Monday, January 23, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Q & A with The Birthday Girl
Here it is, the Official Birthday Interview:
Q: Sarah, how old are you today?
A: Three. Write it.
Q: What is your favourite colour?
A: Pink.
Q: What is your favourite food?
A: Um, fries.
Q: What is your favourite toy?
A: Dolls.
Q: Which ones?
A: I got in my room.
Q: What is your favourite thing to do?
A: Play. Nonald's. (Editor's note: That would be "McDonald's")
Q: What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: Tinkerbell.
Q: If you had a lot of money, what would you do with it?
A: Buy groceries. (Editor's note: don't worry, we're not that hard up!)
Q: What is your favourite book?
A: Tinkerbell.
Q: What is something you like about Mom?
A: Readin'.
Q: What is something you like about Dad?
A: Tickles.
Q: What is something you like about Liam?
A: Hugs. (Editor's note: awwwwww)
Q: What is something you like about yourself?
A: Playin'.
Q: What is your favourite TV show?
A: Tinkerbell (Editor's note: no surprises there!)
She's not one to elaborate, but there you have it! A peek inside the mind of a 3 year old Big Girl!
Monday, January 16, 2012
Sneaky Elves
At first there was this....
And who could forget moments like this....
But from the moment Sarah developed the pincer grip that allowed her to grab one of Liam's toys, all bets were off. They have fought tooth and nail (literally!) for two years....Until now.
I don't want to jinx anything here, but all of a sudden these two are the best of friends. They have developed a comraderie that revolves around mischief and giggles. They are partners in crime.
It started this past weekend. After spending a day playing Lego and Police, and sometimes Police Lego, they couldn't pause playtime long enough to get a night's rest. They kept ending up in each other's rooms and after discovering Sarah on Liam's bed, rocking his baby bear to sleep I gave in. They had a "sleepover". When Matt and I went in to move Sarah back to her room late that night, they were so adorable snuggled up together, we just couldn't. And so it is now night 3 of "sleepover", and we are starting to wonder if we can reclaim Sarah's room as an office.
Here they are tonight, all ready for bed:
But! (You knew there was a "but", right?) Remember the mischief thing? Back in the old days, when Sarah slept in her own room, she would wake up in the morning, play with her toys in her room for a bit and then quite often barge into Liam's room to wake the lazy sack of potatoes (and the rest of us) up. At 7am or so. But now they're awake at about the same time, and it is quiet. That's a good thing, right? Well, we'll see....
First thing Sunday morning we heard them tiptoe downstairs, and then we could hear them giggling for nearly an hour. Considering their recent pattern of not-trying-to-kill-each-other we accepted this special gift from our children and dozed in and out of sleep. A lazy Sunday morning not unlike those "before kids" years. It was bliss. But when I did come downstairs a short while later, those angelic little cherubs greeted me with faces smeared in chocolate. See, I had hosted a little get-together the evening before, and covered a few dishes with plastic wrap before calling it a night. They snatched all of those - a bowl full of chocolate and two large bowls of chips - and binged on them under the table. And then they went in search of the Christmas stash. Under that same table I found evidence of 1 Kinder egg, at least 4 Andes mints, bubble gum and a tic tac box. They were sure the rubble was well hidden under the table, and seemed quite surprised I was onto them. The sticky faces were my first clue. They reluctantly admitted to the mischief, but giddily told me they were playing "Sneaky Elf."
Fast forward 24 hours or so.....
This morning I stumbled down the stairs to punch a bleary-eyed "Go" on the coffee machine, and blocking my path was this precarious scene:
The Sneaky Elves strike again. All that cereal you see there was in the upper cabinet. I later discovered they also hid the sugar bowl with the plates (Liam's sly smile lit up like a light bulb when I stumbled on that one). Sneaky, sneaky, DANGEROUS Elves. I think I will need to tie some jingle bells to their toes!
And who could forget moments like this....
But from the moment Sarah developed the pincer grip that allowed her to grab one of Liam's toys, all bets were off. They have fought tooth and nail (literally!) for two years....Until now.
