*** try to ignore the spelling errors :/
obligatory christmas post.
Let's pick 'a.'
December 23rd, Christmas with Kris's family:
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| "Look! Behind me! It's Christmas!" |
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| "You guys take a look at that card - I'm going to get started on opening this for you." |
December 25th (morning), Christmas at home:
December 25th-27th, Christmas at my parents:
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| "Oh Nana E, I don't need help - I've been practicing this for DAYS." |
For a great post on what traveling over the holidays with a toddler is like, you should visit my friend Bianca's blog. She's much more polite than I am.
the meaning of christmas for kale.
I'll admit, I'm a bit of a scrooge. We don't have any christmas decorations, don't read stories about santa and only made one half-hearted attempt at baking christmas cookies. I do, however, sing jingle bells about 40 times a day for Kale and always stop to let him check out christmas trees that we come across.
In Kale's classroom they have a small christmas tree that the kids decorated. Every day when I arrived to pick him up, one of the kids would usher me over to the tree to show me the lights and tiny ornaments. It wouldn't take long before they were all crowded around 'ohh-ing' and 'ahh-ing' and showing me their favourite parts.
We had planned to get a tree, but without any snow it just didn't feel right. I have memories as a kid walking through knee-deep snow with my family to find the perfect tree. It almost felt like I was ruining a tradition if I were to walk into a green field without any snow to pull Kale along in a sleigh.
And so I drew a pine tree on Kale's blackboard easel and announced "it's christmas!" and that was that.
Earlier this week Kale and I went into my office so that I could pick something up. My office mate asked Kale if he was excited for christmas and he started to look around in a panic, searching for something. His eyes landed on a plant I had sitting at my desk and he pointed with great excitement and shouted "christmas!"
And that's when I realized that Kale thinks christmas is a tree.
Parenting WIN.
In Kale's classroom they have a small christmas tree that the kids decorated. Every day when I arrived to pick him up, one of the kids would usher me over to the tree to show me the lights and tiny ornaments. It wouldn't take long before they were all crowded around 'ohh-ing' and 'ahh-ing' and showing me their favourite parts.
We had planned to get a tree, but without any snow it just didn't feel right. I have memories as a kid walking through knee-deep snow with my family to find the perfect tree. It almost felt like I was ruining a tradition if I were to walk into a green field without any snow to pull Kale along in a sleigh.
And so I drew a pine tree on Kale's blackboard easel and announced "it's christmas!" and that was that.
Earlier this week Kale and I went into my office so that I could pick something up. My office mate asked Kale if he was excited for christmas and he started to look around in a panic, searching for something. His eyes landed on a plant I had sitting at my desk and he pointed with great excitement and shouted "christmas!"
And that's when I realized that Kale thinks christmas is a tree.
Parenting WIN.
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| Kale smiling his very best smile in front of the in-laws tree. |
let the vacation begin.
I think that a lot of parents dread dropping their kids off at childcare. The meltdowns. The tears. The peeling your child off your leg. I feel for those parents - I really, really do. It's not like I've never had to leave Kale in tears, only to burst into tears myself the second I got in the car. Luckily, we've moved past that and Kale LOVES his school and so dropping him off in the morning is one of my favourite parts of the day.
Yesterday I tweeted with joy after dropping Kale off at school - "LET THE VACATION BEGIN!!" Woot woot - three whole hours of ME TIME!! I was ecstatic. I could clean my car out, do the laundry (don't tell Kale I did it without him), clean out my sock drawer - whatever. I could lay on my ass and read all about the Kardashian's if I wanted to (and I did). And when @WeeMasonMom from omgababy.com replied to my tweet and told me she loved me because I was the only one she knew with the balls to say they're excited their kids are in school while they're at home, I was all like "yeah, I got balls." And then I thought, "mom fail?" Possibly. Whatever - LET THE VACATION BEGIN!
Ok, so back to my love of dropping Kale off at school. Let me describe a typical drop off and then tell me it's not awesome.
