Thursday, July 31, 2008

Peek-a-boo...

...I see you! Isn't he/she cute? So smart too. Already waving and playing Peek-a-boo.

AC already posted the news on his blog yesterday, and took a poll on the name - Bean or Daub. Looks like Bean is winning over there, but I can't quite settle on Bean. Daub seems to go better with Smudge somehow, but I can't get my head around that name either. Althegal suggested Boo, and I quite like that one. I'll have to let it cook on the back burner of my brain for a while and see which name keeps coming to the top.

Bean, Daub, or Boo, he/she is an amazing little bundle. In this ultrasound the baby is no bigger than my thumb and already has this cute little hand and a heart that is beating 148 beats per minute. Amazing, amazing, amazing. Totally, totally awesome.

Kitchen Help

I was working in the kitchen yesterday peeling carrots for dinner and the Wee One thought that she would help me. I was standing in front of the drawers you see in the picture. Yes, right next to the cupboard in the corner. The plate of carrot peelings is still on the counter. Do you see where Smudge is? Right at my feet, between me and the counter. Sheesh! When I looked down and saw that she had her pillow with her and was having a little rest while she helped me in the kitchen, I had to run for the camera.
As soon as she saw the flash, she sat up and flashed me a smile.

Such a cute little helper she is.
Pretty soon she will want to be up on a stool beside me helping me add ingredients, stir the mixture and then lick the spoon. For now I am glad she is happy to sit at my feet with her pillow and brush. It gets a bit crowded, but what wonderful memories we are cooking up together.

Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Penned In

The Smudgster loves her new play house, but also loves to play in the gravel drive at the back of the house, or the flower garden beside the deck, or the side walk, or the road or.... just about anything and everything. Grandma was up and down, up and down, back and forth, and up and down, trying to corral her. Something had to be done. Voila, a moveable plastic corral was just the answer. It is light to carry, easy to set up and take down, and can be set up anywhere. Where was this contraption when my kids were Smudge's age?

I put my chair right beside hers, but on the outside of the fence and we were both happy. She could roam around outside the house, or go in and out of the house as many times as she wanted to, and I could just SIT!

At one point though I had to get in the house with Smudge to see what she was picking at in the grass. It was at that precise moment, when I was on my hands and knees inside the house, with my hind-end sticking out the door that I heard a cheery "Hello?"
A neighbour for across the road came over to say hello. Sigh. I must have looked a sight, and she must have wondered what in the world I was doing in that little house. What a hoot.

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

New shoes

Wedding plans are kicking into high gear, and all us girls have to put the finishing touches on our outfits. What fun for all of us.

Smudge got pink high top runners to match Auntie Puff's, and she is loving her new shoes. So much so, that it was hard to get her to stand still long enough to get a picture. She took off high stepping and thought it was great fun to hear her new shoes make different sounds on the tile and carpeted floor. She went round and round and round..

...and round the kitchen /living room circuit, giggling all the way.

What is it with little girls and new shoes? Well, big girls too. I still love getting new shoes! Total fun!

Monday, July 28, 2008

Making Memories

Grandpa and The Girl making memories on a sunny afternoon in the park.

Looks like they are both having fun. Grandma was a bit tense, but Grandpa assured me he had a firm hold on the baby.

Saturday, July 26, 2008

Splash!

We visited the park on Friday and Smudge thought it was great fun to splash her feet in the water. She got herself and Grandpa soaking wet. Neither of them seemed to mind a bit.

Friday, July 25, 2008

Poor Baby

Oh my, what a week we have had with the little one. Started off with what looked like a mosquito bite between her eyes. As it began to swell and turn an angry red I thought maybe it was a spider bite. I pulled her crib out from the wall and went on a hunt for spiders. None were to be found, but I did kill a mosquito.
You can't really see it clearly in this picture, but by the next morning, the redness and swelling were moving into her eye area. and the bump between her eyes was swollen out as far as her nose if you looked at her from the side. Poor little thing.

The family doctor was away on holiday so we were instructed to take Smudge to the ER to be seen by a doctor there. We thought they would give her some Benadryl and cream and send us home. Nope. The doctor there was quite concerned about something that sounded like cellulite to me. It wasn't that, but each time she mentioned it I thought of the cottage cheese stuff you get on the back of your legs, and I knew it wasn't that!

Thesha and I stood there in shock as the doctor talked about orbital cellutitus and the danger of it being so close to the eye which meant that the infection could spread to the brain very quickly. Yikes. Smudge didn't have an elevated temperature so that was a good sign, but they were quite concerned that it might spike suddenly. Should they admit her and give her IV antibiotics or send her home with us, and a very high dose of antibiotics to be taken by mouth? Hmmm, ponder, ponder, ponder, consult, consult, and then ponder some more. The doctor finally decided to send her home with us, some strong antibiotics, and strict instructions to make a quick trip back to the ER if we noticed the redness spreading, elevated temp or change in mood. What a tense day that was.

