On our way to gymnastics this morning, I stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road. She was an older woman and she looked super cranky, which, of course, J picked up on immediately.
Voice from the backseat: Mommy, why is that lady so grumpy looking?
Me: Well, maybe she is tired or maybe -
Voice from the backseat [interrupting]: Mommy, it's probably because her husband or her wife or her son or her daughter woke her up before she had enough sleep. Or maybe her husband or her wife or her son or her daughter didn't leave any breakfast for her and she's hungry. Or maybe she has to pee.
Over a year ago, J learned the words husband and wife. And it didn't take her too long to figure out that a wife is woman and a husband is a man. And she's made the connection before with our friends that sometimes a woman has a wife and there isn't a husband, but that she just casually threw it in to her list of people who might have wronged the grumpy lady made me happy. And that the lady maybe had to pee, well that made me giggle, silently so J wouldn't think I was laughing at her.
Showing posts with label lessons from squirt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lessons from squirt. Show all posts
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Sunday, September 11, 2011
In an instant, it all changed
Tuesday, September 11, 2001 was a beautiful day in London, much like the beautiful day we're having today in Vancouver. When I got up that morning, I never, ever would have thought the day would end with such sadness.
I was off work that day and had gone into London with a friend who was getting ready to leave London, go on a trip through Europe and then head home to Mexico. I don't remember much of the morning, but sometime after lunch, around 1:30 or 2:00, we were in a tacky gift shop on the Strand. And over the chatter of the tourists in the shop, I heard something about a plane hitting the Empire State building.
And that was it. I didn't think much of it, in my mind it was a small, personal aircraft that must have made some kind of navigational error. The person reading the news was pretty calm and matter of fact and moved on to the next news story. Sad, but what do you do, right?
Not long after that we decided it was time to move on to our next destination - I'm not sure what it was, we never made it there. When we stepped out onto the street, something was wrong. It was quiet. Very quiet. It's never quiet like that on the Strand. And there was a lady on her cell phone in the middle of the street, sobbing. And a man next to her, who obviously knew her, but not well, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder.
As we walked through the streets, we could feel the mood thickening and the city getting quieter, but we didn't know why. I had forgotten the news report and didn't make that connection until later.
We decided that we were just going to go home. We didn't like the way London felt and we had tickets to the theatre that night, so we thought we'd go home, drop our purchases off, get changed, have dinner and come back.
The underground was eerily quiet. Everyone was very subdued. Every once in a while we'd see someone who had obviously been crying.
When we got back to Pax Lodge, it was a little crazy. We were hosting a seminar and there were American participants who were trying to connect with their relatives. We still weren't sure what was going on. Everyone crowded around the tv, but the news hadn't become huge yet...most stations were showing regular programming. The internet was nothing like it is today and in the entire building there were two computers (maybe four?) that were connected to the internet...nothing would load because the demand around the world was exceeding most sites' bandwidth allowance.
Eventually the UK caught on and all five stations that we got switched to newscasts. And it was devastating. There was huge concern about where terrorists might strike next. There was talk of shutting down the underground. The City was evacuated. All of our international guests and staff just wanted to go home. Of course, we knew that wasn't going to be possible.
Edna and I weren't sure if we should go to the show that night. We were scared that we'd get there and then the underground would shut down and we would have to walk all the way home. We waffled for hours about going and finally our boss told us just to go. That's what we needed to do, keep living and not let the terrorists scare us into staying home, even if we were terrified. She even offered to drive into London to get us if the underground did get shut down.
We went to the theatre and Oxford Street was almost empty. There was two minutes of silence at the beginning of the show and the theatre pretty much stayed quiet throughout the show. The show was great, but the collective sadness of the audience was so heavy. I have no idea how the actors managed to put on such a great performance.
My tv, which pretty much lived in a cabinet, came out of storage and for the next few days there was almost always someone in my room, even when I wasn't there, watching the coverage. I don't think I've ever cried so many tears. I don't think I've ever been so homesick either. Not that being home would have made the reality of it any less, but being home would at least give me the comfort of knowing my family was okay. I figured the world was ending.
