Getting ready for our trip

on thursday, we leave for our big summer trip. Phil has a conference in Philadephia and another in New York, so we'll spend a week in each city. i'll be trekking around both cities sans Phil...we'll see how it goes! we'll be visiting family in Philadelphia, so that'll be great. we get to see my nephew, Amoz, for the first time! he's celebrating his first birthday while we're there, so that'll be exciting. i think this will be the first time in a really long time my side of the family has gathered. my brother and his family and my parents and us. i think the last time was when Skye was born.

so i'm busy packing whenever i can. Phil and i used to travel a lot (during my flight attendant days) and we'd travel with just one suitcase each. that's impossible now. these two small people require so much STUFF! and i used to zip through airports, pulling my wheelie along. now, we have to plan for at least a half hour to make our connection, making potty stops, water stops, etc. still, i'm excited to show the cities to Skye and Claire. i love NYC - there's so much to do! i'm hoping the kids will find it as exciting as i do.

if any of you have tips on what to do and see with the kids in either city, please let me know!

New colour

so i made a visit to the hair salon today, the first in a very long time. it was fun to be pampered and get my hair washed by someone else!! so, here are the shots.

Before:


After:


Skye giggles every time she touches my hair now. at first, she worried the blue would come off on her fingers, but quickly realized this doesn't happen. so we played hair salon and she wanted to colour her hair orange.

well, it's fun to have some blue hair - i'm going to enjoy it!

Visit from Uncle Mike and Auntie Megan

yesterday, we had a visit from Phil's brother, Mike, and his wife, Megan. they live in illinois and made the trek up here for a visit. Skye was so excited to see them, she had a hard time waiting for them to arrive, even getting rather grumpy! but she had a blast once they arrived!

here are the two girls in the backyard.



Megan, Skye and Claire busy with play.


Mike and Megan give Skye a wild ride!


Pink Ladies.


Skye's rendition of the visit.

Conquering the monkey bars, dunking in the pool

today was Skye's last day of summer school. and all summer long, she has been working on the monkey bars, trying to get all the way across. every day, when i picked her up, she'd say, "let me show you - i can get all the way across!" and every day, she'd drop down to the ground in the middle and i'd say, "maybe next time?" today, Skye was determined to show me. the first few times, she dropped in the middle. and then, she did it and i got to see her finally! her teacher got to see it and some of her friends and their parents all got to see her and we all clapped for her! it was great! Skye was all smiles and thrilled to have conquered the monkey bars.

meanwhile, Claire and i have been taking parent/toddler swim lessons while Skye was in her swim lesson. Claire is the youngest in the class - the rest of her classmates are all a year or older. i have been trying to teach her to hold her breath before i dunk her in the water. for those of you familiar with teaching infants to swim, you'll know that babies automatically hold their breath if you blow in their faces (that's why Claire often stopped breathing in the winter time whenever we went out and the wind blew in her face). today, for the first time, she recovered pretty quickly after i dunked her. she usually gets upset/annoyed and comes up sputtering, but today, she sputtered a little, but then was ok.

i was really proud of both my girls today. monkey bars and swimming are all important things. even i remember how important they were when i was growing up!

Eating habits

Claire is now making sounds like she's trying to talk. "wah-wah-wah-wah-wah." "maaaah! maaaah!" i'm sure soon certain sounds will refer to specific things, but at the moment, we're thrilled to hear her do her thing! she has also taken to biting me on the shoulder when she wants to nurse.

today, we were eating lunch at the pool and Claire was busy playing with the lunch bag while i tried to finish up. all of a sudden this little red thing drops out of her mouth and rolls away. i pick it up and it's a piece of candy! how did it get in there and how come i didn't catch it? with Skye, i felt like i was so on top of things, feeding her good and healthy food i'd made at home. not so easy to do with Claire. i still make food for Claire at home, but at the same time, i'm so distracted, i don't always catch her putting things in her mouth she's swiped off the table. in this case, from digging around in Skye's stash of gummy candy. could have been something worse i suppose. and Claire seems to want variety in her meal. if i give her just a bowl of mushy broccoli, she gets upset after a few bites. no, she wants some cucumber or a piece of bread or some fistfuls of rice to go with the broccoli.

and Skye's eating habits are rather interesting as well. she likes to take a bite, run off and play, come back for a bite and then run off again. i've tried and tried to get her to stay in her chair until she's done, but it's a battle that goes nowhere. it's almost impossible for her to stay still for a minute. she actually does better in restaurants because she's so busy staring at other people eating that she'll stay in her seat and eat. a good excuse to eat out often!

Ladies at home

Phil left for a conference early this morning. to me, it feels like he leaves for conferences often, but Phil tells me that's not the case. so far today, it's been good. Claire is taking a long nap and Skye and i are hanging out. we'll see how the rest of the day goes. the days aren't what i'm worried about. it's the nights and whenever Phil is away, neither of the girls seem to sleep well. perhaps because i don't sleep well either. i'm getting up for both girls, to nurse Claire and to settle Skye back to sleep. i've tried having both girls in the same bed with me, but then they're waking each other up. otherwise, i'm running back and forth between rooms, getting no decent sleep. i'm resigned to getting no sleep for the next two nights.

