July 17/04 I haven't written in the diary for a while because the computer got "fried" during a lightning storm. It's been a period of appliance problems. First the washing machine and then the computer. I've been enjoying the summer so far and we've had a little bit of warm weather. I bought a membership for the Best Western, but have discovered that it is very difficult to take him by myself. He's just so quick I'm afraid he'll jump in a drown while I'm getting my sandals on. He doesn't enjoy it as much as places where he can touch the bottom. His favourite place is anywhere where there are kids! We go very often to Kinsmen Park where he can run through the fountain. He loves to splash other kids and laughs and plays even with the big ones. He's very daring there and I really have to watch him on the climber. He wants to go up the monkey bars. We've only been to the beach once so far and he just has that tendancy to make himself right at home with other kids's toys! This can be a cause of a little bit of conflict to say the least. We're cutting the third eye tooth so his nose is runny again. He went through a period of not really eating much except for peanut butter. I'd even spread it on breakfast cereal so he would eat something. He's nutso for cars and trains and anything on wheels. His favourite word is "bus" right now. He calls the neighbour's camper a "bus". He's also busy organizing and sorting things right now, however frustrates easily. His vocabulary is expanding every day. Today's new words were "key" and "hat" and "horse". He knows how to say two colours now, "blue" and "yellow". We go to a "Mobile Minds" program almost every day. It's a wonderful program for toddlers and John enjoys the activities immensely. We went to the Teddy Bear Picnic last Sunday and John ended up stepping in the bubble pool. He adores making bubbles, however, also enjoys dumping the soap out. We go for his cardiologist app't on August 4th. I can't see how they will be able to do his echo without sedation this time. He's just far too busy to stay still that long. You can tell how busy he is by all the scrapes and "bups" on his legs. He calls all his boo-boo's, "bups". June 10/04 John continues to grow like crazy. He's so heavy when you lift him now! Thank heavens he can walk pretty much anywhere on his own now, however you have to be patient because he stops to point and look at everything. He's still struggling with his teeth. You can easily tell when they're bothering him because he rubs his nose like crazy. He likes to stand up at the counter now on a chair and play in the sink. He's "water-crazed". Dad sprayed him again last night with the hose and despite the fact that it was cool outside, he wanted to do it (and in my defense, John wanted me to do it anyway). He cried when I took him inside because his teeth were chattering. Only a couple more weeks until I'm off on summer break. I hope to get swimming with him lots. I may buy a membership for the Best Western pool so that even if we don 't feel like going to the beach, we can take him swimming at the pool. He's trying to blow bubbles in the bath tub now, however he forgets and manages to suck in water each time. He's still a picky eater. His favourite things are cheese, bananas, peanut butter, pizza, hotdogs and spaghetti. Oh yes, and "BRRR", which is ice cream. He likes to lick it out of cones now, especially at the Dairy Queen. May 24/04 The weather isn't really warming up any. We got John's sandbox up and ready now and he really enjoys it. The only thing is to keep him from throwing it on the grass. He loves to play with his little cars now and especially enjoys making them crash (thanks Dad!). To John, every truck is dad and every car is mom. He doesn't really have many new words, but lots of new sound effects. He does a great imitation of a sea gull. He continues to have his temper flare-ups when he doesn't get his own way (like his dad!)! He has an obsession with water. He wants to play in it steady. I can't wait until it warms up so that he can actually play in it outside until his little heart contends. After Dad fixed the outside waterline (burst during the winter), he had to 'test' it, and John wanted to play in the spray. I guess we don't have to say that by the end of 'testing' the waterline, John was soaked - but both Dad and John had a blast. John has one eye tooth up and keeps rubbing at his nose/face. We don't know if it is an allergy thing, or his teeth bugging him. He asks for "oose" - juice a lot more now. I still mix it with a lot of water. Dad has been taking lots of new pictures of John outside. He can stay amused for a long time just trotting after you on the lawn. I'm encouraging him to pick all the dandelions out of the grass. May 9/04 Happy Mother's Day! Derek surprised me this morning with the most wonderful card - the sentiments were so sweet I cried! We spent the afternoon digging out the sod/dirt for John's sandbox. Of course, it started to rain when we were unloading the truck! It's going to be some fancy sandbox! (and expensive) Yesterday John was hysterical. He got into some of mom's potting soil outside. Well, it all started off with a glass of water, and then before you know it he was getting pails of water and dropping handfuls of soil in it...you can imagine what happened next when he poured the bucket on himself. He was having so much fun, I just let him do it. Heck, you're only young once, right? I stripped him down right outside and took him inside grandma's for a tubby. We left John for the first time with a teenage babysitter (Sarah) who's wonderful with him. He noticed we were gone, but she was able to distract him. It was only a short time and we were planning to go out for lunch but she came down with nasty cold and had to cancel. Apr. 25/04 Yesterday Derek and I set up John's new jungle gym set. He certainly has no fear about it! He promptly began climbing it and loved to put his toys on the platform (especially the golf balls). He certainly loves it outside and I'm going to have a heck of a time getting him to come in at all during the summer. He still continues to teethe with those eye teeth. One has come through and he's really bothered by another one today. He gets so aggressive when he's not feeling well. He's thrown some really prime temper tantrums. I sure wish these kids came with a manual. He's trying to do some singing now to "Partridge in a pear tree" (he's still watching Barney Christmas). No real new words, although he babbles plenty. He gets very frustrated when you don't know what he wants. He wants to drink water from a big glass now, but likes to tip it over as well! He's certainly a bright kid. He recognizes the toy library from the outside as he does the pool. He goes by and says "Arah" and "ids" (Sarah and kids). Apr. 11/04 Happy Easter! We started the day out by going to church (NOT DAD). John liked it in the crying room today because there were lots of "ids" (kids). Then we went to Busy Bodies but it was just me, John and the leader Sarah today. John loves the trampouline and the big foam blocks there. He can almost say "Sarah" now "arah". Yesterday John was close to melt-down many times. He is definately cutting his eye teeth now. He had one melt-down in Canadian Tire because he couldn't have a ball. The next one came at toy library when he wanted everything everyone else had and was being miserable. In the afternoon we took him to see the baby animals at Canadian Tire. He loved them. He spent time patting the piglets and sheep. He cried when we left. He's still obsessed with Twinkle Twinkle so I put glow-in-the-dark stars on his ceiling. They look pretty cool. He's not eating much this week due to the teeth. He's getting sad because the puddles are drying up and there's no more "ah" (water) for him to stomp his feet in. Apr. 1/04 The weather is finally starting to warm up! John absolutely loves to spend time outside! It's hard to convince him to come inside! Of course, he is attracted to puddles like a magnet! It's going to be hard to keep him off of the road. He continues to try more and more words. It was funny this week. We were at WalMart and he was pointing at McDonald's and saying "eiei". Of course, he's connected McDonald's the restaurant with Old MacDonald had a farm! He can now say "kids" (ids) , "Juice" (oose) and is working hard on saying "work" - Mom's going to work! Dad's going to work! etc. He continues to get up a few times during the night. I was hopeful one night last week when he slept through the night, but the next night he was right back up again! Maybe when he's 16 he'll sleep through the night? He knows about 1/2 of his alphabet letters now! He's growing like a weed and I've had to buy him some new clothes because the old ones are just getting too small! © 2004 Derek Kennedy

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