tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60786552042292078692024-03-13T03:35:58.095-04:00MANGO CALLA LILYA busy, active mum navigating my way through life, while drinking lots of tea!Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-60999258349447794362017-12-29T08:18:00.001-05:002017-12-29T08:19:01.311-05:00fun in the sun <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP7lQVDSTdRgRGcpDTCGuJXfBFboZlMa-0x1nLLopACkLEXe9TWLGSeavvBfcoRqN5iSl7WmBsebewMI4cewhRRMhHnPEgkIQ4PzaG6oBYRGYLzjAqM1qEmegXtKV_cPVsewZOTdGesQ/s1600/F6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP7lQVDSTdRgRGcpDTCGuJXfBFboZlMa-0x1nLLopACkLEXe9TWLGSeavvBfcoRqN5iSl7WmBsebewMI4cewhRRMhHnPEgkIQ4PzaG6oBYRGYLzjAqM1qEmegXtKV_cPVsewZOTdGesQ/s200/F6.jpg" width="200" /></a>Our December started off with a bang this year, as we boarded a plane and headed south. We were heading to Florida for 11 days, with the first five spent at Disney World, followed by a short stay with my family in Ormond Beach. We didn't fly out until late afternoon on the 1st, so had a little time to pack the final items, load up the car and the kids and drive to the Buffalo airport.<br />
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It had been two years since the girls' had flown, and they were beyond excited. (Quite frankly, I think they would have been excited if it had only been two weeks since their last flight, but that's beyond the point!). We flew from Buffalo to Atlanta where we had a rather lengthy stay - this one is my fault (as my husband would quickly tell you!). There was a flight 45 minutes after we arrived, but I decided to take the longer layover to avoid and crazy rushes between flights, or the ever-common American carrier giving away our seats if our first flight was a little behind. So....we had 4 hours to kill in Atlanta. Thankfully that passed quickly, then we were off to Orlando, and our final destination, Disney World.<br />
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It was late and dark by the time we arrived at Disney, but it's always a good feeling. With Florida being my summer and March Break home as a kid, I'm no stranger to the Magical World, but even at 36 years old, I still get a little jolt of excitement every time we drive through those gates and begin to see mouse ears on everything. We settled into our hotel room, and were ready for the fun to begin bright and early the next morning.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7slCaCJfglhhI-W0xpGEgnh8HctgTPcI5Dj7HM4TGl1uSw0BTf2fZGGLdadbcW4YNUxaoyrUwbcWZrtp8_zIldvWhyphenhyphen7oG9uUFYzj4tvGW8NDk_RLEZxRIKsM8eFRzN_KyDZkCXy4QAAQ/s1600/F1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7slCaCJfglhhI-W0xpGEgnh8HctgTPcI5Dj7HM4TGl1uSw0BTf2fZGGLdadbcW4YNUxaoyrUwbcWZrtp8_zIldvWhyphenhyphen7oG9uUFYzj4tvGW8NDk_RLEZxRIKsM8eFRzN_KyDZkCXy4QAAQ/s320/F1.jpg" width="240" /></a>I was attending a conference, so my days were filled with amazing learning - which meant Cal and the girls spent their days by the pool. Gratefully, the weather was absolutely beautiful, and they swam for at least three hours every day, and spent the rest of the time enjoying a life of leisure. In the evenings we found our way to <a href="https://www.disneysprings.com/" target="_blank">Disney Springs</a>, the outlets and spent one night at the <a href="https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/en_CA/destinations/magic-kingdom/" target="_blank">Magic Kingdom</a> too!<br />
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For Lady A & Lady M, this was their second time at Magic Kingdom, the first being on that trip two years ago. At ages 9 and 6 (<i>and a half - Lady A would have me remind you</i>) they were so perfectly suited to the park. We hit up multiple rides that we hadn't done before, including the Barnstormer, PeopleMover, Carousel of Progress, and one of my all-time favourites - It's a Small World. It was as beautiful and fabulous as I remembered. We also took the kids to the Tomorrowland Speedway, where we allowed our two children to get behind the wheel of a go kart. I had Lady A, and Cal had Lady M and they both drove like complete MANIACS, giggling loudly the entire way. I think we all came away with a little bit of whiplash, and a clear understanding as to why children cannot have a driver's license, but they are still talking about this ride several weeks later! We finished off the evening with Peter Pan's Flight - a favourite from our last trip - and after enduring an extra long line-up thanks to the ride breaking down briefly, we flew through Neverland to close off our day. It was, as they say, <i>magical</i>.<br />
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After our multi-day stay drew to a close, we hopped in our rental car and headed for Ormond Beach. This is the place where I have loved going since I was a little girl, and now my kids love going just as much. (Cal seems to go more often than all of us, so I think it's safe to say he loves being there too!) A visit to see my aunt, uncle and cousins is a guaranteed good time, and spending time with them was wonderful. We managed a little more outlet shopping, visited the Christmas light display at <a href="http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/" target="_blank">Daytona International Speedway</a>, decorated my Aunt's Christmas trees (both large and small), and most importantly, just spent time with family.<br />
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While the weather was warm for the first part of our trip, it began to cool off in the latter few days, but that didn't stop us from a visit to Daytona Beach. I packed up a picnic and off we went, planning to just take a little walk in the sand. When we arrived, we found a playground/picnic area that overlooked the water and hung out there as the tide was so high that we couldn't go down to the beach. The girls played and played and looked out over the water, taking great joy in watching two men who were surfing a little ways out. We ended up spending a good amount of time there, that sure enough the tide headed out, and we descended the stairs to the water.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOK0HJh60UG4JtFpZ9-ckJCIwk7j9wxG5NCHBXrHfohB_xcxrRphLt2tYFr8HtO27IqnxrySKtnSvBp1SKlP-Ya7xFCJbU483H3OvmJhnwSWgqZ2pFaBEWkkya76AscU2Rjqcs9ncRymA/s1600/F3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOK0HJh60UG4JtFpZ9-ckJCIwk7j9wxG5NCHBXrHfohB_xcxrRphLt2tYFr8HtO27IqnxrySKtnSvBp1SKlP-Ya7xFCJbU483H3OvmJhnwSWgqZ2pFaBEWkkya76AscU2Rjqcs9ncRymA/s200/F3.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nEMifVFK5WcaoiwXiRdv-rYEoAGo3bRHXrIofVs5DMOuIN6JMQBYsl1X3SQ561YMG4-zQvI4RrtxKLdPA2c1fr5SEwRwOJZmGM2akAwkgoYvR7fk4Kll6elA8ztb-Hdj_EW47VVqMpg/s1600/F2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-nEMifVFK5WcaoiwXiRdv-rYEoAGo3bRHXrIofVs5DMOuIN6JMQBYsl1X3SQ561YMG4-zQvI4RrtxKLdPA2c1fr5SEwRwOJZmGM2akAwkgoYvR7fk4Kll6elA8ztb-Hdj_EW47VVqMpg/s200/F2.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQYaQlu_jSa_RNCMnr0ep2rikYlvcBFYW7i7ch9oQ1kU2LWP81NHPpi_Jt2i5UsrXsR4-GQ5QR1jM1o_uRMUiS6d367jLlDcgEVDuPsaRg4RsRKmM9dxfv4lIVlL06gNIotfgNu3d0ls/s1600/F4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjQYaQlu_jSa_RNCMnr0ep2rikYlvcBFYW7i7ch9oQ1kU2LWP81NHPpi_Jt2i5UsrXsR4-GQ5QR1jM1o_uRMUiS6d367jLlDcgEVDuPsaRg4RsRKmM9dxfv4lIVlL06gNIotfgNu3d0ls/s320/F4.jpg" width="320" /></a>Lady A was horrified at the thought of getting sand in her toes, but quickly got over it as the girls did handstands and cartwheels up and down the beach. Slowly, they became extra brave and worked their way further and further into the water. They had both - smartly - put bathing suits on under their clothes "just in case", which worked out in their favour. In no time, my brave little Canadian girls were in the water, soaking up every minute. As a baby, I'm told that one of my favourite things to do was to stand in this very stretch of beach and yell "<i>pum waves, pum get me!</i>", so I suppose they come by their love of the beach honestly. They happily hopped the waves for ages.<br />
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Our last night, we headed back to Orlando to stay at a hotel in preparation for an early morning flight. I had booked it a little close, and was scheduled to land in Buffalo at 12:30pm, then needed to be back at my office to teach a course at 4:15pm. (<i>No problem, right?!</i>) I was prepared; we had a carry on bag that had all of our clothes for the flight and a work outfit for me to change into when we got home. Everything else was packed away in the main suitcases back in Ormond. As we boarded the flight in Orlando bright and early that Monday morning, the gate attendant said that she would take our carry on suitcase and put it straight through to Buffalo. I didn't think much of it at the time.<br />
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But as we watched our three suitcases come off the conveyor in Buffalo, followed by nothingness...and then a completely empty conveyor...we knew one was missing. I went to speak with the Delta representative, who made some calls for me, telling me it was likely on a different flight from Atlanta. (As you may recall, I didn't have time to wait in Buffalo...I had a course of 30 people waiting for me!). But, patience paid off, and shortly thereafter, a Buffalonian in his security vest came upstairs with our lost bag. Turns out it was completely soaked (inside and out), so it appears likely that it was left in a snowbank, but we had our stuff!!<br />
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We got back to our house at 3:03pm; I quickly changed and got ready for work then headed to the office. A quick glance at the time confirmed that I would have enough time to swing into Tim Horton's for a tea, and then I arrived in my training room at 3:58pm, hot tea in hand! WIN!<br />
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I was so grateful for the time away with my family. We had some amazing adventures, shared a million laughs and spent time with some of our favourite people. What a great way to kick off December!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="https://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-53848799989742372022017-10-17T17:27:00.000-04:002017-10-17T17:27:54.045-04:00camp chronicles - 2017 edition <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Every year, our trip to my camp in Northern Ontario is our favourite family adventure. This summer, it was the only week where all four of us were on vacation at the same time, which made it even more special. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">On the August long weekend, with Cal scheduled to work ridiculously long days on the Friday and Saturday, I began to pack up the troops for the week. (Slow clap for me for doing my absolute best - and most efficient - packing that I have ever done. Very little went unused by the end of the week, and the truck wasn't overflowing in the same way it usually does! Win!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By Sunday morning, with a sleepy, hardworking husband in the truck, two excited children and the boat hooked up behind us, we were ready to go! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So far, Lady M has only participated in dance camp up there, but this year she was determined to be a badminton camper. Last year she had planned to do the same, but pulled the chute at the last minute. But, I once again packed everything she would need for badminton (with some dance clothes, just in case) and packed Lady A for dance camp, as that's what she was planning to do. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXYI8qC_1aV5IdwEGGUf_Xhx7j899xTdamHy51dQit_CJqXto88vMjYz5pjnAYAmgRQqI4y2B0L1nMlcH2-Gbdybu-Ef-Sf2KsUp_RzkSbcLUap9YicwHg0oO8W57cBjqKd-Fdd6MnY8/s1600/camp+classroom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKXYI8qC_1aV5IdwEGGUf_Xhx7j899xTdamHy51dQit_CJqXto88vMjYz5pjnAYAmgRQqI4y2B0L1nMlcH2-Gbdybu-Ef-Sf2KsUp_RzkSbcLUap9YicwHg0oO8W57cBjqKd-Fdd6MnY8/s320/camp+classroom.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our classroom is pretty awesome.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Upon arrival, camp was reeling from a tornado that had struck less than 48 hours before. Power had been out, weather had been iffy, and trees were down all over the place. But anyone who has worked at a camp before knows that almost nothing will stop counsellors and staff from bringing their A-game every day, complete with enthusiasm that cannot be rivalled. By later that afternoon when opening ceremonies rolled around, we were ready to rock! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">That evening, Lady M made her way to her first badminton session, and she LOVED it. I repeat L-O-V-E-D it. The coaching team for that particular sport are amazing, so I had no doubt, but seeing the joy in her face when she got back to the cabin made me beam. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lady A settled quickly into Dance Camp, where at 6 years old, she's already completing the program for the third (maybe fourth?) year, and jumped right back in happily with her amazing coach, and many friends. Watching her dance a lyrical routing to a gorgeous version of <i>Wind Beneath My Wings</i> in the end of week showcase brought this sappy mama to tears. So. Much. Sweetness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Despite the fact that the weather report was looking rather gloomy (rain. every. single. day.) we spent our week being active constantly. Cal and I played in the coaches' badminton tournament, the girls played in the coaches kids badminton tournament. We even tried our hand at a <a href="https://www.pickleballcanada.org/" target="_blank">Pickleball </a>tournament this year - quite fun if you've never tried it out (or heard of it for that matter)! We played tennis, badminton, swam, paddle-boarded - you name it, we did it in between rainshowers. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV1XffsTmJAcGINgEJblQG0KMjrv8pW02Ms58JgMRbbVVypRoK8WMCVPoR3k3fIewuP4Nh3s2H2MeIACYKJU3LYPqDAvfWlVyS3rgIF8NhXbhC-411Tav-MIVQxA1LhD3pKvTgyn7oyA/s1600/camp+a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="481" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEV1XffsTmJAcGINgEJblQG0KMjrv8pW02Ms58JgMRbbVVypRoK8WMCVPoR3k3fIewuP4Nh3s2H2MeIACYKJU3LYPqDAvfWlVyS3rgIF8NhXbhC-411Tav-MIVQxA1LhD3pKvTgyn7oyA/s320/camp+a.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady A rocking the ropes course</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br />The girls developed even more courage this year with the high ropes activities. Lady M kicked off her week of heights with the "Giant Swing" - a very high (especially from a mother's perspective, even though I've done it myself) swing, that launches my less-than-50-pound-baby out over the lake at sunset. Lady A did it just a few minutes after - though she didn't start up quite as high, my littlest lady was launched out over the lake too, with a giant smile on her face the whole time. My stomach was in knots, and my fists were clenched, but I lived to tell the tale! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The girls also tried the high ropes course, with Lady M flying up the telephone pole (again) and trying out a more challenging element this year. She ran through it easily and confidently. Lady A made it to the top of the telephone pole (further than last year!), but wasn't able to step out onto the platform to complete the element. At least not when I was watching! The very next day, she had an opportunity to try it again with the kids from her dance program, and I'm told she got up there and went all the way across!! So proud of her courage. </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDXq-cO4ozbrqP6iTXDXAszh5wqFkP4T6d6IIjjqGXZ7ARyS-T4d71TOihH7QXuV2hWMKadnMDDjYKBk2CXcceGYb686uorvrLL2tO1PiqT5BqSzKu9hD1jhdpom8HKTlXwk9_3hWA54/s1600/camp+m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDXq-cO4ozbrqP6iTXDXAszh5wqFkP4T6d6IIjjqGXZ7ARyS-T4d71TOihH7QXuV2hWMKadnMDDjYKBk2CXcceGYb686uorvrLL2tO1PiqT5BqSzKu9hD1jhdpom8HKTlXwk9_3hWA54/s320/camp+m.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady M ready for some pinata fun @ Coaches' Happy Hour</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Both of the girls attempted the zip line as well, with Lady M rocking it, and Lady A climbing, but choosing not to actually zip. While the girls did that, I was out with my campers and co-coaches on our annual day-long canoe trip. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately we didn't even make it to the first portage this year - partly due to the impending weather, and partly due to (literally) the SLOWEST canoe campers we have EVER seen. Honestly, in 18 years of teaching this program, this one boat moved slower than a three-toed sloth. Thank goodness for great company in my own canoe (and for our ability to take naps in strangely comfortable canoe corners, right Trishy?). </span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zyD2vE7USYRpKYKPxQS23TGm_VRQC5od1IkwFDZ5LPx-yGMvK_8Qelv3VcDUrVvNVSMRx4j7CwN2Yi3-Xg6tBySovilGSzH2wLvPMcLp1ONzIcVk-ujoc-Gq-l4Sws4D4Lj0jjG0O1I/s1600/camp+trish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0zyD2vE7USYRpKYKPxQS23TGm_VRQC5od1IkwFDZ5LPx-yGMvK_8Qelv3VcDUrVvNVSMRx4j7CwN2Yi3-Xg6tBySovilGSzH2wLvPMcLp1ONzIcVk-ujoc-Gq-l4Sws4D4Lj0jjG0O1I/s320/camp+trish.jpg" width="256" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my fabulous teaching partners & friend!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By the end of the week, our kids were pooped. They did every single session (which is about 6 hours/day), and still managed to stay energetic for their free time, and for the campfires and manhunt games at night. When the week was over, neither of them wanted to leave...but I always think that's a good sign. