This morning I received some tragic news. A great community leader in music education, Jean Lyons, has died at the age of 84. She was walking home yesterday evening and was struck by a car. She was rushed to hospital where she was operated on but she did not survive.

I'm still trying to grip with the reality of her death. She was a vibrant, active, intelligent, animated woman who was brimming over with life. Always full of ideas and plans for her future. To have to die so carelessly is tragic.

As a youngster, I attended the Jean Lyons School of Music for several years. Miss Lyons was always a fixture there. She taught different levels of theory as well as individual piano lessons. Although she wasn't my primary piano teacher, I occasionally had a private lesson with her and she was always encouraging and constructive. And just when I thought she was stern and serious, she'd come up with some punchline to lighten things up.

Besides the music education and the life lessons and discipline that becoming a musician entails, going to music school built this amazing sense of community. There is still a group of us that get together once in a while. We've known each other since our early teens and although we've gone down different roads in our lives, we're still connected by Miss Lyons.

The ironic thing is that until recently, we never really knew how old Miss Lyons was. It didn't really matter either. We just thought she was timeless. Like she was going to be around forever.

Roland and I are not big Christmas-people. We don't go all out and decorate or buy gifts or make a big deal about it. It's become way too commercialized and the meaning of Christmas is lost. Now that we have a child, we're not going to make it a big deal for him either.

So we've had a few discussions around how we will deal with the whole Santa Claus issue. Should we make Santa a part of our winter celebrations? How much of the Santa thing are we going to expose S to?

Last year S had a picture with Santa. I wasn't planning on having it done but we were at the Kids Only Market on a quiet weekday and Santa was reading a story with the kids. There wasn't a line up for photos so we just decided on the spur of the moment to give it a try. So we have a cute photo of a happy S with Santa.

This year I was curious to see if S might do the same so we headed down to the market. We arrived at around 10 but unfortunately Santa doesn't start work until 11. So we checked out the Santa room and played with toys at various stores.

When it got closer to 11, I asked S, "Do you want to see Santa and have a photo with him?" S looked at me with big eyes and that kind of spooked expression. "Nonononononono..." That was fine by me. For the rest of the day whenever I mentioned Santa, S looked at me with that same wide eyed expression. I had to resort to spelling or referring to Santa by one of his other names.

Well, I guess S answered the questions we had about Santa.

S finally said it today: "Poh Poh"! Poh Poh is what S calls my mom in Cantonese. He's been saying "Goong Goong," what he calls my dad, for the longest time and was probably one of his first words. I've been worrying that he's not bonded to his Poh Poh and that she might be developing a complex about him not saying her name.

I started to wonder about his connection to Poh Poh when he started saying words like pepper (pehpuh), computer (pupu), paper (papuh) but not Poh Poh. And he's been aware of her from day 1!

So we're all excited and a bit relieved. Of course it was only a matter of time.

S used his potty for the first time this weekend. OK, let me rephase that--he peed on his potty for the first time this weekend!

I bought a potty for S a while ago. At the time I hadn't intended to buy him one but he was interested in it and even began to sit on it while at the store. So I bought it and he's used it in a variety of ways...as a lounger in the livingroom, toy storage, step stool (however it's not the kind that is meant to be converted into a step stool!)... The potty was starting to look a bit unsightly in the livingroom so we moved it to S's bathroom upstairs a while back and he wasn't showing much interest in using it.

Then this weekend we thought we'd try to get him to relieve himself on the potty. I guess it helps that he sees me use the toilet and is keen on imitating. Lo and behold, it worked. Now we offer the potty to him each time he has a diaper change and when he wants to go, he can go.

I know it's early to potty train but if he's keen and willing, I'll give him the opportunity to use it. No pressure. Hopefully the novelty of it won't wear off!

Cold, desolate mountains. I picture extreme skiers and boarders and dream of coming back and doing some serious boarding and cross country skiing instead of being confined to what I am sure are the fantastic digs at the Banff Centre. That'll be me, having fun with participating and presenting while part of my heart is in the pow and most of my heart is in Vancouver missing my family.

Technorati tag (just doing this for Blogs n Dogs, this will not be a normal part of this blog!) blogsndogs

Are you looking for a fun evening of shopping, spa treatments, cool tunes, fashion and more? Drop by the Crave Holiday Shopping Party on Wednesday, November 23 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Roundhouse.

