Just Another Fairy Weekend

I guess all little girls go through this phase?? They want to be a) Princess Barbie b) Fairy Princess Barbie c) Mariposa Barbie d) Butterfly-winged-fairy-princess-anything e) Upsy-Daisy f) Lightning McQueen-kchaow! hehe

While Keira is on the mend, I've gotten sicker and sicker to the point where it's excruciatingly painful to swallow. Ah well....didn't let that stop the little one from going around being Fairy-Princess.... (whatever)!

Well, it was bound to happen one day. I must admit, we've been pretty lucky in terms of Keira's health. Other than the common cold, the occasional bout of stomach flu and once, the flu....she's been good.

I noticed the other day, that she had some yellow discharge in her eyes. Of course, my hubby told me not to worry, was nothing. Uh-huh. Yesterday, Keira woke up with her eyes glued shut. Literally. They were both gummed up and it was horrible watching her trying to open her eyes and crying. Did you already guess what she has? Yep, conjuntivitis also known as..."pinkeye".

Didn't know if it was due to allergies, her cold or a virus, so I decided to head to our local CLSC. Wouldn't you know it? They turned us down, told us there wasn't a doctor in the building and that they only do blood tests etc. Told me I had to go to the next town. I decided to head to familiar streets in old 'hood. I headed to the CLSC beside the local hospital. After being stuck before the parking entry (it was busted) and heading towards the hospital entry parking, we were turned down yet again! They didn't have doctors in the building either! They only took in prélèvements (blood tests, radiology etc). This is the CLSC BESIDE THE HOSPITAL!!

I was going to head to the clinic at the metro station but the nice lady at the CLSC informed me that they had closed. Oohhhkay. She gave me a list of local clinics that might take us in that day.

Luckily (or maybe not), the next clinic we went to gave us hope. Took our card, info and then gave us a number (43) and told us to wait in the waiting room. Well ladies and gents, we got in at 9:20 am and finally got to see the doctor at 2:10 pm. If I'd have known it would take that long, I would have gone home and then back again. We had that much time! I had enough snacks and books to last for maybe, 2 hours. But 5?! I tell ya, for a kid it's hard. Did Keira surprise me? YES! This gal made me proud. Didn't whine, cry or pull a fit. If only I had a portable dvd player!!

We finally got to see the doc, took 2 minutes. Waited 5 hours for 2 minutes. Wow.

So...antibiotic eye drops for Keira for the next 7 days, 3 times a day. Like forcing a cat to bathe! We're home again today as the doc recommended waiting 24 hours before letting her go back to the caregiver's. I don't know how kids do it, but Keira's eyes have already cleared up. But the drops go in anyways. And the hand-washing, toy-cleaning, linen/clothes washing continues!

Our health system needs....help.

Dancing with Upsy Daisy, Iggle Piggle and friends from c park on Vimeo.

You would think that at 7:45pm, dancing like this would poop her out for bedtime.... nope!

"Can I Start My Skewl?"

Ah yes! The first words out of Keira's mouth when she finally went and used the potty! "Can I start my skewl?". We've been telling her for months now that if she went pee in the potty, she gets to go to her new school. It's just a preschool/elementary school near our house that we've been bribing her with.

Months and months of trying to get her to use the potty, buying gifts that we put on top of the shelf in the bathroom to "motivate" her, getting her a Backyardigans little cushion/potty training thingy, showing her the Toys R Us catalogue and letting her choose what she "might get" if she uses the toilet, buying her Cars undies as well as Princess undies.... all to no avail. This girl is stubborn with a capital S!

We finally gave up, let her go in the nude during the weekends, wear her undies when she felt like it but she preferred her Pull-Ups to go to. This weekend, she surprised us with wanting to just wear her undies (and changing them about 20 times during the day, sigh) and lo and behold! Using the potty! Oh my goodness, when I heard that tinkle... I wanted to head outside and shout for joy. It's been 3 days now and we've even heard her going to the toilet by herself at least twice! Well, all we heard was a scrape of the step stool, a tinkle tinkle tinkle and the flush and then Keira screaming "I DID IT!!!". lol.

