Hamilton greeted us with gusting winds and a rough landing. At least it was warm, all the snow had melted, and thus our car was not buried!
I successfully packed all of our (read: mostly Abigail's) gifts into our luggage and by some miracle nothing was lost or broken (we would have had been ringing Baileys out of otherwise clean diapers - I wonder what commercial they could make of that!)
The cats were happy to have us home. Monkey took the opportunity to run in and out of the house several times just because she could.
We picked up Darla and she seems to have enjoyed her stay with friends.
We are mostly unpacked, but we are going to have to figure out where to store some of this stuff! Robin already reorganized all our videos (removed all the VHS) to make room for the DVDs downstairs. Of course, the VHS tapes are simply stacked up in front of the bookcase now.
Abi and I are listening to Raffi, Barenaked Ladies (Snacktime!), and Sesame Street (International) music today. That, or Baby Tad singing Baa Baa Black Sheep.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Christmas Day
Not much time to post, but incase you're checking there are new photos up on Flickr. Enjoy. We are. Having a great time. Abigail received many movies and fun toys.
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas!
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Christmas Eve
It has snuck up on us. Christmas Eve. I would ask where the days have gone, but I know exactly where. They were spent with friends and family and we loved every minute.
Okay, maybe not every second since Abigail still has a cold and is not her usual happy self. Sometimes she is happy, but right now it is the exception to the rule rather than the other way around. It breaks my heart to see her sad. She seems to be getting better though. We hope she will be feeling much better by tomorrow morning. Or better yet, this evening.
Santa is stopping by here this afternoon. Abigail and Dorion will get their photo taken with Santa in the comfort of Corey's home. (More importantly, without a lineup!) Abigail and Dorion must have been very good children this year to warrant a personal visit from Santa on Christmas eve.
Following photos, we will have a fondue at my parents' place. This evening the adults will exchange gifts. We'll stay up late playing games and tasting eggnog. Then we will crash while Santa does his deliveries. When we wake, Christmas Day, the kids will open their gifts! I am very excited to spend Christmas morning with Dorion and Abigail. We return here for brunch, then back to my parents' for dinner with extended family.
Whew. I'm getting tired just writing about it.
How about an aiport photo to round this post out:
Okay, maybe not every second since Abigail still has a cold and is not her usual happy self. Sometimes she is happy, but right now it is the exception to the rule rather than the other way around. It breaks my heart to see her sad. She seems to be getting better though. We hope she will be feeling much better by tomorrow morning. Or better yet, this evening.
Santa is stopping by here this afternoon. Abigail and Dorion will get their photo taken with Santa in the comfort of Corey's home. (More importantly, without a lineup!) Abigail and Dorion must have been very good children this year to warrant a personal visit from Santa on Christmas eve.
Following photos, we will have a fondue at my parents' place. This evening the adults will exchange gifts. We'll stay up late playing games and tasting eggnog. Then we will crash while Santa does his deliveries. When we wake, Christmas Day, the kids will open their gifts! I am very excited to spend Christmas morning with Dorion and Abigail. We return here for brunch, then back to my parents' for dinner with extended family.
Whew. I'm getting tired just writing about it.
How about an aiport photo to round this post out:
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Winnipeg
Surprise. We're in Winnipeg. If you were not aware we were coming - tee hee - surprise. We showed up at an anuual Christmas party hosted by friends last night and "crashed" it with Abigail. It was great fun. Today Abi and I joined other friends for a tea party and met the newest baby. (Ericka, I passed on some of the cute Christmas-y outfits you sent that never did fit Abi.)
How was our flight? Good question. We left Ontario during "Snowmageddon" on Friday. Yes, we braved the storm to get to Hamilton Airport, bipassed road closures, and were fortunate enough to be on a plane that left the airport almost on time.
However, it wasn't all so easy. Abi has her first cold. And she's teething. She is not her usual happy self all the time. Also, our largest bag of luggage apparently never got loaded on the plane in Hamilton. All of Abi's clothes, our toiletries, and things like bum-balm were missing until today. Luckily, we were able to borrow clothes from my nephew, I got a new toothbrush, Robin had packed his toothbrush in the carry-on (isn't he sooooo smart), and so forth. I still wasn't impressed with the luggage attendants for forgetting our luggage.
As you can imagine, our visit has been and will continue to be full of people who want to see us (read: Abigail). It is all very exciting. Not a whole lot of sleep, but Abigail is taking many cat naps as we drive around town, which is good because she's not sleeping well otherwise. I think the incline of the carseat helps her sleep. Lying flat just makes her feel worse, so she has been sleeping in the crook of my arm angled up.
