Dashiell
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| At long last, an update |
[Nov. 9th, 2009|01:53 am] |
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I noticed something the other day. Morag, Max, Mango, Mazda, Mickey (she died) ... we're the M Family. Everyone except me. So I told mom and dad (or, as I now call them, "guys") that I need an M name. They told me that before I came out of mommy's tummy, they used to call me Murgatroyd. Sounds good to me, I said; we need to let everyone know that I want to be called Murgatroyd now. "So," I said to dad, "Could you send everyone an email?"
Funny how my vocabulary has expanded to include words like "download" and "delete", along with the ever-popular, "Can I play a game on your iPhone?"
Hello, everyone! It's now been well over a year since I last updated this - for which I totally blame mommy and daddy. After all, I'm only 4 3/4. I still need a little help.
So to make up for lost time ... ( click here for a whirlwind tour of my last year - July 2008 to August 2009. )
In September, The Grove Community School (an alternative public school) came to life, and I started school! I'm now in afternoon Junior Kindergarten, which, in actual fact, means I get walked upstairs to a different classroom for three hours in the afternoon and then back down to the daycare afterwards. I'm not even entirely sure what's school and what isn't. But I know I like the new daycare better than the old one. Why, you ask? Is it the quality YMCA programming, the wonderful organic hot lunches, the stimulating environment? No ... it's no naps! Of course all the kids take a secret oath never to tell our parents anything (it's training for adolescence!) so when mommy and daddy ask me what I did at school today I just say, "I don't remember." Don't tell, but I've come to a compromise with mommy - if she gives me enough "clues" I'll give her a few hints. Sometimes I tell her sadly, "School was fine, but I think the learning part must be in the morning because I didn't learn anything today." Still, I love my teachers, my new friends, Marni's 'expressive arts class,' the Grove Gatherings, and the field trips!
 This Hallowe'en, I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to be. First I said I wanted to be tree, then a skeleton, then the Easter Island statue from Night at the Museum. I know my friends have parents who spend hours and hours and hours making elaborate Hallowe'en costumes for them. My cousins Nicolas and Adrienne had super cool homemade Caillou and Tinky Winky costumes, which must have taken tons of research, preparation and craftsmanship. In the days and weeks leading up to Halloween, I saw my mummy and daddy spend hours and hours and hours on their iPhones and computers, presumably researching costume ideas for me, ordering fabric and materials online, etc. But maybe the stuff didn't arrive on time because just before the big night, I was dragged to a big store and told to choose a costume hanging on the racks. There wasn't much of a selection left but I found a really cool wizard outfit, with a nifty trompe-l'œil face on it. Then I went to a Hallowe'en party at school, and all my friends were there in their elaborate, homemade costumes. One of them came up to me, gave me the once over and pronounced his verdict: "Creepy!" So it just goes to show that homemade and creative is highly overrated. Or so my parents keep telling me.
At school, we had a really fun event called the Wild Rumpus, based on one of my favorite books, Where the Wild Things Are. The whole school dressed as wild things, then we gathered in the gym where the teachers all read the story, followed by a spirited game of "Wild Rumpus Hokey Pokey," then we all went on a parade to the local park where a fun-filled days of activities were planned. Unfortunately, as the parade made its way to the park, it started to rain, but everybody decided to plod on. The best thing of all is that my mommy uncharacteristically took time off work to march in the parade and join in the fun at the park. Us kids had a blast, even when it started to downpour, but the mummies and daddies didn't look too happy about the meteorological turn of events. As the rain came down, they roared their terrible roars and gnashed their terrible teeth and rolled their terrible eyes, pleading to take the party indoors, but us kids said, "NO!" So we went to the park and did crafts, made potions and had music and dancing until mommy finally had to go to work, dripping wet. I said, "Mommy, please don't go, I'll eat you up, I love you so" but mommy said her bosses are wild things who would send her to bed without supper if she missed a whole day of work. Still, it was fun to have her there for the entire morning.
To celebrate mommy's birthday and Thanksgiving, we spent the weekend at another "fun place" that has kids activities, wagon rides, canoeing on the lake and an indoor swimming pool. For years, whenever we were at a pool or lake, I didn't exactly take to the water like a fish. Maybe it had something to do with the time when I was standing at as swimming pool with mommy and daddy when I was a year old and they were ignoring me, probably playing on their hiptops or something, and when they looked up, I had fallen into the pool. After that, the only time I could be coaxed into the water was when daddy gave me a ride on the "Maxi Taxi". But this time at the "fun place", the water was wonderfully warm, and they had these noodles to play with ... so I jumped in the pool with them and the next thing you know, I was gliding through the pool like a dolphin all weekend, even in the deep end.
My new aquatic ability must have convinced daddy that my athletic abilities run deep, because he snuck out once again when we got home and enrolled me in indoor soccer this winter. He hasn't told mommy yet. In fact, he says that whenever we head out to a game, we have to bring something called a tutu and pointe shoes with us while whistling music from Swan Lake.
Man, my parents are weird!
**Many thanks again to Auntie Amanda, who took back control of my site after it was hijacked a few months ago by hackers. Those hackers need a time out! |
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| Foreign Adventures |
[Jun. 29th, 2008|06:03 pm] |
 "Dashiell York, Dashiell York, where have you been?
I've been to London to visit the Queen.
And Dashiell York, Dashiell York, what did you do there?
I was almost beheaded for sitting in her chair."
Well, to be fair to me, even though I can write very well, I still can't read signs saying "Keep Off", so when we visited the Windsor Castle throne room and Daddy pointed out the Queen's chair, I wanted to see if there was a mouse under there like in the poem. So I slipped below the rope, looked under the throne and, seeing no little creature scurrying about, I was just about to sit myself down to rest on the plush throne which has hosted every monarch's regal butt since Henry VIII, when Daddy grabbed me and pulled me back. Luckily the Queen was off at the Ascot races for the day because he said she would not have been amused.
It was just one of my many adventures on our recent trip to London, but even though Mommy is always saying that she wants me to grow up to be a queen, the royal itinerary wasn't why I flew 3,000 miles over the pond. As I kept telling Mommy and Daddy, I wanted to go to England to meet Mary Poppins and Paddington Bear. Sadly, although I scanned the sky regularly, I never did see a lady hanging from an umbrella. But I did find the aforementioned bear when we visited the train station named after him. Alas, I do not like marmalade sandwiches, but it was very exciting nevertheless.
 Other than Mary and Paddington, I guess mommy and daddy don't have many friends in London so we spent most of our time visiting different places. We ...
- went to the London Zoo and saw lots of animals, including
mommy's favourites, the giraffes;
- saw a puppet show on a puppet barge;
- frolicked in the meadow at Hampstead Heath;
- shopped at Camden Lock and Portobello Road market;
- checked out London from up in the sky (or at least up in the Eye);
- took a boat ride down the canal;
- saw statues of famous people (besides Paddington, I mean);
- and, my personal favourite, rode lots of trains.
I humoured mommy and daddy with the tourist stuff, like Piccadilly Circus and Big Ben, but made sure I got in some of the more important kid things too, like bubbles and swings.
 But the trip to England was just one of my many globe-trotting adventures since I last blogged. Only a couple of weeks before, we hopped briefly down to New York City with Auntie Brick, where we had a lovely visit with Auntie Linda and a very nice dinner with Auntie Tanya and Uncle Steve, where I was fascinated by Uncle Steve's expensive new Etch-a-Sketch toy, which he called an iPhone. They tell me it does a few other things too. I plan to ask Santa for one at Christmas!
"Dashiell, eating peas", by Tanya
And, just to make the NYC trip extra memorable, I also quite abruptly potty-trained myself in the two or three days we were there. After politely ignoring all suggestions from mommy and daddy and the daycare teachers, for the last year or so, to give them any kind of hint when I was wet, needed a new diaper or might benefit from a trip to the bathroom, I picked the weekend in NYC to suddenly begin making firm announcements: "I need to go pee!" It took them a couple of days to get the hang of it, and the daycare teachers a couple more once we got back, but since then we've done perfectly, with nary an accident (aside from overnight) in weeks. As with essentially every other developmental milestone in my three and a half year history, from weaning to walking to ditching the soos, I simply waited till I was ready and then acted accordingly. I don't know how long it will take mommy and daddy to figure it out.
And speaking of three and a half years, it's almost time for my annual summer garden and cocktail party, taking place at our house on Sunday July 27 from 2:00-5:00 pm. Hope to see you all there!
Uncle Dave, please get well soon. I feel your pain. |
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| Historic Day |
[May. 11th, 2008|06:14 pm] |
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First haircut
  Before After
Well, today was an historic day! My hair has been growing ever since I was born, except for a couple of times when grandma cut my bangs. Mommy has always loved my long hair so I didn't like to complain but lately when people have asked -- if mommy wasn't there -- I started to admit that I wouldn't mind shorter hair. Then one day mommy was nearby and daddy asked me the same thing: "Would you like to have your haircut, Dash?" I demurred a bit then looked at mommy and said, "Is it okay to say yes, mommy?" And when she said yes, the truth came out! So I guess in the end, she loves me more than my long hair.
Today was the big day and we went to a special hair cutting place for kids. Mommy recorded the historic event for posterity. Afterwards I got a lollipop in my favourite colour - green - and told daddy I wasn't traumatized to lose all my hair.
In other news, daddy has built a new pond in the garden, and we added three fishes named Swimmer, Kleenex-Blower, and Chopping-Down-Leaves. (Why yes, I did name them myself, why do you ask?) Speaking of swimming, the drains in our house recently stopped running properly. For some reason, mommy and daddy asked me if I'd put anything in the toilet.
"Just my penguin," I told them.
They got all excited. "You put a penguin in the toilet?!"
It made sense to me so I kindly explained it to them. "Well, I had to see if they could swim."
"Did you put more than one??"
"Yes."
"How many?"
"Um ... four?"
So then lots of plums came to visit (what's that, mommy? oh, sorry - plumBERs) and now everything is fine again.
Even more exciting, though, was a couple of weeks ago when Uncle Ian and cousins William and Matthew stayed with us for a few days. We had a great time playing outside in the last of the snow and the first of the spring, and watching movies on the computer together. Can't wait to see them all again this summer!
