Transl. “The story of the second birthday of my first”

“If it rains again next year, I’ll surrender to the traditional weather of Xavier’s birthday and stop planning parties in the backyard”, I reflected as I pulled wet paper streamers from the tree branches on Sunday morning. The previous afternoon’s showers had forced twelve adults, six kids and two babies to press under our ten by twelve feet gazebo, until we decided the rain would not let up and moved the party inside.

Serendipitously enough, we had shuffled the living room furniture just the week before. The new layout had opened that much more floor space, which was quickly turned into a dance floor by Xavier and his friends Félix and Romane. The popularity of Baby Lilly, the little European singer, would not decrease with the toddlers. The dance session – which lack of coordination was overlooked in favour of overall cuteness – had followed a bewildering race by the toddlers around the kitchen island, led by Xavier sporting his newly acquired bubble lawn-mower. (The bubbles, at that time, were merely a promise for future outside playtime, of course – there were enough people and pregnant woman and babies in the house, it was judged, to save the floor from soapy water.)

The parents actually welcomed all this exciting action, as it would help the little people burn off all the sugar from the home-made (thanks to Betty Crocker) chocolate birthday cake. Xavier’s first birthday cake had featured “Cars” protagonist Lightning McQueen, the plastic toy car version. Since his real fanatic passion for the movie had only just started, though, we had decided McQueen’s buddy Tow Mater would make a nice follow-up for his second birthday; thus the corresponding toy was parked next to a two-shaped candle on a road made of candy and icing. Mmm, mmm, good. I had found out the joys of preparing and decorating my son’s cake myself: pride, yes, but also an afternoon of cake smell in the house, much licking of the icing knife, and an advance cupcake tasting with the birthday boy the previous afternoon.

I added this new feature to my rookie’s kid birthday planner arsenal, along with a memo-to-self that “no need to bring a gift” mentions in the invitations were useless and I should give them up. The little prince was spoiled rotten despite them anyway. Amusingly enough, and not counting a Play-Doh clown and a box full of Crayola fun, he had received all wheeled things (or “Cars” movie merchandise), which betrayed his passion for everything that rolled. The bubble lawn-mower, a shiny retro tricycle, a remote-controlled car, as well as “Cars” dishes, sand toys and activity tray. He would be kept amused well past Christmas.

I dropped the streamers and deflated balloons in the trash and finished tidying up the backyard. Those two years had passed so quickly. How cliché. How true. I did not regret any of it, though. Xavier was a great kid, and he was growing up into a wonderful boy.

Xavier – 2008-2009 – 2 ans

Transl. “Almost in the tropics”

A week short of his second birthday, the toddler spent twenty-four hours at his grandparents’ house over the weekend. Our parenting charge therefore diminished by half, the three rolls of faux-rock wallpaper that have been laying on the kitchen table for three weeks have finally married a wall.

A before pic (for future contrast):

Ready to start working (Frank, nuts about home decor, was overjoyed):

Magie!

Now, what’s missing?… Oh, yeah:

Of course, this will look even more classy once all the toys are back…

PS. We feel compelled to note the couch will probably return to the other side of the living room in the following months. I still want to get an electric fireplace for that wall, chocolate coloured.

Other plans include:
- Framing that charming painting by Frank’s mom to make it pop out even more.
- White wood blinds, most likely.
- O’gee moulding for the top of the wall.
- A (fake) tropical plant for the top of the bookcase while it’s there – because if every other corner of the room has its own plant, this one might feel left out.
- Painting the other living room walls, as well as the foyer, the adjacent dining room and kitchen, the hallway… in shades of coffee beige, blue-gray and (maybe) some brick red. Will post about it in due time.

Transl. “Stuffing our faces”

Two posts in one evening, woah! Here are two food videos – Xavier the monkey eating a banana, and Orly eating so fast, you’ll think this is on fast forward. Enjoy! (Oh, and some splash pad pics added here.)

Stranger woman at the reno store – Look at that baby! He’s a curious one, ain’t he? His eyes are round as balls.
E – Oh, it’s a baby girl – see the pink pacifier? (YOU, however, look like a guy.)

***
Annoying: Heard Unison on the radio 2 days ago – yeah, I listen to the soft rock station – and it’s still stuck in my head, even after running the complete Baby Lilly CD twice.

***
It’s a good thing that I grew up around construction fields and construction workers, so I’m very understanding about the healthy noise of a construction zone. Otherwise I would really be cursing about all the (accursed damned baby-waking noisy) construction on our new development street.

***
Yes, we bought the biodegradable diapers. We had all the best intentions in the world, we were even ready to start accepting their higher cost. Everyone needs to put an effort in, after all. So we wrapped our toddler in this weird coloured giant diaper, telling ourselves it was probably a good quality product, after all, in regards to the price. Go go green! and all that.

A few hours later:
E – What’s smelling? Do you smell this?
F – Yes. I dunno… (Moves around, sniffs.) It’s Xavier.
E – Xavier?
F – His diaper!
E – Eaarrgh. That’s such a weird odour.
F – It’s foul.
E – Poo?
F – No, it’s just his biodegradable diaper, with pee in it.
E – (Pinches nose.)

We love the environment, we do. Just… not like that, in the end. We love Xavier more.

(… Somebody want to buy half a pack of eco-friendly diapers? … No?)

Transl. “Family summer”

Xavier the trucker

Xavier is trying out professions. How does he look as a trucker?

We’ve been to the fair with friends and toddlers this weekend. There were two kinds of rides: the ones Xavier cried and refused to get INTO, and the ones Xavier cried and refused to get OUT of. Despite how it sounds, the outing was a lot of fun.

Album with comments is here:

Été 2008 – Vacances et sorties

Autopsy of a family picture

From Famille – Pet…

Here’s a family picture we managed tonight, thanks to uncle Christian. If you’re wondering why I’m using the word “manage”, you’ve never tried to take a picture with multiple kids on it. For a vague idea, view the album w/comments.

PS. Yup, I summered up the blog. Have a sunny 2008!

Transl. “Mini-fairie” (Minifée being a TV character/program from the sixties – it ran sometime in the eighties, too.)

On the menu

I was pretty psyched about starting to eat. Every meal of the day, I sit on the sidelines and watch Mama, Daddy and Xavier stuff their faces and chat and laugh, and can’t share in the fun. Finally, the latest trip to the grocery held something for ME! I was installed in the big high chair, donned my first bib and watched that colorful spoon approach with anticipation. At long last, I would taste…

Milk. It’s milk. In a spoon.

Yeah, it’s a little more thick, but it’s still full of milk. It seemed such a big deal; I was expecting something different. Sigh. We’ll see how that goes.

What else is new

I got my shots this week. Stupid needle poking. But I didn’t cry too much, and I got ladybug stickers on my thighs, so that’s cool.

I also left off gnawing on my fingers and found other handy chewables.

Starting to move around a lot, too. Mom was baffled – after leaving me alone a couple minutes in my crib in the hopes that I would fall asleep by myself – to find me grabbing onto the mobile two feet farther, trying to get a lick off the monkey’s paw.

Tiny Orly

Now get this: the nurse weighted me at 12 lbs at my shots on Thursday, and I’m 24 inch long, so mama updated my growth chart. A couple months back, I was 50/50 percentile. Now I’m at percentile 25 in height, and percentile 10 in weight!

I’m my brother’s opposite: while strangers would exclaim at how tall he was for his age, I get the exclamations over being older than what people expect. Mom’s just impatient for me to grow a little so she can dress me up in new clothes… but not too much, either; she loves her little baby.