The Adventures of Clover!: December 2010

Friday, December 31, 2010

Can't Sit Still

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I wore a very pretty dress in the morning. No reason why - I just kinda felt like looking fancy. After a fairly nondescript morning, we all had a nice lunch and stuff, and then we headed out for some New Year's Eve's Eve shopping.

Our first stop was the Chapters at Bayview Village, where we tracked down a copy of a game we like playing and Mommy got a new book she's been waiting for. Then, we drove all the way over to the big toy store to try to find a copy of Pictionary Junior - no such luck, though.

We got home and let Dennis out of his crate and eventually got around to having some dinner. My folks are ridiculously stunned with my ability to NOT sit still while watching television. Ever. While the TV is on my body is in a constant state of perpetual motion.

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Tangled

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Mommy and I had a pretty good morning - she offered to make me a variety of fancy breakfasts, but I requested simple breakfast cereal. I ain't a complicated gal.

In the afternoon, Daddy drove Mommy and I to the movie theatre to see Tangled - we got there JUST in time to catch the whole thing (due to long line-ups and stuff). I enjoyed it - I thought the ending was kinda scary (Mommy says it wasn't) and I spilled my popcorn, but no biggie. Daddy and Dennis picked us up afterwards - Daddy and I bought a bunch of DVDs and stuff at a boxing day sale at Future Shop.

I had a quiet late afternoon... didn't do much. Played a bunch of video games, laughed at the dog, watched some TV with my folks during dinner. The usual.

Listening to: Gorillaz - The Fall

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

The Clover & Mommy Soap Company

[As transcribed by Daddy]

While Daddy slept in, Mommy and I spent a good chunk of the morning making fancy and glittery soap using the awesome soap-making kit Aunt Diane and Uncle Ed got me for Christmas. Pretty awesome!

After Daddy woke up (as he puts it, "being woken up by having an 80-pound Argentinian Mastiff jump on your head is getting pretty old"), we all had a quick lunch. I helped Daddy organize his CD collection, and then he drove Mommy and I to the grocery store, where we bought lots of groceries.

After we got home, I did a lot of playing in my room - Daddy worked on my playhouse and then we all had a lovely little dinner and watched some television together. The plan for tomorrow is for Mommy and I to go to a movie - here's hoping!

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Unable to Sit Still

[As transcribed by Daddy]

My parents slept in quite a bit this morning - who knows what I was up to in the morning (or even when I woke up)... it wasn't until about 10:30 that I finally went into my parents' room and woke them up, complaining of hunger.

After lunch, we all sat around the couch and watched the big Christmas episode of Doctor Who. Actually, Mommy and Daddy and Dennis sat on the couch... I couldn't sit still or stop fidgeting. It was driving everyone crazy! Compounding that, I lost a few odds and ends (teeny tiny Playmobil pieces) which made me pretty miserable. Maybe I woke up too early this morning, considering how I was carrying on.

After Dinner, I went with Daddy to Home Depot to pick up some of the last (?) pieces of wood needed for my backyard playhouse. Construction should be done in a week or two, and then when it gets warm enough, we'll prime and paint it!

Monday, December 27, 2010

Heading Home with Dentist

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I was really happy to wake up and play with my cousins Lola and Olivia (and Ella and Matilda, even if they're pretty small). Our new Christmas loot got a serious workout.

After breakfast, we bid adieu to Gammy and Grandpa and Gareth (who's flight to New York was cancelled, re-routed to Philadelphia via Toronto, cancelled in Toronto, and then re-routed to Washington DC, where he took a train North to New York. We got home long before he did).

After lunch there was more playing, some photo taking, and then we loaded up the car and headed back to Toronto. It was a pretty long drive - I was as patient as I could be. Dennis (dubbed 'Dentist' by Lola) was extremely easy going once again! I was a little bit exhausted by the time we got home, but hey... it's been a real whirlwind of a weekend.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Christmas Craziness

[As transcribed by Daddy on December 27th]

Today was the big day... Christmas! I woke up pretty early and joined cousins Lola and Olivia and Ella and Matilda and our respective parents and grandparents (and Gareth) for a batch of opening presents. I got lots of awesome loot - a Barbie, a marble game, some cupcake toys, several books, toys, a scarf, a hat, a soap-making kit, and games!

