We have had a very busy May so far. Too much to write about in one blog post, but I wanted to share some photos and give a little update from the Sprague/Jeffries clan.
We have been taking full advantage of our Spring weekends lately. It's been so nice to have some sunshine and to have Alan home for such a long stretch. May kicked off with us attending our first ever May Day party hosted by a friend in town. It was so nice to socialize with friends, share some good food and see so many kids running around catching tadpoles and scooping up frog eggs. The highlight was the much anticipated pole dance - which included a procession of kids being ushered to the homemade poles by a fiddle-playing father! Such a nice tradition to start.
We have also been exploring our Valley surroundings - a trip to the Oaklawn Farm Zoo, a Mother's Day hike along waterfalls in Keji National Park, and more time beachcombing with the kids. Caleb asked if I would share my beach glass and pottery collection with him, so I think he's officially hooked!
Odin's daycare held a Mother's Day lunch and invited all mom's to attend a special celebration on Friday. I felt terrible when I realized that I would be out of town for meetings that day. I could just see how disappointed Odie would be when he realized that all the other mom's were arriving except his. Thankfully, my wonderful hubby stepped in to save the day and he offered to attend the lunch on my behalf. I called Alan later in the afternoon to check in and he reported that the lunch was great and he was proudly wearing a 'Super Mom' medal as we spoke!
And to top it all off, we bought a house! Much more to come on that front, but for now we are just beginning to process the fact that after all these years we will finally have a home to call our own. We are officially planting our roots and it feels so, so good. Closing date May 31st, so packing/moving fun begins soon. At least we know we won't be doing this again for a LONG time. Eeeekkk!!!
Odin loved the animals, especially the big cats and the monkeys at the zoo. This was a big and mind blowing day for him!
I can never resist the cut-out photo op!
Our little animal lover meeting a friend during a family walk. Caleb is already concerned that Odie is going to want lots of pets and wild animals in our home when he grows up. After I read Caleb 'Owls in the Family', he wanted to be reassured that we would never have more than two pets, and no snakes, gophers or spiders! He loved the book though!
Snack break on the Red Chairs in Keji
Mother's Day beach finds. I love this teeny, tiny whole glass bottle. Maybe it once held perfume?
We've also very recently experienced some loss in our family. Alan's grandmother Kathleen McEachern passed away peacefully yesterday. She was a wonderful lady who whole-heartedly welcomed me into the family from day one. We will certainly miss her. I look forward to hearing stories from her 91 years when we get together with family to celebrate her life later this week.
Warm weather, sunshine, picnics, beach walks, hikes, soccer games and ice cream! I'm so excited to say that we can finally put the cold, short days of winter behind us and start going outside more and exploring the world once again. We go outside for a family walk after supper - in the daylight! Ahhh, it feels so good.
I loved Caleb's second Spring. We were still living in Duncan's Cove and I clearly remember taking him outdoors just to let him touch the budding tree branches, throw rocks in puddles and hopefully see some birds, butterflies and caterpillars. It is so wonderful to watch this whole new world open up to Odin.
Matching hats at the beach! We had the place to ourselves for most of the afternoon. It was a wonderful chance for some low-tide beachcombing.
Odie with his collection of shells and round rocks (aka 'Ballls!). He only face-planted in the wet mud once, but he was determined not to let it get him down. I brushed him off and asked if he wanted to go back to the car and go home. He looked at me, shocked, and gave me his best long and drawn out 'Nooooooooo!!'
Rubber boots and rolling waves
Some of our best finds of the day. Some great textured glass (including a large piece of a bottle that had the word 'Evangeline' on it), some nice beach pottery pieces and our prize winner of the day - my first ever beach marble. Caleb was soooo impressed with the marble find, and we spent hours talking and wondering about where these items may have come from and how long they had been rolling around on the bottom of the sea. Odin was just happy that we finally found a real ball!
We have also discovered a few new local hangouts, like Valleyview Provincial Park which is only 20 minutes away. The views were amazing, and we hope to take Sunny there this summer (if the old gal will make it up the hill!).
I pulled a fast one on Caleb this year for April Fools' Day. I put his cereal in the freezer for a frozen breakfast surprise. He LOVED it. He then completely tricked me by pretending to call my parents to tell them about the joke. I came running out of the kitchen to see him with the phone to his ear saying 'Oh Greg, you won't believe what mom did...'. I thought he had woken them up at 7 am, so I wasn't really impressed, but his immediate smile told me I had been fooled!
