This is a post from my (new) “Daddy Daze” series, an anecdotal exploration of my odd little adventures in parenting in bite-sized chunks (for your reading enjoyment) and because the last thing this world needs is yet another doting parent blog.

Spring Rolls

A week ago (give or take) we were in the mood for sushi. It’s one of those few dishes we just don’t bother preparing at home, so one of the few (non-we’re-feeling-lazy) excuses we use to duck out of cooking and go out to eat. But it was Monday, and our regular sushi haunt was closed (we discovered as we pulled up in front.) Plan B was another sushi place — a different sushi place — and apparently a sushi place with a kids menu (unlike our regular spot.) Claire was shortly thereafter presented with a rice bowl dressed with a bit of chicken, some shredded carrots, and… a vegetable spring roll. Of course it’s new food so choruses of “I don’t like this!” ring throughout the restaurant, followed by insistent “EAT!” from Team Parent. And in a twist with which almost any parent is sure to empathize, after a grueling half hour long nibble-fest (otherwise known as Claire Eats a Spring Roll) we were casually informed on the way home in the car that “the rolled-up-thing is my favorite, mom and dad…” *sigh*

Un Deux Trois

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it previously, but Claire is officially in French Immersion. It’s preschool… playschool. Whatever you call it. But it’s in French. And while our French skills are somewhat lacking, if the past couple weeks is any indication, they will be improving daily over the coming years. Or, at least until Claire becomes a grumpy teenager and broodingly refuses to discuss what she’s learning at school each night. Until then, we’ll be participating in the French-ification of our household, as every colour and number (so far) is translated and recited. It’s not unwelcome, just very weird…

Skizzors de ‘Zooka

My little artist has coupled her sketching and other artsy-ness (thanks to prolific viewing of CBC’s Artzooka, of course) with the abundant use of her brand new crinkle-cut scissors. You know the kind: they are scissors, but they cut with a design, in waves, ripples, or jags. I seem to remember that they arrived in the slew of birthday gifts a few weeks back, and since then have become an essential tool in the Art-Box-de-Claire, nearly every since project ending with a sawtooth-styled chop-job border, and the subsequent snowstorm of paper-bits littering the living room (or whatever-room) floor. Picture it, a four-year-old intently drawing a detailed picture of a house or a dog or a person or an ice cream cone, and then — kabam! — out come the scissors and that boring old letter-sized paper becomes a an abstract shape of wonder. It’s pretty crazy.