Right now I'm having a playdate with my friends Antonia and Felix. Now that it's warm again, we're back to the park almost every day, and making lots of plans to visit cousins and friends in many cities. Hope we'll be able to see you all soon. Oh and ... happy mother's day to all the moms and quasi-moms out there! |
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| RIP |
[Apr. 12th, 2008|06:34 pm] |
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| Winter Adventures |
[Feb. 10th, 2008|11:41 pm] |
Many thanks to everyone who came to my birthday party a couple of weeks ago! It was great to see you all and celebrate with so many family and friends. I've been wanting to thank you all individually but even now that I'm three, I still need mommy and daddy to help with the writing ... and those two recreants have been AWOL for the last week. Luckily for me, Grandma was here to look after me and we had a great time together. Most of the time I didn't even notice anyone was missing but every now and again I'd get a little blue, and then the conversation would go like this:
Me: I miss mommy and daddy.
Grandma: Where are they?
Me: In Cuba.
Grandma: And what are they going to bring back?
Me: Lots of presents and cookies!
And I'd cheer right up again. They finally showed up this morning and I was so excited I forgot to even ask about the bribes presents and cookies. (Though I'm happy to report that they did come through on that score so they aren't complete reprobates.)
Big, big thanks to Grandma and Kleva for looking after me - and also to Dina and Auntie Brick for entertaining me, and to Willa and Ken for entertaining Grandma!
One (of many) things Grandma has that mommy lacks is a lovely singing voice. Over the last week I've learned many classics. You can see our duet on "Dashiell Boy" (some of you may know it as "Danny Boy") above, and here we are harmonizing on "Hush Little Baby".
Going back a little bit, we had a lovely Christmas in Michigan with Uncle Ian and Auntie Amy and cousins William and Matthew, as well as Uncle Geoff all the way from Beijing (and a couple of weeks before that, we also celebrated Hanukkah and lit the menorah candles every night with Auntie Corinne). I had so much fun playing with my cousins that I barely saw the grown-ups, I got to spend time with Grandpa Mel and Suzanne in Chicago (and at the fabulous Chicago Children's Museum), and I put on skates for the first time ever!
Santa Claus fulfilled my greatest wish by bringing me a Jack in the Box. For months before, whenever mommy or daddy or Santa Claus or anyone else asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I only had one answer: "A Jack in the Box." People would say, "OK, and what else?" But I had nothing else to suggest. All I wanted was Jack. And on Christmas morning, there he was!
"Do you know what Jack's last name is?" I asked mommy and daddy. "No," they said, so I told them: "It's In The Box!"
After that it was off to Montreal for cousin Hannah's birthday and lots more fun times with family and friends, especially cousin Emma. Hannah actually had two birthday cakes so she very generously donated one to me and I got my first chance to blow out three candles. And then - because my daddy never passes up a chance for free food would never fail to celebrate milestones in the Van Nooten-Touati family - it was on to Ottawa for Alysa's party and a birthday cake made just for me by Nana. By the time we got to my own party in Toronto and birthday cake number 3 (which I picked out myself), I had my role pretty well down pat.
Remember last year at this time? Any birthday that doesn't include a daddy on life support is a birthday to celebrate!
On top of blowing out candles, I also had to keep telling everyone how old I am now. (You'd think the three candles would have tipped them off.) And after that the next comment was always, "You're so big now!"
"Yes," I'd say. "Big enough for my feet to reach the ground."
Many thanks to everyone - in Okemos, Chicago, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, and Australia! - for all the wonderful gifts and toys. I don't think I'll be bored for a minute in 2008!
In other news, all the best to Auntie Corinne, who has graduated from school here and moved back to Ottawa. I'll miss you!
RIP Mickey
1997 - 2008
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| Christmas 2007 |
[Dec. 25th, 2007|01:30 am] |
Happy holidays everyone!
I hope you're having a wonderful day, wherever you are. I'm having a great time here in Okemos, MI with my cousins William and Matthew and lots of other family as well. I'll post more about my adventures soon (meanwhile, lots of photos in the December gallery).
All the best to everyone for a joyous 2008!! |
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| My mind, at work |
[Dec. 1st, 2007|01:53 pm] |
Daddy: What stories do they read to you at day care?
Me: The stranger story...
Daddy: Oh, "Never Talk to Strangers"?
Me: Yes.
Mommy: A teaching book?
Daddy: Yes. Dashiell, "Never ... " ?
Me: " ... talk to strangers."
Mommy: Dash, what's a stranger?
Me: A camel.
Every night:
Mommy or daddy: Let's brush your teeth.
Me: No, I want my teeth to fall out.
The theme:
Mommy or daddy: Why is [any puppet, stuffed animal, or lego character] sad?
Me: Because he wants his mommy or daddy.
M/D: Where is [he/she/it] going?
Me: Home to his mommy and daddy.
M/D: What are they doing?
Me: Looking for their mommy and daddy.
M/D: Why is he crying?
Me: Because he wants his mommy and daddy.
M/D: What does she want?
Me: Her mommy and daddy.
M/D [while I'm pushing a toy shopping cart]: What are you shopping for?
Me: A nice mommy and a nice daddy. |
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| Third Hallowe'en |
[Nov. 3rd, 2007|12:56 pm] |
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| | Mahna Mahna | ] |
The Witch and the Dragon
  First Hallowe'en Second Hallowe'en
Hi everyone. I almost forgot my annual Hallowe'en posting. And this is the first year that I actually kind of knew what was going on. For weeks ahead of time, I was telling anyone who asked that I was going to be a dragon for Hallowe'en. And then I cottoned on to the idea that candy was involved! And pumpkins!
This year Auntie Corinne is staying with us, and she had a big role in various events. She was in charge of jack-o-lantern carving and, although she encouraged me to join in on scooping out the insides, I wasn't very keen on the idea. "I'm finished!" I advised mommy after a couple of handfuls. "I'm finished. Need to wash my hands." That pretty well rules out brain surgery as a career for me (well, that and genetics), but the final product was definitely a work of art.
The weekend before the big night, we joined the annual Night of Dread, a parade of big, scary puppets that marches around our neighbourhood and ends with a sacrificial burning of all the things we "dread" in the coming year. I got into the spirit of things with my dragon costume, but it was hard to shake the feeling that something was coming after me.
Hallowe'en night was perfect, mild and just breezy enough to feel right. Daddy made the house look appropriately scary, along with a spooky soundtrack, and we left a witch on the porch to hand out candy, cackle gleefully (you could hear her all the way down the street!) and hand out glasses of port to the adults (appropriate since we live in the world's largest Portugese neighbourhood outside Portugal). Then I went out with mommy and daddy to visit the neighbours and reap rewards. With regular coaching, I remembered my three main lines ("trickertreat", "thank you" and "bye-bye!") fairly well, though occasionally I was so amazed by the whole process that I just walked up to people at their doors and said, "Will you give me candy?" And it worked. They did!
In the days since the big night, I've noticed that the big orange bag I brought home that night keeps getting lighter and lighter, and mommy has been bouncing off the walls pretty well nonstop. Occasionally, I actually get to eat something from the bag, after mommy and daddy spend a few minutes digging deep down to find something neither of them likes. Is there a diabetic out there who wants to adopt me?
Aside from all that excitement, things are fine here. I'm talking up a storm (when people ask how old I am, I proudly answer, "two and three kwatters"), looking after myself more and more, and helping Auntie Nora bake cupcakes. I've finally figured out what that "puter" thing is good for - you can watch great songs on it, like The Teddy's Bear's Picnic, Rubber Duckie, and Free to Be ...You and Me. I can almost understand why mommy spends all her time on it!
We're looking forward to seeing grandma soon in Montreal, when she comes back from her backpacking-across-Europe adventures safe and sound - I hope. And then in December we'll be heading to Michigan and Illinois for more family visits and adventures.
Hope everyone is well and we'll see you soon! |
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| A Day in the Life |
[Jul. 27th, 2007|09:30 pm] |
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| | The Alphabet Song | ] |
Hi everybody. I turned 2 1/2 this week, and now that I am practically all grown up, I thought I'd share with you a typical day in my life:
Waking Up
Lately I've been sleeping more than 12 hours every night. My teacher thinks it's because I'm undergoing a growth spurt (as if I need it). I sleep so long that often Mommy has already gone to work by the time I wake up. Of course, none of them know how long I really sleep because I usually wake up without a peep and sit on my bed quietly reading a book until Daddy finally checks on me.
And speaking of beds, have I mentioned that I graduated from baby "nursery" to toddler room? Note all the Dora accoutrements!
Breakfast with a Little Help from My Friends
You've all heard of dinner theatre? Well, I prefer breakfast theatre.
Doing the Daycare shuffle
After breakfast, I head to daycare where I get to practise my dance moves with my classmates.
Mommy, Daddy!
Often my babysitter Bunmi fetches me from daycare, but on special occasions I get picked up by both Mommy and Daddy, and I get very excited.
Dash & Yash
After daycare, when the weather is nice, I spend an hour in Dufferin Grove Park, where I often meet up with my friend Yash. It sometimes gets very confusing when our mommies call our names.
A visit from Grandma
On the rare exciting occasion, I get home to find Grandma visiting, and we usually sing a duet together.
Storytime
I hate going to bed, but I love storytime when Mommy and Daddy take turns reading to me from my extensive library until I fall asleep.
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| Mother's Day |
[May. 13th, 2007|09:06 pm] |
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Happy Mother's Day!
 I hope everyone is treating their mommies as well as I treated mine today. In honour of this special day, daddy and I brought mommy breakfast in bed, which was pretty easy – a cup of coffee and three cookies. I proudly brought the plate of cookies to mommy, and helped myself to one as I handed it over. Um, and then another. What, she still got one!
Daddy also helped me send this mother’s day card with a heartfelt sentiment. Well, actually the message might have been a little less than heartfelt. When daddy asked me (with my mouth full of cookie), which I liked better: mommy or cookies, I answered unhesitatingly, “Cookies!” Then he asked which I liked better: daddy or cookies, and I replied, “Mommy!” I know which side my bread is buttered on.
