End of the Week

It is hard to believe that Abi's first week of daycare is over. And there is another (and another...) yet to come.
She is loving it. Every day when I go to pick her up, she isn't ready to leave! She wants to stay and play more. She is also napping for 1-2 hours all by herself, as if this is what she always does. (I wish!) At night time she is still reluctant to go to bed, and she wants to sleep in every morning, but I'm hoping she'll get into a better sleep schedule soon.
J, the childcare provider, is wonderful. She plans all sorts of activities and outings for the kids. And the other kids love Abi. J's daughter was overheard telling people that Abi is her sister! lol Wishful thinking on her part. It's nice to see how well the older kids play with Abi and help to look out for her. Great modelling of behaviour.
I'm feeling like a grad student again - it's a good feeling. I'd still much prefer to be taking care of Abi myself, but I do need to finish this PhD... [all together now: YES! So you can move back to Winnipeg!!]

We've had a busy weekend too! Yesterday Abi and I joined a friend and her son at the local Medieval Faire - once we awoke after quite the sleep-in. Then I was busy preparing to host a Mabon Celebration for kids here, which took up most of the evening and had me waking early (by my standards) at 7am (on a Sunday) to bake muffins and finish cleaning (after Abi tossed all her toys back on the floor Saturday night). The celebration started at 10am and took us past lunch. It was a lot of fun and we were joined by several other families. We celebrated this harvest season with a nature walk, baking corn bread (with help from the kids!), eating corn bread and pumkin-apple muffins, drinking apple cider, and making corn crafts with maize. All the kids had a wonderful time and we made new friends.

Sorry about the lack of photos recently. I've not had much opportunity to take any! There are some from the Medieval Festival that my friend will send to me.

I must get back to the family now - soak up the last couple hours of the weekend together. We hope yours has been enjoyable!

Day 3

I feel like a grad student again - and this is a good thing.
Sitting out on the deck, taking notes and reading - totally undisturbed...
It brought back many fond memories... of doing this daily... back in the day when I could.

Abi's still enjoying childcare and still napping and otherwise playing all day. All day play! When I pick her up, she's still wanting to stay and play more. She still doesn't want to wake in the morning. It's a struggle to get her ready in time for childcare. She's not going to bed early either - try as we might to get her to sleep. I'm hoping by the end of the week the long days of playing will catch up and she will start going to sleep earlier at night. We'll see.

Meanwhile, I'm adjusting to this more quickly than I expected. It's been a very productive two days. I'm not yet in full swing - but I'm getting there. I keep checking the clock - when can I pick up Abi? Not that she HAS to stay there all day, but I know I need to accustom myself to this schedule (schedules?? I am not a schedule-person!). So I find another task to keep busy with until about 4:45.

In short, things are going very well.

End of The Day

Mid-day I received this message by e-mail, just as I was changing my FB status to reflect how strange it feels to not watch Abi all/most of the day.

I just thought I would let you know your child is an angel. She has had an amazing first day and is currently napping. I have not seen a tear all day, not even at nap time.

Wow, Abi napping??? She's never gone to sleep for other babysitters. It takes me a good hour to get her to nap usually, if not longer!

Seriously, if this is to be the norm, it's FANTASTIC. Soon enough, I'm sure, I'll grow accustomed to having an entire work day to focus on my dissertation without interruption. Today it's very strange and difficult to stay focused when I keep waiting to be interrupted/needed by Abi. Even when Robin is watching her, at most I get 90-120 minutes uninterrupted - if I'm lucky. If I can hear her fussing for a long time I can't help but intercede in some way.
[...]
So, I went to pick her up at 5 and found her playing outside (supervised of course) on the slide. Do you think she cried to see me like usual? No. Didn't seem too impressed that I was there - especially when I suggested we go home (and leave the slide!)

Not only did she fall asleep no problem for a nap, but she napped for almost 2 hours. She never cried or whined once. It was suggested that I should "make more" of these babies. LOL.
[Except, what are the odds I'd actually birth another baby like Abi? Aren't I scheduled for her opposite? Yes, I'm scared of having another just for this reason!]

