A family date

Thank goodness for nicer weather! On the weekend we took Wren for a walk in a ravine with her sled of course. She has learned that she isn't going to get carried around (which she used to ask for) and that she has to plunk her little bum in the sled or just walk. She usually chooses the latter :)

We had adventures crossing bridges...

and heard lots of squirrels above in the trees. 

Though you wouldn't be able to tell from the photos, nearly everyone out on the trail was walking their dog that day. Poor Wren is always nervous around dogs of any size, and when people have them off leash, they just assume everyone else must like dogs and let them come up to her and sniff and give her a lick. Her little face gets worried and the protective motherly instinct in me usually steps in front of her and says "She isn't comfortable around dogs actually." Saying that is sometimes met with a look of surprise, but hey, not all of us are dog people!

Coming down this hill, her sled really picked up speed and the two of them raced down! She didn't fall out then, only later when he was slowly pulling her up another hill. She takes it well- she lays there until we look back and realize there's a pink lump in the snow!

Afterwards, we took for her a treat to Wild Earth Cafe, one of our favourite spots when we used to live in the area. 

Once at home, Wren helped shovel while I went in to get supper started. Once they were done, Wren came in declaring that she was "feezy!"...freezy!

Go the *Meep* to Sleep!

I will start off by saying that Wren has been sleeping super in her big girl bed. She doesn't get out, even when she doesn't want to go to bed...which is incredibly great. She just calls for us to come in and get her. That made the transition that much easier for us.

However...

She isn't stupid, and she knows how to get you back into the room to stall the actual going-to-sleep process.  Honestly, it can really get on a parent's nerves when the whole bedtime song and dance starts to happen.

A few months ago we bought a hilarious book called Go the F__ to Sleep. It's an adult children's book, if that makes any sense. It's written like a child's story time book, but it's about getting your child to go to sleep at night and the frustration that comes on when sleep isn't happening (and it not to be actually read to a child!). So any parent could appreciate it if they ever had trouble getting their kids to fall asleep and they are ready to tear their hair out. The use of the F word in the book seems harsh, but I see it as a person at their most raw, most exasperated self...it really gets the point across. And gives a good laugh!

Anyway, the reason I bring this book up is because when we first bought it, we thought it was hilarious, we could totally relate, etc, etc. Except now, it's like we really get it, because Wren finds excuses like the kids in the book, to stay up- which drive us crazy. Here are some examples and lines from the book:

1.) Wanting to read another story:
"The windows are dark in the town, child. The whales huddle down in the deep. I'll read you one very last book if you swear you'll go the F__ to sleep."

2.) Asking for another sip of water..for the 4th time:
"The eagles who soar through the sky are at rest, and the creatures who crawl, run, and creep. I know you're not thirsty. That's bullshit. Stop lying. Like the F__ down and sleep."



3.) Needing another toy in her bed with her:
"The tiger reclines in the simmering jungle. The sparrow has silenced her cheep. F__ your stuffed bear, I'm not getting you shit. Close your eyes. Cut the crap. Sleep."

Maybe you have to read it yourself so that it doesn't seem so awful, but I will share with you a line that is my own personal favourite:

"The flowers doze low in the meadows, and high on the mountains so steep. My life is a failure, I'm a shitty-ass parent. Stop f-ing with me, please, and sleep."


So the next time you are in Chapters, go find the book and have a good laugh. We bought it and read it every so often for a good laugh, especially after a few rough nights!

Wren's bedtime routine has gotten a lot more simple, but looking back on the past few weeks since starting her in her bed, we have had a few laughs about what things were looking like for a bit...

Read a couple of stories with Wren.
Say, "It's night-night time Wrennie" and tuck her in. Followed by cries for another story.
Then she wants her back rubbed. And sing "Jesus Loves Me" a few times through.
Get up, leave room.
Wren calls, "Mommy! Daddy!" repeatedly until we give up and one of us goes in.
"No Wren, it's night time." Leave.
"Off! Off! Pants! Off!" Go in and take off her pj pants. Leave. "Pants on!" Sigh.
"Water! Water!" Go in and give her a sip of water. "No, Milk!" Not getting her any milk.
"Baby!!" Tuck her baby doll in beside her. She calls again because baby came out of the covers.
"Pilllow!" followed by "No pillow!!"
*By this time you are saying holy son of a mother...*
"Rub-a-back! Mommy!" Go in and say "No, it's night time, go to sleep."
"Mommy! JESUS!!" (She wants you to sing again..but it sounds hilarious), "JEEESUS!!"
You finally resolve to let her cry, and she does. And eventually you go do dishes to drown out yet another demand request from the stinker child you adore and she finally falls asleep.

I share this all because I am sure there are friends of ours reading that have similar bedtime frustrations and could use a pick-me-up about our own experience these days with Wren! And in the end, it's mostly just amusing when you think back about it after the fact...but not so funny in the moment. :)

Cabin fever

It's already been a long week at our house, with me being sick since Friday and Wren getting my cold within the last couple of days. We have spent a lot of time at home...

Here, Wren is blowing out the candle on her cupcake after singing Happy Birthday to no one in particular :)

I've been reading Rosie by Anne Lamott and watching a lot of shows on Netflix...and now a lot of Sesame Street episodes on there too. My employer must think I go around licking public handrails and doorknobs for the amount of sick time I have used since September!

Mmm what a spread...

Wren's been a good sport about staying inside, but it's too bad that her and I don't have a chance to get out much before this cold snap comes in. She's loving that big girl bed and I can't wait to find more energy to finish decorating her room and doing the DIY projects I've been saving up...

Here is a sweetie-girl smile to brighten the rest of your week!

An "old" picture

With perserverance, we trained Wren to sleep in her big girl bed! Lucky for us, she doesn't attempt to get out, which made things so much easier. She looks so sweet sleeping her bed, it makes her look tiny again!

Below is a picture Rachel sent me that she had taken on her phone probably around December of 2009. So cute...

Big Girl Room

We have begun the process of setting Wren up in her big girl room. We painted the spare room back to white, moved in a single bed, and yesterday we set up wall shelves. 

Wren is highly interested in using her tools to help daddy. She has a tool belt from Ikea. It comes in handy when Kenton does projects around the house and she needs to be a part of it.

We got ambitious and decided to try her in a big girl bed as well. That certainly didn't fly last night. Nope. She cried to be back in her crib, and out of desperation (because it was already 9:00pm) we put her back in her crib. To which she woke at 5:00am and cried herself back to sleep for almost an hour. Fun.

Today we tried again for nap time. As I sat there rubbing my overtired child's back telling her to close her eyes for the hundreth time, I regretted our decision to make this move. She woke up after half an hour and Kenton had to go in and rub her back...which didn't work.

Oi.

But hey, the shelves look great, don't they?