P.N.E.!

Where else can a two-year-old see Rolf Harris, Wayne Newton, ride a helicopter and a train, and visit a fake barnyard all in one day for free?

Funny Cat

We were at Robert's Creek visiting Auntie Marsha yesterday (Sunshine Coast). The neighbour's cat came over for a visit and fun (see the ring flying through the air in these photos). Watch the fun on the videos!

Shuswap!

Olivia looked at these pictures today, and said "Go there?" when she saw the pool table. She said "Hi Auntie Laura" when she saw the video of the kite flying and drumming with Uncle Mike. Ryan and Maria took her out on the boat to watch Mike innertube. She had a lot of fun at the lake!

Home Sweet Home

We're back from a great vacation at Shuswap Lake. I'm not saying Olivia didn't have a good time with Auntie Laura, Uncle Mike, Auntie Maria, and Uncle Ryan, and her mom and dad, but it's fun to see her enjoy being home. Within 20 minutes of waking this morning she: 1) asked for her dance floor to be put down (four spongy plastic tiles that fit together like a puzzle), 2) painted 3 watercolours, 3) played outside (she slid down her slide on the patio), 4) played with her dolls that didn't come on the trip (she said "do you remember me?" as she played with them), and 5) pretend slept (lying under the covers and soon after yelling "WAKE UP!") - we wish she could sleep well for REAL!, - and 6) she didn't ask for a video! Olivia is happy: happy to be home, and happy to travel with her family.

Rock and Roll All Night and Potty Everyday. (well, maybe once a day)

If you're not careful, the expectations and pressures from everyone around you can drive you mad. When it was close to the milestone we were constantly bombarded with people telling us we needed to put her on her stomach as she would never crawl. Then everyone seemed to want to drag her around by her arms trying to make her walk. Now I've noticed that there are lots of people that take their baby's bottle away from them at a very young age, and I'm not sure why? I was even told "Only babies drink from bottles". Well, what is 2? A teenager? In this day and age where we are so afraid of kids growing up too fast, wouldn't it be good to be more relaxed about this type of thing? I mean she's not 8 walking around sucking on a bottle? Now we're reaching potty training time and I've been told:

1) Lazy parents have babies who potty train late or slow

2) Reward her with treats like a dog. One person (who shall remain nameless...you know who you are!) even said she used this tactic because that's how they trained RETARDED kids!!hahahahahahaha

3) You have to make it a full time project or she won't respond. What -will she poo in her pants forever if I don't teach her? All I know is I don't like to poo my pants. Do you?

The ridiculous thing about this parenthood job is, even though it's one of the hardest projects you will ever have, human beings are pretty amazing and evolved. It seems that everything she has needed to do, she has definitely done in her own time and not outside of the regular scope of what "they" say is "normal" (who are THEY and what the hell IS normal?....do I sound like Andy Rooney?hahaha)

And breastfeeding. Please don't judge. I'm not going to be one of those moms who pulls my boob out in the middle of a store or restaurant, I'm very conscious of it and she doesn't really want it that much, but I am choosing to wean her slowly. (regardless, this isn't any of your business, those of you who seem to have an opinion) There have been so many different trends and generations that are so vastly different. Really whatever works best for people should be tolerated. Why does it have to be such a big deal? I know from family members I get offside comments when she asks for "Bo" (her word for boob) that she's too big for that. Just stop already. YOU are too big for it so stop acting like somebody should stick a boob in YOUR mouth!!! DOH.....is that my outside voice?

Should I tell you how I REALLY feel?

On a lighter note, and playing on the other part of the title - Rock and Roll is something Olivia says daily. She dances daily to KISS. While I don't have a video of her with that music, here is one with the Dixie Chicks from a while back. (she's over them now and refuses to dance to this song, although if I sing it she identifies it as Dixie Chicks)

Parental Bias?

So, I used to roll my eyes as a dance teacher when people told me their child was "gifted" or "special" (clap-clap). And now, here I am, a parent......and I fight saying something of the sort about my own child. I don't want to be one of those bragging parents. I still remember being in the hospital, the day after Olivia was born, hearing Bill tell someone on the phone "She's a smart baby" and thinking, What the hell? How can you tell how SMART she is? Her eyes are barely open!? But then as the day wore on, this little tiny person had such an intense stare. It was like she had some extreme purpose for being here right from her first breath. If you look back in our blog, you can see that she was put in intensive care where she promptly ripped a feeding tube out of her nose letting everyone know what she would stand for. This kid has spirit, let me tell you. And as much as it makes things challenging, it is the most unbelievable example of life to me. Yes, I'm exhausted and no, she doesn't sleep very much. But I wouldn't have it any other way. She is one of the most interesting, intuitive, funny people I have ever met. (my mom says she's restless because I tapped danced too much while I was pregnant!)

She is surrounded by dynamic, open minded, cool, artsy people and it is only adding to this. We are so lucky to have such cool people in our lives and she feels very social with them all . Anytime I answer the phone she says "Mama, who dat?". And then she picks up the extension some of the time and says "Come over". Her new thing is trying to hold hands with everyone. She has also taken it upon herself to introduce us all at the park, "This is dada (or a few times "Bill") and Mama", and then she points to herself, "Olivia!".

One of the things she really loves is coming to the "Tappy" studio. Here is a clip from a while back of her tapping in her party dress. (yes, how annoying - dance clips of my child. Well, you're here reading, aren't you?)

Jennifer

Colours!

This is one of Olivia's favorite videos right now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aimaqnRJPM. It's called Peep of a different color. Birds find cans of paint and change their own colors.

Olivia knows red, blue, purple, yellow, and pink. We started calling them Elmo red, Big Bird Yellow, and Abby pink, etc. She was saying this last January in Maui. There was a big flower by our room outside. She would say "Elmo red" every time we passed it.

Now she's painting and getting to know colours even better!