What's up with Glenn, Heather, Katrine, and Elspeth
It was a festive day on the Attwood front lawn. You see, Barbie Carnaval had arrived. I am told that it will be here all week but I really think that is up to Mother Nature. It was suppose to come last week but between Katrine being ill and the snow melting all of the ice slides and sculptures the festivities were postponed. Here are some photos so that you to can partake in what could only happen in a house with two girls.
Okay, I am very tired from being home with sick Katrine and Elspeth, and not having enough sleep that I am looking for an excuse to avoid working. (Hence the procrastination in the title) It is not that my AQ course is not interesting. To the contrary, it is very informative. If I can start to apply myself again, I will be the better teacher for it. Alas, I think that tonight will end with a complete assignment more full of flaws than learning. Perhaps tomorrow will be more conducive to learning and retention. Thank you for humouring me as I procrastinate and now onto to attachment.
We were thrilled on Gotcha Day to see how strongly Elspeth reacted to the chance. To us it was a good sign that she had been loved and known attachment with her foster family. Fast forward 6 months. As hard as it is to have a sick and well kid at home, Elspeth seems to have chosen this week to enter a new stage in the development of attachment. Yippee! We now have Follow The Parent. She will follow me everywhere or call out to check and see if I am still around. Yes, this is anxious behaviour but at least she is seeking to connect with Glenn and I as preferred caregivers.   Seek out Comfort When Hurt. When we first got home we literally had to force our attentions on her if she got hurt. Today she was walking in circles around the coffee table (we were watching TV -the sick kid activity of choice- and Elspeth got bored) and kept bumping her side on the edge. With each bump she would announce “Oww” and run over for a cuddle. We also have my favourite stage developing What! I Have to Share a Parent which is more frequently called having a sibling. If one of us were rubbing Katrine’s back, Elspeth just had to get her back rubbed too. If Katrine was cuddled up against me with her head in my lap, Elspeth would climb over top of her and try to wedge herself in. Ahh. Happy times. Finally, Mommy as a Security Blanket. Got that one during play time at playschool. There is one of those plastic playhouses with shutters that all of the kids like to go in. Of course, most want to be in by themselves. Well, Elspeth decided to venture out and try to enter the house while another child was inside. Needless to say, the child was unimpressed and pulled the door shut on her which caused her to run to me. Happy smile. Don’t worry, the attachment also extends to Glenn. He fills the Security Blanket role at swim class where she will do lots of things, like blow bubbles, if he is holding her but not so many if she is in the wading pool without direct contact.
We obviously still have a ways to go before Elspeth could be called securely attached to us. After all, she lived with another family for almost two years. We are seeing positive signs of progress which is truly a gift. Now for a random cute photo.
It was a very long yet fun day today spent almost exclusively at the arena due to RHFSC’s club competition. Of course, Katrine wanted to participate in everything and skated in 6 different events for which she had 3 costumes. I think that my favourite was the extreme costume because it was so shiny on the ice, plus I loved her funky hair. How did she do? Well, she put in a lot of focus and effort today. She placed 4th in her Dutch Waltz and Solo (funny thing about skating – when you add too many jumps you lose points, lesson learned) and 6th in her Extreme spin. She got 3rd for her Introductory Elements (collection of skating moves), and then a 1st for Longest Waltz jump (funny ’cause she was the shortest by a lot) and 2nd for Longest spiral from sheer determination. She held that thing until she stopped moving. Katrine was tickled pink to walk away with a “full set of medals”. Here are some photos and video. Enjoy and come back tomorrow for news on the dance competition.
Katrine’s really looooooong spiral
Katrine’s Solo to “Little Orphan Anne”
Katrine successfully completed her first solo in competition today. She got all of the way through and didn’t fall down. The quality of the skating was not her usually but she was really nervous this morning. She was the best dressed though. Came in 6th though and got a pink ribbon so she was content. Things went better for her during the team elements. She and her partner placed second. The day, well night by this time, ended with the best Dutch Waltz I have ever seen her do. Ended up in 9th but was super proud of herself (rightly so). Congratulations to all of our fellow RHFSC members who competed today. What a great group of kids.
Just in case you are feeling hungry for a frosty, snowy treat with just a hint of salt and a dash of dirt thought that we should pass on their newly released commercial. Gotta support those small business incentives right?
This new year feels especially sweet as it is the first that we have shared as a family of four. We actually started the celebration yesterday at my parents when they gave the girls hong bao. Grandparents know their grandchildren so well. Katrine got her money in toonies while Elspeth got her’s in nickels and dimes because she absolutely loves to put money into her piggie bank. Then when we got home we finished putting up the decorations with 3M squares because the tape was just not cutting it. Katrine donated her two stuffed dragons/dinosaurs to the cause and they are proudly sitting underneath our flower vase in the livingroom.