I am happy for Abi - she clearly enjoys her long days of play with others. Tomorrow she gets to see butterflies. [I'm jealous!] Me, I'll be reading/writing/transcribing/cleaning my office.

Divided

Abi didn't want to wake up this morning. 8am and 8:30 attempts were greeted with a clear "NO!" as Abi rolled over again and went back to sleep. By 9am I was starting to dress her in her sleep in preparation of having to get her out of bed to take her to daycare. By the time I was done dressing her, she was less cranky about the whole thing. I was afraid she'd subsequently cling to me once we arrived at daycare, but instead she reached for J, the daycare provider, who she's never met before, and that was it. She was gone from my arms and happily exploring the new surroundings (and so many new toys!) I had to leave her breakfast so that she could eat it later because, of course, she was far too busy to eat!
Soonafter, I waved goodbye and left. Abi was too busy playing to pay much attention.
This is clearly more traumatic for me than her...

Got into the car and had to focus on calming myself. I had the oh-so-brilliant idea to swing by the university, pick up my old student course evaluations (submitted for a job application), and finally read my evals from last term - you know, to distract myself. That is, to redirect my anxieties away from Abi's absence towards criticism (and praise - but let's be honest, it's the criticisms that stand out).

So far it seems to have worked. I just got home and I'm not freaking out. Trying to center - and I think in order to be productive I will need to clean my office so I can actually find things again. Being able to move within my office would also be helpful.
[Not having to listen to a neighbour's kid drive around in an electric jeep would also be great. Yes, those things bother me - get a bike (he has one) and get some exercise! What are we teaching kids if we let them drive around in mini jeeps? Jeeps that can't even get over the lip into the driveway I might add.]

Yarn Yarn Yarn

In response to recently having been told that I may be strange for loving yarn...
here are some yarn slideshows.

1) My divine gifts from the Knitters Fair this weekend

2) My favourite Wellintgton Fibres wools

3) More favourite wools

Next time I'll show you what I do with my yarn. And then we can get back to the regularly scheduled Abi-ness.

Oh, this morning she said downstairs (ie, where Fenwick had just gone)

Late KNight Knit thoughts

Tomorrow is the big Knitters Fair and I'm trying to prepare myself with "a list" so I won't get too silly. I've never been to a Knitters Fair - where 80 plus vendors of yarn offer up temptations. One store is overwhelming (I'm talking stores such as Romni Wools and Shall We Knit, not Michaels), what will an entire fair be like???
So what's on my list? First and foremost - solid coloured sock yarn. I'm a sock-knitting fanatic. Easy, portable, relatively fast (well, considering the thin yarn and tiny needles), highly satisfying, cozy... need I go on?
After that, I have some yardage on a few different heavier weight yarns for a sweater or wrap - just some options. Given that I've managed to accumulate a small yarn stash over the past year (I recall when I lamented having absolutely no stash), I really should focus on using that up... Which is why I have a list. Because, there will be a LOT of yarn that I will want to fill my office with. And, thinking about it, and office filled with yarn isn't a bad idea. Sound-proofing for when I feel like screaming. Padding for when I throw my laptop. Soft things to throw if necessary. A bed if I fall asleep reading. Yarn to tie myself to my desk. Softness to squeeze and release stress.

Well now, how can I NOT buy oodles more yarn tomorrow?
I'm so glad I had this little chat with myself.

Now, to bed - to dream of alpaca and silk and unfinished socks. (Incidentally, I finished my first big-foot-man-sock today! I hope this man doesn't expect to receive socks all the time. Did I mention it's big?? And cabled?? That's love. And one Yule gift half done. I hope I don't have nightmares of the second sock. Great, why'd I have to go and think that!
Alpaca.
Silk.
Blankety-softness (as opposed to actually knitting the blanket, which would take forever - like Abi's fingering-weight ribbed pinwheel blanket...)