April got off to a great start. Alan was home, we had some nice weather, the crocuses were blooming, I've been working on some really interesting projects at work....Things were going great. And then the dreaded flu virus hit - and Odin was the one on the receiving end of it. He had every flu and cold symptom you can name, so we kept him home for a few days and I thought he was recovering until Saturday night came around. It was very likely the worst night of parenting I've had to date. From 7 pm until 5 am Odie alternated from crying to nursing to half sleeping in 20 minute intervals. I didn't sleep for more than 5 minutes all night long. Finally at 5 am, he fell soundly asleep and didn't wake until 8. When he finally did come around he seemed totally normal - he awoke with a smile and a happy 'hi!'. I was a bit dumbfounded - did he actually have no memory of what we had just gone through? He wanted to eat breakfast - his first good meal in several days. Once I sat down beside him, I saw the dried ooze down the side of his face and I finally understood what had gone on. His eardrum had ruptured in the night. He was in very obvious pain until the rupture, which must have happened right around 5 am when he finally felt some relief and was able to sleep. Poor, poor little fella. He is now on antibiotics and is truly back to his usual happy squealing little self. It was quite an ordeal, and I'm very thankful to have it behind us.
Caleb has been amazing through Odie's illness. Alan was away through the worst of it, so unfortunately Caleb was left to occupy himself a lot over the past few days. I was feeling high levels of parental guilt at times, but my wonderful and amazingly mature 6 year old handled it like a champ. He didn't complain or ask for anything at all. He was genuinely concerned about his brother and offered to help out anyway he could. He even told me that he would put himself to sleep and I didn't even need to read him books on the night when Odie was in especially bad shape. When we finally went to the doctor after the eardrum had ruptured, Caleb (on his own accord) packed a book bag full of toys to keep Odin busy. I was very appreciative and very impressed. I later told him how proud I was of him for being able to put other people's feelings ahead of his own, and I gifted him with a 20$ bill to take to the school book fair and spend however he chose (he bought a Spy Kit, which is pretty awesome if I do say so myself!). I feel so lucky to be the mother of such wonderful little boys. They fill my heart with love, joy and gratefulness everyday, even on the hardest and most exhausting days.
They also can make me laugh like no other. Caleb had an amazing quote this week after I had praised him for being so darned great. He said "Mom, I just love being your side dish." He meant sidekick. I burst out laughing and hugged him tight. My trusty side dish. So grown up but still such a little boy. It's a wonderful stage in our lives and I wouldn't change a thing.
We've had a busy last few weeks and it's been absolutely splendid! My parents came to visit with Aly and Ava for a few days before taking Caleb back to Fredericton to spend his March Break. This was a big trip for him, and he was very, very excited and had a wonderful time on his own. Alan's folks then brought Caleb back over on the ferry at the end of the week, and Caleb's cousin Tanya came along for the adventure. So we have had a ton of family time and we all loved it, especially Odie! He woke up each morning wondering who would be downstairs for him to play with. He certainly missed Caleb on the days he was gone, but I really enjoyed having some alone time with my 'baby'. And now it we are resting up after all the fun and relaxing close to home over the Easter long weekend. Alan will even be home to join us tomorrow and we can finally all spend a day off together on Monday. Let's hear it for family time!
We took a day trip to Halifax and spent some time checking out the amazing new library! Aly and Cale shared a drink at the cafe on the top floor. Ava wasn't allowed to have a sip because she was car sick on the drive. Good times!
Odie. all alone for a week, passed much of his time playing his favourite game - guitar case car ramp.
Baby's got the blues - Odin insisted on bringing the harmonica on his wagon trip to the grocery store. Missing big brother for sure!
Caleb loved having a 'little sister' for a few days. We introducedTanya to life in the Valley by taking her to meet our friend's newly hatched chicks!
Caleb dueting with a chick
Grammie cuddles!
Paw Patrol with Grampie! Odin could hardly stand the suspense!
Grampie John is always gifting great books to his grandkids. Odin was so happy to have another lap to read on.
The boys got to see their dad preform with his band this weekend at at a Bluegrass Brunch in Berwick. They had their dancing shoes shined up and couldn't wait to hit the dance floor together.
Love letter that I found in Caleb's backpack! He still loves using our first names!
