and then we went to the waterpark but the water was turned off...

and then we went to the playground. I wanted to drive but this boy was using my steering wheel!

and then we all went on the teeter-totter, well except Dad who was taking all the pictures AGAIN!

What a long day...

I walk how far?

Found a neat tool at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/

Mom was right, I don't need to exercise now that I have Calum. I found out that I walk between 2.8 and 5.6km per day just going back and forth to the daycare. Wonder how much more that would be if I could calculate how far I go running after him when he gets home.

I'm off to Mother Goose this afternoon. Calum's daycare has a new storytime/music session and poor Calum has had to make do without his mom at the last few. I'm told he really likes it. Also, the staff told me today that he is really picking up some sign language. He knows "more" and "eat" and "milk". Yeah!

Another Skateboarder in the Family?

Happy Mother's Day

Well, it took all morning but finally my internet connection is back up. I was about to go through email withdrawal and my work day is shot as I have to go get Calum in just over an hour. Oh well, I managed to do a little yard work.

Just wanted to say a quick "Happy Mother's Day" to all you moms out there. I've been getting packages from Don and the kids for the last couple of days and Don told me there is more to come. I guess that I have been an extra good mom this year. I hope you enjoy your weekend. We are planning a barbecue and I want to try out some recipes in my new Jamie Oliver cookbook.

We've got some pictures of Calum playing with Dakota's skateboard. He really likes watching her and Chris ride. Maybe we have another little skater in the family. We'll post pictures later in the weekend.

Trying on his Wedding Outfit

Enjoying the Sunny Day

Our son, the bully

I'm lucky because I get the chance to visit Calum at daycare almost every day. It allows me to see how he is doing and to see him interacting with other kids. He's a funny boy, he likes to laugh and pretend he is in on the joke, even if he doesn't know what the joke is. Lately, he has been a bit aggressive with some of the other kids. He'll push them away, step on them, pull toys from their hands....all things a parent doesn't like to see. Mind you, he also likes to baby talk with the little ones, speak gibberish with his friend Haris when they see each other first thing in the morning and will dance at the first sound of music. The daycare staff told us that it is just the "Toddler Creed" kicking in - the everything is about me and it is all mine school of thought. I must say I don't like it and don't know what to do besides repeatedly telling him to be nice, to give toys back, to not touch other kids. I think we'll have to make more of an effort to get him out with some older toddlers, the little ones can't complain as loud.

No real plans yet this weekend. I'm actually looking forward to the long weekend coming up. The Da Vinci Code will be coming out and the girls have offered to watch Calum for a few hours so that Don and I can see it. I thought that it would be easier to get out a bit when he got older but it actually seems to be getting harder. He seems to want his Mama by his side. If I even leave the room he'll break down into a crying fit. We do almost everything together - and it is both wonderful and exhausting sometimes.

I have been getting out a bit for a sign language class on Wednesday evenings. It can be a real hassle to arrange everything - Dakota has her paper deliveries to make, Desiree has music lessons, Don has to leave work early and I like to have Calum fed or at least have dinner ready for him. All that for an hour long class!
Oh well, I've got one more sign language class left next week. It's been fun. I really like learning along with the day care staff and our teacher is really funny. Her name is Aileen and she is the grandmother of one of the toddlers. Maybe Don's mom knows her. I must find out her last name next week.

This is one for the parents out there - don't you just hate that Dora show? Calum loves it but it's driving me crazy. He recognizes the song and the characters now and goes crazy anytime he sees or hears anything to do with the show.

Have a good weekend everyone.

Calum!

Watching the Planes Land at the Airport

Calum Playing in the Front Yard

Jamie and Katrina at Daycare

This is Calum's friend Katrina.

Pick me up

Pick me up,
originally uploaded by A : E : B.

I asked for a cuddle monster and that's what I got.

Calum and Mama

Calum and Mama,
originally uploaded by A : E : B.

Calum and I, playing with the camera.

The Bain family goes to the Vancouver Aquarium...watch out Calum, he's going after your finger!

Calum can't believe how big the fish are!

Desiree and Calum

What is THAT! Dakota and Calum find the beluga whales.

Hello there

Hmm...what side of the family does his eating habits come from?

Calum, Angie and jellyfish

Easter treats from Nanny and Papa

Tired out from the Long Weekend

Bike Riding with Mom

It took awhile to find the bike seat that I wanted. We looked all around the mall on one of the busiest days of the year. We found it at Toys R Us but had to exchange it after getting it home and finding bits missing. It's a front mounting seat that gives you a bit more stability when you ride. It will take a little getting used to but Calum seems to like it. I like having him in front of me too because he actually gets to see a little more and I can control the bike a bit better.

It was a struggle getting him in the seat because he didn't know what we were doing but once we got going he loved it. We're going to practice around the yard a bit before we go for a longer ride though. The best thing is I can easily remove the seat when I want to ride on my own!

