A walk in the Park!

Chloe really is motoring these days.  She LOVES walking around outside, particularly with Alex.  If the three of us go out together she will happily grab onto his finger and toddle along beside him.  However, all fingers are not the same.  She likes to have one hand free to swing and swish about so only holds on with one hand and she absolutely refuses to hold my finger if Alex is an option.  I do keep trying to offer it, and she does occasionally act like she will grab onto it, but no, it's just a Chloe Fake-Out and she pulls her hand back at the last minute.  Honestly, she'll push my hand away, she's that adamant about it.  Daddy's girl.  

I was out with her in Holyrood Park the other day and it was really windy.  We were on a bit of a slope and a gust of wind came by and blew her over!  She actually rolled down the hill a bit, a little bit shocked but otherwise unscathed.  She is almost running now.  It is so close, but for now it is walking and then up to speed with some little hopping steps, arms out to the sides, a slight flailing movement and a big smile on her face. 

As you can see from the above pictures she has a style.  It's truly adorable watching her, and the joy she gets out of it.  At this stage walking everywhere just isn't an option cause it would take me hours to get anywhere.  She'll happily be trotting along til one moment she decides that she needs to pick up every single pebble on the gravel path, pick every leaf off the bush she is walking past, touch every crack in the sidewalk.  You know, the things kids always do.  And that's fine, I'm all about exploration, but sometimes you gotta get to where you need to go and little legs can only take so much fun, so in the end a hitched ride is the best way home.

A walk in the woods

We went for a walk in Glen Tress today, about an hour's drive south of Edinburgh.  It is a mountain biking mecca and we were meeting a bunch of friends who were hiring some bikes and going for a ride to celebrate our friend Chris's 30th birthday.  They didn't have any bikes small enough for Chloe, and while it was suggested that I could just wrap her onto my back and go for a ride too, we decided that using our baby to cushion my fall might not be all that ethical.  So Alex and Chloe and I went for a walk in the woods while the others splattered themselves in mud and no doubt had a recklessly good time on their bikes.  

We set off from the aptly-names Red Squirrel Car Park and Chloe had fun climbing up onto it, and picking out some pieces of rotten wood from its tail.  Nice. 

Chloe has decided that at the moment she is most definitely a Daddy's Girl and she adored walking around the paths holding onto Alex's hand, while I didn't get a look in.  She found it soooo exciting she was almost breathless with happiness!  We came across some ponds which obviously looked like large bathtubs and she was very put out not to be allowed to wade into them.  

I tested out the new Ergo carrier I got for the Sling Library I have set up (that's a whole other post, I've been busy lately.....) and it was pretty good, Chloe had a lovely long sleep and Alex and I traipsed up a hill, got a bit lost, then traipsed back down again.  It was a rather lovely day. 

It's all just ticking away up there....

Maybe those who already have children Chloe's age or older won't find this so amazing cause they've been there, done that, have the T-shirt etc etc...but I am constantly amazed at how much Chloe has going on in her little head.  Before a child is verbal it is so easy to assume that there isn't so much going on up there.  But thinking like that is seriously underestimating them.  I'm only really beginning to realise all the connections she is making.  She may have made them a while ago but suddenly it just dawns on me that, actually, she knows what I'm talking about.  

Here are a few of the things I'm talking about:

She is a child that definitely knows her mind.  If she has something and wants to hand it to someone, she isn't just handing it out to whoever is nearest.  No, if she thrusts something in your direction, she really wants you to have it.  If someone else reaches out and grasps the proffered object she will not let go of it, will pull it back out of their hand and re-offer it to the original person.  She will only release the item to that person.  Likewise, if she wants one person to hold her hand, she will not be fobbed off with someone else.  I was getting slightly insulted today that my finger just really wasn't good enough and only daddy's would do.  Humpf.

Last night she was upset in her cot, just suddenly beside herself, screaming.  She actually seemed pissed off at me.  Any attempt I made to soothe her resulted in her physically grabbing my hand and pushing it away from her.  If I picked up the dummy to offer it to her she grabbed it away from me and threw it down.  She wanted to be picked up and nothing short of that would suffice. Basically she seemed to be saying "pick me up, or piss off."  And of course once in my arms, insta-silence and cuddles.  She knew when she wanted to be! 

She gets an idea into her head and follows through.  She spent about 15 minutes this evening pulling instruction manuals out of the drawer they live in in the kitchen.  Then she brought one to me in the living room.  She toddled off and came back a minute later with another one to deposit in my lap.  Then off she went and came back a minute later with another.  Eventually I had about 15 of them on my lap.  Then when she was done she transferred them all from my lap to the table.  Then back to my lap again.  hmmm, maybe she has OCD..... 

