living and learning

Playdough and Playmobil

2010-02-22T12:35:00.000-08:00

Ayla has been enjoying mixing playdough and playmobil together. With some of my help with the execution, she designed a sort of amusement park with a water slide.

Platts-Boyle Family - This Post Is For You!!

2010-02-21T19:52:00.000-08:00

So, it turns out, some friendly pressure can work :)

Thought you guys would appreciate this picture!

I asked Ayla to shake her head back and forth really fast and then I took pictures. Sebastian tried too.

It sort of works, but I think you really have to commit to the vigorous shaking to get the full effect.

Ayla was fully committed.

World Record Attempt

2009-11-19T12:40:00.001-08:00

Last week, Sebastian decided to try for the world record in wearing the most t-shirts at once. He got to 23. The record is something like 120.

Ayla's Dance

2009-11-19T12:26:00.000-08:00

Ayla had her last class of the fall today. We all enjoyed watching her in action.

A day at home

2009-11-13T17:17:00.000-08:00

Sebastian asked to stay home today, so we cancelled plans for a hike with our family coop. He didn't leave his room until noon. Every time I checked on him, he was happily swinging off his bed while listening to his story on tape.

Ayla and I made bread together and then she washed cupboards. She then watched a video, while colouring and cutting pieces of paper. She has started to always keep her hands busy while watching videos. She made a cool little creation from paper, tape and staples the other day. She said it was a bird with one wing. It's been so interesting to watch this crafty side of her develop. Ayla is still quite active, but she is increasingly able to sit down and focus on an activity. When she decides that she wants to do or play something by herself, she can really focus her persistence and intensity on it. It's been great for me, I have to say, I can actually sit down during the day, and not have her automatically walk over looking for "nernies".

I got Sebastian to come down to practice piano, which led to the only conflict of the day; my frustration with Ayla interrupting, and Sebastian not putting in a sincere effort. After a few tears, it was happily resolved with group hugs and kisses (including Puck as he was laying on the couch shaking, poor anxious dog), and Ayla was able to keep herself occupied and Sebastian focused on what he had to do.

We had a walk in the woods with Puck and had a friend over to dinner. Sebastian and his friend are at the library watching Harry Potter and Ayla is in bed. She has been so tired lately, so no arguments about that from her. I've been trying to decide whether I'm worried about how tired she has been. She has just been draggy, and often visibly tired. Hopefully she'll perk up soon.

The boys are back from the library, so I better get going!

Running Update #2

2009-11-13T17:12:00.000-08:00

I got in about 13-14 km this week. Oscar worked more and I had to go for a test one day with sedation, so I only got runs in on two days. But they were both great runs! I went to Preservation Park for the one run, and it felt so good. I ran longer and a bit faster than last week. Being in the woods make it so much more relaxing. I even got to see a deer. Oscar is off for 5 days this coming week, so I should be able to get lots of running time in.

Running Update

2009-11-06T15:04:00.000-08:00

I managed to get in 26 km this week. A big improvement over the last few months! I'm feeling quite motivated, and have looked forward to each run. I've also found, as a direct result I'm sure, that I have been in a great mood, and quite playful with the kids as well. I'm sure they're appreciative of that!

I'm planning to keep a tally of how much I run each week here, which I'm hoping will help keep me motivated.

Halloween!!

2009-11-01T19:52:00.001-08:00

Ayla dressed up as a princess. Sebastian decided to abandon his award-winning hedge knight costume (see previous post), and go as an .... assassin. Yup, proud parenting moment for sure!

They decorated all week and had a great time carving their pumpkins. Oscar was even dubbed "the best daddy is the whole world" by Ayla as they got ready to start. I'm sure I would have been labelled the "best momma in the world", except I hadn't gotten out of bed yet!!

This one is Sebastian's. He was getting frustrated trying to carve teeth so cleverly decided to go with some fangs instead.

Ayla designed two. I have to say that I absolutely adore them! She is very into sad faces right now.

Harvest Fest

2009-11-01T19:33:00.000-08:00

The kids were excited to head to Port Rowan to attend Harvest Fest, a dinner and dance for families put on by the Lions club. Papa is a member and he worked hard all day cooking the meal. S, my niece, came up for the night as well.

The kids hammed it up for the camera before leaving.

Ayla danced the night away, mostly wearing her cousin's wig.

Sebastian mostly sat out for the dancing, although I did see him busting a few moves when the lights were down low! He had the thrill of winning best costume for his age group as well!

