Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Back to the petri dish

We decided to keep little c home from "school" yesterday in order to make a full recovery. Big c took the a.m. shift so I could go to work and I took the afternoon shift. Little c was a lot of fun yesterday and enjoyed a walk to the Red Moose with Daddy and a trip to Costco with Mommy.


But back he went to daycare, a.k.a. the petri dish, this morning and had a wonderful day. He even had a girl slip him her phone number when I was picking him up. True story! I should probably tell you that it's one of the daycare workers who, and I quote "has a special place in her heart for Cohen" and would love to babysit him anytime we need someone.


Tonight he wolfed down a baked yam, half a can of mandarin oranges and half a piece of buttered bread. I think the boy's appetite has returned! Fingers crossed that he didn't bring home a different strain of the stomach bug that seems to be floating around the petri dish and that all that food stays down tonight.DSC_0004



Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween

Wowsers, what a weekend! It contained a little bit of everything, from a ridiculously fun Halloween party on Friday night to little c's first bout with the Ross Plague (or a stomach virus as you might know it as).


First, the highs. Little c participated in his first Halloween Parade at "school" on Friday afternoon. I anxiously waited in the courtyard with all of the other parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents and their neighbours. Yes, everyone brought all of the people they knew to this parade and there was Kristyn representing the Hancock good name. No one talked to me. I talked to no one. It was sad. But I didn't let little c see my loo-hoo-hoo-hoo-ser tears. Then my friend K showed up (she has 2 boys at the same "school" and I think she's mighty cool) and I chatted with her for a bit, until little c flipped his little egg-lid and declared it was time to go home for a nap. Next year, I'm bringing EVERYBODY I know to the parade. They're going to have to move it to the "school" parking lot because there won't be room for any of the other parents and their posses. So while the parade was sort of a downer for me because I didn't know anybody, it was a high just to see little c in his costume. I even had a random parent ask if she could take a photo of him. He's already a celebrity!


Then came the annual Halloween Party of all parties that we always go to. My friend M came over and hung with Cohey Bear and then she showed me a Scrabble app for my phone which I'm now addicted to. Thanks a lot Missie!! Back to the crazy party. Our friends went to great lengths to take it over the top this year, including taking down their chandelier and replacing it with a disco ball. I'm no dancer (I've been told I look like a chicken when I dance) but I danced my heart out with my besties that night. There's just something about Lady Gaga music that makes me want to move. Big C and I did not take home Best Costume this year, but the good news is no one did. The costume contest and the karaoke were both no-shows this year and that was definitely okay with me. It puts too much pressure on me. I say good riddance to both, especially the karaoke. I can only crawl on my knees while singing "Like a virgin" so many times.


Saturday little c was in another ROCKIN' mood. He spent most of the day laughing and being adorable. That should have tipped me off because he's always in a really good mood before he gets sick. More on that in a sec. He didn't wake up until almost 8:00 a.m. which is completely unheard of at Hancock Manor. We played for a couple of hours and then he crashed for a 3.5 hour nap. Got dressed, had lunch and walked over to our neighbourhood coffee shop before the rain started. Handed out candy to the trick or treaters, yadda yadda yadda, and big c and I were in bed by 9:30.


And now the lows. In bed, sleeping my little brains out when little c called for some attention around midnight. He was burning up and somebody needed to take his temperature the hard way. Poor kid. I always hate taking his temperature that way. Am I the only mother that still does that? I'm sure everyone else has those new-fangled thermometers that do body scans. Anyway, all of the thermometers we have are in Celsius and I had to run into the living room to check the interweb to see what 39.0 degrees was in Fahrenheit. It's 102.2 in case you're wondering. After cursing the fact that all of our thermometers are from Canada (and no, they do not have buttons on them to convert them to F), we gave little c something to bring the fever down. Needless to say he was up most of the night, sort of delirious. Big c slept in his room on the floor to be near him in case little c needed him. Not me. I was in bed. With earplugs. Yes, that's how I roll. I did my time at 5:30 and gave him a bottle and rocked him back to sleep, which took about half an hour, but it did the trick because he didn't wake up until 9. Poor kid wouldn't eat or drink A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G today, leading me to call the doctor on call. She told me to try and get some pedialyte in him anyway possible. She even said giving him flat ginger ale would be okay. But little c wanted none of it. So today was spent passing little c off between the 2 of us and trying to stay sane. He threw up a couple of times and had the runs a few times but seemed to perk up around 6:00 for a brief time. And just so you know, I did run out and buy an American thermometer.


And we had to postpone our family photos yet again. We don't have a date for them but hopefully soon. Hey, if you're smart, you won't plan your family photos for the end of October.


So no trick or treating for little c this year. I was going to drive him around to our friends' house tonight but he was too sick. Oh, that and the fact that I couldn't do up the straps on his carseat due to his costume.


So there you have our weekend round-up. Some good times and some not so good times all rolled up into one. If I had to rate the weekend on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 7. That party on Friday really brought the ranking up.


Enjoy the photo montage! And welcome to November.


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Reading his first-ever Halloween card that Nana & Papa Sydorko sent. The special boy got another card the next day from Grandma & Grandpa Hancock. DSC_0039
Our little Humpty Dumpty.DSC_0055
H.D. and Mama Phyllis. Someone should have told Phyllis to get dressed that day.DSC_0060
Here's the cake we took to the party. This is before I frosted it with the buttercream icing I made for the first and last time. That stuff sucks. Anyway, we had to take food that corresponded with our costume. Any guesses who we were?DSC_0098
That's right. Ellen DeGeneres & Portia.DSC_0091
This photo sums up the night.DSC_0132
Another shot of the cake the next morning.DSC_0167
Hanging at the Red Moose. DSC_0131
Have a great Monday!