After lunch and some holiday face-painting with Cousin Robin (see photo above - I got 'Snuggle Zombie' makeup), she joined Mommy and Daddy and Nevi and Dennis and Skye and Lola and Eric and I for a blast on the toboggan hill! We got cold, but I must've gone down that hill 50 times.

Once we got back, we opened more presents, and I called Nana and Zoe on the phone. I played with my cousins, and the later it got, the crazier we all got.

Dinner was great - I especially loved the gluten-free lemon merengue pie Aunt Diane made. By the time it came time for our parents to open presents, though... things were pretty nuts. I got tired and went to bed, where I was joined by Dennis, who I should mention was an exceptionally well-behaved boy.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Kid's Table

[As transcribed by Daddy on December 26th]

So, I woke up with my ear still bothering me, which put our trip to Montreal in jeopardy. Luckily it got better, and we canceled our hastily-scheduled emergency trip to the hospital.

After an eternity of loading-all-of-our-crap-into-the-car, we left Toronto at exactly noon, and had a pretty uneventful drive to Montreal. There were lots of snacks consumed along the way, but no lunch, surprisingly. Dennis and I were incredibly well behaved.

Once we arrived, I was really happy to play and eat dinner with cousins Nevi and Skye over at the kids' table while Mommy and Daddy and Ed and Diane and Gareth and Robin and Brian ate dinner at the grown-up's table. I made sure to leave a nice letter with some flax cookies for Santa Claus before going to bed.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Earache

[As transcribed by Daddy]

So much to do today! Oh my goodness. Daddy slept in (Dennis jumped on his head to wake him up) and missed a lot of the baking, sewing, wrapping, and packaging. After we all had some lunch, he drove Mommy and I downtown to the toy store, where we got the last few presents needed for Christmas in Montreal.

Next, we drove over to the outdoor mall, got even MORE stuff for Christmas (not to mention some food for the long drive to Montreal) and then finally headed home. I napped on the way - Dennis was so happy to see us when we got home that he practically tore a hole through the wall.

After some dinner, it was back to work - packing and wrapping and sewing and stuff. I went to bed on time, but woke up not long afterwards, complaining of a pretty severe earache. Mommy stayed with me until I fell asleep again - which means we'll have to move the last of the wrapping and packing and sewing until tomorrow morning before we leave for Montreal.

Listening to: Paul McCartney - McCartney II

Thursday, December 23, 2010

Sprinkle Boss

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I made sure to dress for really cold weather this morning - I bundled up in thick fleece-lined pants, a couple of layers of shirts, a hoodie, big thick socks... and I never went outside once throughout the entire day.

So anyway, Mommy did a little bit of gift crafting and stuff, but we spent a better part of our free time doing some Christmas baking. We made peppermint bark, cookies (one of which Dennis ate), and other goodies. I was in charge of sprinkles.

Ursula came over with Max and Jenna in the afternoon - we all hung out with Dennis. At first Jenna was nervous around him, but warmed up after a short time... Max, on the other hand, took to him immediately. Those two are, like, best pals now.

Daddy got home from work after I went to bed tonight. Mommy and I decided not to wait up for him and watched our regular episode of 'Doctor Who' without him.

Listening to: Here Lies Love: The Songs of 2008

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Cashing In

[As transcribed by Daddy]

It was another really cold one out there today - but not to worry! Mommy and I were able to make the best of it and cashed in the Lottery Tickets Nana bought me for Christmas (I won five bucks) at the toy store, where I got a cool little Playmobil figure.

Also, today was a big day for gift production - Mommy worked on Christmas presents for my cousins in Montreal, and Daddy spent endless hours on his contribution to the big family Christmas present.

For dinner, Mommy made some beef barley soup, which apparently she and Daddy used to eat a lot back before I was born. I really liked it, and we were all kinda surprised that we didn't eat it more often. That's usually a good sign of a winning meal.