2009-10-22T19:41:00.000-07:00

Ayla has been full of questions over the last few weeks about where the sun goes at night and where the moon is during the day and what is happening on the other side of the earth. I mentioned to Oscar that I was thinking about making a model of the solar system with her somehow. This morning he and Ayla decided to start on a paper machie model. Sebastian helped out when he got back from his piano lesson. They also started on some cool halloween decorations and a rocket ship.

Oscar and I found a neat little tower that Ayla created in Sebastian's room. She has been very creative lately, always cutting, gluing or building something.

Motivation

2009-10-21T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading through the blog of a woman I was good friends with as a teenager. In August she completed a race called the Ultraman Canada. It is held over three days. The first day she swam 10 km and biked 145km. The second day she biked 274km. The third day she ran 83km (that's the same as TWO marathons - in one day - after the first two days - yah). She's 33 and has two daughters who are 8 and 6.

I have been slacking off on my running over the last three or four months. I've been tired, busy, blah, blah, blah. The pounds have been creeping back on, to the point where I'm avoiding looking in the mirror. I'm am in awe of my friend, and feeling inspired and motivated. I've been toying around with the idea of training for another half-marathon this winter, and if that all goes well, and I stay injury-free, going right into training for a marathon in the spring. It's tricky to make the running clinic times with Oscar's schedule but I think I need to try to make this work. I really enjoyed the last one that I did, and I think I was happier then. Life is good now, but I think I really need that outlet. I'm a fairly laid-back person, I think the intensity of hard exercise is good for me, both physically and emotionally.

Anyways, I thought writing this down will make me feel more committed to this. I think I'm going to work out some running goals to work towards until January when the clinic begins.

Now...I think I need to e-mail my friend and thank her for the motivation :)

And she's off!

2009-10-20T18:38:00.001-07:00

This was the only picture I could get of Ayla last month as she left for her first class of her "Mornings with Melissa" class. She was so eager to be off and to ride her bike there she could not possibly hang around for a picture!

Boy's Group

2009-10-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

Sebastian has been participating in a boy's social group over the last year. It started initially as a way for the boys to meet each other and make some connections. This year it is being run as a series of coops. The first has been an outdoor survival theme. The kids put together survival kits the first week, learned how to build shelters and some lashing and frapping the second week (I forgot the camera that week, but the kids had a blast and really built a great shelter) and learned how to navigate using a compass this week. Sebastian has really enjoyed himself and is very excited about the plan for fire-building next week!

The kids also played a predator and prey game today and had lots of time to run around the beautiful woods and enjoy the mild day.

I'm back!!

2009-10-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

Did you miss me? Anyone??

Anyways, I finally figured out a way to get pictures on here once more, so now I feel like posting! We had a great trip to a pumpkin patch on the weekend with Michelle and Everett. This was our second year going. We all had a great time, lots to do and the weather was beautiful.

Chewy

2009-07-14T18:35:00.001-07:00

During the spring, we were out for a walk in the woods with our friends when we happened upon a baby squirrel. Puck actually happened upon him, I looked down and the two of them were sniffing noses! We kept him for a couple of days until we found a wildlife rehab person who look him (he had an injured tail). The kids (and Oscar and I) had a great couple of days with him. Chewy spent a lot of time with Ayla, to the point where he would repeatedly run up her leg when she put him down. Our friends visited often to check on him and then helped us take him to the rehab person.

Growing up

2009-04-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Ayla is finally gentle and calm enough to hold Mariska on her own (for brief periods!). She is very happy about this! Ayla is calming down in many ways these days. It's been very interesting to watch this happen. We can have longer conversations now and explore ideas in more depth. As we left my parents' place from our Easter visit, Ayla happily waved goodbye to them and then turned to me and said, "When are nana and poppa going to die?" That was really not what I would have thought would be going through her mind right then! We had an interesting conversation about death.

I then decided it was time to talk a bit about "strangers" and how to react in situations with both strangers and non-strangers that could be dangerous for the kids. Sebastian really does not like having these talks. He takes it all in but does not like to say much. Ayla found this to be a very interesting topic and was full of questions and was eager to offer up different scenarios. I felt good about the talk when we were done. I felt like she understood what I was saying and that I managed to help her to that understanding without scaring her. I felt even better a few days later she came rushing in from playing on the sidewalk. She said that a man was watching her from his van. I asked her if that made her feel uncomfortable. She said yes and I reinforced that she had handled the situation just right by coming inside. (The man was a neighbour who lives on a nearby street. He was at the stop sign waiting for the road to be clear. I watch her from the window when she's out :) ).