We just got back from our long-delayed trip to Florida (we were originally supposed to leave just two days after daddy went into the hospital), where I had lots of adventures, including …
- Going “up up in the SKY!” twice, and spending the three hours each time running up and down the airplane aisle, amusing passengers and annoying flight attendants.
- Being accidentally locked in the car (by Mummy) with the windows up and no air conditioning on. The Club Med security manager wanted to smash the car windows to get me out but mommy and daddy held out for the police officer, who arrived with sirens blaring and unlocked a door with his slimjim. I thought the fire truck and ambulance were a little overkill, myself.
- Getting some kind of 24 hour virus and a temperature of 103. Of course that happened on the one day that the baby club was closed and mommy and daddy had to keep me with them all day. So they didn’t mind that I slept in till 10:30 that morning and then spent all day curled up with them on the bed sleeping. “So this is what a baby that doesn’t spend every minute in motion is like,” I heard mommy say.
- Swimming and sliding in the baby pool, watching movies at night (I still talk about “Happy Feet … penguins!” and “Me-mo”), doing the Dora “We did it!” dance, being a Tiger in the baby show, and be-friending fellow babies and baby-sitters alike.
- Playing with peacocks (they roamed around the resort unfettered), spotting dolphins and watching pelicans fish in the ocean.
- Seeing the ocean and ocean waves up close, although that was on the day I was sick and I don’t think I fully appreciated it.
Well, in other news, things are pretty much back to normal here, with daddy home from the hospital and doing well. I’ve had a couple of visits from Grandma and one from Uncle Geoff, as well as from Kate and Janet and, back in March, from Ann-Marie, Taryn and Lea. I’ve had a couple of sleep-overs with Ann-Marie and with Auntie Nora, and I didn't miss mommy or daddy at all!
Now that spring is here and I’ve had a taste of warm weather, I love to play outside, at the park or the playground, or just walk around the neighbourhood. I also love to play on grandma Brenda’s piano, which is now in our dining room. I’m talking up a storm and starting to get some abstract concepts, like “fun”, “happy”, and “funny”. I know all my colours, shapes, and body parts, count up to 11, recognize a few letters, sing the alphabet song and talk on the phone. I’m proud to be “a HELPFUL baby”, always happy to help mommy pick up toys and clean my room, and very good at following instructions. Most of all, I love books – I pick up anything, from my board books to mommy and daddy’s novels, flip through the pages, and have lots of my own books memorized.
Until next time,
Love Dash |
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| Partying, Peeing, and Picking on Daddy... |
[Mar. 10th, 2007|03:53 pm] |
As those who know me are aware, I’ve always been quite the party animal. But nothing compares to the party we had last Saturday, which was actually three in one: Daddy’s birthday, my belated birthday, and a coming home party for Daddy, after 6 weeks in the hospital.
My party was loads of fun, but I don’t think Daddy had such a good time at his, thanks to a bunch of meanies who seemed determined to persecute him, as if he hasn’t suffered enough in the last couple of months. First, they played a game called “Give Max the Injection,” in which blindfolded party guests had to stick a needle in a life-sized drawing of Daddy, who hates needles almost as much as he hates snakes.
Then, to add insult to injury, Anneke sang a song she wrote, dedicated to Daddy, called “Big Mouth Know-it-all.” Watch the video of the song here! In solidarity with my Daddy, I refused to participate in either bit of tomfoolery.
On a brighter note, Daddy can now walk without a walker or cane, albeit with a limp, and he even brings me all the way to daycare every morning, which takes a big burden off my exhausted Mommy. I hope you’re all suitably impressed that a 2-year-old uses a word like “albeit.” That’s just one of the many many words that are now part of my growing vocabulary, even including phrases like “Daddy’s cane,” “Thank you” and -- in response to, “How old are you?” -- “I’m TWO”. I’m also pretty good at animal sounds. You can watch a video of my animal sounds here, and I am pretty darn adorable if I do say so myself.
And speaking of developmental milestones, I came home from daycare the other day and proudly presented my parents with this certificate!
With what's happening at daycare, and the kind of presents people are giving me and the new things I see around the house these days, I think people are trying to tell me something...
Until next time...
Love,
Dash |
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| An update! |
[Feb. 9th, 2007|12:03 am] |
Hello livejournal! On January 24th, I turned two years old!
I'm such a big boy now. I moved from my crib into a real bed where I love to sleep. I love to jump and run, sing songs, practice counting, read stories, and watch my girlfriend Dora the Explorer on TV. I'm talking up a storm. My favourite words are no, Dora, and PIZZA!
Daddy has been sick and in the hospital for a few weeks. I miss him very much, but Mommy and I are glad we've had help from our friends and family. I had so much fun while my grandma and my nana Margaret were staying at my house!
My friend Barbara also came over to my house and took lots of pictures of me. Mommy and Daddy say that Barbara won a Pulitzer Prize for her photography. I'm not sure what that is, but I do look very handsome in my photos, if I do say so myself.
I have a new trick - Grandma taught me how to give a big pretend sneeze!
Here is one video showing off my new skills. And here is a video from the blooper reel - even I can't get it right all the time!
I still go to daycare everyday where I have lots of fun. In the evenings my Aunt Caitie takes care of me before Mommy and Daddy come home from work. We have lots of fun together, even if I refuse to say her name.
Here is a video of Aunt Caitie and I doing "If You're Happy and You Know It."
Since everyone missed my birthday because Daddy is in the hospital, and Daddy's birthday is at the end of the month, we're hoping to have a big joint party when Daddy is back home. Now that Aunt Caitie is helping me update my journal, hopefully I'll be posting more often. I'll let you know the details about Daddy's party soon!
You can always see more pictures and videos of me at my website, http://www.dashyork.com
Love,
Dashiell |
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| Where'd my candy go? |
[Nov. 5th, 2006|06:07 pm] |
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I know Halloween was 5 days ago, but my mummy and daddy were too hyped up on something they call a "sugar high" to post this before now. I don't know how they got that way because all I ever saw from my Trick or Treat bag were little cardboard boxes of raisins that my parents gave me after taking out a whole bunch of other brown, gooey, nut-filled things they said they were confiscating for "safety reasons," along with all the apples. Later, I saw them carefully tasting each one (except the apples). They told me it was just like in my children's book where the court jester tastes the king's food to make sure it's not poisoned. (That must be why I sometimes hear people refer to my Daddy as a "fool.") I sure am lucky having parents who would make that kind of sacrifice for their baby.
As for trick or treating, it took me a while to really get the concept. At the first house we went to, mommy pointed to the porch where our neighbours were waiting and said, "Go up there and say 'trick or treat'". Always happy to see new people, I toddled down the walk, up the steps, across the porch - and right through the front door, down the hall, and into their living room. I don't know why mommy looked so embarrassed when she came running after me and dragged me back to the front door.
When I went out with daddy, everybody whose door I knocked on said, "Oh, what a cute ladybug," and let me take extra treats. But that's not what Daddy said to Mommy when we were picking out my costume and he said a boy in a ladybug costume is something called a "cross-dresser." (Is that some kind of religious thing?)
Speaking of religion, I miss Maria, but am loving my new Catholic daycare. With all the other kids around, I pick things up so quickly. And the caregivers are teaching me all kinds of new things, like finger painting and crafts, as well as new skills like potty training, holding banisters, and brushing teeth. Mommy and daddy sometimes say that if they play their cards right, they may never have to do any real parenting again.
 In other news, my vocabulary has expanded by leaps and bounds since my last update. Here are the words I can now say:
No!
Hi
Da Da
Ma Ma
Uh Oh
Num Num
Na Na (for banana and Margaret)
Shoe
Go
That
My first sentence: What's that?
And my latest word, picked up this week: Dora
According to parenting books, a 21-month old toddler should have well over 12 words by now and I can see my Mummy fretting a bit. But last week, Grandma paid a visit and brought me a puzzle with 15 different shapes. And right away I put all of them exactly where they're supposed to go. I also pointed out each picture on the puzzle correctly when asked. Since then, Mummy has stopped referring to me as "special" (although I thought that was supposed to be a good thing.)
Speaking of Mummy, she finally got a new job -- also in the government, doing policy work about people with disabilities. She is very happy because she wasn't enjoying her old job, which was working with a lot of numbers, and has wanted to get back into policy work for a long time. And best of all, she'll be able to spend more time with me!
As for Daddy, he just got finished organizing a big rally on Parliament Hill to help refugees, as part of the national Drop the Fee campaign he's been coordinating. You can read all about it here.
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| Daddy the poet |
[Jul. 10th, 2006|11:14 pm] |
What daddy sings while he's changing me (and I'm playing with my toy dragon, Dudley and my rubber chicken, Charlie) ...
(to the tune of "Frosty the Snowman")
Dudley the dragon
Was a very studly dragon
A very very very very [ <== okay this verse is kinda boring]
very studly dragon
Dashiell the baby
Was a very studly baby
When people ask if he is gay
His mommy just says... "maybe"
Charlie the chicken
Was a very happy chicken
Until one day they fried him up
And called him finger-lickin
(latest verse)
Dashiell the toddler
His hair grew curlier and curlier
One day he heard his mommy's words ...
"Hooray, he's getting girlier!" |
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| My First Pride |
[Jul. 1st, 2006|11:13 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  lazy | ] |
I have a dim memory of some kind of gathering at Zelda's about a year ago so I think this wasn't technically my very first Pride. But it was my first chance to really go out and sample the wares, as it were.
Not sure if the snake or the implants are more fascinating!
This year Auntie Naomi and Auntie Neelam and her friend Cynthia, who comes all the way from Mexico, took me out to romp through the Gay Village on the big Saturday of Pride weekend. It was a beautiful sunny summer day with lots of colour and stimulation and some of my favourite aunties. What's not to love?!
We started out our day at an Indian restaurant, celebrating not being gay men by indulging in a high-carb lunch. Where would I be without bread, crackers and cookies?