The world didn't end.
My parents flew, very safely, to London a few weeks later to visit me and do some travelling. I flew to Finland and flew back to London with two pairs of scissors in my carry-on luggage and no one stopped me. I figured an armed guard would be waiting to arrest me when the plane touched down at Heathrow. Edna didn't get to go on her trip through Europe. Her mom was so concerned she asked her to come home right away.
Things changed. People seem to be more cautious. I need a passport to cross the 49th parallel. I can't carry a water bottle with me on the plane anymore. Thousands of people lost loved ones on September 11. Thousands more have lost loved ones in the years since in London, Iraq and Afghanistan and in other terrorist attacks. But the world has carried on.
This morning when I got up, my thoughts immediately went back to that day ten years ago. I hugged J a little tighter than usual. Then I turned the tv on and saw that the three year old from Sparwood had been returned to his family. And I hugged her again. She looked at me like I was crazy. Then she saw the tears glistening in my eyes and she gently patted my shoulder and told me "It will be okay, Mommy. I love you."
And I think she's right.
It will be okay. The world didn't end. It changed.
I was off work that day and had gone into London with a friend who was getting ready to leave London, go on a trip through Europe and then head home to Mexico. I don't remember much of the morning, but sometime after lunch, around 1:30 or 2:00, we were in a tacky gift shop on the Strand. And over the chatter of the tourists in the shop, I heard something about a plane hitting the Empire State building.
And that was it. I didn't think much of it, in my mind it was a small, personal aircraft that must have made some kind of navigational error. The person reading the news was pretty calm and matter of fact and moved on to the next news story. Sad, but what do you do, right?
Not long after that we decided it was time to move on to our next destination - I'm not sure what it was, we never made it there. When we stepped out onto the street, something was wrong. It was quiet. Very quiet. It's never quiet like that on the Strand. And there was a lady on her cell phone in the middle of the street, sobbing. And a man next to her, who obviously knew her, but not well, awkwardly patting her on the shoulder.
As we walked through the streets, we could feel the mood thickening and the city getting quieter, but we didn't know why. I had forgotten the news report and didn't make that connection until later.
We decided that we were just going to go home. We didn't like the way London felt and we had tickets to the theatre that night, so we thought we'd go home, drop our purchases off, get changed, have dinner and come back.
The underground was eerily quiet. Everyone was very subdued. Every once in a while we'd see someone who had obviously been crying.
When we got back to Pax Lodge, it was a little crazy. We were hosting a seminar and there were American participants who were trying to connect with their relatives. We still weren't sure what was going on. Everyone crowded around the tv, but the news hadn't become huge yet...most stations were showing regular programming. The internet was nothing like it is today and in the entire building there were two computers (maybe four?) that were connected to the internet...nothing would load because the demand around the world was exceeding most sites' bandwidth allowance.
Eventually the UK caught on and all five stations that we got switched to newscasts. And it was devastating. There was huge concern about where terrorists might strike next. There was talk of shutting down the underground. The City was evacuated. All of our international guests and staff just wanted to go home. Of course, we knew that wasn't going to be possible.
Edna and I weren't sure if we should go to the show that night. We were scared that we'd get there and then the underground would shut down and we would have to walk all the way home. We waffled for hours about going and finally our boss told us just to go. That's what we needed to do, keep living and not let the terrorists scare us into staying home, even if we were terrified. She even offered to drive into London to get us if the underground did get shut down.
We went to the theatre and Oxford Street was almost empty. There was two minutes of silence at the beginning of the show and the theatre pretty much stayed quiet throughout the show. The show was great, but the collective sadness of the audience was so heavy. I have no idea how the actors managed to put on such a great performance.
My tv, which pretty much lived in a cabinet, came out of storage and for the next few days there was almost always someone in my room, even when I wasn't there, watching the coverage. I don't think I've ever cried so many tears. I don't think I've ever been so homesick either. Not that being home would have made the reality of it any less, but being home would at least give me the comfort of knowing my family was okay. I figured the world was ending.