Playing with Buddy on Easter Sunday

Poor Buddy! Calum just loves him so much. We brought him some treats and Calum loved watching him and Cedar jump and do tricks. Buddy had to hide in his house for a bit just to get a break from all of the fun. Calum liked trying to open and close the door. I think he gets his curiousity from his Dad.

Enjoying treats left by the Easter Bunny

Calum enjoying some of his Easter treats. He loves chocolate but we don't like to give him much. He also got some toys, books and his all time favorite - a balloon!

Here is the photo that the morning news on global showed this morning. Global had the Easter Bunny doing the weather and Calum thought that was pretty funny and walked right up to the tv. I emailed the photo in and they aired it twice during the last 20 minutes of the show.

Time for a little update?

Sorry that it's been awhile. We've been busy with everyday things and frankly I haven't felt much like blogging with the weather starting to get better (well, it WAS better), the flowers coming out and Calum wanting to get outside all of the time.

We had a quiet time while Don was out of town. Calum kept us busy and we all went out to do a little shopping for pre-Easter gifts. Calum got some paint, a colouring book and a bubble machine. Nanny and Papa, he's painted his first pictures for you! I'll put them in the mail soon. Grandma and Grandpa Bain better clear some room on their fridge too because he really likes painting now. While we were out shopping we also started looking for a wedding outfit for him. He may soon be the proud owner of his first tux. Danica and Calum are really going to charm everyone.

On the day Don came back from Victoria Calum learned to blow kisses. It's very cute but is he still pretty selective about when he gives them. He also has decided that everyone at daycare is funny and the staff have told us that he will point at the other kids and start laughing as though only they were in on the joke. We are still making progress on the walking. He is a very cautious boy and likes to be close to walls, furniture and most importantly his Mama. He can go pretty fast when he wants to, which is mostly when he is trying to get away from me and into his sisters' rooms.

I'm in the mood to take more pictures so check back during the long weekend. We will have plenty more new pics.

On the mend again

Calum's ear infection seems to be gone and he is starting to feel more like himself. It was a tiring weekend though because he wanted to be held and walked about most of the time. I'm glad his fever is gone though! Let's hope he is back to himself tomorrow.

Don took Dakota in to get her foot checked again. She injured it a long while back on a trampoline and now has problems with it sometimes. She's got a referral to a sports specialist so looks like more doctors visits in the near future.

Desiree has been busy being a teenager all weekend and we didn't see much of her. She's off at a concert tonight. Both Don and I are loosing track of when these things are.

Nothing new to report - we are planning an inside Easter egg hunt for Calum this year, something along the lines of "Look Calum! What's on my head?" I'm exhausted, even though I've napped right along with the little fella so I'm going to spend a few minutes doing some web surfing. Don's off to Victoria again on Monday and Tuesday so there won't be any of his pictures for a few days.

Desiree's first driving lesson with Dad

She did alright...

It's 3:00 am! As you can see in the posts below, both Angie and Calum have been sick most of this week. On Friday both Angie and Calum had two 2 hour naps. As you can see, it has thrown Calum's "sleep clock" off...he woke up and wanted to play at 1:00 - it's now 3:21...he's been crawling around the house and eventually remembered the snack cupboard where he found his favourite snack, Twisties. Dakota, Angie and I are doing some chores...crazy kid.

Another ear infection

Calum had a fever and his ears were both draining yesterday. I had to pick him up early from daycare. We went straight to the clinic and had the same doctor again. He is really reluctant to prescribe anything other than sinus medicine and time but I insisted this time and now Calum is on a 3 day antibiotic regime. Last night he had a fever of 102. He was wide awake from 2-4:30am so Don and I are extremely tired today.

I kept him home with me today and his fever is gone and ears seem a lot better. He still is cranky and tired so he will be home with me again tomorrow. Poor little guy. The doctor said that some kids are just prone to ear infections. He hasn't been much interested in food but he had a good lunch and is now sound asleep. I'm going to try to get some chores done before he wakes up.

A Most Excellent Weekend

Calum had a great weekend. He got to spend a lot of time with Dad because I had to finish some things for work. I think there was a lot of watching of Simpsons, playing with toys and picture taking. Uncle Rob and Dakota bought him a really cute new outfit - hat, shoes and all. We will post a picture later in the week. We also went out to visit Grandma and Grandpa Bain (AND BUDDY!). Calum got a little Canucks hockey stick and went around chasing Buddy with it. Poor Buddy. Grandma was busy moving her breakables because Calum is pretty mobile and curious these days.

Today was another quiet day. I worked on invoices while Calum napped and played. Don took Desiree out for her first driving lesson. Calum and I went along, took a few pics and went for a walk along the river while they motored about a quiet industrial part of Burnaby. I tried to take pictures of Calum but he fell asleep within about 5 minutes.

Calum goes for his hearing test on Tuesday. He's picked up the sniffles again. Or is teething. I never can tell, really. We go through a lot of tissue in both cases. He has another front tooth coming in and is gnawing on everything. Well, better get off to bed. I'm still not adjusted to the time change so am far from tired. Check back mid-week for some new pictures.