Monday, October 25, 2010

Sick, take four, or maybe five

Well, I've officially lost track of the number of times I've had a stomach bug since going back to work in May and putting little c in daycare. I think this is my fifth bout. I used to have a stomach of steel, I mean, who else do you know can eat tacos from a taco stand in TIJUANA and not throw up?


I could give you all the gross details but who really cares, right? Point is, I'm sick today and staying home from work to rest up. Little c is at school, despite the fact that he's got croup again. Hey, don't judge me. I needed a day to sleep and with him around, that's impossible.


The good news is the photo shoot is rescheduled for next Saturday and that gives me more time to obsess over our outfits. Good grief, it's only photos. I don't know why I'm so obsessed with finding the perfect outfits for all of us. But I am. It's what I do best. Obsess, not choose good clothes. In between throwing up, sleeping, and checking my work e-mail today I'll probably try some more outfit combinations for little c. Thank you to those of you who left comments and e-mailed me your choice. I think outfit 2-A is a winner, with some minor tweaking.


I only picked up my camera once this weekend and took about 4 photos. Enjoy.


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The little beaver getting down on a paper towel roll. Looks kinda like he's playing a cardboard flute without holes. Good finger technique little beav.DSC_0496
If you said I had an obsession with putting hats on little c, you'd be right. I can't stop myself from plunking something on his head. The next five shots captured him removing the cute hat.



Thursday, October 21, 2010

A wee bit neurotic

Well, we're having the Hancock Family Fotos done on Saturday and of course I've started losing sleep over what to wear and where to take the photos.


We won a photography package at a silent auction this summer and decided to cash in on the gift certificate just in time for Christmas cards. (No, we will not be dressing as elves this year but wigs might make an appearance) The whippersnapper that's taking our photos has a great eye. I've blog stalked her on many occasions and decided that I wanted her to be the official photographer of the Hancocks this year. We're looking forward to it, although we're not sure how little c will hold up, given we're starting the shoot at 5:00, a somewhat witching hour for him as of late. But maybe the promise of some hummus and pumpkin pie will get him to hang on long enough to get a few good shots. I'm excited to actually be in front of the camera for once and have a photo with little c taken. There aren't too many of those floating around and it will be nice to have one.


So tonight, upon returning from our walk, I raided little c's closet and drawers and pulled some outfits together. No sense in buying anything new when he's got a good collection already. So here are some outfits I'm thinking of--any feedback is welcomed and encouraged. I'm thinking of ditching the tie in Outfit 2 as it covers up the pattern on the vest. And the hats aren't a done deal either--I'll probably bring a few and make the photographer crazy as I swap the hat in every shot. Neurotic, right?


Outfit 1-ADSC_0481
Outfit 2-ADSC_0482
Outfit 2-BDSC_0483
Outfit 3-ADSC_0484
Outfit 3-BDSC_0485
Outfit 4-ADSC_0486
Outfit 4-BDSC_0487
And now a photo of a naked Cohey Bear since it's been so long since I've posted one.DSC_0472



Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Simple pleasures

I switched out the lens on the camera the other day and caught some shots of big and little c playing with a dandelion. I probably took over 50 shots and would love to put all of them on here but won't bore you.


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Monday, October 18, 2010

Falling off the wagon

Well, little c fell off the vegetarian wagon this weekend. Up until Sunday, he was a vegetarian through and through, but the smell of roasted turkey that had been brined in a lot of love was too much for him. He loved turkey so much that he had it for lunch and dinner last night and the same today. And not just turkey, but mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, stuffing and his favourite, pumpkin pie. Oh my, that kid loves himself some punkin pie! He's eaten 2 whole pieces between both days. Silly Mommy forgot that there's sugar in that pie and that's probably why he devoured it and threw a small fit when he found out there wasn't any left. I wonder what his "teacher" Phyllis thought when she opened up his lunch box today and found the pie. I doubt very many 9 month old's parents send pie along for dessert. I just hope he's okay with plain yogurt mixed with applesauce tomorrow.


We had a lovely weekend at Hancock Manor. We went out for breakfast as a family of 3 for the second time ever. We played hard all day Saturday. And we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with our best friends on Saturday night. It always makes me feel so special when they say it's their favourite holiday, and they actually mean it. It wasn't the Manhattans or the 3 bottles of wine talking. It was their hearts doing the talking and that made me feel really loved. And while I would love to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with my family in Canada, these knuckleheads don't need to remind me that friends are family too!


Sunday we skipped church yet again due to little c's napping schedule. The kid likes to fall asleep right when the first service would start and sleep on through until just past the beginning of the second service. Good thing we can catch the pastor's message online. We also went for a walk and had our Canadian friend Mandy over for dinner last night for leftovers and little c once again went nuts in the bathtub. He could be the grumpiest kid in the world and all we have to do is strip him down (as quickly as possible) and get him in the tub and he turns that frown UP. SIDE. DOWN.


And now for your viewing pleasure...


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Daddy getting a feel for what it was like to carry 20lbs+ on his chest like I did in the last 2 months of pregnancy.
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Place setting for Candian Thanksgiving. I don't want to forget what it looked like so I don't duplicate it next year.
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The arrangement the gals at Trifecta did for me.
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Really enjoying some Aunt Steph time.
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Friends are family too!
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The 2 best friends a girl could always hope for and never, ever imagine that she'd have.DSC_0455
Resting his weary bones on the pumpkin.



Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Our little beaver

Guess who's cutting a top tooth? That would be this kid.


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I noticed it coming through the gums a couple of days ago. Wow, does that ever look painful! I'd be a freaking disaster if it was me, but this kid is just rolling with it. If it weren't for me sticking my flashlight in there and doing a little reconnaissance work, I would not have known there was another tooth coming through.


Strong work little beaver!