I've been going through pictures...

Some relationships are very obvious...

Others... well, I'll let you guess...

longest day and shortest night

Latvians, keeping true to their pagan roots still celebrate Jani, summer solstice, as one of the biggest holidays of the year. In Latvia, I believe, they get something along the lines of 5 days off work for Jani!

Well, we worked hard this year at taking part in some of those traditions as well. Unfortunately, in Canada we do not get a day off for the 23/24th of June, so, Latvians here celebrate it on the closest week-end, or, if it conveniently falls in mid week, we celebrate for two week-ends in a row. After all, we need to keep up with those Latvians in Latvia.... don't we?

I took Kaspar and Stella to both of the parties. We had a great time! I was surprised that even though Stella is only two and a half, she can keep up with Kaspar quite easily. They stayed up until about 10.30 the fist Saturday and managed to be up until 11.30 the next Saturday. By the time they hit their teens, no doubt they'll be able to sing 'till sunrise.

stella bella

From day one, when Stella started attending her current daycare she has favoured her teacher Beatrice. Beatrice not only calls her Stella-Bella, a name which Stella has grown very fond of, but Beatrice is also "Stella's best friend!" It is very cute watching them say bye to each other at the end of the day. There is the ususal "Bye, bye, my Best friend!" and the "I love you, Beatrice!" Followed by "Who is my Best friend?" and the "I am, I am, I am Beatrice's best friend!"

Beatrice is a gorgeous, tall black woman (Jamaican, I think) who dresses with utmost care every single day. If you met her on the street it would never ever cross your mind that this woman spends the day working with a handful of snotty toddlers, changing diapers and wiping up spills. I honestly think that her influence on Stella goes way beyond "best friends" or "stella-bella". Just look at this picture! Stella dressed herself for daycare this morning and I did not have the heart to make her get changed. I figure I might as well let her express herself now, maybe she will rebel less when she's a teenager.

A few weeks ago in the middle of the summer heat wave, Stella decided that she will be going to school in tights, long pants (Yeah, on top of the tights), a down filled vest and a pair of gloves. Occasionally I do have to insist on a change of clothes for her own good, but it never goes over too well. It taught me a lesson - pack away winter clothes for the summer...

toast

A few days ago, while making my coffee, I hear Stella saying: "That's not toast!" I usually do not take these comments too seriously. My reply is pretty generic (to all her "That's NOT... comments"): "Of course, Stella, it's not toast." Most mornings that is exactly what she needs to hear. However, this morning it throws her nearly into a tantrum. After a few minutes she repeats: "That's not toast, mommy!" Even though I still have no clue what she's talking about, I repeat: "Yes, Stella, it's not toast. It's porridge." She bursts into another bout of complete frustration. And keeps repeating the same thing: "That's not toast, mommy!" This time I glance over and see her pointing at the computer. I still don't get it. "No, love, that's not toast. It's a computer." Same reaction... only this time she flings herself onto the floor and starts screaming something completely incomprehensible about toast. I'm beginning to loose my patience. Seriously... How many times can I take this in one morning? She's probably feeling the same way, unfortunately. So, I take a deep breath and plug along with breakfast. After a while Kaspar wonders down the stairs and he solves the mystery. Right there on the computer screen is a picture of our recently busted up Volvo. It turns out that all along she has been pointing at the small picture of the Volvo on the computer and telling me: "That's not toast, mommy!" Did I ever feel stupid!!! If only I had taken the time to pay closer attention from the first moment on, I would have caught on. It was funny and tragic all at once. It made me feel really bad for being the busy body mother that hardly pays attention to my kid. Yet, on the other hand, it was a mystery only my four year old could have solved so immediately. The only thing that was harder then trying to understand the comment was trying to explain in what instance one would call a "car" - "toast".

before and after

Kaspar got a hair cut. As much as I loved his sandy coloured long hair, I had to admit that he could use a good trim. The summer being right around the corner and his hair getting longer and longer by the day, he was due for a cut. As he began to arrive home from daycare with soaked, hot forehead and long wisps of hair stuck to it... I began to feel sorry for the kid. So, the actual trim or cut was easier then I had expected. He was thrilled to get it. I was thrilled to not have to spend a penny or even spend much time thinking about it. Dad's electric trimmer did the job beautifully! Stella is up next. No, not for a buzz cut. I'm not totally crazy. But she does need a trim to even out some of the newly grown in curls and wisps. She's just beginning to spot a full head of hair, but it's unbelievably unruly and curly and every wisp in a different length. I still have to sleep on it. I mean, seriously think about trimming her hair. I'm attached to that hair like it was my own, or even more so... Motherhood makes one crazy. I swear, it does!

romance or science

I used to be a romantic. Rainy days in the summer made me think of curling up in bed with a book or sitting on a covered patio and sipping coffee with friends... cuddling under one umbrella with someone you love. Now? Now rainy days make me think of the Science Center! What is happening with me???

I have to admit that the BEST things about this city (when you have kids, I mean!) are the Science Center, the ZOO, the ROM, Riverdale Farm and a few other kid friendly places like that. The unfortunate part is that they all cost a lot of money (with the exception of Riverdale Farm). If someone would have asked me a few years ago what I thought about holding memberships at the institutions mentioned above, I would have said - not worth it! Or at best I might have agreed to membership at the AGO. Today - that is where my money goes.

