This boy is amazing

This post serves as nothing but a shameless brag about this boy of mine. He's changing so fast that I've got to try to keep track of some of these new skills. Among them are:

Pretending. All of a sudden, he's imaging doing things. He'll pluck something off the wall, a chair, the floor, wherever and come and pop it in my mouth or put it in a container. He loves it when I get all excited about whatever it is he's brought me and pretend to eat it, hide it, etc. with great relish.

Air guitar. Adam received a small electric guitar ornament for Christmas. We take it and pretend to rock out. Then Olan takes it and pretends to play too. He makes these "guitar sounds" which are hilarious. He gets so into it, I can't get enough!

Playing the harmonica. Adam bought Olan a harmonica for Christmas. I must admit that I thought that it was a bit too soon, he's only one after all! But he's now gone from holding it and looking bewildered to actually being able to play a few notes.

Singing. Yup, he can sing. It's hard to describe what it sounds like so you'll just have to trust that it's the sweetest thing you've ever heard.

Talking & signing. The words and signs are piling up so fast we can't keep track. He has Io down now, always gets it right. Other new ones are cow, flower, ear, logo (said while pointing to the Tim Hortons logo on a bag) and vaccuum. He's signing help, please, more and hurt.

A boy's first haircut

I had intended to grow Olan's hair. How long I didn't know, we were just going to wing it. But then this morning he had the worst bedhead ever and we decided that maaaaaaaaaybe we should get his hair cut. His hair was not only getting long but it was all over the place, short in some parts, longer in others, a bit of a mess really.

So we called Hottie Central (not REALLY called that but it might as well be), the hair place near us where I swear that they only hire cute girls. We figured that Olan would most happy to stay put for a haircut in such surroundings. He is a chick magnet remember.

I was very anxious and worried about how it would all go. I didn't want him to look too old and not like my little baby anymore. But it went really well. He was a great little trooper and charmed everyone in the place. His stylist put his clippings in an envelope for me, which was sweet.

We're thrilled with how it turned out- he doesn't look older, in fact he might look younger- more like his little baby self. And he definitely looks smaller under all that hair :)





And the after shots, happily colouring at home

Big Snow

When we woke this morning there was a pile of fresh new snow on the ground and more piling up by the second. After breakfast and a bit of playtime we headed out to try the new superfastsled. The snow was the powdery soft super light stuff which covered solid sheets of ice, the stuff good sledding is made of :)

Shovelling before we left


Coming over the hill. I love that the hospital where Olan was born is looming overhead.


Here we go!


WooHoo!!!


Again!

Safe travels Hurley

We had a very sad start to last week. Hurley died on Friday, January 11th. Though technically my mom's cousin's husband, he was always an Uncle to me, and his children my cousins.

Olan and I jetted off to Toronto on Monday to attend the funeral. As the news slowly seeped into my brain-these things take some time to truly penetrate- it has left me so sad. Many of us who were there talked about how it was a sort of end. The end of a certain kind of Six Mile life and all the good times that surrounded it. It's lovely to be around family at times like these, but such a bittersweet thing. You enjoy the company and stories but wish that you were all there celebrating a marriage, a christening, a graduation... a beggining.

And while the trip was unexpected, fast and totally exhausting, I'm so glad that we went. Olan's little light shone on everyone there and hopefully provided some joy and hope to all those who are left behind hurting so badly.

I love this photo of Hurley, taken the year we sold our beloved cottage on Six Mile. We were all crammed into the screen tent, whooping it up, while a huge thundering rainstorm came down outside. In retrospect, probably not the safest place in a thunderstorm, but it's a night that goes down in cottage lore history.