Last night Sadie and I went to a birthday party for my friends little girl.
On the way there a thought crossed my mind that I was setting myself up to be in a big panic about Christmas.
Why?
I knew my friends daughter had the exact kitchen with the exact Melissa and Doug food we were going to get Sadie, but didn't. I feared Sadie seeing the toys and going crazy for them knowing we had wanted to get them but decided not to. 6 days before Christmas. Gulp.
I knew that walking through the front door of my friends house could cost me $300... not that Sadie has any clue she's about to be showered with brightly wrapped presents. She also doesn't understand the concept of wanting something in the future and not getting it. There would be no tears on Christmas morning over there not being a kitchen yet I would still want to go out and spend that money.
For our family, Santa IS the reason for the season and at times like this I feel a twinge of guilt that I/we don't believe in something deeper.
In the end Sadie didn't give a hoot about the kitchen. She didn't care about the fancy wooden food either. She found a single toy car on the shelf of the toy fridge and THAT is what she wanted to play with.
Crisis averted.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
JDZ: Two Moms, One Toddler
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Four Calling Birds: Holiday Cards
Our 2011 Holiday Card:
Now, if I hadn't been fighting with the photographer (long story - NOT going back to Sears Portrait Studio again) I may have thought to add our names and the date... but Sadie is so cute it doesn't matter.
Now, if I hadn't been fighting with the photographer (long story - NOT going back to Sears Portrait Studio again) I may have thought to add our names and the date... but Sadie is so cute it doesn't matter. Thursday, December 15, 2011
Two Turtle Doves: Loved Ones
joining in now...
Loved ones.
I'm sad this year because it has been a trying year when it comes to family. I'm sure some of you are waiting for the day I write about kicking my mom out and never speaking to her again... but that's not what this is about. My mom and I are in pretty good shape. Sure there have been issues but nothing even blog worthy.
The issue is my dad. We're now 10 days out from Christmas and 130 days since our last visit. We live 30 min from each other. My Dad has seen Sadie 4 times this year. Once in February, April, May and August. 4 times, all initiated by us. Not one invite or one dinner or even phone call in between. Just 4 quick visits.
Our last visit was HORRIBLE. Sadie was hungry and there was a heavy rain storm that had abruptly started. Instead of asking us to stay for dinner they gave Sadie a banana for the road. What kind of grandparent does that? At that point I'd had enough. I said we weren't visiting again until we were extended an invite.
We're now 10 days out from Christmas and 130 days since our last visit and NO INVITE.
Of course no invite may be better than last years invite which sounded like:
"You're not planning on staying for dinner on Christmas, right?"
No dad we weren't...
Christmas should be about loved ones and it will be. It will be about our little family. Sadie, D, myself and my mom. I hope papa figures out why he's such an ass before he misses his only grandchild growing up.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Loved ones.
I'm sad this year because it has been a trying year when it comes to family. I'm sure some of you are waiting for the day I write about kicking my mom out and never speaking to her again... but that's not what this is about. My mom and I are in pretty good shape. Sure there have been issues but nothing even blog worthy.
The issue is my dad. We're now 10 days out from Christmas and 130 days since our last visit. We live 30 min from each other. My Dad has seen Sadie 4 times this year. Once in February, April, May and August. 4 times, all initiated by us. Not one invite or one dinner or even phone call in between. Just 4 quick visits.
Our last visit was HORRIBLE. Sadie was hungry and there was a heavy rain storm that had abruptly started. Instead of asking us to stay for dinner they gave Sadie a banana for the road. What kind of grandparent does that? At that point I'd had enough. I said we weren't visiting again until we were extended an invite.
We're now 10 days out from Christmas and 130 days since our last visit and NO INVITE.
Of course no invite may be better than last years invite which sounded like:
"You're not planning on staying for dinner on Christmas, right?"
No dad we weren't...
Christmas should be about loved ones and it will be. It will be about our little family. Sadie, D, myself and my mom. I hope papa figures out why he's such an ass before he misses his only grandchild growing up.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Sleep update
For the past 3 nights Sadie has gone to bed in HER bed. We've even given her the choice and she chooses her own room. Too easy, right?
On the first night she lasted until 11:30 before she woke up screaming and in tears. I brought her into bed with me and she hugged me super tight!
On the second night she lasted until 11:00 pm before letting Mommy know she'd had enough. D was still awake so she brought her to me. That night was pretty brutal. Sadie was up until about 3:00 am (with Granny who volunteered) before being put back to bed... in her own bed. An hour or so later she screamed and cried and wouldn't settle down even with lots of hugs and kisses. It was a BAD night.
Last night (night #3) she lasted again until around 11:00 pm before she came into my room and stood silently staring at me until I woke up by instinct. Kinda freaky. I brought her in my bed.
It would seem that we're actually doing this. I'm sad because I love my night time cuddles and had even imagined Sadie still in our bed when #2 arrived. I love co-sleeping.
The problem is that co-sleeping is quite literally ruining our marraige. We haven't slept in the same room since April '10 and I am dealing with major resentment towards D for sleeping through the night when I'm not. The main problem with the current arrangement is that I'm always first in line for all sleep issues and let me tell you how I want to murder D when I go to ask for help and she is sleeping so soundly that I need to shake her......
There is also my "angry all the time state", my twitching eyes and being tired all the time. It finally occurred to me that D uses the excuse that she's cranky when she doesn't sleep well. What does that mean for me? I never sleep well so no wonder I'm such a bitch. I think the accumulative sleep loss is finally taking it's toll on me.
So that's where we are. I feel like we have a long road ahead of us dealing with independant sleeping, saying goodbye to bottles and retiring Sadie's much beloved chooch. Poor kid. ):
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
On the first night she lasted until 11:30 before she woke up screaming and in tears. I brought her into bed with me and she hugged me super tight!
On the second night she lasted until 11:00 pm before letting Mommy know she'd had enough. D was still awake so she brought her to me. That night was pretty brutal. Sadie was up until about 3:00 am (with Granny who volunteered) before being put back to bed... in her own bed. An hour or so later she screamed and cried and wouldn't settle down even with lots of hugs and kisses. It was a BAD night.
Last night (night #3) she lasted again until around 11:00 pm before she came into my room and stood silently staring at me until I woke up by instinct. Kinda freaky. I brought her in my bed.
It would seem that we're actually doing this. I'm sad because I love my night time cuddles and had even imagined Sadie still in our bed when #2 arrived. I love co-sleeping.
The problem is that co-sleeping is quite literally ruining our marraige. We haven't slept in the same room since April '10 and I am dealing with major resentment towards D for sleeping through the night when I'm not. The main problem with the current arrangement is that I'm always first in line for all sleep issues and let me tell you how I want to murder D when I go to ask for help and she is sleeping so soundly that I need to shake her......
There is also my "angry all the time state", my twitching eyes and being tired all the time. It finally occurred to me that D uses the excuse that she's cranky when she doesn't sleep well. What does that mean for me? I never sleep well so no wonder I'm such a bitch. I think the accumulative sleep loss is finally taking it's toll on me.
