This video was taken last Sunday, which is an eternity in the world of online videos. I’m posting it anyway because looking at us having fun in the snow reminds me that winter isn’t 100% terrible.
I am so sick of winter. Fortunately, I’m not sick of making a jackass of myself for my family and the internet in general. You’re welcome.
Snow Angels from Melissa Price-Mitchell on Vimeo.
When I told Flora that I’d make snow angels with her, Sean wanted to be sure to capture it for posterity.
Flora and I had the following conversation this morning while she ate her breakfast:
<Sean’s Blackberry vibrates on the table>
Flora: “That’s Daddy’s Blueberry.” (We’ve told her it’s a Blackberry, but we giggle every time she says Blueberry so it’s starting to stick.)
Me: “I know. It’s noisy isn’t it?”
Flora: “I don’t like it.”
Me: “I don’t either. I don’t think Daddy likes it sometimes, but it helps him get his work done.”
Flora: “Where’s my Blueberry?”
Me: “You don’t have one. You don’t need it. What do you use to get your work done?”
Flora: “Umm…my toys.”
Me: “That’s exactly what you need to get your work done.”
At that moment, I think Flora didn’t like the Blackberry because of the noise. But later that morning, when Sean was scanning his messages before we left for work and daycare, Flora was trying to get his attention and he took a beat too long to answer her. To be clear, he did answer her properly and not in a distracted way, but he finished what he was doing first before he responded. She didn’t protest the Blackberry or its usage then, but watching that exchange and our earlier conversation got me thinking.
I don’t think Sean did anything wrong. In fact I think he taught Flora something. He taught her that people like to finish one task before they move to another. Then, once he was finished, he could concentrate on her question fully, rather than give her a quick answer that would allow him to return to his original task, distracted by the interruption. As we all know, neither task is usually done well when that happens. At two and a half, Flora may be a little young to understand that concept, but it’s never too early to start teaching her good manners.
I believe that although we use technology around our daughter, I don’t think Sean and I are any more distracted as parents than anyone else. Housework, cooking, reading or any other task/event that forces me not to concentrate on my child with laser-like focus is just as distracting as checking email on a Blackberry or reading tweets on an iPhone (or anything else you can do on a typical smartphone). As long as we can extract ourselves from any of those tasks when life calls for it (whether is to answer someone’s question, or to stop someone from colouring on the walls), I think we’ll all be just fine.
I also think this is where the Golden Rule comes into play. As a family, we all need to treat each other as we would like to be treated. Even our littlest ones that aren’t always at their most civilized. If Sean and I expect Flora to listen to us, she has every right to expect that out of us as well. If sometimes, one of us needs a moment to finish a thought, stir the sauce, hug the dolly or hit send on an email, that’s okay with me, as long as we can then focus on the interaction at hand.
Celebrating Valentine’s Day as a family is way more fun that celebrating as a couple.
Watching Flora colour a Valentine for Sean is so much nicer than agonizing in the card store over the right funny/loving card that is going to be looked at for five minutes at most.
Flora doesn’t really get that once she gives the Valentine away, it’s not hers anymore. She was quite annoyed when we suggested that Sean take it to work to put in his office. Then she held it over her head and called it an umbrella.
My girl has plenty of imagination.
Sunday morning, I cut the Valentine out, wrote inscriptions on the front and inside and had Flora colour it. Once she was done I asked her if she wanted to give it to Daddy “today, or tomorrow?”.
“Tomorrow”, she replied, as if I was crazy to even consider giving him his Valentine early.
We hid the Valentine in her toys and I told her we had to try not to forget to give it to Daddy tomorrow.
Five minutes later, she found it again and ran it over to Sean.
Then she took it back.
She’ll probably give it to him ten times by the time she goes to bed tonight.
Five minutes with the scissors, a piece of pink paper and some crayons provided way more entertainment value than any Valentine-themed gift could bring over the last two days.
They are both my Valentines, but I didn’t need a made-up holiday to remind me how much I love them.
(Click the picture for a larger version of it. Taken with my iPhone and processed with the Diptic app.)
Today is my mum’s birthday. I won’t tell you how old she is, but she’s older than me! 
Flora wasn’t able to catch her to say happy birthday over the phone (working on her birthday – silly mummy), so I made a little video for my mum to watch later.
When they want to be, two year-olds are pretty hilarious.
Last week, I went in to get Flora up for the day. I was just out of the shower so I went in while doing up my brassiere.
Flora looks at me and says the following:
“Oh mummy, you’re wearing your pretty brassiere.” (yes, she says brassiere – just like mummy)
I wasn’t expecting that phrase to come out of her mouth, but I rolled with the punches.
“Yup, I’m wearing my pretty brassiere.”
“Mummy, I like your pretty brassiere.”
“Oh, I do too.”
Try having that conversation with a straight face. I couldn’t do it. I laughed a lot about it.
That evening, I decided it was time to wash my brassieres. I was running the sink and pouring the soap in when Flora came in and asked “Mummy, what are you doing?”
“I’m washing my brassieres.” Then an idea hit me. “Would you like to help?”
“Yes mummy!” and she went to grab her stool so she could reach the sink.
I put the brassieres in the sink one at a time and Flora splashed them around the sink. She was a little upset when I would switch one for the next – “Mummy, I want to wash your pretty brassiere!”
“But they’re *all* beautiful. Look at the lace and flowers on this one.”
“Yeah” And washing continued.
Once my brassieres were thoroughly soaked and washed (thank heaven for no-rinse lingerie soap!), I dried them off and hung them on the railing like I always do.
And I was glad that I found a chore that Flora liked to help with. At least for as long as splashing in the sink is great fun.
