Here We Go Again!

It seems like just yesterday Ayla and Colin headed off to Green Acres for the first time. Now they are old hands, at the commute (with music, windows down, not much talking in the morning but more in the afternoon) at the camp drop off routine (drop bags on picnic tables, say Hi to monitors, say bye to Auntie Tanya), and I am sure they will fall into more routines learnt from the years of going there. For me, the instant Mom role is comfortable, hectic and as always, it makes me appreciate how much energy "regular" Moms have. This year, more than others, Ayla's slowness in everything (unpacking, putting on sunscreen, putting on socks) was in high gear, such a contrast from me. I think, however, that tomorrow morning will be a bit quicker when I suggested that maybe she had to get up earlier tomorrow morning!
Ayla wants to go to Canada's Wonderland again, I am pushing hard for the Zoo. Maybe I'll win, maybe she will, or maybe we both will, depending on how much time we have. I have asked Uncle Ralph to try to teach Ayla how to bike ride. It should make for some good blogging, if nothing else!

Here we go again, another month with my niece and "nephew".

About Behemoth - WONDERLAND'S BIGGEST INVESTMENT IN HISTORY

From the Canada's Wonderland Website:

Vaughan, Ontario, 2007 - Canada's Wonderland prepares to change the landscape for thrill seekers in 2008, with the addition of Canada's Biggest, Fastest and Tallest roller coaster - Behemoth. Following 18 months of planning and construction, Behemoth will premiere at Canada’s Wonderland in May 2008.

At over 5,300 feet (1,616m) in length, Behemoth sets the stage for thrills with a climb to a height of 230 feet (70.1m), followed by an adrenaline pumping 75 degree drop with speeds reaching 125 kilometers per hour in 3.9 seconds. The coaster will then take riders through the ultimate coaster experience with high speed twists and turns, including double banked flat loops (horizontal loops) and eight extreme drops. Intensifying the action packed adventure, the ride will feature prototype open-air seating that will allow all riders to experience an unobstructed view of all the thrills and excitement on one of North America's best coasters.

"Behemoth will be the biggest investment in Canada's Wonderland's 27 year history at approximately $26 million dollars," said Raffi Kaprelyan, Vice President and General Manager, Canada’s Wonderland. "With the addition of Behemoth, we wanted to compliment our already impressive line-up of more than 200 rides, shows and attractions with a world class roller coaster that will showcase Wonderland as one of the premier amusement parks in our industry."
...

Roller Coaster Head

As this weekend was a long weekend, Ayla insisted we take a day off from home renovation and have a fun day. I had planned to spend it with Sarah and Abigail, and had originally suggested to zoo, however, Ayla had other plans. Canada's Wonderland. Sarah and I weighed the pros and cons of going on a Holiday Monday, and decided that we would go early. So off we went to enjoy beautiful sunshine, and some funny moments.
I have noticed the competitive story telling comes out in Ayla in groups, when she does not know people or is with kids her own or similar age groups. I think I was the same. If someone has a story about laughing so hard they peed in their pants, she tells the one about how when she was getting changed in her room, I made her laugh so hard she peed on the floor. She would have peed in her pants, had she had pants on, but instead she peed on the floor, and then had to run around and wipe up said pee after leaving a trail on the way to the bathroom. Which then made us laugh some more. Without pee the second time around, though. As annoying as the trait is, I was exactly like this, possibly I still am.
We had countered, finally, the eating of ice in public placed or when outside of our own personal homes, to be specific. We were over at Kimberley's and Ayla had her dirty hands in ther drink and then in the ice bowl that Kim had placed on the table. I spoke to Ayla about this and told her it was not acceptable dinner table behaviour. Again at Macaroni Grill, another ice incident. At this point I told her that her ice eating career was over. Forever. She was shocked, and didn't think I was serious. So for the next 4 times she went to drink ice out of her cup in public and before she could get a cube in her mouth, I said "Not a chance!" Finally yesterday, she told Sarah and Abigail that she was not allowed to eat ice in public. Ever. She tossed the ice without even trying to eat it. One small battle for Auntie Tanya. I mean really, the bacteria alone in those ice machines...
So yesterday's lesson was about gracious acceptance of disappointment. Abigail was too little to go on the Behemoth Roller Coaster. Ayla expressed her sorrow and grief by saying "Awww. But I really wanted to go!" So I looked over and told her, quite sternly, to get over it and move on. When we got home, I explained to her that the appropriate response to having to change an expectation to accommodate a friend's inability to participate in an event was to use it as an opportunity to go and do said activity another time. not to whine like a 2 year old and hold her breath until she was blue in the face. I think I got through. I don't think she liked the sound of her words coming out of my mouth.
So, all this adventure to end up with a bit of Roller Coaster Sickness. She was nauseous last night for a bit and still a bit jostled this morning. I asked her if she wanted to stay home from camp and she said "No!, She was JUST SAYING...". Tonight will be a quiet night for her. I had her drink some vitamin water (B+potassium), so we'll see if camp calls to tell me she upchucked her mini croissant sandwiches.