"Bruiser"...that was how our doctor referred to Odin during his 18 month check up yesterday! At 27 lbs, he is still in the 98th percentile for height and head size, so the doctor is predicting that we'll have a big boy on our hands.
Our little bruiser is doing wonderfully well at his new daycare. It is hard for me to believe that he can sit still during circle time, wait in line to wash his hands, sit on his own chair and eat his meals using utensils and nothing but regular cup. Each day we seem to move further and further from having a little baby in our life.
He's also developed into quite a little talker. The doctor said at this age he should have about 20 words, even if they are not perfectly pronounced. Odie has a ton of words, some of them very clear and some of them only a parent's loving ear could possibly understand! Nore means more, height means light, Caleb is still lovingly referred to as Caco, a horse is an indescribable sound that comes from deep in his throat and cheese is a similar sounding grunt. He is very consistent with these terms, so we seem to have no trouble understanding his needs (which do often seem to revolve around cheese!). I've posted a new video below showing off his newly expanded vocabulary. He still doesn't like to use the 'L' sound much, so we have been trying to over-emphasize it when talking to my parents on skype and saying the word 'Linda'. This has resulted in a new name for his grandmother - Lalala. Just watch and see!
Post-bath curls!!! Yay!
We are also experiencing the other 'joys' of toddlerhood - he loves to drop items just to see what sound they make and he will scream if something happens that he doesn't like (his sense of volume control has not yet been fine-tuned!). A great example of this is when he opened the cupboard doors a few days ago, grabbed a bag of sunflower seeds and proceeded to dump the entire contents onto the floor. After being mesmerized by just how far the mess had spread, he looked up at me innocently and said 'Uh oh.' (Caleb likes to remind him that 'uh oh' doesn't count if you did something on purpose). I quickly grabbed the broom and dustpan to begin cleaning up the mess, when Odin decided that actually, HE was going to be the one to clean it up. He grabbed the broom in one hand, the dustpan in the other, and proceeded to push the majority of the seeds under the stove and into other irretrievable places. I was at the end of my patience at this point, and took the broom back to just get the mess cleaned up, already. Well. Odin was dismayed and heartbroken. He burst into tears, became red in the face, and let out a terrible scream at the injustice I had just put upon him. After several deep breathes (on both of our behaves) we managed to get the floor cleaned up and everyone calmed down. I don't think Caleb ever really threw temper tantrums, but I have a funny feeling we may begin to experience some meltdowns with #2!
Later that night, Caleb had an adorable quote that I need to share. He said, 'Mom, isn't it funny how things can be both big and small. Like how Odin is so small but he takes up such a big space in our hearts'. So true.
I also wanted to share a couple of photos of some crafts Cale and I have been working on. These were inspired by a book given to Caleb on his birthday from John and Colleen. We love it!!
Acrobat Land - taking arts and crafts to a new level!
I've taken a ton of great photos over the past couple of weeks that I can't wait to share. As March approaches, we are about to transition into a new routine. Odin will be 18 months tomorrow, so he can finally start attending the daycare in Annapolis Royal. His current home-care situation turned out to be great, but having him in town will make my commute time, and life in general, so much easier. This is also where Caleb goes after school and he can't wait to get off the bus and have his little brother waiting for him. I'm sure Odie will be overjoyed when 'Caco' walks in the door!
I'm also finally feeling settled in this little town. Over the past few months I've been able to make some good friends, which isn't easy these days! But I'm beginning to build a great network of moms that I really enjoying spending time with. One of our good friends lives on a farm (where we lived the summer before Odin was born), and I'm learning how wonderful it is to have access to all the joys of farm life, without having to do all of the work! This week we were very excited to visit some chicks that had just hatched from their incubator. Odin, being the little animal lover that he is, couldn't get enough of them...and the cats, giant dog, chickens and horse. Great times, and great photo ops, ensued!
Hanging with the chicks:
Odin, my viking farmer. Such a fantastic homemade hat!!
Other February fun:
Alan's birthday - complete with a homemade t-shirt! He was away for the actual big day, but we made sure to celebrate early.
Just chillin' at a playgroup he attended with his babysitter!
Indoor picnic with some friends. The 'make your own' salad bar was a big success!
We love going to the Family Fun Nights that are open to the public each Friday at the local school. Odin can't get enough of the balls and often sneaks into the equipment room looking for more (because there just are never quite enough for him to play with!)