The world didn't end.
My parents flew, very safely, to London a few weeks later to visit me and do some travelling. I flew to Finland and flew back to London with two pairs of scissors in my carry-on luggage and no one stopped me. I figured an armed guard would be waiting to arrest me when the plane touched down at Heathrow. Edna didn't get to go on her trip through Europe. Her mom was so concerned she asked her to come home right away.
Things changed. People seem to be more cautious. I need a passport to cross the 49th parallel. I can't carry a water bottle with me on the plane anymore. Thousands of people lost loved ones on September 11. Thousands more have lost loved ones in the years since in London, Iraq and Afghanistan and in other terrorist attacks. But the world has carried on.
This morning when I got up, my thoughts immediately went back to that day ten years ago. I hugged J a little tighter than usual. Then I turned the tv on and saw that the three year old from Sparwood had been returned to his family. And I hugged her again. She looked at me like I was crazy. Then she saw the tears glistening in my eyes and she gently patted my shoulder and told me "It will be okay, Mommy. I love you."
And I think she's right.
It will be okay. The world didn't end. It changed.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
You know it!
On our way home from a little field trip tonight, J and Kelsey were sitting in the back seat and J was "teaching" Kelsey I'm A Little Tea Pot so she could teach it to her class.
Overheard:
J: I'm a little dobobodo
Kelsey: I don't think that's how it goes.
J: ...then I YELL tip me over pour me out.
Me: Why don't you teach Kelsey the right words so she can teach it to the kids at her school?
J: I'm a little tea pot, short and stout. Here is my handle and here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, then I shout, tip me over and pull me out...
YOUR TURN.
Kelsey: I'm a little...umm, J can you help me?
J: TEA POT. You know it.
And then she yelled the words a few more times. I guess we didn't really convince her that Kelsey didn't know the song...I guess two and a half year olds are smarter than we give them credit for.
Overheard:
J: I'm a little dobobodo
Kelsey: I don't think that's how it goes.
J: ...then I YELL tip me over pour me out.
Me: Why don't you teach Kelsey the right words so she can teach it to the kids at her school?
J: I'm a little tea pot, short and stout. Here is my handle and here is my spout. When I get all steamed up, then I shout, tip me over and pull me out...
YOUR TURN.
Kelsey: I'm a little...umm, J can you help me?
J: TEA POT. You know it.
And then she yelled the words a few more times. I guess we didn't really convince her that Kelsey didn't know the song...I guess two and a half year olds are smarter than we give them credit for.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
A few reasons my kid makes me smile
A recent conversation after dinner:
J: "I'm finished my apple Mommy. You can have the last two."
Me: "Okay. Thanks for sharing with me."
J: "Thank you Mommy for taking good care of me."
**********
J was not thrilled to be at the pool on Saturday for her lessons. She was whimpering and generally not a happy camper.
Me: "J, what's the matter? Does your toe hurt?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Are you cold?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Do you have an owie somewhere?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Are you hungry?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Do you miss Daddy or Christine?" (Alex has been taking J to lessons, but was at an appointment. Her swimming instructor Christine was home sick, so we had a substitute and J wasn't sure about her)
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Well what's wrong then? You sound like you're unhappy."
J: "Mommy, I'm whining. You told me if I whined that we would have to go home."
**********
J: "Mommy, we have to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW. The pee wants to come out of my bladder, but I told it not yet and it doesn't want to listen."
**********
We occasionallybribe prompt J to eat her lunch or dinner using a book. For every bite (or two or three or whatever), she gets to have a page read to her. Except she outsmarted us. She was having baked beans for lunch and she started eating them one at a time... "That IS one bite Mommy!"
J: "I'm finished my apple Mommy. You can have the last two."
Me: "Okay. Thanks for sharing with me."
J: "Thank you Mommy for taking good care of me."
