Trick or Treat!

Yesterday was Halloween and we thought you'd love it, but the day started really rocky. We basically had to force you into your costume. There is nothing weirder than saying 'you're going to be Minnie Mouse whether you like it or not!' to your child. In fairness to us, you had already vetoed the other costume we got your and spent money on. 

You put on the costume but you were NOT happy about it. Though you did let us put your ears on. Which surprised me. Daddy dropped you off at daycare and apparently you freaked out as people showed up in costumes. Even Miss Donna from the infant room, who was only wearing a pink cowboy hat, really upset you. I guess seeing all of the people you know look so different felt strange.

Daddy and I wondered all day if you'd be able to enjoy the day. We really wanted you to. So I was very happy when I showed up at the end of the day with Zach and you were still decked out in your Minnie garb, ears and all. And you were smiling ear to ear. 

We all piled into the car and went to go pick up Daddy from work so that we could all head up to Uncle David, Auntie Stephanie and cousin Noa's house, to go trick or treating. You were starting a bit grumpy, I won't lie. I think you had just had a long day. At one point you asked to take Minnie off. I tempted you with the promise of candy coming, if you kept your costume on. That seemed to be enough to convince you.

Cousin Noa got decked out in her beautiful Mermaid costume, Zachie was a BumbleZee (your A-bee costume from your first Halloween) and we started door to door. Daddy taught you to say 'trick or treat' and you got really brave really quickly, knocking on doors, opening your bag and saying 'trick or treat.' There was not one person you said it to who didn't smile.

I can only imagine how much fun this was for you, going to random people's houses and having them throw candy at you. You were in heaven!

At one point we went to a house and you said 'trick or treat' and the man looked at you with this huge smile. His wife and another family member or friend were standing behind him as we walked away. I don't know if he knew I could hear, but as we walked away, he said to his wife 'did you hear that? Her 'trick or treat'? It was, it was...special.' It was possibly the sweetest thing I've ever heard someone say about you.

Daddy took Zachie home around that time (it was already past his bedtime) and you asked your Uncle David to take you to the next set of doors. I wasn't insulted you didn't pick me. I love how much you love your uncle. 

We'd go house to house, you'd say 'trick or treat' and then a nice 'thank you' as you'd leave. And then you'd go running down the driveway screaming "next house! next house! Come on Uncle Dadid, let's go to the next house!" 

At what point I asked you if you had a lot of candy. "YEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAH!" was your emphatic answer. 

You let me to take you to the last house before we were done, and when you got your candy I asked "what do you say?" and instead of "thank you" you bent down, opened your bag, and grabbed the candy the man had just given you. "I got chocolate, I got lollipops, I got candy!" was your answer. True enough Abigail. True enough.

Once we got back to Uncle David and Auntie Stephanie's house, you were high from all of the fun and weren't ready to go home. But it was already past your bedtime and you had already accumulated more of a candy stash than you can ever possibly finish (I'll gladly help you out with that). I asked you if you were happy you had kept Minnie on and you smiled at me and said "yeah!"

And so trick or treating is done for another year. From bee, to garden gnome to Minnie Mouse, you have had a great few Halloweens. I wonder what you'll be next year. My money is on princess. Whatever you choose to be though, I hope you still have the awe filled excitement you had last night.

Your first BFF

Since your earliest days, you have been around babies the same age as you. First, you got to know Devin, Aanika, Amelia and Mercedes. We saw them every other week for you entire first year of life. Sadly, after their mommies and I went back to work, it got harder to get you all together, so you don't know each other as much as I'd hope you would. 

In the last few weeks, we have spent quite a bit of time with Penelope, who is almost 5, and Isabella, who is the same age as you. The more time we spend with them, the more you love playing with them. Especially Penn. She gives you a run for your money.

But, by far your most consistent little buddy is Naomi McKean. She is just six months younger than you and you have known her since you were just a wee baby yourself. You play so nicely together and really do appear to have a love for each other. It's so fun for your dad and I, and Naomi's mommy and daddy, to watch you two play and grow together. 

 

From the first time you met, you were drawn to her. She's like you in a lot of ways. She loves to dance around and be silly, and is also really active. Not many kids your age can keep up. But you two run each other ragged.

I have some friends I have known since I was a little girl. Bubbie is still very close friends with the friends she was close with when I was your age, so I still hear about their children, with whom I played when I was little. But, wonderful though they all are, I am not close friends with them.