After that, we went to watch the Dyke march where I took in the sight of all those topless women with great interest and fascination. Mommy is hoping that's a reflection of my continued interest in boobies, rather than a signal of my impending straightness. Meanwhile, Auntie Naomi was happy to be mistaken for my mother when strangers started telling her what a cute baby she had.
 After the parade, we joined the celebrating throngs in the Village. Auntie Naomi bought me a rainbow flag which caught my attention and I waved it around for about 25 seconds before throwing it on the ground. (Don't worry, I do this with all my playthings - it's not a sign of latent homophobia).
Then Auntie Naomi and Auntie Neelam decided it would be fun to use me as a prop in their photos of the colourful views on Church St. They handed me to any number of interesting people to pose for pictures. You might think I'd be surprised to be held by a human butterfly, a transitioning woman with a snake, a man with many piercings or a diva in a bar but me, I take all this in stride. And so did everyone else in the area. Except for the crowd that was already drawn to that striking woman with the snake - when she picked me up, all the cameras started clicking and whirring, right left and centre - a true paparazzi moment for both of us!
Finally, we were all over-stimulated and it was time to go back to Auntie Naomi's apartment for a rest. At least, they thought it would be a rest, but I'm not that easily tired out. So I entertained myself by throwing all of Auntie Naomi's worldly possessions into the toilet. (What? That's not what it's for?)
The next day we went on our first family bicycle excursion, with me in my bike trailer and Kleva along for the ride. First we went to Kensington Market and watched mommy's friend Sara's band, The Z-Rays, play out on the street. I danced, I clapped, I stole the money out of their guitar case. But that's okay, because then I paid them back in crackers.
Afterwards we headed down to the Martin Goodman Trail and biked west to lovely old Sunnyside Pavilion at Sunnyside Beach. I have to admit I fell asleep on the way there, so maybe I didn't get the full impact of a beautiful ride by the lake. But after letting mommy, daddy and Kleva have a bite to eat at the cafe there, I made a new friend and played excitedly on the beach, splashing in the lake, rolling around in the sand with my friend, and learning about science (sand + water = mud ... who knew?).
That night we all went home tired but happy. The first of many fun summer weekends no doubt! |
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| Yes, I'm still alive! |
[Jun. 12th, 2006|11:25 pm] |
 It's been a long time since I've given you an update on my life. The truth is, I've been waiting till I had some major news to report. But I guess once you reach toddlerhood, the developmental breakthroughs don't come along so frequently.
Before I get to the updates, such as they are, I want to mention that we're having our annual summer garden party and BBQ on Sunday, July 23 - and you're all invited! More details later, but for now, hold that date ... and if you don't live in Toronto, maybe you can think about coming for a visit around then.
Back to me ... Well, I've been working on my walking, and by now I'm an old pro. I can even scamper down a hall, stay upright on uneven ground, and carry big things around with me. I also enjoy opening and closing doors (mommy and daddy will never have any privacy again!), as well as throwing toys, remote controls and other small electronic devices down whatever stairs I can find (for some reason, mommy and daddy don't find this as entertaining as I do).
I have lots of teeth and can eat just about anything. I like watching the Teletubbies, love to move to music, and can understand a few simple things. Like, the other day, after I pulled all the kleenexes out of the box, mommy told me to put them back in again - so I picked up each kleenex and shoved it into the box, pausing after each one to give myself a small round of applause.
My communication skills are also really coming along - I wish I could say the same for mommy and daddy. I talk non-stop now but most of the time they just don't seem to get it. Mommy keeps asking people when I'm going to start speaking, but maybe she should work on her listening skills! I can't help it if she doesn't understand my language ... Fortunately, I've found other ways to convey my meaning. I make sure they know when I'm hungry, tired, want a toy, or need a hug. It's just a matter of time till we start conversing in their language.
 This is how I tell them I want more food
And, although Mommy seems to think I'm, let's say, delayed, just because I can't talk yet, Auntie Nora says I'm a genius, and she took this video to prove it:
I was going to write a little essay about why I'm the best baby in the world, but mommy and daddy said that would be showing off. So I'll just say that everything is going fine with us. Mommy is very busy at work and sometimes I don't get to see her as often as I should. Daddy and I have lots of adventures on the weekends - going to the St. Lawrence market, garden centres and garage sales. Mommy has hooked up a little trailer for me behind her bike, which she uses to pick me up from Maria's on her way home from work - she says it's a lot easier than when she had to push her bike with one hand and the stroller with the other!
I've been able to spend time with grandma several times since she finished her big cruise with the penguins. I saw Alexander again at his birthday party, and I've also recently expanded my circle of young female friends - I saw my cousins Hannah and Emma, met daddy's friend Ian's little girl Clover, and had a fun visit from Athena, who's only a few months older than me. And I was fascinated to meet seven-week old Dillon last week … I'm sure I was never that young!
Now that I'm a mature toddler, I can take more of an interest in the world around me. I've noticed that our neighbours are all very excited about Portugal in the World Cup, honking their horns for hours after their team wins. Go, Tunisia!! I've been very happy to hear that Margaret, Shaheen and Jamel are all doing well and are on the mend. I hope the extended van Nooten family never has another year like that one. Also, happy birthday to Auntie Naomi, and big congratulations to Auntie Neelam on her new job.
And congratulations to Auntie Barbara for winning a Pulitzer Prize AND the award for International Newspaper Photographer of the Year, all in the same month! I'm very proud of you.
I hope to see everyone at the end of July, and next time I promise to update this thing faster! |
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| New photo and video gallery |
[Mar. 29th, 2006|12:22 am] |
Auntie Amanda still loves me! She made me this beautiful new photo and video gallery to house all my pictures and videos. Isn't it gorgeous?
I hope you enjoy it. Besides being pretty to look at, the new photo and video galleries have a couple of advantages. For one thing, I can list more folders and small pictures on one page so you can see more at a glance (hope it doesn't slow your computer down too much). For another thing, the newer pictures and videos come up first, so you can tell right away if there's anything new. And finally, if you feel like registering at the gallery, you can comment on individual pictures or videos, if you want to (click on the specific pic or video and scroll down the page to see the comment box).
And finally, it's going to save mommy and daddy tons of time on keeping my records up to date, so now they'll have lots more time to spend with ME!
Many, many thanks, Auntie Amanda!
 [ TO WATCH VIDEO ] WMV (1.15 MB)
If it doesn't work, you may need to install DivX if you don't already have it -
PC users here, Mac users here.
Also ... thanks to Auntie Nora and her sister Suzy for this new video!
(You can just click on the regular links to "My Photo Album" and "My Videos" to get to the new gallery. If you have any technical problems, please let me know.) |
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| The end of babyhood |
[Mar. 22nd, 2006|10:09 pm] |
 [ TO WATCH MOV VIDEO ] or [ TO WATCH WMV VIDEO ] MOV is 1.81 MB (bigger, clearer) // WMV is 0.45 MB (smaller, fuzzier)
Right-click to download. If it doesn't work, you may need to install DivX
if you don't already have it - PC users here, Mac users here.
I'm walking! Auntie Amanda was right, it didn't take long after I started standing on my own. Now I'm not a baby any more ... I'm officially a toddler!
OK, I know I'm not exactly proficient yet, but still, is it nice for mommy and daddy to start talking about Frankenstein's monster every time I try out my new skills?
Just give me a few days. Then I'll be able to get in as much trouble as I want and make a quick getaway before mommy and daddy catch me in the act. And when they interrogate me, I'll just blame the cats. |
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| Ch-ch-ch-changes |
[Mar. 14th, 2006|12:07 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  mischievous | ] |
Beautiful birthday sweater made by Auntie Fiona
A lot has happened since I last wrote. To start with the most important ones first, now I can stand up by myself (for a few seconds) and I have about six teeth! I'm hardly even a baby any more ... just as soon as I take my first step, I'll officially be a toddler.
But let's back up a little.
I had a wonderful time turning 1 with all my friends and relatives. Many thanks to everyone who helped me celebrate. I even got my first birthday poem from Anneke, part of a great Van Nooten family tradition - which I guess makes me officially an honourary member now. You can watch Anneke read her poem on my video page, or just read it yourself.
In early February, we took another one of those rides up in the sky and this time when we landed it was warm out. Mommy and daddy said they were on holiday, but life was pretty much the same for me, only warmer. They just lazed around, but I was busy every day in the baby club and after that was over, I had a lot of work to do in the playground.
 Splish Splash[ DOWNLOAD AVI ] 4.50 MB. Right-click to download.
 My showbiz career continued, as I starred in the baby show, picked up a baby club award, and won over new fans. We also met some new friends, Chris and Jennifer and Ford and Eliza, and Eliza kept me entertained over dinner. Speaking of dinner, the food was amazing and I got to try just about everything. That's when I learned that what I really like best is meat. Forget baby food, what are teeth for if it's not to chow down on some real food?
Right after we got back, mommy went back to work full time. Now I only see her first thing in the morning and then again at night. Oh, wait a minute - that's when I saw her before too! She says she misses me these days ... gee, mommy, maybe you should have paid more attention to me when you had chance!
I still go to Maria's every day, and have lots of fun there. Once in a while I cry when daddy or mommy walk out of a room, but most of the time I don't even notice. I still love water - playing in a pool or just taking my bath in the big bath. I'm getting the hang of most of my toys and like to point things out or give things away (as long as I get them right back). I still don't talk much (in words you guys understand) but I manage to get my needs met!
Next up - Taryn and Lea and Bessem and Alysa are visiting this week! I'm sure we'll get into lots of trouble have lots of fun together! |
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| Birthday party |
[Jan. 30th, 2006|05:29 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | amused | ] |
Party games
Thanks to everyone who came over to help me celebrate my first birthday yesterday! There were so many people to play with that I hardly saw mommy and daddy all afternoon. I had a great time and hope everyone else did too. There's lots of pictures up in the January folder of my photo album (and there are also a couple of new videos on my video page).
 As you can see, we had lots of fun playing party games and I had a little help blowing out the candle on my birthday cupcake. Thanks to everyone for all the wonderful toys, clothes and gifts and for all the good wishes and hopes for the future.