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And as a side note: I also knew there was a mouse in my cabin this year, and managed to keep myself very calm and collected. <a href="http://mangocallalily.blogspot.ca/2012/08/camp-chronicles-mouse-in-house.html" target="_blank">This is a HUGE accomplishment for me</a>, as typically this sends me over the edge, and the thought of sleeping in the truck, or anywhere that might be mouse-free is more appealing...but I did it. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Less than 10 months until we get to go back... </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-23566734277283466032017-09-24T09:08:00.000-04:002017-09-24T09:08:57.208-04:00remember summer? <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Remember summer? Seems that it just passed by in the blink of an eye. It's possible that I say that every year, but wow - this one really flew. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">At 8 (nearly 9) and 6, my girls are at such a fun age. Naps are a thing of the past, they can stay up a little later, they are fun and silly and always up for an adventure. Between Cal and I, we managed to get a fair bit of vacation this summer which is always a treat, and we definitely filled the summer with good, old-fashioned memory making. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoJF5HvYlYxnvJUejXc2Or22HzAKFlV69HPkHl4Ks5-vJzRY7iwpjBG-B10Ax01RJIUrTO9P1VnyVF43iC7IKxa7IfuVKFdwy8wRe_VoywmUJ85J1z_IDcdS4lSePRwAI8ULxPK-w4Zg/s1600/Cal+%2526+Girls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMoJF5HvYlYxnvJUejXc2Or22HzAKFlV69HPkHl4Ks5-vJzRY7iwpjBG-B10Ax01RJIUrTO9P1VnyVF43iC7IKxa7IfuVKFdwy8wRe_VoywmUJ85J1z_IDcdS4lSePRwAI8ULxPK-w4Zg/s320/Cal+%2526+Girls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In early June another season of soccer began - Lady M's fifth year playing, and Lady A's third year. Lady M is a badass on the soccer field - she is fierce and competitive, and throws in the odd cartwheel on the field just for good measure. I absolutely love watching her play - she pours her heart into it, and isn't afraid to throw the odd elbow - much to the chagrin of some players on the other team! One opponent even tattled on her to the ref during one game, which made Cal and I smile on the sidelines. It's awesome to watch her progress each summer, but more importantly to see the smile on her face when she plays. (Now we just need to work on the frown when she loses a game!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lady A played on an all-girls team for the first year, which means that she had her foot on the ball WAY more this summer and really began to build her confidence. A naturally kind little girl, she learned that it was okay to steal the ball, and beamed with pride each time she got a goal! With only 5 girls on her small team, she had an amazing season and is already looking forward to the next one. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Each year, I like to take off the first week of summer - working in a school board it's a nice break after the craziness of June. For my girls, I like them to ease into the simple joys of summer - lingering in their jammies as long as they'd like, riding bikes on the street, playing with friends, and just generally being kids in the summer. I prefer that to sending them right off to summer camp, where the routine remains the same for all of us (wake up, make lunches, get out the door...you know the drill). That week we simply enjoyed hanging out and playing with neighbours and friends. It was a delightfully relaxing week! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Back to the grind for me the second week of summer means that the girls were off to camp. Lady M had the opportunity to go to her long-awaited horseback riding camp. She's been asking for this for ages, and after taking lessons for a year, the time had come! She gladly spent each day that week at the barn tacking, grooming, mucking out stalls, playing in the loft, and of course, riding. She was a dirty mess each night, with a great big smile on her face. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lady A spent that same week at Art Camp and had a chance to let her inner Picasso shine! She created project after project and was so proud of each and every creation that she brought home. A winning week for both of the girls! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Later in July both girls attended a dance camp that they have gone to for years. Mostly crafts and activities with a little bit of dance, they enjoyed every minute of it. Our favourite part is the recital at the end of the week, of course, when our little dancers get to show off their skills! Mostly because it's about 4 minutes of pure cuteness. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After a few weeks back at work, I was able to take off the first two weeks of August. The first week was a classic stay-cation. The girls and I filled our time playing with friends and just enjoying being at home. Of course we also had to start packing for our favourite summer adventure...the sports & leadership camp where I work each summer. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The second week of August brought about our adventure up north, which I'll share about in a separate post, because it really deserves it's own!</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK91W6cgAAfq6mS1KpHMC6akN_NteGu2Yr7kU7R28U7jIa6eBbvHWBQY-aEpwvfzD7FyUJEKVlp2aMwOYRK1ZFwfLgIikHyZXnRfD-jT-nY-SeeMscHNvQLthEBwH-_XS4Azde52Lkusc/s1600/boat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="742" data-original-width="750" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK91W6cgAAfq6mS1KpHMC6akN_NteGu2Yr7kU7R28U7jIa6eBbvHWBQY-aEpwvfzD7FyUJEKVlp2aMwOYRK1ZFwfLgIikHyZXnRfD-jT-nY-SeeMscHNvQLthEBwH-_XS4Azde52Lkusc/s320/boat.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">By far, our favourite adventure this summer was simply the days we spent on our boat. We didn't even have to travel that far, as the girls were perfectly happy riding for a bit, then stopping the boat in the middle of Lake Ontario and just jumping in to swim. We had different friends and family out on the boat to spend time with us (some handled it well...others learned that seasickness plagued all three of their children...at one time!). But each day out on the lake was just the best family time of all. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And in case the boat wasn't enough, we capped off the summer by picking up a pair of used Sea-Doos to add to the watercraft collection. Now we are just trying to squeeze the remaining warm days of summer out of September before we have to pack all the toys away. Thank goodness the Ontario September has been beautifully warm and sunny! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Each summer is amazing, but this one has been my favourite of all...so far. </span><br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-90520542877786512402017-05-14T20:57:00.003-04:002017-05-14T20:57:33.018-04:00get back on the horseLady M takes horseback riding lessons every Saturday morning. Riding since this past September, she has really taken a liking to it and is incredibly respectful of these large animals, taking great care of them as she tacks and grooms, and genuinely enjoying her lesson every time she rides. Each week, she rotates between about 3 different horses, and had a chance to ride the pony one day as well.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeCiFHY5strWxFKmJTstssusSnK0bgPHct2GYxN3NDk8CVTebvcIRHwzWGaLyPJ3Qmj1gHD132ijpF8QHe8autKhgJdHdsoRJ8-4_MfZwiJa4HOutW940lkbjhd1aupzN8cnLDcBNEgo/s1600/M+-+pony.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzeCiFHY5strWxFKmJTstssusSnK0bgPHct2GYxN3NDk8CVTebvcIRHwzWGaLyPJ3Qmj1gHD132ijpF8QHe8autKhgJdHdsoRJ8-4_MfZwiJa4HOutW940lkbjhd1aupzN8cnLDcBNEgo/s320/M+-+pony.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady M - riding the pony at the barn</td></tr>
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She talks about horses all the time, reads about them every chance she gets, and is constantly learning as much as she can. She's excited to try out horseback riding camp for the first time this summer, and frequently talks about getting a horse of her own. (I've gently let her know that she's welcome to get one when she's an adult!)<br />
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I'm always been a little leery of horses, knowing they are much, much larger than my little 8 1/2 year old - well, bigger than everyone who rides them, of course. But my little girl looks so small when she's on them.<br />
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So, you can imagine how small she looked last weekend as her horse - on it's first lap around the arena - all of a sudden decided to lower down onto her belly while my daughter was riding - certainly not a common occurrence in her lessons.<br />
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Lady M had the good sense to quickly remove her feet from the stirrups, and jump off as the horse lowered itself to the ground and began to roll toward Lady M who was pushed up against the arena wall. Thankfully, before she rolled too far, the horse took off and began cantering around the arena, relishing in her riderless freedom. I stood there, frozen, unable to help, but was grateful to the one helper who was in the ring who swiftly helped Lady M up and brought her into the centre of the arena, while the other girl in her lesson was quickly taken off her horse, and they tried to catch the rogue horse. They caught her, and immediately led her out of the arena then walked my quivering little girl over to me. The whole thing probably took about 45 seconds to a minute, but I've never felt so helpless.<br />
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Lady M crawled gently into my lap and cried very softly, clearly shaken from what had transpired. I was trying to keep myself together, though was fighting back tears, of course.<br />
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Although given the option of riding another horse, she chose not to get back on that day. Instead, she just wanted to stay close to her mum. Truth is, I didn't want to let her go either. After a short time and opportunity to relax, she decided that she just wanted to get home and get cleaned up since she was covered in dirt from head to toe, and her boots were full of it too.<br />
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Upon chatting afterwards, I learned that she was most upset because she thought she had done something wrong to make the horse behave like that. I assured her that she had done everything perfectly - as her teacher had shared before we left - and she seemed a little more relaxed, the colour returning to her face.<br />
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Following a nice, warm shower, Cal and Lady A called on their way home from her gymnastics class. Lady M shared that "<i>there was a little incident</i>" in her riding class, but had turned it around at that point, telling her Dad what had happened and already discussing which horse she would ride next week.<br />
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She has recovered well from it, and wasn't hurt at all which is most important. Yesterday she went back to the barn for her lesson and did extremely well - her confidence unshaken, she had a great ride.<br />
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Way to get back on the horse, Lady M!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-84095283833776117142017-05-14T20:51:00.001-04:002017-05-14T20:51:56.087-04:00this is 6!Recently, our littlest lady celebrated her 6th birthday...that's right, she needs two hands now to show us how old she is! What happened to my little baby? Getting ready to graduate kindergarten and start grade one french immersion in the fall, our youngest girl is no longer a baby.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1lGdk5Y-aqCftLB3VQF7zKcAdFelR3P5Ss37ri31640zS6WZVzuS0l0g_EZq2LdwTU1FIRdL_164oIeNkNUOCC0zmVg8dHq3_LtRs21VXTo6UC-pqtAE85czdHj0sEEtFd_ElHWEcTY/s1600/carebears_puzzle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG1lGdk5Y-aqCftLB3VQF7zKcAdFelR3P5Ss37ri31640zS6WZVzuS0l0g_EZq2LdwTU1FIRdL_164oIeNkNUOCC0zmVg8dHq3_LtRs21VXTo6UC-pqtAE85czdHj0sEEtFd_ElHWEcTY/s320/carebears_puzzle.jpg" width="320" /></a>Because all good things come back around, Lady A has fallen in love with Care Bears this past year. Basically a throwback to my own childhood in the 80's where I had plenty of Care Bears, she has now started a fresh, new, colourful collection.<br />
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Her birthday was on a Tuesday this year, so we began the day bright and early with a couple of presents before heading off to school. We had chosen a rainbow dress for her to wear, and had wrapped it up the night before with a new headband so she'd have a sparkly new outfit to wear on her special day. When she opened it, she loved it...but there was just one problem. The sales clerk hadn't removed the security tag from the dress. So, rather than let it appear as though we stole her birthday present, I quickly grabbed another gift that I knew had more clothes in it and we were all good!<br />
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That day when I picked her up from school, she was SUPER excited and practically yelling as she told me all about her day. Turns out that she had "happy birthday " sung to her numerous times....once by me in the morning, then by her before-school group, then by her class, and once again in her after-care program. As she loudly shared the details of her day, we drove over to Lady M's school to pick her up.<br />
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When we walked in the room, Lady M declared "<i>you're here early!</i>", to which the little one replied (loudly) "<i>BECAUSE IT'S MY BIRTHDAY!</i>". Well, that was all we needed for Lady M's after-care group to launch into the 5th rendition of "happy birthday" that Lady A had received that day. She was glowing with happiness.<br />
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That evening, we had family over for dinner. The week before I had questioned Lady A as to what she wanted to have for her bday dinner, to which she replied "<i>grilled cheese</i>". Not the fanciest of options, but hey - you only turn 6 once! So for the evening Cal and I had purchased and prepared numerous grilled cheese toppings - ham, turkey, bacon, tomato, guacamole, sauteed onions and peppers, numerous types of cheese and bread - so we could have a 'gourmet' grilled cheese bar. Everyone received a menu upon arrival, and chose their favourite topping combination which was then made to order by the short order cook (me)!<br />
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And for the record...should you ever need to make grilled cheese for a crowd, did you know that you can do them in the oven? Yup - it's brilliant. I was cooking 9 grilled cheese sandwiches at a time, and they turned out perfectly!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QOFcK81-qp5UmWWCnTZPv1Vua0iiTsRTiiF6keeeUpAJ7YLwzgwgFcTDJHI0TO6wewcoMGTy-ueDp_g4sZRSSa2VCxXN3XJZJf1xKYUmC4uPDPBhWnzIf4KlVGRst8-tvM3tt4taCjE/s1600/a+-+gift+bags.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_QOFcK81-qp5UmWWCnTZPv1Vua0iiTsRTiiF6keeeUpAJ7YLwzgwgFcTDJHI0TO6wewcoMGTy-ueDp_g4sZRSSa2VCxXN3XJZJf1xKYUmC4uPDPBhWnzIf4KlVGRst8-tvM3tt4taCjE/s320/a+-+gift+bags.jpg" width="320" /></a>The day was capped off with homemade chocolate cupcakes, and - you guessed it - one more rendition of Happy Birthday, which brought the day's singing total to 6. Six times on her sixth birthday made for one very happy (and very sleepy) 6-year old.<br />
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That weekend, we continued the celebration with 10 little girls at the house, and a Care Bears themed party. The girls played "pin the tummy on the Care Bear", we had rainbow coloured everything, assorted games, prizes and the <i>piece de resistance</i> - our face painter!<br />
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We hired a face painter to come to the house, and he was amazing. He did these beautiful, high-quality paintings on each of the girls' faces and they were super excited.<br />
