Wonderful and Exhausting

We have returned home from a wonderful and exhausting 10 days in Winnipeg over the holidays. We saw many people, but not as many as we would have liked and not for as much time as we would have preferred. Such is the way when you return home for a short visit during a busy season.
Most of my photos and videos are still in Winnipeg after I downloaded them on to Corey's computer to make space on the camera (we should really get a bigger memory card...) and did not get an opportunity to send them to myself. I did post some directly to FB if you're there.
Here's a small sampling:
Abi with her new doll and doll sling.


Abi with her cousins.


Abi modelling DoDo's new fish hat for me.


Robin's back to work today. Abi's sleeping in and home for the day because it's the stat holiday alternate. We'll be unpacking some more I imagine - her tossing clothes, me trying to put them away. I have no idea where I'm fitting all this stuff we brought back. Abi received all sorts of wonderful new things, like a wooden xylophone, dolls, doll sling, doll stroller, bath toys, clothes, movies, CDs, books... You know what it's like. I had serious doubts that I would fit it all (plus our gifts) into the luggage - but I did!

Unfortunately, a stomach flu was making its rounds. Abi was throwing up the two days before Christmas, but playing between up-chucks. So, aside from the mess and not liking the actual throwing-up part, she was in pretty good humour if a little clingy. She was most tired/clingy on Christmas eve and day after she finished with the flu and was hungry from not eating/keeping food down and tired from poor sleep (as were we!). As far as flues go, however, I think we had it pretty easy - no fever, relatively short lived (but poorly timed), no other symptoms.

I was pleased by how well all my hand-knit sock gifts were received. You know, being socks and all. I finished the last pair on Boxing Day. I think I could have finished before Christmas if Abi hadn't gotten sick. ;)

We hope your holidays were enjoyable.
GTG, Abi sounds like she is waking...

Gifts

Yule/Christmas is going to be FUN this year.
Abi has figured out that opening the boxes and playing with the contents is at least as fun as playing with the box. Last year it was all about the box.

We hosted an early Yule party last night with a houseful of friends and kids. There was delicious food, tasty wine, rum-raisin brownies... enough said. There were also gifts. When Abi was handed her first gift she knew exactly what to do - open it! Inside were large, stacking, circus cardboard blocks and she immediately had to open the package to start stacking them. Then she opened another gift to find a stuffed cow. "A Moo!" She was happy. So was I. Last year was fun, but this year we will see much more excitement in Abi as she opens gifts.

Already she's playing with one of her Yule gifts because I can't seem to keep it hidden. I knit her a baby doll and she adores it. I'd taken it out of hiding to show a friend last night, then I forgot to put it away. She found it on the table this morning and insisted on bringing it to daycare. The doll still needs clothes (and a name, but I've been avoiding naming any of her dolls for her).

First, Halloween - where people put things in her bag - and now Yule - where she doesn't even have to go door to door (not that she minded - that was half the fun!). It's all so exciting. I'd forgotten how exciting Yule/Christmas can be. So many new things to explore for Abi. I just hope my mother is reasonable in her shopping this year and we can fit all of Abi's gifts in the luggage... Last year's box set of Fraggle Rock was a squeeze. I'm still debating which of Abi's gifts I will bring with us to give at Yule and which can stay here.

As for gifts I have to bring to give to family - I've kept things easy to transport. Some items still need to be finished, but I am hoping I will have a little extra time once we arrive.

Where's _____?

Lately Abi has been asking where everyone is? Not just the basics such as "where's mum" or "where's dad"?
No, when she wakes from a nap at daycare and the other kids are off at school she asks where's [Rob]? They don't even have simple names like "Rob" at daycare.
After we dropped a friend's son at home she asked where he was. Out of the blue she pent today asking where Mo was - which was quite funny given that Mo was coming to our Yule party this evening.
She asks where Coco and Nana are all the time ("in Winnipeg" we reply) and then fetches her scrapbook to find their pictures. Although, she doesn't point out Corey. She knows she's in the book, but hasn't quite associated a face with her favourite name.

