She's Expressive

June 1, 2010

As Canaan grows (she'll be two on June 26th!!), so does her expressive nature. Which makes itself known in all forms--her loud voice, her funny faces, her "boneless" tantrums, and the force of which she throws her toys across the room.

Our first example was when we took Canaan (and her cousin, Courtney) sailing for the first time. As picture here, Canaan's expression tells us, "Not only is this hat strangling me, but this boat does not look like a blast."

But after cruising around on the lake, taking a swim in the water, and helping her dad "steer", she decided that sailing was a blast after all. And that she should have worn that hat because the sun is pretty bright.

While preparing our garden this year, Canaan dons her "bug hat", gets her Elmo shovel, and helps till the garden. Specifically this squash plant. Expression: pure cuteness.

And after finding what seems to be a poopy-substance in the garden, Canaan's expression turns from "pure cuteness" to "I may be eating this shortly."

What would Spring Evenings be without a BBQ with friends? While sharing a meal with Gracie, Joy, and Marin, Canaan's expression reads: "No time for pictures, mother. We've got business to attend to. Got to spread more ketchup on my face while Gracie is makes more room in her mouth for corn."

With the warmth of Spring and Summer, the baby pool comes out. Complete with water slide. Canaan's expression in this picture, "Who would have imagined a two-and-a-half-foot-perilous-drop into 48 degree water would have been so much FUN?!?!"

We also took Canaan to her first Braves Game!! She had a cute shirt and a red bow to match. Here, Canaan is amazed at the size of the stadium, the amount of bratwursts being grilled, and the fact that the family made it through Atlanta traffic with an hour to spare!

Since Braves-Stadium-Rules-and-Regulations-Safeguarding-Against-Terrorist-Attacks-And/Or-Misuse-Of-A-Drink prevented us from bringing in our commemorative Coke bottle (saved for just such an occasion), we had to quick drink it right outside the gates. Canaan is busy concentrating on getting the very last sip since this is one of the few times she gets a soft drink. Expression: "And why wouldn't my parents let me drink more Coke? I'd be willing to give up the milk and water if that's what it takes. What health-sticklers."

"Now if my parents would let me drink water from a gushing water spigot every time, I'd be willing to reconsider the Coke issue."

In this picture, her turned back tells it all, "I'm far too busy pushing this baby around while in the tu-tu my mother made me to stop and take a picture. There are so many places to go with a stroller when you're naked." Sometimes, she listens to her parents, sometimes she doesn't.

In this video, we were lucky to catch the "sometime she listens" on video...singing the ABC's!

On Mother's Day, we played kick-ball with the Big Goodwin side of the family and then our little family went to Piedmont park for a picnic and kite-flying extravaganza. Here, before we headed off to play kick-ball (I might add that a 6-month-pregnant-woman can and will kick some butt at kick-ball), Canaan is expressively telling me that she is sick and tired of the dog trying to eat her rock.

The following video documents how Canaan's "sick and tired" expression will soon snowball into "the Boneless Effect" whereas she apparently looses all control of the bones in her body, rendering her "boneless" and on the floor. After which she will cry or yell or throw a toy until someone can talk her down--much like "The Negotiator", some of the day is spent talking her out of this "The World is Coming to an End" phase of the tantrum. I've documented it here.

Good thing we diverted the dog and Canaan's attention and Mother's Day was saved from any tantrums.

After kick-ball and resolving the dog and rock issue, we headed to Piedmont Park. There are many things to explore at a place like that: a tree...

...why our 8-inch by 8-inch kite won't actually fly...

..and finally, to answer the age-old question posed by every two-year old, "How loud can you actually yell while holding a small stick?" Answer: Very Loud.

Mother's Day 2010: fabulous.

And finally, to conclude the documentary on Canaan's expressive nature, we have a picture of Canaan and Andre in the pool, their faces conveying a message of pure confusion: "So, what you're trying to say is that we need to spread out a little more before we can start a game of Ultimate Frisbee Baby Pool Style?"

How I love Canaan's friends that both understand and share her expressive nature. Canaan's friends: we love you and pray for you!

She's a Very Determined Little Girl...

Monday, April 5, 2010

Canaan is a very determined little girl. We are discovering that she always has a plan-of-action and if, for some reason, that plan doesn't play out like she had envisioned, she becomes quite frustrated. In which case we resort to a variety of parenting methods to calm the erupting storm.

For example, on Tim's birthday, our little family went bowling. Here, Canaan is pictured with a ball that is 3/4 her weight and three times as big as her head. That doesn't deter Canaan--she was determined to push that ball down the alley. So we let her discover that when we say, "Don't cross the foul line--it's really slippery," we mean it. And that's it worth it to listen to your parents who have had 29 years of bowling experience on her 1 year.