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Overall, I think Lady A had a great birthday week, and has had a great start to being 6. <br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-14070063601375067892017-05-14T20:48:00.001-04:002017-05-14T20:48:17.788-04:00playing catch up - winter 2017<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This winter has been filled with travels for both Cal and I. I kicked off the year by heading to Denver for a conference in January, which was fantastic. As someone who is typically developing and delivering learning sessions of all kinds, it was sooooo nice to sit back and just be a learner. I soaked up my three days there, and enjoyed my first trip to Colorado, though I didn't get to travel much beyond the hotel. Of course I was there just days after Trump's inauguration which made for an interesting time to travel to the States. But that's probably a story for another day! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhpGGgyCPBdgGl57Et9MvMnBQY4Jhbm46d5DiTO5m-9t3G6pJL-4FGspOOfLb4lBVJgwBtKI1ob1c2SvXWMK5CQe-Ji7RHWEJKt-fpR858xgA8PngV1yOLRsblsQQEXjPC6nUPU829oY/s1600/Cousins.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBhpGGgyCPBdgGl57Et9MvMnBQY4Jhbm46d5DiTO5m-9t3G6pJL-4FGspOOfLb4lBVJgwBtKI1ob1c2SvXWMK5CQe-Ji7RHWEJKt-fpR858xgA8PngV1yOLRsblsQQEXjPC6nUPU829oY/s320/Cousins.jpg" width="320" /></a>At the beginning of February, I also got to hop on a plane to Vancouver for a quick wedding weekend! Much of my dad's family - including my mum, dad, brother and sister in law - were in attendance as my cousin was married in a lovely winter ceremony. Of course, we choose only to come to town at the most exciting times, and Vancouver was experiencing their <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2017/02/06/vancouver-snow-weather-abbotsford_n_14631336.html" target="_blank">biggest snowstorm in years</a>, shattering many snowfall records seen in their history. For us Ontarians, the snow was pretty minimal, but it makes you appreciate the city services we have in place for snow removal! It sure made for some stunning wedding pictures though! More importantly, we had the majority of our cousins together for the first time in years. I was only in town for about 48 hours, but I soaked up every minute with the cousins who I adore, and just wish that I was able to see more frequently. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAVWpEQtxkhhFB9Zge-3mRkaV4hR5Q35HGn9pkcIfBwHyS62JuXTKaMaKqd4OV2SbL_BApPn_7UxXT_C0uYy5VmpLSCWA3O1UvhFlMUUeEbP5uy6EldEtV4L0yzzHSQRHo5iP_b4jfrQ/s1600/Cal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgAVWpEQtxkhhFB9Zge-3mRkaV4hR5Q35HGn9pkcIfBwHyS62JuXTKaMaKqd4OV2SbL_BApPn_7UxXT_C0uYy5VmpLSCWA3O1UvhFlMUUeEbP5uy6EldEtV4L0yzzHSQRHo5iP_b4jfrQ/s200/Cal.jpg" width="200" /></a>A couple weeks later, it was Cal's turn to hop on a plane, when he headed off on his annual <a href="http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Events/2018/DAYTONA-500/DAYTONA-500.aspx" target="_blank">Daytona 500</a> trip. He certainly didn't experience any snowfall, and instead enjoyed a week of fun in the sun with the other side of my family! The girls and I held down the fort while - I assume - he drank beer, attended races, hung with my family, drank beer, drove fast cars and drank a little more beer. A well deserved mini-vacation for my hard-working mister. </div>
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In April, Cal was off once again to spend Easter weekend in Calgary with one of his oldest friends and his family. Living multiple provinces apart means that we don't see these friends as often as we'd like, so it was such a nice opportunity for him to go visit, and spend time with D, Katie and their three sweet little kiddos. While most of the time was spent in Calgary, he and D also took a 3-hour detour for a night in Edmonton to see <a href="http://johnmayer.com/" target="_blank">John Mayer</a> on his recent tour.<br />
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I'll try to stay away from mentioning my favourite story from his Calgary trip - the one where Cal left for his flight that first morning and called me just before 6am from his airport gate to let me know he'd lost his wallet...and his keys. Thankfully, he was flying out of the Hamilton airport, so the girls and I hopped in the car and saved the day with his spare set of keys that opened the truck where his wallet had fallen out. After holding up the plane, he hopped on and made his way to Calgary... but right, I'll stay away from mentioning that. :) </div>
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Now it's May and we're staying put a little bit more! The boat is out of storage, and once it actually warms up around here, we are so ready to get it out for a ride. Lady M has the countdown on until the last day of school, and I'm looking forward to getting through the push to the end of the school year, and taking a little time off over the summer to spend with my fam. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-29381468255511616462017-05-14T20:45:00.001-04:002017-05-14T20:45:24.715-04:00playing catch up - fall 2016<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9X7ZPIQug5xAaObFXA2I8Ound1B-0px4HAc54ony0iHip-J-d_UyhDK6j3WTDukDL12p7uLUXmVCYLjzrZ-Kff5gdZBX8kEgfA7BCzL3eAQczP0w0KgnmYjLWBWTwYh1LVaqKpYdhNA/s1600/IMG_1493.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix9X7ZPIQug5xAaObFXA2I8Ound1B-0px4HAc54ony0iHip-J-d_UyhDK6j3WTDukDL12p7uLUXmVCYLjzrZ-Kff5gdZBX8kEgfA7BCzL3eAQczP0w0KgnmYjLWBWTwYh1LVaqKpYdhNA/s200/IMG_1493.JPG" width="200" /></a>Well, talk about falling behind in my blogging duties! It seems I haven't written in nearly a year, which is just crazy seeing as there has been no shortage of stories and happenings in our little world...but it just goes to show how time really does fly. With a summer filled with boating, vacation time and another visit to our camp, September was quickly upon us. So, let's play a little catch up, beginning with the fall of 2016:<br />
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<b>Starting School </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IjdH4iXqmD9kbr1egRl6vL2D78359U0J07uxHB3oQllWlY0fsJXL9z6mBLi4y-molLVCkB_Po9BlKQb-O2dq823E1qZVAQy3SMgPhb3SNAlliGveiWoH2Y6OD6Q2uBfNAhUPNcs6YCI/s1600/IMG_1581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1IjdH4iXqmD9kbr1egRl6vL2D78359U0J07uxHB3oQllWlY0fsJXL9z6mBLi4y-molLVCkB_Po9BlKQb-O2dq823E1qZVAQy3SMgPhb3SNAlliGveiWoH2Y6OD6Q2uBfNAhUPNcs6YCI/s200/IMG_1581.JPG" width="150" /></a>In September my beautiful girls began another year of school with Lady M heading off to Grade 3 and her little sister, Lady A, making her way into the trenches of Senior Kindergarten. Lady M began on the Tuesday after Labour Day and was quite excited about the teacher and classmates she had. Her happiness lasted just one month before school numbers forced some reorganization within the school and she found herself moved into a grade 2/3 split class with a teacher whom she feared quite a lot. It seemed that the change wasn't working so well for her, and my little girl was coming home in tears most days which was absolutely heartbreaking to Cal and I. So, with my parent advocate hat on, I paid a visit to the school, had a great meeting with her teacher and things have only looked up since then. She's had a great year so far...even now that the dreaded EQAO testing is on the horizon. (Provincial-wide testing required in grade 3 for those of you reading outside of Ontario!).<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0Mz7JscfkzuJVPnUqNJt2joOJnLbmgwHWr78PZTzR2AXTjCc1xyqpZD_1Ho2cjDjoUjpWKSHyWsJ87VbyKuNpnHiqGVzzJkysSvw42kRBAbWK4f2hYdxCMmPyviTjB-tY6U5W6zjFhc/s1600/IMG_1595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_0Mz7JscfkzuJVPnUqNJt2joOJnLbmgwHWr78PZTzR2AXTjCc1xyqpZD_1Ho2cjDjoUjpWKSHyWsJ87VbyKuNpnHiqGVzzJkysSvw42kRBAbWK4f2hYdxCMmPyviTjB-tY6U5W6zjFhc/s200/IMG_1595.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
Lady A didn't begin school until the Wednesday after Labour Day which meant she had one whole extra day of summer. Lady M had distinct memories of her extra day she had before beginning SK and recalled that she got to spend the day with her Daddy and visit Marineland. Of course she shared this information with her younger sister, who was SUPER excited that she - naturally - would get this special treatment too! So off she and Cal went to enjoy their father-daughter day (and they had a blast!). Lady A began SK the next day, and while she's very ready to move onto the bigger challenges that grade one will bring, she's had a great year. She loves to take on leadership roles with the younger kids in the class (who are we kidding - she leads the older ones too). When I went in for parent observation in the fall, two little girls (both in JK) were sitting with Lady A and I at the round table and one told me "<i>Lady A is so nice. She always helps me when I need it</i>" - completely melting this mama's heart. Then the other one piped up to add "<i>Lady A always helps me too!</i>". Awwww.<br />
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<b>Country Livin'</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAquYYA3EsKtSQme9xE082XXlokRdoXYtPHFuK1_rwB3uzCfi-kQpGo_S1l39pe7GeSQJHShUyGBSzncpqm0JB9h1ZoNyrtAwxk-WJUS3aKdro5Ny2h1c3plxoqGEuOeV9x8sTvXB9sg/s1600/Binbrook+Fair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAquYYA3EsKtSQme9xE082XXlokRdoXYtPHFuK1_rwB3uzCfi-kQpGo_S1l39pe7GeSQJHShUyGBSzncpqm0JB9h1ZoNyrtAwxk-WJUS3aKdro5Ny2h1c3plxoqGEuOeV9x8sTvXB9sg/s320/Binbrook+Fair.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ladies M&A watching the Horse Pull at the Fair</td></tr>
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Since moving to our new house, we are completely embracing our 'country livin'' lifestyle. Where we live may not be true country to most people, but to us city kids, we basically live in the sticks. (Just ask my brother, who basically thinks I've moved to northern Sweden). We even had a wild turkey run in front of our car the other day when we were heading somewhere; and that happened right near the tractor dealership...so yes, I'd say we're kickin' it country style!<br />
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One of our favourite events this fall was heading to the Fair in our town...complete with rickety rides that look like they're going to fall apart, a demolition derby (Cal and the girls went to this!), a goat show and the horse pull which my girls watched with rapt attention! And one of the best parts, is that it's all just a 3 minute walk from our house.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNzKNk85b5oM78Pxv_g_xZ2ncgjQLWTaZ8T-_t2KYIvxupEtF4KzeKoBQDBWnG5lUdeASSVOuy1FQc37LOkXzckONovHOr4mY55dxnxR1LYPm-bUUFAAf4ZUK-tlBOfPkhJD1Rd85COk/s1600/IMG_1779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSNzKNk85b5oM78Pxv_g_xZ2ncgjQLWTaZ8T-_t2KYIvxupEtF4KzeKoBQDBWnG5lUdeASSVOuy1FQc37LOkXzckONovHOr4mY55dxnxR1LYPm-bUUFAAf4ZUK-tlBOfPkhJD1Rd85COk/s200/IMG_1779.JPG" width="150" /></a>We have also managed to move many of the girls lessons really close to home. Lady M began horseback riding this year, and the barn is just 5 minutes away. She is absolutely loving it - she seems so grown up and responsible when she's around the horses, and has taken to riding like a complete natural. She also started ballet for the first time, and the dance studio is one-minute from our home. Truthfully, I always thought ballet would bore the heck out of her, but after watching her dance a lyrical number at camp this past summer, I was converted. She absolutely loves her ballet class, appreciates the amount of french words in this style of dance, and pirouettes around our house all day long.<br />
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So, it would seem that country livin' is treating us quite well.<br />
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<b>A Marrying Muffy </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhJl5__fl4VnzA2f8GMf5wmdQ6zhXieHz3Zowth3O5cF2X9uQtScuV4hEmQ0KoyDDgL2oIaGlYqqDNRhf-4GNJLNfbXOY15bzoZjIYTNQCKR0gVDdlW3unGsJAzqky6EhCj1vuHwINpE/s1600/muffies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwhJl5__fl4VnzA2f8GMf5wmdQ6zhXieHz3Zowth3O5cF2X9uQtScuV4hEmQ0KoyDDgL2oIaGlYqqDNRhf-4GNJLNfbXOY15bzoZjIYTNQCKR0gVDdlW3unGsJAzqky6EhCj1vuHwINpE/s200/muffies.jpg" width="200" /></a>Over Thanksgiving weekend, I happily hopped a plane to Vancouver, then continued on to the small town of Prince George in Northern BC where my beautiful friend Ashley lives. Visiting PG for the first time, Ashley and her fiance Jason showed me around and gave me a chance to see a little bit of their lifestyle after hearing about it for many years.<br />
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On my second day there, the three of us hopped in a car and enjoyed a four hour ride to Jasper, Alberta taking in the beautiful scenery along the way. I was over the moon to be her only guest, and maid of honour, at a picturesque wedding in Jasper that weekend. Between rock slides, autumn snowfall, changed flights and countless stories, my best friend married the man of her dreams in a beautiful cabin in the mountains, and we toasted the happy couple at the <a href="http://www.jasperbrewingco.ca/" target="_blank">Jasper Brewing Company</a> for their reception. Now, that's the way to spend Thanksgiving!<br />
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<b>8 is Great!</b><br />
In November, my beautiful oldest girl celebrated her 8th birthday. Seeming more grown up by the minute, we hosted a party for several of her friends where they had the chance to do crafts, decorate cupcakes, play games and just enjoy each other's company. The theme was Harry Potter, and we had a blast putting everything together to somehow recognize her current favourite book. It was Lady M's first birthday in our new house and we had great time.<br />
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Just a few days before, Lady M and I had taken a piping class at our local Michaels store - learning the finer techniques of piping icing onto cakes and cupcakes. The class was just $10 each - a real steal! Having signed up weeks in advance, as they day drew closer, I was fearful that I didn't have all of the cake decorating supplies we needed. So, the morning of the class, I called the store to confirm whether I needed to bring any additional items. The person on the phone said "<i>didn't you get the list when you registered?</i>" Ummm, no. I did not. He then began to rattle off the looooong list of items that Lady M and I required...oh, and we'd need two of everything of course.<br />
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So, thanks to the recommendation of a good friend, we learned that the Wilton items were much less expensive at Wal-Mart, so off we went. Well over $100 later, we had everything we needed - so much for that $10 steal of a deal! We arrived to the class to find out it was just the two of us who had registered, which was awesome. We also learned that the kind sales clerk on the phone had only given us 1/2 of the required list of items.<br />
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Oh well! We managed just fine and learned all sorts of techniques and had a great time doing it. Lady M is a natural when it comes to this sort of thing, but more importantly, I love having time where she and I can just be together. At 8 she is growing so quickly, and I love any time I get to spend with her.<br />
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<b>A Decade </b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMy9z4XgEzX1G__o58Ac7yvtKi6WLbx51beeHkjEf9pGV468XhRJiI9vJZjgvPn2ioxsmm997jw9YFJ3MS1S5OP_Sh3S6KIbRqTL5_tNLpcR3AVoW8G1yROvfdEo9PiqFYEKTQe8DzPk/s1600/Cal+%2526+Krin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="161" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOMy9z4XgEzX1G__o58Ac7yvtKi6WLbx51beeHkjEf9pGV468XhRJiI9vJZjgvPn2ioxsmm997jw9YFJ3MS1S5OP_Sh3S6KIbRqTL5_tNLpcR3AVoW8G1yROvfdEo9PiqFYEKTQe8DzPk/s200/Cal+%2526+Krin.jpg" width="200" /></a>Just a few days after Lady M's birthday, Cal and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We even managed to take a day off work and get away for one night, which was lovely. We had a nice escape to Collingwood where we enjoyed dinner out, got our boat into storage and warded off one woman's best attempts to get us to buy into a timeshare!<br />
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Most importantly, I'm so grateful to have spent the last ten years happily married to him, and look forward to the next ten!<br />
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<b>Holiday Fun</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8am4kGAHPZ7LEh502C52mK6YWFMSkK2I7pUKaPxb422mjWpmnLCikUMGte0wbFvY5gLRQJ0e9eGkkq1ejnCHV-elBKbyllmrxo7L1K-x5ucAO-nmAV8krMUtGS_MWOpa8xE3OXDar5qQ/s1600/Christmas+Morning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8am4kGAHPZ7LEh502C52mK6YWFMSkK2I7pUKaPxb422mjWpmnLCikUMGte0wbFvY5gLRQJ0e9eGkkq1ejnCHV-elBKbyllmrxo7L1K-x5ucAO-nmAV8krMUtGS_MWOpa8xE3OXDar5qQ/s320/Christmas+Morning.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading downstairs on Christmas morning</td></tr>
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I'm always a fan of Christmastime, and this year was no different. Though I started to wonder if some of the magic was slipping away when Lady M began questioning whether the big guy was real in November. While it seemed like the jig may have been up, she did a complete about face and continued on through the season a true believer.<br />
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Both girls had a holiday recital at their school, and unfortunately I couldn't attend Lady A's this year, so Cal and my Dad were there to support her. Lady M had one at her school, and Cal couldn't attend that one, so my dad and I did! Clearly, Dad was the constant on the 2016 recital circuit - I believe he also made it to both of my nephews shows too! Lady M joined the choir this year, so on top of the presentation her grade 3 class did, she also sang numerous songs with the choir - so lovely.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKH7492eIMykWrQY8P6iC5Gj6CLC7v30dcm1KADxd8dincvVjeY0VNiH825uM6jy3GqZy-Hewg52sekdxbqLi2UJBQ501CfZ81B-HVQiJZkZxytF9KDW0o5LH0McYhUbUl-OzubsBOBs/s1600/A+-+Snowmobile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKH7492eIMykWrQY8P6iC5Gj6CLC7v30dcm1KADxd8dincvVjeY0VNiH825uM6jy3GqZy-Hewg52sekdxbqLi2UJBQ501CfZ81B-HVQiJZkZxytF9KDW0o5LH0McYhUbUl-OzubsBOBs/s200/A+-+Snowmobile.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a>I took the full two weeks off over the holidays, which I just love. I enjoy the time with the kiddos, and knowing that their holiday break is also mine. We visited with family and friends, did crafts, had outings and just enjoyed the down time where we didn't have to wake up and rush out of the door each morning.<br />