Along with over 40 vendors, our friends at Milk Factory will be selling their fabulous family survival gear at the event...fashionable and functional! And they've asked my business to do a crosspromotion! So if you want a sneak peak into what Glo and I have been working on, drop by the Milk Factory booth.

If you purchase your tickets online, be sure to mention Milk Factory as a referral source.

S loves to be in the kitchen. When he's not rummaging through the cupboards or cooking up a storm with his basket of utensils, he wants to be up where the action is. He loves measuring, counting, pouring, stirring. He's still too unstable to be standing on a stool or a chair and he's too confined in his highchair. I don't mind carrying him with one arm and stirring with the other but sometimes I need both hands.

So I've dug out S's sling. We used it a lot when he was an infant but we haven't used it at all since he's been toddling. At first he fidgeted while getting into the sling but once he saw that he was front and centre while I made cookie dough and he got to be part of the action, he was content. And all the while I was able to focus on cooking without having to worry about S running around the house and getting into trouble.

As Roland mentioned a while back, I've been practising yoga for around 10 years now. Long before Madonna made it hip and long before the recent yoga craze.

I decided to explore yoga because I needed to find a way to decompress from working in a stressful job in the Downtown Eastside. I thought it was a good way to relax, help me sleep better and increase my flexibility. Little did I know of the other benefits or the long journey that I was going to embark on.

So I started going to a hatha yoga class at a community centre and it was pretty basic...learning how to breathe, basic stretches and exercises that would lead to poses or asanas. After every class I felt great--more limber, relaxed and funny enough, more energized.

I then came upon Iyengar yoga...not by choice but because the class I was taking had a new instructor and she was certified in the Iyengar tradition. Luckily it suited my needs and my body. In a nutshell, Iyengar focuses on body mechanics and working to one's own place by using props as aids. The philosophy is about achieving meditation through working on poses and breath.

Some folks joke about it as yoga for Type A personalities. I love it because I feel safe...no pushing myself too far and using props to help work deeper towards achieving the full pose. And when I practise, I do reach a level of meditation while I'm busy focusing on what this arm, that leg, my neck, etc. are supposed to be doing while I'm also focusing on breathing. I tend to let everything else go.

The most profound benefit of yoga that I've experienced was going through labour. Over the years I've been able to build a strong mind-body connection. So when those contractions hit, I was able to focus on using my breath and voice to get through them. And practising yoga during my pregnancy was a wonderful way to strengthen my body for the endurance test.

It took me a while to get back into yoga after S was born. Home practise has never been my strength and it was hard to get away when I was nursing a lot. When I returned to classes I felt like I always do when I return to something I haven't done for a while...I realized how much I missed it. So I'm back into weekly classes and I'm working on building my strength again and psyching myself into doing inversions once more.

Even after practising for so long, I constantly have revelations. A couple of weeks ago my instructor mentioned a way of doing one of the poses that I've never quite felt completely comfortable doing. I don't know if I missed classes where she's mentioned it or she hasn't mentioned it before or if I just didn't hear it. I finally get it! I love those moments! The yoga journey continues....

This weekend is the 9th annual Eastside Culture Crawl, one of my favourite art/culture events of the year. It's fun to wander around different galleries and meet and chat with the artists. I'm always amazed to know that there are so many artists tucked into this little corner of Vancouver.

Some of my favourite local artists? Arnt Arntzen, Richard Tetrault, Straight Line Designs, Gailan Ngan. Hopefully we'll get a chance to do the Crawl and discover some new favourites.

Yesterday was a momentus day! Roland, a self-proclaimed fix-it phobic guy, installed a bathroom faucet. In fact, he installed TWO bathroom faucets! Two different styles to boot!

With gentle guidance from our friend Steve, Roland was able to take out the old faucets and install the new ones. Little did Roland or I know that when Steve offered to help us change our faucets, he meant that Roland would actually be doing the work and he'd be the coach.

So far the faucets are working. The hot is hot. The cold is cold. No drips. No leaks.

Who would've thought that Roland could be so handy? I'm sure that he surprised himself. It pays to step out of one's comfort zone. We all need friends that give us that extra little push and who are there to cheer us along.

S had his first haircut yesterday at the age of 19 months, 15 days. Good bye curly locks. Hello big boy coif.

S sat in the special zebra chair, a converted bike seat on a merry-go-round zebra and he watched a video. He was fine for the first part of the cut...he reached back to touch his hair and find out what was going on. "Phew," I thought. Maybe this wasn't going to be so bad.

