First Bicycle Ride

We live adjacent to a very long bike path. In fact, we first spotted what would become our current home while cycling on the bike path. Pre-kids, we cycled almost daily during the summer. After our first child, we slowed down significantly. After our second, we rarely cycled. However, at the end of last summer we thought our toddler might be ready to sit on a seat behind her papa's bicycle. So off we went to a local bike shop. They fitted a seat unto the back of my husband's bicycle. Unfortunately our toddler cried all the way home and refused to get into the bike seat thereafter.

This week, we thought we would give it another try. Both our toddler and baby willingly got into the bike seat, and enjoyed a 15 minute ride with their papa. We attempted to go on a second ride a few days ago, only to discover a flat tire! While at the bike shop, we decided to buy our toddler her first bicycle. Her little sister thereby inherited her tricycle. So although we haven't been back out with papa's bike, the girls have been out daily on their new bikes. Our baby doesn't do a whole lot of peddling. But thankfully, the bar on the back of her trike allows us to control her movement. Our toddler peddles quite well. But she also jumps off without warning...

Our toddler get ready for a ride with her papa.

Our baby set to go out with her papa.

Our baby's first trike!

Our toddler on her new bicycle, her sister excited about a passing dog.

Our girls did not want to part with their helmets!

Canada Day with the Family: a photo journey

We celebrated Canada Day twice this last Monday. It more than made up for last year when I was at work, our toddler was with Grandma, and the baby was home with her papa.  We started off the day with a leisurely breakfast. Our toddler ate a Canada cookie for dessert:

We then headed to our local tennis courts and tried to play tennis:

But mostly we hung out in the adjacent park:

We then headed over to a nearby park where they had daytime festivities for kids including a barbecue, bouncy castles, and cupcakes handed out by the mayor. Our baby stayed for the food and one go at the bouncy castle before heading home for a nap with her papa. Our toddler and I stayed for a few additional hours, and took many turns at the bouncy castle. We finished off with some delicious Canada Day cupcakes.

We then headed over to my husband's cousin's house in the evening. His borough was hosting evening festivities for children of all ages. Our baby and her cousin happily rode over to the local park in a wagon pulled by their older siblings. At the park they enjoyed food, bouncy castles, and playing in the park all over again.

 

We finally headed home a little after 20h. I could not believe that we had celebrated Canada Day twice in the same day! The girls no doubt wished it were Canada Day every day. They slept soundly through the night, thus allowing their parents to do the same!

Last Mini-Vacation

A Quebec-wide holiday this last Monday provided us with one last opportunity to get away without the kids before Brat #3's arrival.  My husband and I dropped the girls off at Grandma's on Saturday morning, and we returned two days later. We decided to go to Ottawa, one of our favourite Canadian cities. We stayed at a very nice centrally-located hotel. We visited with some of my husband's extended family, and a few of our friends. But mostly, we:

-relaxed

-had conversations about anything and everything except for the kids

-took leisurely strolls

-read 

-shopped

-went out for breakfast, lunch and dinner

-went to a movie

We also tried to:

-sleep in

After over three years of not sleeping in, this was harder than it seemed. We both woke up a little after 7am...

And finally, we tried to sleep through the night. Although I think my husband managed this feat, with the third baby's head pressing on my bladder, I was up far more often than I had hoped.

Overall, it was nice to get away, and we tried to appreciate every moment. In all likelihood, we will not be taking any breaks from our soon-to-be three kids for a very long time...

Meanwhile, the girls had a great time with Grandma and their Montreal-based aunt. They played in Grandma's backyard, went to multiple parks, ate healthy home-made meals, and danced and sang songs daily. They enjoyed themselves so much that when we went to pick them up, I do not think they recognized us!

Swimming in Grandma's backyard!

Climbing Grandma's safety gate!

Football Season Begins

We had heard great things about the nation-wide Sportball program, and so decided to sign our toddler up. They offered a summer session in a nearby park with an emphasis on soccer football. Class began last Thursday. We were hoping that this would be a father-daughter activity.