I get Kale in the car around 8am. The second he is strapped in he demands that I take his hat and boots off. No problem - it's unseasonably warm and who wants to deal with a toddler freakout that early anyway. Once in the driver's seat, I gauge Kale's satisfaction in the seat. If he's cool watching things out the window, I turn up the CBC and get my Matt Galloway fix. If Kale turns on the crank, it's Sharon, Lois & Bram. At red lights we wave to each other through our mirrors and Kale tells me stories.
Once we get to school, Kale starts shouting "COOL! COOL! ISLA! ISLA!" (translation: school! school! Isla! Isla! - his friend). I carry him in to the school even though the school owner told me we should let him walk. Ehh - we all know what I think of her. Once inside, Kale rushes to get his boots, hat and coat off and puts them away in his little bin. He then tries to convince me to take my coat off and I decline. He gives up on me, takes my hand and runs on the spot in excitement. We walk into the gym and say hello to his teacher and the other students that are there. He shyly curls up to my leg and takes it all in.....
Then one of three things happens:
1) He turns and gives me a kiss and says "buh-bye" and takes his teachers hand and walks her over to the toys.
2) He jumps on a riding toy and takes off, yelling "buh-bye" over his shoulder.
Or, like he did this morning:
3) Gives me a kiss, walks me to the door, says "door! out! buh-bye" and pushes me out.
And how can I not be happy with that? He loves it there soooo much and is just so thrilled to be there, with his friends and his teacher and all the stuff he loves doing.
And that's why I can tweet "LET THE VACATION BEGIN" with absolutely no guilt.
And I can't write two posts in a row with no pictures, so:
Yesterday I tweeted with joy after dropping Kale off at school - "LET THE VACATION BEGIN!!" Woot woot - three whole hours of ME TIME!! I was ecstatic. I could clean my car out, do the laundry (don't tell Kale I did it without him), clean out my sock drawer - whatever. I could lay on my ass and read all about the Kardashian's if I wanted to (and I did). And when @WeeMasonMom from omgababy.com replied to my tweet and told me she loved me because I was the only one she knew with the balls to say they're excited their kids are in school while they're at home, I was all like "yeah, I got balls." And then I thought, "mom fail?" Possibly. Whatever - LET THE VACATION BEGIN!
Ok, so back to my love of dropping Kale off at school. Let me describe a typical drop off and then tell me it's not awesome.
I get Kale in the car around 8am. The second he is strapped in he demands that I take his hat and boots off. No problem - it's unseasonably warm and who wants to deal with a toddler freakout that early anyway. Once in the driver's seat, I gauge Kale's satisfaction in the seat. If he's cool watching things out the window, I turn up the CBC and get my Matt Galloway fix. If Kale turns on the crank, it's Sharon, Lois & Bram. At red lights we wave to each other through our mirrors and Kale tells me stories.
Once we get to school, Kale starts shouting "COOL! COOL! ISLA! ISLA!" (translation: school! school! Isla! Isla! - his friend). I carry him in to the school even though the school owner told me we should let him walk. Ehh - we all know what I think of her. Once inside, Kale rushes to get his boots, hat and coat off and puts them away in his little bin. He then tries to convince me to take my coat off and I decline. He gives up on me, takes my hand and runs on the spot in excitement. We walk into the gym and say hello to his teacher and the other students that are there. He shyly curls up to my leg and takes it all in.....
Then one of three things happens:
1) He turns and gives me a kiss and says "buh-bye" and takes his teachers hand and walks her over to the toys.
2) He jumps on a riding toy and takes off, yelling "buh-bye" over his shoulder.
Or, like he did this morning:
3) Gives me a kiss, walks me to the door, says "door! out! buh-bye" and pushes me out.
And how can I not be happy with that? He loves it there soooo much and is just so thrilled to be there, with his friends and his teacher and all the stuff he loves doing.