Hair

it seems a little vain to blog about my hair, but something happened today that was rather unusual and funny. Phil and i are always joking about these strangers that come up to me in the streets, at airports, and saying things to me. more often than not, it's regarding my hair. "cool hair!" "love your hair!" etc. you'd think all these compliments about my hair would make me vain, but the days of hip and cool people complimenting me are long gone. yes, when i was a flight attendant, working with hip, cool people, it was very flattering. now, i'm afraid it's usually people who are old enough to be my parents who are commenting on my hair. not that i have anything against that age group, but you see what i mean. i feel a little awkward though when people want to know where i get it cut. so i sort of grimace and say, "i cut it myself." i usually feel like i've exposed my knickers or something. i come from a family of untrained hairstylists. when i was growing up, my dad often cut my hair and i must say, there were days when i wished i had a hat to hide under. but as i got older, i was constantly getting disappointed by the hair cuts i was getting at salons, so i did the only thing i could. got some clippers and scissors and two mirrors and cut away.

today, i was walking with Skye and Claire to a park when this car pulled over and the lady inside asked, "where do you get your hair cut?" i was all prepared to have her ask me, where is so-and-so street, not a question about my hair! i thought my answer would send her away, but instead she asked, "would you cut my hair? i would pay you!" are you crazy, lady? when i refused to cut her hair, she asked if i would mind if she took pictures of me to take to a salon. i was completely flabbergasted, but really couldn't refuse at this point. we were so close to our house i told her where we lived and she drove off saying she'd stop by with her camera. we continued on to the park and i completely forgot about her and didn't really think she'd return. shortly after we got home, there was a knock on the door and it was the crazy lady again, with her camera! she seemed like a real nice person and i really hope for her sake she gets her hair cut the way she wants it! i have no idea if the photos will do her any good. i told her to stop by again AFTER she gets her hair cut.

hair is such a fascinating part of us. i'm going through my own hair issue. i had hair issues after Skye was born and tried to grow it out. it was a disaster, so i cut it all off again. now, i'm feeling the urge for change again. after going through all the physical changes during pregnancy and breastfeeding, i end up craving some physical, tangible change. for me, i feel like i lose so much of me when i have a baby, that i have to do something to remind myself that i'm still me. i still want to feel cool, young, and carefree, even though i'm really not anymore.

Hope

in the past few days, Skye and Claire have been able to spend an extended amount of time entertaining each other. it is incredible to see. today, while the girls were laughing and keeping each other busy, i vacuumed the house for the first time in you-don't-want-to-know-how-long. this gives me hope that having more than one child was not in vain! there will be one day when they will play undisturbed for more than a minute!

Claire has just matured so much over the past few days. i'm not sure what it is, but she is very aware of her surroundings. she loves to laugh at Skye's antics and plays really well as long as there's something to keep her interest. my friend calls her a "regarding" baby because Claire will often look at you with a very serious face and you have to wonder what is going through her head.

here's a recent movie of the two girls.



Rythmic gymnastics with ribbon from slkim and Vimeo.

Progress with writing...

so i recently printed out a rough draft of the first half of the novel i'm working on, about 6 chapters so far. i was actually quite surprised at how substantial it was!! but mind you, i've been slaving away at these 6 chapters now for about 3 years. i don't even want to think about how long it might take to finish this book because i'll just start crying. however, i was filled with a sense of satisfaction until i started reading over it. i'm now busy tearing pages out, scribbling all over it, starting the whole revision process.

i was at a party over the past weekend (yes, i sometimes do manage to get out and talk to some adults, albeit rather distracted) and was talking to a veteran writer. when i told him my schedule for writing (uh, whenever i can get an hour during nap time), he sort of shook his head and looked at me like, you're never going to get that novel written. he writes almost every day and sets aside at least two days a week devoted exclusively to writing. "what can you write in an hour?"

still, i'll keep plugging away.

Hello Kitty saves the day

for about a year now, we have struggled over brushing Skye's teeth. fits, tears, gagging, spitting, screaming, twice a day, every day. but now, no more!! thanks to this:



yes, it is a Hello Kitty battery operated toothbrush. now, Skye wants to brush her teeth 3 times a day! i never imagined i'd see the day, but she loves this thing. no gagging, no screaming, no fits. now, it's, "time to brush my teeth!" and rushing to the bathroom. i just hope this lasts!

a note about the whole soccer mum thing from previous entry - no, i don't think i can ever qualify to be one. i'm just too disorganized and never prepared enough. i identify more with the Kate Winslet character at the beginning of the movie "Little Children" who is rummaging around in her bag, looking for a snack for her daughter she never packed. i always seem to be that mother who has to borrow this or that from another mother and deal with the guilt of not being prepared. but the big bag does give me some hope of becoming more prepared!