Then the hairstylist started to cut around his ears. The struggle was on. Tears, wiggles, standing up, shaking his head, pushing away the stylist. She managed to finish the cut while I held S on my lap. Considering the circumstances, she did a fine job. S did as well as we could expect.

S looks like an entirely different child...I can't take my eyes off him. I miss his crazy big hair but I love the new look. He looks so much older and he looks much more like Roland. It's funny how S's head shape is the same as Roland's was at the same age.

S is also getting used to the new 'do. He's been staring at himself in the mirror and when he's tired, he pulls on his hair but there's not much to pull on. He'll get used to it. I'll get used to it.

We have booked S for an appointment for his first haircut. I'm not looking forward to it. Not only do I anticipate that he will struggle but we'll be losing the innocence of the androgeny of toddlerhood/babyhood.

S is a pretty androgenous kid. He's usually dressed in unisex colours. He's often mistaken for a girl...long curly hair, long lashes and rosebud lips. But even when he's dressed in blue and clothes that scream 'boy', people still think he's a girl. And that's fine...he's just a baby.

Babyhood/toddlerhood is a time of growing, exploring, playing. When a child is digging in the sand, hugging a bear or bouncing to a tune, does it really matter if a child is a girl or a boy? Children are all too soon labelled by their gender and they are treated differently and expected to act differently. As open minded we can be and aware about it, it's a societal/cultural phenomenon that is difficult to overcome.

I don't often refer to S as our son--I refer to him as our child. I don't know why. It's more a reflex but maybe it's a subconscious acknowledgement to the androgeny of young childhood. When he was born, our midwives handed him to us without saying, "It's a boy!" They wanted to give us the opportunity to enjoy our baby in the only moment in his/her life where he/she would not be gender labelled.

So good bye curly locks, good bye androgeny.

Muji is one of my favourite places to shop in London. Their stuff ain't cheap; but it's stylish, functional and lasts forever! I have a Muji zip top and a big bowl (suitable for Ramen and stuff like that takes up alot of space). Highly recommended!

From The Observer | Magazine | Design special: Fiona Rattray reports from Tokyo.:

QUOTE

Think of Muji and you think of nice stationery and opaque storage. But as Fiona Rattray reports from Tokyo, behind the no-frills concept is a company with designs on your future - from baby clothes to dream homes

UNQUOTE

We're participating in a progressive dinner with some of our townhouse neighbours. I've always wanted to do one and what a perfect situation...we're just moving yards away for each course and no need to drive! So we were brainstorming about different themes and we thought about some cultural themes and Diwali came up.

Diwali is celebrated by many people of South Asian decent. It's a celebration of light and of family. So I decided to make a few Indian appetizers for our portion of the dinner.

As I was rolling samosas last night, I was thinking of my late dear friend and colleague, Jatinder. She died of colon and liver cancer in January 2004 at the age of 37. She left behind an 8 year old and a 15 month old.

Jatinder was a vibrant, smart, funny, perceptive, witty, wise woman. We shared many conversations about life, politics, family, culture, food and travel. When we met for monthly case reviews, we'd end up spending more time yacking about stuff than we did about clients. And we'd always be laughing.

And now that I have a child, I can only imagine the angst and the pain she went through when she knew that she would die and have to leave her children.

Diwali reminds me of Jatinder. She had a sparky, bright energy about her that embodied the joy and hope of Diwali. Tonight my thoughts will be filled with her as we celebrate and feast. Wherever she is, I hope she knows I'm thinking of her.

I've been parenting solo for the past week while Roland is in Amsterdam attending Drupal Con and Bar Camp. And I've got a few more days to go before he returns on Monday evening.

I've been solo numerous times now but this time things seem a lot easier eventhough it's a longer stretch than previous times. I feel less lonely and less 'stuck'. Maybe it's because S has more of a routine and he's easier to entertain. Maybe it's because I'm getting more rest. Maybe it's because I have my new computer and feel more 'connected' through Skype, instant messaging and iSight. Maybe it's because I have more support and back-up from friends with young kids.

Maybe I've finally let go of feeling envious of not being able to do what I perceive as exciting. Things I loved to do before S came along like travel, attend conferences, meet new people, dine out, explore... Roland claims that it's not all fun and games--it's a lot of work. Sure, sure I say. But when I see how hard he works during the day and usually late into the night, I do understand him. He loves what he does but it's exhausting. And when he's away, he yearns to be home with us.