**********
J was not thrilled to be at the pool on Saturday for her lessons. She was whimpering and generally not a happy camper.
Me: "J, what's the matter? Does your toe hurt?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Are you cold?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Do you have an owie somewhere?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Are you hungry?"
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Do you miss Daddy or Christine?" (Alex has been taking J to lessons, but was at an appointment. Her swimming instructor Christine was home sick, so we had a substitute and J wasn't sure about her)
J: "No. Whine whine whimper whimper."
Me: "Well what's wrong then? You sound like you're unhappy."
J: "Mommy, I'm whining. You told me if I whined that we would have to go home."
**********
J: "Mommy, we have to go to the bathroom RIGHT NOW. The pee wants to come out of my bladder, but I told it not yet and it doesn't want to listen."
**********
We occasionally
Thursday, January 06, 2011
Sometimes you just need a time out
A lesson from Squirt...
When we were at my parents' house over the holidays we had dinner with my sister's boyfriend's family. His sister has a daughter the same age as J (still with me?).
J and B had a great time together...eventually. But it was touch and go at first. J was unhappy at one point and she just needed to be removed from the situation (I can't remember what happened...it was a non-event)
I took her into the den and closed the door and figured we'd sit together and I'd rub her back until she stopped crying and when she was ready, we'd go back to the big noisy room full of people.
We settled into the rocking chair and about three rocks in, she lifted her head up and said, "Mommy, go away. I need a time out."
Really? I wasn't giving her a time out, I just thought she needed some quiet time to regroup.
Well, apparently she NEEDED a time out and I didn't move fast enough because she said it again. And then she told me that she would come out when it was time.
So I left her.
And she did. And she apologized all on her own for her meltdown.
See, kids can teach you things.
The lesson? Sometimes we all just need a few minutes alone to gather ourselves together and carry on. Worth remembering...even I need a time out from time to time...and hopefully this will remind me to just take that time out and life will be much better for it!
When we were at my parents' house over the holidays we had dinner with my sister's boyfriend's family. His sister has a daughter the same age as J (still with me?).
J and B had a great time together...eventually. But it was touch and go at first. J was unhappy at one point and she just needed to be removed from the situation (I can't remember what happened...it was a non-event)
I took her into the den and closed the door and figured we'd sit together and I'd rub her back until she stopped crying and when she was ready, we'd go back to the big noisy room full of people.
We settled into the rocking chair and about three rocks in, she lifted her head up and said, "Mommy, go away. I need a time out."
Really? I wasn't giving her a time out, I just thought she needed some quiet time to regroup.
Well, apparently she NEEDED a time out and I didn't move fast enough because she said it again. And then she told me that she would come out when it was time.
So I left her.
And she did. And she apologized all on her own for her meltdown.
See, kids can teach you things.
The lesson? Sometimes we all just need a few minutes alone to gather ourselves together and carry on. Worth remembering...even I need a time out from time to time...and hopefully this will remind me to just take that time out and life will be much better for it!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Understanding privacy and private time
We have been working on privacy and private times and knocking on closed doors and waiting for an answer with J. Apparently she has learned a little too well.
This morning she locked me on the balcony and when I told her to go get Daddy, she did. She stood patiently at the bedroom door and banged away. When she finally looked at me, I motioned for her to go in and apparently she did the same thing on the bathroom door.
She opened the bathroom door once and said no no no and Alex asked her to wait because he was having a private time. So she closed the door, but she kept knocking.
Finally Alex wondered what all the noice was about (I was also banging on the sliding door) and why I was letting J pummel the doors and he came out...10 minutes locked on the balcony...what a way to start the morning!
Lesson learned: J understands private time. She can also lock the sliding door. I will not be going on the balcony when J is around without propping it open from now on!
This morning she locked me on the balcony and when I told her to go get Daddy, she did. She stood patiently at the bedroom door and banged away. When she finally looked at me, I motioned for her to go in and apparently she did the same thing on the bathroom door.
She opened the bathroom door once and said no no no and Alex asked her to wait because he was having a private time. So she closed the door, but she kept knocking.
