Big Kid

The Sprog started school on Monday. It's not mandatory schooling, just nursery school at the local parent co-op, but it's still a big transition. Four days a week I get a lunch ready, try to remember what extra clothes and nappies (no she is not potty trained yet. Fuck off) are already at school, and anything else that needs to go.

And then I go to work.

Spouse walks he to school. He gets to see her excitement and watch her run off to play. And in the afternoons he is the one to tear her away, bring her home.

As it's a co-op, I can't help but still be involved. I'll even do a round of parent teaching (although the first one goes to Spouse.) But I still feel like I'm not fully involved. And it hurts.

First Day of school

Bad Blogger

I still have the child. She could even be said to be thriving. She is supposed to be wearing glasses too, (just like mummy!) but has now lost TWO pairs and we're at a point where we just can't replace them. Plus I thought I could get reimbursed from our insurance for them and it turns out that we can't and I should have bought the glasses at a different place to get a discount that we can get through the insurance (although the Mass Eye and Ear optical shop does give a discount on kid's glasses anyway.)

So instead of blogging, I'm going to follow in  the tradition of the best lazy bloggers and just give you a link to something more interesting. While the sprog isn't even in daycare, (do  know how much that costs?!) I was sort of looking forward to school. But then I read this wonderful piece on the end of the school year and, well, this is how I feel about my own job at the end of the academic year. I imagine it will be much the same when I'm supposed to be checking homework folders and all that other crap too.

I promise next post will be something more about my own parenting.

Christmas wrap-up

Since I mentioned tree trimming in the last post, here is a short video of her playing with the bells we put on the tree

On Christmas Eve we decided to record a Singing With Family video. Several people on Facebook had complained to me that Spouse was no longer doing his Singing with Daddy videos so this was to make up for it.

And then we did another

And finally, on Christmas day we had a TON of gifts from family for Violet to open. So many that we spaced opening out over a couple of days. She's still at an age where clothes are not a disappointment for her so she got several nice outfits. Here she is trying top open a gift of bath toys from us that I clearly wrapped too well.

Sleep, perchance to AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!

We got lucky with an infant. I'm well aware of this. I have a friend whose daughter spent three days crying and nothing they did would console her. We, on the other hand, had a little angel who's tears from teething were easily soothed with some Oragel or Tylenol (which she loved to take.) Everything was great! Until now.

Child has been getting a molar in, one of the more painful teeth to be sure. She also appears to have inherited my restless leg syndrome. On top of that, she no longer likes her cherry-flavoured acetaminophen. Oh, and she discovered high-pitched shrieking a while back. All of this has combined to form a perfect storm of bad sleep for all of us.

On Friday night she was so cranky that Spouse ran off to the guest room to sleep. I stayed with her, trying to comfort with nursing, massage and "please, please, please take the nice medicine!" She got to sleep at 4:30 in the morning. And as if that wasn't bad enough, she then woke up every hour with and ear-piercing scream, and then would instantly fall back asleep. We eventually got up around 9:30 but she was in great need of a nap later, and managed a couple of hours of slumber. I, on the other hand, didn't get down for a nap until the evening when the two of us went down for almost three hours of on/off sleep.

The general screaming, which I know is just a phase they all go through, is hell on Spouse. He's taken to having big earmumffy hearing protectors around and putting them on. My tactic is more along the lines of trying to find out why she is screaming, not that it helps much*. She screams when you don't pay attention to her, but mostly screams when she doesn't get her way. She is toddler: she is ID! If they didn't then do cute things, like cuddle up, thumb in mouth, or try to decorate the Christmas tree on her own, I don't think the human race would survive.

Here's a cute picture of her with chocolate on her face, helping me cut out gingerbread men. How could I deny that face anything!

*Really it's just that we have different ways of dealing with it. I'm not saying I'm somehow better for being able to ignore screaming.

First Birthday

Our Violet had her first birthday yesterday.  The image on the left is the inside of the card Spouse made for her. The outside was her on the day she was born. I sobbed when I read it.

All in all I'd say she had a good day. There were some tears on her part, but also many smiles and fun. She also got to have cake! And I even let her have a lollypop! Here's a rundown of the things she consumed yesterday:
Breastmilk (at several times during the day)
Maple teething biscuit
Potting soil
Apple
Roast potatoes
Fries
Toast
Tea
Nose blood
Lollypop
Apple cake

Yeah, the nose blood part was no fun. She was knocked over by a slightly older child in the library and did a faceplant on the floor. Much screaming was involved. But there were two good naps during the day as well to counter any non-injury crankies.

Here's some gift opening. The outfit was a gift from Nana (my mom)

First steps

Well, I had a feeling this would happen: I've missed her first steps. While I wish I'd been there, I'm happy they were at least toward a parent. She apparently just walked five steps toward Spouse so he would pick her up.

She's also closer to saying "Daddy" than "Mummy." At least I'm the one she comes to for comfort (because I have the milk) when we're both there.

Afternoon in the garden

I was out back today and too some pictures of the child. It seemed a good idea to get some digital shots as well. New skirt and beater from the bag of clothes my mom brought down this weekend.

 

And to give you an idea of why I have no ripe tomatoes: