Sniff. Leo got his first haircut yesterday. I was the hairdresser, Marc was the cheering squad and Dora the Explorer was the distraction. I was so torn about cutting off his lovely baby curls but the rats nest that kept emerging at the back of his head and Leo's aversion to a brush deemed it necessary. Of course, Marc was thrilled by my willingness to give the little guy a trim since he's been calling Leo mullet boy for months. Here are some before and after pictures to give you an idea how baby Leo grew up in about 22 minutes.

Leo is a constant source of amusement these days. Last week he started counting. It went something like this: One, one, one, one, one, ooone!! This week he's upped the ante. Now he sounds like this: One, one, one, one, TEN!! He learned ten yesterday while Clara and I were doing some yoga poses from a library book. We decided to (try to) hold each pose for the count of 10. Well, I guess if you say anything with as much relief as Clara and I were proclaiming "TEN" you'd be likely to learn a new word too.

The boy is also really into puzzles these past few days. Leo will beg Clara and I to sit with him and put together a puzzle. He's favoring the big foam Caillou puzzles but he'll happily tap pieces into any jigsaw at all. The biggest problem we are encountering so far is when he insists that we put a certain piece into the puzzle where it obviously will not fit. Unfortunately, several puzzle sessions have ended early as a result of an 18-month-old temper tantrum.

Two successful babysitting experiences in 5 days. WooHoo! Thanks Auntie Caroline and Papa T, you've made this Mama and Papa very happy :)

Oh, and thanks Clara and Leo for putting up with them. Just kidding ;)

Clara posed Leo and I hugging and then painted our portrait.

Later in the day we did some group cleaning, if only every day were so productive! Clara is shredding a huge pile of papers Papa set aside for her and Leo well, he is pushing around a running vacuum.

Clara climbed into bed with Marc and I this morning. She was groggy from having just woken up. She hugged me and said "good morning sweet potato" in the most loving voice. Then she hugged Marc and he asked if he was a sweet potato too. She said "no, you are a mashed potato"

While walking to the Carrfour this morning Clara and I were chatting. She mentioned Cohen's house (for some reason) and I told her that Cohen and his family would be moving this Summer. She decided that she also would like to move house. Then she asked me in all seriousness "But our house is really heavy, how do we move it?"

On Monday morning the alarm clock went of at 7am. I got up, got ready for the gym and started eating some breakfast. Leo toddled down the hall and greeted me all smiles and chatting up a storm and played while I finished my cereal. I told him I was going to the gym and that he should go and wake up Papa and Clara. He wouldn't go down the hall while I was still at home (I knew this from previous experience by the way) so I got my cat and shoes on and headed out the door. Leo waved and shouted bye bye to me through the window.

I came home about an hour later and this is what I found!!! That stripped lump in the middle is Marc, also know as lazy Papa.
As you can imagine their day started a bit later than usual. Of course the time change over the weekend may have had something to do with it.

Once Clara and Leo stumbled out of bed, were fed and dressed we went downtown for what turned into a rather turbulent shopping trip. After the mother of all tantrums in Old Navy Clara and I are still trying to get along.

It was one of those days where it felt like I was so in love with my kids and proud of them one moment and then frustrated and spitting mad with them the next. Yeah, spending part of the day downtown with an 18 month-old and a 3 1/2 year-old is not a good thing for this Mama. I think I'll look into shopping on the Internet for the things I still have to buy them for Spring/Summer :)