Three Years of Being a Parent

That last post was Jenn, incidentally. One of my presents to Dee Dee for her third birthday was a DVD of Disney's Alice in Wonderland. I'd never seen it in its entirety, though the book is one of my favourites. Watching it with her for the first time I thought it might be a bit out there for her, but she's taken to it rather strongly. Anyhow, Wallace in Wonderland is how she refers to the film. "Do you mean Alice?" Jenn/I helpfully offer.

"No, Wallace," she replies without fail.

OK, then.

Sunday was the big birthday party. Various family members from Hamilton and Toronto popped by, as well as those from more local climes. Dreadful snowy roads in the morning but we only had one pair of attendees bow out as a result. Jenn booted Dee Dee and I out on Saturday night; we went to her employer's house to spend the night while she toiled away on party preparations. She used the time well; when Dee Dee and I first set foot in the Party Room on Sunday morning our jaws dropped. Great decorations, two cakes, hors d'eouvres, snacks aplenty, multiple dips, two large bowls of punch. All that and she'd thrown together a CD-R of Dee Dee's favourite Disney songs. Mama rules!

All of the other kids who attended had just finished their naps, and on any other day Dee Dee probably would have begun hers right around the time the party started. So it was a bit overwhelming for her; the relatively few meltdowns were understandable.

Yesterday, the actual birthday, she had photos taken at Zehrs. Hopefully I'll have some samples up in a few days. They turned out great: some gorgeous pics in a nice outfit and some hilariously hammy ones in a princess outfit from a dress-up kit that Grandpa and Nana gave her.

In the evening we took her to Chuck E. Cheese for the first time and she was blissed out beyond belief. Like me, she's a bit of a serious consumer of entertainment: we may crack an occasional smile but mostly we just observe intently. On a couple of the CEC rides (especially the simulated roller coasters) she just had this pure joy smile plastered across her face. Nice to see.

Bedtime has been a production for several nights now; as I type this, Jenn has been actively putting her down for a good 45 minutes or so. Last night, after much fuss(she was genuinely wired from all the excitement of the past few days) I consented to her request to lie down with me in our room. I put on the "making of" documentary from the new Criterion disc of Sanjuro. She was out cold in a matter of 15 minutes. Must remember to bring out the foreign films more often.

Wallace in Wonderland

If this blog didn't already have such a great title, it would surely be called Wallace in Wonderland.

Friday iPod Random Ten

Rock on, my first week was almost content-free! Lots to come, including thoughts on living life with only half a face, from someone who knows. Also, what British TV comedy character does Dee Dee most remind us of? In the meantime, here's my lame weekly tradition.

John Patton - Gee Gee

Tal Farlow - The Way You Look Tonight

Milt Jackson - Little Sunflower

Art Farmer - Ally

Miles Davis - The Duke

Ella Fitzgerald - Early Autumn

Chet Baker - The Lamp Is Low

Billy Mitchell - Siam

Bud Powell - Un Poco Loco (alternate take #1)

Count Basie - Oh, Lady Be Good

Three recurring characters from last week. Well, it's only a 4 gig and it hasn't been a full week. C'est la vie.

Dee Dee's favourite sport

Last night we attended the 1st annual McKinlay and Friends Bowling Bash (my aunt Diane and uncle Alan's clan). Dee Dee spent the entire evening monopolizing lane six, playing her own special brand of slow-motion bowling (her only real meltdown came when she suddenly fetishized lane five, where others were having a game).

The highlight was when she took out all five pins with just four balls. In lane five, so maybe she was on to something.

Looking forward to the second annual event, and probably a few family bowling nights in the interim here in Waterloo.

Obligatory Post #1: iPod Random Ten

Song of the Islands - Count Basie

Just Waiting - Billy Mitchell

Return Engagement - Horace Parlan

I Wished on the Moon (alternate take) - Tal Farlow

Peepin' - Lou Donaldson

Nothing Personal - Don Grolnick

Triple Threat - Rahsaan Roland Kirk

The Hardbop Grandpop - Horace Silver

Grantstand - Grant Green

Transition - Herbie Hancock/Michael Brecker/Roy Hargrove (yes, I am that kind of person)

Another Blog

My umpteenth attempt at a blog, this. I have decided the secret is to not tell anyone about it, so no one will have any expectations. Also I will only post when I feel like it, rather than feeling that I am obliged to come up with content. That said, I will be posting a few obligatory posts now just to have a few entries.