Tiny Visigoth

  
     The Visigoths threw the Roman Empire into chaos, ushering in the Dark Ages for Western civilization, a period of minimalist survival that lasted for almost a millennium. On February 8th, we were visited by our own cute Visigoth -- tyrannical yet lovable.

Visigoth ruler -- Elsa, surveys her domain with a baleful eye

 
     While Europe languished for 1000 years, I think it's pretty fine that we let the blog slide for only 6 months. Welcome back!

      In truth, it has been a full and richly rewarding spring and summer. We have had the privilege to plant gardens and flowerbeds, holiday in Banff for four days, embrace swimming lessons, and go to the Danish Canadian Museum and Markerville Creamery.

     Markerville hosts and annual Cream Day celebration of its rich, fat-laden history through ice cream. It is the quintessential agricultural community celebration with a petting zoo, local folk music, Highland dance, and free ice cream churned by hand in antique ice cream makers.

Highland Dancers from Innisfail Dance School

      Britta was enthralled with the dancers and as they finished the Highland Reel, she burst out, "When I am older, maybe I can dance like them." She then showcased a few of her own dance moves, with swinging arms and thrust out chest which evoke more of a Busta Rhymes and crumping street-dance feel. Yes, I believe dance lessons will be on Britta's horizon.

One of the Three Billy Goats Gruff

     Britta made a bee-line for the petting zoo and was delighted to be given a handful of feed. The chin-whiskers and eager mooching of the goats put her off. We're hoping that this aversion will mean that Britta will never bring home a scruffy-faced young man whose sole occupation is "band-member".

A local 4H'er

A rescued owl from the Medicine River Wildlife Centre

      Britta liked the calf, but absolutely loved the Holstein cow. She wanted desperately for it to eat from her hand, despite her only having three dilapidated oats left. The cow spent the entire time we were at its pen with it's back turned to us, so Britta was yelling, "Here cow! Here cow! I have food for you!" We finally convinced Britta that if she dropped the oats inside the pen, the cow would be most grateful and eat them later.

Yummmm!

"Please sir, may I have another?" -- Oliver Twist

     The free ice cream cones were the perfect size for small children and for people who have just undergone gastric bypass surgery. We adults had to line up a couple times, apologize profusely and make excuses that our children were wanting more ice-cream in order to get a good taste. Yes, on occasion we do use our children to leverage treats -- let those of you who have never cut a checkout line with a baby cast the first cone. The trick is to leave a few dabs of food on their faces for extra cuteness.

     Elsa has two teeth on the bottom now and is showing a marked interest in eating solid food. Solid anything, really. This morning she gave the trampoline mat a good licking when I put her down. It's got the rich flavour of nylon with hints of pine needle and ants. However, when we went to Cream Day, Elsa didn't get any treats. She rode around on Mum, winning hearts and adding to her collective Visigoth kingdom.

    

Olympian

     
      The last couple days have been quiet; too quiet for everyone. As we wait, as patiently as we can, the word on everyone's lips is "baby". Well, almost everyone -- Britta has been taking inspiration from the upcoming athleticism so her most oft-spoken word is "tag".

      "Come catch me, Mommy!"

      The scene that plays out in the kitchen every evening is of mom and dad running laps of the living room and kitchen. And the only word which could capture the look on Britta's face is "joy".

       

Of few words

     It is a cliche that the Inuit have many words for snow; that it holds a special and significant role in their day-to-day lives and thus can be described many ways. Britta, having fewer sounds, but many interests has opted to go the other way, and has made a few Swiss-Army-Words, you know, the multitool words which can be used in any given situation.
    
     Her favorite one of late is matato (mah-TAY-to), which describes tomatoes, potatoes, and Play-doh. Yes, you can see where that one comes from -- and also how it can be confusing between playtime and snack.

     "Mom, can you make a baby out of matato?" and "Mom, I want dippy (ketchup) on my matato." have very different meanings.