Canaan celebrated her second Valentine's Day at Mackenzie Thornton's party. Gracie and Joy Bardin were there and Canaan was determined to not only be in charge of the doll's hair straightener the entire party (seen in her left hand), but also eat Gracie's cookie even though I specifically gave her one cookie and said that was enough sugar (Gracie's cookie seen in her right hand, and Gracie still smiling like a champ behind her.)

And here we are smiling because we both know that we're secretly the boss when it comes to devising great plans and executing them.

Canaan celebrated Actual Valentine's Day at the Mountain house with Grandma and Bampa and Unka (Uncle John). She's in awe that her dad finally gave her a dog. She's thinking, "That's what I've been asking for this whole time and now I actually have one! A red one at that!!"

Plan to Get Dog: check.

Later, Grammy (from Minnesota) and Aunt Beth (my sister from North Carolina) came to visit with us! Here, Canaan is sporting the chef's outfit that her Aunt Beth gave her.

While helping me cook, Canaan becomes quickly determined/frustrated if she can't crack the real eggs into a bowl. So we've been working on the egg-cracking-and-not-just-crushing technique. The apron and hat and oven mitt are perfect for splatter control. Thanks, Aunt Beth!

And the snow in late winter. We played outside and much as I tried to deter her, Canaan was determined to sabotage our snowman. That's why we only had a snow-abdomen this year. Sometimes, when dealing with a determined 1 1/2 year old, it's easiest to let your best laid plans go to pot for the sake of the joy of smashing a snow man to pieces.

The leprechaun came to visit the Goodwin house on March 17th. While Canaan's plan was to find a pot of gold teeming with candy, cupcakes, and ice cream, she found instead an apple, raisins, and some piece of candy that her mother only let her eat a bite of before she threw it away. Canaan learned an important lesson here: sometimes the pot at the end of the rainbow is only filled with nutritious items and so just get used to that cause we don't eat a lot of sugar around here whether you throw yourself to the floor kicking and screaming or not.



But we do have to let her enjoy a cup cake every now and then. This is a look of pure bliss. Canaan thinking, "Yes. Hard work and determination can get you a cupcake every time." Mother thinking, "Enjoy this cupcake, sister, cause this is enough sugar for the next nine days."

This is a picture of Canaan's first day of "school"! Tim and I had to work for the day, so Canaan went to Nana's school (Messiah Christian Academy). Here she is with her lunchbox! Canaan already had her day planned out: "First, I'll eat my lunch. Then I'll eat a snack. Then I'll eat my friend's snack. Then I'll play with his toy. Then I'll eat more of his snack. Then I'll go home."

Canaan always has a plan.

And here she is executing that plan. Eating snack with her friend Sawyer Young! She was actually on her best behavior because instead of eating everyone else's snack, she tried to share her own snack! I was proud of that kid!!

My plan to teach her to share and unconditionally love others: check.

She was inspired by the arts-n-crafts at school, so we got out the paints later to create a masterpiece. Lesson learned: my plans of having her create a cute picture with perfectly laid hand prints all in coordinating colors just doesn't compare to the masterpiece she made with scribbly paint and fingers and a taste-test at the end. So, like God, my "plans" just don't compare to the bigger plans that often surprise us.

Speaking of surprises, Canaan has been the best one we've ever gotten!!

Back to the lessons learned by a our very determine little girl: while she may think she can pedal faster than our nine year old neighbor, she'll still need her Daddy's help for another year or two. Especially since her feet don't really touch the pedals yet.

At the Alpharetta Children's Festival, Canaan was determined to feed this llama not only all the food in her hand, but all the food in the container as well as handfuls of dirt she scooped from the ground. Canaan learned that day that you just can't boss a llama. Especially if you try to feed it dirt.

Speaking of bossing, I learned that I can't boss this blogger website because this is the ninth time I've tried to upload this picture of my pregnant belly at twenty weeks. And each time it loaded it sideways. Really weird. By the way, we're having a GIRL!!!!

Canaan will be happy to have a sister. Here, she's pictured with her friend Ava Harrison at the playground. She looks forward to having a sister that she can "teach lessons to." Much like her mother continually tries to teach her lessons--like "Look at the camera and smile!! PLEASE just look over here and smile! See how Ava smiles at me??? Can you do that? Look at me!!! HEY!!"

This is the picture of determination--"I'll either look at you and not smile, or I'll look at the swings and smile. Your choice, mama."

And another picture of determination: nearly every night after she gets out of the bath tub, Canaan is determined to put her boots on and pour herself a little tea from her tea set. 90% of the time, I have to divert her attention to other activities like, "Look! Here's the lotion I have to put on you!" or "Hey!! Let's put your diaper on!!" or "Canaan! I've got these cutie PJs for you!!" or "Whoo hoo!! It's time to brush your hair!!!" Sometimes they work, other times I brush her hair with her boots on.