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On Christmas day, they crept down the stairs in their matching jammies and the day and the rest of the holiday was just lovely.<br />
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Cal was able to take some time off over the holidays too, and we headed up north to visit some of his family. Though snow was minimal all over this year, they certainly had more than we did, and we all had a chance to go snowmobiling. It was Lady M's second time, and Lady A's first. It was also my first time - a great experience!<br />
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As usual, our fall and early winter were filled with fun adventures, and it was a great way to end 2016.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-29717332454849668392016-06-01T10:01:00.000-04:002016-06-01T19:04:22.889-04:00roy, ahoy!So, my husband has always wanted a boat. He grew up spending most of his time at the cottage with his grandfather touring around the lake on their boat. It is an activity that holds plenty of fond memories for him, and one that he's always wanted to recreate for our own kids.<br>
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While my childhood wasn't filled with boating or a cottage, we spent most summers with our family in Florida. I rode my first jet-ski around the age of 7 and was completely hooked. Of course the weather in Florida is a little more conducive to water sports than it is in Ontario, but that wasn't going to stop us!<br>
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We have been talking about it for a number of years, and decided a while ago that we wanted to get a boat. We planned that once we had <a href="http://mangocallalily.blogspot.ca/2015/11/goodbye-home.html" target="_blank">settled in our new house</a>, we'd take a little time off from travelling and get ourselves a speedboat that would allow for a summer filled with rides on the water, tubing, swimming and just good ol' family time.<br>
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Fast forward to this past May: Cal and Lady M were heading out one day a few weeks ago, and I knew they were going by the boat dealership to have a look at some options my hubby had his eye on. He'd been looking online for ages, checking out all of our options. He tends to be very detail oriented in his shopping - learning all he can, perusing every option. So off they went to the dealership to have a look. Just browsing...<br>
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...or so I thought.<br>
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A short while later I received the call from Cal and Lady M. Their excitement was noticeable right off the bat, and Cal shared excitedly: "<b>G<i>uess what? We're boat owners!</i></b>"<br>
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My reaction was not what he expected. It was lacking the enthusiasm coming from the other end of the phone. Now, please note this caught me off guard on a very busy day. Lady A and I were at home knee-deep in preparations for her birthday party the next day, cleaning, cooking and trying to get her to a hair appointment on time. Not surprisingly, my reaction was not the most positive when I learned that we were boat owners and the excitement that once existed in that red Dodge Ram quickly dwindled.<br>
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I carried on with my mile-long to-do list, and our day moved forward. By the next day when the party was over the news of our new watercraft had sunk in. Sure, my sweet husband had jumped the gun a little, but he made a great choice, and upon learning more I was getting really excited too!<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5h1tSQpLnF3CtPv5En_tq4qKMFg5SzB8o6CJeaCjFKtBkj2NjiE77M1xD3mDh0LWo4gJaUz6l4wkSTP6Z4sROGh89FnjL9ECN1-03bu91LOCOsAVPnHVZ26wZVVS2yRKyD6gmtxhFpm4/s1600/Boat+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5h1tSQpLnF3CtPv5En_tq4qKMFg5SzB8o6CJeaCjFKtBkj2NjiE77M1xD3mDh0LWo4gJaUz6l4wkSTP6Z4sROGh89FnjL9ECN1-03bu91LOCOsAVPnHVZ26wZVVS2yRKyD6gmtxhFpm4/s320/Boat+2.jpg" width="320"></a></div>
Fast forward a couple of weeks, and the boat is now in our possession, and I too have my boating licence. We have docked it in a marina just 20 minutes from our house - and a convenient 5-minute drive from Cal's office. I suspect that if the wifi reaches, our lovely new navy blue <a href="https://www.montereyboats.com/" target="_blank">Monterey </a>may be his summer office.<br>
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We took it for the inaugural family spin this past weekend, and while the water in Lake Ontario was still a little chilly to jump in, the nearly 30 degree temps made for a beautiful afternoon on the water.<br>
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Looking forward to many more...<br>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;"></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-43755737320550869672016-05-12T16:29:00.000-04:002016-05-12T20:42:46.616-04:00this is 5Time continues to fly around our home. It seems that I blinked one moment, and the next my youngest little girl, Lady A, turned 5.<br>
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A few weeks prior to the big day, excitement was already mounting. There weren't any momentous gifts she was hoping for, but there was one thing: <b>gum</b>. Ahh yes, a nice, fruity piece of gum is what my nearly-five-year-old was genuinely hoping for.<br>
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It started back when her big sister, Lady M was about 3. One day, seeing Cal have a piece of gum she asked for one. Cal casually said "<i>you're not old enough to have gum yet</i>", to which Lady M queried:"<i>well, how old do I have to be?</i>" Cal threw a number out into thin air that was seemingly light years away. "<i>You have to be 5</i>" he told her, and she tucked that little nugget away in her spongy 3-year-old brain.<br>
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Fast forward to her approaching 5th birthday, and when asked what she wanted, I recall her rattling off a list of things, punctuating it with "<i>and GUM</i>"!! Gum? Cal and I both questioned at the time. Seemed like an odd request, until she said "<i>yup - you told me I could have gum when I turned 5!</i>" Ahh, that one came back like a very patient boomerang.<br>
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Now, since she was a little girl, Lady M has told her little sister that she too can have gum when she turns the ripe old age of 5. True to our word, Lady A received a package of watermelon gum to celebrate the big day. She chose only to lick it a little bit before throwing it away, saying "<i>maybe I'll try chewing it next time</i>".<br>
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We celebrated Lady A turning "a whole hand" by hosting a tea party at our house for 8 kindergarten girls on a Sunday afternoon. The day before, on Saturday, I prepped the party needs and my mum and I took the almost-birthday-girl for a haircut. She chose to give her hair a significant chop, and suddenly looked so much older, and also looks like the spitting image of her big sister! Cal and Lady M were out for the evening, and Lady A was very sad that she wouldn't get to showcase her new short locks to them before going to bed that night, but drifted off into dreamland nonetheless...<br>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Before!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUl7BlY7Jf-gAqsgOuZJpDxsZxBzoZFsPKKjqyiWc2I7AQpLENNp5DvbImIKVHXnbcFlfiKbClmOUfn0fMBlCM7ADbcTY-lhaaW6EQ85Emq4MiKfNd1hlNtTV4kj2J77WfAE2d_0fwur0/s1600/390.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUl7BlY7Jf-gAqsgOuZJpDxsZxBzoZFsPKKjqyiWc2I7AQpLENNp5DvbImIKVHXnbcFlfiKbClmOUfn0fMBlCM7ADbcTY-lhaaW6EQ85Emq4MiKfNd1hlNtTV4kj2J77WfAE2d_0fwur0/s200/390.JPG" width="200"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After!</td></tr>
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<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5t9Njg35n0U-8gm6b4-27rTjk5b1ZWj9THOCK3hhGmlalDD4ZhPoZqIpt_KuLiN7DaLR7FBKCeS6hYyJyvd63YYEe3UwttasPw2KBZ6lwf279x7WsCpTAUk9UZa0pEeKQMn2dFoo-Bn8/s1600/337.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a></div>
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...until about 11:30pm when Cal and I were downstairs hanging the final decorations and a tiny little voice called "<i>hey, guys?</i>" from the stairs. When Cal went around to her, she popped up on her feet, arms in the air and proclaimed "<i><b>look at my hair!!</b></i>" nice and loud! It was awesome...she decided that her Daddy was going to see her new haircut no matter what! After that he tucked her back and in and she drifted off...<br>
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...until 12:05am, when Cal was in our upstairs family room. I was in the kitchen fixing the last of the party food, when Lady A's very excited voice rang through the house "<b><i>IT'S PARTY DAY!!</i></b>". Yes, at five minutes past midnight, she was correct...however, once again we had to put the excited little munchkin back to bed!<br>
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While Sunday's tea party was a great shin-dig, it certainly cemented my respect for her teachers who have 30 of them on a daily basis! The girls started by decorating their own loot bags, then made a vase craft that they could take home as a party favour. Between the crafts, tea sandwiches, cupcakes (courtesy of Grandma), presents, games and play time, 3 hours zipped by pretty quickly and all the girls seemed quite happy.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_gMpZSAFmG6tprjbbayB8i-qfF3l67MrgQRHmqQNoIRjPaFSmkZAGvPTtb3t-tS-7Khc1fvYRN9gnZl53y0hpZGJn9gkx6_n0vI2Yz7awNdsn2Yv-aUkOBERmxtaO6rKKGYodi2vlu4/s1600/348.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx_gMpZSAFmG6tprjbbayB8i-qfF3l67MrgQRHmqQNoIRjPaFSmkZAGvPTtb3t-tS-7Khc1fvYRN9gnZl53y0hpZGJn9gkx6_n0vI2Yz7awNdsn2Yv-aUkOBERmxtaO6rKKGYodi2vlu4/s200/348.JPG" width="200"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUpy-0p9aL1atYZNX6SBBF2gxQlR2NHbpAmEjSfn2LEPDJFYTOdkHYyVbed4Py80LpaeO3XyTPyf9yJ1xFNzfRC5byLQdBHRixjUjh83QZn7RrWSS7fJeqPS6ohZLOhDNZ248Hiy4sxg/s1600/377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrUpy-0p9aL1atYZNX6SBBF2gxQlR2NHbpAmEjSfn2LEPDJFYTOdkHYyVbed4Py80LpaeO3XyTPyf9yJ1xFNzfRC5byLQdBHRixjUjh83QZn7RrWSS7fJeqPS6ohZLOhDNZ248Hiy4sxg/s200/377.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
<br>
Monday was her real birthday, and she woke up excited to open her "morning presents" and then skipped off to school where she celebrated all day and shared her birthday with her teacher which made her even more excited. That night she came home, and we had [almost!] all of our immediate family over for dinner. Spoiled by grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins, she had a full day of celebration, topped off with a Smartie cake that she had requested I make for her.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ36YoOY1prPrzoq7krXbVMME0M4qcip8u8qDwzOFtFI37B5XkiTK17wAXuX_GbTnPgM2sI1wyC0zYIkVUaVZbBDf_J9O1M6jNhkQSUBCL5MQYep0Vhaw629u2wvZxTSqW5jV9450pnA/s1600/378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfZ36YoOY1prPrzoq7krXbVMME0M4qcip8u8qDwzOFtFI37B5XkiTK17wAXuX_GbTnPgM2sI1wyC0zYIkVUaVZbBDf_J9O1M6jNhkQSUBCL5MQYep0Vhaw629u2wvZxTSqW5jV9450pnA/s200/378.JPG" width="200"></a></div>
<br>
After a whirlwind few days, our sweet girl was officially 5 and ready to continue taking on the world.<br>
<br>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;"></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-77375443615511911932015-12-01T13:50:00.000-05:002015-12-01T13:50:36.600-05:007 year old scientist<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQDuQ1xdQ6LOccxiyxTalgAbygXfGp2tpWHK0NdOWFl1tCResfso-UqIbm28ZQqYqK_rOiA1JHy89AmAtm6aIeeCTMS5o9AS7cwtfkirlXy8BPQHzze2lQfj-Zp5ddClQh8kFJqTFLjM/s1600/109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;">I<img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnQDuQ1xdQ6LOccxiyxTalgAbygXfGp2tpWHK0NdOWFl1tCResfso-UqIbm28ZQqYqK_rOiA1JHy89AmAtm6aIeeCTMS5o9AS7cwtfkirlXy8BPQHzze2lQfj-Zp5ddClQh8kFJqTFLjM/s320/109.JPG" width="320" /></a>In the whirlwind of house closings this November, I'm a little behind in sharing the tales of Lady M's 7th birthday. This year, I feel as though her birthday was a little taken over by our moving plans. but I think she still felt very special overall!<br />
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Last year, Lady M participated in a school-based program called Mad Science. Each week the group participated in different scientific demonstrations and hands-on activities, and every week she came home raving about what she had learned and observed. Fast forward to this fall, she decided that she wanted to have a Mad Science birthday party.<br />
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Her special day fell on a Satuday, so after happily being <i>l'etoile du jour</i> in class on Friday, she was ready for a full birthday celebration on Saturday! For some reason, I decided to host the party at our house. Typically, I felt that the house was a bit too small to accommodate a group of parents or kids, but decided to go for it. One final soirée in our home; what better reason than to celebrate our oldest girl!<br />
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We used a room in the basement as the "science lab" and the scientist, Dr. D. Enay, arrived promptly to set up her schtick while the kids congregated upstairs. When she was set, the kids headed down to enjoy the demonstrations and activities that she had planned, and they were mesmerized!!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwWvDDme_xB3Aee8-4cuC1xIaL7s7c5d3UGy12VxWx6C0fVuyWofhLMggZebzia6abeOqNUa8ldLzV-MGmtKzmjICIArYZOcqBxYKfT9LDlsQ0AyknmzS1L8okRI9DbTbOv00wF4gJMU/s1600/168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUwWvDDme_xB3Aee8-4cuC1xIaL7s7c5d3UGy12VxWx6C0fVuyWofhLMggZebzia6abeOqNUa8ldLzV-MGmtKzmjICIArYZOcqBxYKfT9LDlsQ0AyknmzS1L8okRI9DbTbOv00wF4gJMU/s320/168.JPG" width="240" /></a>From magic tricks to dry ice demonstrations, the scientist had the full attention of the group for almost two straight hours! It was awesome to watch the kids reactions to the experiments, and to hear the commentary they shared throughout. At the end, they all had an opportunity to make their own silly putty to take home, along with a science goody bag filled with about eight different at-home activities.<br />
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After some pizza and cake the crew left, family remained and we finished up her birthday by giving her some time to sift through the numerous presents she had received from her friends. Notable favorites this year - <a href="http://www.shopkinsworld.com/" target="_blank">shopkins</a>, <a href="http://www.barbie.com/en-ca/shop/collection/Rock-n-Royals" target="_blank">rock 'n' royals barbie dolls</a> and loads of <a href="http://www.rainbowmagiconline.com/books/books_rainbow.html" target="_blank">Rainbow Fairy books</a>. <br />
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That night, my freshly minted 7 year old climbed into bed and snuggled up with one of her new books. Although packing and moving was high on the priority list this year, I think she was well aware that her day was our #1 priority, and we had a great time celebrating her champagne birthday.<br />
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And in true 7-year-old fashion, she lost one of her front teeth about two weeks later...<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-46461982046371031212015-12-01T13:46:00.000-05:002015-12-01T13:51:55.196-05:00goodbye, home<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CUzMLJC_4GASPrD4gwYlK89vkMzkDh-9vcjAjZwwKLoO25qSVxybM2HrvGBb8NtfQsyGbsFKQLBxCE1JhPdxm1VaReqLtSO_6oU-uFMzlW-LJ3t9uXaOgR52o7tjPiTMbWPPiw6slRg/s1600/Home+is+where+you+hang+your+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9CUzMLJC_4GASPrD4gwYlK89vkMzkDh-9vcjAjZwwKLoO25qSVxybM2HrvGBb8NtfQsyGbsFKQLBxCE1JhPdxm1VaReqLtSO_6oU-uFMzlW-LJ3t9uXaOgR52o7tjPiTMbWPPiw6slRg/s200/Home+is+where+you+hang+your+heart.jpg" width="200" /></a>The temperature dropped below zero outside as we closed the door to our old home, and began a new season in our lives. We moved into our townhouse in 2008 when I was 37 weeks pregnant with Lady M, about to begin our parenting adventure. I spent hours waddling through Home Depot as we prepared the house for our new arrival. A couple of weeks ago we had her 7th birthday party at the house, and then began to pack our lives away in preparation for our move.<br />
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It's funny the amount of memories that linger in a home. Seven years may not seem like a terribly long time, but we've seen a lot of firsts in that house, and it's shaped many of our memories as a family of four.<br />
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We brought both of our girls home from the hospital to that house and watched them begin to crawl and take their first steps in the hallways. We must have walked six thousand laps around the kitchen island while trying to soothe the babies back to sleep. We've bandaged scraped knees, had thousands of family meals together, ridden bikes, drawn countless chalk pictures on the driveway and snuggled up for many family movie nights. We've celebrated 25 birthdays there, spent seven Christmases decorating, baking and celebrating.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq9s3-O9BzFr3OW0kJ1n4MRc8j8lFyY5YYMMkqixMi1aUZUN5fK9DdsE9qwyp5aN506iMVtIUHdMtMPgo7iMGl7tBpZg5Rp_G95Aqrt4DFUSBHnebzQGMvIW5Ghzn1gzCtr0KGSN5Jgc/s640/blogger-image-1040600876.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUq9s3-O9BzFr3OW0kJ1n4MRc8j8lFyY5YYMMkqixMi1aUZUN5fK9DdsE9qwyp5aN506iMVtIUHdMtMPgo7iMGl7tBpZg5Rp_G95Aqrt4DFUSBHnebzQGMvIW5Ghzn1gzCtr0KGSN5Jgc/s320/blogger-image-1040600876.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thinking back on all of this started to make me a little emotional as we gathered up the last of our things. Thankfully, we squeezed in a final visit to our first home, complete with a moving box picnic dinner and an impromptu dance party in our bare living room. After that, we shut the door for the last time. </div>
