Sadie making our 2011 Holiday Craft Exchange Ornaments! Our busy little elf!
She had a little help (:
JDZ: Two Moms, One Toddler
Monday, November 28, 2011
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.
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*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.
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