Ayla has such an outgoing and friendly personality. It is such a joy to watch her interact with people but it is also a relief to see that she is starting to become a bit more discriminating.

This picture makes me happy.

2009-04-23T19:10:00.001-07:00

We love spring!!!

2009-04-03T20:15:00.001-07:00

Our friends

2009-03-30T18:26:00.000-07:00

We have known these girls their whole lives. Sebastian and M really are different in many ways but they are so familiar and comfortable with each other that they continually find new ways to connect and share their various interests with each other. Sebastian adores N, and she adores him, it's a win-win relationship. Ayla is really starting to find her groove with M and N and is becoming very fond of them (she's been extremely fond of their mother her entire life!). I need to work on getting shots of the kids together but I have some favorites of our friends!

Visitors from Calgary!!

2009-03-30T18:11:00.000-07:00

My cousin Josie is down with her two children. We were so excited to go and visit with them. Josie and I spent much time together as teenagers, driving back and forth from swim practices. I love to spend time with her and it is just made all that much better as we now get to watch the kids get to know each other!

The only thing better than mud is...

2009-03-30T17:52:00.000-07:00

mud with friends!!

Ayla wasn't interested in getting quite as muddy but found her own fun.

Hey, Platts-boyle family, look closely at the first pic of Ayla - do you think that's the net we lost down the river when we were playing with you in the river last summer??

2009-03-24T18:29:00.000-07:00

Oscar and Ayla went for an evening walk in the woods last night. Ayla rushed in all excited when they got home. They had run into the neighbours who were walking the dog. The dog dug up some old turtle eggs. Ayla and Oscar had brought them home to dissect. Oscar set the kids up at the table with the eggs and some scalpels. They eagerly cut in. Ayla alternated between being very intrigued and yelling "ewwww" in a very disgusted voice. It was rather amusing to watch her! She was holding them and showing me things and then getting all disgusted. Sebastian cut his turtle out of the egg. He separated the yolk from the turtle. He then ran up to his room for a potion he has been brewing for a few weeks. And then, ugh, he proceeded to add some of the yolk to his potion. He wanted to add the turtle but I nixed that. I do have some limits!

When the kids were done, they decided to bury them. Well, they actually decided to cremate them. We had a bit of a ceremony in the backyard, sang "For they were jolly good turtles" and "Amazing grace". Ayla had lots of questions about why the little turtles didn't live. We talked about the possibilities several times before bed.

2009-03-21T20:33:00.000-07:00

Sebastian and Ayla have just finished up their dance classes. Both are eager to start the next session. Ayla asks several times a week when her next dance class is!

2009-03-19T17:24:00.000-07:00

I haven't felt much like posting here for the past few months. I've been reading lots of other blogs but have been avoiding this space. I've been thinking about writing here again more and more the past few weeks though so hopefully, I'll get back into it. I love looking back at the past entries and hope that the kids will too one day.

This winter has been an interesting and busy one! Both of the kids have grown and changed so much. Ayla's imagination has just taken off and it has been such a joy to watch who she is becoming. She really likes for us to play with her in many (many!) games of store, doctor, bus driver... She spends much time caring for her babies and organizing her belongings into various bags. She is learning to have more respect for Sebastian's belongings and space. This has led, of course, to a large reduction in the amount of bickering between them. They spend much more time playing and laughing with each other than they do arguing now.

Sebastian went through a period just before Christmas of wanting to go to school. I had agreed to set up a few days for him to go try it out after the holidays as his desire appeared so strong. However, while playing in the school yard one day, he looked in the window of a classroom. He asked what it was and I told him it was the grade two classroom and that was where he would go, if he went to school. He then said, "In that case, I'm never going to school!" He hasn't mentioned wanted to visit the school since.

He did tell me that he wanted to work more on learning to read. We talked a bit about the different ways we could go about that and he said that he would like a "program" to work through. He likes the "Starfall" website, so I ordered the learning to read package. He has happily worked on it several times a week since. His confidence has soared, he is always reading words whenever he sees them now. He likes to practice reading now, and can work his way successfully through beginner books. I am so happy that we took the approach that we did, and let him come to it in his own time and manner. Sebastian has also been working through his math book, and has been getting rather interested in it. He is eager to work in it, and usually works past the number of pages we had informally decided to do at each sitting. We don't worry about sitting down every day to do his reading and math, if he has plans or is just feeling drawn to other activites , I respect that.

