the apple doesn't fall far...

In the third week of November, Lady M received her first official report card. The reports received in kindergarten covered important details such as skills at the sand table, in the bean bag chair library and in the house centre. So, this one was exciting. This one was going to cover the real crux of my daughter's educational journey. This one was going to set her on a path to greatness.

Ok, not quite. But, I was curious to see what her teacher chose to say about her. I had my hunches, of course, but not getting to be a fly on the wall in her classroom each day, I was eager to read through her report.

It was very good, and she seems to be progressing quite well in first grade. Once I had a handle on everything that was said, I did my best to break down the lengthy commentary into an abridged, Coles Notes version so Lady M would know what had been said about her. 

There were two main things: first, she needed to improve in the area of 'personal responsibility' - I took that to mean that she needs to "pick up her stuff"; not surprising, as that's an ongoing challenge at home as well! The second theme that came up again and again was around leadership skills - she seemed to be exercising these skills quite frequently. 

"Lady M, do you like to be a leader at school", I asked her. 

"Yes. Today I organized all the kids into groups", she replied. 

"Did your teacher ask you to do that?", I queried. 

"Nope, I just decided to do it", she shared honestly. 

Clearly, my kid likes to be in charge...I have no idea where she gets it. :) 

I develop and deliver leadership programs for a living; so I am always thrilled when my daughters' show their tendencies toward natural leadership abilities; we foster and cultivate that skillset, but I needed to dig into this a little more. 

Every year when we head up to my camp, Lady M observes the leadership camp that I co-teach. So I asked her "Lady M, when we're up at camp, is mummy always the one leading the group?"

Lady M: "No"
Me: "Who else leads the group?" 
Lady M: Well, T and R (my co-teachers) do"

Me: "That's right - and who else leads the group?" 

Lady M: (pausing to think...) "The campers lead sometimes!" 

Me: "Yes! So, what does that mean to you?" 

Lady M: "I see mummy...I need to give others a chance to lead too."

EUREKA! Thankfully, she seemed to get it very quickly, and hopefully I didn't squash any of her budding leadership skills in the process; I just want her to know that there's a time to lead, and a time to let others do the same. 

So a week later, I headed to the school on a PD Day to have my first official parent-teacher interview. Another exciting moment in my mom career! Lady M's teacher is a lovely woman who has made a really positive impact on her so far this year. We discussed her conduct in class, and worked around to discussing the 'personal responsibility' piece that had come up in her report. As it turns out, this is coming from her penchant to travel around the class to ensure everyone else is completing their work properly, to the detriment of her own work at times. The leader strikes again! I'm told that many kids go to her for her opinion, assistance etc., so her tactics are working, but striking a balance is key...I just need to make sure my 6-year old is clear on that. 

It's true that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. I'm more than happy to see her budding leadership skills...we'll just have to work to ensure she learns that the fine art of leadership consists not of telling others how to do things, but empowering them to become leaders themselves. 

Maybe that enhanced skill will be captured on her next report card!

christmas comes this time each year

Ahh, the magic of Christmas time. With a 6 year old and 3 1/2 year old in the family, this was one of the most exciting years yet, that's for sure. Lady M is enamoured with the holidays, and loves everything about it. This year, she happily helped her little sister remember the many traditions we have over the holiday season. Lady A didn't remember much from Christmas past, but this will be the year that she really starts remembering everything, which is super fun.

I could recount a million different stories over the past couple of weeks, but I thought perhaps I should make a little point form list to bring you up to speed on our Christmas season, and to serve as wonderful memories for our family when we look back on 2014 one day.

So here are some things that made our family Christmas magical this year, in no particular order...

• Lady M's spirit of generosity (see: A Tale of Giving, if you missed it!)
• Both girls singing duets of this year's favourite Christmas songs, including I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus, and the 12 Days of Christmas. 
• Holidays crafts - this year, along with some crafts done at home, one of my girlfriends put on an amazing craft day for Ladies A & M. She has two older daughters who my girls think the world of, and they were so excited to spend a whole day with them making ornaments, christmas trees, sparkle jars, and more! 