In other developments, my verbal skills are advancing almost as quickly as my written ones! Whenever I eat food, now, I say "Num num!" repeatedly, and I don't use that phrase any other times. I say "da da da" and "ma ma ma" pretty much indiscriminately but the other day, when mommy left for a while and then came back into the room, I crawled right over to her and said, "Ma ma! Ma ma!" So she's considering that to be my first word.
I'm still bigger than average - although I'm just 12 months, I wear a size 18 in clothes. I eat all kinds of food - mommy and daddy just give me some of whatever's on their plate now.
Sometimes when daddy asks me nicely, "Where's my nose?" I show him. (You'd think a grown-up would know by now, sheesh!) My all-time favourite thing to do right now is climb up stairs - I could do that forever! And I'm just starting to get the hang of certain toys, like putting a ball in a hole and watching it fall down the tracks (there's also a video on my video page of me doing that). I also love it when mommy and daddy push me around the ice rink in my stroller when they go skating after the Friday Night Supper at our park. While they push me, I lean forward in the stroller and try to pump with my body to make the stroller go faster and faster! My favourite song is "Play That Funky Music (White Boy)" although those rocking Sesame Street songs on my toy guitar are a close second ... whenever I hear exciting music like that, I start rocking myself from side to side along with the rhythm.
I can't wait to see what adventures await me in my second year! |
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| One year |
[Jan. 24th, 2006|09:00 am] |
That was a mighty tasty cake Margaret made for me!
It's one year today since I was born! And what a year it's been. If you've skimmed through my journal or talked with mommy and daddy, you know what a busy, fun, exciting and adventure-filled time I've had in the 12 short months that I've been alive. I've had an amazing year getting to know everybody and I think I've finally started to get the hang of this living thing. Here's to another fantastic year with all our friends and family!
Mommy and daddy also want me to put in something very serious on this momentous occasion. They explained to me that by the time they decided to have me, they were no spring chickens (not that I know what a spring chicken is, or even a chicken for that matter) - and starting a family when you've already been around for a long time on your own isn't always easy. They knew it was a scary venture they were embarking on (though not as quite as scary as "Prime Minister Harper") and mommy especially was pretty nervous about the whole idea of being a mommy.
That's why it's been so wonderful for us to have so much love, support and help from all of you, our family and friends. From being excited when you first heard I was coming, to getting us all set up at three different baby showers, to visiting me at the hospital, to giving mommy lots of encouragement and advice so she didn't feel so scared at the beginning, to letting us stay at your home even if I cried in the middle of the night, to hosting parties for us, right through to spending time getting to know me, taking me off mommy's and daddy's hands for a little while to help protect their sanity, and even just reading this journal and taking an interest in my accomplishments -- each one of you has made me feel welcomed, loved and supported.
So from all of us in the fledgling York-Wallace family, a huge thank you and much love to:
- Grandma, and Grandpa, and his family
- all my real aunties and uncles - mommy's brothers and sisters, daddy's brother and sister, and all of their families
- ALL my Qaffie Aunties, and other fandom friends
- all the van Nootens and their families, especially Margaret and the van Nooten/Touati family
- the whole Julien/Dollighan/Carbone family
- the Nanasi clan
- all mommy's Ottawa friends (wherever they may currently be)
- all mommy's and daddy's Toronto friends
- all daddy's Montreal friends, and his globe-trotting friend and fellow muckraker, Ian
- the extended Marcus and Clowes families
- all daddy's CKCU and Folk Festival friends
- my godmother and godfather
- mommy's work friends
- mommy's and daddy's activist friends and fellow rabble-rousers
... and anyone else who's interested enough to read this thing!
Hope to see many of you on Sunday!
-Dash (AKA Emmett & Murgatroyd) |
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| Ottawa party! |
[Jan. 17th, 2006|12:14 pm] |
Alysa is kindly allowing me to tag along on her 10th birthday party so we'll be celebrating one year and 10 years on Sunday, January 22, from 2-5 pm, at Alysa's house. We're going to try and send invitations to everyone in or around Ottawa who may be interested but if you want to come and haven't received one, please just drop me a line!
Many thanks to Alysa and her family for hosting the event ... I'm really looking forward to seeing everyone there! |
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| Turning one! |
[Jan. 16th, 2006|05:00 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | excited | ] |
Next week I'll be one year old! I can't believe I've been alive for almost one year already ... it seems like just yesterday that I was being born.
I hope I'll be able to celebrate my first birthday with many of you. Unfortunately, we've had to move the date of the Toronto party - it's going to be on Sunday, January 29th (not Saturday the 28th) from 2-5 in the afternoon, at my house. I hope that doesn't mess up anyone's plans.
There may be a party in Ottawa as well ... stay tuned for more if there is.
 [ DOWNLOAD WMV ] or [ DOWNLOAD AVI ] WMV is 3.07 MB (smaller, fuzzier) // AVI is 14.17 MB (bigger, clearer)
Right-click to download. If it doesn't work, you may need to install DivX if you don't already have it -
PC users here, Mac users here.
In other news, Auntie Amanda sent this great video of me with her and Auntie Nora back in September, when I was about 8 months old. Thanks Auntie Amanda! Now I know for sure I'll never forget either of you. |
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| I'm a star! |
[Jan. 5th, 2006|12:25 pm] |
My showbusiness debut!
If anybody out there is a children's rights lawyer, please contact me immediately. A few months ago, my Mommy and Daddy took me to have my photo taken. They're always whipping out their damn camera and making faces at me to get me to smile, so I didn't think anything of it at the time, even when they made me wear a goofy looking hat indoors. But then this morning, Julie Nanasi was leafing through the new Sears Spring/Summer catalogue and she recognized a familiar face on page 538. Can you say exploitation? I mean, did I ever see any of the mounds of money they must have received to pimp me out to the world of showbusiness? Next thing you know, they'll have me hanging out at Neverland with Michael Jackson while they ride the rides and play with Bubbles the Chimpanzee. And I'm not quite sure what it means, but I could swear I heard them talking about sending me off to work for Nike when I turn 5.
Hellllppppppppppppp!!!!!!!!
P.S. My cold's all gone. |
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| Hold that date! |
[Jan. 4th, 2006|03:26 pm] |
Saturday, January 28, 2006 ... that's when mommy and daddy say they're having my first birthday party in Toronto. They also hope to have a party in Ottawa the weekend before (Jan. 21 or 22) with Alysa, whose birthday is right around then. But that all depends on how Shaheen is doing, so we'll let you know more about that later.
In other news, I have a cold. They say babies get an average of 8-10 colds in their first year ... but this is my first one. All I know is, I can't breathe, it's hard to nurse, people are always wiping my face, and I keep having coughing fits. I'm also tired all the time and just not my usual happy self. I wish I could just go to sleep and wake up when it's over.  |
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| 2006 |
[Jan. 2nd, 2006|12:08 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | impressed | ] |
Happy New Year everyone! I want to wish all my friends and family the very best for 2006.
This is the second calendar year I've been alive in, and the first time I've seen the same month twice. Soon I'll be turning 1!
We spent my first Christmas with Uncle Ian and Auntie Amy in Worcester, MA, where I was Di-di (Chinese for "little brother") to my two Ge-ges ("older brothers") -- cousins William and Matthew, who both took very good care of me. They shared their beautiful Christmas tree with us, and Ge-ge helped me open my Christmas presents (while I played with the tissue paper). We also spent a wonderful day at the Boston Children's Museum, and mommy and daddy seemed to spend a lot of time in malls.
I also visited Auntie Chris and Uncle Patrick and cousins Adrienne and Nicholas over Christmas. I had lots of fun playing with everyone, and then I scored a big bag of duplo to boot! Unfortunately I didn't get to see Grandma as she's on a cruise to Antarctica right now, but she did promise to bring me home a penguin! Now that we're home, I'm enjoying all the holiday visits and hope to see everyone soon.
 
(click on any image to see a larger version)
While we were in Massachusetts, we took a detour to Springfield, the birthplace of my soon-to-be favorite author, Theodore Geisel, otherwise known as Dr. Seuss. We went to a very cool garden with statues of all   his most famous creations, and we found out some very fascinating facts about the good Doc. It seems that Dr. Seuss was a life-long lefty who first came to fame in the early 1940s while working for a left-wing daily newspaper in New York called PM, where he drew cartoons lampooning American Nazi sympathizers such as Lindbergh and Ford, as well as the Republican Party, and devoted most of his early cartoons to pressuring America to go to war against Hitler. Later, he used his books and the money they earned in the cause of social justice. The Butter Battle Book, for example, is a parody and denunciation of the nuclear arms race. The Sneetches is a polemic against racism and discrimination. The Lorax is an environmentalist tract that portrays a ruthless and greedy industrialist who destroys the local environment until he puts his own company out of business; and when Richard Nixon was wreaking havoc on the world, Geisel played on one of his famous book titles, and published a poem in American newspapers called "Richard M. Nixon, will you please go now!" (Nine days later, the Dickster resigned.) So, inspired by our visit to his birthplace, and plagiarizing his 1974 opus, I have decided to pen my very first poem, one that I'm sure Doctor Seuss would have written himself if he were alive today:
George W. Bush, will you please go now!
The time has come.
The time is now.
Just go.
Go.
Go!
I don't care how.
You can go by foot.
You can go by cow.
George W. Bush, will you please go now!
You can go on skates.
You can go on skis.
You can go in a hat.
But
Please go.
Please!
Lots of new pictures in the "December" folder, and mommy says to tell my (real) aunties and uncles that there are also photos of various cousins in the "Non-Dash Photos" folder. |
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| First tooth ... and other news |
[Dec. 20th, 2005|01:51 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  curious | ] |
I finally got my first tooth! Actually it started to be visible a couple of weeks ago but I wouldn't let mommy take a picture of it. Finally Auntie Nora was able to document the historic event. Now I'm not exactly positive but I'm pretty sure there's at least one more coming in soon. It never rains but it pours!
When I first got the tooth, I decided to celebrate by moving straight into teenagerhood and sleeping in until 10 or 10:30 in the morning (yes, 10 to 12 hours of uninterrupted sleep!) But what with travelling last weekend, new teeth, and eating more solid food, my sleep schedule got a little disturbed. These days I usually sleep about 10 1/2 hours but lately I occasionally wake up in the night. I'm sure I'll get over that soon. Otherwise, I'm afraid Daddy will have me listed on eBay!
