This is what I look like with pneumonia.
Are you feeling sorry for me yet?
1/10/2010
Happy Birthday Party to ME!
This weekend was my 3rd birthday party and it was a musical extravaganza!
We had a Birthday Band Kitchen Jam,
feat. . .
Aidan and I, rocking out with the jingles and the ladybug chimes...
A musical interlude with Aidan;
Inspired by mom's family photos, he
treated us to a contemporary composition on piano...
A group jam, Ben on vocals, Aidan on drums, I am mixing it up with some harmonica licks...(literally), and shakers...
We also did some colouring, opened prezzies,
played with my new penguin game from Ben (Benguin Game?),
decorated our own personal cupcakes with sprinkles and smarties,
read books,
sang Puff the Magic Dragon
(which is also a new book and CD I got),
did some more jamming and the party was over.
And all that with no afternoon nap.
I really am a big girl now.
1/08/2010
1/02/2010
Tradition...
This was our first year to start forming our own Christmas traditions. Because we celebrated with our families all month, Christmas eve was spent in our own beds, Christmas morning was spent in our own living room.
Tradition #1 - Stocking Placement
Stockings were hung under the antique phone with care...
Tradition #2 - Christmas Eve Dinner
...visions of sugar-plumbs, (dessert after spaghetti with homemade sauce & 'wheat'-balls - actually made of soy, don't laugh) danced in our heads.
Tradition #3 - Snacks
We left out some snacks for Santa and the reindeer; a cranberry square with milk for Santa and a carrot for Rudolph to portion out judiciously to the others. ("Now Dasher, now Dancer! now Pracer and Vixen! On Comet on Cupid! on Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch, to the top of the wall, now dash away! dash away! dash away all!")
Tradition #4 - Communication
We left a note for Santa letting him know that he was welcome to the refreshments and thanking him for all his hard work. We had to try twice to write the note, as the first time I was unimpressed with the communication strategy, but took care of that by scribbling all over said note and screaming about it for awhile. The second one worked out better.
Tradition #5 - Christmas Rising Routine
I slept in until 7:30am (mom and dad said this was the most important tradition so far). Actually, mom and dad came in to wake me up, reminding me that Santa had come. Down we went to open our stockings!
After stockings I got to open one present. The one and only present that I had consistently appealed to Santa for this year - 'a stomping, roaring dinosaur with three horns on its head'.
I got exactly what I wanted, with the following qualifications: my dino (Christened 'Percy' on that special morning), does not so much 'roar' as mewl like a cat. (Percy is a baby tricerotops, so he makes baby dino noises.) Also, Percy does not stomp, in fact he does not walk (babies don't know how to walk, just ask baby Mattea) but he does move his baby dino head around when he mewls.
Tradition #5 - Media: Every Christmas we will do some black & white shots of the morning's festivities.
Tradition #6 - Variety is the Spice of Life
After a breakfast of eggs and english muffins, we got back to the business of opening presents. Not only did I get a gift from Santa, I also got special gifts from a variety of sources, including: Rudolph, the other reindeer (including Olive, who stays in the North Pole on Christmas Eve to 'hold down the fort'. You know, 'Olive the other reindeer'?), the Elves and mom and dad! Wow.
Tradition #7 - Morning Calisthenics
One of our annual activities will be getting all bundled up and going for a Christmas Morning Walk. This year mom was sick and needed to lie down so dad and I cruised the neighborhood looking at all of the Christmas decorations. (Note: mom and dad said that the original intention was to go on a Christmas Eve Walk to look at the lights, but we are nothing if not flexible. I was too busy screaming about the failed note and Santa communique, so the walk took place the next day when the odds of screaming were much reduced. Whatever all that means...what I say is that Dad and I had a great time crunching through the morning snow.)
(Mom says that her being sick, is not going to be a tradition.)
Tradition #8 - Hanging Out
After the brisk jaunt, we just hung out and played with Percy, read all of my new books, did some crafts, listened to Christmas music and snacked. It was grrrreat!
In order of Appearance, but not Importance...
It has been a wonderful, whirlwind month of Christmas. Most kids celebrate for a few days at Christmas, but not me, no-siree. I get to celebrate Christmas for a whole month!
So here is the Holiday Hooplah, in order of appearance, but not importance (mom says I may have a future in diplomacy given the context of my particular [peculiar?] nature/nurture circumstances...)
First up, Christmas with the Pooles'...with a cameo of Pallisters.
Then Christmas at 'Lyndon Farm' with Grandma & Grandpa & Uncle TJ...
Next up, a lovely visit with Pappy, Jammie and my cousin Marcus and his mom and dad, Louise & Martin!
If you thought there was a possibility that a person could celebrate Too Much, let me tell you, you are mistaken!
Next was a lovely celebration with Nan, Darcy and my hero, Auntie Maggie...
Whew! See you back here next year folks, same time - same faces!
While enjoying the Hooplah and present-exchanging, we also took time to notice and reflect on the beautiful simplicities of life and how lucky we are to be safe, healthy, and so very loved.
Mags & Me!
One of the best Christmas presents I got this year was getting to spend lots of time with the fun, playful, silly and creative...Auntie Maggie! We did playdough and painting and singing and playing in the snow and reading and yoga and all manner of interesting and entertaining things!
Auntie Maggie lives in Vancouver, which is on the other side of Canada (which is the country that we live in.) I can find Canada on the globe and I can also find Ontario which is the province we live in at our new house.
Here are some photos of good times with Auntie Mags.
Doing play-dough, while singing 'Jingle Bells'; throwing the play-dough in the air when we get to the part of the song where you say, (...on a one horse open sleigh...) HEY!", then laughing maniacally. I could have done this forever.
Of course, I chose the most perfect and fashionable outfit for my adventures with Auntie Maggie. It was an artful commentary of texture and pattern.
Pretending to be some sort of creatures, perhaps stomping, roaring dinosaurs, which sure do capture the imagination!
Enraptured by my cool, fun auntie - I soaked up the precious time we had together.
When it was time to say good-bye, I had a little cry and said tearfully that I wanted Auntie Maggie to continue to stay in the "spare woom". Love you A.M.
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