It Takes a Village

  
I was thinking today about that saying "it takes a village to raise a child."  Since the day that Sydney was born, I have to admit that I took very seriously my responsibility to sustain her in every way possible.  I literally never wanted her to leave my arms for the first few months of her life, I even hated putting her down to nap or sleep at night!  I really didn't give much thought to needing anyone else but me and Paul to raise our daughter, foolishly thinking that we would be enough for her.  I couldn't have been more wrong. 

Sydney is so blessed to have so many wonderful people who love her dearly in her life.  She really has won the love lotto!  Every friend, relative, teacher, mama, they all add so much to her life experience.  We are richer for having so many amazing people in our lives!

Sydney and I have a very strong bond.  Up until very recently, she would often cry or run to look for me if I left her sight for even a minute.  While I love that we are so connected, I have to admit that this gets very exhausting sometimes.  I can't count the number of times I have been sitting on the toilet in the bathroom with her crying hysterically outside the closed door because she can't see me.  No amount or reassurance from Daddy or anyone else that I will be out in a minute, will calm her until she sees my face.  She is a Mommy's girl in the truest sense of the word!

Recently, I have noticed that Sydney has been talking to me about things that I haven't ever heard her talk about before, nor introduced her to.  The other day she was going on and on about a "banana phone"...when I asked her what it was, she just kept telling me all about her banana phone in her cute toddler lingo.  A couple of days later we were at school and one of her little buddies from class put her banana up to her ear and said "I'm talking on my banana phone."  Oh....she heard it at school...why do I think this is going to be one of many times that she learns something at school that I know absolutely nothing about!  My little girl is growing up, learning things from all sorts of people besides me.  The village around us is lending a hand in teaching my little girl new and different perspectives and ideas.  It's amazing!

This week has been busy in many different ways.  I had a lovely evening out with the girls at Maryna's house yesterday.  Maryna is an up and coming jewellery and fashion designer and invited us to her home for wine and appys and to see some of her latest creations and shop in the comfort of her home.  It was so fun!  Today, I donned my scrubs and went to the office to help Paul with a surgical patient for the first time in a long time!  

Sydney has been away from me more than usual this week between those two events and being on her own at school and with Nadine, my Mother's Helper.  I have been so proud of her as she bravely has shed not one tear upon seeing me leave and has been such a good girl for everyone who has had a hand in watching her this week.  It truly has taken a village to raise my child this week and I think it has been so good for her!

A couple of fun things from this week:

I asked Sydney to choose one piece of fruit to put in her backpack to take to school today.  I turned my back for a minute and when I turned around I found that she had emptied the entire fruit bowl into her backpack.  She wanted to take every piece of fruit that we had in the house to school for snack today!  It was very cute!

While I was shopping this week I picked up the sweetest outfit for Sydney for next spring.  All of the Easter dresses were on sale at Gymboree so I got her this very cute tulip dress complete with matching purse and shoes which I will tuck away and pull out next spring for her to wear to the Passover Seders.  She absolutely loved the shoes and purse, I let her play with them today and then stashed them away in the back of her closet when she was sleeping! 

I got this music box for Sydney this week, she absolutely adores it!  When you wind it up, the ladybugs on top spin and spin until the music stops.  We have played it a thousand times this week, it is her new favourite toy!

It has been a full and fun week with my girl!