Hotel and Travel Adventures!!

Just wanted to do a quick post to say hello and let everyone know we are having a wonderful time on our travelling adventure! We have been here since Thursday and the time is already flying by. I can't believe we head home a week tomorrow!

Clara is 8 months old today!! I can't believe that she hasn't been here forever. Her presence has added so much to our family in such a short time. She lights up our family, and never fails to make all of us smile or laugh whenever we are near her. She is laid back and so easy to be around, and yet definitely not afraid to ask for what she needs. She is starting to enjoy the call answer by grunting/yelling with anyone who will 'play' with her. She continues to love her food--fruit only--don't insult her with veggies that aren't 'snuck' into her meal. She is getting stronger and wigglier every day. She is going from sitting to her tummy, then rolling around to get a desired object. I guess she will be walking then RUNNING. I have a feeling this kid is going to be a mover and a shaker, and keep us on our toes!! She loves to play with anything that's not a baby toy....somehow she knows what is meant for her and usually has no interest in it. Little monkey. She is so easy going, wonderful, loving, snuggly and perfect. We love her so much. Happy 8 month birthday sweet thing.

Can I start off by saying what an amazing thing it is to have Brett with us again. It has been so wonderful. Wonderful. Wonderful. Husbands and dads are very important!!!! Especially ours.

Here is a typical day so far in our travelling world!!

5-6am rising of the Clara-Beara (Mama-bear is much happier on the 6am risings!). Mama nurses in a semi comatose state then tries to play and keep Clara-beara from making too many loud noises and waking the other bears in the next room.

6:45-7:10 the other bears arise. Play, be thankful to have a dada again, drink copious amounts of caffeine (the big bears), breakfast, perhaps some bathing (on a good day)

8:00am- Clara goes down for her nap, Sophie and Mama head to the pool!! Sophie and I have been having a BLAST swimming together. Today we swam for an hour and a half (we were both prunes when we got out). I forgot her water wings (duh) but my sister came to the rescue and is mailing me some. (I spent 2 hours yesterday walking in the 34 degree stickiness searching for water wings..but all the inventory has turned over...pumpkins everywhere, can you believe it?). Anyway, one of my favourite things to do in the world is swim, and Soph definitely has my genes in that department. We sing, float, dance in the water, toot around in the life saving ring (shhhh), have pretend tea parties and more. There is an attached exercise room and Soph is somewhat scared/obsessed if people are exercising in it. She talks about it constantly. And the other funny thing is that when we're in the pool, Soph only calls me 'ballerina'....and herself 'spaghetti head'...hilarious.

10ish--Clara wakes up, we dress, snack, pack diaper bag and head out for fun. Today we were headed to the science centre, but then Soph had a massive meltdown and we ended up at an odd hot dog restaurant---one can never have expectations with toddlers!! Clara toots around happily on our back in the backpack and is always quiet and all eyes at all the city has to offer! She occasionally grunts or calls us to remind us she's there, and as soon as we look at her she gets a huge toothy grin. Because Clara has two teeth now!! YIPPEE!! They came in last week--I should have written a whole separate post about it....2nd child guilt, here we come. She looks really cute. No more pieces of apple for her to suck on--now big pieces come off! Bummer.

11:45-head back to hotel--eat lunch and toss kids in bed. They've been going down like rocks these days--with all the action and swimming it's easy as pie! A couple of hours of rest for the mama and papa (I've been napping most days and Brett's been doing some work/TV/napping)

2:00--up and at em again, and another adventure time.

5:00-dins, TV for kids and playing in the hotel room.

6:00-back in bathing suits--dada escorts us to the pool then heads to the show (he's working SO hard day AND night). Clara Sophie and I swim, with the goal being to leave the pool with two kids that are alive and breathing (taking them both swimming without water wings is a little tricky at times...but so far so good!).

6:30-7:30 warm bath, PJs, bottles/boobs, bed!!

I've been following them pretty closely, in bed at 9:00. Brett rolls in close to midnight and we're all pretty tired from a busy day.