As time goes on and I see S grow and change and learn at lightning speed, I realize that my hard work with him at home is as exciting as all the things I've been envious about. How lucky I am to be able to be part of S's life and to spend so much time just being with him. It's time that can so easily slip away. It's hard work. It's exhausting but I love it.

Roland says that sometimes he'd rather trade what he does for home life with S. Sorry Roland, I'm staying home.

I've finally psyched myself up to let S try playing with playdough. I had to deal with visions of him eating it, throwing it on the floor, rubbing it in his hair. And visions of me scraping it off the floor and walls and picking it out of our carpet.

So a few nights ago I cooked some up. I even tried a different method so that it wouldn't have a grainy, rough texture. It was actually fun to cook...reminded me of making choux pastry! I coloured it 3 different colours and was quite pleased with the results.

It was a rainy morning and Simon has a cold so we didn't want to go to toddler gym. Today would be an ideal day to give it a try. I explained to S that we were going to try a new toy, it wasn't to eat and it would be so much fun. He eagerly sat at his table and was excited to see me pull out the playdough tub.

When I plopped some down on his table and pressed it, he looked intrigued. He gave it a pat, then a poke. He then exclaimed, "Done!" I proceded to demonstrate what he could do with it--make a smiley face, make a pancake, knead it.... "Done!" and off he went.

I'm a bit disappointed. S is usually very tactile so I thought he'd like it. There goes that rainy day activity! I'll have to give it another try later....

The other day when S and I were at the library, I came across a book called "Dim Sum for Everyone!" I had to borrow it...Roland, being a huge dim sum fan, would be thrilled that a children's book about dim sum exists.

When we got home, I read the book to S. While I read and we looked at the pictures, he kept shouting, "Goong Goong!" (what he calls my dad), "Ngun Ngun" (what he calls food) and "Mmmmm". So obviously he understood the book! We usually go for dim sum with my folks, Goong Goong and Poh Poh. Dim sum is food. And it tastes good.

Amazing.

S truly is his father's child!

Wow, it seems like the next wave of the baby boom is about to hit. A couple of close friends are pregnant and several of the moms in our original parent-infant group are pregnant with baby #2...that makes about half of us pregnant again.

So I'm feeling a little societal pressure. Not from anyone in particular--not my folks or Roland's, not Roland--just in general. Don't I want another baby? Now that you have one child, you really should have another. Isn't it time to add another member to the family? It would be so nice for S to have a brother or sister....

And with my 'advanced maternal age', you'd think that I'd be the first on the block to be pregnant again!

But I don't know. I don't know if I could go through those early baby days again...the sleep deprivation nearly killed me (I'm not exaggerating). And I never really had that "I must have a baby" urge in the first place. I've always loved children but from the work I did, I knew about the realities of parenting as well.

When I think about our lifestyle and all the things we want to be able to do in the future, it would be more feasible to have one child. Not that having children should be a decision made around convenience.

It's been so challenging to finally get to a point where our family of three is comfortable and settled. It's just hard to fathom how my little world would be turned upside down again if we had another baby. Not sure if I'm ready for that.

I am a bit late on this one, but better late than never (and I was inspired by Travis's This Year I am Thankful For post). This year I am thankful for:

• Barb and my son - Having a family has been amazing (obviously not for everybody and everybody has their own path and yes parenthood is a cult) and and Barb is my soul mate (cliché but true).
• The Bryght guys (and everybody who believes in us and supports us; you know who you are)
• My family for loving me in spite of my imperfections and the usual family issues.
• Dries for Drupal - without Drupal there would be no Bryght
• The creators of the technology behind the crazy blogs, wikis, flickr and other social software that I live in daily.
• The people who create compelling compelling content constantly on their blogs, websites, wikis, flickr. You rock and you are leading the revolution.

S had his 18 month check up yesterday. He meets all the developmental milestones and he's your pretty typical, average 18 month old toddler.

His weight was average too...right on the 50th percentile. We are thrilled! Since birth, S's weight has never exceeded the 30th percentile. What made it worse is that he's always been tall for his age. So he's been a snake baby. Now he's not growing as much in height and he's finally putting on some heft.

Must be all that meat he's eating...

