Gwen's Birthday Slideshow

Merry Christmas

Snow Angel

Ya Gotta!

Tap Dancer

Wordless Wednesday: Gwen's Third Year Video

Gwen's Third Year from adequatemom on Vimeo.

Birthday Videos - at last!

Thanks to my new super-speedy laptop, I actually got these videos edited and ready to post the day I shot the footage, which has, like, NEVER happened before. Then I entered upon a two three four five-day odyssey to figure out how to post them. Posting directly to Blogger doesn't work anymore, so instead I have to upload them to Youtube, create a playlist, create a custom player that plays videos from that playlist, then embed that custom player here. If this doesn't work I might just put spikes in my eyes, only probably not, because I am already feeling pretty lousy today (strep throat, my old and familiar nemesis) and Gwen's actual birthday party is coming up so it would be good if I wasn't blind or mutilated during the celebrations.

Anyway. Enjoy the videos, late though they may be.

Wordy Girl Jr.

I actually took this movie back in November, which is when Gwen started saying "I did it". She now speaks even more clearly than she does here, and her counting has improved greatly as well. It took me two months to figure out how to add the captions. Enjoy!

(For the uninitiated: "Kenshin" is the name of a Japanese cartoon that Chris and Gwen watch together.)

The Video of Gwen Losing Her Mind on Christmas Eve

Toddler + both sets of grandparents + presents + staying up late = this.



(I tried FIVE SEPARATE TIMES to upload this video via Blogger. Basically, every time I have been at home and the toddler has been asleep, I have done this. Every day for a full week. Every time? BLOGGER HAS FAILED ME. So I finally turned to Youtube, where I got it uploaded in under 20 minutes. And now as I am posting the embed code, it tells me there's an error. I am hoping like hell that it resolves itself by the time anyone wants to watch the video. Otherwise, I'm locking myself in the bathroom with a box of chocolates and I'm not coming out until summer.)

(Why does the Internet hate me?)

Better Late Update Than Never Update?

So, the English Family Christmas!

I had an amazing weekend. I really think that was the most fun I've ever had at an English Family Christmas! Here are some of the memories I want to keep.


- Realizing that my older nephew, Andrew, thinks that English Family Christmas is a "real" holiday, just like Halloween, Easter, or Thanksgiving - that everyone celebrates it. Since we have been doing this pretty much his whole life, it's understandable!
- Listening to that same nephew explain that being in Beavers actually has nothing to do with the furry creature with a big tail. I don't know, listening to him explain things in his earnest voice just makes me very happy.
- Snuggling with my younger nephew, Scotty, on the couch, where he told me "You can read this book to me, if you want to."
- Watching the comprehension dawn on their faces when I gave them their presents, and then watching them jump up and down excitedly.
- Gwen being a phenomenally well-behaved child all weekend, including sitting in a booster seat at a restaurant for over an hour waiting for our food. She was just so happy to be with everyone, she didn't even make a fuss about the wait and the sitting.
- My sister's relational gift to me was that she got out her cello and played me the JAWS theme. I LOVED THIS! Chris got it on video, too, so I can watch it again any time I want.

Also, this video of Gwen on the trampoline.

Wait, before you watch it: let me tell you that I spent my whole childhood and teenhood as an extremely accident-prone kid. Pretty much every family holiday we ever took involved a trip to the emergency room at some point. I bit my tongue open when I was just a bit older than Gwen, requiring stitches. What was I doing at the time? Playing piano. In Grade Eight, I broke my ankle while going down stairs. Not FALLING down stairs - I never fell. I just stepped wrong. In Grade Nine, I dislocated my kneecap while rehearsing for a choir performance.

You know where I never, never, NEVER hurt myself? On our trampoline. Cause yeah, we had a trampoline in our backyard for all those years and we were on it constantly. Therefore, it's no surprise that my nephews have their own trampoline. And yeah, Gwen will have her own someday, too (take THAT, haters!).