And that's why I can tweet "LET THE VACATION BEGIN" with absolutely no guilt.
And I can't write two posts in a row with no pictures, so:
our childcare journey
This past week has been pretty stressful. In fact, the whole month has been kind of crazy, but in the past seven days we've hit some serious lows. A lot of it has to do with work, but a bigger part is related to childcare. I've contemplated not blogging about this since I've already spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to come to terms with the issue this week, but ultimately it's part of our childcare journey that started here and then went here and finally ended here. I also know that a few of our friends were thinking of sending their kids to Kale's school because we go on and on about how great it is all the time and this post is probably the easiest way to spread the word about what has happened.
Last Friday morning when I was nursing Kale at 5am, I reached over and checked my email on my phone. There was an email from the owner of Kale's school, which is not unusual since she often sends little updates and whatnot. But this email? This email was different. This email explained (in a very indirect and nonchalant way) that she didn't budget well and in order to continue, prices needed to be adjusted - effective January 1st.
At this point I'm already freaking out because Kris and I already struggle to pay for Kale's school. We are literally just making ends meet around here and the thought of having to pay an extra $10 was causing me to panic.
But then I scrolled down and saw the increase. And then I assumed I was just dreaming. And so I excited my email account and logged in and re-read the email and the number was still the same.
$170.
A month.
Oh no - this is not the total. This is the increase. The total was now $820. For a half-day program.
Effective January 1st.
As soon as the initial shock wore off and I could breath again, I started to cry. I knew there was NO WAY we could afford this increase and the thought of having to pull Kale from his class was devastating. He absolutely loves the program, his teachers and his friends. He's been thriving at this school and we were even considering putting him in full day in September.
And then there was the whole issue of there being nowhere else to send him. Childcare spaces in our town are seriously scarce and I didn't want to go back to a nanny since I know how much he loves being with other kids. Oh, and the other Montessori school in town is full. Of course.
If I didn't have to get to work that morning, I would have gone straight to the owners class and lost my mind. Instead I had to pull myself together and focus on an important meeting and just try to get through the day.
I wasn't sure how other parents were feeling, but worried that Kris and I were the only one's that couldn't afford the increase. I took a chance and emailed the other parents and was reassured at least that they were all just as upset and worried about how they would pay. We decided to set up a meeting with the owner to get some more answers and to see if she was open to any solutions.
There's no point in hashing out the details, but basically the owner took zero responsibility for the financial position she's put herself in. She's known for months that the school is running at a deficit, but didn't think at any point that she should warn us. She didn't once say sorry. She didn't admit that she messed up. At one point she even suggested that she could understand if we left because we weren't "committed" to Montessori.
As parents, we asked questions. We offered solutions to consider. We talked it out and tried to find a solution that worked for all of us. But at the end of the meeting, we still didn't know what we were going to do.
If you think we were seething mad and upset and irate, you're totally right. But here's the kicker. A couple days later I sent her an email asking if there was something Kris and I could buy for the classroom for Christmas, rather than buying individual gifts for the teachers and Kale's classmates. As much as we were upset with the owner, we have been so pleased with the Kale's teacher and the program they run that we still wanted to say thank you. We gave her a modest price range and asked her to give us some suggestions about things needed in the classroom.
She responded by saying that our offer was much too generous to accept, but if we wanted to give a donation she would take it.
............................... I can't make that up. Read between the lines.
And then? Then she wrote us an email saying that she could offer the program for three hours without lunch, for only an increase of $60. This was her solution. A quick calculation told me that she was asking us to may MORE hourly for a three hour program that didn't include lunch, than the current four hour program that includes lunch - and this was based on the price with the $170 increase (I know, you're probably lost by now, and honestly, it's so freaking insane that it only BARELY makes sense - in that it makes no sense at all).