Wouldn't you know that AC was off at a violin session that day, and Thesha had to go to work, so I was alone with the baby and didn't have access to a car. Oh dear! I put in a very tense day indeed. Every time I looked at Smudge I thought something different. The redness is spreading. No it isn't. Yes it is. The swelling is going down. No, it is increasing. Is she hot? Yes! No! Maybe! Round and round and round I went all day. When AC got home from his violin session around 5pm, I think that was the first time all day I took a deep breath. When Thesha got home from work a few minutes later, I felt like bursting into tears I felt so relieved that I had made it through the day, backup had arrived, and Smudge was OK.

I am happy to report that after two days on the antibiotic, the swelling and redness are gone. Thank goodness. I am not so happy to report that the strong dose of antibiotics is really upsetting Smudge's little system and eight more days of it is going to be very hard to take. Poor little mite. She is being a trooper and is in good spirits, but her tummy is so upset.

We did what I like to do when I am upset, and that is go outside and spend some time with Mother Nature. We walked to the park, sat by the water...

...and let the calming beauty of nature bring peace to our frazzled nerves.
Ahhh, that's better.

Smudge Lesson for the Week - Pain is inevitable but misery is optional. Even on the bad days when doctors are poking and prodding you, you can still smile, go sit in the park when it is all over, hug someone you love, and enjoy life.

Thursday, July 24, 2008

Tea on the lawn at the Mill of Kintail

Brother and SIL paid us a visit last weekend, and we enjoyed a day touring shops, art galleries and quaint villages in the Valley. A good time was had by all, and in the middle of a busy day of shopping and sightseeing we stopped for a refreshing cup of tea at the Mill of Kintail

Thanks for the visit guys. Come again soon. We have lots of other interesting nooks and crannies that would be fun to explore in the Ottawa Valley with you.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Making Dinner

Hello! Is anybody home?

Yes, I am in the kitchen, busy making dinner. Don't have time to stop and talk now.



Well, maybe I could stop for a few minutes for a little chat. Come on in and I'll make a cup of tea.
Smudge is loving her new playhouse and Grandma thinks it is pretty cool too.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Guilty

Smudge was being very quiet over in her reading corner the other day, so I thought I had better go check things out. Sure enough she had a book on the chair in front of her, but look what she has in her hand. Mommy's camera! She loves phones, cameras, laptops, anything with buttons and screens that might show her a picture or play her a video.

Oh, oh, Grandma, you caught me red handed. And I thought I was being so quiet you would never know what I was doing.

You will learn Smudge, that Mommies and Grandmas have eyes in the back of their head!

Oh Grandma. That's so funny. Eyes in the back of your head.
OK, I'll put the camera down, come and play with me.

Monday, July 21, 2008

New Playhouse

Smudge got a new playhouse last week and I think she really likes it.

Here she is checking out the interior through the side window.
I can almost hear her saying "Oh, how neat is this? "

She toddled right over to the front door and thought it was pretty cool that she could open and close the door herself..
...and peek out the windows from the inside too. She was very pleased with herself, and we had a hard time convincing her that playtime was over and it was time to go inside for dinner.

I can see hours of fun being enjoyed in this little house. I had better get a lawn chair and a good book, and plan on spending many an afternoon out here while Smudge gets on the magic carpet of imagination and goes on exciting adventures through this little pink door.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Yummy!

We took Smudge to a local ice cream parlor this week and let her try another ice cream cone. This store had special little cones just the right size for chubby little baby hands to hold onto, and Smudge thought that was just dandy, thank you very much.
She couldn't quite get the concept of licking the ice cream, but managed to get a wee bit in her mouth even if most of it ran down her chin and onto her shirt.

Once her little cone was gone she wanted some of Grandma's cone too. Grandma was more than willing to share.
Oh what sweet memories we are making of our time with the precious little one. Look at her little hand holding mine as she tries to wrap her mouth around the ice cream. Wrapped right around my heart it is.

Smudge Lesson for the Week - Don't worry about getting dirty when you are trying to learn something new. Some things are worth the mess, and things clean up easily in the end. Jump in and enjoy, but hold the hand of someone you love if you can, that makes things so much easier.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Cute Cookie

Smudge is waiting patiently for Grandpa to get his shoes on so they can go for their morning walk. She is READY TO GO, and looking very cute too.
She does love her morning walk with Grandpa. As soon as we hunt up her shoes and grab her hat she starts squealing with delight and when shoes and hat are on she makes a B-line for the side door gate. She is one smart little cookie, and a cute one too.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Little Bit of Heaven

Sitting on a grassy hillside, under blue skies, being warmed by sunshine and cooled by gentle breezes as we listen to music, watch step dancing and sip hot coffee is... a little bit of heaven indeed. AC and I went to Celtfest on the weekend and had an absolutely, wonderful, fabulous, glorious time!

The day started out cold and rainy, so we wondered if the "show would go on" as we packed our lunch, and got ready to head for the park. We were all ready to go, but the rain was pouring down, so we delayed our departure for about an hour. By that time the rain stopped, but it was still cold and windy, so we tucked away our shorts, sunhats and sunscreen, and dug out our boots, long pants, rain jackets, umbrellas, and off we went with spirits high even if a bit dampened by the rain.