Bag Lady

i've never been one to lug around big bags, but now with two kids, it has become my life. when Claire was born, a friend sent us a gift - an LL Bean "Boat and Tote" bag. to my eyes, it was enormous - could i really fill this thing? i thought i could put Skye in it and carry her around.



but this boat and tote is truly a lifesaver. i lug it around EVERY day, to the pool and back. it can hold EVERYTHING! two large towels, Claire's robe, swim suits, goggles, sunscreen, diapers, toys, snacks, lunch, water bottles, plastic bags... how could i survive without it? i suppose i would have come up with some thing. i've seen some very creative big bags. huge sacks from the cleaners, ikea bag (stolen?). so, i have become a Very Big Bag Lady. i feel like it is the beginning of becoming a suburban soccer mum, something i never envisioned myself becoming! well, at least i still don't drive a van, but there is something great about a big van and being able to pile everything/everyone into it.

Sisters

yesterday, Skye was being really sweet to Claire, so i said to her, "Skye, you're a really great big sister." Skye said very sweetly, "yes, i know." on such days, i feel hopeful about the future of our girls. i know not all siblings get along and have close relationships, but i do hope our girls do. i guess i'm trying my best to foster it, but i know most of it is beyond my control.

i watched "my neighbour Totoro" the other day, sort of previewing it for Skye. i decided it's a little mature for Skye and will wait another couple more years to show it to her. but i loved the sisters and the relationship they have in the movie. and the little sister does remind me of Claire in some ways.

here's a recent shot of the very tanned sisters!

after a week long break, swim lessons started up again. when we were at the pool yesterday, i checked to see when they would be and who Skye's instructor would be. big mistake. it was a guy named Tucker. Skye looked at me horrified. she didn't say anything, but later in the evening, she said, "i'm too tired to go swimming tomorrow." i had to think fast. how to get her to the swim lesson without having a meltdown?

Skye smiled with relief to see the storm clouds rolling in and to hear the thunder this morning. i called the pool to see if they had closed, but they were sort of standing by to see if it would clear up. half an hour before class, the sky cleared up. Skye refused to go to the pool, so finally i said, "Skye, let's at least give this guy a try - who knows, he may be a great teacher and if he is, you'll miss out. and if you don't like him after today, we can switch to another teacher." that got her out of the house. at the pool, she grabbed my leg and refused to let go. and it didn't help that the other girl in Skye's group was screaming her head off and holding tightly to her mother. poor Tucker! but the coordinator was great. he took us over to another teacher, Hannah, and asked Skye, "will you go in with her?" Skye smiled and jumped right into the pool. honestly, i'm not sure Hannah looked any more friendlier than Tucker, but girls will be girls.

Claire is busy cruising around. not quite stable on her legs, but nevertheless, is happiest when she's standing. the other day at the pool, she grabbed the side of the pool and stood up (in the wading pool)!

Happy 4th of July

i've never celebrated 4th of july before, i'm afraid. i didn't grow up with it and there never was anything exciting about it. well, that was until we got here. it seems every neighbourhood has their own 4th of july party and ours is no exception. my neighbour across the street was the organizer this year and got us kind of excited about it. the kids have a parade around a block and they come out with bikes, scooters, wagons, decked out in red, blue and white. Skye wanted to take her scooter, so she and i spent the morning while Claire napped, decorating her scooter. see photo below. i unfortunately missed the parade, sending Skye and Phil off - Claire ended up taking a 2 hour nap and missed most of the celebration. we made it in time to watch Skye play some games (run by older kids in the neighbourhood) and win prizes. it was actually kind of fun with all the neighbours out and milling around. but after a while, it was so hot, we ended up at the pool to cool off!

but the festivities sure do take a toll on the kids. too much excitement/stimulation. Skye was cranky for most of the afternoon and into the evening and i could hear through our open window one of our neighbours trying to get his kids home to bed and one of his sons crying at the top of his voice, "but i want to stay!" yes, it was time to be home.

hope you had a fun 4th of july!

Breakfast Club

Breakfast from slkim and Vimeo.

Rough night

this is what the girls looked like today after a wakeful night. notice how the cloth is still stuck in Skye's mouth. there was a moment last night when all four of us were awake. Claire woke up with a stuffy nose and refused to nurse back to sleep and was crying inconsolably. Skye was up saying she was too hot. none of us got a good night's rest. but the girls took a nap in the middle of the day.

other than that, we're doing great! Claire (another difference from Skye) loves that nasal suction bulb thing. Skye used to scream every time i stuck that up her nose when she had a cold. Claire sort of leans in to it and shivers slightly when it sucks out her snot. it's really cute. i think she finds it relieving.

we love the summer in Madison. the days are quite beautiful. lately, Sunday evenings, we've been packing a picnic and heading out to a park on the lake and meeting up with several other families. the kids play on the park, we sit on blankets and enjoy food and company. i'm beginning to understand why no one goes away for the summer here. makes sense to go away for the winter.