Child Care

After 18 months, Abi is soon to start child care so that I can finish my PhD and we can move home.

That's the short version.
The longer version would say more about being torn between child care and continuing to look after her myself, applying for child care subsidy, things about a village raising a child perhaps. But I'm not in the mood to write the long version. Perhaps because it is all rather nebulous still in my mind. I don't really want to think about it. I'm doing what needs to be done - so I can finish the PhD and we can move home.

Fortunately, our child care is home daycare and the childcare provider is wonderful. She came highly recommended by a friend and I was able to learn she had an opening early. She'd also met Abi once while this friend was babysitting - and who wouldn't want to provide childcare for Abi?? lol I DO I DO!!!

I'm nervous, but perhaps I'll focus on being curious about how this will all unfold as Abi starts spending her days with other kids elsewhere. I know she'll love all the activities and just being with other kids.

For myself, I'm looking forward to really diving into my work. So far I've actually only been able to tread water and swim a little. I have so much I want to write and have not had the opportunities I need to sit down and pull it all together uninterrupted.

Child care was supposed to start this week, but due to paper work stuff it didn't. I spent most of the week enjoying the summer with Abi - and we had great weather for it.

Words, Wrap, Diaper-free nights

Words just keep coming out of Abi's mouth! Words like Door and Apple and, today, Doll. Rather than try to blog every new word, I've added a Word List to the blog [if you read this on FB, you'll have to click the link to see the original post at Blogger]. There I will add the new words to the top of the list.

"Doll" started when we took a Groovy Girl doll with us to a meeting today. I had bought her a new one yesterday and when I was about to put it away, she became quite interested in it. I pulled out the other three for her to see. She's not one to play with stuffed toys much, but she does like to gather them up in her arms occasionally. I'll leave the dolls out for now to see if she wants to play with them. I'm hoping to get her a SewFunky Waldorf doll for Yule.She's been quite clingy lately. She loves the wrap and still prefers this carry (rather than a front-facing or back carry). See George lounging in the background - enjoying the baby-free time! He knows to expect Abi-hugs if he sleeps there, and yet it is still his favourite place. He knows the Abi-free places if he needs them.

I am also pleased to report that Abi has been sleeping through the night without peeing. This is especially good given that she's not wearing a diaper to bed. There is a large soaker pad underneath her in case she were to pee. She prefers, however, to get out of bed and use the potty in the room.
Have I mentioned how much I love my baby???
As soon as she starts telling me that she has to go (rather than me just reading her signals), we can go diaper-free all the time. It's my own fault for not emphasizing this earlier - getting her to sign for potty. It didn't seem necessary when she was taking herself to the potty. She never had to ask.

In addition to the new Groovy Girl, I bought (for a mere 99cents) Dr. Seuss' Sleep Book and it's my new favourite! Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You as well as I Love You, Goodnight (all of which I memorized months ago) are still favourites. I hate to give away my source, but the local Goodwill Store is my favourite place to shop for children's books. You can't go wrong with 99 cents books in mint condition! Nobody else would sell a Dr. Seuss book for that price.

Of Mice and Weeds

Abi enjoys kicking soccer balls. She also enjoys pretending they are hats. Why? I don't know, but apparently it's hilarious to her.

It's been another busy week. If you're on FB, you may have noticed that we had some baby mice in the house. Yes, eww. Robin had spotted the mouse race under the basement futon one night - with George quickly following. We've not seen the mouse since. Nevertheless, Robin conducted a thorough cleaning of the rec room (WOOT!). In the process, he found these newborn mice.

He was too grossed out to move them, so I used some cardboard to scoop them into this box and delivered them outside under a bush (not in my yard). I'll be honest, I'm sure they didn't survive the cold night (despite it being summer) and if they did, I'm sure some local animal would have found them a tasty snack. But I wasn't about to kill them directly.

