How He's Grown!

I was looking at some photos today, photos from back in December. I had to take some photos of Denis for court. I needed a head shot and a full length photo. I can't believe how much Denis has grown. The pants he is wearing in this photo puddled on the ground have long been given away as they were too short. And even his face has changed so much.

I met a baby and now I have a little boy.

He likes it, really, he does!

On Sunday I left Denis with my brother while I took my sister out for a couple of hours. Denis loves to spend time with his uncle and my brother generously gave up some of his precious free time during report card and exam prep to play horse and tow truck so I could see our sister.

My outing with Kathryn wasn't that exciting, but she doesn't crave excitement, she likes simple things. We ate lunch at Tim Hortons and then shopped at the SuperStore.

While at the SuperStore I saw a Little Tykes swing. I thought it would be a great gift from Aunt Kathryn for Denis and a great toy for our backyard (maybe allowing me some time to actually work on the yard). I've been trying to build a positive relationship between Denis and my sister. It has been hard as she has been so ill, and we haven't had her home that often. When she has been at home Denis has quickly realized she needs as much care and attention as he does. Can we say Jealous.

When I came home, Denis was having a nap. I set the swing up in the backyard hanging the swing from a branch of the apple tree. When Denis woke up I took him outside to check out the swing.

You can see by the area behind Denis that the yard needs a LOT of work.
Denis loves being on the swings and his usual request is for a 'big' push. I promise you he wasn't asking me to get him out, he was asking for the camera.
And here he is not crying in panic, he is saying that the camera is his and that I should give it back to him.
Finally, he figures if I won't give him my camera then he will just ignore me. I swear that's what was happening.

It is near impossible these days to get a good picture of Denis, he thinks it is a game not to smile for the camera. The wacky thing is he smiles beautifully when playing with my brother's computer's mouse which he pretends is a camera and we have to take pictures with it. Typical, eh?!

Oh, and with him on the swing I did get some yard work done. Now if only Denis would be nice with Aunt Kathryn and not try to hit her or stomp on her broken ankle. Come on, can't I have everything?

BIG

Big seems to be Denis' new favourite word. Everything is big, and you can't say big unless you drop your voice down an octave and spread your arms wide to demonstrate.

Today we went to the 'big water' which means the swimming pool. This place is not to be confused with the 'big water' we went to on Tuesday, the Pond in Unionville where we saw geese and ducks. He also uses tiny and medium, but hands down big is his favourite word.

Now, having said Denis likes the word, I must mention that Denis has difficulty with understanding size deferential. For instance, this is Denis trying to get his old shoes on his uncle's foot. He'd outgrown the shoes and decided that they would be good shoes for Uncle John.
His solution to the shoe not fitting was to ask my brother to take his sock off.

On the weekend Denis was playing a game while sitting on my brother's knee. Eventually my brother said he was tired and that the game would have to end. Denis had a simple solution to the problem, he wasn't tired so Uncle John could sit on his lap. I just had to get a photo.
We'll have to work on his concept of size, we don't have to work on his self imagine as he sees himself as BIG!

Where My Gramma?

Yesterday, Denis and I were watching Caillou on Treehouse. At the end of the episode there was a vignette where Ciallou tells about his grandmother. Denis was sitting on my knee watching when he turned to me and asked, "Where my Gramma?" Whoa, great way to make get me all choked up little man.

I told Denis his Gramma, who would have wanted to be called Granny, was in heaven. But I took him to see a picture that I have on the fridge of my parents with my sister. I pointed out his Granny and Granddad and his Aunt Kathryn.

Denis loves watching Caillou and he is learning a lot from the show. On one episode, Caillou visits a ranch where he feeds, grooms and rides a horse. At the end of the episode when he and his family are back home, Caillou's father pretends to be a horse. Since seeing the episode Denis makes a neighing sound and indicates that he wants either my brother or I to get on all fours to be a horse. We are then feed imaginary carrots and groomed vigourously.

I just got an email

I just got an email to say that Denis' passport has been picked up by the the courier company. It isn't ready for me to pick up, but the Consulate is finished with the passport.

How fast is that?!