Finally Alex wondered what all the noice was about (I was also banging on the sliding door) and why I was letting J pummel the doors and he came out...10 minutes locked on the balcony...what a way to start the morning!
Lesson learned: J understands private time. She can also lock the sliding door. I will not be going on the balcony when J is around without propping it open from now on!
Monday, August 09, 2010
Lola Fiona Jessica Tinkerbell Lynons
And the lesson from squirt is: It's sometimes good to change your name. (and no, there is no spelling mistake in the title of this post)
My kid announced at dinner last night that her name is Lola Fiona Jessica Tinkerbell. She will not answer to her real name. She will only answer to Fiona, Jessica, Tinkerbell or a combination IF they are preceded by Lola. We know where she got Fiona, Jessica and Tinkerbell from. No idea where she got Lola (but it's cute!).
Of course it was more like this:
Me: J would you like a popsicle?
J: NO! Lola Noah Caca.
Me: Oh, is your name Lola Fiona Jessica?
J: NO! Lola Noah Caca Tinkybewl
Me: Okay. Lola Fiona Jessica Tinkerbell would you like a popsicle?
J: Peeeze. Yup.
Me: What colour?
J: Black. No orangie. NO PUPPLE! Greena. Greena popsicle.
Me: Okay.
I go away and get a green popsicle
Me: Here's your popsicle little girl. What's your name?
J: Lola Noah Caca Tinkybewl LYNONS. Lola Lynons.
For the rest of the evening if I forgot:
J: NO! MOMMY! Lola Lynons. LOLA!
I thought she might forget by this morning, but when I went in to wake her up at 7:00, a still half asleep little voice muttered NO! Lola! when I said it was time for J to get up.
So Lola it is. For now.
My kid announced at dinner last night that her name is Lola Fiona Jessica Tinkerbell. She will not answer to her real name. She will only answer to Fiona, Jessica, Tinkerbell or a combination IF they are preceded by Lola. We know where she got Fiona, Jessica and Tinkerbell from. No idea where she got Lola (but it's cute!).
Of course it was more like this:
Me: J would you like a popsicle?
J: NO! Lola Noah Caca.
Me: Oh, is your name Lola Fiona Jessica?
J: NO! Lola Noah Caca Tinkybewl
Me: Okay. Lola Fiona Jessica Tinkerbell would you like a popsicle?
J: Peeeze. Yup.
Me: What colour?
J: Black. No orangie. NO PUPPLE! Greena. Greena popsicle.
Me: Okay.
I go away and get a green popsicle
Me: Here's your popsicle little girl. What's your name?
J: Lola Noah Caca Tinkybewl LYNONS. Lola Lynons.
For the rest of the evening if I forgot:
J: NO! MOMMY! Lola Lynons. LOLA!
I thought she might forget by this morning, but when I went in to wake her up at 7:00, a still half asleep little voice muttered NO! Lola! when I said it was time for J to get up.
So Lola it is. For now.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Lessons from squirt: Music 101
Today I learned that:
Head and Shoulders (the song, not the shampoo) has the same tune as London Bridge. J started doing the actions to Head and Shoulders even though London Bridge was playing. She also she went and found her BINGO book when BINGO started playing...
I also learned that I have a Sharon Lois and Bram breaking point. I need a holiday from them occasionally. Thank goodness I chose this CD - every other CD we've tried to play for her in the last few days had been met by a very violent "all done" sign, vigorous head shaking and often loud NOOOOOOOs.
Head and Shoulders (the song, not the shampoo) has the same tune as London Bridge. J started doing the actions to Head and Shoulders even though London Bridge was playing. She also she went and found her BINGO book when BINGO started playing...
I also learned that I have a Sharon Lois and Bram breaking point. I need a holiday from them occasionally. Thank goodness I chose this CD - every other CD we've tried to play for her in the last few days had been met by a very violent "all done" sign, vigorous head shaking and often loud NOOOOOOOs.
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