The Wiggles

Last Sunday we went to Liam's very first concert -- and we picked a biggie. The Wiggles, at Rogers Centre in Toronto (that's SkyDome to all you old-timers). We went with Liam's cousin Caleb and his Auntie Jo-Jo, which was exciting in itself.

I don't know how many bums were in seats but I'd be guessing about 5,000 anyway. That may be a conservative guess. In any case, we're talking a good number of strollers and pint-sized music fans.

It was a big day and Liam was so tired by the end of it that he refused to talk. This was exacerbated by the fact that during one especially enthusiastic burst of dancing, he fell and hit his mouth on the hard plastic chair. No permanent damage, but it hurt and it put a damper on the second half of the show. Good thing Liam, like his mommy, is soothed by retail therapy and a $20 plastic Wiggles light stick made things all better. As a friend of mine said, no wonder the Wiggles are so fabulously wealthy. Note to children's performers -- kids need room to move! Especially if you are actually encouraging them to get up and dance with you. So please, don't book places like the Rogers Centre where they have about 1/2 square foot of dirty, filthy floor available to them. Thank you.

Anyway, after a bit of battery recharging, Liam was back to his old self and talking up a storm about the Wiggles. Here was our view of the stage -- please don't sue me for posting this, Anthony, Jeff, Sam and Murray. After all, you are fabulously wealthy and I'm not.

Kids and food

Lily tried solids for the first time today. She was unsure about it.. liked it better when she got to hold the spoon but then of course that creates a situation where the bowl is emptied but very little of the food actually gets into the little girl.

So this got me thinking. What is it with kids that they would rather wear the food than eat the food? Case in point, Lily's big brother...

Sugar and spice...

... and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of. Especially these two little girls.

The oldest and the youngest

This summer we were glad to spend some with Markus while he was on school break and between the kazillion different camps and sports that he took part in. He taught Liam a lot of important boy things, like how to climb a tree and how to kick a soccer ball. But I think he saved his best moments for Lily. He is a great big cousin.

Cousins, an introduction

Liam and Lily are incredibly lucky to have four excellent lifetime friends within a short driving distance -- their cousins. What a bunch. Each child has his or her own unique look and personality, but there's no mistaking they all come from the same stock. One common thing being their love for family, which is being instilled in them by their excellent parents.

It's fun to watch the six kids interact. Liam worships Markus and will follow him anywhere. But he and Caleb share the same energy level and boyish glint in their eyes. Sarah takes care of everyone and is particularly gentle and nurturing with Lily -- the girls' club has formed already. And who could not love to hug Grant, young and old alike.

Liam can hardly contain his excitement when we tell him he will be seeing his cousins, and neither can we!

Baby's best friend

Our family album is not complete without Calli. Our good friend, a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever who joined our family seven years before the arrival of the first baby, and who has had to make the most adjustments of all.

Poor Calli. Gone are the lengthy walks at dawn, the trips to a nearby field for hours of retrieving and the spontaneous visits to Lake Wilcox. But hey, now she is even better fed (if that's possible) with the additional hand-outs of cheerios, goldfish, and whatever else Liam has decided he has had enough of.

Calli is ten now and starting to slow down a bit, but she's still faster than the midget who chases her and I hope she always will be.

Calli with infant Liam, Feb. 2005, and imploring Lily to kick the ball May, 2007.

The World's Sweetest Baby

Alright, I know all parents say that but, seriously, this little girl is unbelievable. She sleeps through the night and gets a couple of solid naps in every day. She is often so quiet you almost forget she's there. She hardly ever cries, only when she's hungry or has a tummy pain. She smiles at everyone. She loves to cuddle and wraps her little arms right around your neck. She giggles on cue when you sing or bounce her on your knee.

We love our Lily!

The Finger

Liam has this little maneuvre we call "the finger." He is two, so he says "no" a lot. Often emphatically, and often accompanied by the finger. It's a stubby little index aimed square at the spot between your eyes. He does have deadly aim.

Sometimes the finger is a palm, and I'm not sure which is more frightening because with the palm you have five of the little suckers coming at you at once.

The only way to survive the finger is to ignore it. Laughing brings on heightened volume and a barrage of more fingers. But it is hard to not laugh.