So that's where we are. I feel like we have a long road ahead of us dealing with independant sleeping, saying goodbye to bottles and retiring Sadie's much beloved chooch. Poor kid. ):
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, December 12, 2011
O Christmas Twig
This year we bought the skinniest tree on the lot....
Cheese!! Not too bad from the front!
Side view to the get full effect!!
Our Christmas Twig!Thank you for all of your advice and comments on my previous post. I have more to say on sleep issues but I need to think it through a bit more.... sleep in our house is an issue for all of the wrong reasons!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Random Sadie updates
•Sadie amazes me every single day. For all of her reckless and crazy behaviour she’s really coming around and enjoying her programs. I’m so glad we chose to stick it out despite her worst behaviour because we are finally seeing results. For example, learning how to take turns. Sadie is AWESOME at taking turns now. She can wait in a line without holding my hand and she will actually wait for someone to finish what they are doing before she takes her turn. It’s amazing to see this since until recently I had to wrestle with her to stop her from ambushing everyone and everything in her sight. She is also excellent at sharing which is something I’m very proud of. Please don’t tell me that will be short lived!!!
•Sadie is on a 4-6 month waiting list for speech therapy after being assessed last month. It’s a long wait and we’re hoping that she learns to talk on her own before we get into the program. In recent weeks she’s increased her vocabulary and seems to be more talkative. I remember that even from the beginning people would comment on how quiet she was so maybe she’s just holding back? We know she is smart; she just won’t talk other than some very simple nouns.
•Sadie has started napping in her big girl bed. She doesn’t seem ready to transition to night time sleeping but she loves it during the day.
•Bedtime has become a struggle lately. I have always been the one to put Sadie to bed but for the past week she has only slept for D or my mom. I’m not sure what to think. I ask her “Do you want Mommy?” and she says “Yes”. Mommy comes in, I leave, she screams like she is being tortured, calling out for me, and falls asleep minutes later. D then comes down the hall with a smug look on her face. I’m really not impressed.
•In an effort to actually get more sleep I’ve experimented with using my pregnancy pillow (snoogle?) as a barrier between us. This keeps Sadie on her side of the bed and allows me to sleep so much better because I’m not always being pushed to the edge. It’s worked for the few nights we’ve done it but I’m actually feeling a lot more tired during the day despite having felt like I’ve slept more soundly during the night. I love co-sleeping but I am starting to wonder about the long term effects of the light sleeping on my productivity and mental state. I feel like I haven’t slept a good night in 2 years… it’s hard and D and I are at conflict over this. D thinks Sadie should be in her own bed but I worry that I’ll still be up frequently attending to her needs but in another room rather than just rolling over and back to sleep. I’d love feedback from anyone still co-sleeping or anyone who has transitioned their child to their own bed. I’m tired and I just want a full night of sleeping... even just one. Dear Santa….?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
•Sadie is on a 4-6 month waiting list for speech therapy after being assessed last month. It’s a long wait and we’re hoping that she learns to talk on her own before we get into the program. In recent weeks she’s increased her vocabulary and seems to be more talkative. I remember that even from the beginning people would comment on how quiet she was so maybe she’s just holding back? We know she is smart; she just won’t talk other than some very simple nouns.
•Sadie has started napping in her big girl bed. She doesn’t seem ready to transition to night time sleeping but she loves it during the day.
•Bedtime has become a struggle lately. I have always been the one to put Sadie to bed but for the past week she has only slept for D or my mom. I’m not sure what to think. I ask her “Do you want Mommy?” and she says “Yes”. Mommy comes in, I leave, she screams like she is being tortured, calling out for me, and falls asleep minutes later. D then comes down the hall with a smug look on her face. I’m really not impressed.
•In an effort to actually get more sleep I’ve experimented with using my pregnancy pillow (snoogle?) as a barrier between us. This keeps Sadie on her side of the bed and allows me to sleep so much better because I’m not always being pushed to the edge. It’s worked for the few nights we’ve done it but I’m actually feeling a lot more tired during the day despite having felt like I’ve slept more soundly during the night. I love co-sleeping but I am starting to wonder about the long term effects of the light sleeping on my productivity and mental state. I feel like I haven’t slept a good night in 2 years… it’s hard and D and I are at conflict over this. D thinks Sadie should be in her own bed but I worry that I’ll still be up frequently attending to her needs but in another room rather than just rolling over and back to sleep. I’d love feedback from anyone still co-sleeping or anyone who has transitioned their child to their own bed. I’m tired and I just want a full night of sleeping... even just one. Dear Santa….?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
A Day in the City
We had to go into Toronto this weekend for a Dr.'s appointment (Sadie still has an ear infection) so we decided to stay for the day. Our first stop was Allan Gardens Conservatory which is a greenhouse near where we used to live. The Conservatory is gorgeous inside and tropically warm even in the winter. Sadie had a great time posing for pictures and running around.
Our final stop was Nathan Phillips Square to pick up our car and escape back to the burbs. While walking through we stopped at the ice skating rink briefly and saw a mom with a toddler daughter who had been skating. We ended up chatting with her and she asked if Sadie would like to try her daughter's skates. At first I was hesitant (Sadie with blades on her feet!!) but we decided to try it out. Sadie had a blast!! The mom was so nice and super trusting as she left her daughter with D as we went around the rink together. This is how Sadie has ended up with ice skates and a helmet for Christmas! This was also the best part of our day..
We did eventually find Santa - just not in Toronto. Sadie didn't cry this year but she wasn't entirely interested in getting her picture taken either. We have a couple of more shots while at work Christmas parties so we're hoping to get a good shot at some point.... fingers crossed..
Our next stop was the mall to see Santa unfortunately the mall didn't have Santa (strange, right?) so we left. We decided to check out a kids festival that was happening outside the mall but were quickley scared away by the large crowds. That is one thing that we are no longer used to living in the burbs and I can't say that I miss it. In fact our day in the city helped us see how much we love not living there anymore. As you can see, we kept leaving and didn't really enjoy ourselves.
 |
| |Yong-Dundas Square |
 |
| Nathan Phillips Square |
Tis the season...
To go shopping...
I think we're done our Christmas and Birthday shopping and if not, we should be. Although I'm not really in the Christmas mood yet, I have had fun picking out Sadie's presents.
This year we've tried to scale back and not buy too much. Most of Sadie's presents fit in a single (not too large) re-usable shopping bag.
Her big presents from Santa include a FP Racin' Ramps
Garage (used from Once Upon a Child), a pair of ice skates (double blades) and a the cutest pink Hockey helmet. Sadie has already been skating and she LOVES it.
The rest of her presents are smaller items and stocking stuffers. Melissa and Doug crayons, a colouring book, lots of books, match box cars, colour changing cars, a couple of Thomas trains (Christmas themed), play-doh and a set of wooden building blocks.
For her birthday she is getting a Buzz Lightyear doll, tickets to Disney on Ice and more books.
She's getting lots and lots of books (which is a good thing because I'm sick of her current stash).