However, on the first day of class, father was sick, and so the plan was that I would attend the class with daughter, while my husband watched our 16-month old in the nearby playground. On the drive over to the class, our toddler fell asleep. As the entire drive was a little over five minutes, she was very cranky when we woke her up. She was not in the least impressed by her new football jersey, nor with her football. She spent the first half of the class whining...but did appear to wake up near the end of the class. The class ended with an obstacle course of sorts which included running through hoops, and bear-walking over a rope. She ran in front of the first child that had already started, and did the entire course three times while most kids finished their first lap.

We were hopeful that the second class would prove more successful. My husband was feeling 100%, and our toddler was very awake and chatty on the way to the football pitch. I walked over to the playground with my 16-month old, while our toddler warmed up with my husband. However, within a minute our toddler was running up to me in the playground, crying "I want mommy!". So it was that I attended a second class with our toddler. I wasn't sure that my big belly and I could keep up, however we did quite well. Our toddler listened to her coaches for the most part, and she even did the last activity with her father.

Perhaps third time's the charm...

Our toddler appearing to cheer, but in fact sulking!

A closeup taken a few seconds later

Our 16-month old proudly donning her sister's jersey

The Pre-School Graduate

The Graduate

Our toddler graduated from pre-school this last Friday. While I do not think she understood the concept, she did seem to realize that it was the last day of school. We were actually a little late for the ceremony, but on time for the after party! I dropped off our 16-month old at Grandma's house in the morning, and ran into a lot of traffic on the way to pre-school.

Our toddler seemed intrigued by the hat, but mostly pleased that there were pink cupcakes to munch on! She seemed to enjoy mingling with her school friends, and gave her two teachers appreciative good-bye hugs!

Graduation cake

Mmmm, pink frosting!

Hugging one of her teachers

With her second teacher

Our Little Miss Independent

Leaving crumbs in our bed

Just a month ago, we were calling her our angel. Then seemingly overnight, she started to assert herself...

She is a few days shy of 16 months old, yet she is acting as though she is in the Terrible Twos! She whines and cries and stomps her feet when she doesn't get her way. Even though she cannot yet speak, she uses all sorts of sounds to make herself clear. She refuses diaper changes, refuses to let us change her clothing, and removes her diaper as she sees fit!

My mother came over a few days ago, and asked her why she was cranky..."Did you not sleep well?", she asked. She was sitting in her stroller, demanding to be taken to the park. I explained to my mother that she had been like this for several weeks, and that it was not due to a sleep-deprived state! "But she was such an easy baby", my mother exclaimed!

Perhaps she will simply get this stage out of her system early? Is it too much to ask that by the time her sibling arrives she will revert back to her old self?

Thankfully, she still hugs and kisses us on demand!

Excuses, Excuses!

It seems like just a few months ago, my toddler simply looked guilty anytime I caught her beating up on her sister. Recently, however, she has provided a variety of interesting excuses to my queries:

I have caught her a few times over the last month whipping her sister with her blankie. Thankfully, the miniature blanket was very lightweight, and did not seem to cause any damage. When I asked her why she hit her sister, she replied: "I was slipping!"

Just yesterday, I noticed my toddler kicking her little sister who was sitting nearby. " Why are you kicking your sister?," I asked. To which she replied "my legs are too long!"

Just last week, my toddler bit my leg. She hadn't bitten me in some time, and I was very surprised. I screamed in pain, and asked why she bit me. She answered simply: "I was looking for something to eat!"

When I got home from work today, I found out that my toddler had bitten her little sister's finger. Her explanation was that she "was looking for something to drink!"

I am not to sure why I bother asking for explanations as her malicious intent is clear, and she is a few years from understanding the concept of accountability...Yet at the same time I find her explanations imaginative and humorous...

Sharing a box!

Trying on her new summer hat

Trying on her new summer hat