Sorry, no new photos to share right now. There will be Christmas photos up soonafter the holiday.
We hope you are enjoying your holidays too.
How was our flight? Good question. We left Ontario during "Snowmageddon" on Friday. Yes, we braved the storm to get to Hamilton Airport, bipassed road closures, and were fortunate enough to be on a plane that left the airport almost on time.
However, it wasn't all so easy. Abi has her first cold. And she's teething. She is not her usual happy self all the time. Also, our largest bag of luggage apparently never got loaded on the plane in Hamilton. All of Abi's clothes, our toiletries, and things like bum-balm were missing until today. Luckily, we were able to borrow clothes from my nephew, I got a new toothbrush, Robin had packed his toothbrush in the carry-on (isn't he sooooo smart), and so forth. I still wasn't impressed with the luggage attendants for forgetting our luggage.
As you can imagine, our visit has been and will continue to be full of people who want to see us (read: Abigail). It is all very exciting. Not a whole lot of sleep, but Abigail is taking many cat naps as we drive around town, which is good because she's not sleeping well otherwise. I think the incline of the carseat helps her sleep. Lying flat just makes her feel worse, so she has been sleeping in the crook of my arm angled up.
Sorry, no new photos to share right now. There will be Christmas photos up soonafter the holiday.
We hope you are enjoying your holidays too.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
T'is the season to join with friends and family in celebration of...
well, the blessing that is friends and family of course. In the chill of winter there is nothing better than a hot drink (or a tasty glass of mead, rum and eggnog, what have you), some baking, and loved ones to stay warm with.
I hope that you are celebrating with friends and family rather than fretting over what to buy or wasting precious hours in the hustle and bustle of the malls. Personally, I'd rather spend time with you than find that you are too busy to share a pot of tea because you are at the mall.
Better yet, let's pull out our knitting as we share that tea.
You don't knit?! I can teach you.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Winter Photos
Two seconds wasn't enough time to get into position.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Congratulations
Congratulations are due to my industrious husband for receiving this prestigious award last night.(Robin is going to have a few choice words for me when he sees I have posted this.)
Congratulations are also due to everyone who has prepared and/or mailed their Holiday cards this season. I do not include myself among those recipients. I haven't even started! But at some point we'll take a family Yule photo to share.
We received our second Christmas card yesterday (thanks Marie and Al).
Just because I haven't mailed any, doesn't mean I don't expect all of you to send us one! We keep you in touch right here, but we would love to hear from all of you. E-cards are welcome, but I do keep all my holiday cards. Yes, my entire life collection is upstairs in a shoebox or two.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
9 Month Stats
Abi had her nine month naturopath appointment this week. She's healthy, happy, 17lbs 14oz, and 72cm long.
Still no teeth, although she is teething again. Fortunately she does not drool a lot.
I forsee her walking over Christmas. She really enjoys her wheeled walker now (video forthcoming).
She is continually extending her reach. Her new favourite game is "pull the books off the shelf". A reorganization of shelves is once again on order.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Daddy's Little Vampire
Yum yum yum. Raspberries.
Robin captured these images last night while I was out knitting and chatting with friends over delicious Chai Lattes at Whole Lotta Gelato. A group of women from the KW Knitters Guild also showed up. I felt a bit odd at one point as the women were watching me knit. It seems I was the only one there who knits continental style. I meet a lot of knitters who would like to learn to knit this way instead of throwing the yarn, but taking the plunge can be difficult when you are accustomed to a different method. I am glad someone laughed at me early on and inspired me to switch my knitting style. To all you new knitters - learn continental style! You will thank me.
Monday, December 08, 2008
An Open Letter to Ericka
Dear Ericka,
do you remember that time at the mall when you still only had one daughter and I wanted to take a photograph of her on the carousel? I believe that was Christmas 2000. Remember how she got her clothes dirty and I insisted on buying her a new sweater for the photograph, so she wouldn't have a dirty shirt? That was a cute sweater. Remember how I said *my* kids would always have clean clothes on? Remember how you laughed?
Yeah, me too.
I laugh now.
Abigail has a spot of banana on her shirt that escaped the bib. She had banana all over her face that I washed off, but I apparently didn't notice it on the back of her head. Until now. This is the normal banana aftermath - what happens when you give a baby a chunk of banana. Currently she is playing in some plant soil. I've given up on expecting that she will never get into the soil. She doesn't usually try to eat it. She would much rather chew on a plant leaf. In truth, she'd rather have a piece of lettuce than banana. Weird child.