Sebastian has been building amazing things out of lego (elaborate space ships usually, although he has been branching out a bit). Still loving books on tape. He has also been spending more time drawing and writing. Oh, I can't forget "Harry Potter". He is loving all things "HP" these days (thanks Aunt Michelle :) ).

OK, I think that's enough for now but I'm pledging to return here on a more regular basis (and with pics!)

my seven year old

2008-12-07T20:34:00.000-08:00

You are seven now, Sebastian. You are a bundle of contradictions these days. So eager to be a big boy; developing your sense of humour, testing limits, trying out new interests and hobbies. And at the same time you are so tender and caring; kissing your sister whenever you can sneak one in, really loving the time you spend with younger cousins and friends, eager to help smooth things out when anyone in your family is having a hard time.

I feel so honored that I have gotten to watch you grow and develop all of these wonderful traits. I so look forward to all that is to come, especially since you assured me today that you are still "my baby". I love you so much! Happy Birthday!!

Halloween Fun

2008-10-19T20:56:00.000-07:00

It's only part way through October but Sebastian has already been getting into the swing of things. He spent a couple of hours one afternoon doing this. He took most of the pictures himself, although Oscar did get in on some of the action.

Danger?

2008-10-19T20:53:00.001-07:00

Visiting with GG (great-grandma!)

2008-10-19T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ayla really loves to visit her GG. Unfortunately for GG, Ayla also really loves to drive GG around in her wheelchair. It can make it hard to chat when a three year old is spinning you in circles but luckily grandma has a good sense of humour (and balance). Everett is not so sure about hopping in her lap yet but was happy to wave from a bit of a distance.

my nephew Everett

2008-10-19T19:47:00.000-07:00

The boy does love his cars! He was actually hugging it when he first fell asleep!

Tie-dying

2008-10-19T19:41:00.000-07:00

Molly organized a great day where our coop met and combined tie-dying with playing at the park. We all had a great time and we got great results as well! The large item is the duvet cover for Ayla's blanket.

Homemade zipline

2008-10-19T19:38:00.000-07:00

Kids For Peace!!

2008-10-19T19:04:00.000-07:00

A parent organized a kids' peace group to mark the International Day of Peace. The kids met a couple of times to read stories about peace and make posters and banners. We then met on the "peace day" to march from the war memorial to the City Hall. Once at the town hall the kids made decorations to hang from a fence and listened to a story. We also observed a minute of silence. Sebastian really seemed to enjoy this day. This boy loves guns - playing with guns, talking about guns, making gun noises. He also talks about war a lot and has said that he wants to learn about war this year. I try to take all of this in stride and look at it as a learning opportunity. I try to fit in gentle reminders about what machine guns are used for in the real world (ie, not hunting deer or target practise), and remind him that there are real people involved in real wars. I do this and hope that it is sinking in, while continuing to let him explore the kind of play that really appeals to him right now. I felt very reassured that things are sinking in for him when I saw this picture that he drew:He told me that the flower means peace. And he also shared that he really likes x'ing and circling things :)

This all happened in September, it is now October and the kids still march around chanting "Kids for Peace" on a very frequent basis (ok, Ayla chants "Kids on Peace" but still).

Half boy/half monkey??

2008-10-19T18:50:00.000-07:00

Olympics

2008-10-19T18:35:00.000-07:00

In September, we had an Olympics day with our family coop. The kids tried different races and sports (100mdash, relay, long jump, discus/frisbee, rowing/pushing themselves on skateboards with hockey sticks, volleyball). The kids (and parents) had a blast!

bouncing, bouncing and more bouncing

2008-09-13T19:47:00.000-07:00

A couple of neighbours bought trampolines this summer and one family in particular has opened it up to the neighbourhood. The kids ask daily to go bounce. I limit our visits a bit more than that, but we are still over there frequently bouncing away. It has been yet another way of bringing the kids of different ages in our neighbourhood together. "Aaron the neighour boy" as Sebastian called him for years, is 13 now and we didn't see much of him in the late spring and beginning of summer. He and Sebastian have spent many, many hours together over the last few years and I sadly thought that had finally ended this summer. Then the trampoline appeared and they had some common ground once more. Now that school has begun, we see him less again but they still have connected several times in the last two weeks. I love the relationship that Sebastian has with him and hope to see it continue in some form!

