Guest artist

Zoey dropped by with her Dad this afternoon, and left us this beautiful rendition of one of Gwendolyn's favourite art subjects: the good old happy face. Thanks, Z!

It's play (dough) time!

This afternoon's fun project: making a batch of play dough -- a first for both Daddy and Gwendolyn. The recipe can be found here; a half batch seems plenty, unless you have a slew of kids to entertain.

As soon as the cooking was over, it was time to play with the stuff. And play we did! Daddy's creations included a green kangaroo (by request) and a pink bunny's head. For Gwendolyn, it was all about making and baking pizzas...

Injury report

We're sorry to report that Gwendolyn had a bit of a mishap this past Saturday. She got her feet tangled up in the hose that was filling her swimming pool and had a nasty spill. The end result was a gash on her forehead which required a trip to the Children's Hospital Emergency ward.

Thank goodness we didn't need stitches, but we did need plenty of glue to close the wound. Gwendolyn was rewarded by the attending nurse with a Popsicle and some stickers for her bravery, and things seem to be healing fine. If we care for things properly, we're told there shouldn't be much of a scar.

In the "adding insult to injury" department, however: Gwendolyn began suffering from a cold soon after her hospital visit, and has been a snuffly bear the past couple of days. Poor kid!

Watermelon everywhere

And speaking of that huge (13 pound!) watermelon, here are a few photos of Gwendolyn working her way through some of the nearly half she has already eaten -- with very little help from Mama and Daddy, we should add.

Potty update

Remember Gwendolyn's potty sticker chart? Well, here's how it looks a few days along in our training. We're doing great -- lots of successes, no accidents, and Gwendolyn seems really in tune with her body telling her she needs to go. No "number twos" in the potty yet, but we'll get there soon enough.

A little explanation about the big red sticker: it is from a huge watermelon that came from the grocery store where G. had her first away from home pee. It was her choice to use it to mark the momentous occasion...

New from the art files

• Jumping Girl
  
• Girl in Bouncy Castle
• Black-Eyed Susan (complete with roots)

Potty success!

It's been a bit of a nervous time in the Ronaghan household. The start of pre-school is just around the corner, and Gwendolyn's interest in using the potty has been slim at best.

You see, being potty trained is a prerequisite for pre-school. Up until this weekend, little G. has generally been happy as a clam in her diapers. She sat on her potty at home a few times over the past couple of months, and had one or two successes with it. Lately though, it's been a non-starter. We've tried not to make a big deal of this of course, but quietly have been fretting about the pre-school deadline.

Last evening, we had the breakthrough we were hoping for. At a birthday party for one of Mama and Daddy's friends -- attended by a whole whack of toddlers -- Gwendolyn witnessed one of her peers using the potty. This was not the first time she's watched another toddler doing her business, but for some reason, she was compelled last night to give it a try herself. And voila -- two successful pees in a row!

We thought we were back at square one this morning, with a number of refusals to use her potty at home. Happily, she decided to try again this afternoon and had another pee. We suitably celebrated the accomplishment, and then Daddy hit on the idea of starting a "Potty Chart" -- a piece of paper stuck on the fridge, onto which Gwendolyn could place one sticker for each successful go with the potty.

Well, you think she'd won the lottery. We have been back and forth to the potty all afternoon and evening, and Gwendolyn's chart now has (including last evening's successes) a total of nine stickers on it. (Oops -- make that ten. We've just had another pee as Daddy writes this.)

Hurrah! And phew! Looks like potty training has officially begun...

Back from a week at the lake

Lake Okanagan, to be precise. The Ronaghans were honoured guests of friends Jen, Colin and baby Connor at "The Camp," as it is known -- a rustic little cabin right at lake's edge.

Here are just a few photos of the week:

• A happy camper on the beach
• Playing with fellow guest Natalie
• Kayaking (!) with Daddy
• Throwing rocks off the dock-- a favourite daily activity
• Swimming with Mamma