In the day time, I've been learning a few other tricks - I have the waving thing down cold, I love clapping, and I'm great at pulling myself up to a stand. I'm also a very obedient baby - I do just what I'm told, as long as I'm told to drop things on the floor. I'm a very good eater and while I still enjoy boobies, I actually eat "real" meals for lunch and dinner these days.
I went to the doctor last week, so now I have some updated statistics. I'm 22 pounds and 30 inches long. For someone who's just under 11 months old, that puts me a little over the average in weight, and quite a bit longer than average in length (over the 75th percentile). Like that's a big surprise, when you look at mommy and daddy!
As always, I've been having lots of fun with my friends. Mommy and Ann-Marie took me swimming in a hotel pool and I loved it! I was so excited I kept splashing my hands in the water, not even caring when I soaked my face and eyes and hair. If only baths could be so much fun!
 If You're Happy and You Know It ... [ DOWNLOAD WMV ] 6.02 MB. Right-click to download.
I also got to see a lot of my young friends recently - Shaheen, Alysa, Bessem, Lea and Taryn in Ottawa as well as Sarah in Montreal. I learned some choreography with Alysa and Bessem and my dancing, singing duck, which you can see in the video above. Shaheen, we're all so glad to hear you're doing a little better. I hope you'll be home for Christmas!
(Click on picture for larger version)
In other good news, it turns out I get to stay with my caregiver Maria after all. Yayy! In sadder news, we had to say good-bye to our old car, the Honda Civic mommy bought 13 years ago. But many thanks to grandma for giving us her old car, complete with air conditioning and four doors!
Coming up next, I can't wait to see my cousins William and Matthew again, as we spend our Christmas in Worcester, MA with Uncle Ian and Auntie Amy. In anticipation, mommy got a letter from cousin William, who's only 5 but can already write almost as well as me!
In technical news, you can now get to this journal by going to www.dashyork.com - I think that's easier for anyone to remember. There's also quite a lot of new videos up on my video page, and new photos in the December, November and even the September folders in my photo album. Many thanks to Brian Tao, professional photographer, for the new September photos.
 This one's for Jamel![ DOWNLOAD WMV ] 6.02 MB. Right-click to download.
That's it for now! I hope all my family and friends have wonderful holidays and fabulous new years!
P.S. Auntie Amanda, I miss you. |
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| Rabble-rousing |
[Nov. 26th, 2005|10:35 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | accomplished | ] |
I just got back from a march and rally organized by OCAP to call for a raise in social assistance rates. We were also protesting the end of the special diet supplement for Ontario welfare recipients, which was killed by Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Social Services. (This supplement used to recognize hunger as a medical condition that costs the health system massive amounts of money to treat poverty-related ailments, and so gave people on welfare an extra $250 a month to buy food if a doctor authorized it.) It was loads of fun, hanging out with Auntie Naomi and Auntie Neelam, especially chanting, "Make the rich pay, let the poor eat!" and "Pupatello, we say Hello. We cannot survive on Jello!" At one point, after they chanted that, I think I heard my Daddy respond, "Eat the Rich!", but I've met a few rich people and they didn't look like they would taste very appetizing.
This was the third demonstration I've attended (not counting the first ten days of my life when I boycotted Mommy's boobies to protest that doctor who rudely yanked my head out with a forceps on my birthday). People keep warning my parents that taking me to all these leftie gatherings could backfire and there's a good chance I might rebel and join the Young Conservatives one day. But first of all, Alex P. Keaton was only a character on television. In real life, most people say that's a cliché that hardly ever happens. Most progressive parents find that if you expose your children to the values of social justice from an early age, they usually turn into compassionate people who care about changing things for the better. And besides, I come across Steven Harper's election platform in my diaper every morning and it doesn't seem (or smell) very appealing. I guess the initials of his party (Conservative Reform Alliance Party) are no coincidence.
(click on an image to see a larger version)
Speaking of activism, my Daddy just finished helping to organize a very exciting campaign called Lord of the Slums for the organization he belongs to, the Parkdale Tenants Association. It got media attention all around the world, including newscasts on CBC and CTV (click on the video link on the right of each page to view the newscast), where you can see TV footage of Daddy as Gandalf the Wizard. You can see all the details on the campaign's website, Toronto Slum Tourism. |
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| Bye bye Maria! |
[Nov. 19th, 2005|11:27 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  contemplative | ] |
Yesterday I waved bye-bye. When daddy dropped me off in the morning and waved good-bye to me, I waved back. Of course mommy didn't believe him until she came to pick me up and saw me wave bye-bye to Maria.
I've been going to to Maria's for the last two weeks, and yesterday was my last day. My usual caregiver is Leilun but we needed to find someone else while she was in the hospital for a little while. Maria and I hit it off right away! We got along great, and I also loved playing with my friends there, Malcolm and Nathania. It was sad when I had to leave on Friday. Maria gave me an adorable teddy bear and a beautiful ceiling hanging. In her card she told me she "adored your smile and beautiful blue eyes from the first moment we put our eyes on you!!" I'll miss you Maria! Hope to see you again soon!
 
(click on an image to see a larger version)
The good news at home is that my playroom is finally ready. As you can see, I've moved in with all my things! Mommy and daddy said something about furniture, but I like it just the way it is.
P.S. Get well soon, Shaheen! |
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| Crawling! |
[Nov. 13th, 2005|02:38 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | accomplished | ] |
 [ DOWNLOAD AVI ] 1.79 MB. Right-click to download.
If it doesn't work, you may need to install DivX if you don't already have it -
PC users here, Mac users here.
I've heard the whispers from Mommy and Daddy for some time now. "He's a little slow," they say with a troubled look on their face. Just because other babies my age are practically reciting Shakespeare and I just keep falling flat on my face every time I try to move forward (and emerge with a big goofy grin on my face), my parents (and Grandma) have been speculating that I might be, uh,......."Presidential". Well, today I finally crawled! (Actually, it was technically yesterday.) You can see for yourself by downloading the video! There are also a couple of other new videos up here. (Don't forget to right-click and "save target as" if possible. We did this all by ourselves without Auntie Amanda's help so if you have any problems, please let me know and maybe Auntie Amanda will help us fix it!)
Checking my email!(Click on picture for larger version)
I've also finally added some new photos - they're in the "October 2005" folder , and in the new "November 2005" folder).
I'm still waiting for teeth! |
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| My first Hallowe'en |
[Nov. 1st, 2005|01:11 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  hungry | ] |
The resemblance is uncanny!
Last night, I went out for my first Halloween. It was very exciting. I saw lots of Harry Potters, Tiggers, witches and goblins.....And then I saw the scariest costume of all - a monster so horrifying, ghastly, fiendish and macabre that all the kids ran screaming in the other direction when they saw him coming. I didn't know who he was supposed to be but my Daddy, who also looked quite shaken at the sight, finally told me......some guy named George W. Bush.
When I recovered from my scare, it was time to do some Trick or Treating. Dressed as a pumpkin (thanks, cousin Matthew!), I was a little nervous at first when I saw what people liked to do to my fellow Jack O' Lanterns, but when my Daddy finally convinced me that I wouldn't be carved, I set out in search of some treats.
It was amazing. People just kept throwing chips, lollipops and chocolate bars into my bag till it was overflowing. One woman asked my Daddy if I even had any teeth, but she threw in the candy anyway. I was very very excited and I fell asleep that night dreaming of the candy feasts that awaited me.
But then a funny thing happened. When I awoke the next morning and crawled to my Halloween bag, it seemed much much lighter than it had the night before. In fact, all the best goodies seemed to have disappeared and all that was left was a bunch of crappy hard candy and a couple of apples. Did I only dream about all those Mars bars and Oh Henrys? Or had something more dastardly occurred, I asked myself. No, my parents aren't that mean. They wouldn't take candy from a baby. Would they?
Hmmmmmm.............
P.S. Happy birthday, Margaret! |
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| Almost nine months |
[Oct. 17th, 2005|03:45 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| |  bouncy | ] |
Mommy hasn't helped me post anything in a long time - bad mommy! We wanted to wait until I had some new development achievement to report but it looks like that might be a long wait so maybe I'll just give a little update for now.
 
(click on an image to see a larger version)
I've got the sitting up thing down cold, but I haven't progressed to crawling yet. I think I'm close - though mommy says it looks more like I'm swimming. I can actually push myself backwards pretty far now, but haven't really moved forward yet (literally). Meanwhile, I can happily sit on the floor playing with toys for quite a while, which lets mommy and daddy get on with other things - as long as they're not too far away.
I've also started taking longer naps - an hour and a half or two hours at a time - and usually just twice a day now ... rather than the 30-minute catnaps I've been doing up till now. Mommy and daddy love that!
I'm really good at the eating thing ... I'll pretty much eat anything anyone gives me (unlike mommy). I've noticed the food is getting a little lumpier these days though and sometimes I have to actually mash it around with my gums. Life is getting harder!
Apparently Auntie Amanda went back to Australia -- no one tells me anything! I know I"ll miss her as I grow up. We're also getting ready to lose my afternoon outings with Auntie Nora, as she starts more steady work. Fortunately we found Leilun, who is going to take me three or four days a week, starting soon. Daddy is already working part-time, and mommy might be going back to work as well - but just a little bit, and only from home.
(click on an image to see a larger version)
We went to New York one more time in September, where we saw Robyn and Chloe, and David, and a whole bunch of other people. Since then we haven't gone anywhere but we have had lots of visitors - Grandma was here for a week and spoiled me appropriately; Joyce stayed with us for a couple of days and so did Ann-Marie; Mike and Laura and little Alexander came for lunch; and Cailin spent a whole evening playing with me and feeding me. At one of mommy's birthday celebrations, I saw fire for the first time (on the birthday candles) and tasted vegan icing. At the other one, I spent so much time playing with my aunties, I was exhausted by the time I got back to mommy!