• Our tree (though put up extremely late this year - we're talking, like, the 23rd of December) filled with beautiful handmade ornaments that the girls have made over the years
• Lady M's Irish Dance recital - after four short months of dancing, she's rocking it! More importantly, she is sooooo happy when she's dancing...and super adorable. 
• A visit to Mountsberg Christmastown with our friends - a very magical night filled with a horse-drawn wagon ride singing carols, cookie decorating, and capped off with a visit to Mrs. Claus and the big guy! 

• Christmas brunch with my mum and dad
• Our annual shopping bonanza day - Cal and I save it all until the 11th hour, then embark on a marathon shopping trip. Some people think we're a little crazy for leaving it so late, but seeing as I have a list that's been cultivated over a 2-month period, complete with gifts, prices, and order of stores we are going to visit, it's just a really fun (and well organized) day! Don't worry though, there are several random purchases that jump into our carts too...it wouldn't be fun if it were totally regimented! 
• Finding the girls' most-wanted gifts - this year, Lady M wanted holiday barbie (easy!) and Lady A wanted a stuffed hippopotamus - a little more challenging. But, we did it! Thank you, Hallie the Hippo from Doc McStuffins. (Last year all she wanted was a stuffed "baccoon"...let me tell you that raccoon was not easy to find...but we did!)

• Lady M's holiday recital at school - her first in French. She sang Petit Papa Noel with her classmates, then they narrated a little play. Lady M had quite a long solo line, and nailed it! We listened to her practice her line (backwards and forwards!) for about two weeks, so she was well prepared! 
• The beautiful fire burning on Christmas morning... ok, we don't have a fireplace, but this Netflix fire was the next best thing...

• Putting up the Christmas lights - again, this one was done quite late this year, but the house looked festive, just in time! 
• Christmas dinner with my family
• Lady A squealing with excitement when she saw her new baby that Santa brought her
• Christmas movies! My favourite has always been National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, so Cal and I watch that one on Christmas Eve every year while finishing wrapping our presents. Love Actually is my other favourite. The Santa Clause is a favourite with the girls, among many others! 

• Matching Christmas pyjamas for the girls. I figure they'll grow out of this eventually, but I'll enjoy this every year I can until then! 
• Annual Christmas cookie exchange with my girlfriends
• Time off from work to spend time with my sweet family
• The mess of toys in our home on Boxing Day, mixed with the happiness and exhaustion of the holidays

We are now blissfully worn out, and happy to be spending a day at home together with no plans at all. 

snapshots of 2014...the year in pictures

Here in Southern Ontario we've experienced our first snow storm of the year, which means that 2014 must be drawing to a close. Judging from my obnoxiously long commute last night (a typically 30-minute round trip to pick up the girls took more than an 1 1/2 hours), the winter is undoubtedly upon us.

Though I never post on my blog as much as I intend to, I find myself taking pictures year round with stories in mind. As you've likely noticed, my kids faces never appear on here (or in any other online spot), so my phones are always filled with pictures of the backs of them! I have lots of pictures of their sweet faces too...but they're just not for internet consumption. :)

However, as I scrolled through my photos, I thought I'd share a pictorial retrospective to let you in on the little happenings that I never ended up sharing in full this year.

Here is a snapshot of 2014...with a little commentary along the way:

Winter...
Braving the cold out on family walks...

Spring
Celebrating Father's Day with my Dad and Cal - the girls were practicing their golf swing. And if memory serves, Lady M crushed me. Future LPGA'er?

 Waterfall walks and bike rides...

First independent swimming lessons and fresh haircuts...

Summer
I experienced my first week away from my girls in their lifetime. I've never been terribly good at leaving them, but thankfully Calvin is an awesome daddy, and I got to head to Lake Tahoe, California for an incredible conference with some colleagues. And the hugs when I arrived back at the Toronto airport were priceless...

 No summer is complete without a packed truck, and a trip to camp. (My little dancer is getting her camp-rope bracelet put on by my friend Trishy, and one of our awesome counsellors).

Lady A experienced her first pedicure on our mother/daughter trip to the spa. Lady M is a seasoned pro, and declared this past weekend "Mummy, I really need another pedicure". Ahhh yes, an absolute 'need' for any 6-year-old. But, let's be honest, I'll take her to get some cute Christmas toes in a few weeks. :)

Lady A's colourful tootsies

Lady M's flowery piggies

Mummy/Daughter spa date!