Ayla and Sebastian were bouncing away today so I took the camera over to take some pics. It began to rain so I told them to stay on the tramp and not hurt each other while I quickly took the camera home. Halfway back I heard Sebastian begin to wail. I ran the rest of the way and found him with blood pouring out of his nose and lip. He had managed to knee himself in the face and split his lip! He did this a week ago on our bed as well (I wonder if it has something to do with his legs getting all long and gangly :)

I love Ayla's hair in the last picture. If only my hair would bounce like that :)

Her own room

2008-09-13T19:25:00.000-07:00

We have finally gotten around to setting up the spare room for Ayla. She is very excited about it and has been happy to make the switch. I still go to her when she wakes at night of course, and finish off the night in her room, but it has been so nice to finally be able to lay in bed with Oscar at night and actually talk to each other!

Ayla has been insistent on having pink and blue in her room and wasn't pleased when I told her that we wouldn't be painting the walls. Her reaction was nothing compared to the 10 min crying fit she had when I wouldn't cave to her demand to paint the living room pink!

I'm hoping to tie-dye a duvet cover for her soon and we need to put up some shelves but it is coming along nicely. We got a nice rug for her and some glowing stars and stick-ons for the wall. I found some beautiful felt decorations on line, thinking how nice it would be to have something natural on the walls instead of plastic. I then spent some time being realistic and admitted to myself that they are not really in our budget! She loves her baskets so we have been organizing some of her toys into them and moving them into the room for her. Now hopefully one day soon she will spend less time causing mischief in Sebastian's room! (yeah, I know, not likely :) )

Gymnastics

2008-09-13T19:12:00.000-07:00

The kids have started another season of gymnastics. This is Ayla's first time going alone, I have to admit I was very nervous that it was not going to go well. I am happy to say that I was wrong. She handled herself wonderfully! It was incredibly busy and she seemed to love the energy. She bounced around (alot) but never ran off. She did manage to be first in line behind the teacher EVERY time they moved to a different station :)

Sebastian began his first session of boy's gymnastics. He had lots of chances to work on the handstands he's been practicing all summer. He also climbed all the way to the top of the very long rope. He was quite proud of himself for that, I think!

Oh, and the hairdo was all Ayla's idea! Something special for gymnastics :) She also decorated her legs with marker and insisted she leave it on so her teachers could see.

My lumberjack

2008-09-13T18:55:00.001-07:00

Sebastian has decided to cut down one of our trees in the backyard (luckily one that is not very healthy and that Oscar is planning on taking down). He called me into the backyard one day and showed me this:
He then smiled and said, "I guess I got a bit carried away!" He then showed me the large pile of branches that he had also cut! Since then, he has cut down several more branches, all while perched high in the branches of a larger tree. One time I looked out of the bathroom window and saw that he was a good 2-3 metres higher than our roof. Had to close my eyes and repeat to myself a few times that he knows his own comfort zone and that he was safe. And then thankfully he soon came down!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

2008-09-06T19:54:00.000-07:00

Sebastian and Ayla were excited about their dad's birthday. Poor guy had to work, which meant Ayla wouldn't see him. So, they made him a cake and Sebastian also made him a special birthday chair. We celebrated the next morning with cake for breakfast! I have to say, he looks pretty good for 34!

Welcome Mariska!

2008-08-03T19:15:00.000-07:00

summertime!

2008-07-30T20:02:00.000-07:00

2008-07-25T20:23:00.000-07:00

Today Sebastian finished his week of day camp. He went with a friend. It was his first all-day camp and he had a blast. The camp is a private one, run on a farm. He swam, canoed, saw the animals, sang lots of songs and did lots of hiking. They also have archery and mountain biking but due to the amount of rain this week, the younger group didn't fit those activities in. Sebastian was excited to ride the bus to and from camp and every meal he ate there was described as "the best ever!" He's already talking about next year.

Ayla got to spend time with her babysitter this week, in the mornings, while I got lots of cleaning and organizing done. She loved the attention of course. Today, it was just her and I. It's great to have that time with her, when things can be done at her pace, without her always feeling the need to keep up with Sebastian.

A new camera!!

2008-07-23T18:33:00.000-07:00

Oscar and I went out (by ourselves!!) today and purchased a new camera. We've been without one for the last two months and I've been eager to get one to capture some of our summer pictures. Ayla was a willing model for me as I tried it out today. We also took some of Sebastian at soccer. Including one right before the goalie kicked the ball which him in the face and cut his lip. Last time he played, he hit heads with another player. Poor kid!

reading and math

2008-06-27T18:52:00.000-07:00

I've been noticing in the past two months that Sebastian has been reading words here and there. Today he realized that he could read the words "play all" on a dvd. He then told me that he had been reading a book with Meredith (I had seen them on the couch at the cottage together - very sweet!). He said that once Meredith told him what some words said, he was able to remember them and that he could recognize the word go, whether written with an uppercase or lowercase g. He seemed excited by this so I asked him if he would like some readers like Meredith's and he quickly answered yes. I'm eager to see where this leads for him. He has been showing more and more signs of wanting to learn to read but never in such an obvious way.