Mommy turned 41
(click on an image to see a larger version)
I still love meeting new people and playing with all of mommy and daddy's friends, I still sleep well overnight and I'm still usually happy and smiley. In fact, I think mommy and daddy have almost decided to keep me! |
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| End of summer |
[Sep. 5th, 2005|07:55 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | refreshed | ] |
Well, my first summer is coming to an end but it's going out with a bang. Last week I got to spend five days with my dynamic god-sister, Taryn.
She's a little giggly, and a little goofy, but boy, does she know how to entertain a baby! She taught me how to high-five and swung me on the Jolly Jumper and kept me company whenever mommy was busy. We were having a great time, and then it got even more exciting when Anneke, Jamel, Shaheen, Bessem and Alysa turned up! We went to the CNE and Ontario Place, Kensington Market and the Rainforest Cafe, and there was never a shortage of people who wanted to play with me. It sure seems quiet around here now that everyone has left.
But then yesterday we went for a drive to wine country with Auntie Naomi and the indefatigable Sharon Brickman. It was a beautiful day and we did lots of walking at Niagara-on-the-Lake, ate and tasted wine. Auntie Naomi, who gets braver every day, took me in the front carrier, and we taught Sharon some nursery rhymes she can use with the little people in her life. I'm sure we'll all go on more adventures soon.
In new developments, I've added sweet potatoes and strained pears to my repertoire, and Shaheen swears he saw me crawl a few inches. Mommy and daddy have been hooking up with some neighbourhood mommies and babies at things like the Friday Night Suppers at our local park, and movies for mommies. They've also asked Seyed to start fixing up our basement to be a playroom for me - so I'll have a place to move around once I start crawling and walking. That should be any day now! |
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| The well-travelled baby |
[Aug. 24th, 2005|11:01 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | exhausted | ] |
Can you believe I'm seven months old today?! Mommy and daddy keep me so busy I don't even have time to update this, but a lot has been going on! I must be the most well-travelled baby in the world, and maybe I have the most friends too.
Well, let me try to remember what I've been up to. First we went to beautiful Camp Wanakita for a couple of days with the Marcus-Clowes family. I got to spend time with my good friend Cailin, even though I suspect I got thrown over a little for a chihuahua named Chico. But that's okay, I had lots of fun playing in the water and watching mommy and daddy hitting a little ball back and forth.
After that was my very first airplane ride - and my first trip to NYC! Such a big city, and so hot. But I got to go to a couple of museums, walk around a lot, and take a boat ride to a famous place called Ellis Island, where daddy's relatives first arrived in America a long time ago. At one of the museums, I think I was the star attraction as this whole group of Japanese girls ignored the exhibits and circled around just taking pictures of me. I don't know why people complain about the paparazzi - I loved it! I also got to see Auntie Linda again and her family, and some other friends, and then grandma. Thanks, cousin Steve, for letting us stay in your beautiful apartment! After a few days we took a little drive and stayed somewhere else, where mommy and daddy seemed to spend a lot of time hitting that little ball around again. We met grandma again, and went to the beach, where I got to try out sand and ocean waves for the first time.
As if that wasn't enough excitement, a little while after we got home, we were off again! Can't mommy and daddy ever sit still? I must be the only seven-month-old baby that's already been up in a plane three times! This time mommy told me we were going to her hometown, Ottawa. I missed daddy for a couple of days, but all my other friends - Laurie, Ann-Marie and Susan, Kate, Janet, David Scrimshaw, the Abdulaziz family, and Marika and Athena - took such good care of me, it hardly even mattered. At least on this trip I got to play with some friends my own age - friendly 11-month-old Athena, Kasim's gorgeous twins, Mizgin and Bihar, and adorable Cole who was born just ten days before me. I hope I get to play with all of them again soon!
Finally daddy showed up and we spent most of our time at the Ottawa Folk Festival, daddy's other baby, which he founded. Anneke and Jamel's kids Shaheen, Bessem and Alysa did a great job of looking after me (and tried to stowaway in our car when we went home!), and I met a whole bunch of daddy's friends as well as some of mommy's, like Paul and Joyce. I was so excited I could barely go to sleep at night!
 
(click on an image to see a larger version)
But it wasn't all fun and games. With a lot of help from our friends, I made lots of progress in Ottawa - now I can sit up on my own for a few minutes at a time, and I started eating real vegetables, just like a big person. So far I've only tried carrots and squash but yum yum! I'm liking this expanded world of real food! And for another change, I'm spending one or two afternoons a week with Auntie Nora, now that Auntie Amanda isn't here anymore. We have a great time, going for very long walks and playing on the swings at the playground - the grown-ups finally figured out what baby swings are for! You'd think mommy would miss me when I'm away from her for a whole five hours at a time, but somehow I suspect she's having too much fun without me.
There's lots of new photos in the "August 2005" folder, and the "Dash and Friends" folder. |
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| Half-birthday party report |
[Aug. 2nd, 2005|12:08 am] |
Thank you to everyone who came to my "half-birthday"/naming party last week! I had so much fun visiting with all of you. Special big thanks to Tricia, who did so much work and prepared such yummy food (not that I had any, but it sure looked like everyone else was enjoying the spread!) and to Sara, who helped her out.
At the party, our high priestess officiator Tricia, and her helpers, Janet and Anna, had a little ceremony to welcome me into the world and introduce my godparents, Dina and Todd. We borrowed a few traditions from here and there: we passed out red eggs and ate chocolate-dipped candied ginger to reflect the Chinese red egg and ginger party; we used a bit of a Wiccan ceremony to welcome the godparents; and we did a Jewish "awakening of the senses" ritual and I got to sit on the "Throne of Elijah". And we made up our very own little ceremonies as well, like the circle of candles on a Montreal bagel! We also did a Chinese/Armenian tradition where I was put on a blanket with lots of objects that represented different occupations and whichever one I picked would show my future career. I had everyone in suspense while Auntie Nora helped me hover over all the choices, but eventually I settled on a toy telephone receiver, which apparently means that I'll be a telemarketer great communicator when I grow up! Afterwards everyone ate lots of cake and dessert, but no one let me try any. There are pictures from the party in my July 2005 photo album.
In other news, grandma was with us over the weekend so she could come to the party. Also, I had my six-month checkup and as usual I'm perfectly healthy! I'm now 18 lbs 14 oz and 69 cm, which seems to put me at the high end of both scales. And I've developed a whole new smile that daddy says is cute but mommy thinks makes me look a little goofy.
Next up - Camp Wanakita with the Marcus-Clowes family, and then NYC! |
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| (no subject) |
[Jul. 31st, 2005|12:51 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | happy | ] |
Dear World,
Just thought I'd pop in to let you all know I'm still growing big and strong, I'm talking a lot more to grown ups and, the most important thing of all, I'm still as cute as ever!
Now if you'll excuse me I have a date with bed.
Love,
Dash |
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| Six months |
[Jul. 24th, 2005|01:37 am] |
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A Weekend in the Berkshires
Last week I got to meet my Uncle Ian and Auntie Amy, and my cousins William and Matthew. It was a long HOT trip in the car, but way worth it to hang out with my cousins and their family. We all stayed together at a cabin in a campground near Pittsfield and did lots of fun things like go on rides at Jiminy Peak, picnic at Tanglewood, and explore the local towns.
I especially loved meeting my cousins. William is 4, and Matthew is 19 months - just a year and a month older than me! It was great to play with them, and they were very careful to be gentle with me. But I'm sure we'll all be a lot more rambunctious as we grow up!
Big thanks to Uncle Ian and Auntie Amy for passing on lots of their stuff to me. As you can see, I'm not that much smaller than cousin Matthew but I got a whole bunch of his hand-me-down clothes. And I got a great new stroller, a high-chair they tell me I'll be using later, and this great exer-saucer. Thank you Uncle Ian and Auntie Amy!
You Can Get Anything You Want.....
 
(click on an image to see a larger version)
When we were in the Berkshires visiting with Mommy's family last weekend, we took a little trip to Alice's Restaurant, which I gather is from some song that people used to listen to when the dinosaurs were still roaming the earth. Personally, I think the song goes on way too long and isn't nearly as catchy as Itsy Bitsy Spider, but there's no accounting for taste. Rumour has it that you can get anything you want at this restaurant, which is located just around the back of an alley in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, about half a mile from some railroad track, but that's a lie because when we got there, it was closed. So we proceeded to drive to the Church where Alice actually lived, which some guy with a funny name, Arlo, has bought and turned into a social justice centre and foundation, the Guthrie Center. Next May, we are going back there for the annual Garbage Trail Walk, where Arlo leads a bunch of people to all the places mentioned in the song, including the restaurant and church, the garbage dump and the jail. Personally, I'd rather go visit Puff the Magic Dragon or Old McDonald's farm, but do they ever consult me on the travel itinerary?
A Few New Tricks
 [ DOWNLOAD AVI ] or [ DOWNLOAD MOV ] AVI is 2.27 MB (smaller, fuzzier) // MOV is 5.63 MB (bigger, clearer)
Right-click to download. If it doesn't work, you may need to install DivX if you don't already have it -
PC users here, Mac users here.
In other news, I'm making a lot of headway in the growing-up department. Here are some new tricks I'm working on right now: holding my own bottle, lifting up my head, taking out my soos and trying to put it back in, sitting up, balancing on 2 feet, and picking things up. I've figured out that I can just suck on my thumb without putting my whole hand in my mouth, and I even laugh out loud these days (especially when Auntie Amanda plays with me). As you can see from the video, I finally learned to turn over from my tummy to my back. I've also discovered that I have feet! Did you know that toys can be fun to play with even if you don't eat them? Some rattle if you shake them or squeak if you press them or have pretty colours to look at. Sometimes I even forget to put them in my mouth at all. Speaking of eating, I've found that toes are pretty tasty! Of course, I'll never be as good at putting my foot in my mouth as daddy is!
Today I'm six month's old! And later this afternoon is my six-month birthday party, so I'll try to post a full report afterward. Stay tuned!