Fall
Lady M started Grade 1 with her snazzy new Hello Kitty backpack, which was really just a 'filler' until we could locate a Frozen backpack (which were sold out EVERYWHERE!). Hello Kitty now belongs to Lady A, because I ended up locating a coveted Elsa & Anna bag shortly into the school year. The first picture is at home, before school...the second is of her holding her teacher's gladiolus - Lady M was quite nervous about starting at her new school, but when her teacher allowed her to come to the front of the line and hold her flowers, she was good to go!

We celebrated my mister's 36th birthday in September with his favourite - carrot cake! 

Having built up a little courage to go away for a week thanks to my time in Tahoe, I took another week away to head to Florida with my mum. We were there to celebrate the wedding of my cousin Casey, and his beautiful bride Alex. Wedding, family visits, outlet shopping, sunshine and sleeping in - a wonderful week away!

Halloween this year gave us one Queen Elsa and one squishy little monkey. Cuteness abounded!

Lady M's homemade Elsa wig!

And with our first snowfall this week, we are into the thick of it again...

So, there's a little glimpse into our year - it's been a great one!

three (and a half)

Lady A is now officially 3 and a half. If I had to select one word to describe this age for her, I would choose "big". 

Big is not the word I would have chosen for Lady M, but our younger daughter has never been one to blaze the same trail that her big sister has followed. Nope, this little lady is fiercely committed to her individuality. (This makes me very happy, of course)

However, the word 'big' brings different experiences...

Big laughs...Big stories...Big kindness, and Big reactions. 

Lady A is one of the funniest kids I've ever met. She recounts detailed stories that draw an even bigger laugh. Friday night at dinner the facial expressions that accompanied her supper time stories were amazing; she has so much character and expression packed into her wide brown eyes and chubby cheeks, and the way she expresses the tales of her day is priceless. 

But with this big character comes big reactions that are not always of the priceless variety. Lately she really likes to pitch her larger 3.5 year old fits in the morning when we are all trying to get ready. When I'm trying to make it to the office for 8am, and take her to daycare en route, a hissy fit is the last thing on my anticipated agenda. However, these big reactions seem to surface just then! Throwing herself on the floor because she doesn't want to get dressed/doesn't like the outfit I chose/is sleepy but won't admit it/isn't allowed to watch a show/just wants to be a monkey, etc. tends to set our routine back a few minutes, but we manage, and are always smiling on our drive to daycare together.

Lady A is also extremely lovable and caring. Where Lady M was never terribly into her dolls (preferring to pass them over for her various dinosaur toys at the age of 3), her little sister LOVES her dolls. Friday night at dinner (like many other meals) we were joined by her favourite doll whose high chair was lovingly set up right beside our kitchen table.

After dinner she rocked her and put her into her playpen, which was then carried up to her room so she could have a good night sleep. The way she cares for her dolls - and the real people around her - is so genuinely sweet. Somehow it makes up for the big tantrums that come our way! 

3 1/2 might be an age filled with big things, but Lady A also fills our days with huge hugs, enormous smiles and incredible love. 

so i got to do 'that mum thing'…

Sometimes you have to appreciate the little things in life.

Last week, the little girl who made me a mum – Lady M – turned 6. It’s hard to believe that six short years ago, as I was growing a little person, I had absolutely no idea what life would be like as a parent. Now that I have a little girl who needs two hands to show us her age, I have had so many incredible experiences.

Lady M is a truly sweet person. She cares very deeply about others, has a silly sense of humour, is a quick learner, and is beautiful inside and out. She’s been through a lot of change this fall as she adjusted to a new school, new friends, 100% French education and a new daycare too. That’s a lot to throw at a not-quite-six-year-old, and I must say, she’s adjusted beautifully. Sure, we’re still struggling with the bedtime fears (see Scooby Doo post) but that’s just a bump in the road.

As for celebrating the little things: on her actual birthday I was able to leave the office early and pick her up from school. Now, to many of you this may seem like a mundane, every day activity. For me, this was beyond exciting. I never get to pick her up from school (not until after work, when she’s been in the after-school program for almost 2 hours), so this was a rare treat for me – and for her. We talked about it for more than a week, as we counted down the days to her birthday, and the day mummy would be there after school.

