and sliding. The stroller maneuvered surprisingly well, and the baby and I stayed upright. Our toddler, however, slipped  every few metres. The falls were buffered by a soft snow suit, and she did not shed a tear...

While in the cafe, the wind picked up. The employees ran out in search of their fly-away garbage bins, while the customers watched in disbelief. I called my dear husband, and begged him to pick us up. Thankfully he was working from home that day, and our adventure had a good ending!

Our Toddler: the manipulator

Her majesty!

There is no doubt about it, our toddler is bossy. "Mama do this", "Papa do that", and even more frequently, she bosses her younger sister around.

The other day, she was sitting atop her bunk bed. She wanted a toy from the shelf across the room, and rather than do it herself, she decided her father would help her. I was sitting in the same room nursing the baby when I clearly heard my toddler say:

"Papa, show me what a good boy you are and get that doll for me!"

She must have been puzzled be our laughter!