A couple days ago she was looking at a book with an exclamation mark in the title. She was holding it upside down and pointed out an "i". "i" she says enthusiastically about the upside down "!" I was mighty pleased :)

This morning we had breakfast with the local Pagan gaggle (haha I called us a gaggle) and A, a friends child, and Abi were playing photographer and model - or so I would describe it. A was getting Abi to pose and Abi was quite happy to oblige. I look forward to seeing pictures!! We tried to get Abi to perform Santa's Reindeer, but she was less obliging :( She clearly needs to practice performing her dance for other people. ;)

It's been a crazy weekend. Breakfast and party plans today. Yesterday I spent the day at the annual GRAB Animal Rescue fundraiser (drinking way too much delicious hot chocolate). During the previous week or so I completed several more research interviews (= more transcripts...). And we're outta here in a few days. Tomorrow I have a bunch of errands to run for the Rescue. I have no idea when I'm going to finish this Yule knitting... in Winnipeg I guess.

Diapers no more

ETA: How do I keep forgetting to mention that Abi has all her teeth in now? Well, she does.

It's official. Childcare provider has confirmed - we no longer need to use diapers.
OMG, that seems crazy to me. No more wool soakers or longies or skirties :( Damn, I knit one she hasn't even grown into yet!
Good thing I picked up those new underwear today.
Abi's been without diapers at home for a long time now, but I've always sent her to daycare with diapers because I didn't imagine the childcare provider would want to deal with the accidents that might happen. Really, I should have known earlier and talked with her childcare provider about this long ago when I noticed she would only have to change the diaper once (maybe twice, but that was probably days Abi refused to pee before we left in the morning). The rest of the time Abi was using the potty at daycare.
Today she refused a diaper and rather than be late I brought her to daycare with underwear on and extra diapers in the bag, as well as extra pants, socks, leggings, slippers - just in case.
When I picked her up, CP said she'd been in underwear (and pants of course) all day and that I needn't send diapers any more. It's easier to use the potty/toilet when you don't have a diaper to get off!

I knew this day would come eventually... but wow. Not sure I'm done with those cute wool soakers. She's still wearing a diaper to bed for now - with a wool soaker. Lately she's been a heavy wetter early in the morning hours before anyone (including her) is awake. Once we move her to her own bed (and she seems to be ready for her own space), it will be easier to have her on the soaker pad in case of accident. I know from experience that she can sleep through the night without wetting her diaper, we just don't want her wetting our bed accidentally.

The other problem is that some of her pants won't fit without a diaper on! Baby clothes are designed for diapered bums and she's petite, so toddler clothes (some of which are sized for potty-using kids) are too big/long. So if she looks to be swimming in her pants and you're wondering where her bum went... now you know.

December? Seriously?

Less than two weeks and we'll be greeting Nana and Papa and Coco and Papa and Ro and Do and Sca and Ed. If Abi knew to expect something, I think she would be very excited. We often tell her that we're going to Winnipeg and who we will see. So now, when we ask her who she will see in Winnipeg, she tells us. Corey's in for a real treat because "Co-Co" is currently one of her favourite words. And she gets excited when she sees a picture of Nana.

As people have started asking about gifts, all I'll say is that there is an updated list (and I'll try to keep it updated) linked on the side of the blog. It's http://abi.wouldlovethis.com/

Today I got the car back with its shiny new bumper. Yippee. Unfortunately, it smelled like a garage inside, so I took it out for some fresh air. We (car and I) drove down to Walmart because another friend who practices Elimination Communication had recommended a fold up toilet seat for kids she found there. Abi likes to use the toilet more than her potties now, so it made sense to us to bring a foldable seat to Winnipeg and it will help while we are out. At home we just hold her on the seat, but soon enough she'll want to do it herself. Abi has been wearing underwear a lot lately - at her insistence - so I picked up a few pairs of cloth training pants too. It's difficult to find underwear her size! It turns out, also, that all the ones her size are a bikini style rather than a full brief. I didn't realize this when I bought her first package, but I've shopped around and that's all I can find in a 2. I can find briefs in a 2/3, but those are far too big for Abi. I'm not surprised that there are few underwear options for a child Abi's age/size. I'm sure I could find some online from specialty suppliers (EC stores and whatnot), but for now we have enough.