Dusting off the blog...

Much to write about...but I'll leave it at this for now....Dark Mirror took up rock carving this summer.

The day before he had to go back to Ottawa he insisted we visit Baxter's Harbour again. He took some pictures and left a rock for the tide to play with. It was carved with "Dark Mirror was here" it was a wish and a prayer that his father would finally listen to him and allow him to come live with us.

I put him on the plane the next afternoon knowing he wanted to talk to his dad, but not sure if he could, he'd been so afraid to before.

He's coming back later this week!

How can people hate playstands?

Because for some reason, just about every photo of them online shows them as ridiculously expensive shelves for natural toys rather than being played with.

http://www.make-baby-stuff.com/playroom-decor.html

I hate those canopy arches a lot of them have now. Why? Because unless the children are old enough to pull them off themselves they SERIOUSLY inhibit play. I feel the same way about multi shelf units...okay one of them is fine. But I REALLY hate seeing them used as shelves!

Playstands were not designed to tidily delineate a small play space or create a little room. They were designed to help children meet their need to build on a large scale, to create their imaginative landscape in full form...without pirates commandeering the couch cushions, the dining room table, etc. If I didn't mind the kids standing on the diningroom table with spyglasses in hand I wouldn't bother having the playstands. Ours spend as much time as ships and buses and trains as they do a store, a house, a cave.

So I'm making a solemn vow. To protect the honour of the playstand I will NEVER post a picture of our playroom when I've tidied up and the pirates and trolls and mermaids...errr *children* have gone off to bed.

Sci Fi Pills and Prayer Meetings

"What's in that syringe?" Sprout asked me

"A Rapid Dissolve Proton Pump Inhibitor." I answered

"Cool!" Sprout exclaimed and sucked it up.

It's reflux, and there's no need to do any invasive tests unless he keeps on losing weight. He's going to take Prevacid - the Proton Pump Inhibitor - until the vomitting is under control, probably by age 2. It won't stop the vomitting, not at all! But it will help him sleep by reducing the acidity of what comes up his wee throat. Yesterday he vomitted 8 times, not bad!

Nature Girl had a sleepover with her friend the Rock Hound. I came down to find them huddled round the dehumidifier (?) discussing religion. They were sharing prayer practices.

Afterwards I asked Rock Hound about it.

"Hey RH I didn't know you were Buddhist!"

"Yeah! I just decided I was"

"Cool, how did you come to this decision?"

"Well, I believe in peace and reincarnation, and we found these prayers online. I think I'll become a vegetarian too."

His mom is an atheist...I wonder how she'll take the news that he discovered religion at our house, while I let them - unsupervised (a 15 yr old doesn't really count) - play on the computer after dinner.

So, fair warning: You never know what evil lurks out there on the internet!

Wild Thing's Passionate Side

We have a short list of school supplies to get Nature Girl because the studio is so well stocked. A few specific pens and a bunch of scribblers. As I was packing her bag with the requirements Wild Thing got very upset at the idea that she was going to be going back to school. He loves his big sister to bits.

They squabble...sometimes a lot. They tease one another sometimes. The boys gang up on Nature Girl sometimes. Everyone gets an elbow in when they're all vyying for my lap at the same time.

Yesterday Nature Girl had a huge melodramatic cascading meltdown and I had to hold her still to talk to her before sending her to her room to calm down As she was screaming like a banshee Wild Thing thought I must be hurting her and ran up and pummelled me with his little fists yelling "Be NICE to my sister!"

I can't remember exactly what the meltdown was about (the joys of short term mommy memory loss!), but Wild Thing's gallant defense of his sister will never be forgotten.

He's my SWEET boy. He greets you with a big wide grin, blowing kisses and offering "huggies" all around. Sprout is starting to play with the bigger kids and Wild Thing is alternately protective and frustrated with the clumsy destruction that a 10 month old brings to the table. He is always gentle though.

I love my little brother to bits now too...but I don't remember feeling as sweet on him as a child.

My kids are all so KIND to one another, it makes my heart swell.

Rainbow Haven Beach - Eastern Passage

The Sprout and me.

Photographic evidence that Dark Mirror is capable of both a day on the beach and getting a little bit wet.

Wild Thing ought to be in pictures...

This is Papa Pan's beach; as in, he grew up directly across the road from it. There used to be a camp here for underprivileged city kids. Growing up, Papa Pan always wondered how come he didn't get to go to camp, cause he was really poor too! Now he knows what a blessing growing up on this beach was.

Nature Girl was on a playdate with a friend, she spent the day climbing trees and exploring an entirely different beach. We ended our day with Fish and Chips at John's Lunch and came home with a huge tub of clams. Nature Girl had pizza and came home with clam shells.

My name is the Sprout...

and I am the pukiest baby in the world. I also hate to sleep. I have lost some weight too.

My papa has always said "That's not normal!" about my vomitting all over the place, and mummy has always said "Babies puke, get used to it." My big sister Nature Girl was a puker too, but she stopped when she was 6 months old. Since I started solids I've been puking just the same but I'm sleeping even less than before. Mummy's pretty relaxed, but she's decided "That's not normal!" too. On a good night I sleep from 9:30 to 11:00 and then I'm up every hour to nurse and fret and fret some more I hate lying down. On a bad night I sleep from 9:30 to 11:00 and then I am crying and fretting and trying to sit up and arching every 20 minutes.

So on Tuesday I go to see the pediatrician to figure out why I puke my body weight every day, and why I never sleep. Mummy thinks I might have reflux.

I'm not a cranky baby though...but then again I'm so tough I never complained about my broken collar bone either, so mummy is really worried that I'm so used to being in pain I don't know any other sensation.

Please pray that the doctors don't decide I need invasive scary tests. Mummy's really worried about that too.

Bow and Arrows

When the stress of life is getting you down, go bond with a 4 year old over weaponry.

Wild Thing is quite the archer! Papa Pan is quite the artisan with a kitchen knife, nature walk and ball of twine.

Life is happening too far away from the blogosphere to post much...

Dark Mirror is an amazing photographer...WHO KNEW! Anyhow he's returned to Nature Boy status after several years hunkered over the computer...this is Baxter's Harbour...

Nature Girl at Cape Split...

The whole family at Kingsport Beach