Well, we've been in our new place for almost 2 months now and I am finally starting to feel somewhat settled. We are renting a 3 bedroom top floor of a house which has about the same square footage or possibly slightly less than our 2 bedroom apartment at AMBS. The closets are tiny but we've got 1.5 bathrooms and I am loving having a playroom. (Myra and Isaiah are sharing a room). The house is over 60 years old and originally was ground level. At some point it was raised up and a basement suite added. The floors in our place tend to be higher right at the baseboards than in the middle of the rooms and have many dips throughout. My time and mental/emotional space has been consumed with trying to bring order to disorder, and with downsizing our possessions to fit the limited space. It is starting to feel like home. :D
We (the kids and I) were kindly kicked out of the house this afternoon so that Tim could set up our sound system. I decided to attempt wandering a store of some sort and ended up at Canadian Tire. I found, to my delight, the perfect rug for our entry way on sale for $10 off the regular price - only cost me $20. woot!
Isaiah is growing and growing and growing. I keep referring to him as a "trouble maker" but he really isn't. He is curious and attentive and so quick to explore his surroundings ... just as he should be. :D Here he is learning about doors and hinges, cause and effect, and gravity, all while practicing his standing.
He has 6 teeth now, 4 on top and 2 below. He is eager to try "normal" food which has taken me by surprise since Myra was so very very opposed to solids in her first year. I've started showing him signs for "more" and "please" and "food". Today, he was screeching at me from his high chair as I was getting some banana ready for him and I said "Isaiah, would you like some food?" (making the sign for food while I said it) He promptly stopped screeching and put his fist to his mouth and moved it back and forth a few times - yay :-). It's really a work in progress.
Isaiah is pulling himself up easily these days on any furniture or toy within his reach. He loves following Myra around and playing with whatever toy she wants to play with much to her frustration. He has started "dancing" - doing 'the bob' up and down while standing and holding onto the couch or 'the twist' while sitting down - twisting his upper body side to side to music. He is still such a cuddler. I love it! He is a very fast crawler and makes a beeline to the bathroom or outside doors the moment he is aware that they are open. He LOVES being outside, especially when being outside means swinging on our recently acquired swing set. (Thanks again Leanne!)
A few weeks ago we had a play date with Auntie Anita and Nate and Laura. Spending the whole afternoon in the backyard with water running is expected and so fun for all involved...
Myra continues to be her mostly cheerful, energetic, creative self. She is easily entertained by her own imagination and I could fill pages of writing if I tried to keep tabs on all the different characters and scenarios she plays out in a day. My favorite this past week was while we were hanging out in the backyard... Myra was running around the swing set again and again. Then she stopped beside me to inform me she was a friendly bee who didn't sting but only gave bee hugs and bee kisses. Also, she made sunscreen in her stomach. At this point she pretended to spit on my arm and rubbed "sunscreen" all over me so I wouldn't get a sunburn. :D
Myra has discovered that if she needs "Isaiah-free" play time, she can go into the playroom and shut the door. The other day she found some muffin liners and promptly disappeared into the third bedroom. Here's what I found.
I'm hoping to organize Myra's craft supplies this next week so that when a crafty moment arises, everything we need will be easily accessible. I keep moving items, like her crayons, so it takes me 5-20 minutes sometimes to get her set up with paper and paints/crayons for drawing. :S
Anyways...yesterday, Myra drew a turtle with eyeballs. I know it doesn't sound like much but it was the first time she drew eyes that were first a circle and then a dot inside it rather than just two dots. She also drew what ended up looking like a foot - a roundish rectangle and then she traced her finger tips to make circles at the top of it - looked like toes. She decided to make it a rainbow foot and I captured her carefully coloring tiny little sections in a variety of colors. She was so proud of it when she was finished. :D
until next time...