I don't want to jinx anything here, but all of a sudden these two are the best of friends. They have developed a comraderie that revolves around mischief and giggles. They are partners in crime.
It started this past weekend. After spending a day playing Lego and Police, and sometimes Police Lego, they couldn't pause playtime long enough to get a night's rest. They kept ending up in each other's rooms and after discovering Sarah on Liam's bed, rocking his baby bear to sleep I gave in. They had a "sleepover". When Matt and I went in to move Sarah back to her room late that night, they were so adorable snuggled up together, we just couldn't. And so it is now night 3 of "sleepover", and we are starting to wonder if we can reclaim Sarah's room as an office.
Here they are tonight, all ready for bed:
But! (You knew there was a "but", right?) Remember the mischief thing? Back in the old days, when Sarah slept in her own room, she would wake up in the morning, play with her toys in her room for a bit and then quite often barge into Liam's room to wake the lazy sack of potatoes (and the rest of us) up. At 7am or so. But now they're awake at about the same time, and it is quiet. That's a good thing, right? Well, we'll see....
First thing Sunday morning we heard them tiptoe downstairs, and then we could hear them giggling for nearly an hour. Considering their recent pattern of not-trying-to-kill-each-other we accepted this special gift from our children and dozed in and out of sleep. A lazy Sunday morning not unlike those "before kids" years. It was bliss. But when I did come downstairs a short while later, those angelic little cherubs greeted me with faces smeared in chocolate. See, I had hosted a little get-together the evening before, and covered a few dishes with plastic wrap before calling it a night. They snatched all of those - a bowl full of chocolate and two large bowls of chips - and binged on them under the table. And then they went in search of the Christmas stash. Under that same table I found evidence of 1 Kinder egg, at least 4 Andes mints, bubble gum and a tic tac box. They were sure the rubble was well hidden under the table, and seemed quite surprised I was onto them. The sticky faces were my first clue. They reluctantly admitted to the mischief, but giddily told me they were playing "Sneaky Elf."
Fast forward 24 hours or so.....
This morning I stumbled down the stairs to punch a bleary-eyed "Go" on the coffee machine, and blocking my path was this precarious scene:
The Sneaky Elves strike again. All that cereal you see there was in the upper cabinet. I later discovered they also hid the sugar bowl with the plates (Liam's sly smile lit up like a light bulb when I stumbled on that one). Sneaky, sneaky, DANGEROUS Elves. I think I will need to tie some jingle bells to their toes!
Laundry Day
If you were small enough to snuggle in there with fresh-from-the-dryer blankets, you'd do it too....
Searching For Fissure
The kids got a geocache tracker* for Christmas, so after spending the better part of yesterday configuring it, we headed out on a search!
* (If you're not familiar with geocaching, it's an activity that uses a GPS tracker to find hidden boxes based on map coordinates. People will leave notes inside, or a little trinket like a pin, etc. Surprisingly, these things are hidden all over the place!)
There are several geocaches within a short walk from our home...but darned if we could find them! The snow may have had a bit to do with that....
Nope, not down there....
We had fun searching, but as the sun started setting it was time to postpone our hunt for another day. Our walk back home took us past Liam's soon-to-be school, and the conversation turned to Kindergarten and where he would be eating lunch. (These are the details that matter to a 4-year old!) Sarah kept shouting out "Fissure! Fissure!" We had no idea what she meant and she was getting awfully frustrated with us. "Scissors?" No. "Lunch box?" No. "Carrots?" No. After Matt and I made many flat-out-wrong guesses and Sarah was nearly in tears, I asked Liam "Do you know what she's trying to say?" Without blinking he said "Treasure." Ahhhhhhh, yes. Treasure. Thanks for jumping in with that, Liam. Sarah's smile returned and she said "Fissure! Us keep lookin'!"
* (If you're not familiar with geocaching, it's an activity that uses a GPS tracker to find hidden boxes based on map coordinates. People will leave notes inside, or a little trinket like a pin, etc. Surprisingly, these things are hidden all over the place!)