Up until a year ago, Lady M and Lady A used to go to a different daycare that was down a country road. I recall, as I was phasing the girls into that daycare (and was finishing up maternity leave) I would drive down the country road at the same time as the local school bus each day. I vividly remember seeing all of the mums (and the odd dad) standing at the end of their country driveways, waiting to greet their bouncing children as they got off the bus. Working mum guilt would kick in strongly each day – wishing that I could be the mum at the end of the driveway, knowing that it’s just not the way things are going to happen for us at this point in time. Don’t get me wrong – I enjoy my work, and can’t really see myself staying home, but there are some things that I sure would love to be able to do.

So having the opportunity to be ‘that mum’ for a day, and join the masses of sweatpant-wearing mums who were there getting their kiddos was a great moment. I didn't know anyone there, and couldn’t join in on their parent-to-parent conversations that had clearly been going for 2 months now, but I was elated when Lady M’s happy little face, and bouncing self came bounding out of the school door and she jumped up into my arms. Clearly she was just as excited for the change in routine as I was, and that tree-frog hug she gave me was just perfect.

It was nice to get to do that mum thing.

From there we got to go home, make icing and decorate her birthday cake in preparation for her birthday dinner that night. It’s also rare that we get to spend time together – just the two of us – so that was an added bonus on her special day.  

I suppose the novelty might wear off if I were able to pick her up every day, but maybe not. No matter what, I look forward to the next time I can be there when the bell rings…

scooby doo and the restless little lady

Most kids love movies; they get excited for them and enjoy the action, adventure and story, whatever it may be. My little Lady M, on the other hand, has always been a little bit fearful. From the time she was quite young she has steered clear of anything 'scary'. Not that we were introducing her to Chuckie as a toddler or anything, but if there was a 'bad guy' of any sort, she would ask us to turn the show or movie off right away. Of course, we always have.

But some things are out of our control...

Lady M is in grade one this year, and she is settling in beautifully. A couple of weeks ago, her entire school (it's very small) headed out on a field trip, enjoying a conservation area nearby. Returning a little bit early from their day-long excursion, a movie was put on in the gym for all kids, grades 1 through 8. Though it's a challenge to find a film that will suit kids who range in age from 5 to 13, Scooby Doo was the chosen movie, seemingly appropriate for most littles in attendance. 

As a child of the 80's, my big brother and I indulged in our fair share of Scooby Doo. I quite enjoyed Shaggy, Scrappy, Daphne and the Mystery Van, and I even married a man who does an impressive Scooby Doo impression. I can't ever recall feeling scared by their misadventures, or by the mysteries they were solving. But let me tell you, Lady M sure did. 

It's been about three weeks since the fateful school movie viewing, and in that time, Lady M has not been able to fall asleep by herself at night. She's terrified that 'bad guys' are going to climb in her window and has been in fits of tears and sobs if we try to leave her room before she falls asleep at night; what an awful way to feel as you're trying to close your eyes. She simply needs someone here with her, so Cal and I have been taking our turns ensuring she's well asleep before we leave her room. As I write this, I'm sitting at the end of her bed, on my iPad, waiting for her to drift off into a dreamland that is sweet, peaceful, and free from "bad guys". 

Truth be told, this phase has been simultaneously breaking my heart and frustrating me. Seeing my kids upset is awful. But of course, as any parent knows, the small window of adult time between the kids' bedtime and my bedtime is a sacred thing and it's being interrupted every night! 

However, I can recall a fear like this that plagued me when I was a little girl, which helps me put it all in perspective. The year that I was 7, The Little Mermaid was released in theatre. I went to see it, as many little girls did that year, and I instantly fell in love with the underwater world, laughed at Sebastian's bad attitude, giggled at Flounder's cuteness, and felt thoroughly  happy when Ariel received her human legs. What I didn't realize was the significant impact that the very beginning of the movie would have on me. If you've seen it, you may recall the boat fire scene at the outset of the story. Apparently that really stuck with me, beyond singing 'Part of Your World' and 'Under the Sea' because for months after, I couldn't fall asleep at night. 