This leaves out her getting a kitchen and toy food. Originally that was going to be her big gift but then we bought her the Chuggington train table, used, for a fantastic price.
These are ALL of her presents from Momma, Mommy and Santa combined and yes, one is even used. I'm not ashamed to say it.
I'm curious to know what other people think about "big" gifts. Do you pick one BIG item or do you prefer smaller gifts? To be honest, I worry a bit about big gifts escalating out of hand and not being able to match the expectations from the previous year. Are you considering presents you recieved as a child when you buy for yours? Do you think the expectations for big gifts at Christmas are getting out of hand? My brother asked for $500 headphones, as an example. He's 12. Oy. Vey.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I think we're done our Christmas and Birthday shopping and if not, we should be. Although I'm not really in the Christmas mood yet, I have had fun picking out Sadie's presents.
This year we've tried to scale back and not buy too much. Most of Sadie's presents fit in a single (not too large) re-usable shopping bag.
Her big presents from Santa include a FP Racin' Ramps
Garage (used from Once Upon a Child), a pair of ice skates (double blades) and a the cutest pink Hockey helmet. Sadie has already been skating and she LOVES it.
The rest of her presents are smaller items and stocking stuffers. Melissa and Doug crayons, a colouring book, lots of books, match box cars, colour changing cars, a couple of Thomas trains (Christmas themed), play-doh and a set of wooden building blocks.
For her birthday she is getting a Buzz Lightyear doll, tickets to Disney on Ice and more books.
She's getting lots and lots of books (which is a good thing because I'm sick of her current stash).
This leaves out her getting a kitchen and toy food. Originally that was going to be her big gift but then we bought her the Chuggington train table, used, for a fantastic price.
These are ALL of her presents from Momma, Mommy and Santa combined and yes, one is even used. I'm not ashamed to say it.
I'm curious to know what other people think about "big" gifts. Do you pick one BIG item or do you prefer smaller gifts? To be honest, I worry a bit about big gifts escalating out of hand and not being able to match the expectations from the previous year. Are you considering presents you recieved as a child when you buy for yours? Do you think the expectations for big gifts at Christmas are getting out of hand? My brother asked for $500 headphones, as an example. He's 12. Oy. Vey.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, November 28, 2011
2011 Holiday Craft Exchange - Sneak Peek
Sadie making our 2011 Holiday Craft Exchange Ornaments! Our busy little elf!
She had a little help (:
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Sadie's BIG girl room
Yes, Sadie FINALLY has a "big girl room" with a "big girl bed"! It only took a year to finish
Closet doors are not on yet so you can see her messy closet!
Sadie LOVES trucks, trains, and cars. Dolls? Princesses? Not so much. I had been wondering if we were influencing her away from "girls toys" but then I saw the room we created. It's pink and girly with butterflys, flowers and fairies and likely *not* the room she'd choose for herself. So I guess we are *trying* to infuence her but are also letting her be exactly who she wants to be.Thursday, November 10, 2011
Bullet Updates
*We’ve booked Disney for next fall!! It will be the same time as this year but only a week and we will have free dining again (promotion ends December 17th which is why we’ve booked so early). We’ve always stayed at Pop Century but this time we decided to pay extra to move up a resort level and are staying at a moderate. I think I’m more excited about our resort than I am the parks! Yes, I know this all sounds excessive but THIS is our thing. We love Disney and Sadie does too!
*Sadie has been a champ when it comes to taking her amoxicillin. What a difference 6 months makes!! Last time she was on it we had to fight her so much. Now we fill the dispenser and hand it to her.
*We are now on the waitlist for part time daycare, 2 days a week. We’ll likely get a spot around June when Sadie is 2.5 since that is the official “start” age. Up until then, once she’s 2, there is a chance she’ll be accepted if she fits into a certain ratio of kids for her age. Honestly, this wasn’t my first choice. I wanted a preschool or Montessori school and NOT a daycare however her birth date is an issue. The absolute latest cut-off we’ve found was November 30th and that’s a month too early. By the next year she’ll no longer qualify for pre-school and will be accepted right into Junior Kindergarten. I guess the Ministry of Education sets the JK cut-off and the private schools set the pre-school cut-off. For Sadie this means her pre-school year is non-existent.
*TTC #2 in 2012 has been moved off the table now that we’ve booked Disney. I’m so sick of feeling the pressure to have a second that it’s a relief to have the decision made for another year. The reality is that we’re very comfortable as a family of 3 and having a second young child doesn’t sound like a lot of fun right now. When I see the future of our family I do want there to be a second but I also want Sadie to be older, maybe 4 or 5. I guess this comes from having IRL peers who have done the same.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
*Sadie has been a champ when it comes to taking her amoxicillin. What a difference 6 months makes!! Last time she was on it we had to fight her so much. Now we fill the dispenser and hand it to her.
*We are now on the waitlist for part time daycare, 2 days a week. We’ll likely get a spot around June when Sadie is 2.5 since that is the official “start” age. Up until then, once she’s 2, there is a chance she’ll be accepted if she fits into a certain ratio of kids for her age. Honestly, this wasn’t my first choice. I wanted a preschool or Montessori school and NOT a daycare however her birth date is an issue. The absolute latest cut-off we’ve found was November 30th and that’s a month too early. By the next year she’ll no longer qualify for pre-school and will be accepted right into Junior Kindergarten. I guess the Ministry of Education sets the JK cut-off and the private schools set the pre-school cut-off. For Sadie this means her pre-school year is non-existent.
*TTC #2 in 2012 has been moved off the table now that we’ve booked Disney. I’m so sick of feeling the pressure to have a second that it’s a relief to have the decision made for another year. The reality is that we’re very comfortable as a family of 3 and having a second young child doesn’t sound like a lot of fun right now. When I see the future of our family I do want there to be a second but I also want Sadie to be older, maybe 4 or 5. I guess this comes from having IRL peers who have done the same.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Sick
Last week was a hard week. Sadie was a beast (which I did complain about) and apparently, sick. Oops.
We ended up taking her to the doctor and found out she'd probably been sick for at least 7 days already. What we thought was exhaustion from terrible behaviour and her 5th molar coming in (or possibly a small cold) was likely the result of a virus. Ultimately it was when she stuck her finger in her ear, wiggled it and said "uh oh" that we decided to get her checked.
Ear infection.
The biggest parenting fail about this is that this isn't the first time she's done the ear wiggle thing. It was just the first time she's said something about it. The wiggling has always been in the same ear so I wonder if it's been recurring and untreaded due to dumb parents?
Double oops.
I guess it's good that Sadie is a little trooper when it comes to illness but it does make it hard for us to know she is unwell (or how sick she really is).
Other people have kids like this too, right? I mean, even when Sadie had the Chicken Pox it didn't phase her at ALL. I guess I'm going to have to be more careful with a runny nose!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We ended up taking her to the doctor and found out she'd probably been sick for at least 7 days already. What we thought was exhaustion from terrible behaviour and her 5th molar coming in (or possibly a small cold) was likely the result of a virus. Ultimately it was when she stuck her finger in her ear, wiggled it and said "uh oh" that we decided to get her checked.