Oh, and Dennis ate some of my food right off of the living room table when I wasn't paying attention at lunch.

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Ribs

[As transcribed by Daddy on December 22nd]

No school today - because I'm officially on Christmas vacation. I got to hang out at home with Mommy and Dennis - the two of us played around the house a bit, and then - get this - I actually got to go outside and play in the snow for once! It's a shame that it took this long, but now that I'm not hacking and coughing like a fiend, I can frolic and play in the cold as much as I want (within reason).

Mommy and I made two miniature snowmen and mounted them on the picnic table outside in the back yard. I was so determined to make a snow sculpture, and had to be satisfied with one that was under a foot tall.

I begged and pleaded with Daddy to take Mommy and I out for dinner tonight - and it worked! We drove Mommy to Fabricland to do some shopping first, and then I ate an enormous half rack of ribs at Kelsey's. I sure do love me some food.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Christmas Shopping

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Fun times - today, after a pretty dull morning of television watching, video game playing, and smoked salmon eating, I convinced Daddy to put down the big family Christmas present / research project he's been workin' on and actually take me out to buy a Christmas present for Mommy.

I can't go into details here (obviously, in case Mommy actually reads the blog for once) but we had a pretty good time... I was meticulous in picking out exactly what I wanted for Mommy. Then we went to Starbucks for some treats on the way home. Yay treats!

The rest of the evening went pretty smooth. Mommy made a big ol' traditional Sunday dinner of roast beef and mashed potatoes and all the fixings. Dennis was, once again, just happy to be allowed on the couch.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Street Meat for Dennis

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I was awake pretty early today... maybe a bit TOO early. My parents slept in a bit, but my constant over-reactions to the littlest things really sort of indicated that I didn't get enough rest. Dennis, on the other hand, had a GREAT day. It's been two weeks, so... today he's allowed to get up on the couch and the bed ad stuff. And believe me, he did. He spent at least 75% of the day on one piece of furniture or another.

In the afternoon, we all went down to the Beaches for a walk - Mommy hit up the butcher and got loads of food, and then we went for a lovely walk up and down Queen East. Daddy and I checked out the bookstore, while Mommy and Dennis went to the little dog bakery and got some treats.

Actually, Dennis got even more treats on the way back to the car, when a nice lady stopped us on the spot and liked Dennis so much that she gave him an enormous bag of liver treats. Turns out she's in the business of making and selling them. So... keep an eye out for Loki's All-Natural Liver bits (looks like they don't have a website), and tell then Dennis sent you.

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Santa, but no Chips

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Mommy and Daddy and I spent the bulk of the day keeping Dennis off of the furniture. It's as though he can sense that he officially becomes 'ours' tomorrow, and is trying to break the rules and get on the couch and stuff.

School was fun today - we had a visit from Santa Claus, who I hung out with a little bit. He had cookies and stuff for us, but as I explained to Daddy later - "We definitely did NOT have a party with potato chips". Ms. Free got me a present, and I brought presents for all of my teachers, too.

Daddy hoped to get the signs for my playhouse all ready today, but the sign store closed early without telling him, putting him in a really foul mood (now he can't work on it over the weekend). Dennis and I tried to cheer him up my crawling all over the furniture.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Taking a Bow

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Daddy had another day off from work today - he slept in a bit and then woke up in time to eat lunch and quickly get me over to school. Class was pretty good - we had a last-second run-through of the evening's planned Winter Concert festivities, and then it was time to head home again.

I spent the bulk of the afternoon anticipating the concert itself. We all had a pretty early dinner, and then we all went over to the Junior High School. Rather than do three different concerts for three grades at our school, as is customary, they decided to pack hundreds of people into one auditorium at the other school for one big concert. It wasn't planned well, and the crowd was insane - but I had an okay time, I guess. I was kinda freaked out by all the people, but I managed to bow after every single song we sang. Everyone laughed.