There are probably going to be setbacks but...we're on our way!


Busy weekend of gardening, planting and using the potty...hehe


Spending a lot of time in the washroom this long weekend...fine by us!

In the Night Garden

Okay, so besides the Cars craze, the Spiderman obsession (although don't think she'll watch Spiderman, the cartoon on tv. Too scared to watch it!), here is the latest obsession (along with the above): In the Night Garden.

What is up with these wacko characters that the brits come up with and children love? Boobah, Night Garden, Teletubbies...Keira loves them all!

Sadly (or maybe not), merch is hard to find on our shores. I've found some used dvd's but at 18.99, who are they kidding! I need to get a recorder...

Just to surprise Keira, I downloaded the wallpaper from the site, printed it on transfer paper and ironed on some images on old tees for her. Voila! Instant happiness!

Apparently, she's Upsy-Daisy, I'm IgglePiggle (or as she says it: piglepigle) and papa is Tombliboos (blutoms). Light on! I need to find a dvd for our upcoming trip! This'll definately keep her happy during the trip....gotta keep searching.

Untitled from c park on Vimeo.

A Cars fan

kchow! From pj's to undies...

Rainy, lazy weekends

What else is there to do on lazy rainy weekends but watch tv and hope for the best? Had my mom over yesterday at home. We brought her over to the korean grocery Jang Teu (which sounds more like jun-kuh, lol!) and bought some lovely lovely kimchee stuff for moi, and basic necessities for my mom. Am slightly worried about her because we found out that she has to have a "minor" procedure done on her heart. I don't even know all the details but it sounds like a pacemaker is what she might need.

Anyways, more of that later..her appointment is for this Tuesday. I feel horrible because even though I call her almost everyday, she hadn't said anything to me because she didn't want to "burden" us with her troubles. sigh... My sis will be with her all day on Tuesday so...

On top of that, while we were at the korean grocery I found out that Hellen's son Vaughn is back in hospital for more rounds of chemo. No wonder no one was returning my emails and calls. Vaughn's only 3 but has been fighting cancer most of his life now. Trying to figure out how to help out here but it's hard when you can't reach them and apparently, can't visit (for fear of germs and virus-he can't fight them off). sigh....

Can only hope for the best and be grateful for everything in our lives...



Meanwhile, it's been a rainy weekend and we've been watching old Mickey Mouse cartoons (that Keira finds hystrerical) and planning our garden. Anything to keep my mind from going into the doldrums about my mom and Hellen. I pray for Vaughn to get better...

Kiki's famous phrases....

Ok, so I've noticed now that Keira speaks to her daddy in french and to myself in english. Which is pretty cool and quite frankly, makes me feel relieved. Thought we were confusing the poor kid speaking to her in french english (and halmoni in korean!). Some things still come out as gibberish but here are some phrases we get from her that make us laugh our heads off... most times:

1) When we want her finish eating, wait, when we want her to start eating or ask her to clean up, get something... we get this phrase thrown at us: "mama/papa, I too tired" and then closes her eyes to show us she's really tired.

2) When it's naptime or bedtime: "I'm not tired!!!!!!!"

3) When I say, "please stop__________: "It's okay mama, it's (pause for effect) oh-kay" and/or "why not?"

4) When we put her breakfast/lunch/supper in front of her that's not a) crackers b) cookies c) chocolate: "I don wan dat".

5) If I bring home a treat for Keira, I get the big hug and "FOR ME?!! Oh! Tank you mama!!!" Of course, if the treat was broccoli, doubt I'd get the same reception...

6) If she asks me what an object is and I tell her but she doesn't think I'm right I get: "It not!" (hands on hips).

7) If she's been a naughty girl and I tell her to go in her corner she says: "it not corner, it time-out". THAT made me laugh!

8) If Keira knows she did something wrong and we ask her about it: "it not me! it's noah" (her buddy at caregiver's, lol. poor dude)

9) If she's a-hankerin' to get out of the house: "i wan go dehors".

10) And if I'm in the living room and calling up to Keira who's in her playroom I get: "What?!!"