Disjointed thoughts

The entries here haven't been as frequent as I would have liked, mostly because it's end of term in university-land, and that affects our whole family, even if only one member is in school. With a number of term papers due, a conference on the near horizon (which means another paper to write) as well as having to plan a class he's teaching starting May 2, Derek is crazy-busy. That also means that the household is somehow more chaotic, less organised, and generally — well, dirtier. And, frankly, I've been nicely kicked off the computer most evenings (I'm sneaking in while Derek is reading bedtime stories to Maïa).

So what have we been up to?

We all caught yet another cold and gave it to many other loved ones (sorry Grandma and Nick & Naomi!). It actually caught me off guard. Since Maïa has been in daycare, we have contracted colds, flus, ear infections... basically anything that can be caught and even a few things that couldn't. From December on, at least one member of our family was coughing or had a runny nose, with a brief and well-timed break for Christmas. Then, about a month ago, it stopped. We were all healthy. For three whole weeks, nothing. The curse was broken... And then we spiralled down again. But we're on the mend, so all is well.

Solanne and Maïa have both started swimming. Solanne and I go to a Bubblers class once a week. About seven moms and their toddlers wade into the pool, sing songs, and pretend that the little ones like it. Only this week, week 4, they actually did start getting into it. Maïa's time in the pool is a little more involved: she goes in on her own (sans maman) and learns to paddle, kick, jump, and float. The first week was a total disaster. She refused to go in. I was so obsfuscated that I just took her and left after five minutes. I realise that it was the wrong thing to do (we should have stuck around at least to watch the other children), but I had to leave. Truth be told, I was a little embarrassed. All the other little kids clambered into the pool without any to-do. Maïa wailed as though there were sharks in the water. Derek took her the next two weeks, and she slowly warmed up to the idea of being in the pool, and even participated in a couple of activities. This week, I took her, and it was a modest success. She cried a little when it was time to get into the pool, but she went in. Then, she did it. She followed along with the lesson. She sat astride a pool noodle while her instructor held it, and then "swam" half the length of the pool. Her little legs kicked away so quickly, they were blurry from my vantage point on the balcony. She jumped in the pool holding onto her instructors hands and kicked her way back to the stairs. She floated around on a pool noodle all by herself. And then she waved good-bye to her instructor and smiled at me. It was a great feeling.

On other fronts, Solanne is talking more and more and signing less and less. Whatever signs she does use are accompanied by words or sounds. She is a very chatty little girl: she "talks" most of the time while she's playing or eating or reading a book. She just has so much to say! Maïa is learning to read by sounding out words. And she's having fun learning that if you take one letter away from a word, it can spell a whole new word, like FARM becomes FAR or ARM, depending on which letter you block. How cool!

As I type this, the girls are tucked away in their beds and I hear them chattering each to themselves, sometimes saying something to one another. And I feel truly blessed to have these little people in my life. They are beautiful beyond my descriptive abilities.

Good night. Bon soir, mes chéries.