Among the parents, we figured out a solution that works for everyone. We spread our original deposit out over the next six months and pay $70 extra a month to keep the program exactly as it is. She did tell us this was an option, but we've emailed her to tell her this was our decision and have not heard anything back. I can only assume that everything is fine and that's she just annoyed that we're smarter than her (it clearly does not take much).
All of the parents, including us, just want to make it to the end of the school year. Next year none of us will be returning, which is sad because Kale really does love his teachers so much and I was hoping he could stay there for years and years. The good news is that all of us are hoping to get into the other Montessori school and so they'll still be able to see their friends.
Next year will be a new challenge, since the other Montessori school is expensive since it only offers a full day program for Kale's age group. I'd love to say we'll deal with it when the time comes, but they start taking applications in January.....
I had NO IDEA that childcare was going to be such a challenge.
Last Friday morning when I was nursing Kale at 5am, I reached over and checked my email on my phone. There was an email from the owner of Kale's school, which is not unusual since she often sends little updates and whatnot. But this email? This email was different. This email explained (in a very indirect and nonchalant way) that she didn't budget well and in order to continue, prices needed to be adjusted - effective January 1st.
At this point I'm already freaking out because Kris and I already struggle to pay for Kale's school. We are literally just making ends meet around here and the thought of having to pay an extra $10 was causing me to panic.
But then I scrolled down and saw the increase. And then I assumed I was just dreaming. And so I excited my email account and logged in and re-read the email and the number was still the same.
$170.
A month.
Oh no - this is not the total. This is the increase. The total was now $820. For a half-day program.
Effective January 1st.
As soon as the initial shock wore off and I could breath again, I started to cry. I knew there was NO WAY we could afford this increase and the thought of having to pull Kale from his class was devastating. He absolutely loves the program, his teachers and his friends. He's been thriving at this school and we were even considering putting him in full day in September.
And then there was the whole issue of there being nowhere else to send him. Childcare spaces in our town are seriously scarce and I didn't want to go back to a nanny since I know how much he loves being with other kids. Oh, and the other Montessori school in town is full. Of course.
If I didn't have to get to work that morning, I would have gone straight to the owners class and lost my mind. Instead I had to pull myself together and focus on an important meeting and just try to get through the day.
I wasn't sure how other parents were feeling, but worried that Kris and I were the only one's that couldn't afford the increase. I took a chance and emailed the other parents and was reassured at least that they were all just as upset and worried about how they would pay. We decided to set up a meeting with the owner to get some more answers and to see if she was open to any solutions.
There's no point in hashing out the details, but basically the owner took zero responsibility for the financial position she's put herself in. She's known for months that the school is running at a deficit, but didn't think at any point that she should warn us. She didn't once say sorry. She didn't admit that she messed up. At one point she even suggested that she could understand if we left because we weren't "committed" to Montessori.
As parents, we asked questions. We offered solutions to consider. We talked it out and tried to find a solution that worked for all of us. But at the end of the meeting, we still didn't know what we were going to do.
If you think we were seething mad and upset and irate, you're totally right. But here's the kicker. A couple days later I sent her an email asking if there was something Kris and I could buy for the classroom for Christmas, rather than buying individual gifts for the teachers and Kale's classmates. As much as we were upset with the owner, we have been so pleased with the Kale's teacher and the program they run that we still wanted to say thank you. We gave her a modest price range and asked her to give us some suggestions about things needed in the classroom.
She responded by saying that our offer was much too generous to accept, but if we wanted to give a donation she would take it.
............................... I can't make that up. Read between the lines.
And then? Then she wrote us an email saying that she could offer the program for three hours without lunch, for only an increase of $60. This was her solution. A quick calculation told me that she was asking us to may MORE hourly for a three hour program that didn't include lunch, than the current four hour program that includes lunch - and this was based on the price with the $170 increase (I know, you're probably lost by now, and honestly, it's so freaking insane that it only BARELY makes sense - in that it makes no sense at all).
