These pics just transferred into the computer: Xavier started skating, last week. Here he is on the ice:

And with his best buddy:

That’s it! Have a great week, everyone!

Xavier, before this morning:

Xavier, after meeting the clipper:

I know!! It’s real short. But oh well, we have to experiment. I like, however, how much it brings out his eyes:

It’s even more overwhelming in person. What’s more, well, it’ll buy him a break from all the haircutting he hates.

As for Orly, it’s quite the opposite: at long last, her hair is starting to grow a little! Now I can fix two pigtails on her.

X – “Look at the big cloud, there! Mommy, why do the clouds move away?”
E – “The wind is pushing them away, Xavier! Sometimes, they are all pushed away, and we can see the sun. It’s nice outside, when the sun is there, and we can play outside. Other times, the wind brings many clouds in the sky, and we can’t see the sun. Hey, do you know what’s in the clouds?”
X – “Don’t know.”
E – “It’s rain and snow. And storms. Sometimes, clouds pour rain down on us.”
X – “But we have umbrellas.”
E – “That’s true.”

At the gas station:
X – “We’ll have a lot of gas, so we’ll go fast, fast, fast!”
E – “Erm… ah, sure, that’s it… sorta.” (Sometimes, it’s just too complicated to explain.) “Xavier, do you see that building over there? That’s our bank. They keep all our money.”
X – “Why don’t we have any money?”
E – Laugh. “Well, when we want money, we go to the bank, and they give some back to us.”

Xavier will have a cousin soon! He’s learning new things about babies.
E or F – “Baby Alexis is in her tummy. Soon it will come out, and he will be a small baby.”
X – “How will he come out? By the mouth?”
E – Laugh. “Well, no, he will come out down…” (Vague movement toward the floor.)
X – “Why will he go into her feet, the baby?”
E – “No, he will not go into her feet. He will come out like that…” (Less vague movement.) *sigh* “It’s sort of like poop, in fact, Xavier.”
X – “Like poop!”
E – “Yes, but erm… not exactly… Don’t re-tell it like that, please, ok?…”

Later:
X – “Daddy, you, when you will be in mommy’s tummy, you will come out, and you will be a baby!”
F – “Erm, well no, Xavier, I won’t be a baby.”
E – “No, daddy, he will continue to grow up — and then he will shrink some — and then when you, Xavier, you have babies, daddy will become a grandpa.”
X – “Me, I will have babies?” Laugh.
(A couple seconds later…)
X – “Daddy! Later, me, when I will be in Orléane’s tummy, [...]”
(Hum. Some points still clarification…)

I’m spending the day here with a couple of pirates. Have fun today, everyone!

De Hiver2009

PS. Salut papa!

Heard before dinner (Xavier is reading a story):
“When mommy was little, it was Orléane who dressed her. Now, mommy has grown-up, and she dresses all by herself.”

Huh…?

This blog has been pretty quiet over the last month or two. Twitter has been easier to update (and Twitter updates Facebook, so it does double-duty). However, I’m not letting the blog go, because it’s my best journal/scrapbook archive (and favourite medium), so here is some catching up on kids and parents:

Xavier

In November, Xavier, 3, went to see his first movie at the theater. Cloudy with a chance of meatballs, in 3D! Which kid wouldn’t LOVE to see food raining from the sky?

Since September, Xavier has also been attending games and sports sessions for pre-schoolers at the gym. It must be loads of fun, because he seems to have a “what happens at the gym, stays at the gym” attitude about it, and pretends not to recall what games they played over there when he comes back…

Orléane

The last few months, Orly, 21-mos, is chatting and chatting. And chatting. She picked up language like it was her life’s purpose, and she’s talking and talking all through her days.

Halloween

At the months’ hinge, Halloween was celebrated. Fairies and skeletons came out to play.

(I was the Wicked Witch of the East from Oz, if you’re wondering…)

Wicked Witch of the East

Émilie

And at the end of November, my appendix acted up and had to be removed. This type of surgery is a common one, it went ok, and I’m getting better all the time.

A few more days of rest and I should be back at work, with a few additional medical anecdotes in my repertoire. Hey, wanna know what happens when a vein receiving I.V. solution bursts? Or when the nurses insist on getting you to stand up too fast after surgery?

Seriously, though, the medical people who took care of me have all been GREAT. Especially the night staff. Thumbs up to them.

Letters from the North Pole

The kids made drawings for Santa, to which I added notes for them. Xavier says he’s been nice because he shared his horse with the other kids at daycare, and Orly says she wants peanut butter toast as a gift.

…and we got letters back! The magic of mail.

That’s it!

December holds promise of many small joys, and we hope you’ll have a great time with the upcoming holiday season. Be well!