I couldn't wait to get home, I was so overwhelmed. I volunteered to go to bed early and everything!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

The Broken Swan

[As transcribed by Daddy]

This morning I was crawling around on the back of the couch (like I'm not supposed to) and I accidentally broke the crystal swan G.G. gave me a few months back, as it was sitting on the nearby window sill. It made everyone pretty upset, and it made Dennis pretty curious... hopefully he didn't eat any of the shattered crystal shards. If only I would stop climbing around on the furniture or could sit still while watching television!

School was okay - however I had to walk there through the snow, as Daddy was away all day with the car (traveling around the GTA for work). I watched some Christmas specials on TV with Mommy in the afternoon, and was very sad when Daddy didn't come home from work - he was at his big company Christmas party.

He did sneak in to say goodnight to me once he got in, but I don't remember any of that. I was in pretty deep sleep.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Three Dancers

[As transcribed by Daddy]

It's another cold one out there today! My goodness! Now that I'm just about well enough to go outside and play in the snow, it's cold enough to crack your face in half. Yikes!

School was pretty awesome today... well, right up until I got a time-out for "touching my partner's leg." Oh well. When my folks picked me up from school, I noticed they they failed to successfully hide the evidence from their Christmas shopping jaunt. They scuttled my attention, however. With candy.

The afternoon was nice... I played video games with Daddy (who had a vacation / Christmas shppoing day) and stuff. I had my first dance class in three weeks - and was one of only three kids that showed up due to the cold.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Back to School

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I went back to school today! Yay! I was finally feeling well enough that Mommy decided I could return to kindergarten to see my friends and stuff. Woo!

School was great! I was so happy to see everyone. We got to watch a play about ducks and stuff, I got to practice for my big school concert, and I went to the gym. It was WAY too cold outside to play though... it was, like, the coldest day of the year so far, apparently. Grandpa gave me a ride to and from school.

I finished up all of our family Christmas cards with Mommy, and somehow convinced everyone to order a pizza and wings for dinner. Dennis and I spent a good chunk of time playing today - I tried to use a commanding voice to get him to sit down and roll over and stuff. Sometimes it worked.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Sad to see Nana and Jim go

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Nana and Jim left rrreeaally early this morning in order to beat any ugly weather... none of us were particularly happy to see them go, as we were all having a great visit. It took me a while to get over it, in fact. I was kinda in an up-and-down mood for the rest of the day as a result.

After lunch, Daddy and I took a quick jaunt over to Home Depot, where Daddy bought some more wood for my playhouse, and then we went to Starbucks for treats. I picked out a power adapter for Daddy's iPhone at Best Buy, and then we came home and I was a little bit grumpy on-and-off.

At the end of the day we had a lovely dinner, and then it was bedtime. The overall good news is that my cough really appears to be on its way out, but the bad news is that Mommy and Daddy are both pretty sick.

Oh - and Dennis is rally confused by my talking Toy Story toys.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Christmas Tuna

[As transcribed by Daddy]

It was muffin time this morning while I waited for everyone to wake up... I had a nice visit with Nana, and then she and Mommy went to the second hand store and stuff to run some errands. Daddy took Dennis for a really long walk while I hung out with Jim, and when he got back I coached him on how to make me a (really late) lunch.

After Mommy and Nana got home, the three of us made a fancy gingerbread house on our new kitchen table. I played video games and stuff, and then we ate a mixture of takeout and homemade soup (since so many of are getting sick).

Then it was time to open presents! Awesome! I got the pull-string Woody toy I wanted, a Toy Story pillow, candy, and tons of other awesome things. Thanks, Nana and Jim! Nothing as funny as the eight cans of Christmas Tuna that Daddy got, but I'm still really happy!

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Cheat Codes for Dennis

[As transcribed by Daddy]

As soon as I was up, I asked (instructed?) to go out for lunch with Nana and Jim, so we did. Everyone really enjoyed their meal! I WAS well enough to go to a restaurant, but not well enough to go to a restaurant AND school. Restaurant won. I missed a whole week of school.

I set up the Christmas tree with Mommy and Nana - after which Nana proceeded to bury the floor underneath the tree in presents! We opened one, which coincidentally was tree ornaments.

