What DO Little Boys Get Up To When Mom & Dad Blink?

Exhibit A (Ooh! Very pretty!):

Exhibit B (Hmm... the first moment things might have gone awry.):

Exhibit C:

Exhibits D & E:

And finally, Exhibit F:

He was very proud of putting on his own "mustache". Maybe face painting one on could have been avoided for halloween this year...

Good times.

Trick or Treat! Smell My Feet!

110% Potty Trained!!

No diapers at all for well over 10 days. Horray! The good and bad of life really does motor on, regardless of any insignificant incidentals each of us as individuals may be sorting through, doesn't it?


For the first time in more years than I can remember, I truly feel weightless about life. I'm not pretending or wishing... I truly feel it. It has been a long road of processing, re-assessing and re-aligning. The real bolt slid home once the needle etched my "strongmankaleb" tattoo this fall - my homage to our family strength, to our incredible son and to living the life we aim for.

I know perhaps that not everyone will understand this burning need some of us have to physically commemorate meaningful events upon our own bodies. I've tried to explain my personal need to acknowledge and delare a passage of rites, a glorious battle trophy and with this most recent adition, it finally feels like that final step, planted with a resounding thunderous smash atop my mountain, is firmly affixed.

I'm home and I LOVE it.

Summer has Fallen

Puzzles, tricks and problem solving really attract our little adult. His self expression knocks us into fits of laughter daily. During a 4 a.m. potty break, Dad asked him what he was dreaming about that night. His response: "Oh, not too much."

Potty training is 99.9% there, with more dry diapers greeting the mornings than not. He enjoys cleaning up as much as he enjoys trashing the place. I LOVE the stray hotwheels car tucked into the door jam, the errant peanut butter smear on my shirt, and the cracker crumbs in (Dad's side) of the sheets.

He's incredibly bossy for one with such limited scope on the workings of life, though he vehemently denies it. He knows which route we take to drive home from daycare and woe be the driver who strays. Oh, and you'd better blow on your hot food before you take a bite, not to mention sit in your assigned spot!

He loves whispering wet secrets into your ear and smashing juicy kisses onto your face. Make a fishy move, though and he'll nail you to the wall with the sharpest stink eye you've ever been slain with.

He is entirely our son.

Beat the Heat

Last summer we were just trying to get our footing after being spit out on our own. This summer, we're enjoying and stretching out into every corner of our new lives. Business is strong and yet we still maintain time to absorb life with one gorgeous little monster at the most leisurely pace imaginable. It still somehow seems a sin while everyone else buzzes about us in the rat race.

Dialogue is coming along at an entertaining pace. I just adore his little expressions and favourite routines. Brushing his teeth, putting toys away, collecting bugs, closing gates (we have a few), commanding dogs like a seasoned pro. Even his super-hairy eyeballs and fiesty outbursts are things I'm disgustingly delighted to witness.

Random Thoughts

The horizon is backlit by a glorious yellow sunset as a silent, dark weight crouches over our cozy little home. I can hear fat juicy raindrops pellet the deck out the open kitchen window at the back of the house. The concrete of the front stoop refuses to yeild to the incessant barrage, out the screen door directly beside my perch. A healthy breeze taunts me, gently calling through that portal delightful scents of everything green, growing and wet. Summer is here and boy am I ready. There is something so nourishing about a good summer storm. It seems to draw everything violent and unsettled out from within me, releasing unto something much bigger. Certainly, no man has ever made me feel more tiny and delicate than the raw forces of nature. The field directly across from our little house teases forward some of my favourite memories in it's mimicry of a childhood waterfront cabin. The storms that blew in off THAT platform were enough to make a person dance and weep simultaneously (which I may or may not have done down on the dock in my bathing suit - NOT my birthday suit).

Just as knock-me-off-my-feet as a good storm is, are all the different parts of our son. I know every mother knows that her child(ren) has the utmost delicious bits ever to exist in life. I can't decide if it's the bottoms of his feet, the breadth of his tummy, his chubby little cheeks (both sets) or his soft [sleepy] hands. Those same hands are unintentionally torturous in his exuberant affection during wakefulness. Tickle, Tickle indeed, lil' bugger. He smells better than even everything green, most times. I'm always trying to steal little pieces of him by filling my lungs with his scent. If only I could carry that with me always.

Work has happily exploded for Patrick, which relieves the household budget substantially and feeds his own self to unknown heights. He's really feeling and growing on his own terms and doing well for it. He loves his work. After supporting me through my move from an incorrect career path to one that feeds me, I sing and dance at his white-knuckled grip on dreams begun. My kennel remains almost completely booked, with two or three days off at a time - just perfect for catching up on scouring and scrubbing. My grooming schedule could still be a little more dense but I'm satisfied with my growth rate. I'm pretty sure I'm retaining at least 98% of my customers. It surprises me how much I enjoy bringing a smile to people's faces over something as silly as a puppy haircut. Go figure. Our horse boarding venture is a raging success this summer. We've filled our "barn" with a gorgeous and diverse herd owning equally lovely people. It is quite nice to have a gentle hum of positive energy about the place that we can just happily jump into now & then.