We love Milk Factory stuff! We bought a Milk Factory SpillProof blanket for ourselves and as gifts for Roland's family and everyone loves them. Soft and warm on one side and tough and waterproof on the other. No wet bum or other parts after sitting on damp grass. Totally functional. And totally washable.

We also have some Milk Factory QuickWick shirts for S. Very handy for quickly wicking and drying his endless stream of drool. Cool thing is that the shirts come in hip colours like black or orange and with contrast stitching. S's black shirt is particularly handy when he's eating tomato based sauces or other things that would usually stain!

The moms behind Milk Factory are inspirational. Penny and Tomi met at a parent-infant group and left their jobs to start this company. They're great mentors for me while I start up the biz. Whenever I talk to them I'm energized and motivated to get things going!

S has 16 teeth. He was a bit later to start cutting teeth and only had his bottom 2 for months. Then he started cutting teeth continuously when he was about 10 months old. Luckily for the most part he's handled teething well. I can only recall a handful of days when his teeth really bothered him. And thankfully, teething hasn't affected his sleep. Perhaps his drool-faucet offset some of the pain?

Now that he has a few molars, S has become even more interested in food. He's always liked eating foods with lots of texture but now he really relishes chewier foods and he can actually digest better.

Poor kid, he's still drooling up a storm--even when he's not teething. But when he's cutting a tooth it's as though someone has poured a glass of water down his shirt. So he still wears bibs and typically goes through at least 4 a day. Sometimes I just give up and let him run around with a soaking wet shirt.

A bib related conversation with Cora who was visiting us this summer:
Cora: You're not going to let him go out with that bib on, are you?"
Me: Changing a bib 5 times a day is a lot easier than changing his shirts that many times. I'd run out of clothes.

I wonder when the perpetual S waterfall will finally dry up. Will he be traumatized as a youth when he looks at his baby photos and sees that he's wearing a bib in most of them?

We moved into our townhouse a year ago today. The year has flown by and we've settled in nicely. We've got our regular haunts like Libby's. And we have our regular shopping spots like the weekly East Van Farmers Market and Famous Foods. It feels like we've gotten to know our 'hood pretty well with its local parks, community centres, stores and our new friends. It's also exciting to see new developments going up and some upgrades and improvements that the city is making to the Cedar Cottage neighbourhood.

We're enjoying our much bigger home. I can't imagine how we would've coped with S running around and banging toys at our old condo...our downstairs neighbour would've had us evicted!

We still don't have any artwork up on the walls. We still have some boxes that need to be unpacked or sorted. And we laugh at how we now have all this space for entertaining yet we can't have big dinner parties because a certain short person goes to bed by 7:00 p.m. But it's home.

S is becoming an increasingly affectionate child. It's really delightful to be spontaneously hugged and kissed by this drooly little fellow. We've been able to get him to kiss people on command and he will kiss as long as it's someone he likes.

Our friend Kerrie brought 22 month old Natalie over for a visit last week. The toddlers played around each other well and followed each other around. I was in the kitchen with them and had my back turned. It was quiet for a while so I turned around to see what was going on. Low and behold, S the kissing bandit had his arms around Natalie and was planting a big wet one on her cheek! I guess he made a real impression on her because on the way home she kept saying, "I love S...I loooooove S..."

Not everyone is as impressed though. S tried the same on his friend Hugh but S was a bit too overwhelming and Hugh almost cried.

Maybe it's time to teach S how to blow kisses instead!

Today S turns 18 months old! Hard to believe that he's been part of our family for 1 1/2 years. Hard to believe that Roland and I have made it this far as parents!

It's very moving to reminisce about that past 18 months. I think the first year to 14 months were a whirlwind blur. And because we were so busy with just trying to meet S's basic needs and adjusting to our new role as parents, we didn't get to enjoy S as a little person as much.

But we've finally got a handle on things a bit more. And more and more of S's personality is coming out each day. We're able to relax more and take the time to enjoy our little tyke and our life together as a family.

I have a new computer! Roland convinced me that I needed to get a new computer as I have been using our 5 year old iMac and I've been increasingly frustrated by how slow it is. And eventually I'd need a computer for my business anyway. So we went down to the store, handed over my credit card and tried not to think too much about how much it was going to cost me.

I ended up getting an iBook G4 and it is lightyears faster than the old iMac. Amazing how quickly technology changes. In my low-tech world, nothing really changes that much in 5 years...the answering machine still records, my kitchen knives and mixer are still in style, the fridge still runs, TV still works, car still operates...

