Tid Bits of a Week

I thought I'd see if I could write just a thought or something significant from a day that would bloggable and not to big that I'd never stick with it. Something to have a little bit of memory from otherwise ordinary days that all seem to string together.

February 14: 2 helium balloons, a homemade sprinkle valentine, and a family supper at Fuddruckers was a perfect first Love Day for River according to me.

February 15: Realizing Happy News is made much Happier when shared. Enjoying Company for Dinner

February 16: The biggest thing accomplished was making baby food and cleaning up after it. The day I realized I liked reading Canadian Family more that In Style. A Landmark for sure.

Chris went on a de-cluttering "mission''

February 17: What is it that compels a child to smear around and play with barf after it comes up? Chris going to get his suit fitted for Derricks wedding.

February 18: Leaving your baby alone with a bowl of raspberries while wearing a white shirt, sitting in a linen fabric highchair is not a great idea. Sharing the excitement of parents-t0-be over dinner was a terrific one.

February 19: Leaving to the cabin for the rest of a long weekend after a quick supper at a restaurant that lets you sit on comfy couches was much enjoyed.

M A U I

Beautiful everything, hot weather every single day, family, and a baby discovering sand, sun, and ocean with people to play with all day long. What more could you ask for. Here are a whole bunch of pics for my friend who requested them.

Time z a tickin

The days are winding down. I knew this year would come to an end. But it feels so quick. My little man has changed so much in 10 and a half short months. All I hear these days is "mamamamama" at varying volumes. As annoying as it gets sometimes it melts my heart. Today I thought he figured out that mama was me, as he yelled it when i left the room for a sec and he wanted more food and when he reached up to be picked up. But when dad came home he was mamamama too. He motors around the furniture not brave enough to take a step out on his own. He gives me the brightest smiles and seems to love playing with me as much as I love playing with him. He's waving bu bye and peekaboo has gone from covering his face with a blanket to completely leaving the room and coming back and how could i ever not give that face an enthusiastic "there you are!" He's attempting to stack the blocks but gets annoyed and just shoves them in the general area and lets me do the rest. He loves to throw the ball back and forth and play mini sticks to both his parents great delight, and he is finally taking interest in books. (Although it is entirely exhausting making outrageous enough voices to keep his attention.) He spend less time ripping the cat and more time laying his head on her soft fur and cuddling her and although the cat tolerates it, she seems to like it just as little.

I know everyone probably feels like they love their child or children more than anyone else could possibly love their children, but I also feel that way. I feel like I'm even afraid to have another because I love this little boy so much how could I possibly love another this much? I am glad we have it in us to Love our Children so much. It is a gift from God. I have loved this year more than any year of my life.

These days as I apply for new jobs, have had interviews and start to think of working again, I am excited but sad all at once. It is going to be a juggling act, and my energy will be other places besides my child. There will be things I won't be there to witness and days I won't spend with my boy which makes me sad. But on the other hand is that River will learn some independence, he will make some friends, and he will see that his mom is working to make others lives better too. I hope he will appreciate that one day. I hope he will see that his mom works hard, and that mom and dad help pay for things he enjoys in life. I am lucky enough to have the luxury of part time work, and I hope he learns that it is a luxury. Some families have mom's that don't have to work outside the home, while other families don't have the choice of one parent staying home or even working part time. I hope he learns that his dad makes many sacrifices so that we have this luxury. That he would be staying home to play with him in a heartbeat if it were mom that had the business, and he often wishes it were so. I hope he knows that his dad loves him just as much and probably misses you more. I wish daddy could have stayed home this year too. Or that I could have gone back to work early so he could have a few months to spend with you. It just wasn't possible. Thankful for being Canadian and not American for my year with my baby. US you should follow our lead.

But as I go back to work I am taking on a new job. A Critical Care Nursing course and then a job in the Intensive Care Unit. It will be challenging but it has been something I have been wanting to do for a long time. After a year off of work you feel like you don't remember anything, but after an interview last week I had some confidence given back to me. To have my future manager, an expert in the critical care field tell me that it seems like I "have it together" and that he "can already tell that I have all the attributes that he is looking for" really gave me a boost, and made me excited to start this new direction in my career. But it is bittersweet.