And another picture of pure determination: "I will find out, by jove, what is inside of this flower. Whether my mother is calling for me to smile and look at her or not."

And if after twenty minutes I have still not uncovered the mystery underneath these petals, I will continue to discover where the pistil is and how the pollen travels down that tube.

Easter! These are the fascinating eggs I've been talking about. Canaan is enamoured with eggs--eggs in a nest, checking eggs for cracks in the grocery store, cracking eggs into a bowl, sorting pretend eggs, and here she is getting the hard boiled eggs ready for coloring! Not only is she a determined little girl, but she is also very curious. A great attribute for a teacher's kid! "You like eggs? GREAT! I've got nineteen books on eggs and a diagram of an egg and a phonics game we can play with eggs and a great arts-n-craft project where we paint with eggs and..."

Here we are at Nana and Pop Pop's house with her cousin Courtney getting ready for the Easter Egg hunt! Not sure if Canaan thinks it's raining and has convinced Courtney to keep an eye out for rain clouds or what.

And here she is: "EGGS MAMA!! TONS of eggs!! And you would not believe this, but they are the SAME eggs I decorated last night!!!! Look everyone! Daddy--look! That egg I colored!!!!"

And of course, we did have a fantastic discussion on the resurrection of Jesus and how we wouldn't have Easter without Him. Tim and I are determined that she will know all about Jesus!!

Finally, a video capturing Canaan's determined spirit. Not only will she happily collect eggs, but she's going to inspect each one before she moves on to find the next 147 eggs in the backyard.

While Canaan's determination wears us out sometimes, we believe she'll grow into a successful young woman, breaking glass ceilings, wearing lipstick like a pit-bull, and bringing love, life, and the joy of the Lord into every relationship she has!!

A few wonderful days...

(February 1, 2010)

We begin this extremely long blog by starting with Halloween. Of course, we have the annual pumpkin-carving on our kitchen table. Canaan is old enough this year to "help", after conquering her disgust of the pumpkin-guts, she dives in.



To celebrate Halloween this year, we decided to also celebrate the Georgia-Florida Game! So we load up the car with all our tailgating gear and trick-or-treating paraphernalia, and head to Florida. Canaan (thankfully) busies herself by catching up on the latest kid-gossip and coolest gear.
















We make a stop at our good friends, Rich and Lela Jones' house--to eat spaghetti and hang out! Marin, as pictured here, has learned the fine art of eating spaghetti with minimal causalities, whereas Canaan is still practicing.

















Next stop, the biggest Tail-gating Party in the South. Yes, Georgia Fans, Canaan knew how to say, "Gators wear jean shorts" (although it was a bit garbled, real fans knew what she was talking about.)

Then after explaining to Canaan that next year will be quite different seeing as how Tim Tebow will (finally) be gone and that we will really show those Gators how to play football, we left Gainesville to meet more friends, Jonathan and Jennifer Overholser and their new baby Joanna. It was there we dressed the girls up, Canaan sporting a lovely shade of red and black while delicately flitting around as a lady bug. Joanna was a peanut--last year Canaan was a roasted and salted peanut (with an orange bow) and this year Joanna was a cocktail peanut, in honor of the Big Game.

And here we are at 7:30, ready to trick-or-treat for 5-10 minutes, take a hay ride at the local church, and be home by 8:00 for a nice glass of wine. I only hope every Halloween will take 30 minutes. I'm sure when they're 12 or 13, they only want a few candy bars anyway, right??

Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving comes cute pictures in the front yard underneath our one tree.

What a cutie little kid! She thought it was funny that I kept throwing leaves at her and yelling, "Look up here! Up here!! UP HERE!!!!!!"

In November, we got sick of changing poopy diapers, so we bought a little potty seat and have now begun sitting her on the potty before she goes to sleep and when she wakes up and GLORY BE TO GOD, she actually poops in the potty. I would say 9 times out of 10. The 10 happened last week when I went to check on her (after she squirreled around in her bed for an hour), and lo-and-behold, she had not only pooped in her diaper, but taken it off and smeared it in every forsaken crevice she could possibly think of. Including inside a drawer that was next to her crib. And then shutting the drawer so I didn't actually find that poop until much later. And I was so flustered by the shear smell and volume of poop, that I actually washed the diaper with everything else, leaving Tim to clean up that mess in the washing machine. SO, suffice to say, the potty works most of the time.

Thanskgiving was celebrated with my sister, Aunt Beth, who came down from North Carolina to spend it with our family! She's actually a supermodel. Just kidding, she works at a vet office, but she could be!

