Getting Rid of Susu

Both of our kids had their susus (also known as soother, pacifier, binky) until they were over two. With Kai it was a covert op as he agreeably left his in his crib whenever he woke up. The day we took it away, in typical Kai fashion, it was no biggie. With Teia, not so much. She even got some new ones a few weeks ago.

But today I would have missed a funny and precious moment with her had I done the "right thing" and taken her susus away already. She stopped on a walk and wrapped her arms around a streetlamp pole. I wondered what the heck she was doing. Then she gently bonked her susu against the pole; it made a pleasant tinging sound. "Mommy!" she said, "I'm making music." I thought this was pretty funny and since Teia loves to make people laugh she kept doing it. And then she moved onto the bumpers of parked cars!

See what I would have missed!

We are still here....

It's been awhile. We keep thinking things are going to slow down and somehow they just keep getting faster. But I'm determined to try and keep our blog from flat lining. The kids will thank me for it someday, right?

We realized the other day that we didn't take a single picture in January. Nope, not one. So for next year's calender January will have to borrow from some other month. That is assuming we get our act together and start taking some more photos. Is this a reason to buy an iPhone? Nope, not caving yet.

So I have been trying to snap a few photos over the last few days, making up for lost time. Teia is growing and changing so fast these days, it is hard to keep up with her. She cracks us up with what comes out of her mouth. She is quite the little adult these days.

Mom: Would you like some ice cream?
Teia: Yes, please, I'd luff some.

I luff you. You're my favorite Mommy.

I want Kai to rub my back. Kai rub my back make feel me better! (She hasn't quite figured out how to put her words in the right order for that one!)

We haven't read this book in awhile.....while looking at me earnestly as she bargains for book #7 of the evening.

Mommy, YOU eat YOUR lunch. (said to me in response to a request for her to do something).

Good gob (job) Kai Kai!

Mommy/Daddy did you have a good run?

The other day Teia found my plumeria hair clip. After I put it in her hair, she declared it "wonderful!" This is one of the few times that she actually lets me put anything in her hair. She can barely tolerate a hair brush, never mind anything girly in her hair. 

Teia has expanded her triumvirate of Puppy, Meow and Blankie to include more friends, a lot more. Her crib is now a very busy place and it is often hard to pick her out on the baby monitor there are so many stuffies surrounding her. Here she is carrying some of her crew. Many times her little arms can't manage them all so I become Mommy the Sherpa. She will wave her arms to indicate the friends she wants me to get and say to me "Mommy, carry ALL my friends." The upside to her new crib mates is that she no longer hollers to get out of her crib the second that she opens her eyes. She is actually quite content now to stay in there and visit with her buddies for awhile in the morning which means Mom and Dad can get up a little more slowly too these days. 

And Teia loves to get dirty, particularly on days when she is wearing white leggings. She has picked a little corner of our garden where she likes to ruin her clothes and get as dirty as she can. She still has her trade mark squinty smile. I remember when Kai used to do this. Sigh....they do grow up too fast. 

A link

No time to blog these days but here is a link to a great blog, very relevant as we are busy planning Kindergarten....

http://magicalchildhood.wordpress.com/2010/08/31/what-should-a-4-year-old-know/

Ice Skating in San Diego

What's the saying, you can take the girl out of Canada but you can't take the Canadian out of the girl???? Or something like that ;-) After a 7 year hiatus from ice skating I got back on the ice last Christmas when we visited my fam in Peterborough http://fennelladventures.blogspot.com/2011/01/canadian-christmas-trip.html. It was really, really fun. Greg discovered that he can actually skate and we discovered that Kai was pretty determined to learn too. We managed a few more outings on two blades last winter and Kai did really well.

San Diego is an unlikely place to continue Kai's skating tutelage but he is half Canadian after all so he's gotta be prepared! Several outdoor rinks opened up to celebrate Christmas so we decided to check them out. The first one we hit was in downtown San Diego. It was small and covered with a layer of water and more non-skaters than you've ever seen on one rink. There were two referees (for lack of a better word) skating around and scooping people up when they fell before they got too wet or caused a major skater pile up. This was quite a change for me b/c I'm used to those folks enforcing speed control during public skating at Canadian rinks. The boards around the side were covered in human barnacles, some of them wearing shorts. I actually had to shepherd some of them around Kai when my back needed a break and we were hanging out on the boards ourselves. And these people paid good money to do this, really, really good money. Kai was a complete trooper and was intent on getting around that rink again and again with a little help from Mom.

The week after Christmas we went again with Granddad. This time we headed to the island of Coronado where the fanciest hotel there had set up a beachfront rink. The scenario was pretty much the same: watery ice and lots of barnacles. It was expensive, stupid expensive, so Granddad decided to pass and took some photos of Kai and I making our way around the rink.

Kai had fun and we only got a little bit wet and kept our toes intact. It never occurred to me that flip flops were not a good foot wear choice for skating until I saw the sign "No open toed shoes beyond this point." This is not a problem I'm used to having. But seeing as we had driven all the way over there we weren't about to turn back so we carefully, and thankfully, safely picked our way through the people on skates stumbling everywhere.

