The Reason I Do All That I Do

Ready for Uncle Dave's graduation

This is her soother. Rock on.

Six Months

It has arrived. My little baby is half a year old. I can't believe it. This is hat that I made her wear until she decided to eat it. Grace wore hers all day but apparently Laura isn't getting enough fiber in her diet. Laura can now:

• Sit up by herself.


• Smile and laugh all the time at her big sister.


• Eat rice cereal and fuits and vegetables by the ton.


• Shove anything that she can reach into her mouth


• Play in her exersaucers for hours on end.


• Respond to you when she hears her name being called.
  

  
  Is she wonderful?
  
  

My Helper

Apparently Laura has graduated from a tiny baby that lies on the floor to a baby that Grace can play with and talk to. Grace now talks to Laura, tickles Laura, tries to hold Laura, give her too much love (which is nothing new) and helps with everything that Laura needs.

Today I had started feeding Laura when the phone rang. Once I got back downstairs from the phone call I found this:

Grace-isms

Grace talks now quite a lot. I think I can understand her more than most people because I am with all the time. However, the more she talks the funnier it is.

Here's a sampling of the great thoughts from Grace:

We thought she was asleep in hger room when we heard her calling, "Daddy. Daddy."
Stu went up to talk to her. Grace excitedly pulled back her curtains, pointed at a star and yelled, "Look Daddy a star. A star."

While driving home from a day in Toronto.
me: "Grace why don't you try to sleep on the way home?"
Grace: "Can't mom, no bed."

Stu concludes sing the alphabet to Grace.
"Wow Daddy great job!"

"Grace you need to get your dress on for Dave's graduation."
Grace runs over to Laura sitting in her high chair.
"Laura we see Gramma and Granpa and Dave and Yesf (Jeff)." She grabs Laura's dress and throws it at Laura.

Big Girl Now

When Grace was six months old I thought she was so big. I celebrated each of her milestones and every time she meet a new one I thought I had the smartest child in the world. Every accomplishment made me feel more empowered and I thought she was so big. Fast forward to two years later and I look at my baby Laura who can do all of things her big sister did at this age and think, "But you're just a tiny little baby."

We took Grace camping on her five-month birthday, to a childrens museum at three months (Museum of Civilization, check it out) and I thought she was big enough to do these things but I look at Laura and I think she still needs her mommy to hold her and kiss her and treat her like a little baby. It doesn't help that Laura cries when I don't do these things.

But today I had to face the reality that Laura is no longer my squishy little newborn and is becoming a big girl. Today we went to the park and she sat happily on the grass for several, several minutes before she toppled over. She repeated this several times. Yesterday, I broke out the old exersaucer and Laura is in baby heaven.

I guess its time for me to realize that Laura is a big baby now who can sit and eat baby food and wants so badly to crawl.

Best Friends

If you don't know who Dora the Explorer is, you're missing out on something. Grace absolutely loves Dora. We first learned about Dora shortly before Grace's first birthday. A friend of mine was getting ride of all of her old baby stuff and I was able to nab a Dora VHS. From there Dora transformed from an ordinary cartoon character to one of Grace's friends.

Grace's language skills aren't good enough for me to know exactly what she's thinking but I know that Dora is considered a very close personal friend. When Grace is playing quietly by herself, she is often talking and playing with Dora. Dora has been known to join us at our dinner table, be the first one in the bath tub and she has her own spot beside Grace in the stroller. Grace has a Dora swim suit, many Dora crafts and two Dora figureens (taken home from Nursery after too many fights were instigated by Grace when others tried to play with them.)

About two weeks ago I say a sign out in front of the new CIBC in our nieghbour. "Meet Dora the Explorer at our Family Fun Day." Stu quickly agreed that we just had to take our littlest fan to she her friend.

Well today was the day.

As you can see Grace loved it. She got to hug Dora, check out map and backpack and get her picture taken with Dora. She had a hard time when it was time to leave and let other children see Dora but she got to watch Mommy get her face painted, get a Dora sticker and colour a picture. Considering that Grace has no concept of time, waiting and ines she took it like a champ.

As I write this Grace is on the couch beside me watching Dora and her friend Boots the monkey climb the mountain to get to the playground while holding her picture of Dora and Grace.

Thank you Dora the Explorer for making my little explorer so happy. And thank you to the nice people at CIBC who had to put up hundreds of over excited toddlers today.

Getting Somewhere

My parents are teachers. My aunts and one uncle are teachers. Stu's Dad is a teacher. I am surrounded by teachers. Because of this I a) feel academics are very important and b) know how important the parents' roles are in helping a child succeed in school.

So I've been trying to teach Grace. Once everyday we take a little time and learn about a letter or work on our numbers. We've done a little bit of work on shapes and colours but I've felt like I was sometimes working with a wall. But things have sunk in!

Grace can now count to six all on her own and ten with some help. She can repeat all of the letters in the alphabet and the sounds that they make. She can say her alphabet on her own up to 'E' and she can identify a circle.

I know this isn't a whole lot and she has no idea what the colours are but its exciting to know that her little brain is working! Now if we could identify one colour Mommy would feel better.