She definitely understand the phrase "Chloe, it's bathtime!"  This consistently results in her stopping what she is doing, smiling, and running to the bath where she attempts to take off her clothes.  

It probably shouldn't surprise me, but I guess that's what having a first child is always like.  I've nothing to compare her to, I don't really know what is "normal" for her age, not that it really matters to me if she is ahead or behind the curve.  It's definitely exciting. 

The first of many, no doubt.

Chloe sustained her first war-wound the yesterday.  Another toddler had a little nibble on her arm.  Chloe wasn't overly bothered, it happened under the cover of canvas so we didn't see it happen, just heard her start crying.  Had no idea why, I just thought maybe he had stepped on her by accident, and she got over it pretty quickly.  It was only later that I noticed some raised welts on her am.  I wondered if it was some weird insect bite, it didn't even occur to me it might be a toddler bite!  But later on at home, when the swelling subsided and the red marks came out it was pretty obvious.  I'm sure Chloe will be dishing it out herself soon enough.  

Leaving Milestones in Her Wake

I wrote this post a few weeks ago but didn't get around to uploading any pictures until now so it's getting published a wee bit late!
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We've officially been living with a Toddler for a few weeks now!  When Alex left for South Africa she was taking the occasional tentative steps on her own but crawling was still her main mode of transportation.  Well, that's certainly changed!  Must be the fresh Nova Scotian air.  There's no stopping her and she's currently trying to master the art of running.  I fear for my sanity when she figures that one out!  It really is amazing how quickly they catch onto things once they get the hang of them. 

She's a pretty fast learner, walking before her 1st birthday, which was last Tuesday, by the way.  Yes, I did  mean to mark the event with a special blog post.  No, I did not actually manage to do so.  Slacking blogger-mommy.  In fact, I barely have any pictures from the day.  Slacking photographer-mommy.  I did make her a cake though (is it wrong that I made her my favourite cake just so I could have some?) The fact that I forgot to add baking powder and salt, and so it didn't really rise and was more of an iced pound cake is really neither here nor there.  Ok, fine, I admit it - slacking baker-mommy too.  Despite the dense texture I thought it was still rather tasty.  Chloe didn't share my opinion and took a bite then threw it on the floor.  Repeatedly.  I guess I need to up my game. 

Her proficiency in other skills is impressive as well.  Not only can she feed herself pretty easily with a spoon, but she can feed herself with two spoons at the same time.  Can you do that?

I had high hopes of plonking her in the sea for her first swimming experience however I might turn her into a baby-popsicle given the temperature of the water at the moment.  So a paddling pool is currently filling the gap.  Not exactly a place to swim, but a great place to splash around and model her Spring/Summer 2011 Swimsuit collection.

Much fun was had by all this summer.  Just imagine how different she will be next year!

Granny is hilarious at dinner time!

Starlet in the making!

Having fun with Grandpa on the dock

Just a little update

I haven't posted in a while, but not for lack of anything going on!  In fact, I've just been so busy I haven't gotten around to properly writing anything and I've only just started editing all the photos I took while we were away.  So bear with me, I'll get something up here soon!

In the Blink of an Eye

 7:30am on a quiet Wednesday morning in Seabright.  Sunlight casts everything in a warm orange glow, birds chirp, waves lap against the shore.  A distant rumble builds and dust is thrown into the air as huge trucks trundle up the gravel road towards no. 20 Seabright Lane.

The cottage sits on its ocean plot looking like a carcass that's been picked clean.  All its useable parts hastily stripped and taken away, leaving only a shell behind.  Its one remaining window having been smashed through with rocks the night before, a last farewell from its owners.

Heavy tire treads tear up the ground leaving snaking paths behind them, a large machine roars into life and glows a vibrant yellow in the sunlight.  

Wood cracks as metal jaws tear off branches and uproot trunks,  work has started and nothing stays long in the way. 

Before the onlookers know it, the real work begins as the open metal maw descends on the roof for the first blow.  It doesn't take long.  In purposeful, methodical movements the empty shell is brought down, leaving only dust hanging in the air.  

Huge trucks roar into life and bit by bit the rubble heaped into them and carted away, load by load by load.  

A day later and only a shallow dirt-filled hole, some tree stumps and a massive granite boulder remain.  

The plot with it's undulating white granite walls, verdant lawn and clear sea views sits waiting, ready for the future.