Among the parents, we figured out a solution that works for everyone. We spread our original deposit out over the next six months and pay $70 extra a month to keep the program exactly as it is. She did tell us this was an option, but we've emailed her to tell her this was our decision and have not heard anything back. I can only assume that everything is fine and that's she just annoyed that we're smarter than her (it clearly does not take much).
All of the parents, including us, just want to make it to the end of the school year. Next year none of us will be returning, which is sad because Kale really does love his teachers so much and I was hoping he could stay there for years and years. The good news is that all of us are hoping to get into the other Montessori school and so they'll still be able to see their friends.
Next year will be a new challenge, since the other Montessori school is expensive since it only offers a full day program for Kale's age group. I'd love to say we'll deal with it when the time comes, but they start taking applications in January.....
I had NO IDEA that childcare was going to be such a challenge.
19 months.
19 months is much too close to 2 years for my liking.
What Kale loves:
What Kale hates:
Things to celebrate/milestones/big events:
Since I was sick for two weeks and Kale for another week, we honestly didn't leave the house all that much unless we had to. Even though it was a weak month for exciting stuff, hanging out at home and getting lots of cuddles is just as awesome. There was, however, one small parenting milestone - Kris and I had our first parent-teacher interview! It was really nice to have an opportunity to chat with the teachers and find out how Kale is doing and what's he's been working on. We normally don't have too much time to talk about these kinds of things during pick up and drop off, so it was a real treat for us.
According to Kale:
Kale pretty much babbles non-stop now, so imagine our surprise when one of his teachers told us that he doesn't talk much. I think he is just so busy watching everyone else and trying to keep up with the older kids, that he keeps quiet and saves all his stories for when he gets home. He's got a pretty long list of words and has started to string two words together here and there, but for the most part they still come across as demands ("cook!" "juice!" "fork!" "off!").
My favourite pictures from this past month:
What Kale loves:
- Chasing the cat. Kale has always gotten a a little thrill out of chasing the cat around, but this month it's become, errr, mean? Kris and I got a quick lesson in just how much Kale is picking up from us these days when we noticed him starting to yell "go!" and "get" at the cat every time he was somewhere Kale decided he shouldn't be (uh, everywhere). Kris and I have tried to be extra nice with the cat in an effort to counteract, but Kale seems to get a great deal of satisfaction from showing the cat who is in charge. And honestly, after the 19 months of scratches that Kale has had to endure, I say fair game.
- Dancing & music. Kale loves to listen to music, whether it be a video on YouTube, a CD in the car, or mama belting out a christmas tune. He has some pretty impressive dance moves and often runs to grab his toy instruments so we can get a good jam session going when he hears me sing.
- School. Kale absolutely loves his school, his teachers and all his little friends. He can barely sit still long enough for me to help him get his boots and coat off before he's running in to the gym. When I drop him off I tell him I have to go to work and he turns to give me a kiss and then runs off. Half the time when I come to pick him up, he pretends he doesn't notice me in hopes that I'll leave him there for another hour or two.
- Cooking and laundry. Kale loves to help us cook and we try to let him do anything that's safe. In the morning he gets me the frying pan, opens the fridge and pulls out the eggs and milk and then asks for a bowl so we can scramble up an egg. When it comes to laundry, I just have to say the word and he's running with pure and utter glee toward the baskets.
What Kale hates:
- Being sick. I can't believe that I thought last month's cold was bad. After coming down with the worst flu of my life, we did everything to keep Kale away in hopes that he'd escape my germs. No such luck. As soon as I started feeling human again, Kale came down with a terrible flu. He had a fever for four days, a terrible cough and a constant runny nose. It was so sad to see the little guy feel so terrible.
- Boots. Even though Kale can walk really well in his winter boots, he hates wearing them. The second he gets buckled into his car seat he takes his hat off (he's always done this) and then demands "'oots! off!" If I don't take them off, he manages to wiggle out of them on his own.