 

I wish, for you, that you and Naomi will be each other's first phone call. I hope the first time you ask to hang out with a friend, or have a sleepover, it's with Naomi. I hope you become each other's closest confidante. Not because I'm close friends with her mommy and daddy. But because you already have a history and a friendship that I admire, and I hope to watch grow as you do.

Your Favourite Things

I love how you are at an age where you list of favourites is growing daily. Back when you were just a little baby, your list was short and simple.

Your favourite song: Itsy Bitsy Spider

Your favourite game: Peekaboo

Your favourite first foods: pretty much anything! You weren't picky

But now that you're older you have tons of favourites! Even a favourite shape.

Your favourite song: Anything your daddy is playing for you on guitar

Your favourite game: Hide and seek (usually you hide under blankets and behind pilows)

Your favourite foods: Pizza, yougurt, crackers, hamburgers, hot dogs

Your favourite shape: Oval (we have no idea why)

Your favourite colour: Pink

Your favourite TV shows: Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Backyardigans

Your favourite movie character: Tinkerbell

Your favourite book: Everyone Poops (true!)

Your favourite activity: Dancing

Your favourite thing to wear: Dresses in general, tutus specifically

Your favourite word: Nodaddy

Your favourite way to wear your hair: Pig tails, also known as 'two please mommy'

Your best friends: Naomi and Olivia

I'm sure these things will change, probably tomorrow. In the mean time, at 2.5 years old, these are your favourite things.

Family Vacation

Your Uncle David and I grew up away from all of our grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. But the four us, uncle David, Bubbie, Zaidie and I, went on vacations, just the four of us, every summer. We created some wonderful memories on those trips.

Both last year and this one, Uncle David, Auntie Stephanie, cousin Noa, and your daddy, you and me, went on a mini vacation. This year, of course, we had Zachie with us too. I hope, as you get older, that our trips get a little longer, but having these experiences for you to enjoy with your family from this young age warms my heart. You love going to new places and seeing new things. And you love being with your auntie, uncle and cousin. 

Last year, we took you to Niagara Falls and Buffalo. Nothing overly fancy but you loved every second of it. We stayed at the Marriott in Buffalo after spending the day at the Butterfly conservatory. We made your very first stop at Niagara Falls on the way back home and you were in pure awe. I loved seeing you so excited by nature.

This year we went to Hidden Valley Resort in Huntsville. We went in the fall this time, rather than summer. Your brother is still really young and I admit to being a bit nervous about how he'd handle it, but you both did so great! The colours of the leaves are changing now and it was so beautiful up North. It helped that it was an unusually warm weekend in October, so even though we are well into fall, you and cousin Noa were able to play together on the beach.

Seeing you with your your extended family is heart warming for me. I really do think it is a gift that I am so happy you have. It is something we do not take for granted. You are so lucky to have all of your aunts and uncles (Aunt Jes and Uncle Jon too, of course) living in driving distance. You 'know' them in a way I think is truly special. You like your mommy and daddy's friends, but you know who your family is. You know the difference. You love them all so much. It is really a very very special thing.

I love we are starting to create some wonderful memories for you. I hope you treasure them the way I already do.

Abigail ballerina

When you were just a newborn, your dad would talk about you taking your first hockey lesson, and I told him I couldn't wait for you to take dance. He insisted you wouldn't take dance. It was going to be all about hockey.

Then one day he went to get us some coffee at Tim Hortons came home and said to me "okay, I guess she can take ballet." Turns out there was a little girl at Tim Hortons, probably about the same age then that you are right now, dressed up for her dance class, doing twirls for her daddy as they waited in line. Good thing he got on board early. You didn't give us much of a choice.

You have always loved dance. Watching it on TV, dressing up in a tutu, twirling around the living room, you love dance. In fact, the best way to guarantee we get out of the house is with the promise of a tutu, which you promptly put on, and then do a little pirouette.

We have wanted to have you enrolled in dance as soon as possible, but there aren't any city programs that will take a 2.5 year old. Thankfully, one of the best dance schools in the city is located just up the street from us.

You started last week. You were all dressed up in your pink tights, pink leotard, pink ballet shoes, hair pulled tightly back, and raring to go. But the class was an epic failure. Your teachers, Miss Nicole and Miss Stephanie, tried so hard to make you feel comfortable but all of the kids had already taken at least one class and didn't seem fazed. You cried the whole time, and looked at me through the window crying "mommy!" You broke my heart. I thought you'd LOVE dance class!