There are several geocaches within a short walk from our home...but darned if we could find them! The snow may have had a bit to do with that....
Nope, not down there....
We had fun searching, but as the sun started setting it was time to postpone our hunt for another day. Our walk back home took us past Liam's soon-to-be school, and the conversation turned to Kindergarten and where he would be eating lunch. (These are the details that matter to a 4-year old!) Sarah kept shouting out "Fissure! Fissure!" We had no idea what she meant and she was getting awfully frustrated with us. "Scissors?" No. "Lunch box?" No. "Carrots?" No. After Matt and I made many flat-out-wrong guesses and Sarah was nearly in tears, I asked Liam "Do you know what she's trying to say?" Without blinking he said "Treasure." Ahhhhhhh, yes. Treasure. Thanks for jumping in with that, Liam. Sarah's smile returned and she said "Fissure! Us keep lookin'!"
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Tunnelling Out
We got a little bit of snow here last night....enough to scoop out a snow tunnel, and more in the forecast. Looks like a fun week ahead!
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Official Royal Photographer
Sarah's penchant for all things girly is getting stronger by the day, but she also is showing a real interest in photography. Who knows how long the phase will last, but she spent a good amount of time yesterday lining her dolls up on the windowsill, peering through the viewfinder and repeating "hmmmm, somethin' not right....." and readjusting the dolls or their outfits!
Today I uploaded a huge series of photos of these two in slightly varying poses:
Sometimes Tinkerbell is in the picture. Sometimes not.
After a while she got really creative and recruited a few more models which included Snow White, Cinderella, bunny, a Leafprog Reader, Tinkerbell and a plastic fork. She spent a long while adjusting them in my lap and when she was satisfied with the arrangement she said "There! Whole family!" She snapped this photo and decided it was time for a snack.
Today I uploaded a huge series of photos of these two in slightly varying poses:
Sometimes Tinkerbell is in the picture. Sometimes not.
After a while she got really creative and recruited a few more models which included Snow White, Cinderella, bunny, a Leafprog Reader, Tinkerbell and a plastic fork. She spent a long while adjusting them in my lap and when she was satisfied with the arrangement she said "There! Whole family!" She snapped this photo and decided it was time for a snack.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Tim Horton's Chili: Gluten Free!
And it tastes even better while assuming the role of T-Rex...teensy tiny arms and all! In Liam's words: "Mmmmm...MEAT!"
Sarah wasn't a huge fan. I got her to eat a few spoonfuls by telling her it's Cinderella's favorite food. How do you know it isn't.....?
Sarah wasn't a huge fan. I got her to eat a few spoonfuls by telling her it's Cinderella's favorite food. How do you know it isn't.....?
Monday, January 9, 2012
Sugarplums
For the most part, the camera did not get a lot of use on Christmas Day. There was far too much pretty paper to tear, boxes to open, toys to assemble, etc. to sneak in many photos. But we did get just a couple and I would be remiss not to at least post a sampling of Christmas morning photos here!
Sarah's fingernails and Liam's nose had an unfortunate run-in a couple of days before Christmas.
We call this her "Beaky Lips" face...
Hug that clay!
Two of many Lego sets opened on Christmas....I wonder how many pieces I have already stepped on.....?
Trying on her lovely new hat from Aunt Bridget....it coordinates so well with the jammies Santa brought her on Christmas Eve!
These two wasted no time getting down to the business of Lego construction!
And Sarah taught a class at Plymobil School before abandoning all her loot to help me peel/chop/prep for Christmas dinner. The girl looooooves to "cook"!
Sarah's fingernails and Liam's nose had an unfortunate run-in a couple of days before Christmas.
We call this her "Beaky Lips" face...
Hug that clay!
Two of many Lego sets opened on Christmas....I wonder how many pieces I have already stepped on.....?
Trying on her lovely new hat from Aunt Bridget....it coordinates so well with the jammies Santa brought her on Christmas Eve!
