April 27, 2008 by Dad.

This post is all about Sunday - the day started like any other, the stirring and chatting from the crib which then slowly increases in volume and tempo until we hear the call for “Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Aw Dun, Aw Dun, Aw Dun”. But Sunday was a little different in that rather than a call for Daddy, it was a call for Mommy - strange but being loving father that I am I figured I would just go and make sure Cezanne was “ok” and remind her again that I am “Daddy”… When I got to her room and opened the door, she seemed relieved to see me and started jumping up and down saying something I could not make out - being half asleep still it took a while, but then it clicked and I grabbed her and made a dash for it - the potty - she had been saying “Poopie on a Potty”. In our house we turn everything into a little song and so even for this there is a song - No I will not sing it for you…

Well we made it, PJs down, diaper off, seated and “Ta Da !!” - I was really very impressed and very proud. This was moment number 1 !

Next we all got up and made our way down to breakfast and the on to church where we arrived a few minutes early. We had been away so missed church 2 weeks in a row, for a moment Cezanne seemed to have forgotten what happens at church ( in the past she had already started crying and waving and saying bye bye as soon as we turned into the parking area ) but then we got a little whimper and a moan which we comforted quickly and reminder her of all the fun things that happen at church. We made our way inside, Cezanne told us again she needed the potty but this was a false alarm and probably a distraction tactic. I took her hand and she walked down the hall to the under 2 group where I then opened the door and let her in, she let go, and went in all by herself, not a tear or a moan. We both stood there, jaws on the ground ! What a brave little girl ! This was moment number 2 !

In church we  met another South African family who have a little girl who was also born on June 20, 2006 ! We went to lunch with them at the home of another South African family that live next to the church.  The kids played and when one of the older kids suggested ring-around-the-rosies ( Cezanne’s favorite ) we laughed because once you start that with Cezanne it is almost impossible to end the game. Well Cezanne took Hailey’s ( her twin ) hand and showed her what to do. Then Cezanne sang the song ( not so that you could understand it - but she did sing to the tune and made many of the sounds of many of the words at the right time in the song ). Normally she is a little shy with so many spectators, but got over this and really enjoyed the game, falling down with a big smile on her face each time… This was moment number 3 !

Cezanne really has come a long way with the talking and singing from even just a few weeks ago. I suspect now that when it really starts we will not be able to get it to stop - much like ring-around-the-rosies…

Posted in Milestones | Print | No Comments »

April 25, 2008 by Dad.

Before the cruise we had been a little concerned that Cezanne was not quite getting this whole talking thing, she seemed either lazy or “slow” because she would only say just enough to give us a clue as to what she wanted to say. We looked for advise on what to do, even tried to make an appointment to see a “specialist”. Well the cruise seems to have got us over that hump, we are now much better with the talking thing… We can pronounce a number of words very nicely and to our delight Cezanne now says Mommy and Daddy, not just Ma or Da. She is also keenly aware of her own name, and while she can not quite pronounce it yet herself, she does refer to herself as something that sounds to us like “ish-ya”. We will continue to work on that…

Cezanne will also repeat what you say to her if she thinks the words sound funny but only until she has has enough and then you can stand on your head and whistle but if she does not want to say the words again she will not - still a very stubborn little girl…

No other news this week… Back to the routine and off to swimming with Daddy again tomorrow - a new class and new facility so hopefully it will be fun !

Posted in Just Everyday | Print | No Comments »

April 20, 2008 by Dad.

We have just returned from a wonderful vacation aboard the Norwegian Sun. We departed on Saturday April 12 from Miami and sailed to Roatan, Honduras where we enjoyed a day at a private beach resort and even got to see real live tropical fish in the shallow warm ocean. The next port of call was Belize City, Belize where we again got to spend the day on a private island collecting shells and splashing in the shallow waters. The third stop was Cozumel, Mexico and here we decided to stay aboard the ship since we had already been to the port city and really needed a quiet day of leisure. We met a wonderful family with a darling little girl called Kaya. Cezanne and Kaya hit it off instantly and had such a good time together - swimming, playing in the kids club, or just chasing one another around the sun deck ( while Judith, Kaya’s Mommy and I monitored from not too far off ). Our days at sea were spent doing much the same, keeping the girls entertained, fed and rested. Our final stop was the private island of Great Stirrup Cay where we spent the day together so that Kaya and Cezanne could enjoy playing on the beach, in the sun and in the sea. It was truly a wonderful vacation and one I highly recommend to any family with small kids. Below are a sampling of the photos we took on the last 2 days…

Also, today Cezanne celebrates 22 months ! Only 2 more months to 2 ! WOW !

Hats Off !	Great Stirrup Cay - Cezanne hits the beach, Daddy looks on from nearby…

Beach Babe	Swimming with Mommy	My girls pose	Beach Ball !!

Purple Balloon !	What is this ??	Kaya & Cezanne + Juice	Scooping Sand

Kids Pool Fountain Fun	Tongue Swimming ??	Kaya = Dry, Cez = Wet

Kaya & Cezanne = BFFs ?	Final Dinner Dress	Flower Princess	Sniff Sniff

Hi Daddy !	Cezanne & Kaya at Dinner	Tabyana Beach Party	Belize Sail Away

Holding Hands…	Hugs…	& Kisses	Pretty Prowler

Sea Animation	Girls & Beach Balls

Posted in Special Events, Places Visited | Print | No Comments »

April 10, 2008 by Dad.

Ouma made this wonderful fleece for Cezanne just in time for the last few cold days of winter. Cezanne got to wear it to playgroup this week and also tested it out on the basketball court. We bought her a hoop since she just could not get enough of the guys playing basketball at the health club were her Saturday morning swim class was. Each week we had to go and watch them play and Cezanne just wanted to join in… After all the basketball she needed to relax and proceeded to do some “yoga” in the laundry…

Posted in Just Everyday | Print | No Comments »

April 5, 2008 by Dad.

After nap time today, Lanelle found Cezanne in her crib with a couple of friends. She was having a wonderful time and so we just had to capture the fun.

I just love the bed hair and the facial expressions, they say it all ! “I had a good nap and now I am ready for action !”

The sheep is a regular in her crib, but the bear actually sits on the bookshelf next to her crib, we put it back and asked her to show us how she got the bear. She reached through the crib slats, grabbed the bear by a paw with one hand and then lifted it up and over the railing and grabbed it with the other hand. Pretty clever…

Posted in Just Everyday | Print | No Comments »