Thanks to the movie colliding with one of the fire safety talks at school, my 7-year-old self was terrified that there would be a fire in my house, and I incessantly reviewed the fire escape plan in our home. Mainly, I needed to know how my parents planned to get my brother, myself and our two dogs, Bandit and Pirate, to safety in case a blaze broke out in the middle of the night. I can still recall needing one of my parents with me each night to fall asleep almost 25 years after the experience. 

Lady M and I are similar, I suppose, in the way we react to things. Apparently animated features really wreak havoc on us! Having worked at a renowned Animation school for many years, I tried to explain to her tonight how all of these animated characters are simply made up out of someone's imagination, then then brought to life by a pencil or a computer, explaining that I've seen it with my own eyes! I suppose that's hard to fathom, but she seemed to soak it in a little. Maybe it will ease her worries over the coming nights...but maybe not. 

My Little Mermaid memories flood my mind when the selfish part of me wants my 'adult time'. Sitting here while my little girl falls sweetly into dreamland is worth it giving up a little extra of my 'own' time, and in the time it's taken me to write this, she has fallen into a deep, restful sleep. 

I know this phase won't last forever, but if I can make it a little easier on her - as my parents did for me - then I'm happy to do so. 

Kristin xo

grade one: the french journey begins

Today the little girl who made me a mum started first grade. 

For the last couple of days we've been dealing with some nervousness on her part as she has prepared for a bit of a change. After two years at one school, this year Lady M started at a new elementary school becuase she has begun french immersion. 100% of her studies this year will be in French which will be a big change, but I'm so excited for her to learn another language. 

Calvin was a french immersion student, studying in that stream from grade one through high school graduation. I was an immersion kid too, but I started later with it, in grade 7. I figure I'll be able to help Lady M with her homework through until about grade 6(!) while her bilingual daddy will have her covered much further along her academic journey!

After waking up this morning declaring that she wasn't going to school, I brushed the comment off with very little discussion, and she happily carried on with her morning routine. Our little 5-year-old got dressed in her new outfit, put her lunch and pencil case (yay for school supply shopping for the first time!!) in her Hello Kitty backpack, laced up her Converse and we were set. After snapping a slew of pictures on our front lawn, we set off.

The french school is about a 10-minute drive and we chatted on our way. When we arrived she was still chatty, but once we got around to the playground and reality started setting in, she began clinging a little bit more closely to my leg. 

Out on the playground, the two grade one teachers began to call attendance for their classes, and we soon learned Lady M was in the second class. All of the kids began to line up in front of their new teacher and my little girl pressed a little closer into my left leg, the nerves clearly taking over. Thankfully her teacher noticed this, and asked her if she wanted to join her right at the front of the line, and my little mini-me jumped at that opportunity. Her teacher was holding some flowers, and when she asked Lady M if she could carry them inside for her, her happiness was apparent. She marched inside the school with her new classmates, looked back and gave me a huge smile. Tears filled my eyes, of course, but all that mattered was that my baby girl was happy. 

She goes to the after school program, and when I got there to pick her up, her after-school teacher commented "it's like she's been in my program forever!" Clearly Lady M had fit right in and was having fun with the other kids, which is all a parent wants to hear. 

We decided to walk down the hall so she could show me where her classroom is. As it turns out, her teacher was still there so we got to say hello. Her teacher let me know that Lady M had a great day, telling me she was very bright, and extremely participatory. Hooray! 

My morning tears had long since dried up, but I felt a huge amount of relief seeing her so happy at the end of day one. We can definitely declare the first day of grade one, and french immersion, a great success!

Now in 365 days I have to prepare myself to send my littlest lady to her first day of kindergarten...I may as well stock up on the waterproof mascara now... 

camp chronicles: milestones

This year marked my 20th year up at my camp. I was just 13 years old when I first boarded a bus in Toronto with my friend and headed up to Northern Ontario for a week of volleyball camp. Two decades later, it's been an incredible part of my life. 

If you are a regular visitor to my blog, you've seen my posts about camp for the last couple years and you know that it's a big part of my life. But as my life as a mum and wife continues to evolve, the thing that makes me happiest is seeing how much my family has grown to genuinely love the place. 