We keep discovering new commands that have random effects on Dennis. For example, if you put your hands at your side, he sits. If you extend your hand in front of his face, he rolls over. It's like discovering video game cheat codes for your dog!

Friday, December 10, 2010

Box of Clothes

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I'm still sick with the sniffles and a cough, but I definately appear to be on the mend. Having said that, I still haven't gone to school this week. It was okay though - Nana kept me pretty entertained!

While Mommy took Dennis for a lengthy walk around the neighbourhood in the freezing cold, Nana and I played a bunch of board games and with toys and stuff. What really made my day, however, was the box of clothes from Aunt Trina! It was full of dresses, skirts, and all kinds of goodies - new and old.

I put on a fashion show for everyone, trying on each and every item from that box. My enthusiasm took me straight through the day - when it was time for bed, I was still going through that box of clothes!

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Nana Loves Me

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I'm still sick, unfortunately... the humidifier seems to be working and everything, but I'm not miraculously all better. I had a quiet morning with Mommy and Dennis, and then Nana and Jim arrived.

They must like us a lot - apparently they left Virginia three weeks ago (give or take) and drove through mountains of snow, sleet, surprise squalls, tornadoes, hurricanes, and sideways-blizzards. All just to visit me! Until the weather gets better (it's snowy and cold) we expect to have them around.

Dennis barked and growled at Jim all day long. No idea why... maybe it's his hearing aid. Not really sure. Anyway, we're trying to be pretty firm with him. Other than that, it's all good.

Wednesday, December 08, 2010

The Turnip Cure

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Ugg, I'm still sick today... hacking and coughing. Daddy was working from home today, so he and Dennis drove Mommy and I to the subway, which we took to the doctor's office. Luckily for me there were no needles - Dr. Vaezi told me to eat a lot of onions, turnips, and no dairy (which I'm pretty much allergic to anyway). I can also use a puffer if I want.

I had a nice afternoon - if you could consider being cooped up inside the house 'nice'. I played some video games whenever I could sneak the computer away from Daddy, and watched some television. Dennis and I played with a balloon a bit, plus I threw a big dinner party for Cinnamon Bunny and Annabell... which lasted longer than my actual dinner.

Mommy and Daddy installed a new humidifier in my room after I fell asleep tonight... it already sounds like it's making a difference.

Listening to: Daft Punk - Tron: Legacy - Official Motion Picture Soundtrack

Tuesday, December 07, 2010

Ultimate Snowboots

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I stayed home from school today - my coughing and hacking and sniffling has gotten pretty bad. Mommy's got a bit of it, too - Daddy is just waiting for it to catch up with him at some point. My spirits don't seem to be at all affected, however.

Ursula came over to continue tiling our floor... she got to meet Dennis, and it was pretty much love at first sight for the both of them. In the meantime, I stayed inside and drew pictures and stuff - it's a winter wonderland out there, but because I'm sick, I've gotta stay inside. I sure hope I'm not stuck in here all winter! I don't wanna miss anything.

I drew a pretty awesome picture of a superhero who shoots fire out of his hands and has telescopes coming out of the top of his head... he has a big angry green face, wears a pink tutu, and has amazing yellow snowboots. His name is 'Ultimate Snowboots' and Daddy thinks he's awesome.

Monday, December 06, 2010

The Gentle Leader

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Today was our second day with Dennis. Overall, it's going really well - he's really nice and we like having him here. He still seems a little bit 'off' - his intestines are a mess and he still seems confused about who we are and why we keep calling him 'Dennis.' Hopefully he'll get used to us, and we'll get used to him. Sometimes he reminds us so much of Basil it's a little shocking (the differences between them are also quite pronounced).

As for me, I had a nasty case of the sniffles, and my nose ran about as much as Dennis seems to be prone to drooling. After lunch we took him to the poet store to buy him a new leash, which attaches to his face and not to his neck. It's called a 'Gentle Leader', but Mommy thinks it should be called the 'Miracle Leash' because her arms are no longer on the verge of being pulled out of their sockets.