It's not that you didn't want to dance. It's just that it was a new experience for you and maybe we didn't prepare you enough for the fact you'd be in there by yourself with all new people.

We could have called it quits. We could have said you were too young and not ready. We could have said we gave it one shot, it failed, we're done. But we didn't. Because we know it's good for you. And we know you'll love it. We want you to try new things and push yourself and go out of your comfort zone to discover the world and things that maybe, if left to your own devices, you otherwise wouldn't. 

Your dad and I talked and decided to give it another few weeks. If you really hated it then we wouldn't force it.

But today, it was a whole new world. Your daddy took you and you went right in and participated in and loved the whole class. He called to tell me and I got so excited for you. You came home in such a great mood. You showed me the new moves you learned in class. You were so happy.

I think it speaks volumes about you, that you'll go back to something that didn't go well the first time, and not only try it again, but tackle it and master it. I'm so proud of you and excited for you that you gave it a chance. And that you were able to, so quickly, adjust to something new and seemingly daunting. 

I'm so happy that your dad and I gave you the chance to try something new and out of your comfort zone, and I'm glad that we gave you the credit you so obviously deserved. You love dance. And now you love dance class. 

Twirl on Abigail.

My heart

My darling daughter.

The light of my life.

My child.

My first born.

My sun and my moon and my stars.

My mini me.

My inspiration.

My little princess.

My angel.

My little girl.

If I could bottle your giggles, I would. If I could package your smile, I would. If I could freeze your sense of humour, your unabashed joie de vive, and ability to find glee in the simplest things, I would.

You are vocal. You were born with a voice. 

You are passionate. You were born with passion. 

You wear your heart on your sleeve.

You voice your frustration and your love, your happiness and anger, your joy and your sadness, so that everyone around you knows exactly how you feel and what you think. It makes it hard not to feel your pains and revel in your joys. It makes it hard not to want to.

Your ear to ear smile has become a bit less pudgy than when you were just a wee baby, but the twinkle in your eyes and the joy behind it has only grown as you have. Watching you fall in love with the world around you makes me fall in love with you more and more each day. 

Just when I think my heart can't possibly become more full, you run across the room and into my arms screaming mommy, or stroke my hair and say pretty, or ask for one more hug and a kiss before bed, or thank me for a simple favour, or smile when you've gone down a new slide or climbed a new jungle gym, or say something silly or make a funny face, or shove your face into a soft serve ice cream cone. You make it impossible not to smile each and every day. 

You are on the only person on this planet who can make me laugh through anger. 

You are growing up right before my very eyes. Your baby face has faded away into the face of a beautiful and confident little girl. Time has sped up. I want it to slow down. I love watching you grow but want you to say little, just for a little while longer. I refuse to say you're no longer my baby and are now my little girl. You are both. You always will be. 

You will grow, and you will change. You will become more of who you already are and yet, also someone who you aren't yet. But you are always going to be Abigail.

You are my heart. You are my Abby.

It's all in the marketing

You are two. And as such, it's not always easy to get you to do stuff. In fact, pretty much everything we want you to do is a challenge. Your grasp of the word 'no' is impressive.  So, your dad and I have had to be creative with the way we trick you into doing what we want you to do or eat. 

Getting you to take your daily milk intake is a challenge. But it's become much easier since I started lacing your milk with Yop, aka 'milkshake.' You LOVE your milkshakes.

All things frozen are ice cream. All fruit-freezies? Ice cream. FroYo? Ice cream.

You were not the hugest fan of me putting Vasaline on you during a diaper change. But, for some reason, putting 'goop' on you was a-okay. So, goop it was!

You love wearing dresses. As nights have gotten more difficult when it comes to getting you into your PJs, buying 'night dresses' has helped speed up the process.

And night time undies. Oh, the night time undies. Once you were just a little bit potty trained, diapers became the devil. Overnight that's a bit of an issue, so you need to wear SOMETHING. Diapers you'd take off easily. So we got you Pull Ups, or 'night time underwear'. You still fuss and say 'too big' whenever they go on, but for some reason, your 'night time undies' are less offensive to your sensibilities. 

Some might call it tricking. I say it's creative genius. It works! It's not my fault you're a sucker for marketing. Well, maybe it is. But I'm okay with that.