He, Meredith and Nell were also really into doing chores to raise money for a dinghy. This lead to counting their money and tallying it up. Sebastian had spent much time with a math story book on this a few months ago which had lead to him learning to count by 5's, 10's and 100's. We had looked at the way you can add columns of numbers but he had never been interested in actually trying any on paper. He seemed interested in watching as I showed them how I was adding up the numbers and they both helped me. I've really been feeling that he might be ready to learn some more math concepts and more difficult operations. He has been practising adding into two digit numbers by himself. It can get confusing for him using his fingers so I think it might be time to pull out the cuisenaire rods. I got them late last fall but he was not interested at the time so I put them away for a bit. He really has seemed to be inspired by the nicer weather these last few weeks. He's moving away from technology (craving lots of video games and computer time) and remembering all of the many other things he loves to do.

balance

2008-06-23T17:31:00.000-07:00

I've been having a very difficult time this spring finding the right balance between everyone's needs, housework, and really just life in general. I've often felt that we have been too busy, even as nothing seemed to be getting done. Today, finally, we had a day that just felt right. Our plans changed several times as the day went on, due to the weather, but that just made things easier. I've really been struggling with trying to figure out how much autonomy I want Sebastian to have and at the same time, being comfortable and supportive with his decisions.

Today I did a bit more of telling him what we were going to do (read stories, clean up, go outside for a snack, just basic stuff) and of course it lead to him spending more time with Ayla. I think what happened is Ayla then spent less time being pesky trying to get his attention. (although one time she attached a belt to a board he was hammering and kept on pulling it away from him - I had to giggle to myself at that one!)

Ayla didn't nap which was nice and I think led to even more housework getting done as I engaged her to keep her busy and happy. I think I'm going to try to encourage this type of routine more throughout the summer and see how it works for us.

my 3 year old

2008-06-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

Ayla, you are three today. In so many ways I just can't believe you are three already and in so many ways, I just can't believe you're only three! You are such an incredible person of energy and charisma. Every day you amaze me and challenge me. Your opinions are strong, your will even stronger. You love people. I was talking with Sebastian yesterday and we both agreed that in your eyes, you've never met a stranger. You routinely stand on our sidewalk and talk to everyone who passes, whether on foot, bike or car. You are so sure that everyone wants to talk to you! I love the confidence that you have.

You've been going through a period lately, where you want me close to you most of the time. I've been really trying to embrace this and enjoy it, because I know it will be all too fleeting. Happy Birthday my crazy girl! I love you!!

LM

2008-05-04T05:19:00.001-07:00

So I noticed last night that Ayla is showing signs of her LM (lymphatic malformation) in the left side of her mouth now. There are little bumps that look like frog eggs. I know from a support group on Yahoo that is the typical appearance. I didn't have a surge of anxiety when I discovered it (unlike when I first found that her cyst had grown back after her surgery). I have found my mind returning to it several times though so I guess I'm not as relaxed about it as I thought last night.

It doesn't change anything for her right now. It's not really noticeable (I have noticed some slight swelling around her mouth which I guess is related to that, but really, only I would notice I think). She's never had an infection in her LM, which is rare. It's been great because infections often mean lots of antibiotics and steroids. Now that she has it in her mouth, I'm worried that the infections will be much more likely (so many germs). A big fear for me is that she will end up with it in her tongue. The kids that have it in their tongue seem to suffer a lot (pain, swelling, bleeding, appearance). I've always felt reassured that it was just in her cheek, so far away from her tongue. The thing with LM is you never know where it might appear next. It doesn't spread. All the LM she has, she was born with. However, there is no way to tell where the malformed tissue is until it begins to fill with fluid. There is also no way to tell when the affected areas might begin to fill and swell.