Ear infection.
The biggest parenting fail about this is that this isn't the first time she's done the ear wiggle thing. It was just the first time she's said something about it. The wiggling has always been in the same ear so I wonder if it's been recurring and untreaded due to dumb parents?
Double oops.
I guess it's good that Sadie is a little trooper when it comes to illness but it does make it hard for us to know she is unwell (or how sick she really is).
Other people have kids like this too, right? I mean, even when Sadie had the Chicken Pox it didn't phase her at ALL. I guess I'm going to have to be more careful with a runny nose!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, November 4, 2011
More than terrible twos
Last night Sadie was on a suicide mission at The Little Gym. It was horrible. Thankfully she came out with only a bloody, tooth bitten lip and nothing worse yet Momma, on the otherhand, is pretty exasperated.
The "theory" at The Little Gym and virtually all of the programs we've been in is to let your kid wander while you (the parent) participate in the activities. We're starting to wonder about this. While most (ALL - who are we kidding) of the other toddlers make their way back to their parents, Sadie NEVER will. She's let loose and goes WILD. Last night I sat with bells singing in a circle while my daughter was leaping off large mats, head first.
Music class is the exact same thing. The teacher promises me that "she's taking it all in" even if she is running in circles while the other kids sit calmly. I'm told "it's OK, let her". Help?
I was going to write all about Halloween and how wonderful it was but what sticks out most are the times when we were around other children, in large groups, and how Sadie stood out. During Halloween storytime at our Parent Child Centre she would not sit down. No, she ran in circles through the kids with us and the teacher asking her to sit. Then she was standing 1 foot in front of the teacher for her very own "private" story (forget about the 40 kids calmly sitting behind her).
I was complaining to my friend about this and she asked if it's a discipline issue.
Is this somehow our fault? I don't really know what to do. I hear about the terrible twos constantly but this seems more intense. We have the screaming fits but they seem like nothing compared to Sadie's hyperactivity.
Truthfully, you know I'm asking a question I likely know the answer to but being in the situation as a PARENT is awful. I don't want MY kid to be THAT kid. I'm already seeing the judgement that i cant control her. Or the looks of "what's what's wrong with that kid".
Could it be? I had ADHD as a child and it seems Sadie has it too. I don't want this for her at all. It's so hard and while I had good coping skills to overcome it, it still hurts when I think of what I went through. Kids won't want to be her friend. She'll be lonely. She'll not understand why because she'll want nothing more than to play with the other kids and won't understand why they don't like her.
God, this absolutely sucks.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
The "theory" at The Little Gym and virtually all of the programs we've been in is to let your kid wander while you (the parent) participate in the activities. We're starting to wonder about this. While most (ALL - who are we kidding) of the other toddlers make their way back to their parents, Sadie NEVER will. She's let loose and goes WILD. Last night I sat with bells singing in a circle while my daughter was leaping off large mats, head first.
Music class is the exact same thing. The teacher promises me that "she's taking it all in" even if she is running in circles while the other kids sit calmly. I'm told "it's OK, let her". Help?
I was going to write all about Halloween and how wonderful it was but what sticks out most are the times when we were around other children, in large groups, and how Sadie stood out. During Halloween storytime at our Parent Child Centre she would not sit down. No, she ran in circles through the kids with us and the teacher asking her to sit. Then she was standing 1 foot in front of the teacher for her very own "private" story (forget about the 40 kids calmly sitting behind her).
I was complaining to my friend about this and she asked if it's a discipline issue.
Is this somehow our fault? I don't really know what to do. I hear about the terrible twos constantly but this seems more intense. We have the screaming fits but they seem like nothing compared to Sadie's hyperactivity.
Truthfully, you know I'm asking a question I likely know the answer to but being in the situation as a PARENT is awful. I don't want MY kid to be THAT kid. I'm already seeing the judgement that i cant control her. Or the looks of "what's what's wrong with that kid".
Could it be? I had ADHD as a child and it seems Sadie has it too. I don't want this for her at all. It's so hard and while I had good coping skills to overcome it, it still hurts when I think of what I went through. Kids won't want to be her friend. She'll be lonely. She'll not understand why because she'll want nothing more than to play with the other kids and won't understand why they don't like her.
God, this absolutely sucks.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Monday, October 24, 2011
Trip Report: Day 2 Magic Kingdom
This was our big day and the one that I had been eagerly anticipating and somewhat fearing for MONTHS. Sadie was getting her hair cut at the Harmony Barber Shop on Main Street USA. Her appointment was at 9:00 am so we were up early and at the food court for breakfast.
After breakfast we got in our car and made our way to the Magic Kingdom. Since it was early and because we’d stayed at the resort for breakfast first we felt that driving was the better option to get us to our appointment on time. Parking is free when you’re onsite which is a nice perk but the buses are great too and we rode those several days as well.
When we arrived the park wasn’t open. We tried to get in by saying we had a hair appointment but they said we had to wait. I argued a bit and we were finally let in with misinformation or “misunderstanding” that we were going to Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique and not Harmony Barber. I’m glad we made we did because another family was already waiting at the barbershop and shortly after a 3rd arrived. Yes, we had reservations but they also have walk-ups and the line was huge
by the time our appointment was over.
Anyway, the appointment went well. Sadie sat in the seat, was covered in Mickey Stickers, and entertained by a spinning Minnie Mouse light-up toy. We opted to have only her bangs cut because I love her curls too much to lose them. I’m actually surprised I didn’t cancel this appointment completely because up until that moment I wasn’t even sure if I could part with her bangs! In the end, although her bangs were a bit short, it worked out because we no longer need to tie her hair up so she can see. For $18 we received the cut, a pair of Mickey ears that said “First Haircut”, her hair clippings wrapped in tissue with “pixie dust” (sparkles) and a first haircut certificate. It was pretty awesome.
After the appointment we went shopping because our tradition is to always buy a hat at Disney to wear there. I had also wanted to buy Sadie a Mickey to match the Minnie she had at home (20 inch?) but found out that Walt Disney World was SOLD OUT of Mickey Mouse!! I kid you not!! We ended up buying her a 10 inch Mickey and a Donald Duck that she seemed to have an eye for (this was just the beginning, just wait) and a back pack that was “only” $16.95 when you spent $40.
I left D in the store paying (I didn’t want to see how much it cost) and went out on the street with Sadie just in time to catch a performance on Main Street. Sadie was so enthralled by the show that she became part of it! A Disney Photographer was able to grab a bunch of great shots and it was truly a Magical Disney Experience.
Looking in the windows on Main Street USA
Next up we were on our way to Fantasy Land. It was still early in the day and wasn’t very busy so we were easily able to ride several rides including: Dumbo (2x?), Carousel (3x?), Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Mickey’s Philarmagic and It’s a Small World. Dumbo and the Carousel were Sadie’s favourite rides. She could have gone on them all day long if we’d let her, she kept signing and saying “mo, mo”.