Hiking in Kejimkujik National Park on an incredibly mild and sunny February day. We live only 40 km from Keji and we are hoping to spend lots of time there this summer.
Taking a break during our hike. Caleb thought Odie looked camouflaged!
Although he only has a few words, Odin can definitely find ways to tell you what he wants. Like this morning (Monday) he was determined to have us eat breakfast by candelight, and he wouldn't sit down until all the candles were lit! It was actually a nice start to my week!
Our little one is growing up FAST! He has developed a new awareness of the world and he wants to be right in the middle of everything. He is discovering the joys of independence, which makes our life easier (and more hilarious) in many ways, but also has some challenges.
The word 'no' has become a staple as he learns that he has control over his own mind and body. He first began asserting this new-found power at meal time, as he basically refused to eat anything we were serving for a few days - just because he could. He would push food items away or casually drop them on the floor. We won this battle by basically ignoring him for one meal and not offering him any food at all. The feeling of being excluded was enough for him to start asking for food almost immediately and now he is back to being a voracious eater at mealtimes!
He is also very quick on his feet these days and I often get that 'pit in my stomach feeling' when I've lost sight of him for a few minutes and hear only silence. Most of the time, I find him deeply engaged in playing with a toy, but sometimes I'll find him climbing up on the back of the couch, or he'll be causing trouble in his favourite room in the house - yes, this would be the bathroom! Sometimes he is innocently brushing his hair, but more often than not, I'll hear a familiar flushing sound and know exactly where to find him. Thankfully, he is pretty good about not flushing our items down the toilet, but he sure gets a kick out of watching the water swirl into the abyss! Here are a few of his other new skills:
Odie - just being adorable!
Master of Utensils!
Odin has progressed from playing peek-a-boo to playing hide and seek. He can be quite hard to find at times (as you can see!). Caleb plays along so well - really hamming up the 'where is Odin' role!
Hanging out on his bathroom stool, hoping someone will turn on the water.
We officially have a 6 year old, and we spent the entire week celebrating how happy we are to have him in our lives. And it was a big, big week beginning on the Saturday before Cale's actual birthday. Our little town is one of many across Canada who have stepped up and formed a local committee to assist with the relocation of Syrian refugees. The town has been raising money, collecting donations and even renovated a beautiful old home and filled it with furniture and firewood in anticipation our new family's arrival. There has been a lot of discussion about refugees in our household because the house that has been purchased for the refugee family is directly across the street from us. This means, sometime in the coming weeks, we will be welcoming new neighbours who (hopefully) have a couple of children for my boys to play with.
Caleb, being the incredibly empathetic and generous little fella that he is, was quite concerned when he heard about why the family needed to leave their home country and how they would be arriving here with very little. He thought it was exciting that a local group had come together to help them settle into a new life in Canada, and he wanted to help out to. So the idea of a fundraiser was born - and after recruiting a couple of his friends, we held a 'Hot Chocolate and Cookie Cale' at the new outdoor skating rink in Annapolis Royal. Caleb personally began collecting money around our house (we have no more loose change anywhere!) and donated money he received as Christmas gifts and even the toonie left to him by the tooth fairy.
Caleb and his friends, the Froese sisters, were hoping to make 10 or 20$ from the sale, but after spreading the word around town, people came out in droves to support the cause. People donated cookies to sell, the local coffee roaster turned up with pots of coffee to share and even the fire department was out working late the previous night to flood the rink and make sure it was ready for the big event. I was utterly blow away by the support. The kids ended up making $769 in 2 hours, and the local paper was there to report on the event. The article captures the spirit of the day, and Caleb was delighted to be interviewed. His week continued to get better as his teacher read the article to his class and people commented to him that he was the 'talk of the town'! It was wonderful to feel we did a little something to contribute to this nation-wide effort, but the real work will begin once the family arrives and we are given the opportunity to be the best neighbours we can be in order to help the family settle into their new life in our community.
And unbelievably, the birthday week fun was only beginning. On Caleb's request, we decided to head to Fredericton to celebrate with friends, family and most importantly COUSINS!! We spent 4 days and nights playing outside, watching Aly and Ava play basketball, seeing the new Star Wars in the theatre (!!) and squeezing in as much fun as we could. Here are some photos and our annual birthday interview!
Birthday party fun
Birthday party sliding at O'Dell Park (photos by Greggy)
And our other very grown up fella!! He doesn't want to miss out on any of the fun.