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue light" , , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;">I know that our new home will provide the setting for new memories, and the ones we've created in our townhome will always be special.</span></div>
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<br />
Thankfully, the new house we're now settling into is just what we all wanted. <a href="http://mangocallalily.blogspot.ca/2015/09/lessons-in-moving.html" target="_blank">After a long journey to find it</a> we are thrilled to be in our new town, closer to the girls' schools and in a lovely neighbourhood with a lot more space to play.<br />
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Paramount Drive will always be a special part of our lives, but we're all excited to shape new experiences, make new memories and ride our bikes on a brand new street.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div>
Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-29692648698024314402015-11-02T22:17:00.003-05:002015-11-02T22:17:37.351-05:00our jamaican adventureThere's nothing quite like a family vacation. Even better when you get to head to a country that you've always wanted to cross off your travel list. For me, Jamaica was a place that I had always wanted to visit, so when Cal's cousin decided to get married there we were happy to accept the invitation to head south to celebrate with them.<br />
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This trip has been planned since early this year, and with plans to go to Florida, then camp over the summer, we didn't tell the girls about it for quite some time. We figured they could enjoy the other adventures we had planned, then they could learn about the trip to Jamaica to shorten their waiting time. We told them around early September, showed them the website for the resort, and they began to count the days...<br />
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On October 22nd, we boarded the plane to Montego Bay and headed to the <a href="http://www.palladiumhotelgroup.com/en/jamaica/grand-palladium-jamaica-resort-spa/" target="_blank">Grand Palladium Resort & Spa</a>. Lady A hopped into her plane seat, buckled up and surveyed the area. She promptly looked over at Cal, eyeing her armrest and asked "<i>Daddy - which button do I push to get a massage?</i>"<br />
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From the moment we got to the resort, we had two little girls who settled very easily into the all-inclusive lifestyle; gladly sipping on virgin Pina Coladas (Lady M) and virgin strawberry daiquiris (Lady A) when desired.<br />
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Upon arrival we realized that we'd had a slight mishap with our luggage. I had carefully packed all of the toiletries into large freezer ziploc bags before putting them in the suitcase. In my preparation back home I had tried to distribute these items between Cal's bag and mine to ensure neither bag was overweight when we got to the airport. Well, the weight distribution was excellent, however, it seems that the sunscreen fully exploded in flight, bursting out of the ziploc and spraying all over the suitcase it was in. <i>That suitcase was not mine</i>. Suddenly Cal's wardrobe for the week was cut in half.<br />
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Thankfully, that was the worst thing that happened all week; the rest of our days were happily filled with swimming, relaxation and fun.<br />
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Some highlights:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDGQXgUaMq3gAGHOoiJ9b6KxhT1vZ9amQVKETNpYF9fVeflGBPCWGTR7jMAC4uhiad-9coH-fyESSelLui5jfmsCF6rUj6L1KpTv11C7O91uqS8CaDS03PY2M4Z__I8CFIthRGcv-swk/s1600/J+-+Kids+pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWDGQXgUaMq3gAGHOoiJ9b6KxhT1vZ9amQVKETNpYF9fVeflGBPCWGTR7jMAC4uhiad-9coH-fyESSelLui5jfmsCF6rUj6L1KpTv11C7O91uqS8CaDS03PY2M4Z__I8CFIthRGcv-swk/s200/J+-+Kids+pool.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCerFTFHpJ8LGY4ZT1CuxBWd3-KDpqQyud6sYBYbr6qB76aukrHIPjhUhyODMGX7qhJYjx0W102lB9gu64L3S-bCRSkXfZqJfRNN-GMwDPJwBUpf4_ws88maw4YHTHEYm9qV-kqiIxDQ/s1600/J+-+Margaritaville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcCerFTFHpJ8LGY4ZT1CuxBWd3-KDpqQyud6sYBYbr6qB76aukrHIPjhUhyODMGX7qhJYjx0W102lB9gu64L3S-bCRSkXfZqJfRNN-GMwDPJwBUpf4_ws88maw4YHTHEYm9qV-kqiIxDQ/s200/J+-+Margaritaville.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<li>Lady A mastered the fine art of swimming through the pool with her drink held high enough, to the laughter and cheers of many of the adults at the pool.</li>
<li>The girls loved the variety of pools to choose from, and moved happily from the kid pool (filled with waterslides, waterfalls and fun), to the enormous main pool, to the beach. Lady A even began to swim on her own, under water about 20 feet between Cal and I. </li>
<li>We had a great day trip to Negril on a catamaran where we had lunch at <a href="http://www.margaritavillecaribbean.com/locations/negril/" target="_blank">Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville</a>, visited a local mall and watched the cliff divers at <a href="http://www.rickscafejamaica.com/" target="_blank">Rick's Cafe</a>. </li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwh0csHsHxt4R-qv-zrWmvfx-tSpoAkp43V56l-kl-bTz5Zzx-A17_eZ2y5pBevSBO9XsYbyFMax3iJBMfTTiTGA3TM1xQdcTb1IUIBFpbZ_CyWLy5NczunHtHBtWQUXIfuF6_c4O0kuQ/s1600/J+-+Cal+%2526+Krin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwh0csHsHxt4R-qv-zrWmvfx-tSpoAkp43V56l-kl-bTz5Zzx-A17_eZ2y5pBevSBO9XsYbyFMax3iJBMfTTiTGA3TM1xQdcTb1IUIBFpbZ_CyWLy5NczunHtHBtWQUXIfuF6_c4O0kuQ/s200/J+-+Cal+%2526+Krin.jpg" width="200" /></a>
<li>Part of the day trip was having the opportunity to snorkel too. This was a first for all four of us, and the tour guides from the catamaran were awesome with the girls! One guide had a life preserver that both girls held on to as he pulled it through the Caribbean sea. He would dive down into the water and bring something special up for them. On various dives he brought up a sea cucumber, female sea urchin, starfish, sand dollar and assorted shells and the girls were mesmerized while happily splashing around, and peeking under the water throughout the adventure. </li>
<li>Lady M bravely took the plunge (from the lowest platform) at Rick's Cafe into Cal's arms, and was quite excited about it! I played my anxious mom card and said that Amelia would have to wait until next time. </li>
<li>Both girls got to head to the resort spa one afternoon to get some braids in their hair. Now I realize that the woman who did them was skilled in the area of braiding, but <b><i>DAMN</i></b>, she was <b><i>FAST</i></b>! I was mesmerized by her speed and efficiency. I should have taken lessons; it would make our morning routine at home much faster. </li>
</ul>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghh4G9NqP6cemfJd-G-P1otGI-qe4yS5n9yxScfsZa4vksaesF0g3JEjNFWF7RW49tdLz33m0sUHEgJQ5Wwqm6CPnEphP-AzXkkcaU-syZDUT2Fh-Or2oRQxM31tsIcHsf8l1fxHxIzxQ/s1600/J+-+wedding+program.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghh4G9NqP6cemfJd-G-P1otGI-qe4yS5n9yxScfsZa4vksaesF0g3JEjNFWF7RW49tdLz33m0sUHEgJQ5Wwqm6CPnEphP-AzXkkcaU-syZDUT2Fh-Or2oRQxM31tsIcHsf8l1fxHxIzxQ/s200/J+-+wedding+program.jpg" width="150" /></a>Of course the reason we headed south was to celebrate the wedding of one super fabulous couple with Cal's family, and their special day was lovely. The ceremony was at noon, followed by pictures and pool time, then the reception was at 6:30pm. After a full and fun day, Lady A passed out in my arms during the speeches. Lady M lasted a little longer, happily playing with her older cousin until about 10pm when she hit her limit and Cal brought her back to the room for a good night sleep.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAZ6KGxLujuOoxW5l0KmPpm-_QSQVcOtktPYCQfBnlvAePZ5App-CVtU1WdG-xNYZ4orcb1v5J8FOUlqkznLNwXTbXVYKfGJSzuJkxOUArNv-wljwUY6p3CPlShxAg3pBgVb27eM5Vyg/s1600/J+-+Maddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWAZ6KGxLujuOoxW5l0KmPpm-_QSQVcOtktPYCQfBnlvAePZ5App-CVtU1WdG-xNYZ4orcb1v5J8FOUlqkznLNwXTbXVYKfGJSzuJkxOUArNv-wljwUY6p3CPlShxAg3pBgVb27eM5Vyg/s200/J+-+Maddy.jpg" width="150" /></a>The rest of the week was really just filled with lots of swimming, eating and relaxation. I polished off a couple of books, worked on my tan and just enjoyed being disconnected for a while. Lady M certainly settled into the caribbean life, and proved that when she was out swimming one morning and asked:<br />
<br />
"<i>Is it 10 o'clock yet?</i>".<br />
Me: "<i>I'm not sure, why?</i>"<br />
Lady M: "<i>Because that's when the swim-up bar opens!</i>"<br />
<br />
Clearly my almost 7-year-old girl has her all-inclusive priorities straight!<br />
<br />
It's always a treat when we can take some time away from the real world. Waking up when we wanted, not having to rush to school/work and having lots of extra hours in the day to spend time as a family was wonderful. The girls were not ready to leave when Thursday came around again, but they were rockstar travellers, even on the flight that didn't land until 2:00am. Lady A was sleeping against the airplane window before we ever left the gate in Montego Bay, but woke up four hours later in Toronto telling us she'd been awake the whole way. :)<br />
<br />
Though we were all sad to see the vacation come to an end, we'll happily look forward to our next travel adventure, wherever that may be!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xvqa6op4HZWCrIBJyQ9pW5FVcMD_fNKfsebMzu4EiCfKFG_JyPqFV_xjdlhfi5UR7QTaSkeqm__J4E2Z9Ux2itBF4UUGExsTF0tyBUjV7A12W08WH0e9vV73TegtcpBu88WLF4Z9Cy8/s1600/Amelia+last+day+in+Jamaica.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-xvqa6op4HZWCrIBJyQ9pW5FVcMD_fNKfsebMzu4EiCfKFG_JyPqFV_xjdlhfi5UR7QTaSkeqm__J4E2Z9Ux2itBF4UUGExsTF0tyBUjV7A12W08WH0e9vV73TegtcpBu88WLF4Z9Cy8/s320/Amelia+last+day+in+Jamaica.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady A wistfully saying goodbye to the resort! </td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-80870255789772346242015-09-30T15:56:00.000-04:002015-09-30T15:56:33.416-04:00fairy fox<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7kUs101DXtJutFnREtr2ITyhF61iNAATGFeAPOyNnAsJSxv_keA99YffVM7xMIpJ1Z9wAN80qse-NvVz3yJrh_-ulGzmpZbx4Kvce4C2ipbXtLupx8q9bEnUkh_B0xjFcmc3YA0jk2w/s1600/Terry+Fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq7kUs101DXtJutFnREtr2ITyhF61iNAATGFeAPOyNnAsJSxv_keA99YffVM7xMIpJ1Z9wAN80qse-NvVz3yJrh_-ulGzmpZbx4Kvce4C2ipbXtLupx8q9bEnUkh_B0xjFcmc3YA0jk2w/s320/Terry+Fox.jpg" width="256" /></a>Sometimes I love the way that stories come out of my kids' mouths, especially when they're still so little. Lady M has been in school for 4 years now, so has become quite familiar with the legacy of Terry Fox, and her understanding as to why she participates in the Terry Fox Run with her school every year.<br />
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But this year, our little Lady A will be participating too with her friends in kindergarten. She announced this by coming home from school and declaring: "<i>we have to bring in a toonie. Because Terry Fox was running, but he died, and so he couldn't run the money any more</i>". Yes. Amazing. I love the way she explains things, and the way they interpret what they hear at school.<br />
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Later that night, at dinner, she further explained "<i>Fairy Fox got sick, and had to have his leg tooken off, and he got a robot leg</i>"! Even though she knows his name is Terry, it accidentally came out 'Fairy' making her story even sweeter. It was so important to her to help raise funds with the rest of her classmates, so was sent into school with her contribution the next day. <br />
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Of course Lady M was itching to help fill in the blanks as she understands the story of Terry Fox more clearly than Lady A, but she was patient and gave Lady A time to share her understanding.<br />
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October 1st is the day that she'll be participating in her first Terry Fox Run, and we'll be eagerly waiting for her to come home from school and tell us all about it.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-60104335368613214822015-09-15T13:20:00.000-04:002015-09-19T11:01:51.958-04:00lessons in movingWe started looking for a new house around the time that hieroglyphics were becoming obsolete. It's been a long haul. Why, you may ask? Well I'll tell you.<br>
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First of all, Cal and I had two very different dream homes in mind:<br>
<br>
<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><b>Kristin's dream home</b>:</i></span> a newer house, mud room for all of the damn boots and shoes that are strewn about my front entrance, move-in ready, large kitchen, space for entertaining, fence for the dog, pretty kitchen, no renovations required. Easy, right?!<br>
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Well, then there's this:<br>
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<span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i><b>Cal's dream home</b>:</i></span> significant acreage, space for guitars and other musical goodness, fence for the dog, separate family room, hot tub, happy to complete renovations.<br>
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<div>
Hmm. Slightly different. To summarize, we were on different pages of the MLS. </div><div><br></div><div>Knowing each other's housing wants, we spent a lot of time looking for some kind of mystical home that combined all of these elements, and we spent plenty of time viewing houses that were better suited to his wants, and ones that were better suited to mine. At times we considered whether buying two houses and working between them both might be the better solution! But, with each new showing and open house we attended the end result was always the same: not quite what we wanted. And the months of searching kept flying by...<br>
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Fast-forward somewhere between 18 months and 2 years: we went to see a house that seemed to fit the bill. Having clearly identified our shared wants, and somehow finding common ground over time, we found the house that was right for us. On a Saturday morning we viewed the house at 11:00am, wrote the offer at 1:30pm, presented it in competition at 3:30pm, and won it shortly after 4:00pm at which point we signed the papers on the hood of our real estate agent's car. <i>Whew! </i>After a couple years of house hunting, we had a new house in 5 short hours!<br>
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But there's just one little thing that remained...selling our current house...and before that, prepping it. You see, we have our lovely 10-year-old dog, Dakota:<br>
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She looks sweet, right? Well she is...but she's also taken a little toll on our house over the 7 years we've been here. So with our listing date upcoming, we shipped her off to my parents for a few weeks so we could complete the few little restoration projects that she created for us in the house. We also took on a number of other small projects to finish beautifying the house and have learned a few things along the way...<br>
<ul>
<li>Re-screening doors has become a new forte for Cal and I! Those damn things are annoying, but with the right tools (thanks Rona!) and some patience, our screen door (previously ripped by Dakota's determination to get into the backyard one afternoon) looks fabulous! </li>
<li>The laundry never stops. Now this is not really a new revelation, but how is one ever supposed to stop doing laundry long enough so that the house can remain looking like a museum for those coming to see it? </li>
<li>My sweet children are so patient, and are hopefully developing lifelong habits of tidiness seeing as they must pick up every toy, marker, hair elastic and morsel of food that finds itself out of it's 'proper' place. Lady M commented the other day "<i>I don't like bossy mummy</i>"...apparently I've been a bit, shall we say, <i>directive</i> lately. I like to think I'm just demonstrating varied types of leadership for them in an effort to help them build up their own repertoire of leadership skills. That's just good parenting, wouldn't you say? </li>
<li>Running around the house in the morning chopping pillows, folding toilet paper edges, and picking up stray hair elastics does not help me in being on time for work each day! </li>
<li>Though all four of us enjoy home reno shows (with <a href="http://www.wnetwork.com/shows/property-brothers" target="_blank"><i>Property</i> <i>Brothers</i></a>, <i><a href="http://www.wnetwork.com/shows/love-it-or-list-it" target="_blank">Love it or List It</a> </i>and <i><a href="http://www.hgtv.com/shows/flip-or-flop" target="_blank">Flip or Flop</a> </i>being some of our faves), and Lady M regularly makes comments such as "<i>it's okay, we can just reno it</i>", we are not going to get into the business of home flipping any time soon. </li>