By this time was getting close to lunch and we had a decision to make. I had booked an 11:30 am reservation at The Crystal Palace that I had intended to cancel. It was a filler “just in case” but since we had dinner reservations we were doubtful we’d go. We decided that a break in the air conditioning would be a good thing after all so after walking around, getting lost (literally, I was lost from Sadie and D for a good 20 min and almost cried) we met up at Crystal Palace for lunch.
Sadie was asleep and slept through our entire lunch waking up barely in time to see the characters AND hit the buffet herself. I apologised to our server, we were pretty much there for two meal time-slots.
After lunch the mid-day heat was starting up and we were melting. We tried to watch a bit of the Castle Surprise show but when Sadie seemed uninterested and we were ill from the heat we decided to move on. Instead we road The Haunted Mansion and toured the new “cemetery” which was an interactive area of the line that you could chose to go through. I’m wondering if it is still optional when the parks are busy? Regardless, it was fun and I’m glad we took the little de-tour before the ride, which Sadie loved. She loves rides. It doesn’t even seem to matter if they are dark and spooky.
Playing at the Haunted MansionAfterward we were back to Fantasyland and rode; you guessed it, the Carousel AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. Sadie loves the Carousel! We also went and had Mickey Ears made for her (Halloween style) with her name embroidered. We may have gone on Dumbo again during this time but honestly, The Carousel and Dumbo, it’s all the same. She loved them both.
It was now 3:00 pm and we’d spent the entire day at the park. We had reservations with friends at 5:00 pm so we knew we couldn’t at that point go back to hotel so we stayed for the parade and then slowly made our way back to our car. Dinner #2 all hot and sweaty!
Our Dinner was at Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge. We were meeting D’s friend from High School, her husband and their 15 month old son who were visiting from British Columbia. Sadie and their son had a great time running through the lobby (which was beautiful) and playing with the Lincoln Log play table at the restaurant. This meal is NOT for anyone who has an aversion to meat or is vegetarian (although vegetarian options are available). We shared a family style skillet that was filled with ribs, beef brisket, chicken, corn, mashed potatoes cornbread, and beans. I was full after eating this meal without having any meat (except maybe the pork in the beans) and finished it off with Cheese cake. The amount of food available was insane. Note: Had we paid out of pocket, this meal, for 2 adults (Sadie was Free) it would have been $70.
Lincoln Logs
Pony race - Disney ENCOURAGES your kids to run like wild maniacs through their restaurants
Playing in the lobby of Wilderness Lodge
Slow walk back to our car (Sadie was "driving" Lightening McQueen")
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
After breakfast we got in our car and made our way to the Magic Kingdom. Since it was early and because we’d stayed at the resort for breakfast first we felt that driving was the better option to get us to our appointment on time. Parking is free when you’re onsite which is a nice perk but the buses are great too and we rode those several days as well.
When we arrived the park wasn’t open. We tried to get in by saying we had a hair appointment but they said we had to wait. I argued a bit and we were finally let in with misinformation or “misunderstanding” that we were going to Bibbidy Bobbidy Boutique and not Harmony Barber. I’m glad we made we did because another family was already waiting at the barbershop and shortly after a 3rd arrived. Yes, we had reservations but they also have walk-ups and the line was huge
by the time our appointment was over.
Anyway, the appointment went well. Sadie sat in the seat, was covered in Mickey Stickers, and entertained by a spinning Minnie Mouse light-up toy. We opted to have only her bangs cut because I love her curls too much to lose them. I’m actually surprised I didn’t cancel this appointment completely because up until that moment I wasn’t even sure if I could part with her bangs! In the end, although her bangs were a bit short, it worked out because we no longer need to tie her hair up so she can see. For $18 we received the cut, a pair of Mickey ears that said “First Haircut”, her hair clippings wrapped in tissue with “pixie dust” (sparkles) and a first haircut certificate. It was pretty awesome.
After the appointment we went shopping because our tradition is to always buy a hat at Disney to wear there. I had also wanted to buy Sadie a Mickey to match the Minnie she had at home (20 inch?) but found out that Walt Disney World was SOLD OUT of Mickey Mouse!! I kid you not!! We ended up buying her a 10 inch Mickey and a Donald Duck that she seemed to have an eye for (this was just the beginning, just wait) and a back pack that was “only” $16.95 when you spent $40.
I left D in the store paying (I didn’t want to see how much it cost) and went out on the street with Sadie just in time to catch a performance on Main Street. Sadie was so enthralled by the show that she became part of it! A Disney Photographer was able to grab a bunch of great shots and it was truly a Magical Disney Experience.
Looking in the windows on Main Street USA
Next up we were on our way to Fantasy Land. It was still early in the day and wasn’t very busy so we were easily able to ride several rides including: Dumbo (2x?), Carousel (3x?), Snow White’s Scary Adventure, Mickey’s Philarmagic and It’s a Small World. Dumbo and the Carousel were Sadie’s favourite rides. She could have gone on them all day long if we’d let her, she kept signing and saying “mo, mo”.
By this time was getting close to lunch and we had a decision to make. I had booked an 11:30 am reservation at The Crystal Palace that I had intended to cancel. It was a filler “just in case” but since we had dinner reservations we were doubtful we’d go. We decided that a break in the air conditioning would be a good thing after all so after walking around, getting lost (literally, I was lost from Sadie and D for a good 20 min and almost cried) we met up at Crystal Palace for lunch.
Sadie was asleep and slept through our entire lunch waking up barely in time to see the characters AND hit the buffet herself. I apologised to our server, we were pretty much there for two meal time-slots.
After lunch the mid-day heat was starting up and we were melting. We tried to watch a bit of the Castle Surprise show but when Sadie seemed uninterested and we were ill from the heat we decided to move on. Instead we road The Haunted Mansion and toured the new “cemetery” which was an interactive area of the line that you could chose to go through. I’m wondering if it is still optional when the parks are busy? Regardless, it was fun and I’m glad we took the little de-tour before the ride, which Sadie loved. She loves rides. It doesn’t even seem to matter if they are dark and spooky.
Playing at the Haunted MansionAfterward we were back to Fantasyland and rode; you guessed it, the Carousel AGAIN and AGAIN and AGAIN. Sadie loves the Carousel! We also went and had Mickey Ears made for her (Halloween style) with her name embroidered. We may have gone on Dumbo again during this time but honestly, The Carousel and Dumbo, it’s all the same. She loved them both.
It was now 3:00 pm and we’d spent the entire day at the park. We had reservations with friends at 5:00 pm so we knew we couldn’t at that point go back to hotel so we stayed for the parade and then slowly made our way back to our car. Dinner #2 all hot and sweaty!
Our Dinner was at Whispering Canyon Café at Wilderness Lodge. We were meeting D’s friend from High School, her husband and their 15 month old son who were visiting from British Columbia. Sadie and their son had a great time running through the lobby (which was beautiful) and playing with the Lincoln Log play table at the restaurant. This meal is NOT for anyone who has an aversion to meat or is vegetarian (although vegetarian options are available). We shared a family style skillet that was filled with ribs, beef brisket, chicken, corn, mashed potatoes cornbread, and beans. I was full after eating this meal without having any meat (except maybe the pork in the beans) and finished it off with Cheese cake. The amount of food available was insane. Note: Had we paid out of pocket, this meal, for 2 adults (Sadie was Free) it would have been $70.