Usually on New Year’s day I cook a big meal, even making the dumplings from scratch. With a new two year old I was not sure how abundant food preparation would go so we simplified things by buying pre-made dumplings (Mama’s still taste better and I have been instructed that I need to make them again next year) and wonton soup. We also cut out the noodles (horror – guess we might be short on long life this year) and the fish. Even with the cuts there was still a lot of yummy food and the house smells of chinese food. I did get creative with dessert. We had some of the traditional candied vegetables (acquired taste but boy do the girls love the coconut) and cookies arranged to look like a dragon. We also got dressed up for dinner which thrilled Katrine. Elspeth could’ve cared less what she was wearing, she just wanted to colour the new year’s pictures. The celebration ended with more hong bao and piggie bank feeding. Then Elspeth went to bed and Katrine to the arena. Our new year’s festivities will not be over until our annual FCC chapter banquet in two weeks. Katrine can hardly contain her excitement at being able to share a meal with some of her China sisters.
To all of our family and friends, we wish you prosperity and happiness in the coming year.
Actually, it is a bit early as his birthday is not until Wednesday but we celebrated yesterday so I am typing this up tonight. We did our usual thing and drove up to my parents house so that we could all go the party at the Midland Legion. Katrine was so excited about going to dance and hear the pipes that she even had me put a bun in her doll Lily’s hair (anyone know how to get bobby pins to stick into fake hair? Mine kept falling out). Elspeth was a bit over whelmed and spent most of the night in someone’s arms clutching her penguin Meme and her sheep Aleigh. That said, she looked super cute in tartan, bounced along when the pipes played (vs crying), waved enthusiastically when Katrine and I danced AND not only tried haggis but gobbled up a large serving. Guess we will make a Scots out of her yet! She also learned a new word which will come in immensely handy this summer but little else…piper. Our other girl? Glowed from all of the praise about her dancing. I think that she particularly enjoyed hearing from the lady who told her, “I remember the very first time you danced and jumped side to side. Now look at how big you are and you were wonderful.” By about 9:00 poor Elspeth was hanging on to wakefullness by sheer will power so we started to pack her up. Well, Katrine would have none of that because the pipe band had yet to play. So, I drove Elspeth back to my parents house and ended up with a whole hour to myself…happy sigh.
This morning we enjoyed the snow. Elspeth got to go sledding for the first time sitting on my lap. It was only a wee hill but she was clapping at the bottom. She was also much more willing to actually walk in the snow and touch it. After tobogganing she pulled the sled around and when she got tired she put Glenn to work pulling her all around the yard until a dog barked, scared her and she insisted on going inside. Katrine has fun trying to coax Elspeth into walking on the snow but lost interest after tobogganing for a bit. Then the neighbour kids came out and she was off. More sledding followed as well as using riding on their ATV. I thought that she would find it scary but not her, “Awesome” was her description. Her only disappointment about the visit was that the ice was too thin to go ice fishing with Grandpa and we weren’t staying long enough to go skiing. Guess we will simply have to head back up soon.
As the Year of the Rabbit draws to a close, I will finish off with one of Burns’ graces (kindof symbollic of the melding of cultures in our family – Burns one day, New Years the next):
| SOME hae meat, and canna eat, | |
| And some wad eat that want it ; | |
| But we hae meat, and we can eat, | |
| And sae the Lord be thankit.
  
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I had a great birthday this year. I usually hate having to bake my own “free of everything” cake but this year was different. With two helpers the work gets done slower but is more fun. Didn’t look half bad and tasted awesome. As you can see, I also had plenty of help blowing out the candles. Elspeth’s wish for me was a ” Ha B D Mama”. Happy sigh.
Of course, I had to paint my nails in honour of the occasion. Any suggestions for Robbie Burns or Chinese New Year? I was thinking that maybe I should do the right hand for one holiday and the left for the other. Maybe red nails for the new year and then spell out haggis or Burns on the other hand.  I have a few weeks to reach a decision on that one. After that they will need to go pink or hearty for Valentines before turning purple, or gold for Mardis Gras. Don’t you just love holidays? They give us something to look forward to and help to break up the daily grind. Plus, they give me an excuse to decorate the house.
These last photos just begged to be shared. The first is from Elspeth’s doctors appointment on Monday. She has gone up another pound and centimeter since her last visit. After her weigh in she decided that enough was enough and after failing to put on her pants she thought that this look might still be effective in sending the message that she was done and wanted no more of what was to come (she has been getting shots regularly at the doctor since we got home in order for her to catch up with Canadian born peers). The other is from tonight. She thought the bows were hats but then decided that they could be stuck elsewhere…silly little bunny.
My the new year bring good things your way! Happy Hogmanay!! Hope that you started the new year off with a bang.