Life smells so great again.

Weekend Photo

Courtesy of a friend...

Shhhhhh.....!

Each morning at about 6 a.m., I'm plucked by precious finger tips out of the heaviest part of my slumber. They reach up over my side of the bed, looking for purchase to pull the sweetest-smelling pot-bellied cherub up for another hour of dozing snuggles. Without fail, 15 minutes before 7 a.m. those same finger tips start dancing across my face. A perky lip-smacking smooch is planted on the apple of my cheek just before the faintest wisper of "outside?" bores into my ear cannals. Damn.

Put just this way, how can anyone refuse?

The monster is insatiable when it comes to the great outdoors. Whatever may be on the docket to get done, the entire day's events is punctuated by multiple sweet requests and throw-down tantrum screams to be out from under any roof. Whether it's playing in sand, walking down the road, climbing on numerous objects - from the lawn tractor to bolders to tree stumps to playstructures, feeding the horses, refereeing the dogs... it could go on and on. Invariably, I'm ready for our nap before 1o a.m. Dad seems to be better at this sort of thing, often leading the charge of mayhem as I stumble over my own feet to keep up.

Exquisite Times

A little update... not cause I was prodded with an electric stick, or anything... *cough*

The only reason I need any prodding, I'm happy to say, is because we're having so much fun that I don't want to miss a second by living outside of a single moment. And I'm running my damned feet off, I'm so busy.

I LOVE being this busy with work. I'm lucky enough to have some really great clients and for the most part, every day in my own business is a joy. I'm tweaking and primping my space, not only for an open house I'm hosting on the 1st of May, but just to make my space pop for myself. It has been a little tricky managing with recent construction in the yard, but the constant flux of mud and sand through our buildings has pushed us to finally address the functionality and aesthetics of our yards. I'm very excited to see everything finished. The looming deadline I've imposed on us will see the work done and the results ready to enjoy for the rest of the summer!

Oh, right... you guys are here for the cherub. Excuse the side-track... Our little man has passed another round of tests and scans with flying colours. He's been experiencing some fevers while coping with colds and the threat of mollars, which I understand can take a couple of years to wrap up. I can't help but feel my veins freeze every time he feels warm. It's such a massive crimson flag for leukemia, in general. We allow his body to do its thing, duking it out until we reach 100. Then we employ some artificial control in the form of baby ibuprofen and so far things have always calmed back down. Bitter sweet, is my expansive knowledge on how to dose per weight... and too, my relief at our impressive collection of medical plungers/droppers. I never trust the ones that come with the bottles. I'm glad to be confident in my handling of such things, but annoyed as to why I am.

Developmentally, our boy is sailing right along. He's stringing together three words and looking for more. His own language is still the go-to for story telling, of which he is a master and artiste. He puts his own boots on - either the mucky outside ones or the squeeky clean inside ones. He loves to pass you pillows as you make the bed, or climb under the covers as you parachute them up. He's very affectionate, with lots of hugs and kisses - especially to make a boo boo better. His sense of humour is fantastic. Puddles are the best thing EVER and I can't find it in me to stress about wet pants or booters. Changing into clean, dry clothes is part of the experience, after all. The potty continues to be a fun game - we even made it happen, once! It has also become a source of bedtime evasion, clever boy.

I hope he never ceases to be this yummy.

Birthday Boy

The big day was on the 10th, of course. We spent the day prior at the Steinbach Aquatic Centre. All I have to say is AMAZING! There was a whirl pool that carried you around a little circuit, there were water fountains, a bubbling shallow pool and even a water slide! AND the family change rooms are as large and accommodating as the regular change rooms!! Horray! Definitely worth the visit. The kid had a great time, too. In fact, we've been visiting a pool every week and I'm pretty sure it's his favourite thing to do.

Picture time:

On his birthday morning, hogging Mom's favourite slowly-wake-up spot...

And finally, some nice enough weather lately to play outside with his favourite buddies!

Essentially, not much has changed since 12:03 March 10, 2011. Oh, right... except for the raging demon that lay silently waiting within our precious child for that precise moment to launch itself full-force into every disagreement (...when did this become a democracy?), every hairy eyeball and every 5 minute tantrum. We have reached new heights with our efforts to maintain our line... I feel like a monstrous bully most of the time. Having a teammate on the same page gives me the reassurance that we're only pushing back as hard as he pushes us and that it is for his best interest. For the most part, he's still a polite and happy little dude. It's just that when his strong little opinion does differ from ours, the LID IS OFF.