If she does have problems with it, from what I've read, surgery isn't a great option. I think sometimes they can use lasers to temporarily help. Anyways, I need to not dwell on that. Hopefully, she will have no problems with it and now that I've written all these worries down, hopefully I can let go of them!

sick girl

2008-04-02T16:14:00.000-07:00

I got home from a homeschool meeting last night to find that Ayla had a stomach bug. She had a wakeful night and was sick several times. Luckily Oscar was home and he took Sebastian to a concert that we had tickets for. Ayla and I stayed home and enjoyed lots of "ahh" and stories. As we were laying in bed, Ayla looked at me and said, "Me lucky". I said, "You are? Why are you lucky?" "Cause me here". Melted my heart!

piano lessons

2008-03-27T20:35:00.000-07:00

Sebastian started taking piano lesson in February. He has been enjoying the lessons and is starting to get into a rhythm with practising. One aspect of the practising which I had not anticipated is the amount of "written" work to be done. Sebastian went through a time about one and a half to two years ago where he liked to do written work in different workbooks, etc. Since then, he has not sought out any structured book work and has not been interested when I suggest it. I've been OK with this, I figure he'll seek it out when he needs to. Now, I find that I am enjoying the bit of formal structure this brings to our day. He was resistant to the work at first. I let him know that it is his decision whether or not to complete it. He has been more eager to complete the work in the last few weeks. It helps that his teacher is a home-schooling mom and is willing to go at his pace.

He has also been mentioning that he is reading things at times. During the last year, he has not wanted to try to learn to read and has really withdrawn from any interaction in which he felt there was pressure to try it. Again, I felt fine with not pushing it. He seems to be feeling more confident recently and willing to share his learning process a bit more. He'll point out words to me in different locations and tell me that he is reading them. He knows what they say, I'm not sure if he is actually reading them or picking up other visual clues that help him figure out what the word says. Either way, I'm happy that he feels that he can include me a bit in the process.

Poor dog

2008-03-16T20:48:00.000-07:00

Puck is so patient with Ayla. She likes to inspect his teeth (holding his mouth wide open with her hands of course), his white hair on his chin (holding his mouth shut tightly of course), try to jump on his back, walk him endlessly around the house on his leash...and now dress him up.

Weekend at College Royal

2008-03-16T20:27:00.000-07:00

The kids and I spent much of the weekend at College Royal, an open house put on by the students at the University of Guelph. It's the third year in a row that we have gone. Sebastian has always loved going. Oscar had to work nights this weekend. I had been feeling a bit leery of taking the kids by myself as it is often very crowded and things are quite spread out over the campus. We ended up having a great time, so much that we went on both Saturday and Sunday for several hours each day. The kids built boats and raced them, built containers to try to protect an egg while dropping it from four stories up (not successful :) particularly Ayla's, whose egg was in an open cup), watched a science show, built hand catapults, played with "magic mud", petted animals, took "Crazy Rooster" to the teddy bear surgery, and lots more. One highlight was running into several different friends and joining them for different activities. I'm sorry that Oscar had to miss out. The kids and I are already looking forward to next year!

2008-03-16T20:18:00.000-07:00

There has been much bickering between Ayla and Sebastian the last couple of months. Lately though, there seems to have been a bit of a shift towards more peaceful (and at times, loving) interactions. And happily, they are often eager for me to take pictures of these times!

Playing with Daddy

2008-03-16T20:03:00.000-07:00

Ayla and Oscar playing "Dr. Orfey" (Ayla's version of Dr. Forte!) We're not sure of the meaning of the ball and having to spit it into the basket - it later lead to having to spit wooden puzzle pieces into rain boots!

Deep thoughts

2008-03-06T13:42:00.000-08:00

I took Sebastian to see a show at the Riverrun today. Oscar was off work so Ayla stayed with him. Sebastian played with some friends after the show for a few minutes and then we began our walk home. We passed the war memorial on the way and, as always, Sebastian asked me to read the poem "In Flander's Fields" to him. We continued on our way. Sebastian then began a conversation that covered the following topics: the two world wars, a possible (in his mind) 3rd world war in Afghanistan, the questions "why am I me?" and "when is the world going to end?" and "because the world is round, if we were standing in Antarctica would we be upside down?"
He then shared that he had found a bit of the show that we had watched to be scary. I felt so grateful that we have all this time to spend together and that I get these opportunities to hear what he is thinking. Because he sure seems to have a lot on his mind.

snow day!

2008-03-05T19:57:00.000-08:00

We got a bunch of snow last night. The kids were quite excited about it when they woke up. One of the boys in the neighbourhood stayed home for the day so he and Sebastian spent the day together. This gave Ayla and I plenty of time for cuddles and "ahh". The kids all played outside for the afternoon and then again in the evening. Ayla was very excited to see another "neighbour boy" who we haven't seen much of lately. I love how the kids in our neighbourhood play together. They have always included Sebastian in their play and now Ayla jumps right in. They watch out for her and are often quicker than me to remind her of various things (you know the important stuff like get off the road!) She loves the attention and rolls around and wrestles with them. Sebastian showed her how to use his snowboard tonight and she was riding down our little hill! We have all been getting rather tired of winter but today was wonderful. Many of the neighbours were out shovelling and visiting this evening. And of course, it's always nice when the kids come in and go straight to bed! Ayla actually told me that she was tired and that it was time to go up to bed. Let me tell you, Ayla does not usually say these kinds of things!