Anyhow, I thought it only fair to say: You were right. I was naive. Go ahead and laugh Ericka.
do you remember that time at the mall when you still only had one daughter and I wanted to take a photograph of her on the carousel? I believe that was Christmas 2000. Remember how she got her clothes dirty and I insisted on buying her a new sweater for the photograph, so she wouldn't have a dirty shirt? That was a cute sweater. Remember how I said *my* kids would always have clean clothes on? Remember how you laughed?
Yeah, me too.
I laugh now.
Abigail has a spot of banana on her shirt that escaped the bib. She had banana all over her face that I washed off, but I apparently didn't notice it on the back of her head. Until now. This is the normal banana aftermath - what happens when you give a baby a chunk of banana. Currently she is playing in some plant soil. I've given up on expecting that she will never get into the soil. She doesn't usually try to eat it. She would much rather chew on a plant leaf. In truth, she'd rather have a piece of lettuce than banana. Weird child.
Anyhow, I thought it only fair to say: You were right. I was naive. Go ahead and laugh Ericka.
Winter Wonderland
We have a lot of snow. Do you have a lot of snow? We hope you are keeping warm.
Abigail enjoys keeping warm by snuggling with her loved ones. Usually that is Robin or me, but sometimes she squeezes in a few hugs for her furry friends (before they run away)
It took me a long while to finally capture one of those moments with Fenwick. As you can imagine, there is not usually time to go fetch the camera. I was prepared for this one.
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Cloth
I forget how little paper and disposable products we use until a visitor is looking for a tissue to blow their nose and I find myself apologizing because we only have cloth tissues, which of course they are invited to use.
Why do I apologize? I suppose because I know it is "weird" to some people. Time and again I am pleased with the response when guests do use our tissues - they love how soft they are on the nose. I could never go back to horrid paper tissues, and not just because it is wasteful. Using cloth is "normal" for me, at least since I instituted it at home. I certainly did not grow up this way. It was a conscious decision I made many years ago, but now it is second nature. Cloth hankies can be found in holders throughout the house (just like tissue boxes would be) and there are laundry baskets on each floor for them.
The main floor basket is also used for dish cloths because I wash mine frequently. I can't stand how icky they get, especially when someone leaves them sitting in the bottom of the sink instead of hanging to dry. I also use a Magic Blue microfibre sweeper/mop with several replacement pads that I wash frequently. With the laminate floors, 3 pets, and a baby playing on the floor, I sweep at least once a day and fill that mop!
Cloth diapers, rag cloths for cleaning, microfibre for dusting and glass, hemp cloth tea bags and coffee filter - it's all reusable and anything that gets "icky" is washed in hot water.
Yes, even cloth mama pads (along with a menstrual cup). All those chemicals and the plastic of the disposable pads gross me out.
However, we do use recycled paper TP and we keep some cheap paper towels on hand for soaking up bacon grease and the like. One day I'd like to switch to cloth TP, but I promise to keep paper around for guests.
In other news, check the videos on the left and you'll find one of Abi saying Mama and Dada.
Why do I apologize? I suppose because I know it is "weird" to some people. Time and again I am pleased with the response when guests do use our tissues - they love how soft they are on the nose. I could never go back to horrid paper tissues, and not just because it is wasteful. Using cloth is "normal" for me, at least since I instituted it at home. I certainly did not grow up this way. It was a conscious decision I made many years ago, but now it is second nature. Cloth hankies can be found in holders throughout the house (just like tissue boxes would be) and there are laundry baskets on each floor for them.
The main floor basket is also used for dish cloths because I wash mine frequently. I can't stand how icky they get, especially when someone leaves them sitting in the bottom of the sink instead of hanging to dry. I also use a Magic Blue microfibre sweeper/mop with several replacement pads that I wash frequently. With the laminate floors, 3 pets, and a baby playing on the floor, I sweep at least once a day and fill that mop!
Cloth diapers, rag cloths for cleaning, microfibre for dusting and glass, hemp cloth tea bags and coffee filter - it's all reusable and anything that gets "icky" is washed in hot water.
Yes, even cloth mama pads (along with a menstrual cup). All those chemicals and the plastic of the disposable pads gross me out.
However, we do use recycled paper TP and we keep some cheap paper towels on hand for soaking up bacon grease and the like. One day I'd like to switch to cloth TP, but I promise to keep paper around for guests.
In other news, check the videos on the left and you'll find one of Abi saying Mama and Dada.
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