After we were finished lacing up, we went shoeless on the beach to catch the sunset.

And I'm adding this photo b/c I think it is simply my favorite Christmas photo this year. 

Merry Christmas!!!

Hard to believe Christmas has already come and gone! I admit to having had a case of the Christmas Eve blues this year. The warm, un-Christmassy climate, missing friends and family and the cumulative fatigue of the day-in, day-outness of it all had me kinda bummed out. But there is nothing like little kids to jolt you back into the merriment of the season.

Christmas Eve-Day we took a trip to Legoland where Kai rode his first ever roller coaster! He had to be a bit persistent as we had more than a few reservations about strapping him into the speeding ride and hoping for the best. But he was pretty sure that he wanted to so Daddy and Kai waited in line and rode the "Coastersaurus" while I distracted Teia (who does not like to miss out on anything) with stuffed lions at the nearby toy store. The verdict: big smiles and thumbs up! Maybe it was my Christmas Eve moodiness but I got a bit emotional about our little man's first roller coaster ride. I think he is now an official "big boy!" (As an aside he has been telling us his toddler bed is too small lately, but I think it is a ruse so he can continue to sleep in his cardboard lifeguard station on the floor!)

Once it got dark and felt a little more Christmas eve like we partook of our Fennell Family Christmas Eve traditions - mulligatawny soup and chocolate fondue. That was after we drove 10 miles to see an advertised Thomas the Train light display that was decidedly underwhelming. 

This year Kai has been a bit apprehensive about Santa. When you think about it, a big fat guy with a white beard wearing a red suit who comes into your house at night when you're sleeping is sort of creepy. It took us awhile to figure out what he was worried about but insistent comments and questions about what happens while he was sleeping tipped us off. Christmas morning all the little Fennells slept in and Kai stayed in his room with his sheets over his head and wasn't sure he wanted to look at the Christmas tree at first. But when he heard the sound of toy trains he couldn't resist anymore and quickly got into Christmas morning. 

Present opening took a loooooooong time but was considerably quicker than the 6 or so days it usually takes. The kids were ripping and tearing from about 8 am until about 8 pm with a break in the middle to pick up Granddad at the airport and for Teia to take a nap. Kai has never been much of a gift opener but this year was a completely different story. He was rippin' and tearin' with the best of them. He made no bones about his favorite gift: his new toy ambulance complete with "bandaid boxes."

He was also pretty excited to open up a brand new big boy scooter from the NJ Fennells. He immediately put it together and scooted barefoot up and down our walkway. 

Teia's favorite gift was....well...everything. She played with each wonderful present she opened for as long as she could until we moved her onto the next one. While it did make present opening take a long time, I hope she hangs onto this tendency year after year. She truly treasured and appreciated everything she opened.

She loved her new baby from Grandma C and especially loved changing its new outfits. 

Her Zoo from Grandma Barbie and Poppa Mike was another big hit. In fact, Teia was so excited to play with her zoo that she started trying to put it together herself while Daddy was occupied with assembling one of Kai's toys. 

Daddy dressed Teia up in her Christmas dress with red sparkly shoes for the trip to the airport to pick up Granddad Dave. Unfortunately, we didn't get any pictures of her looking dapper. Daddy did put the dress on backward but it still looked really cute. Teia rode her trike and Kai rode his scooter all the way from the parking lot into the airport to pick up Granddad. 

We had a lovely Christmas dinner, cozy fire and tucked everyone into bed. Greg and I found that we were slightly less exhausted than last year and even a little less than the year before (when we scarcely had a chance to exchange gifts!) so we're hoping that next year we might even get to experience a little of that Christmas holiday relaxation feeling! (And maybe a little skiing too!)

Here is Kai drinking his "fizzy juice" for Christmas dinner in a pint sized wine glass

Looks like summer weather has returned to San Diego these last few days so we'll be back to post some photos of Christmas summer holiday with Granddad!

Getting Ready for Christmas

We're working on feeling Christmassy around here but I admit, I do always struggle a bit with feeling like Christmas in the warmer climes. "It's beginning to look alot like Chris-mas" just doesn't have the same ring when every day the sky is a cloudless blue and the predominant environmental shades are yellow/brown/green or blue if you're looking oceanward.

Today we actually had cold rain and I thought to myself, now this is more like it and probably the December weather that most of the rest of the country is experiencing. The Christmas lights glow a little bit brighter when its dark and chilly outside!

We took advantage of it and had a little fire tonight. Looks pretty festive eh? You'd never think San Diego!

As I'm writing this, Greg just informed me that he is ordering a parka for work so I guess it does get a little colder in San Diego than we anticipated. But seriously, a parka???? 

We've been getting into the spirit with some baking and decorating. Kai loves decorating gingerbread houses and remembers very well the one we did last year. This was Teia's first time and they were both very focused artistes!

This is T's side. Note the strategically placed snowman on the roof. 

And this is Budsy's. He was primarily responsible for the top of the roof decor as well as the green icing. I helped a little with the candy cane framed door way :).