I think I can hang in there... except, well damn, my knuckles are already white. What's it been... 2 DAYS?!

PoolSide

We had an awesome adventure yesterday. Cabin fever has set in at our house and we're all snapping at each other like sharks. So it was entirely fitting that we took it to the water.

Actually, we had SO much fun and it was just the break we needed to feel good again. The boy was unsure at first, but the ball was a good distraction and Mom & Dad were in the water. It wasn't long before he decided he wanted to join us.

And it took even less time for him to decide that this water thing was neat! Within minutes of being in my arms in the pool, he was exploring how the water moved over his feet and hands. He LOVED wearing the bright red life jacket and was a little sad when we took it off for a bit.

A couple of bouts of temper earned him some poolside talks and he was eager to jump back into the water on his best behaviour.

His favourite water toy was hands-down the little orange slide. "Again!" A close second was zooming on his tummy through the water (held in Mom's arms). And definitely we can't forget some righteous splashing at Dad by kicking his little legs for all he was worth.

We're hoping to go once a week.

Revelations Continue

I've said before how I was amazed that not until a year past our exit from crisis did I finally feel like I might begin to understand myself again.

Apparently, the same is true for my masculine half. This couples' holiday was marked with a great breakthrough in his healing process. He's spent this time marching forward, burrying what has happened and what could happen. All this time, even as I've been getting better (thanks to some outside perspective via my glorious brain mechanic) I've felt unnamed disconnect, no matter how well we seemed to function together. And all too often, we would experience moments when we couldn't be effective teammates, for no apparent reason. He finally admitted to himself and to me that he's been pretending, trying to 'fake it til you make it'. I suspect instead of employing the skills of a professional as I resorted to, he'll muddle through and iron this out very effectively on his own. The man is reflective, if he's anything, that's for sure.

Now for some light-hearted pics:

Heaven

There is something so yummy about hugging and snuggling a tiny person of your own self.

The instant joy and soaring heart hit before those tiny hands can even clamp around your neck, their own little version of a vice. It's better than a deep breath after a fresh rain, better than a warm fire on a crisp evening, better than chocolate cake with coconut sprinkles (for those who know me, this is something of a deal).

Sure, hugging loved ones has always been little slices of grounding wholesome goodness, but baby hugs are wholegrain wholesome. They show me the ground my roots were born in and which way they continue to grow. His chubby little arms, happy feet and busy hands... they touch something inside me I had no idea existed.

I've never deluded myself for a second that I would be one of those moms. You know the ones... they recreate motherhood from the womb - out, morphing it into an artform. Picasso Moms delight in bringing everything back from the begining of time and making it new, not to mention showcasing that prowess to the world with great zeal. And all the power to them. How could one not honour a good parent?

I consider motherhood a piece of myself, just as being a business owner is a piece of myself, just as being some kind of a horseback rider is a peice of myself. Kaleb ranks right up there with being as good a partner to the hubby as I can. Horse time rolls in with definite high ranking, if only I had more leisure to invest into it (boo hoo, poor me). I do take pride in muscling out a definitive outline in my entrepreneurial work, but am constantly daydreaming about improving things or even my next/other venture... insatiable career hog, but only if I can work to live. I will never live to work, never again be a slave to any job.

In these times of meagre wallets, we are enjoying a part-time daycare schedule. I'm ecstatic for every day of the week, equally. Jogging right beside my constant concern for meeting financial obligations, is my delight at being so present and involved during these first five years of our son's development. We know how fleeting it is. It's an interesting and stimulating state of emotional conflict. Days of child care afford us the freedom to run the household and days of having him home are full of adventure and manner-moulding.

I'm really enjoying this phase of our lives. I try to absorb everything through every pore. I want to remember it all and learn from it all. I will never be here again.

TROUBLE

Well, that's what we're calling him tonight, anyway.

To give us a clear perspective on tonight's adventures, here is our boy earlier today, modeling a new hat...


And without the hat, just to recall what his hair did look like...


We put him in his room to work out a little tantrum and were vaguely aware and relieved when all quieted down for a while. He'll often play in his room, 'reading' his books and playing with toys, so we thought nothing of it as we kept one ear on the typical quiet playing noises. When we did poke our heads in to make sure all was well, this is what we discovered (!!!):

As a child often afflicted with eczema, a nightly routine of applying a galaxal/vaseline cream to his skin has become essential. To further this, one of his grandmothers recently introduced the idea of cream to his cold-chapped cheeks. He had already taken the initiative once before to apply some cream to his face at grandma's but we caught him before too much damage was done.

This time, he got into a TUB of cream, spread it over all himself including in his hair, ears, eyelashes and between his toes. He then proceeded to paint the interior of his room, including but not limited to the dresser, walls, carpeting and bedding.