Things to celebrate/milestones/big events:
Since I was sick for two weeks and Kale for another week, we honestly didn't leave the house all that much unless we had to. Even though it was a weak month for exciting stuff, hanging out at home and getting lots of cuddles is just as awesome. There was, however, one small parenting milestone - Kris and I had our first parent-teacher interview! It was really nice to have an opportunity to chat with the teachers and find out how Kale is doing and what's he's been working on. We normally don't have too much time to talk about these kinds of things during pick up and drop off, so it was a real treat for us.
According to Kale:
Kale pretty much babbles non-stop now, so imagine our surprise when one of his teachers told us that he doesn't talk much. I think he is just so busy watching everyone else and trying to keep up with the older kids, that he keeps quiet and saves all his stories for when he gets home. He's got a pretty long list of words and has started to string two words together here and there, but for the most part they still come across as demands ("cook!" "juice!" "fork!" "off!").
My favourite pictures from this past month:
the wish list.
For some people, christmas is about celebrating the birth of JC. For others, it's about drinking copious amounts of rum and avoiding the creepy uncle in the buffet line. Regardless of what or how you celebrate, I've come to learn that christmas is about one thing and one thing only for grandparents - spoiling the grandchild. Both sets of grandparents have been asking for idea's for gifts for Kale and while I've been able to offer a few idea's, it's easier to give the 'absolutely not' list:
Following the giving philosophy of "something to play with, something to learn from, and something to wear" I did manage to put together a little wish list for a certain little guy. And when I say "wish list," I mean wish list, because there is no way I'd ever pay $76 for a pair of toddler pj's from Nordstrom.
I'm pretty excited about being able to read Kale books with actual content, opposed to flipping through board books with pictures of furry farm animals and household items. I want to read Kale books that teach him more than what noise a train makes or what a panda bears ear feels like. // All the items on the right are Montessori materials. Kale has been working with a few of these things at school and I'd like him to have the option to do it at home too.
What's cuter than a baby in adidas sneakers? // Oh wait, a baby a leg warmers. Baby legs are a great extra layer for the winter and will come in handy when it's time to (eeek!) toilet train. // What's cuter than a toddler in adidas AND baby legs? A toddler in striped pj's. For real. // We had a pair of Padraig wool slippers last year and loved them. People complimented them all the time and if I had a dollar for every time an adult said "I wish they made those for adults" (they do.) I'd be retired. // Why is it so hard to find plain hoodies? WHY? I find so many sweaters this season are the knit variety. I don't have the time or patience to properly wash 'the knit variety.' And the cotton sweatshirts are all covered in trucks and baseballs and my choices appear to be navy, forest green or gray. Because that's all boys like, right? // Fleece. A car seat's best friend.
- Nothing that requires batteries or makes noise
- No clothing that says anything along the lines of "mommy's little monster" or "daddy's little helper" or "I'm a super aggressive boy that only loves trucks, dinosaur's and tools."
- No plastic.
- Nothing that requires us to lease a storage space or build an additional shed in our backyard to store it.
Following the giving philosophy of "something to play with, something to learn from, and something to wear" I did manage to put together a little wish list for a certain little guy. And when I say "wish list," I mean wish list, because there is no way I'd ever pay $76 for a pair of toddler pj's from Nordstrom.
Kale is so into helping me cook and playing with the pots and pans that I think he'd love his own little kitchen. // He's also freakishly weird about cleaning, and so a few of his own supplies might help the dust situation around here. // The only things Kale has ever wanted to bring to bed to snuggle with are my boobs, a toothbrush and his night light. I'm hoping a soft little friend might be a good alternative. // He's all about sorting and stacking these days and Plan Toys make great quality wooden toys. // His school has this barn and the teachers had to remove it because it was all the kids ever wanted to play with. If that means I can pee without an audience, I'll take 3. // What kid doesn't want a train set? Better yet, a train set at home that doesn't require you to trample your way through 40 kids twice your size at the local book store.