I just hope my computer isn't "so yesterday" by Christmas!

This week saw the passing of my family's beloved dog, Leroy. For the past few years my parents have been taking care of him and it was time for him to pass on at the ripe old age of 15 years.

Although I hadn't spent as much time with him recently, I'll miss him dearly. He was just such a crazy, loveable mutt. We adopted him from the SPCA and at the time I wondered why my dad picked him. He was this scrawny, lanky black pup with oversized flappy ears. The first time he howled we all wondered what the heck that noise was...it started off like a typical dog howl then it evolved into a bansheelike screech. He never outgrew that.

Oh Leroy, the things I will remember about you: how you did anything to avoid getting wet, your unruliness during walks, how you'd use your paws like hands to grab and hold things, your crazy running around in circles, how you loved to laze in the sun, your squatting, how you hated to chew on anything hard, your miserable pout when I dressed you up for Christmas photos, your 'popcorn' smell...

I hope you're enjoying chasing ducks, lying in the sun and getting scratches behind your ears up there in doggy heaven. I love you.

[Via email from Susan Mernit] Wow! There is a Yoga conference featuring Iyengar (the type of yoga Barb has been doing for almost 10 years!) in Colorado from September 26-October 2, 2005 and the Iyengar founder, BKS Iyengar will be there. Not only that. They have a blog. Very cool. Web 2.0 for everybody! It's not just for geeks any more!

S is weaned...at 17 months, 10 days. Some people might be appalled by how long I breastfed while others wouldn't even blink. I did it for as long as it worked for us.

I'm amazed at how quickly he weaned. I had usually nursed him once a day, first thing in the morning. He has had a cold for a few days and his nose was too stuffed up to latch and suck. For two mornings he wanted to nurse and just lay there pathetically crying. On the third morning I offered him the breast while he lay on my lap, he smiled up at me and said "Done!". And that's that.

I thought the whole weaning process was going to be a struggle, considering he was nursing for comfort even in July. But gradually he cut himself off...from nursing after sleeping to once in the morning to nothing. I guess he's found ways to comfort and soothe himself and he's far too busy to be snuggling in my lap!

Overall the breastfeeding experience has been a very positive one. I had a lot of support from everyone around us. It helps, too, that I have a thick skin and I don't really care what anyone out there thinks of breastfeeding in public (everyone has to eat and drink!!). But one of the keys to our success was going to a breastfeeding class before S was born.

I will miss those snuggly morning feeds...they bought us a few extra minutes to zone out and cuddle before we started our busy days. But then again, I'll finally get to sleep in while Roland gets up with the 6:30 S wake up call!

I'm a dog person. Always have been. So naturally I've been building doggy awareness with S from day 1.

S loves cats. Love is an understatement. He is obsessed with cats. From morning to night it's "Cah cah cah cah cah..." If there's a cat in a book he'll find it. If he sees one while we're looking out the window, I'll hear about it. When we're driving through to the underground parking he will call for our neighbour's cat, Simba.

So I broke down on the weekend and bought S a stuffed animal cat. It's a lovely black and white one with yellow green eyes. Well, S was enamoured with Cah before we could even make it to the cashier. He's been dragging that cat everywhere since. He takes it to bed, he takes it into the kitchen, he clutches it while he watches a dvd, he lies on it with his head resting on its belly. Today he fed it a cracker.

It's nice for S to have a special soft friend since he's such a rough and tumble kid. I feel sorry for Cah though...he's not only being showered by hugs and kisses but with lots and lots of drool from a very drippy (yet loving) little toddler.

Today I registered S for daycare. He won't start until January but we did all the paperwork and payment to hold a spot until then. It felt a bit strange. For one thing I'm not used to filling in forms anymore. And for another, it felt like we were signing onto a whole new chapter of S's wee life.

Its time has certainly come as S showed that he's ready for a new social environment and new stimulation. After only about 10 minutes of being held, he was ready to get down to explore and play. Of course he loved the kitchen centre! And as the whole group moved upstairs to play, then outside, he followed along. As I sat and filled out forms and observed from a far, he was happy as a clam...no screaming, no crying, no hitting or grabbing. And he didn't miss me at all!

I'm not heartbroken that he didn't miss me...I'm just relieved to know that he can cope without me and that he'll be OK.