I did it!

2008-03-02T17:17:00.000-08:00

A neighbour asked me last fall if I would be interested in doing a half-marathon running clinic with her throughout the winter. I agreed to as I thought it would be a good way to get to know her better while getting some exercise. I remember saying that I wasn't necessarily planning to run a half-marathon at the end of it. Well, throughout the clinic I actually began to realize that I could probably do one...and today I did!! Last year at this time, it was a good workout for me to run 2km! It's been a long time since I've had physical goals to achieve and damn, it feels good! I'm really looking forward to training for some triathlons this summer!

my girl

2008-03-02T17:01:00.000-08:00

So, I was feeling a bit nervous about how Ayla would react when it was time for her to see Dr.Forte about her LM. She had been saying that she didn't like him (she hasn't seen him for a year!) and that she didn't want to go. I forgot just how confident Ayla is. She walked into the office, hopped into the big chair and started chatting away with him. She didn't flinch throughout the examination and had him charmed by the end of it. I find it so interesting to watch Ayla interact with people. She is so sure of herself and certain that people want to talk with her. (and thank goodness they usually do because she is quite persistent!) Sebastian is happy to step back and let her have the limelight while we are out in public. He actually seems to gain confidence in new situations after watching her interact. Ayla's LM has not caused her any problems this year. Dr. Forte said that he is not happy that it has come back to the extent that it has but that he is pleased with the lack of complications. I know it may cause her some problems in the future and I am grateful that she has such a strong, confident personality which I believe will help her cope well.

2008-02-27T19:52:00.000-08:00

Today was full of up and downs, especially for Ayla. We've had a couple of great days recently. Oscar was home today and for whatever reason that seemed to throw Ayla off. She's happy to see him but then cries frequently and wants me a lot. We went for a family hike this morning. We talked with Sebastian about possible ideas for the science fair. He talked about making concrete. this then lead to him telling us how people used to boil snails in order to make a dye. He learned this from his "Story of the World" cd's. I always enjoy listening to him tell me things that he has learned from these tapes, especially as he can usually repeat things verbatim! Oscar and Sebastian then headed off for some tubing at Chicopee. Ayla took advantage of the time to have plenty of "ahh". We also managed to fit many different games and puzzles in as well! This evening was a sad time for Ayla. She seems to be nervous about her doctor's appointment tommorrow. It is just her yearly checkup for her LM. Seeing her worry about it makes me very glad that we chose to do her surgery when she was younger! Lots of cuddles and she eventually drifted off to sleep.

A good day

2008-02-25T17:24:00.000-08:00

Today was a great day. We were coming off of the high of yesterday (trip to the zoo and a flat tire - doesn't get much more exciting than that). Sebastian joined Ayla and I in bed this morning for a cuddle (poor Oscar was off to work much earlier). We had a relaxed morning. A friend came over and Sebastian got to talk in much detail about Star Wars and I didn't have to be the one talking with him! A walk in the woods and lunch with our friend and then off to skating.

Ayla ran around the room with the other toddlers. Once, after another mother had corrected her behaviour, Ayla came to me almost crying. She then told me, "After her go and her no come back, THEN me push chair". I had a good laugh after that one! (but no, I didn't let her push the chair!)

After skating we did some groceries and then stopped in at a friend's house for a visit. The kids stayed there for a few minutes while I ran home and got dinner ready. We had a great dinner, chatting and joking. Ayla went to bed early and Sebastian and I got some much needed alone time to read and cuddle. There were no angry words exchanged today, no rushing the kids around. I had a great sense of community with our friends and one of closeness with the kids. Ahh...if only I could figure out how to make this happen every day :)

lazy saturday

2008-02-23T07:39:00.000-08:00

We've had a busy week - lots of classes and visiting with friends. We were going to make a family trip to the market this morning but Sebastian expressed (loudly) that he wanted to stay home. So, Oscar and Ayla are off to the market and Sebastian has holed up in his room with the dog, listening to a story on tape. The house is quiet and I have lots to do, but thought I'd take a few moments to myself.