It's raining cats and dogs out there today. I'm thinking Science Center, but the kids are going to daycare as soon as they get up and I have work, work, work... Sad. I'd love to trade in work for Science Center! Not that I would mind having a day for a book in bed or coffee on a porch, but what am I thinking... that NEVER happens anymore :-)

when i get older

Yes, my kids are singing the K'Naan song Wawin' Flag. Not just singing it, but singing it over breakfast, lunch and dinner and before going to bed. It makes me cringe just because I have been hearing it so much that I cannot stop hearing it in my head any more. It is taking over my dreams. (When I get to sleep, at least) I have never ever been so sick of a song. It all started with Spring concert at school and ever since, Kaspar comes home every day knowing more and more of the song and what he does not know he makes up. The song is long and repetitive, but of course that is exactly the thing that kids love. Yesterday even Stella began to chime in. I could not believe it. She makes up her own words, but she gets the sound of it right, totally right. However, if you want to know what I feel like - try listening to the song five, six, ten times in a row... or even in a day. Oh boy!

Stella has hit this extremely entertaining phase in her life right now. She’s just month short of being two and a half and as Kaspar likes to put it “She is sooooooo cute!” (Unfortunately, she knows it, too!) And I have to always remember to tell Kaspar that he was, once upon a time, also a very cute 2 year old.

Stella now speaks in full sentences, even if they are at times a little odd. She is able to say pretty much anything she wants to but most of the time she lets us know what she does NOT want. She has this funny way of speaking about anything in the negative. I first started to notice it when she was just putting two words together, but as the language skills progressed she continued to do so. For example, if we’re laving the house and it’s sunny out she will step out onto the porch and in a two year olds absolute excitement exclaim “It’s NOT raining out!” And I bite my lip instead of saying “Were you expecting rain all along?”

My Stalla favourites are:
While addressing me: “You’re not daddy!” (As if I ever pretended to be daddy?)

In the morning, while I pour her an apple juice, she’ll say: “That’s not coffee.” (Have I ever pored a coffee for her? Of course not!)

And she loves to trick you while looking at books and colours by pointing at red and saying things like… “Yellow? No, that’s not yellow!”

She will sometimes point at a dog in the street and say: “It’s not a cat!”

If she’s in the kids room playing with Leggo and I walk in… it’s always: “Kaspar is not playing Leggo!”

It is one of these things that makes me smile every time, because to an adult these statements seem so absurd. But Kaspar is right… She is very cute! And Kaspar more often then not, takes on the role of a parrot and repeats everything she says. So, now we have a whole new battle on our hands… all about having to STOP mocking.

a year long sabbatical

After a year long sabbatical and getting my life back on track, I have returned to the blog-o-sphere. I could blame a few of my friends and relatives who have nagged me with emails about our lives, on and off. But to be very honest I miss it myself. I miss “putting it on paper” so to speak. I like writing about the immediate experiences with my kids and being able to go back to them and re-read them myself. So, here we go. Another attempt. I will make no promises, but I will try to do a bit of blogging here and there as much as I can. This picture is kind of old now. It was taken just after Christmas in front of our tree, with the two of them. But it so clearly illustrates their character and what they’re like.

purple tongues and such

i've been thinking a lot these days. thinking about stuff in general and about my kids a lot, too. it's been such a busy spring, ever more so because of my accident. but even besides that... kaspar's first year at latvian school ended. he received his first ever report card. kids started daycare. stella has begun to talk. and i take it all in and have time to pause in the middle of the day and just think about it all. what a blessing. have to be thankful for the little things.

looking back at pictures over the last three years i'm surprised how alike stella and kaspar are and yet how so totally different at the same time. character wise - they're from totally different planets. physically they seem like two peas from the same pod. if kaspar still has no patience to feed himself with a fork and a spoon then stella on the other hand has absolutely no patience to wait and be fed. she eats as well as she can, but refuses to let go of that fork. yes, half her meal ends up on the floor and the other half in her lap, but she's eating, regardless. when kaspar knocks his foot or hand or head on something it's immediate tears and crying and a generally extreme and "dramatic situation". stella gets pushed around on a regular basis by her brother and more often then not trips over the different pairs of shoes she constantly tries on, but she hardly makes a fuss, except for the quick kiss she needs to receive on the bruised body part.

this morning the kids went back to the daycare, but reluctantly at best. long week-ends are hard. hard on all of us. i hate having to fight all morning with my son about the benefits vs. drawbacks of daycare. i wonder if that will ever end.

steve spent the better part of the week-end in spain (elliott brood played a festival in bilbao http://www.azkenarockfestival.com/arf/) and brought us back treats like "heart attack hearts from dirty free". i'm quoting kaspar, of course. he figured out that he was saying something funny pretty much immediately. after a short explenation of what "artichoke hearts" are and what "duty free'" means he let it go until bed time, when he asked me to explain the "dirty and free" all over again. it took a good half hour. i have to admit, the concept of "duty free" is hard for an adult to understand, let alone a three year old who does not know the difference between ten dollars and ten cents. i don't know if he got even a part of what i was trying to explain, i only know that his idea of dutiful is "yes, i can be dutiful, but i will NOT do anything if i don't wnt to!" go figure! i think "dirty and free" is a lot mor up his alley.