(PS - Lots more photos in the "July 2005" folder, and some in the "Dash and Friends" folder.) |
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| To Grandmother's house we go |
[Jul. 8th, 2005|02:46 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | cheerful | ] |
(Click on picture for larger version)
I just got back from visiting Grandma in Montreal, where I delivered her official job description lest she is unclear on the concept: Spoil Me! I told her that my cats Mazda, Mango and Mickey get awfully lonely sometimes and they would love a pony to keep them company, but she didn't seem too sympathetic . There's plenty of room for him in my nursery since I still sleep in mommy and daddy's room. On the other hand, there's only 15 years, 6 months, and 17 days till I get my driver's license.........
I also attended Bessem's 11th birthday party in the park, where I demonstrated my soccer skills. Everybody was impressed, except for Daddy, who is a bit of a doofus.
 Dash's Soccer Video [ DOWNLOAD AVI ] or [ DOWNLOAD MOV ] AVI is 1.37 MB (smaller, fuzzier) // MOV is 3.60 MB (bigger, clearer)
Right-click to download. If it doesn't work, you may need to install DivX if you don't already have it - PC users here, Mac users here. |
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| Technical updates |
[Jun. 29th, 2005|03:40 pm] |
If you've had trouble with my videos before, you might want to give them another try as I think we've fixed the problem. We've also added a couple of new videos - including one long one from my baby shower in Ottawa, when I was just four weeks old.
There's lots of new pictures too, in the June 2005 folder. Remember you can always click on a picture (here or in the photo album) to see a bigger version.
We're also setting up an updates mailing list so if you'd like to automatically get an email whenever I add a new post, please leave a comment or email me at dashyork@gmail.com.
Yes, for those keeping track, I now have a Live Journal account, a Photobucket account, a Gmail account, and my own web domain (www.dashyork.com)! Now if only mommy and daddy would get me that Hiptop Jr.! |
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| A blow against bigotry! |
[Jun. 28th, 2005|10:29 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | ecstatic | ] |
My Daddy told me that when he was almost exactly my age and growing up in America, President Kennedy introduced the Civil Rights Act giving American Blacks sweeping rights that had been denied them for almost 100 years. He said opponents of the Act trying to keep Blacks as second-class citizens argued a bunch of mumbo jumbo about how the existing legislation was fine because it allowed blacks to be “separate but equal.”
Since I popped out of my Mommy 5 months ago, a bunch of people have been saying that gays and lesbians don’t need to get married because they already have something called “civil unions.” I’m only 5 months old and even I know that argument belongs in my diaper.
Today is a great day for Canada. It means that I don’t have to grow up in a country that denies basic equality to a group of people because a bunch of cranky old men are afraid of who knows what or, worse yet, have never actually read the Bible that they cite as justification of their bigotry, or have only read it very selectively. Thousands of ministers and hundreds of Roman Catholic priests, including Father John Walsh, the parish priest at Paul Martin's own church, have said that civil gay marriage does NOT violate Christian doctrine.
I wish more people would read this article by a Christian clergyman and spread the word to people who still live in the Dark Ages:
Of course, I doubt any of this stuff will ever apply to me because I really like boobies! |
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| Five months |
[Jun. 27th, 2005|09:49 pm] |
I turned five months a couple of days ago. I haven't had an official check-up lately so mommy estimated: she thinks I'm about 18 pounds and 25 1/2 inches. That still makes me above average in weight, and medium-low in height. I'm sure that will get reversed as I grow up though!
I've also learned a couple of new tricks - picking up toys, and almost sitting up. I just have to figure out how to stop falling over sideways when mommy lets go!
I'll be half a year old next month, so I'm planning a big party to celebrate, and to thank all the people who welcomed me into the world. Stay tuned for details coming to your inbox soon!
(Click on picture for larger version)
I just got back from spending a few days with my friends Willa, Ken and Cailin at their condo in Thornbury, on Georgian Bay. Cailin took me for my first swim and I loved it! You can even see a couple videos of me swimming here.
Next up: Another trip to Montreal, and I get to see Grandma again! Yay!
My first pet
(Click on picture for larger version) |
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| Better Late Than Never! |
[Jun. 5th, 2005|10:41 am] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | pleased | ] |
Happy birthday Auntie Naomi!!! Okay, I'm a couple of days late but what do you expect? I'm only 4 months old! I had lots of fun at your party the other day. So many people who wanted to hold me, play with me and feed me. Including you!
In other news, Uncle Geoff was here last week. Congratulations on your National Newspaper Award nomination, Uncle Geoff!
Also, mommy and daddy finally got around to fixing up my nursery. It looks great! I can't wait till they let me move in there. For now I'm still sleeping in my own little basket in their room. I guess mommy likes to have me close to her when I wake up and want a feed at 6 am!
I've just started to notice lots of new things to eat!. They don't taste that great. And I'm not sure how nutritious they are. But I keep trying everything out, because, boy, am I tired of boobiejuice!
I think I've decided to just pretend I was born on March 2, when I was supposed to be, and develop all my new skills and party tricks based on that instead of when I was actually born. Less pressure!
Me and my big brother Mazda |
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| Four months |
[May. 24th, 2005|06:50 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | chipper | ] |
Today I'm four months old! And what a busy month this last one has been. After all daddy's relatives left, mommy's friends Janet and Kate came to visit, from Ottawa and Honduras respectively. We played in the park, and they celebrated Mother's Day with us, which was good cause I don't know where daddy was.
The next weekend we went for a long drive in the car, and when we got there, it was Montreal. We got to celebrate Shaheen's 14th birthday with him and all his family and friends, and I met my newest cousin, Rachel.
The grown-ups figure we're made for each other but I don't think so. Girls are icky!
The next day we met my Auntie Chris and Uncle Patrick and my cousins Adrienne and Nicolas. We played outside with them and had a wonderful high tea. Then it was on to our Nanasi cousins' house for a BBQ, where everyone wore funny hats and posed for pictures.
Back at home, we watched a big vote on TV. I didn't really understand what was going on, but daddy says that because of this vote, I'll be able to marry Tom, Dick or Harry when I grow up, if I want. Yippee!
There's lots of new pictures in my photo album, in the "Dash and Friends" folder and the "May 2005" folder. |
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| A Whack of Wallaces |
[May. 13th, 2005|02:15 pm] |
When I woke up yesterday, I opened my eyes to discover that I was surrounded by my Daddy's relatives, the Wallaces, who came from all over the continent just to see me! There was my Grandpa Mel and his wife Suzanne, who drove up from Chicago; and my Uncle Jamie, and my little cousin Hannah (who's not much bigger than me), who came from the Laurentians. I think at one point they all got in a fistfight to decide who would get to hold me next. Not that I'm complaining. Mommy says I'm an attention whore. We had loads of fun, going to the Rainforest Cafe where we saw a bunch of animatronic animals and then to the zoo where we saw a bunch of real ones. I can't wait to see them all again and to meet my other cousin, Hannah's baby sister, Emma. Speaking of cousins, next weekend, I'm going to Montreal to meet my Auntie Chris and Uncle Patrick and their kids, Adrienne and Nicolas. Yay! |
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| New discovery |
[May. 6th, 2005|02:14 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | giggly | ] |
Today I discovered toys. There I was, lying on my playmat waving my arms around like I always do, when I discovered that my hands were hitting things that moved and made noises. Wow! I just laid there, trying it out, smiling to myself and laughing (well, they call it gurgling) for ages. So cool!
I don't know why mommy and daddy are so excited about this sleep thing. It seems like a simple thing to me. Mommy gives me a good long feed, swaddles me and puts me in my car seat. Even if my eyes are wide open, I just lie there quietly until I fall asleep. And then I sleep for 8 1/2 hours non-stop. What's the big deal? I'm just tired! |
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| New stats |
[Apr. 26th, 2005|01:11 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | sleepy | ] |
Yesterday (one day after my three-month birthday) I went for my first checkup with Nurse Judith. Now I'm 15 lbs 4 oz, and 61 cm. Mommy says this makes me about average in length, and in the 75th percentile for weight. That means I weigh a lot for my age! But we knew that. All the other tests were perfect as well so I'm pretty much a perfect baby.
I also went to my first two seders in the last couple of days. I met lots of people and stayed up past my bed-time! But then I slept for 8 hours again so mommy and daddy didn't mind at all. |
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| Sleeping update |
[Apr. 20th, 2005|06:01 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | accomplished | ] |
Like most babies, I change my routine frequently. It keeps mommy and daddy on their toes! As you can see, I'm growing up fast ... I don't even look like a newborn baby any more.
I'm almost three months old now. So you can forget everything I said in my earlier entries! Nowadays I hardly nap at all during the day, and I even have what you might actually call a bedtime. Sometime between around 7 and 9 I go to sleep and stay asleep for 6 or 7 hours - once I even slept for 8 hours straight! You can just imagine how excited mommy is about this. After she feeds me, I go to sleep again for another 3 or 4 hours, so she's getting a lot more sleep now than she has for a long time. I do nap a little in the morning, and then I'm good to go until bedtime. For now I'm sleeping in my car seat - it makes me feel safe and secure, and I think mommy and daddy carry me around the house so I can be with them wherever they are.
In other developments, these days I'm practising sitting up, and I almost have these hand things figured out. And daddy finally believes I can smile! |
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| Say Cheese! |
[Apr. 12th, 2005|01:14 am] |
Mommy took these pictures of me in the electric swing (thanks, Kate!) yesterday. Does it look to you like I'm smiling?
     (If you'd like you see larger versions, click on the thumbnails) |
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| A tasty snack for a yak! |
[Apr. 10th, 2005|09:57 pm] |
| [ | Current Mood |
| | happy | ] |
Today Mommy, Daddy and Auntie Amanda came with me to the zoo. It wasn't a REAL zoo, but it was close enough. Mommy and Daddy said I'd make a tasty snack for a yak, and even suggested putting me in with the buffaloes so they could get a really good picture. Aren't they the best?? But then Auntie Amanda gave them an evil look so they didn't do it. She's no fun sometimes.
Anyway, Daddy took some photos so I'll ask him to put them on here for you to see later. I haven't quite figured out how to use the digital camera yet. All in good time! :)
ETA: The photos are up! Daddy took lots but only two turned out good enough to post. Click the pictures below for larger versions.
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dash05's journal