I'm pretty excited about being able to read Kale books with actual content, opposed to flipping through board books with pictures of furry farm animals and household items. I want to read Kale books that teach him more than what noise a train makes or what a panda bears ear feels like. // All the items on the right are Montessori materials. Kale has been working with a few of these things at school and I'd like him to have the option to do it at home too.
What's cuter than a baby in adidas sneakers? // Oh wait, a baby a leg warmers. Baby legs are a great extra layer for the winter and will come in handy when it's time to (eeek!) toilet train. // What's cuter than a toddler in adidas AND baby legs? A toddler in striped pj's. For real. // We had a pair of Padraig wool slippers last year and loved them. People complimented them all the time and if I had a dollar for every time an adult said "I wish they made those for adults" (they do.) I'd be retired. // Why is it so hard to find plain hoodies? WHY? I find so many sweaters this season are the knit variety. I don't have the time or patience to properly wash 'the knit variety.' And the cotton sweatshirts are all covered in trucks and baseballs and my choices appear to be navy, forest green or gray. Because that's all boys like, right? // Fleece. A car seat's best friend.
date day.
Even though Kale is feeling better he still seems extra clingy and after a very long work week, I knew that staying home today was not going to cut it. We needed to get OUT and with all the sickness going on around here, a mama and Kale date was long overdue.
I decided to take a risk and take Kale out for breakfast. By myself. Eeek! We have long since abandoned eating out since Kale cannot sit still long enough for anyone to enjoy themselves. One time in the summer we woke up super early and took Kale out for breakfast - but Kris and I were both there and the restaurant was practically empty. So I'm not sure why I thought taking him to a busy cafe on a Saturday morning by myself was a good idea, but I did.
Kale did surprisingly well at breakfast. He loved checking everyone out and drinking as much apple juice as possible (knowing full well that it will be months before he gets to do that again). He even gagged on a piece of toast and threw up juice all over himself and I barely bat an eye (I actually thought at this moment - "look how far I've come," because a year ago this would been enough to make me pack up and head home).
After breakfast we decided to go over to the mall. I know, not very exciting, but our Chapter's just redid the kids section and it's pretty much Kale's favourite place to hang out these days.
We also visited the water fountain, checked out all the christmas displays and listened to a brass quartet play some christmas songs. I took a note from Andrea & Bresho at Silence & Noise and hit up the photobooth. Kale didn't really get what was happening, nor was he impressed when our photo's popped out, but he did enjoy jamming all the buttons in the booth. Different strokes for different folks.
We came home and had lunch and Kris came home from work shortly after. I still hadn't had my fill of one-on-one time and so turned a blind eye to all the things that needed to be done around the house and snuggled up to this:
I decided to take a risk and take Kale out for breakfast. By myself. Eeek! We have long since abandoned eating out since Kale cannot sit still long enough for anyone to enjoy themselves. One time in the summer we woke up super early and took Kale out for breakfast - but Kris and I were both there and the restaurant was practically empty. So I'm not sure why I thought taking him to a busy cafe on a Saturday morning by myself was a good idea, but I did.
Kale did surprisingly well at breakfast. He loved checking everyone out and drinking as much apple juice as possible (knowing full well that it will be months before he gets to do that again). He even gagged on a piece of toast and threw up juice all over himself and I barely bat an eye (I actually thought at this moment - "look how far I've come," because a year ago this would been enough to make me pack up and head home).
 |
| Kale sucking back the juice on our date for two. |
After breakfast we decided to go over to the mall. I know, not very exciting, but our Chapter's just redid the kids section and it's pretty much Kale's favourite place to hang out these days.
We also visited the water fountain, checked out all the christmas displays and listened to a brass quartet play some christmas songs. I took a note from Andrea & Bresho at Silence & Noise and hit up the photobooth. Kale didn't really get what was happening, nor was he impressed when our photo's popped out, but he did enjoy jamming all the buttons in the booth. Different strokes for different folks.
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| 2 outta 4 ain't bad! |
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