Lincoln Logs
Pony race - Disney ENCOURAGES your kids to run like wild maniacs through their restaurants
Playing in the lobby of Wilderness Lodge
Slow walk back to our car (Sadie was "driving" Lightening McQueen")
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Just the way you are...
I feel guilty about what I wrote about Sadie's donor so I wanted to clarify. I haven't actually re-read what I'd written so this may feel a bit disjointed however it's how I feel NOW.
Basically, we hadn't seen an adult picture and when I'd purchased the additional images I wasn't expecting one. His profile clearly said "No Adult Picture Available"/"photo span unavailable" which I may e-mail the bank to complain about to let them know that they should have accurate information because not everyone wants to see an adult picture. Essentially, I think that if I had expected adult pictures I would have been more prepared. Instead I was suddenly staring at a shirtless adult picture of our donor and he looked nothing like I'd expected. I honestly felt like they'd sent the wrong pictures. There was a moment of denial. Who the hell is THAT? Well, it's the man you procreated with.
It's amazing how vividly we were able to imagine him and how completely wrong we were.
It's been a few days and I've settled into quite a fondness for him. There have been a few times that I have gone back to questioning whether it's him but I know it is, of course it is. My favourite picture is one of the shirtless ones (yes, there's more than one) because his face looks so familiar. Surreal. He looks like a genuinely happy person as both a child and an adult.
Ultimately, in the end we picked him because something about his profile was magical to us and it still is. It was more than the little boy standing in front of a Christmas tree overflowing with presents. Selecting him wasn't the same for us as selecting our previous 3 donors. We'd scrutinized everything about them. We'd picked them out of a large pile of "acceptable" donors (medical/Hair/Eye Colour) based on their looks. In a way it feels more ORGANIC the way we selected Sadie's donor. We hadn't reduced him down to parts and then judged him on his appearance. We overlooked his incompatabilities as if they didn't exist. So to say that I was surprised by his dark hair, dark eyes and tanned complexion is an irony. We HAD that information but we chose to ignore it. Instead of juding the cover we only had the inside of the book and we didn't read it (figuratively).
I'm glad we have these pictures and I think they're going to be very important to Sadie growing up. I'm happy she wont spend time imagining what he LOOKS like. No surprises there.
Basically, we hadn't seen an adult picture and when I'd purchased the additional images I wasn't expecting one. His profile clearly said "No Adult Picture Available"/"photo span unavailable" which I may e-mail the bank to complain about to let them know that they should have accurate information because not everyone wants to see an adult picture. Essentially, I think that if I had expected adult pictures I would have been more prepared. Instead I was suddenly staring at a shirtless adult picture of our donor and he looked nothing like I'd expected. I honestly felt like they'd sent the wrong pictures. There was a moment of denial. Who the hell is THAT? Well, it's the man you procreated with.
It's amazing how vividly we were able to imagine him and how completely wrong we were.
It's been a few days and I've settled into quite a fondness for him. There have been a few times that I have gone back to questioning whether it's him but I know it is, of course it is. My favourite picture is one of the shirtless ones (yes, there's more than one) because his face looks so familiar. Surreal. He looks like a genuinely happy person as both a child and an adult.
Ultimately, in the end we picked him because something about his profile was magical to us and it still is. It was more than the little boy standing in front of a Christmas tree overflowing with presents. Selecting him wasn't the same for us as selecting our previous 3 donors. We'd scrutinized everything about them. We'd picked them out of a large pile of "acceptable" donors (medical/Hair/Eye Colour) based on their looks. In a way it feels more ORGANIC the way we selected Sadie's donor. We hadn't reduced him down to parts and then judged him on his appearance. We overlooked his incompatabilities as if they didn't exist. So to say that I was surprised by his dark hair, dark eyes and tanned complexion is an irony. We HAD that information but we chose to ignore it. Instead of juding the cover we only had the inside of the book and we didn't read it (figuratively).
I'm glad we have these pictures and I think they're going to be very important to Sadie growing up. I'm happy she wont spend time imagining what he LOOKS like. No surprises there.
Thursday, October 20, 2011
I get it now
Since the day we started our parenthood journey I have been obsessed with uncovering the identity of our donor. I have searched profiles for clues, joined the DSR, and googled a million and one times. I couldn't handle the "unknown" of the situation and I have never understood how others could be indifferent towards knowing more or seeing pictures. To anyone who asked, I'd say I was doing it for Sadie and that she has a right to this information even if it meant breaking rules and even if it was also just an obssesive mission I was on for my own satisfaction. I mean to say, we have an ID release donor so why not wait until she's 18?
- Last night I purchased 7 new photos of our donor.
- Last night I saw the man we used to conceive our daughter.
- Last night I had a major feeling of regret.
Why did I ever want to know so much? I feel like I've invited this stranger into our home and there's no turning back.
I feel like before the moment we saw his face it was easy to ignore him. He didn't exist. It was as if Sadie was 100% created from my egg alone. She was my mini-me.
Now, her face is shaped like his and she clearly had HIS eyebrows. I looked at my daughter and I saw her in a new light. I saw part of HIM.
It was a very surreal moment. It's hard to explain the true feeling.
Although I regret it then, I've moved on today. Sadie is my perfect boo and if I could meet him I'd thank him a million times over. FATE brought us to him, we only looked at one profile and it was his. Looking back now, had we seen these pictures, and had access to the rest of the database we probably wouldn't have picked him. That would have been so sad.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
- Last night I purchased 7 new photos of our donor.
- Last night I saw the man we used to conceive our daughter.
- Last night I had a major feeling of regret.
Why did I ever want to know so much? I feel like I've invited this stranger into our home and there's no turning back.
I feel like before the moment we saw his face it was easy to ignore him. He didn't exist. It was as if Sadie was 100% created from my egg alone. She was my mini-me.
Now, her face is shaped like his and she clearly had HIS eyebrows. I looked at my daughter and I saw her in a new light. I saw part of HIM.
It was a very surreal moment. It's hard to explain the true feeling.
Although I regret it then, I've moved on today. Sadie is my perfect boo and if I could meet him I'd thank him a million times over. FATE brought us to him, we only looked at one profile and it was his. Looking back now, had we seen these pictures, and had access to the rest of the database we probably wouldn't have picked him. That would have been so sad.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, October 7, 2011
Foto Friday
Cheese!!!!!
I love this picture so much I had to post it. My kid is the cutest. (;
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
I love this picture so much I had to post it. My kid is the cutest. (;
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
TRIP REPORT -Day 1
We're back....
Our morning started off at the Orlando International Airport Hyatt where we had spent the night after our late flight arrived. We woke up leisurely, got ready and called for the bellman to come for our bags. To our surprise the bellman took us all the way to our car after waiting a good 30 minutes for us to fill out the paperwork and wait in line at the rental desk. Great service! We ended up with a Ford Focus which I chose from the lot. Our bags were loaded for us and we were off!