</ul>
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Although we've put in a lot of late nights, plenty of elbow grease, and I may have upped my <strike>bossiness </strike>leadership quotient a little bit lately, the end result when we move to our new home will be well worth it. And not having to look for houses anymore is the best pay-off of all! </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;"></a></div>
Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-4090602142491731742015-09-10T09:02:00.001-04:002015-09-10T09:03:02.910-04:00waterproof mascara: the sequelWe knew this day was coming...we knew that our little girl was well prepared for school...but waterproof mascara is still one of those key items required to make it through this milestone.<br />
<br />
The last couple weeks in our house there has been a great deal of chatter about school. With Lady M heading into grade two, and Lady A preparing for junior kindergarten, the excitement has been mounting!<br />
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School supplies were purchased and packed into fresh new backpacks. First day outfits were purchased and laid out with care. We had a wonderful summer filled with memories to last a lifetime, so when Labour Day weekend hit, we knew the first day of school was just moments away.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tuesday morning, first day part 1</i></td></tr>
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Tuesday was the first official day of school. Lady M had been fighting an upset tummy all weekend thanks to an extended case of the butterflies. Though she looked confident in her zebra dress, and matching hat, the nerves were kicking in. The school was familiar this year but she was still clinging to my leg a little bit when we stepped into the gym that morning. (It was a very rainy first day of school this year - no outdoor organization possible!) Once she learned who her teacher was, Lady M relaxed a little bit, and by the time we were leaving, she was happily walking down the hallway toward her new grade two classroom.<br />
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Next we headed to Lady A's new school. Though she was prepared to go to one school close to our current home, we bought a new house a few weeks ago so decided to start her at the school in that district to save her from changing schools in November. Until Monday morning, she had never stepped foot in the building. And her school is <b>BIG</b>! There are 8 kindergarten classes alone (that's almost double the population of Lady M's entire school). But, she walked in with confidence and we headed to her new classroom to participate in her 30 minute 'meet and greet'.<br />
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The meet and greet mostly consisted of me completing paperwork, and Lady A sitting quietly beside me observing everything around her. She was quiet until she finally said "mummy, are you almost done? I'd like to go play with the play-doh" that she had spotted at another table. I finished up, and she happily played with the delightfully familiar dough and that seemed to be just the icebreaker she needed. Apart from that, the orientation consisted of looking around the classroom and writing her name on the whiteboard (a highlight for her)! And as we walked out of the school, she looked up at me and said "I don't want to leave". Ahhh, music to my ears. My sweet little 4-year old was feeling comfortable.<br />
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Later that night, Lady M came home raving about her day at school, and declared "I think I have the best teacher in the school"! The butterflies were long gone, and she was holding tightly to a goody bag, and a kind note that her teacher had given everyone in the class. Clearly, a super start to second grade.<br />
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Wednesday marked Lady A's first full day of school. She bounced out of bed and was beyond excited to get the day started. She may have been most thrilled about her new outfit that consisted of a flowered skirt, and t-shirt that read "Hooray for today!", and boy did she look cute when she got dressed. Seeing as I had taken her to Tuesday's orientation, I was needed back in the office and Cal was on drop-off duty. In my office I anxiously awaited some pictures via text message and was thrilled when I received a beautiful picture of Lady A, in front of her school, grinning ear to ear.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wednesday morning, first day part 2</i></td></tr>
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Cal said she was watching her crying classmates with concern, but kept looking back at him and smiling broadly. While he was holding back tears in the school yard, I was barely containing mine in my office. But when I picked her up at the end of the day her smile was still enormous and she told me she had a fantastic day. All we can ask for, really.<br />
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It's funny how these days are bittersweet - I want my kids to find great success and happiness with their schooling, and enjoy all of the wonderful social and growth opportunities that come along with it; but I also want to keep them small for as long as possible.<br />
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Three years ago I was writing about Lady M's first day of school (<a href="http://mangocallalily.blogspot.ca/2012/09/waterproof-mascara.html" target="_blank">read 'waterproof mascara' here!</a>), and suddenly 1,095 days have passed by in the blink of an eye. My older beauty is settling into second grade, my baby girl is in full-time school, and I'm still just 29. {wink, wink}.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-89188245822466544662015-08-12T12:18:00.002-04:002015-08-12T12:18:46.201-04:00camp chronicles: tiny dancersThis year marked 21 years since I first went up to my camp in Huntsville, Ontario. 21 rather formative years, that have seen me go from a nervously excited 14-year-old volleyball camper, to a confident 33 year old, excited to arrive with her sweet family. As you may have gathered from past camp chronicles, I love this place! There's something about the air, the space, the water, the stars, the sunsets, and the people that just make it such a special home away from home.<br />
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Over the last few years Lady A and Lady M have become increasingly comfortable there, and this year was easily their best one yet. They began to gain a little more independence - being allowed to go from the dining hall to another coaches' cabin without Cal or myself taking them there, for one thing. It's amazing what an open space, filled with people who will care for them, and no cars zipping by can do for a child's independence!<br />
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The family of coaches and kids who come up this week every summer are like no other. They're the group of friends who you see once a year, can always pick up right where you left off, and feel a comfort and familiarity that makes you feel at home instantaneously. We share much of our time catching up, sitting around the campfire, participating in happy hour (our brilliantly created daily activity to gain extra time together), and rehearsing our spectacularly choreographed coaches dance! Seriously, we have moves like you've never seen (and never will...)!<br />
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The leadership camp I teach is awesome. Though we were missing one of our teaching team again this year, Rene' and I did our best in her absence! (We missed you, Trishy!). We had a diverse and interesting group of campers who hailed from Russia, China, Iran, Ontario and Quebec, and as always it was fascinating to watch the group gel and work together over the course of our week. These kids always surprise me in unique and incredible ways - through their experiences, their thoughts and their ideas. Throughout the year I am always teaching adults, so I sure love my foray into the world of teenagers once a year. (Hopefully they're sufficiently preparing me for when Ladies A & M hit that stage...).<br />
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Though the best part of this summer was watching my girls. Yes, there was the independence, but they also challenged themselves in new ways that made me extra proud. Lady M braved one high ropes element last year, and this year she climbed a different, more challenging one, and also tried the climbing wall and the zip line! Lady A tried a high ropes course for the first time, and tried the climbing wall too! (My nerves put a limit on her trying the zip line...maybe next year for that one!). I loved watching their sense of curiosity come out, and seeing their determination as they attempted each new challenge, even though my heart might have been racing a little bit... Also, Lady A's harness was the tiniest, cutest little thing I've ever seen.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6Yb8j2sXesRsyc03DYQDakEEl5ya4LSGATSs5Vju7mXA4q2Qq03uUAyE_hmEpQaZt_wgHjggjtR3pXYIPeSi9LkmcHKhkInUq9mgjFfNXE5mtPcSPyPXv6as1dENcDePdL5AZ1AZiQo/s1600/IMG_8957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6Yb8j2sXesRsyc03DYQDakEEl5ya4LSGATSs5Vju7mXA4q2Qq03uUAyE_hmEpQaZt_wgHjggjtR3pXYIPeSi9LkmcHKhkInUq9mgjFfNXE5mtPcSPyPXv6as1dENcDePdL5AZ1AZiQo/s200/IMG_8957.JPG" width="133" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uPf_8RjmQO7O8UziUjhDB2XJW7i9XNUniKFg_gZztc9Hcjo3DPcUifkte5dp3pEB62v8lYYeB5saY0bAzwEJNqyqsXoOEXNYXnFllPMh50m_Em2qF9tEy9cE2IKvJZzZv_sjJw6WMoY/s1600/IMG_8907.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9uPf_8RjmQO7O8UziUjhDB2XJW7i9XNUniKFg_gZztc9Hcjo3DPcUifkte5dp3pEB62v8lYYeB5saY0bAzwEJNqyqsXoOEXNYXnFllPMh50m_Em2qF9tEy9cE2IKvJZzZv_sjJw6WMoY/s200/IMG_8907.JPG" width="133" /></a></div>
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Beyond that, they both did Dance camp this summer. One of the benefits of coaching up there is that my girls can participate in any camp they want throughout the week (and there are a lot of choices). Though Lady M was leaning toward badminton camp this year, she pulled a last minute switcheroo and chose to join her sister in dance camp. This particular camp is fuelled by one incredible instructor who manages to take a group of girls - with very widely ranging dance abilities - and create a show at the end of the week that is spectacular. My girls did two of the dances in the show - lyrical and musical theatre - and the smile on my face was as big as the gym they danced in. And they haven't stopped singing the song "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpodQcDXNdM" target="_blank">Best Summer Ever</a>" in days...<br />
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Lady M is the kid who jumped off a stage into Cal's arms about two years ago when she froze at her dance recital in front of 40 people. To see her get up there and shake her groove thang in front of about 500 people was amazing!<br />
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Lady A, much younger than most of the kids out there, stole the show. She watched her sister and counsellor for the moves, and tried so hard to keep up, all the while with a giant grin on her face. Watching my kids, and the other coaches' kids in this dance was just the best part of an already great week.<br />
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From new found independence to first canoe rides (Lady A); high ropes experiences to unplugged family time, this week at camp is my favourite of the year.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-71775245538845707792015-08-11T19:22:00.000-04:002015-08-11T19:22:34.826-04:00summer in the south: road trippin'On June 30th, after a journey of nearly 5 years, I attended my final M.Ed class, with my support squad in tow. Presenting my research with my mum, dad, Calvin, Lady M & Lady A in the room was fabulous. They've been my cheerleaders through every stage of this journey, and I was happy to share the celebration with them as they've earned it as much as I have. Immediately after class, we hopped in the car and my family of four headed south.<br />
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It had been three years since we last had the girls in Florida to visit my extended family who live there. Though Cal and I had each been down separately, Lady A had only just learned to walk on her last visit. Seeing as she now runs, talks a mile a minute and is prepping herself for kindergarten this fall, she had changed a fair bit since her last visit!<br />
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Having only flown the kids down there before, driving was to be a new adventure for us. We set off with excitement, and made it to Erie, PA on night one, thanks to our late start. Lady A stayed awake until we crossed the border in Niagara Falls, and Lady M - determined not to miss a moment - stayed awake until we pulled into our hotel in PA. The next day proved to be a little more eventful with the stomach flu hitting Lady A just outside of West Virginia, so we stopped a little earlier than planned that day in North Carolina. Feeling much better by morning, we pulled into Ormond Beach, Florida the next evening. The kids were amazing in the car - reading, watching movies, playing various car games, and only asking "are we there yet" a handful of times. (Impressive, because they like to ask that question on a 20-minute drive!). Much of the time was passed with Lady A listening to Taylor Swift, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xo1VInw-SKc" target="_blank">Fight Song</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWNaR-rxAic" target="_blank">Call Me Maybe</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vz7jCY1cpHk" target="_blank">Stompa </a>through her headphones while singing loudly, to the tune of Lady M frequently asking "<i>Lady A, could you PLEEEAAASSE sing in your head?</i>".<br />
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We spent a little over a week in Florida, and it was wonderful. Always nice to reconnect with our family down there. From family dinners to trips to the beach, 4th of July celebrations, plenty of swimming and shopping, we had a great time.<br />
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My method of travel is "don't plan too much", as I like to just take each day as it comes. The rest of our lives are so scheduled between work, school, after-school activities, etc. that it's nice to just come off schedule for a bit and enjoy the freedom of loosely planned adventures.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fun at Daytona Beach</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shoe Shopping!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th of July, Lady A</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fBsjNtdafvCAtgB3d65JpsdomJmT1_FUc-20WH0RoaSNZ49i3WzWuN4_Z0Mtw5j32oruYOKyvhT9BF93y4dyH-9naiFViQee26yQNAGcKGUBV2YIATM5zxzGHb7o3zQkmXno8imrhzs/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6fBsjNtdafvCAtgB3d65JpsdomJmT1_FUc-20WH0RoaSNZ49i3WzWuN4_Z0Mtw5j32oruYOKyvhT9BF93y4dyH-9naiFViQee26yQNAGcKGUBV2YIATM5zxzGHb7o3zQkmXno8imrhzs/s200/photo+2.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4th of July, Lady M</td></tr>
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The only thing we did have scheduled on our trip was one day at Disney's Magic Kingdom. Our girls had been to Downtown Disney before, but we decided at 6 & 4, it was the perfect time for a park. And it was. Lady A went on her first ever rides (beginning with the Peter Pan ride, and Ariel's 'under the sea' ride, and she was hooked! We made the choice to stay on the Disney property for a night too so we could make the most of our day passes. That allowed us to head back to the hotel in the later afternoon, go for a swim and relax for a bit before heading back to the park for the electric light parade (which I'm sure hasn't changed since I was a kid) and the beautiful fireworks display. The next morning we got up and went for another swim, visited the gift shop, then headed back to Ormond. A great first experience for the girls, and Disney still feels as magical to me today as I did when I went at their age.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cal & I at the Disney resort</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaTdqSHqE6frrgb-N45jaNMml4JaDDgNFDbqJQc3sWnI3eoM8DbYBwN-w6MQ1dZfDjJF0jAEgLnls-PeC-juXbvNeU8HA1sqixHUcgWWM76FKjLWn9IqGyL03oWYitbkdvJxkREk-e1M/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhaTdqSHqE6frrgb-N45jaNMml4JaDDgNFDbqJQc3sWnI3eoM8DbYBwN-w6MQ1dZfDjJF0jAEgLnls-PeC-juXbvNeU8HA1sqixHUcgWWM76FKjLWn9IqGyL03oWYitbkdvJxkREk-e1M/s200/photo+4.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The girls checking out Cinderella's castle</td></tr>
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After a couple more days, we began our drive home. Normally everyone feels a little sad on the way home, and is just eager to get there, but we had one more thing to look forward to. One of my best friends has lived in North Carolina for several years now, and we were planning to stop there on our way home. So we drove to Winston-Salem where we were greeted by my sweet friend Elana and her hubby, Blake. It was awesome to see where they live and work, and we squeezed in a NASCAR museum, visit to the Richard Childress Racing shops, Richard Childress winery, and <a href="http://www.rescueranch.com/" target="_blank">Rescue Ranch</a>. All in a day! We spent two nights there before heading on our merry way once again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nd2Uf7lKOJHhz_mTcij1YWthOnpCvmhjMWGQ37mbJQWpqE6xXsJ1pUplrMEYDwfpBsLYPNFYnBC2MWtxFX6itFl4JXmMiq7MLHKgQff1JqQJ7DnhqQCV2PpB-_6C0gMQTKu_EXez1QY/s1600/photo+4+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0nd2Uf7lKOJHhz_mTcij1YWthOnpCvmhjMWGQ37mbJQWpqE6xXsJ1pUplrMEYDwfpBsLYPNFYnBC2MWtxFX6itFl4JXmMiq7MLHKgQff1JqQJ7DnhqQCV2PpB-_6C0gMQTKu_EXez1QY/s200/photo+4+%25281%2529.JPG" width="187" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My lovely Shme & I </td></tr>