Teia looking a wee bit sugared up!

And here is Kai getting his sugar on during our yearly Nanaimo Bar bake-fest. Kai has demonstrated that he is as proficient at cleaning a bowl as a dishwasher. These Nanamio Bars were particularly special because we made them for Kai's gym teacher Mr. Jeff, someone Kai has grown very fond of. He referred to them as "Mr. Jeff's Nanaimo Bars" but I was able to steal a few for his other teachers. 

Teia got in on the Nanaimo Bar-making-fest as well. She is not one to be left out of anything these days, particularly "helping."

Today Kai and I whipped up a batch of Breakaway Cookies, another seasonal favorite at the Fennell house ever since Auntie Laina shared the recipe. He did a stellar job of laying out the Ritz cracker rows.  

Check these out! Done by a 4 year old! They are much neater than I could have managed! He was also keen to whip up the toffee part on the stove! The little man loves his baking!

So even though we have 0 chance of a white Christmas this year, it'll still smell and taste Christmassy at the 'pool house!'

Kids say the darndest things...

I haven't had much time to relax and blog lately but my mom reminded me how recording the funny and cute things the kids say and do is pretty important so here are a few quick gems from K & T. Teia seems to be coming out with zingers almost every time she opens her mouth lately!

Yesterday while driving Kai to school Teia did not like my choice in music "Mommy, Elmo pwease, not jazz!"

Then she proclaimed "perfect!" after I helped her put her slippers on! It so funny when she talks like a grown up!

Tonight we had a grown up friend visiting named Aimee. She was sitting in the little kid chair that Teia likes to sit in, so she asked Miss Aimee to move. After Teia settled into her seat she praised Aimee like a little teacher "Good job sharing chair Aimee."

This morning on the change table she looked up at her Mavis sticker on the wall (Mavis is a female diesel engine on thomas the train and the only thomas sticker Kai would relinquish to Teia's bedroom walls). We had the following exchange:
Teia - "Mommy, wook Mavis!" "Open mouth Mavis; Mavis is hungry!"
Me -  "what does Mavis like to eat?"
Teia - "stwawbewwies, Mavis wikes stwabewwies."
Me - "Teia likes strawberries too."
Teia - "No, Teia wikes tookies."
Teia to meow - "Meow, do you like tookies?"
Meow nods head vigorously
Teia - "Mommy Meow wikes tookies too!"

Earlier today Teia dumped out the contents of a  Gingerbread house box, spilling bags of candies all over the table. She sighed happily and said to the candies "I missed you!!"

The other day we hosted a playgroup and a bunch of little boys about Teia's age descended on Teia's house and Teia's toys. Teia wasn't sure she liked this at all. But at one point she surveyed the boys playing and said to me happily "Mommy, I have awot of fwiends!"

One of my favorite Teia words these days is Banamana. This is how Teia ate her banamana this morning:

She is generally just a crazy little peanut. Just this morning she entertained herself for 10 minutes sorting a pack of dinosaur cards into "scary" and "fun." I am not sure what she was basing her decisions on!

The idea of being scared has come up a fair bit in our house lately. We learned the hard way that Rudolph is NOT an appropriate show for a 2 year old when Teia ran screaming from our living room as the Bumble threatened the eat the little baby Rudolph and Clarice by waving them around in his claws. Oops. Since then Teia has been commenting alot on things that are "scawey." Seeing as I was pretty much terrified of the Grinch until I was about TWELVE my kids will definitely NOT be seeing that Christmas show. Kai has been letting us know what scares him too lately in his quiet way. He has been asking to go outside every time Teia wants to watch Finding Nemo (which I think in this new phase is becoming too scary for Teia too). He told me that he needs to go outside when Nemo is on b/c he doesn't like the fish crying. 

Speaking of scared, Kai has a pretty long standing fear of vacuum cleaners (our excuse for a dirty carpet!) The other night much of the couscous intended for the kids' bellies ended up on the floor so I mentioned to Greg that we'd have to get out the vacuum cleaner. Kai looked a little concerned but then suggested that we zip him into a suitcase so he wouldn't hear the vacuum cleaner when we used it!!!! Now that is a creative solution!

Kai has had a few frights lately. Just last week our neighbor's German Shepherd ambled into our house bright and early as we were getting ready to leave for school. I found Kai shrieking in the kitchen and standing on the table with the dog sniffing around the kitchen! He now proudly tells the story and it is the doggie who was scared!!! We also had another lizard visitor the other day and Mommy modeled some lovely calm, collected behavior. Daddy tried to catch it causing it to lose its tail which Kai found pretty fascinating. Now he thinks that all scared lizards lose their tails. We think he mastered these somewhat frightening and unexpected experiences pretty well, but he has been quite intent on locking the doors to our house lately to keep wayward dogs and lizards out.

Speaking of cute Kai statements, yesterday he was perusing his  treat box (filled with little candies and toys for rewards). There was a box of boring crayons in there. Kai showed what he thought of crayons as a treat when he picked up the box and said hopefully "I think Teia would like this treat. " He really is getting the hang of working this big brother thing!