View from our balcony at the Hyatt
Of course, despite the drive being less than a half hour Sadie fell asleep in the car. We decided that I should check in at the resort while D and Sadie sat in the parking lot with the AC/Car on. Our room was ready so I picked up our stroller rental from baggage check and a surprise package at the front desk and I went to get D and Sadie.
This was our 4th stay at Disney's Pop Century resort and our 3rd time in the 70's (each building is a decade theme - 50's through 90's). We unpacked and opened our package. It was a box full of fun goodies for Sadie from Laurie, Heather and Ryan which included her much loved Disney crocs!
After we went for lunch and had Pizza and Chicken Penne Alfredo which is pretty much all we order from the POP food court. Our next stop was the swimming pool, followed by a nap and then we were off to Epcot.
Sadie REALLY loves her crocs
EPCOT wouldn’t normally be our first stop on a Disney vacation but we had a 4:00 pm dining reservation at Garden Grill which is located there.. I’d heard this place was “amazing” and it featured Mickey Mouse so I grabbed the reservation, the only one available for our entire week, and decided that Sadie’s first taste (literally and figuratively) of Disney would be my least favourite park*.
We arrived at EPCOT about 45 minutes before our reservation and decided to ride Space Ship Earth. Sadie was a real trooper and loved it even though a lot of it was very dark. After the ride we realized we didn’t have a lot of time and would likely have to run for our meal. That was when we first realized that stroller parking sucks and that our stroller was no where near where we were and that a) we should have parked it in a different “lot” and/or b) we shouldn’t have exited through THAT door. The stroller, as it turns out, was a necessary evil. There was no way we could get around without it but at the same time it was allowed in so few places it felt like we were parking it and carrying Sadie half of the time. Needless to say I feel much stronger after this vacation and I think I may have lost weight from sweating profusely from the humid heat while lugging around a 30 lb toddler (who often refused to get back in her “chair”).
So we found the stroller, you know, wayyyyy over there…. And then we had to walk back wayyyy over there in the other direction. We walked quickly until we were stopped and told we couldn’t take our stroller any further so we walked wayyyyy over there again to another stroller parking lot and ditched our wheels.
We finally arrived at Garden Grill, sweaty and gross, and checked in for our reservation. You’ll notice that we look sweaty in most of our pictures and that was because it was so humid the entire time we were there. A much different heat than what we are used to when we go in May. Anyway, we were sat in the upper level of the rotating restaurant and to be honest, it kind of felt like a cafeteria, an empty cafeteria at that which was surprising since the reservation was near impossible to secure. The good news was that the food was really good and the character interaction was amazing. Each character spent a good amount of time with Sadie and we saw them all twice (Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale). Sadie wasn’t as wowed as I thought she would be (she’s an old pro) but enjoyed their company. She tried to feed Pluto and I think Chip ended up with a sweet potato fry (from her meal) stuck to his paw. This is what she does at home – she’s constantly feeding Bear (my mom’s dog) so I guess she though she should feed them too.
Chip!
Pluto!
Dale!
Mickey!
Our meal included Turkey, Roast Beef, Smashed Potatoes, Rice and Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp for dessert. The meal also included Fish but we asked for that to be left off our “family style” platter. It was “all you cared to eat” but we didn’t need a refill. So. Much. Food. I love how Disney doesn’t say “All you CAN eat” but that’s what most of the restaurants were. Sadie was also given a kids plate of food too but she preferred the roast beef over Mac N’ Cheese, chicken drumstick and French fries. Sadly, there was so much food that we barely even touched the dessert and it did look amazing. The vanilla bean ice cream on top of it was really good though and I ate all of it. Note: Had we paid out of pocket, this meal, for 2 adults (Sadie was Free) it would have been $70.
All you care to eat family platter
That drumstick scared me... and still does
After dinner was over we decided to check out the park. We left Future World and started to walk towards Mexico. On our way there we ran into Duffy the Disney bear. Duffy was contrived ...er… I mean… imagined since our last visit to WDW. Duffy is essentially Disney for build-a-bear and had an odd Japanese cult following that amused us during our vacation. There was a small line so we decided to let Sadie meet him.
We ventured on towards Africa where Sadie played drums that were on display. She had a great time.
We then went into Germany which is one of my favourite shops in World Showcase and quickly realized that Sadie was too tired to be in the park any longer and and our day was about to end. We were lucky to be close to boat transportation and hopped on the SS Friendship which took us back to Mexico and closer to the exit. It was a good first day!
View from our room at Pop Century at Dusk
Still wearing the crocs at bedtime
*I know many people love EPCOT but I find it outdated and not enough to keep kids happy. Also, it's always SO hot there and a lot of outdoor walking.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Our morning started off at the Orlando International Airport Hyatt where we had spent the night after our late flight arrived. We woke up leisurely, got ready and called for the bellman to come for our bags. To our surprise the bellman took us all the way to our car after waiting a good 30 minutes for us to fill out the paperwork and wait in line at the rental desk. Great service! We ended up with a Ford Focus which I chose from the lot. Our bags were loaded for us and we were off!
Of course, despite the drive being less than a half hour Sadie fell asleep in the car. We decided that I should check in at the resort while D and Sadie sat in the parking lot with the AC/Car on. Our room was ready so I picked up our stroller rental from baggage check and a surprise package at the front desk and I went to get D and Sadie.
This was our 4th stay at Disney's Pop Century resort and our 3rd time in the 70's (each building is a decade theme - 50's through 90's). We unpacked and opened our package. It was a box full of fun goodies for Sadie from Laurie, Heather and Ryan which included her much loved Disney crocs!
After we went for lunch and had Pizza and Chicken Penne Alfredo which is pretty much all we order from the POP food court. Our next stop was the swimming pool, followed by a nap and then we were off to Epcot.
EPCOT wouldn’t normally be our first stop on a Disney vacation but we had a 4:00 pm dining reservation at Garden Grill which is located there.. I’d heard this place was “amazing” and it featured Mickey Mouse so I grabbed the reservation, the only one available for our entire week, and decided that Sadie’s first taste (literally and figuratively) of Disney would be my least favourite park*.
We arrived at EPCOT about 45 minutes before our reservation and decided to ride Space Ship Earth. Sadie was a real trooper and loved it even though a lot of it was very dark. After the ride we realized we didn’t have a lot of time and would likely have to run for our meal. That was when we first realized that stroller parking sucks and that our stroller was no where near where we were and that a) we should have parked it in a different “lot” and/or b) we shouldn’t have exited through THAT door. The stroller, as it turns out, was a necessary evil. There was no way we could get around without it but at the same time it was allowed in so few places it felt like we were parking it and carrying Sadie half of the time. Needless to say I feel much stronger after this vacation and I think I may have lost weight from sweating profusely from the humid heat while lugging around a 30 lb toddler (who often refused to get back in her “chair”).