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It was a whirlwind two weeks, but was so relaxing and fun. We got to catch up with so many people, enjoy the sunshine, and take our kids through a number of States they hadn't seen before. What a great way to kick off the summer of 2015!<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-80380663507240117692015-05-13T19:24:00.002-04:002015-05-13T21:41:21.539-04:00mother daysWhen one of your children is born just a few days before Mother's Day, it's pretty hard to top that! But this year, my sweet girls (and their fabulous Daddy) gave me one that was just terrific.<br />
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Leading up to Sunday, the girls would give me little hints about the crafts and surprises they were making at school and daycare, struggling to keep the secrets for nearly a week! The newly minted 4-year-old, Lady A, kept telling me that "Mother Days" was coming on Sunday, and it was so cute that I tried not to correct her too often!<br />
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Sunday morning began with the girls telling me I had to stay in bed, and I could hear all of the effort that was being put into my breakfast just one floor below. Perhaps Lady M was down there helping (or directing) Cal, but Lady A spent much of the prep time up in my room telling me exactly what breakfast I could expect - chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, strawberries, bananas and tea. When she got tired of me being in bed, she asked if I could come play <a href="http://www.hasbro.com/en-us/product/mouse-trap-game:8F001BD6-6D40-1014-8BF0-9EFBF894F9D4" target="_blank">Mouse Trap </a>with her, and so I did - and hustled back to bed when I heard the others coming up the stairs with my special delivery.<br />
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With kids who are 4 & 6 I truly think the best part of Mother's Day is the homemade crafts. Lady M proudly gave me a handmade potted plant, paper flower and a necklace with three handmade charms: a star, a heart and a flower. Lady A gave me a variety of paper crafts including a big flower pot with a picture of her in it, a paper purse that had all of 'my favourite things' in it, and a handmade card. I loved each thing they made for me, and I love even more how excited they are to give it. I was even serenaded with a song that Lady M learned in school - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DvS0Il058B8" target="_blank">listen/watch here</a>!<br />
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These homemade gifts really are special. To this day, my dad still has a giant tie that my older brother made for him one Father's Day hanging in his walk-in closet. If I remember correctly, it's an acrostic poem that Greg wrote using Dad's name, Richard. Goes to show that these sweet crafts really do mean a lot! My brother is 36 after all...<br />
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As a quick aside since we are on the subject: I would be remiss not to mention that my Dad doesn't seem to have any of MY Father's Day creations adorning his closet. Might have to have a conversation with him about that. Maybe mum has some of my things hidden in her drawers, little gems she's been keeping safe since the 80's...<br />
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In any case, back to this year's crafts! Here are a few of the adorable items I received:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady A's gift bag for me</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The inside of Lady A's card</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfB7xTEIDvzrqoNSrYSRrynif1B5PKw58g9xPXGbfncsj6AZLSPPqSuDacIBnAwqijMf7EQMd0lPdsDG5EZZjm_DFoepQXWaIj9IXWq1BQg4NPGHR4fOP476yp7x2tOlsifNt62HRGFo/s1600/M+-+charms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMfB7xTEIDvzrqoNSrYSRrynif1B5PKw58g9xPXGbfncsj6AZLSPPqSuDacIBnAwqijMf7EQMd0lPdsDG5EZZjm_DFoepQXWaIj9IXWq1BQg4NPGHR4fOP476yp7x2tOlsifNt62HRGFo/s320/M+-+charms.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handmade charms by Lady M</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsZWl-2QBWgeru26qnWaPu953pJz2ZUz9tSu_QpMJ6RABPfXNVr82OBaKY-dUk5ADrbT5LUwMZ85FEID4Q0xuSxS2Rz58aB84VwMoxKFKrPda98200mHf1NhsPis-0yp-yd5GpsZUu3w/s1600/m+-+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPsZWl-2QBWgeru26qnWaPu953pJz2ZUz9tSu_QpMJ6RABPfXNVr82OBaKY-dUk5ADrbT5LUwMZ85FEID4Q0xuSxS2Rz58aB84VwMoxKFKrPda98200mHf1NhsPis-0yp-yd5GpsZUu3w/s320/m+-+flower.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My flower from Lady M in my office window </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mlup8J7Wir_CVocev1JWT-jF2MKYPc5t1U8wMqgjrlzDN7f50xESIQ6n5pv6i2b_U58zdArZb3-M9bwm6d31bOy3fxRa4kDZewPXO8acKqbjuht-oYvUqHz7oLLwM5r5axrfpdnfPa0/s1600/m+-+french+note.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8mlup8J7Wir_CVocev1JWT-jF2MKYPc5t1U8wMqgjrlzDN7f50xESIQ6n5pv6i2b_U58zdArZb3-M9bwm6d31bOy3fxRa4kDZewPXO8acKqbjuht-oYvUqHz7oLLwM5r5axrfpdnfPa0/s320/m+-+french+note.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sweet note from Lady M</td></tr>
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We spent the rest of the day together as a family, and had our usual Sunday adventures to the pool (kids swimming lessons) and the baseball diamond (adults softball game). It was a perfectly lovely Mother's Day made absolutely wonderful by the two little ladies who made me a mum, and my sweet husband too.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-16299295562143782492015-05-06T22:11:00.000-04:002015-05-06T22:11:16.995-04:00toothless wonderAt 6 1/2, Lady M has been waiting (not-so-) patiently to loose her first tooth. Approaching the end of grade one, she was frequently reminding us that she was the only kid in her class who hadn't lost a tooth, and to my knowledge, everyone else had lost at least two.<br />
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They have a tally posted in her classroom, and each time one of the 18 kids in her class bids adieu to another tooth, it is symbolically replaced with a tally mark. Sadly, and much to her dismay, Lady M, had contributed nothing to the 33 marks adorning that chart.<br />
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<b>But all that changed on Monday afternoon...</b><br />
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When I went to pick Lady M up on Monday after school, she proudly displayed her bright smile, reached to her bottom tooth and began to wiggle it. Finally! She had a wiggly tooth, and an excitement that was palpable! Monday night, after Irish dance class, she spent the remainder of the evening with her fingers on those pearly whites, wiggling away, in the hopes that the tooth would come out. But no luck.<br />
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On Tuesday, Lady M headed off to school and I found myself wondering all day if she would have a gap in her teeth when I picked her up that night, but nope - still just a wiggler!<br />
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Driving home Tuesday night, Lady M asked if she could have a piece of gum, then thought better of it, saying "<i>oh, maybe I shouldn't because of my tooth</i>". To which I offered "<i>or, it might help your tooth come out faster!</i>", so in she popped the gum.<br />
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Minutes later, just before turning the final corner to our house, she exclaimed from the backseat "<b><i>my tooth came out!!!</i></b>". There in her hand was the tiniest little tooth, and buckled in her booster seat was the happiest little girl of all time.<br />
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Before bed that night, she thoughtfully bundled up her tooth in a paper towel, and tied it together with a yellow hair elastic! She wrote a nice note to the Toothfairy letting her know that she really wanted to keep her tooth, and tucked into her bed.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51HFU6W9oFhg4mo4W9zA4h_LRrU8Im71vreUqgEO3MGL96GVNIs1-tprf0wqE0j_NZNi0g3ZQB0Yq7BzbZEWaOmfAVQo1CNg0Kf1G1X6uGcmO92TOO_x6ZlXPRET9ySwCsQZgnIStMAI/s1600/toothfairy+note.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi51HFU6W9oFhg4mo4W9zA4h_LRrU8Im71vreUqgEO3MGL96GVNIs1-tprf0wqE0j_NZNi0g3ZQB0Yq7BzbZEWaOmfAVQo1CNg0Kf1G1X6uGcmO92TOO_x6ZlXPRET9ySwCsQZgnIStMAI/s1600/toothfairy+note.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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My toothless wonder woke up this morning, ran into our room to show us the $5 that the Toothfairy had left her, along with the precious little tooth.<br />
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Today she went to class, and proudly added her first tally mark to the class chart.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-21788557449884668342015-05-06T21:03:00.000-04:002015-05-06T21:03:44.026-04:00baby girl turns 4!It's hard to believe that it's been four years since our littlest lady completed our family of four. All 9 pounds, 2 ounces of her came barrelling into this world at nine days overdue and she's provided us with smiles and laughter from that moment forward.<br />
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Four is a big age! Lady A is very chatty and full of stories, prints her name, her alphabet and lots of other words, sings along to her favourite songs (Uptown Funk!) and cares for her collection of babies with more love and affection than you could possibly imagine.<br />
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This week I even went and registered her for Junior Kindergarten. Despite how grown up she's seeming some days, it's hard to imagine dropping my baby off at school in September. Where has the time gone?<br />
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My cousin and I were joking last month about how every veteran parent wants to tell rookie parents this one thing: "<i>it'll all go by in a flash</i>"! And while you'll (hopefully) never hear those overused words pass my lips, it's very true. These four years have gone by in a blink.<br />
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Birthdays are big in my family; always have been. We love to celebrate them well, and most importantly, celebrate them on the actual day (right, Dad?!). Lady A's birthday fell on a Saturday this year which was a nice treat, so that afternoon our immediate family all went out to lunch together. Then we spent a nice evening at home, just the four of us. A chance to relax, and get ready for Sunday's "friend" party!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FwEUb_sKKsTjt7kwp_Ly3AKBNH6wCd_5C72MWWEIYLw0ADjQjDMwtVnaNtBvopsVH8b8MWHZZ9SVQV1S9coOzuFrJRi9J4k7rTuq6Acr1jt7sguz5TyeoVqzQRKUKAzOX3OgXwzJaMY/s1600/Bday+Cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9FwEUb_sKKsTjt7kwp_Ly3AKBNH6wCd_5C72MWWEIYLw0ADjQjDMwtVnaNtBvopsVH8b8MWHZZ9SVQV1S9coOzuFrJRi9J4k7rTuq6Acr1jt7sguz5TyeoVqzQRKUKAzOX3OgXwzJaMY/s1600/Bday+Cake.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>
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On Sunday Lady A had a group of friends to a local dance studio where they had an hour-long dance class, followed by lunch (chicken hot dogs, at her request!), cupcakes and then a few games and present opening to cap off the two-hour block. The theme of her party was <i><a href="http://www.theoctonauts.com/" target="_blank">The Octonauts</a></i>, which is presently her favourite show (though seems to be in the process of being replaced by <i><a href="http://www.disneyjunior.ca/en/sofia-the-first/" target="_blank">Sofia the First</a></i> at the moment...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQeQqy9uUuNthq01kj3JSH9j1PvIi0DcQF4Eo8K2c_JcB9XvKmRKyMmjFhkLKfSk2e1L1owyEFsXUaNmgPG1N5se5A1RSJ8lCTYMHeEqGrNqqoBxbDkP5iiMCmCsZXtKJR-uoHblKAFA/s1600/Milly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQeQqy9uUuNthq01kj3JSH9j1PvIi0DcQF4Eo8K2c_JcB9XvKmRKyMmjFhkLKfSk2e1L1owyEFsXUaNmgPG1N5se5A1RSJ8lCTYMHeEqGrNqqoBxbDkP5iiMCmCsZXtKJR-uoHblKAFA/s1600/Milly.jpg" height="168" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b7AsEkNwtllLQZ9IXAECohDcCwhkL2MaJrDaG8pym4i6286Npnwcm5OJ6mbwXTTCjDCKwrrTyHmjr6XelaYpNNgaIMVYoSUrsHiXlYf-Iolew6bwbQJPG09W7sjCdObIjYPELx4oQXs/s1600/Bday+table.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_b7AsEkNwtllLQZ9IXAECohDcCwhkL2MaJrDaG8pym4i6286Npnwcm5OJ6mbwXTTCjDCKwrrTyHmjr6XelaYpNNgaIMVYoSUrsHiXlYf-Iolew6bwbQJPG09W7sjCdObIjYPELx4oQXs/s1600/Bday+table.jpg" height="200" width="168" /></a></div>
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All of the celebrations made for a great (albeit tiring!) weekend. I think our little girl felt very special, and she is certainly adjusting well to her new position in life as a four year old.<br />
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-21974756007635625932015-03-11T14:14:00.005-04:002015-08-12T12:07:15.731-04:00and then it was spring...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqUcTZVW5QypjxNJWe3WNeRrLhAEmC4eKc8VTthEW05h4XdMPIusO16F4MwZJAfkfCo_Rw-yFJiND-Wl4FqKN7bnJ8FdhthBTXpaZDO3NEKkwQVjB8sxkC0z_o-swz49t5laj8JI8Eb8/s1600/Shovelling.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxqUcTZVW5QypjxNJWe3WNeRrLhAEmC4eKc8VTthEW05h4XdMPIusO16F4MwZJAfkfCo_Rw-yFJiND-Wl4FqKN7bnJ8FdhthBTXpaZDO3NEKkwQVjB8sxkC0z_o-swz49t5laj8JI8Eb8/s1600/Shovelling.jpg" width="240" /></a>I'm really not sure where this winter has gone! Though it felt excruciatingly long at times, it's now March, the sun has started peeking out again, and the mountains of white snow are slowly melting. Looking at my blog, I just realized that I haven't posted anything since the New Year - apparently it's been a busy couple of months.<br />
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And it has! My sweet girls are both doing so well. I wrote a few months ago about Lady A and her 'big' reactions (read: tantrums) and one day a few weeks ago I realized that she just hadn't had any lately. It seems we've come out the other side of Tantrum-Ville, mostly unscathed. All of a sudden my little girl seems a little more grown up. No more tantrums, telling eloquent (and hilarious) stories, and keeping us in stitches all the time. The other morning she came to me, as I was doing my hair, and said "<i>Can you make my hair straight like a Mummy, please?</i>" - apparently she equates my stick-straight hair to all mummy's, and wanted me to straighten out her curls to she could look like me, and Lady M too. Life will Lady A is filled with sweetness, snuggles and a lot of laughter.<br />
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My budding 6-year old has become quite the linguist. Listening to her speak in French after 6 months of pure French school is really incredible. She's enjoying her language studies, and is really loving an in-school science program she's participating in right now. Each week she comes home with a new trinket from her science lesson, and is really getting into it. (Having read many articles on the lack of women in Science, Math and Technology professions, I'm all for her pursuing this passion!) She started Irish Dancing back in September, and continues to do so beautifully, and with a beaming smile on her face. And her calf muscles are amazing as a result of it!<br />
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Calvin has had a very busy few months as he works to launch a business (on top of his full-time job) with a few of his colleagues. He's been working tirelessly nights and weekends with the team to get everything ready, and will hopefully be launching the new company soon. However, he managed to sneak in a weekend in California for a Trade Show and nearly a week in Daytona for this year's Daytona 500, so at least he's finding some balance!! For a sneak peek of what's to come in Cal's world, check this out: <a href="http://techbook.tv/" target="_blank">techbook.tv</a><br />
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I've been working to finish up my current Masters course which wraps up at the start of April. Then I will jump right into course #10 - my last one! My 5+ year journey to this degree will be finished the last week of June, and the very next day, we're heading south! In 2007 when I attended my Bachelor of Education convocation, Lady M was just a wee little 9 month old. My favourite picture from that day is one my Dad took of Cal, Lady M & I, with me in my graduation gown. Throughout this whole M.Ed, I've often imagined the picture with now the 4 of us, and me in my gown once again. I love that my kids have been able to see my educational process and be a part of it in some way, and believe me, that picture is going to display proudly in my office when all is said and done!<br />
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<a href="http://newwallpaperswide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Spring-Colours-Wallpaper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://newwallpaperswide.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Spring-Colours-Wallpaper.jpg" height="125" width="200" /></a>So, as we sit on the cusp of spring, visions of warmth, no snowpants and outdoor activities dance in our heads. Life has not slowed down for my little family of 4, but I wouldn't have it any other way.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-63035066009591795912014-12-27T22:21:00.000-05:002015-05-13T21:41:58.358-04:00the 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.<br />