These two wasted no time getting down to the business of Lego construction!
And Sarah taught a class at Plymobil School before abandoning all her loot to help me peel/chop/prep for Christmas dinner. The girl looooooves to "cook"!
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Do Not Try This At Home?
This is going back a bit, but I couldn't resist posting these shots of the kids "trying out" their skis prior to our trip to Whistler.
Unfortunately every indoor picture I take in the winter time is blurry, but you get the idea. They are hitting the slopes of Mount Sofa....
Unfortunately every indoor picture I take in the winter time is blurry, but you get the idea. They are hitting the slopes of Mount Sofa....
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Outtakes
This picture was an attempt at recreating a family photo....
....it's not too far off from the original(s), but of course came along with a few outtakes. These ones are for you, Mom!
....it's not too far off from the original(s), but of course came along with a few outtakes. These ones are for you, Mom!
Friday, January 6, 2012
It's All A Blur!
I'm pretty sure not one of these photos is in focus, but here's a little sampling of what we've been up to since New Year's as we (attempt to) settle back into some sort of routine. One that is still involving way too much chocolate! Hmmmm, maybe that's why they're all blurry.....
This one's from New Year's Day. Liam is absorbed in a Hot Wheels race, while Sarah has abandoned her Sunday dress in favor of a different look.
And here she is, up on a "stage" doing one of her trademark butt-wiggling dances. It's all very cute (for now), but if you look closely you can see Matt's reflection in the mirror. I daresay he looks...concerned.
Moving along to something with a little more clothes - skating lessons! This is nothing new for Liam, but Tuesday marked Sarah's first ever Snow Bunnies lesson! She was a natural....look at her! I know you're not supposed to compare your kids' milestones, but I think she's going to leave Liam's five-peat of Snow Bunnies in the dust. Pink dust.
No matter. Look at him go now, rocking Level 3!
After all that activity, one needs refreshment. We're firing up the smoothie machine on a daily basis, trying to detox from all the chocolate! It's about 3pm in this photo. Sarah has abandoned her clothes again, but I somehow convinced her to put on some PJ's. I'm not sure why they're sitting on the table.
Here we are at the park, trying to shake off some rainy day cabin fever. Sarah is mighty pleased with her mastering of the big kid swings. I have to agree, it's a big upgrade.
Totally blurry...but she just looks so happy!
Check out Liam's face here! Those digger levers are surprisingly heavy but he's giving it all he's got!
Now if only I could convince him to hand over the reindeer "Elf Socks". I have a feeling that's just not going to happen. Those neon green puppies are here to stay.
Cheese!
This one's from New Year's Day. Liam is absorbed in a Hot Wheels race, while Sarah has abandoned her Sunday dress in favor of a different look.
And here she is, up on a "stage" doing one of her trademark butt-wiggling dances. It's all very cute (for now), but if you look closely you can see Matt's reflection in the mirror. I daresay he looks...concerned.
Moving along to something with a little more clothes - skating lessons! This is nothing new for Liam, but Tuesday marked Sarah's first ever Snow Bunnies lesson! She was a natural....look at her! I know you're not supposed to compare your kids' milestones, but I think she's going to leave Liam's five-peat of Snow Bunnies in the dust. Pink dust.
No matter. Look at him go now, rocking Level 3!
After all that activity, one needs refreshment. We're firing up the smoothie machine on a daily basis, trying to detox from all the chocolate! It's about 3pm in this photo. Sarah has abandoned her clothes again, but I somehow convinced her to put on some PJ's. I'm not sure why they're sitting on the table.
Here we are at the park, trying to shake off some rainy day cabin fever. Sarah is mighty pleased with her mastering of the big kid swings. I have to agree, it's a big upgrade.
Totally blurry...but she just looks so happy!
Check out Liam's face here! Those digger levers are surprisingly heavy but he's giving it all he's got!
Now if only I could convince him to hand over the reindeer "Elf Socks". I have a feeling that's just not going to happen. Those neon green puppies are here to stay.
Cheese!
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