So we found the stroller, you know, wayyyyy over there…. And then we had to walk back wayyyy over there in the other direction. We walked quickly until we were stopped and told we couldn’t take our stroller any further so we walked wayyyyy over there again to another stroller parking lot and ditched our wheels.
We finally arrived at Garden Grill, sweaty and gross, and checked in for our reservation. You’ll notice that we look sweaty in most of our pictures and that was because it was so humid the entire time we were there. A much different heat than what we are used to when we go in May. Anyway, we were sat in the upper level of the rotating restaurant and to be honest, it kind of felt like a cafeteria, an empty cafeteria at that which was surprising since the reservation was near impossible to secure. The good news was that the food was really good and the character interaction was amazing. Each character spent a good amount of time with Sadie and we saw them all twice (Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale). Sadie wasn’t as wowed as I thought she would be (she’s an old pro) but enjoyed their company. She tried to feed Pluto and I think Chip ended up with a sweet potato fry (from her meal) stuck to his paw. This is what she does at home – she’s constantly feeding Bear (my mom’s dog) so I guess she though she should feed them too.
Our meal included Turkey, Roast Beef, Smashed Potatoes, Rice and Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp for dessert. The meal also included Fish but we asked for that to be left off our “family style” platter. It was “all you cared to eat” but we didn’t need a refill. So. Much. Food. I love how Disney doesn’t say “All you CAN eat” but that’s what most of the restaurants were. Sadie was also given a kids plate of food too but she preferred the roast beef over Mac N’ Cheese, chicken drumstick and French fries. Sadly, there was so much food that we barely even touched the dessert and it did look amazing. The vanilla bean ice cream on top of it was really good though and I ate all of it. Note: Had we paid out of pocket, this meal, for 2 adults (Sadie was Free) it would have been $70.
After dinner was over we decided to check out the park. We left Future World and started to walk towards Mexico. On our way there we ran into Duffy the Disney bear. Duffy was contrived ...er… I mean… imagined since our last visit to WDW. Duffy is essentially Disney for build-a-bear and had an odd Japanese cult following that amused us during our vacation. There was a small line so we decided to let Sadie meet him.
We ventured on towards Africa where Sadie played drums that were on display. She had a great time.
We then went into Germany which is one of my favourite shops in World Showcase and quickly realized that Sadie was too tired to be in the park any longer and and our day was about to end. We were lucky to be close to boat transportation and hopped on the SS Friendship which took us back to Mexico and closer to the exit. It was a good first day!
*I know many people love EPCOT but I find it outdated and not enough to keep kids happy. Also, it's always SO hot there and a lot of outdoor walking.
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad
Friday, August 12, 2011
Nursery School
Since Sadie is a late ’09 baby she’ll qualify for school NEXT September and applications are due early next year. I’m looking forward to getting her out of the house and into programs with Kids but the only thing we know for sure is that I want her in an afternoon program so that I have some involvement in her education, I want to be there after school to pick her up.
We have two choices and ultimately it may come down to the school we get into. God forbid we don’t get into EITHER but that seems highly unlikely. Option #1 is a 3 day a week program that runs for 2.5 hours in either the morning or afternoon and is a very affordable at $250/month. This will be the hard one to get into since its cheap and even my rich neighbours love cheap. Option #2 is a full half day program running 5 days a week and is $700/month. Ultimately we’re talking a $15/day difference between the two programs and when you look at it that way neither is really that expensive.
The issue is with “free” childcare, should we be spending $450 more to send her to the half day program instead of part time. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of our arrangement? Also, Option #2 is Montessori and we’d likely want to keep her in the program for JK and SK as well. That’s an investment of $21,000 over 3 years when we could spend $2500 for the part time program and then send her to JK/SK for free at our local school. I suppose we could also send her to Montessori for just the pre-casa program and then switch to public school but that will mean she’ll have been to 3 schools by first grade (our schools do not have kindergarten in the same school as where she will attend first grade).
It’s a difficult decision. On one hand I want to say Sadie’s education is important (which it is) and we SHOULD be investing that extra money but at the same time $700 per month will add up if/when I’m on maternity leave next. Also, I fear I’m being drawn to the adorable uniforms at the Montessori and/or I’m being snobby and wanting to put Sadie in a program we can realistically afford moving forward (ie. when it jumps to 16K per year). I mean, if we only had one…… but……
Is anyone else looking into Nursery school or do you plan on keeping your current daycare provider right until elementary school? Thoughts, opinions?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
We have two choices and ultimately it may come down to the school we get into. God forbid we don’t get into EITHER but that seems highly unlikely. Option #1 is a 3 day a week program that runs for 2.5 hours in either the morning or afternoon and is a very affordable at $250/month. This will be the hard one to get into since its cheap and even my rich neighbours love cheap. Option #2 is a full half day program running 5 days a week and is $700/month. Ultimately we’re talking a $15/day difference between the two programs and when you look at it that way neither is really that expensive.
The issue is with “free” childcare, should we be spending $450 more to send her to the half day program instead of part time. Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose of our arrangement? Also, Option #2 is Montessori and we’d likely want to keep her in the program for JK and SK as well. That’s an investment of $21,000 over 3 years when we could spend $2500 for the part time program and then send her to JK/SK for free at our local school. I suppose we could also send her to Montessori for just the pre-casa program and then switch to public school but that will mean she’ll have been to 3 schools by first grade (our schools do not have kindergarten in the same school as where she will attend first grade).
It’s a difficult decision. On one hand I want to say Sadie’s education is important (which it is) and we SHOULD be investing that extra money but at the same time $700 per month will add up if/when I’m on maternity leave next. Also, I fear I’m being drawn to the adorable uniforms at the Montessori and/or I’m being snobby and wanting to put Sadie in a program we can realistically afford moving forward (ie. when it jumps to 16K per year). I mean, if we only had one…… but……
Is anyone else looking into Nursery school or do you plan on keeping your current daycare provider right until elementary school? Thoughts, opinions?
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Growing like a WEED
Within the last couple of weeks Sadie has shot up like a weed. It's surreal to look back at pictures of her when she was smaller. Who was that kid? I barely remember. I mean, this was her this time last summer:
Who is that little baby?
Here she is at Christmas:
And now:
Same table, same Kid.
Her attitude is growing like a weed too. I'd heard someone say that "3 is actually worse than 2". If this is true, we're F***ed because 19 months is pretty intense.
Sadie is a lay on the floor, red faced, screaming/crying tantrum thrower. Try to pick her up and she contorts her body in ways I didn't think possible. I'm also pretty sure her arm can rotate 360, twice.
Fun times ahead... fun times...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Who is that little baby?
Here she is at Christmas:
And now:
Same table, same Kid.
Her attitude is growing like a weed too. I'd heard someone say that "3 is actually worse than 2". If this is true, we're F***ed because 19 months is pretty intense.
Sadie is a lay on the floor, red faced, screaming/crying tantrum thrower. Try to pick her up and she contorts her body in ways I didn't think possible. I'm also pretty sure her arm can rotate 360, twice.
Fun times ahead... fun times...
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)