The show did indeed go on in spite of the rain, so we missed the first two acts, but got there in plenty of time to find a good spot near centre front stage for our lawn chairs. And we settled in for seven glorious hours of toe tapping, hand clapping, heart thumping music. Gloriosky!

By mid afternoon the clouds rolled on out of town and the sun made a grand and glorious appearance. It got so warm I had to dig my sunhat and sunscreen out of the bottom of the bag, and eventually we even had to pick up our chairs and moved to a shady spot.

AC moved to the front of the crowd and took this video of The Kyle Felhaver Band and Fusion Dancers. Next time I will ask him to also pan the crowd so you can see the beautiful venue and crowds of people who attend Celtfest each year. It is one of our favorite concerts to attend and it is free. Yes, Free! The paid concerts and festivities start on Thursday night and continue throughout the weekend, but the grand finale is always free. What a treat!





Yes, it was an absolutely, wonderful, fabulous, glorious day, and I am already looking forward to the next Celtfest. Be sure to check out AC's blog for another video and his thoughts on the day.

Sunday, July 13, 2008

Bathing Beauty

We had a fairly busy weekend so I must resort to an old picture from last week to share with you this morning. Use what you have - right?

On one of the warm sunny days sent our way last week, we gave Smudge some time in her pool. Usually we just let her play in a container of water up on the deck, but decided to give this venue a try. The problem is, there is no shade on the grass, and the UV index was high, so we had to make our own shade.

I dug up this old umbrella and stand I used to rig up beside my lawn chair at Althegal's baseball games to give me shade whilst watching her play. It worked fine beside Smudge's little pool these many years later, and as an extra blessing, when I opened up the umbrella, all sorts of memories of happy times at the baseball diamond tumbled out and warmed my heart. Sweet!

Smudge had fun in the pool, but only stayed in it for about two minutes and then wanted out to roam around on the grass. Seeing as the yard isn't fenced in, Grandpa and I were lead on a merry chase trying to contain her, so we soon retreated to the gated deck and her little tub of water up there. Smudge was happy, and Grandpa and I were much happier! Goodness Smudge's little legs can take her great distances in no time at all, and we have a hard time keeping up. Speaking of which, I can hear her giving Grandpa a run for his money upstairs right now so I had better go lend a hand.

Talk to you again soon.

Friday, July 11, 2008

The newest headgear

I put this box on Smudge's head after breakfast yesterday, and she played with it all day. She kept going over to this picture of Rocky to look at herself in the glass, and she thought she looked smashing indeed.


Totally charming don't you think? Here she is making a phone call to Mommy at work, telling her all about her new hat. Not only is she walking but she is talking up a storm about the new look.

When Mommy got home she enjoyed the fashion show Smudge put on for her.

Smudge Lesson for the Week - You like what you like and that is OK. It doesn't matter what the fashion police say, so go ahead, blaze new trails and set new trends. It just might become the next fashion sensation.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

So Near Yet So Far

As the wedding draws nearer and nearer, I am spending most of my free time painting, but I will keep trying my best to post a picture or two of the Wee One for family in far flung corners of the globe.

Grandpa was enjoying a quiet moment out on the front porch the other morning, and Smudge wondered what he was doing out there without her.
"Grandpa! Turn around Grandpa. What are you doing out there Grandpa, when I am stuck in here?"
Can I come out and play on the porch with you?


Well, I must get back to my paints. Hope you have fun adding colour to your world in your own special way today too.

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Sunshine Girl

Someone was a very happy soul yesterday, and I managed to capture a few of her marvelous smiles on camera. Usually by the time the camera adjusts and snaps the picture the smile is gone, but I timed it just right yesterday.

This one is a bit blurry, but I thought it was still worth sharing with her adoring fans.

Yes, she is a sunshine girl. Hope she brings some sunshine and a smile to your corner of the country today.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Monday Morning Chores

Monday morning is here, and so is the sunshine. Before Smudge rushes headlong into this fresh new day, she takes a few moments to soak in the rays and contemplate life.

After her quiet time, she heads out to the kitchen to help Grandpa make breakfast.

Can I get something out of the fridge for you Grandpa? I do love to get my little fingers in there.

Now that we have all had a good breakfast it is time for Smudge to help Bear with the ribbons on her hat...


...then it is time to head outside to play.


Sunny summer days are such fun. Enjoy.

Friday, July 04, 2008

Sunny Friday

We had lots of rain yesterday, but the sunshine returned today and it promises to stay around for the weekend. Flowers, gardens and people are all celebrating!




Hope the sunshine visits your corner of the country this weekend too. Enjoy.

Thursday, July 03, 2008

After The Party's Over

After all the flag waving, parades, and fireworks it is time to get back to our important every day tasks.

Smudge is ready to put down the flag and study the rocks around the flower bed...


...take a closer look at clover...

...check out that interesting noise the neighbour is making.

Hope you find joy in all the important tasks facing you today too.

Wednesday, July 02, 2008

Ready to Party

OK Grandpa, I am ready to party.


Come on let's join the parade.

On second thought, I think I can walk on my own for awhile.
Hope you stepped out and partied on Canada's Birthday too. We sure had fun.