We stopped by our mother's side of the family to eat our first dinner of the day--there were 5 girls (our aunts), each having 2-3 kids which totaled 13 cousins, who got married and now have kids of their own so here's Canaan playing with a few of the 2nd cousins (Laine, Reilly, and Gaines!)

Next stop on the Thanksgiving Day Express, the Goodwin's house--Josh and Sarah's. Here's a picture of Tim, his brother Josh, his daughter Courtney, and Canaan. Note Canaan's eyes diverting their attention to Courtney's luxuriously soft hair.

Next picture, contact has been made.

Canaan emerges victoriously while Courtney is nursing her scalp (and lip??)

And finally, one big happy family, minus a handful of hairs.

Our last stop for the day, the Mountain House to celebrate with the Trane's (my dad, brother, and step-mom.) We go for a hike the next day, and here we are--Grandpa, Daddy, Uncle John, and Canaan who seems to be looking elsewhere (at what? A tree or a rock? Rarely does she actually look when I'm taking her picture. Any suggestions, please email or call me.)

Here, she's actually looking at a waterfall. Hopefully thinking to herself, "What a Thanksgiving! Each year definitely gets better--this year I could eat whole foods, play with toys and cousins, and hike to a large waterfall. And I poop in the potty. Most of the time."

Christmas

And now to a whole other celebration--Santa time. This year, not only could Canaan say "Santa" (referring to every old man with a beard...she really does believe in the magic of Christmas!!) but she could also wait patiently for two hours in line to see the Man Himself and as soon as we arrive for picture-time, she forgets that Santa is a magical and wonderful old man and begins relentlessly screaming. SO, this is the picture on our "2009" frame on our tree this year.

Speaking of a tree, we made our annual trek to the tree farm, to pick out the tree of our dreams, pretend to cut it down, then take off the red flag indicating it was on sale, and finally drive it home to decorate!

We quickly learned with an 18-month old that diversion is a parent's best friend. So here's Canaan decorating her tree while Mama and Daddy quickly decorated the big tree.

This year, we began the traditional cookie-making at the Goodwin house. Thanks to my Aunt Beth's sugar cookie recipe, Canaan was able to partake in mixing the dough--her favorite part not being licking the beaters like one would imagine, but pretending to break the eggs into the batter--"EGGS EGGS EGGS!!!"

She also rolls dough.

And finally, we bake it, decorate it, and she eats it. In her apron, of course, to save her outfit from the green sprinkles.

Her favorite present this year came from Nana and Pop-pop in the form of a real-live kitchen, complete with pots, pans, spoons, and food. NOW, she can break all the eggs she wants. That's probably what she was thinking in this picture as she saw her Nana and Pop-pop present her with the kitchen.

"My very own microwave!!" she exclaims.

"Thank you, Nana and Pop-pop. You have made my every culinary dream come true."

For Christmas, we also made our annual trip to Minnesota to visit the fam! Here's a snowy picture of Canaan with her cousins (actually, my cousin's kids), Mattie and Lainey, who were more than happy to entertain Canaan until the negative 47 degree temperature overtakes Canaan and she simply falls to the snow, nearly passed out with the lack of oxygen in her body and the immenant frostbite on every external surface of her body. Just kidding...the cold wasn't that bad. Snow does make for great pictures, though!

In the following video, Mattie and Lainey take Canaan across the frozen lake. Canaan stops after eight feet or so, walking in snow pants is difficult for her peanutty legs.





And of course there are thousands of presents to open. Canaan tires after the second one.

Finally, we take our Big Family Picture at the nursing home with Great-Grandma, who's still not sure who I am or Canaan is or anyone for that matter. But Great-Grandma is in a state of pure medicated Christmas Bliss! Just happy to have 15 people eating Christmas dinner and taking pictures with her!

January

Now we are up-to-date. January is Canaan's official 18-month-mark, and so she advances in her education, from pooping in the crib to saying "ABC, ABC, ABC." In this video, I have documented her trying to point to the letters in order. It's really luck-of-the-draw: sometimes she points to the A and says it, other times she points to the walrus and says, "A."

Canaan is also learning how to dance to Keisha's "Tik Tok." First, we work on spotting while turning in graceful circles.

January also brings the Big Snow--so Canaan learns the difference between Minnesota snow which could freeze a grown man in seven minutes and Georgia snow, which will be melted by the 65 degree weather the next day. So we enjoyed it while it lasted!

Canaan is learning to enjoy a nice piece of fruit, while lounging in her rocking chair and sharing good conversation with her mother. They grow up so fast!

And finally, to close this longest-blog-I've-ever-written, Canaan learns one last important lesson in January--that this tiny picture in her hands will grow up to be her tiny brother or sister soon! Yes, Canaan is going to be a big sister on August 17th! Yeah!! It was truly a wonderful day when we found out our little family is growing!!