     Really, Britta is growing up quickly and she learns new words faster than we can keep track of them. She's also keenly on baby-watch, and has been asking Kristine's tummy, "Baby, when are you coming out?"

      She was the first to have a guess at baby's gender. She said definitively that it is going to be a boy and that she wants a boy-sister.

Happy New Year

       As 2013 wanes thin and the last few hours dribble through Britta’s fingers, she contemplates the joys of the year and looks forward to what 2014 will bring. Britta has become a big girl this year, wearing big-girl panties and reading books to herself. She successfully navigated the horrors of potty training -- not quite in the 72 hours promised by Mom’s ebook.

       One of her favorite destination is the Innisfail library, where we can get stacks of new books. Don’t dare try to read anything more than a week old; she wants the NEW ones. Often breakfast is now followed by a solitary read through of the book basket, one by one where the stories are narrated from memory or ad-libbed in a falsetto voice. She is so confident that she often declares, “No, my read it!” when mom or dad try to read.

       Britta has taken to saying the common table grace when we eat, as well as adding a few new songs to her repertoire, including “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”. Britta has been going to SEEDs, a program for young children at the school.

       Britta enjoyed Christmas very much; she is infatuated with nativity scenes and pointing and naming baby Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and the three wise men. We went to see the Amundruds Gospel Band perform in Didsbury and there was a nativity on stage, as well as a rural country scene with a barn and some bales. The barn was just two dimensional, being made of plywood, but Britta was extremely ticked off at the barn being “closed” so she couldn’t look inside. That was a few weeks ago and we’re still hearing about it.

       Britta thanks all the people who gave her presents, especially Tammy-Avery who made the exclusive “Who Loves Britta?” list, a little game where daddy asks, “Who loves Britta” and she responds with, “Daddy loves Britta” or “Mommy loves Britta” and so forth.

       Britta is looking forward to having a new “boy-sister”. She is the first person to commit and say that mommy is having a baby boy. She told mommy that she would be her “doo-ya” if she wanted, okay? Daddy just thinks Britta will like having a little person to teach, read to, play with, and generally boss around. Fingers crossed.

Prima Donna

Girls and boys, ladies and gentlemen, and fans of nursery rhymes from around the world. High Chair Entertainment invites you to stand up, put your heartbeat to funky and rock it with the Prima Donna. With hit covers of songs such as: "Day-O", "A-B-C", and "Johnny Appleseed", Prima Donna has put on intimate live concerts in her bedroom, the kitchen and on the toilet.

Now, a brand new hit music video: "Baa Baa Black Sheep"!

Taking the charts, taking your hearts - it's Britta!

They Call Me Curry-Face

 
     Mum and Da' have brought me home from the Far East (see below), but while I was there I developed a taste for sweet pear curry. Nothing could be finer! It's the saucy noodles that take my fancy; the pears I could take or leave. Tonight, I left them in a splattered pool under my high chair, where I had thrown them. "Oh-ohh!" Whenever I say that, Mum and Da' think it was an accident and I smile my most innocent smile...

Hard Times

We know what you all are thinking, that we've fallen on hard times and were forced to sell Britta to a Chinese family. Well, those rumors are patently untrue. Britta is still here, not enrolled in a superb Asian gymnast program (we know they start young); she's fine.

In the intervening months since Christmas, Britta has been a busy girl. She's gone walking with mom and dad down Range Road 32, danced to Josh Groban music, started her first crush on a much-older Raffi, and taken two major trips: one to Kananaskis and one to Victoria.



In Kananaskis, she played the floozy by rocking out in snow boots and a very revealing swimsuit. Every evening after our walk and dinner, we'd head to the pool and hot tub for a soak under the stars.

She also found the time to have her first hair cut (see results below), first visit to the dentist, and get her first pair of glasses. With those specs on her baby blues, she is much more confident and cuter to boot.