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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.<br />
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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. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RKwXvGTNuNszakOER6Mp9iDgtQSOthBcL5DX_7zNJU-tTijSQcDA4lA6smk15pyXzrzFL7zB05TZz1WonoCLpBXNsB7HVGUwUGWWqimTMGhyphenhyphensXCVSaysPEq7TElZO8pgghVvvuoB-oA/s640/blogger-image--1094975391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6RKwXvGTNuNszakOER6Mp9iDgtQSOthBcL5DX_7zNJU-tTijSQcDA4lA6smk15pyXzrzFL7zB05TZz1WonoCLpBXNsB7HVGUwUGWWqimTMGhyphenhyphensXCVSaysPEq7TElZO8pgghVvvuoB-oA/s200/blogger-image--1094975391.jpg" width="200" /></a>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. </div>
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"<i>Lady M, do you like to be a leader at school</i>", I asked her. </div>
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"<i>Yes. Today I organized all the kids into groups</i>", she replied. </div>
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"<i>Did your teacher ask you to do that?</i>", I queried. </div>
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"<i>Nope, I just decided to do it</i>", she shared honestly. </div>
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Clearly, my kid likes to be in charge...I have no idea where she gets it. :) </div>
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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. </div>
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Every year when we head up to my camp, Lady M observes the leadership camp that I co-teach. So I asked her "<i>Lady M, when we're up at camp, is mummy always the one leading the group?</i>"</div>
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Lady M: "<i>No"</i><br />
Me:<i> "Who else leads the group?" </i><br />
Lady M:<i> Well, T and R (</i>my co-teachers<i>) do</i>"</div>
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Me: "<i>That's right - and who else leads the group?</i>" </div>
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Lady M: (pausing to think...) "<i>The campers lead sometimes!</i>" </div>
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Me: "<i>Yes! So, what does that mean to you?</i>" </div>
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Lady M: "<i>I see mummy...I need to give others a chance to lead too.</i>"</div>
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<b>EUREKA! </b>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. </div>
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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. </div>
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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. </div>
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Maybe that enhanced skill will be captured on her next report card!</div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div>
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-46995900912870572422014-12-26T11:57:00.000-05:002014-12-26T12:46:47.062-05:00christmas comes this time each year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicB3pmIVUlU2psfq6Rxhy-G_jDi-yJC9wKxsD4BKgFGHpDgWsGUPk6UHv3GMmyV1hm72LmAnP632xUZLTqB706rVvAiI7yw7vVdgUnoqvSrJaBs_H3L1Yq3Nevn8jRDR4vlVr7NNlUVQo/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicB3pmIVUlU2psfq6Rxhy-G_jDi-yJC9wKxsD4BKgFGHpDgWsGUPk6UHv3GMmyV1hm72LmAnP632xUZLTqB706rVvAiI7yw7vVdgUnoqvSrJaBs_H3L1Yq3Nevn8jRDR4vlVr7NNlUVQo/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>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.<br />
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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.<br />
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So here are some things that made our family Christmas magical this year, in no particular order...<br />
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<ul>
<li>Lady M's spirit of generosity (see: <a href="http://mangocallalily.blogspot.ca/2014/12/knock-knock-knock-penny.html" target="_blank">A Tale of Giving</a>, if you missed it!)</li>
<li>Both girls singing duets of this year's favourite Christmas songs, including <i>I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus</i>, and the <i>12 Days of Christmas</i>. </li>
<li>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! </li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dbCIxA36ofviX2EjkwypLiSKaoCF_dh_VWmCvWxDReu8oDvTMbDNSoaZVWXchCYjNF1t6lkvt6D-4o302vzHkSrBfP9-HFBmGko0wHdV70TUTMVOb_d04KLh-E1SETxnN7I-h3HiYHw/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dbCIxA36ofviX2EjkwypLiSKaoCF_dh_VWmCvWxDReu8oDvTMbDNSoaZVWXchCYjNF1t6lkvt6D-4o302vzHkSrBfP9-HFBmGko0wHdV70TUTMVOb_d04KLh-E1SETxnN7I-h3HiYHw/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuntU4rGBqoKcy92FHj3BaxEhz9IWvjGqETG93xQfu8ArYfU4lQf_BmmWACtS0Bflo_TX3gNdaDDuoVSb-AcjTUKQVZ5sh1meSpRwx0hgkRgE1rh3pEEe1WpbvFWJ7NBDefE5S5vfuMg/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieuntU4rGBqoKcy92FHj3BaxEhz9IWvjGqETG93xQfu8ArYfU4lQf_BmmWACtS0Bflo_TX3gNdaDDuoVSb-AcjTUKQVZ5sh1meSpRwx0hgkRgE1rh3pEEe1WpbvFWJ7NBDefE5S5vfuMg/s1600/photo+2-2.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>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</li>
<li>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. </li>
<li>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! </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>Christmas brunch with my mum and dad</li>
<li>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! </li>
<li>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!)</li>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB4dZxMmMG1yfCkfrai46fzNYepCnWaDqANzPdfp8qwMgWBZK3Gsxn8Z0w9u07iaSFJk-79WO4FBPi33KRU_yieiO5ga4Jl4V0dfMeBq1D-98Ihyphenhyphen-f4A-6k3rHc6_v-wBEx6Eq48VVxs/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiB4dZxMmMG1yfCkfrai46fzNYepCnWaDqANzPdfp8qwMgWBZK3Gsxn8Z0w9u07iaSFJk-79WO4FBPi33KRU_yieiO5ga4Jl4V0dfMeBq1D-98Ihyphenhyphen-f4A-6k3rHc6_v-wBEx6Eq48VVxs/s1600/photo+1-2.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Lady M's holiday recital at school - her first in French. She sang <i>Petit Papa Noel</i> 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! </li>
<li>The beautiful fire burning on Christmas morning... ok, we don't have a fireplace, but this Netflix fire was the next best thing...</li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTqce8p9Lbd8EZrfUrKYopWJSksmWIPOEPNmEYKaKBoyITIJg9GdNZgK_8B1QQ9_4rSP4BbiPmojnXrZipjiKv-0yz3txsI2vpKQnJgJObv9_XJVzdmc95RHB6PHJ31wYLhaW1zqG5so/s1600/photo+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLTqce8p9Lbd8EZrfUrKYopWJSksmWIPOEPNmEYKaKBoyITIJg9GdNZgK_8B1QQ9_4rSP4BbiPmojnXrZipjiKv-0yz3txsI2vpKQnJgJObv9_XJVzdmc95RHB6PHJ31wYLhaW1zqG5so/s1600/photo+3.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<ul>
<li>Putting up the Christmas lights - again, this one was done quite late this year, but the house looked festive, just in time! </li>
<li>Christmas dinner with my family</li>
<li>Lady A squealing with excitement when she saw her new baby that Santa brought her</li>
<li>Christmas movies! My favourite has always been <b><i>National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation</i></b>, so Cal and I watch that one on Christmas Eve every year while finishing wrapping our presents. <b><i>Love Actually</i></b> is my other favourite. <b><i>The Santa Clause</i></b> is a favourite with the girls, among many others! </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>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! </li>
<li>Annual Christmas cookie exchange with my girlfriends</li>
<li>Time off from work to spend time with my sweet family</li>
<li>The mess of toys in our home on Boxing Day, mixed with the happiness and exhaustion of the holidays</li>
</ul>
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We are now blissfully worn out, and happy to be spending a day at home together with no plans at all. </div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54488/264/56F4B868DFABF955D78ADDE0D6604F7A.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a></div>
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-85775409777950216342014-11-20T12:41:00.000-05:002014-12-11T14:19:33.111-05:00snapshots of 2014...the year in pictures<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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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.<br />
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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. :)<br />
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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.<br />
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Here is a snapshot of 2014...with a little commentary along the way:<br />
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<b>Winter</b>...<br />
Braving the cold out on family walks...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZOEXDJRW4kuYdxcpg-F5C4R5e_8p2LLJLWaXLTb_m9Ln988SylYiHICjU3Gu4ZS5tpGpbrFEVy1FJS3yGyZg5C4E8MkG81Q0mFzaR7_hAIQ5immTz0O1GewT2WRfW8hflNAxXRgF3K4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsZOEXDJRW4kuYdxcpg-F5C4R5e_8p2LLJLWaXLTb_m9Ln988SylYiHICjU3Gu4ZS5tpGpbrFEVy1FJS3yGyZg5C4E8MkG81Q0mFzaR7_hAIQ5immTz0O1GewT2WRfW8hflNAxXRgF3K4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWeaJ2uUXfny310h5__UjOl-E58StQzl8ckZui0-kkIYalVVZsAUZwTx_TiXNiMoENML4SxWkwCfxigM27Wq4EmYHP7R_4wIcqEiQH9fL21AqBv7Kx-SpgBYRTUQhBYypy5uiQv_sDq8/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPWeaJ2uUXfny310h5__UjOl-E58StQzl8ckZui0-kkIYalVVZsAUZwTx_TiXNiMoENML4SxWkwCfxigM27Wq4EmYHP7R_4wIcqEiQH9fL21AqBv7Kx-SpgBYRTUQhBYypy5uiQv_sDq8/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutubT1-04T7PNpziGlfI5DNhJfRrMvWtPkJAEHEVQozk_LX_Th6VgPLjZXowkRAPq5thwCCLNpAhzFX_5KdBQSeOaufV82m5JbitmVk_bKHMhrp0xLl7rLf-N3SKvRpjQSaJkKFaLeRg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgutubT1-04T7PNpziGlfI5DNhJfRrMvWtPkJAEHEVQozk_LX_Th6VgPLjZXowkRAPq5thwCCLNpAhzFX_5KdBQSeOaufV82m5JbitmVk_bKHMhrp0xLl7rLf-N3SKvRpjQSaJkKFaLeRg/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b>Spring</b><br />
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?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WgCuZYQWXvw5MocHhUoYEKBm4q1wPolE3kUaBY2FRCmsiRMKsyLROU6QT7KvSUvE6KCW348Hjhrd1xf3wFwJTnPr_QtZm7LOCtfFywVN-t8Isd8bQgBPiKyESAh1wBcv3la47mk1XGI/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5WgCuZYQWXvw5MocHhUoYEKBm4q1wPolE3kUaBY2FRCmsiRMKsyLROU6QT7KvSUvE6KCW348Hjhrd1xf3wFwJTnPr_QtZm7LOCtfFywVN-t8Isd8bQgBPiKyESAh1wBcv3la47mk1XGI/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlHs73oUNcwpo4ipxNHu5MIghllhzYGLkbDidp7lQTO8IXS_l_xots7d7Io9YCeFV5I3oWzpHxwEBRRwjBu9tg95XbDhDTc5jDBhBEI3nj7Pwrg77EAOUFq3ai-zkBpVjdxoVMlAPNL4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKlHs73oUNcwpo4ipxNHu5MIghllhzYGLkbDidp7lQTO8IXS_l_xots7d7Io9YCeFV5I3oWzpHxwEBRRwjBu9tg95XbDhDTc5jDBhBEI3nj7Pwrg77EAOUFq3ai-zkBpVjdxoVMlAPNL4/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vU5rxhsUqect1jDwOcmARgQHukHD0-zWt1BFVQBcrvC_2nJG4D8tGWV3ECqjOPhu7OoUrTQjz3heamqn4H-lLseb7gv90KVLuRQNXbyEVd1yFY1nEHzORuS-GuxG0EbMFRyeLzNRmk0/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9vU5rxhsUqect1jDwOcmARgQHukHD0-zWt1BFVQBcrvC_2nJG4D8tGWV3ECqjOPhu7OoUrTQjz3heamqn4H-lLseb7gv90KVLuRQNXbyEVd1yFY1nEHzORuS-GuxG0EbMFRyeLzNRmk0/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></div>
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Waterfall walks and bike rides...<br />
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First independent swimming lessons and fresh haircuts...<br />
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<b>Summer</b><br />
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...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9fc2PEcVlufGD3O0gvUzL6HMoga4hzGKzaQlg-g0iupjjsHglLZXLwlR9SbRix5AzhQEtIA1sko_NMDunJ5RiLf_5KdJ4ZW_ZiFqy3eTlSC1UL92Z3czaauz8Hl5icG_SXMXLhZ6yAM/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9fc2PEcVlufGD3O0gvUzL6HMoga4hzGKzaQlg-g0iupjjsHglLZXLwlR9SbRix5AzhQEtIA1sko_NMDunJ5RiLf_5KdJ4ZW_ZiFqy3eTlSC1UL92Z3czaauz8Hl5icG_SXMXLhZ6yAM/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3eZLq702_N4qGRuM_1XxmNu28JBlqhgT9d3OSvbHjBivbxqP5tFW1SggZKnvvSBM0UfUtcaVJAYJx2sZeV-WOSmSr_Oh7lnZe-urGfpTc2awXm1S7X3s65bbxDx2oglehTBchCaDx6Y/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3eZLq702_N4qGRuM_1XxmNu28JBlqhgT9d3OSvbHjBivbxqP5tFW1SggZKnvvSBM0UfUtcaVJAYJx2sZeV-WOSmSr_Oh7lnZe-urGfpTc2awXm1S7X3s65bbxDx2oglehTBchCaDx6Y/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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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).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMKVZXscoLziZmMHkIL6VatZFnge5x-ca-ic9mM0u7SPRgqcZEMGyH2dMt3J4g1M9X9dBWXYxZL2kupt-3I_QK9CRpqqzP70GIavXtzj7-TS8H0saTxLWV1jFCc_oPpgz_5wB6ANMdz0/s1600/photo+5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirMKVZXscoLziZmMHkIL6VatZFnge5x-ca-ic9mM0u7SPRgqcZEMGyH2dMt3J4g1M9X9dBWXYxZL2kupt-3I_QK9CRpqqzP70GIavXtzj7-TS8H0saTxLWV1jFCc_oPpgz_5wB6ANMdz0/s1600/photo+5.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolW0SAzo6y5EVhQUap-I9eLKt1AaDqzdMzgmz1HZaWYqco-LGDdTV3PKdyv0Nh5j_lKzDfEDXWll4ZfdqUaJU47jaqEm0hwf7AwK2nek8j4JNGISTdNObAlJcRGm6bXpPPrHnTZjpiLo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjolW0SAzo6y5EVhQUap-I9eLKt1AaDqzdMzgmz1HZaWYqco-LGDdTV3PKdyv0Nh5j_lKzDfEDXWll4ZfdqUaJU47jaqEm0hwf7AwK2nek8j4JNGISTdNObAlJcRGm6bXpPPrHnTZjpiLo/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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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. :)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sEwUpM-hKWAwKDi-QAv5HcbFszcutYx5WEMsfkA5ScJcdiFaqOZGX0XyFjbjIg4ZE8PmKsGIwKotZgL5HifsLCmH436IW1sCWKH7GydHPl4nYJ9a4W4ssmtUFOrMMEitq1tftuyK8Ts/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5sEwUpM-hKWAwKDi-QAv5HcbFszcutYx5WEMsfkA5ScJcdiFaqOZGX0XyFjbjIg4ZE8PmKsGIwKotZgL5HifsLCmH436IW1sCWKH7GydHPl4nYJ9a4W4ssmtUFOrMMEitq1tftuyK8Ts/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady A's colourful tootsies</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady M's flowery piggies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZR1ph7haKnhTkcQhoyrFrANANn3AnEnO4-Nh48UeF2eVXAKARtM05EH8l2bL6UtqSw-rJC-cV8GVB9CclsQKvc8Qaku3WJDatw3Ea_3Kg5zWWJMjS-DJres20xtwngWNNFxvc644BEc/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwZR1ph7haKnhTkcQhoyrFrANANn3AnEnO4-Nh48UeF2eVXAKARtM05EH8l2bL6UtqSw-rJC-cV8GVB9CclsQKvc8Qaku3WJDatw3Ea_3Kg5zWWJMjS-DJres20xtwngWNNFxvc644BEc/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mummy/Daughter spa date!</td></tr>
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<b>Fall</b><br />
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!<br />
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We celebrated my mister's 36th birthday in September with his favourite - carrot cake! </div>
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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!<br />
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Halloween this year gave us one Queen Elsa and one squishy little monkey. Cuteness abounded!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lady M's homemade Elsa wig!</td></tr>
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And with our first snowfall this week, we are into the thick of it again...<br />
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So, there's a little glimpse into our year - it's been a great one!<br />
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Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6078655204229207869.post-34894446105128750192014-11-14T19:45:00.001-05:002014-11-16T16:50:29.707-05:00three (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". <div><br></div><div>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)</div><div><br></div><div>However, the word 'big' brings different experiences...</div><div><br></div><div>Big laughs...<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Big stories...</span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Big kindness, and </span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Big reactions. </span></div><div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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. <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5imAi5ytxOuCxt7rAi9Zcg3KbzQDBzl4N7eDyFM4n-FMWj2ToV_DnZVYDe9K5we3r_28-Lucg7HNEgac38cPT_XWZDJ04X-CxuU_TWdmt8kwWedXkBHYIoJmt9Ww-wYQ9qEA2J4erzk/s640/blogger-image-1381410909.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji5imAi5ytxOuCxt7rAi9Zcg3KbzQDBzl4N7eDyFM4n-FMWj2ToV_DnZVYDe9K5we3r_28-Lucg7HNEgac38cPT_XWZDJ04X-CxuU_TWdmt8kwWedXkBHYIoJmt9Ww-wYQ9qEA2J4erzk/s640/blogger-image-1381410909.jpg"></a></div><div><br></div>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! <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGg4xBhaTiH95ss4lWL262oFF2XUJIRVUXB87DcrwfHXAu0ygCiMlqRNUmPY0Gdq6DDVtsxzSkh8K-jAutbjOAzKO5JVu0Y9E8Z5w0hbNJYRnEMzQDsj68qmbGk5vetfBvpkAv5eFvbE/s640/blogger-image-685821119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUGg4xBhaTiH95ss4lWL262oFF2XUJIRVUXB87DcrwfHXAu0ygCiMlqRNUmPY0Gdq6DDVtsxzSkh8K-jAutbjOAzKO5JVu0Y9E8Z5w0hbNJYRnEMzQDsj68qmbGk5vetfBvpkAv5eFvbE/s640/blogger-image-685821119.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>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. </div>Kristinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06760226652669195079noreply@blogger.com2