(Note: it totally looks like Gwen broke her neck in this video. In actuality, she did not. In actuality, Chris hurriedly turned off the camera and rushed over to see if she was okay, and meanwhile she grinned and giggled like a fool and said "AGAIN!" I wish that part was on the video, but you'll just have to imagine it.)

Gwen video: she talks, she dances, she eats an apple

What more is there to say? I had you at "Gwen video", right?

Another Fun Gwen Video

During this movie, Gwen throws a great many of her toys on the floor, which is a daily occurence. Unfortunately, the noise this produces prevents you from easily hearing the many animal sounds she is making at my request. (By the way, the sound a shark makes is the JAWS theme, and the sound a horse makes is the hoofbeats, not the whinnying.)

There's some other goofiness including a hat, a couch, and an extreme close-up. Enjoy!

Imagination

I posted this video to Facebook a week or so ago, with the comment that "I don't think she's old enough to actually pretend or imagine that there is food in the bowl." I was pretty sure that Gwen's cognitive development had a ways to go before imaginary play, which is really based on abstract thinking, could begin. Apparently, though, I wasn't giving her enough credit. According to this article, "as soon as children begin to use language — that is, they both understand words and start to use them — they also have the ability to pretend."

The article recommends encouraging Gwen's imagination by letting her play along with grown-up tasks. We've tried this a couple of times lately with hugely positive response. For example, one of the times Gwen is practically guaranteed to get fussy and demanding is when one of us is preparing dinner. It doesn't matter how much she's had to eat; it doesn't matter if there's someone else in the room with her, utterly devoted to her entertainment. If you're in the kitchen preparing food, she is up your butt.
So after reading this article, the next time I was cooking and Gwen was whining, I grabbed another wooden spoon and knelt down beside her with the bowl of dinner-to-be I was stirring. She helped me stir it and was THRILLED.

We tried to pull a chair up to the counter so she could stand and "work" alongside me, but we're not totally convinced that she won't just walk off the chair and smack her head on the floor, so that's not a perfect solution. We'll have to keep working on it. I've always looked forward to the joys of cooking and baking with my kid - I didn't think they'd come so soon.

PS: Gwen's sixth tooth popped on Tuesday!

Silly Gwen Tricks

Here's a video of some very typical playing and interacting. It starts out with me successfully using a song to distract Gwen from playing with one of only two things in the living room she is not allowed to touch. She enjoys the song so much she even does the actions! Later, I hum the JAWS theme in order to encourage her to find one of her shark puppets (and if your kid doesn't have AT LEAST one shark puppet, well, I think you might need to re-examine your priorities). Then she grabs her purse, waves bye-bye, and leaves.

It's good times.

Gwen and the slide

My parents bought Gwen this slide for her first birthday, and I put together a goofy little video of her playing on it for them to enjoy.

My Little Rockstar

The Intarnets Police contacted me and told me that if I went one more day without posting, I would have to change my online name from wordygirl to "Quiet McNeverPosts". So here I am.

Here is a video of Gwen playing with the "Li'l Rockstar Stacker" that her Gramma Karen and Grandpa Keith bought her for Christmas. This is the toy I mentioned in her last newsletter as being something that scared her for a long, long time but she is now just enjoying it.

The video is long, but I didn't want to cut it because I think it shows a lot of brilliant little behaviours on Gwen's part. I don't know if the brilliance is visible to a neutral third party, but anyway, here it is - you be the judge. (Only, you know, not too judgy.)

The Incredible Toddling Gwen

Gwen's First Year

This is a slideshow I put together to celebrate Gwen's first year of life. I hope you enjoy it!

Walkin'

We now interrupt the vaccination debate to bring you this breaking news - Gwen is walking!

There must be something about being 11 months, 2 weeks, and 5 days old, because Jen's son Anderson - born the same day as Gwen - started walking today too.

Please keep the comments coming on my previous post. Very interesting stuff there so far!

Moo Baa La La La