Unbelievable.

This video just rocks me to the core. Maybe some would question if this is child abuse. Maybe its mild compared to some. But it brought me to tears. Am I wrong to be bothered by this? What would make someone think of this? I can't even stand hot sauce on the tip of my tongue but forcing a child to hold it in their mouth? And stay in a freezing cold shower. You can hear the screams. It seems harsh. This little boy is the 6th child in a family and is adopted from Russia. This little boy seems terrorized by this and that breaks my heart. Am I over reacting to think that this is wrong for any mother to discipline this way? How can this boy trust his mom or feel loved or safe if this is what happens for discipline? I don't know. There is discipline and I'm not sure where the line is but this was done in anger and to me this crosses it. I know I have responded in anger. A time when I flicked River's cheek too hard after he bit my arm. It was a fast and harsh response. I know we make mistakes. I know I will yell and regret my actions But this was deliberate, re-occurring, and premeditated. She keeps the hot sauce in the medicine cabinet. A nice upsetting afternoon video

Boys.

You can't pick your kids friends. But I would love if River happened to be friends with Rowan some day. I am sure they would have lots of belly laughs together. Just like we do with his parents. Daryn's laugh is one you can't forget. Loud and genuine. Jacinda laughs at Daryn, laughs at me, laughs often. When a quad launches off a cliff by accident. When her daughter pulls a fire alarm. And I laugh too. When thing are so outrageous that what else is there to do but laugh. I love this family. Shared laughter is just one reason. And I hope our children can have that too sometime. That would be swell :)

TACTILE

So I've been hearing from Chris for ages how he doesn't like food because of the "texture." Creamy sauces. He likes pineapple now but ONLY Cold, not hot, after over a decade of telling me pineapple was akin to poison to him. This is a man who would not eat a tomato, a sweet potatoe casserole, a cabbage roll. Milk?..... while i might as well have tried to convince him that paint thinner was good for him...and the list goes on..... My dear husband has greatly widened his palate. I must give him credit. But to me most of this game is mental. I won't eat fruit on a salad, for example is hocus pocus... I like fruit. I like salad. But put them together and I gag? This comes from a childhood of being served separate meals and having pickiness be allowed. Or is it?

I have seriously come to question my stance on picky eaters watching my 9 month old eat food. I was hoping he'd take after me in this department but I'm not so sure. While I watch other kids his age muck around with their food, River is different. While he's mastered the pincer grasp these days, he is very selective with what he will put in his mouth. He will gladly eat as many dry cheerios as I put in front of him. Cheese makes the cut. Fruit that is dry like a non-mushy banana or a raspberry he can't get enough of. But lately some of his favorites are just not acceptable. A slimy mandarin piece. ewww. A noodle? Yuk. With a disgusted look on his face He picks up mushy things only to throw them on the floor where they belong! And there is no tricking this kid. He can tell the texture faster than his little brain can process it. Yogurt on its own. Please. Feed me. Raspberries and blueberries and pineapple. MMMM.. But try to mix fruit in the yogurt and my tongue will drop that fruit faster than you can blink! Same goes for hunks of meat! That gag reflex works to well. "You want me to eat my meat then you better make it feel like mashed potatoes!" Wieners. Ok. Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Ok. Slimy rice with veggies. Don't even think about it!

This kid is all about the "feel of things" lately. He goes around and finds soft things and bend and flexes in half rubbing is cheek and head back and forth. So flexible. A rug, a blankie, a teddy bear, the cat....finally touching the feel books. "he's so tactile" according to grandma. I couldn't agree more. A phase... maybe. But I just might be on my way to realizing that Popplewell's like things the way they like them... OK!!!!

Family Time

We just love our time at the cabin. There is something cozy about the lake in the winter. We almost feel like we let out a huge sigh of all our stress of life when we walk in the door. Then we have days of pure relaxation and quality time that isn't as easy to attain in the city. No phone ringing, no computer, no bustling city to temp us. Its just quiet. and its just us.

Peaking in on River loving his mobile