You may also have heard that I had a friendly visit from a municipal by-law enforcement officer informing me that my backyard is too weedy. Now it's not - and that was a major job! First step was to severely prune the rose bushes just so I could get to the backyard. Next, pruning shears still in hand, I began to tackle the prickly plants. Sorry, but I'm too embarrassed to have taken before and after pictures. It ain't pretty now since the stupid hill is being held together by the wild-plant (they're only weeds if you don't want them there!) roots - so I chopped down the plants by hand (for the Goldenrod and Thistles) and weed-wacker (for the Colt's Foot) but left the bases. Once again we will try to cover the hill with Creeping Thyme for next year. Last year's seeds seem to have taken well. I've also scattered Columbine all over the bottom of the hill and some Musk Mallow in one of my former gardens for next year.
For the sake of context, here is the known history of that backyard - a previous homeowner (about a year before we bought?) had used Roundup to clear the hill than covered it over with sod. Needless to say, the sod didn't take and the grass has been dying since. I tried to create some garden beds along the sides, but the only things that will take well are herbs - which I am now going to focus on. The whole time we've been fighting with Colt's Foot (an annoying rhizome) and Thistles. Last year, with Abi's birth, I didn't get out to tend the hill as I had in previous years. This year I had better intentions... but, well, didn't get around to it. Late summer with sudden rains and sun provided the perfect environment for the wild plants to grow quickly - so that by the time I had a child-free opportunity, the back hill was too frightening and some other chore quickly became more important...
Next year... next year I'll tame that hill with Abi's help.

Another Beautiful Summer Day

I realize some people are lamenting these cooler summer days, but I love them. I would rather throw on a cozy hoodie to block the cool breeze than sweat in a humid heat and hide in my house out of the sun. Abi also much prefers these cooler days when I feel comfortable letting her play outside. She's going to love Autumn!
This morning she took Darla for a walk. Yes, Abi walked Darla (with a little help from me). She insisted not only that we take Darla on a walk (with her usual method of finding the leash and trying to put the Halti on Darla), but that she hold the end of the leash (while I held it in the middle at our short-leash knot). It was adorable. As an added bonus, Abi wasn't wandering off on the walk.
After the walk and some lunch for Abi, we drove out to New Hamburg to meet Connie at Meme's Cafe. Delicious! Abi had a well-deserved nap, and I had a wonderful lunch. Next we popped into Shall We Knit, a LYS conveniently located in New Hamburg. I picked up some sock yarn as well as some "leftovers" ends of Koigu for Abi's Leftovers Blanket. You see, I had this idea a couple weeks ago to use up my fabulous sock yarn with a pinwheel-style blanket. I imagined it would grow over time. I quickly ran out of leftovers... Buying a full skein or ball of yarn just for the blanket would defeat the purpose of a leftover blanket, so I either need to churn out more socks and wait, wait, wait to work on the blanket, or... Needless to say, when I noticed the small "leftover" skeins I snapped up a few. They are leftovers of a form (from winding skeins) - just not from my socks. By the end of the blanket I'll certainly have to buy full skeins because as it grows the circumference will be very large and leftovers might not make more than one round, if that. So far it has a radius of 10". If I aim for a 30" radius, that means I'm 1/3 of the way finished, right? SHHHH. No math please. Leave me alone in my deliberate fantasy.

After New Hamburg and dinner at home, we headed to Waterloo Park to join fellow knitters. While Abi spent 3 hours (!!!!!) playing on the slides, I knit 7 rounds on the blanket and used up one whole "leftover" skein. Granted, my knitting was slowed by the fact that I was walking around a play structure for 3 hours, but 7 rounds and a leftover skein in 3 hours is not a lot. Abi had a blast. While other kids and their families came and went, Abi played on - always excited by new kids arriving.

While Abi and I played, Robin was out Geo-Caching with a buddy after work.

Tomorrow we're going to visit a friend's new home. If the rain holds off I imagine we'll walk the dog, maybe play a little ball in the yard, chase Abi around... same old, same old.