Perhaps the person in my family who gets the 'super camper' award this year is little Lady M. From the moment we pulled off camp property last year, she has been asking to go back. For 365 days she has talked incessantly about her experiences, played songs that remind her of camp on repeat, and has made plans for her return. And let me tell you, this little 5-year-old made the best of her time there this year, hitting the following milestones in one short week: 

1. After completing just one dance session last year, this summer Lady M participated in one or two sessions every day, dancing her little heart out! One fabulous teenage boy may have helped to encourage her with the promise of some ice cream early in the week, but after that, she didn't require any bribing to continue! She chose not to show off her skills in the week-end performance, but we had told her all along she didn't have to do that. We just wanted her to have a great time, and you better believe she did! 

2. That week Lady M also participated in her first badminton tournament. Last summer she developed a love for the sport, and was happy to hone her skills a little more this year. Participating in this tournament (run by the finest tourney convenors!) kept a mile-wide smile on her face the whole time, deepening her love for the game just a little more. 2028 Olympics - here she comes!! 

3. Once again this summer we packed Lady M's bike into the truck, but this year, Calvin took the training wheels off! Equipped with her helmet and Disney Princesses elbow pads, knee pads and sweet riding gloves, she took to the grass like a champ! It was a week of freedom for this little girl, and riding a two-wheeler was the icing on the cake. 

4. Thanks to some friends who brought their boat up north for the week, Lady M was able to add "first tubing ride" to her list of milestones. [Brace yourself...shocking news alert!] I tend to be the more nervous of the Calvin/Kristin parenting team so was slightly anxious as my little girl (who cannot yet swim on her own) climbed out onto that tube. But our friends' teenage son was out there with her, and she had a blast! The boat may have been travelling at it's slowest speed in a perfectly straight line, but the smile on my little girl's face made it feel like she was travelling at top speeds! 

5. Finally, when Cal, Lady A and I were off with my leadership campers one session, Lady M was at the high ropes course with her fellow dance campers. When we were able to make our way over to her, she was standing under the course watching some of the other kids conquer the elements. We asked "are you going to try it?", thinking that her nerves had likely overcome her. She responded with "I already did!", and apparently she not only loved it, but according to her Coach and Counsellor, she flew up the telephone pole, and walked across the suspension bridge like she did it every day before school! Cal suggested that perhaps it was best that I, the nervous mum (see #4), was not there as I may have made her a little more nervous! All that matters is that she bravely scaled the high ropes course, and had a blast doing so! 

So, it was clearly a week of firsts for her. But if that doesn't help to explain my love for this place, let me  share one other quick thing: 

This year we sparked up "coaches' happy hour", a fun gathering that came from the fact that our family's cabin is on a completely different side of camp than the rest of the coaching staff. Many of them really never knew where we were located! So, my fellow coaches and I concocted a plan to help solve this problem, and each afternoon a different coach would host 'happy hour' at their cabin, providing snacks and a welcoming atmosphere where we could all gather and hang out. 

On the day that we were to host, the girls and I made our way across camp to where most coaches stay, while Cal finished preparing the trays of cheese, crackers and fruit. My little girl brought her red Jump Rope for Heart skipping rope, and invited a number of coaches to hold the rope (a la preschool field trip!) and she led them across the field to the side of camp where we reside. Here's the magic of it: only at camp would a group of 10 grown adults hold a skipping rope, led by a 5-year-old for the five minute walk to our cabin, not once letting go. The vision of this was priceless, and the kindness of the people holding the rope is a moment I won't forget. The people who become your camp family are like no other. It's an incredible group of people, who help to make the place amazing for every camper and person on camp. 

I'm very lucky to have had the chance to spend 20 years enjoying this place that I am proud to call one of my homes. 

my popsy

I have a pretty incredible dad. For more than 32 years now he's always gone above and beyond the call of fatherhood, and that's not something that's changed as I've grown into adulthood and motherhood. Somehow, he continues to be more and more supportive every year. 

At 6'2", with his booming voice, my dad was equal parts disciplinarian and snuggler when I was growing up. Along with my mum, the two of them kept my brother and I in check and provided us with an enviable childhood; one that I'm trying to recreate for my children to the best of my ability. 

But today, on Father's Day, I'll share my favourite story of dad that pretty much sums up who he is... 

When I was in about grade 1, we had the "smoking talk" at school. We were warned of the dangers, the possibility of sickness and even death. Well that was enough to scare the pants off this 6 year old - good work Ontario education system! My dad wasn't a smoker, but he did keep cigars in the basement, and I knew their whereabouts though I can't recall ever seeing him smoke one. 