Staff Appreciation Night

So last night at Dairy Queen, I told the kids that I had gotten an email about Staff Apppreciate Day at Green Acres. They asked us to consider writing a short note to the kids' councillors about how they make their day special.
I had my Blackberry and Colin had asked if, after we finished our ice cream, we could stay for a while and talk. I said we could, so I took the time to type in what the kids wanted to say about their councilors. Ayla typed in her own in the car on the way home, it took her the whole ride home. Here is what they said:
Colin choices
- Laura at Cedar Creek: Because she is the helper and she helps me get on and off the horses
- Katherine (young): Because sometimes she gives us snickle snackle
- Katherine (old): Because she guides us to the craft barn in the morning
- Laura At Green Arces: Because she lets us play
- J-bob: Because he plays with me. He plays soldier with me
- Janell: She lets us play
- Jessica: because she is our instructor and I like her because she tells us what to do and all that

Ayla's Choices
Laura. GA (Green Acres)
She takes care of us every morning and every afternoon.
Janell
She takes care of us every morning and every afternoon.
Jbob
He takes care of us every morning and every afternoon.
Cathrine (instructor)
She helps Inez teach us all the things we need to know.
Cathrine (manager of cedar creek)
Every morning she takes the time to come get us all the down at GA to bring us to cedar creek.
Inez
She teaches us all the things we need to know about ridding.
Chantal
She's always there when I need her. she'll always be my shoulder to sleep and cry on.
Barbra
Every day she takes the time to teach us every thing we need to now about horses and how to take care of them.
Diana
Every day she takes all her patience to teach us the next art activity.

The Bee Sting

Perhaps the reason I am not a full-time parent is because I really don't get all worked up about bee stings.
On Monday, Ayla got stung by a bee between two of her fingers. She said she was not chasing the bee, but there were no witnesses. We iced it and the area swelled a bit, but her toungwe wasn't swollen, her eyes did not swell shut, no trouble breathing, so off we go. Monday evening and the next morning, same or lesser amount of swelling, so again, off to camp we go Tuesday morning.
Well. I guess the swelling got worse throughout the day (likely because of scrathing, but again, no wtnesses), because the Camp Nurse called Uncle Ralph to get permission to administer Benadryl. I got a note from the Camp Nurse advising that I should continue to administer Benadryl every 4 hours in 25mg doses. That if that swelling was on her neck, it would be "a serious concern".
So off we go to Shopper's Drug Mart to buy Benadryl and a Hydracortizone cream to reduce the itching and swelling. I will skip the part about the debate with Ayla about my preference for liquid capsuls versus the nurse's recommendation of pills ("If I get stung on the nech and can't swallow, I can crush them... Well, while you are looking for two spoons to crush the pill between, I'll break this liquid capsul and put the liquid directly in your mouth...Oh).
So, off home we go, where she checked her email, talked on the phone for a bit, ate dinner, put away her clean clothes and then sat down, ready for her pedicure. We had picked up some pretty stickers for her toes, but she was exhausted, dying to go to bed. So at 9:30 she was tucked in and snoring. I bet she is excited about sleeping in this weekend!

The Buoy

On Thursday evening, Mom, Ralph, Ayla and I headed down to the Jazz Festival to enjoy the music, crowds, dogs and shopping. We walked almost to the end of the festival and then decided to walk back on the beach. Ayla asked if she could walk in the sand, which I said was fine after hesitating and explaining the reasons for my hesitation (sand between toes, no towel to wipe them off, sand in shoes, etc.) Along the way, Ayla says to me, "Auntie Tanya, look, I can see my shadow." She is pointing out at the lake, even though the shadow created by the street lamps was in front of her on the sand.
"Your shadow is right there, sweetie." I said, pointing to her shadow on the sand.
"No, the one out there." Ayla points out to a whitish glimmer on the lake.
I look out and, in the haze, realize she is pointing to one of the buoys that mark the swim/boat line in the water.
"No," I say, "that is a buoy."
Ayla then says, "There is a little boy out in the water?!?!"
I lean over a grab my knees to steady mayself I am laughing so hard. I explain that no, not a "BOY", but a "BUOY". The rest of the way home we looked for Little Buoys in the water.

About Those Pigs

On Elgin Mills there is a farm that we drive by every morning, and on these farm there are four pigs. E-I-E-I-O.
The pigs have a large enclosure that comes up to the road, and every morning and afternoon we look to see if the pigs are there. I had idly suggested that one day we should stop and meet the farmer. Well, I guess Colin really liked that idea. So as his "food consumption reward" today, he decided that he wanted to see the pigs. All four were out and near the road as I drove by to pick hem up, so I stopped the car on the should and the kids got out and pet the pigs. the big, pink pigs. One is for sure pregnant, and they were grunting and snorting and loving the attention they got from the kids. Colin was absolutely dying to meet the farmer, so I gave in, walked up he lawn and waited for the huge dog to come running at us. Well, no dog cam running, seems that Mrs. Frisby was holding him by the collar in the house, watching us walk up. She has been on that farm since 1960, her husband died in 1999, and now her daughter and grandson run the farm, or, as she puts it, it pretty well runs itself, they are well set up for it. the kids were fascinated that the farmer, who I think they envisioned to be a man in overalls, maybe with a hat on a tractor, was actually a lady in her mid to late 70's holding back a mix breed pug/boxer. I told her we would wave in the mornings on the way by, and thanked her for letting us introduce ourselves. You could see the kids were dying to be invited in. Perhaps next time, as I bet the Pig Visit will be a regular weekly occurrence.