Dennis also got to meet Bo, the doggie from next door... the meeting was okay. Bo's never had a relationship with another dog, and Dennis just pressed himself down onto the snowy ground.

Oh yeah - it really snowed today! I drew awesome pictures, made some crafts, and I had a bath!

Sunday, December 05, 2010

Dennis!

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Big day today!

We were all up pretty early today, and took care of a bunch of important errands. First, we bought some blankets, dog food, dog treats, and chew toys for Dennis, who was to arrive just after noon today. Then, we went and took care of some grocery shopping at the butcher shop.

We headed home, did some last-second tidying, and then he appeared in our doorway - Dennis, our new dog, brought by Patti and Sarah. He's big, goofy, and kinda clumsy - he knocked me over at one point, but it was just because he likes me (I gave him lots of toys). We had a great visit, and then Patti and Sarah were on their way, leaving Dennis with us!

He's not allowed on the furniture for the next two weeks, but seems to like all of the attention we've been lavishing on him. By the end of the day he was pretty tuckered out after all of the excitement (and a walk in the freezing cold). We hope he gets used to us and grows to like us! Also, we hope Gammy's allergies recede, too.

Saturday, December 04, 2010

Tangly

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I woke up with ridiculously knotty hair today. Mommy had to run the brush through it, and things were so tangled it really hurt. Through my sobs I said "I wish Daddy was here, because he always makes me laugh." Luckily Ursula brought me some Silly Bandz on behalf of Jenna and Max, and that made me happy.

School was all right today - we had music class, had some stories read to us, and the usual sort of thing. In the afternoon I visited with Gammy and Grandpa a whole lot, and in the evening I played some cool video games with Daddy.

Mommy's not feeling too well - she's got my cough. I tried my best to persuade her that she was too sick to make us dinner and that we should go to a restaurant... but no dice. Oh well. We had a lovely gnocchi soup instead.

New dog tomorrow!

Friday, December 03, 2010

Dollarama vs. The Dollar Store

[As transcribed by Daddy]

Ursula and George are back! Today Ursula was back to the daily grind - literally grinding tiles for our new floor. Yay! She brought me a movie to watch and everything.

Apparently today I had a pretty frustrating argument at school with my friends Vanessa and Kansas about the name of the Dollar Store - I told them it was called "Dollarama", and they say it's called "The Dollar Store." Sheesh. The nerve of some people. Mommy made me some hot chocolate once I got home - it made me feel better.

No television for me in the afternoon - I did some colouring and drew a picture inspired by one of the video games Daddy likes to play. We watched some television during dinner, and then for a nice change, Daddy read me to sleep.

Thursday, December 02, 2010

Grumpy / Grumpier / Grumpiest

[As transcribed by Daddy]

More coughing through the night. I was up really early this morning - Mommy joined me in bed to keep me company, though. We had a pretty decent morning, and in the afternoon I felt well enough to go to school after a few days of being away! It was great up until the part where I bumped my head on some massive blocks (?). It just made me grumpy.

After school I came home and decided to draw some cartoons and stuff, but I couldn't quite get my drawings to come out right. It only made me grumpier.

After dinner, Daddy drove Mommy and I out to pick up a new dog crate for the new dog we're getting this weekend (have I mentioned him yet?). I didn't get to go in with Mommy to meet the people who sold it to us via Craiglist, which made me grumpiest.

Listening to: El Guincho - Pop Negro

Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Still Coughing

[As transcribed by Daddy]

I coughed through the night once again - and even had a bad dream, sending me to bed with my parents - which meant that Mommy kept me out of school for the second day in a row.

The weather outside was wet and mucky, so Mommy (who seems to be getting my cough as well) and I stayed inside. We read some books together, did some crafts, I coloured a whole bunch of our family Christmas cards, and then I beat the pants off of Mommy in a game of Candyland.

Once Daddy got home from work we had more leftover turkey for dinner, watched television together, and then it was time for me to go to bed a little bit early to make up for the lack of sleep I've been getting (due to all the coughing).

Listening to: Nine Inch Nails - Pretty Hate Machine