Shortly after "the talk" at school, dad was looking for his cigars, and they weren't in the downstairs fridge where he ways kept them. He tells me he looked everywhere before asking my mum, then my brother if they knew where the cigars were. No dice. Nobody could find them, or knew about their mysterious disappearance. 

As a last resort, he came to his little brown eyed girl who surely couldn't have them. "Kristin, have you seen my cigars?", he asked. "Yes", I said. "But I'm not giving them back unless you promise me not to smoke anymore" (likely recapping some of my classroom learnings for him!). "I promise" he said. With that, I promptly reached right beside the fridge, in the dark space between it and the freezer, and pulled out his box of cigars. (He later told me he'd looked everywhere, but never thought to look from the perspective of a 6 year old!) 

Fast forward about 13 years. I was 19 and in my first year of university. The phone rang mid-day at my apartment and it was my dad. He was out for lunch with some colleagues/friends and one had just returned from a trip with some cigars, offering one to my dad. I still remember him saying into the phone "Krin, do you mind if I have one?"  Dumbstruck, I said "dad, have you not had one all these years?" He answered simply with "no. I promised you I wouldn't". 

I'll never forget that day because though I knew my dad was an incredible person, that day he really showed me his amazing character. My dad continues to do everything he can for my brother and I and our families, but this story has always just summed it up for me. 

Reliable, trustworthy, loving. These are all words that describe my dad perfectly. I'm very lucky to have a dad like him! 

three

Has it really been nine months since I last posted here? Oh my; so many things to catch up on. I could have had another child in that time! (No, no - I didn't, don't worry. You're not that far behind!)

Well, let's get caught back up here. We'll start with something recent...our little Lady A has just celebrated her third birthday, which seems crazy to me. It feels like it was only moments ago that she came flying into this world (literally, flying - the doctor barely made it in time to catch her 9 pound, 2 ounce self!) and was placed into my arms, completing our family of four, forever outnumbering my sweet husband.

Cake #1 - May 2nd

Cake #2 - May 3rd

At 3, Lady A is one sassy little lady with an enormous personality. Sure, she has the typical three year old moments - larger, more dramatic moments than her big sister ever had - but she is so full of love and sweetness. She likes to tell me when she thinks I look pretty, has the most expressive little face, gives the best hugs, and keeps the rest of us in stitches every day. She looks just like Cal, and behaves a little like him, a little like me, and a little like her sister. And a lot like herself.

How can I sum up Lady A's personality at the moment? Well, the other day she was offering us the sassy side of her personality, and Cal finally had to say "Lady A, the bottom line is, you have to listen to Daddy". She promptly responded to him with "what's the top line?"

And what do any good parents do in that moment? We roar with laughter, naturally!

To cut through the laughter, she continued with her line of questioning: "you said that's the bottom line, Daddy, what's the top?", and her big sister piped in to add "and is there a middle line?". Ok smartypants'. At every line, you just need to listen to your parents! 

Her 3rd birthday was marked with a number of celebrations. We ate cake and cupcakes for three days straight, and she was given lots of lovely presents. She lives to look after her 'babies' these days, so we got her a doll playset, and I crocheted her a little doll as well. It's been cast aside in favour of her more lifelike dolls, but making it for her was fun!

This year, I had her help me create the guest list for her birthday party, and before I knew it, we had 20 children coming! Thankfully, we were not cramming all of these munchkins and their parents into our home - we had rented a local dance studio for the occasion, and all turned out very well! Two of my wonderful friends helped me paint the kids' faces, we played 'pin the tail on brown bear', had a beanbag toss and had assorted play stations set up. Of course when DJ Daddy turned the music to the Frozen soundtrack, we also had an impromptu performance from many of the little girls in the room. And let me tell you, these girls can really belt out an enthusiastic version of "Let It Go"!

Cupcakes on May 4th!

All in all, each celebration was great, and it was nice to see Lady A really enjoy her birthday, seeming to understand what all the fuss was about this year.

Our littlest girl continues to surprise us every day with her wit, intelligence and the simple fact that she's no longer a baby any more. At 3, she's officially a little girl.