no nap

Every parent knows that a child's naptime is glorious downtime.  So, when I wake up in the morning and I am already exhausted, I know that I just have to make it to naptime.  I typically use naptime to either get stuff done or recharge my batteries.

Today was the first day both our kids did not have a nap.  Needless to say, I am exhausted.  Aves is pretty exhausted too.  She is giddy and bumping into stuff.  It's pretty cute, actually.

Aves has been saying "no nap" for the last couple of weeks but we've still been able to get her down.  Today, she absolutely refused.  I lay in her room with her for 1.5 hours but to no avail.  How is it that a 2.5-year-old does not nap?!  Josh JUST stopped napping about a month ago.  He's almost 5!  And even then, he still passes out from exhaustion occasionally.

I know that kids don't nap forever, but they have been insofar as my parenting lifetime.  And it seems like 2.5 years is so young to not nap!  I know Aves will likely still have naps here and there, but since she's been fighting it for the past couple of weeks, I feel like this is the beginning of the end.  So, we will try to gracefully transition into the next chapter in this book of parenting - adapting to life with no naps.  Sigh...

P.S.  The silver lining in all of this, of course, is that Aves did not complain at all when it was FINALLY bedtime!

the reality of eating with kids in vancouver

I'm shocked when I ask Josh what his favourite food is, he says "sushi and dim sum".  I guess I really shouldn't be shocked since the availability and quality of both is quite high in Vancouver.  (My dad often comments that Josh was born in the wrong country because of his palate.)

I was doubly shocked today when Aves asked to try toro sashimi.  She liked it.

The reality is: with a 2.5 year-old and a 5 year-old, our sushi nights just got a tad more expensive.

bmx

Have I mentioned that Josh JUST learned to ride a bike?!  The boy seems to have no fear when it comes to his bike.  I can't seem to get him to watch a movie with even the most benign scary scene, but put him on a bike and he doesn't seem to know the word fear.

We are visiting the Bush's this weekend in Vernon (and, might I add, having a fabulous time!).  The Bush boys are always talking about the BMX track and the skate park so, of course, Josh just needs to go.  I must admit, I was quite nervous.  I didn't really know what to expect.  Bri usually takes on these situations. 

But Josh rocked it.  He knew what he wanted to do and what he didn't want to do (he didn't want to start the track from the "real" start line that was quite a steep drop).  And when he fell, he got right back up and kept going.  Mom is very impressed and very proud.  Way to go, Joshie!

And not to be outdone by a 4-year-old, this 40-year-old had to jump on a bike (that belongs to Evan, who is 8!) and have a go on the BMX track for the first time ever.

Note: In the video, I called the kid who passed me a 10-year-old.  He was actually only 7!

happy belated

Between getting the family together to celebrate and bringing my laptop back to life to do the post, I'm finally getting Bri's birthday post up.

Since all the Van Dop's are here on the west coast, it's typical to have us all get together for a birthday.  What is not typical, is getting my family together for a birthday celebration.  Since Bri's birthday is in the summer though, we've lucked out in the past and we've been able to celebrate his birthday with parts of my family visiting us.

This year, it was my parents visiting.  Last weekend we were able to get all the Van Dop's over (sorry we missed you, Mike!) as well as my parents.  We had a really nice family gathering to celebrate Bri's birthday.

I hope you had a fun afternoon and a happy birthday, babe.  Love you.

P.S.  Bri actually turned 43 this year, not 44 (as his cake says).  Unfortunately, last year, we celebrated a 2nd birthday, a 4th birthday and a 42nd birthday, so we only had candles for 2 and 4.  Oopsy!

trans

I don't pretend to know the finer points of transvestite vs. transgendered and everything in between, so please forgive me if I say incorrect things or offend.

Today, we were running errands and we were in a store.  The person helping me, I would describe like this: from the neck down, looked like a guy; dressed like a guy (but that might have been the attire for the store we were in).  From the neck up, looked like a guy trying to look like a lady - long hair in a ponytail, make-up very nicely applied, earrings, etc. - but very masculine features; sounded like a guy.  So, I'm not sure if this "guy" was a transvestite or transgendered.  In any case, "he" was clearly a guy who wanted to look like a lady.

I didn't notice Josh staring at all (thankfully) but at one point, he came up to us and directed some questions at this person:

J: Are you a boy or a girl?
(Mom is mortified.)
Guy/Lady: (after a long pause) I'm a girl.
J: No, you are a boy.
Lady: No, I'm a girl.
J: But you talk like a boy, not a girl.  So, you are a boy.
(Josh starts to walk away.)
Y: (What do I say??!!) OK, Josh, that's enough.

The lady went on to say that it was OK.  I clarified that I didn't mind him asking the question (as long as she didn't!), but I minded that he was denying that she was who she said she was.  She was very understanding and said that she was impressed that at least he had the fortitude to question the disconnect.  It didn't make sense in his mind, so he questioned it.  The denial was just age, because it didn't make sense.  But at least he asked the question.

She was very understanding and I was very relieved.  It's not necessarily one of the topics they put in the Parenting 101 manual...

josh on death

I was shocked this morning to turn on the tv and see that Jack Layton had died at 61. RIP.

Josh was beside me as I watched the news...

J: Mommy, why did he die?
Y: He was very sick, Josh.
J: How many birthdays did he have?
Y: Oh, he had LOTS of birthdays.
J: Mommy, I'm not going to let Daddy have anymore birthdays.
Y: Why?
J: Because I don't want him to die.

How do you reply to that?!

don't know what you've got...

...til it's gone. It's true.

My Macbook died this week. And our Dell laptop has been in a coma for a few months now. I haven't done anything with the Dell because, well, I had the MacBook! Now, we're computer-less and I'm doing my first blog post ever from my iPad. It's not too bad, but I'm not used to the keyboard so it's slowing me down a bit. And instead of posting about our DWW reunion BBQ tonight (because I have nowhere to download photos to), I'm posting about this - complete with NO photos because I don't really take photos with my iPad!

I've been a bit lost without a computer. I guess I've taken it for granted that we've always had one for the past xx years! So earlier this week when I left work thinking I'd get some work done from home, it didn't even dawn on me that I had nothing to work from until I saw my non-working laptops.

I miss my Macbook. The iPad is serving me well, but it's not the same. I can't wait until we can breathe life back to the MacBook (cross fingers that all data is intact!).

Coupled with this loss is exhaustion. When my parents came to visit and we gave up our room so they didn't have to take the room upstairs, who would have known I would lose sleep over it?!

The first night I crawled into the double futon that makes up our guest bed I thought, "How did Bri and I ever sleep together in this bed?!". Bri sleeps diagonally in a double bed. So that means I don't sleep very well at all! And then toss Josh into the mix at 5am and you have a recipe for complete exhaustion!

It's been almost a week and though I love having Mom and Dad stay with us, I am SO looking forward to getting back on our room and to full nights of sleep!