Happy 1st Birthday Mattea Melinda!

We had fun visiting with Auntie K and baby Mattea who is not a baby anymore - she is 1 year old! Hard to believe. Makes the rest of us feel rather old (like me, I am almost 4!).

We love you very much Mattea Melinda!!

Mom and Mattea took turns making squinty-eyed faces.

Feast Files

I'm a Beast for a Feast!

Everyone who knows me, knows I like to eat.

So imagine, just imagine my excitement this morning as I

dressed in my carefully pre-selected outfit

in preparation for today's

Seasonal Feast at Montessori school!

I wore a new Christmas-y outfit from Grandma (yay BVO!)

my jingle bells and shiny clips in my hair.

Mom let me pick out one of HER bracelets to wear!

Boy, was I ever fancy and beautiful.

Flashback - December 2009

It has been a whole year since last December.

Flashing back to last year at this time...

We joined many admirers in welcoming Mattea Melinda into this wacky world...

We embarked on a month (not twelve days!) of Christmas cheer. It was the first Christmas that I really "got it", resulting in lots of excitement (and moments of being overwhelmed by the sheer number of celebrations over the course of a few weeks).

My first Christmas morning at our house, and the start of

our own little family's traditions.

This season is promising to be just as packed and fun and full of love as last year.

The tree is up, there are packages starting to pile up underneath...it's December folks. Here we go...

Oh, Grandad...

Gran, Grandad and Uncle Ant came to Guelph on the weekend to help us celebrate dad's birthday a few days early. Dad got some presents but more importantly I got a new book to help get me ready for Christmas.

My Grandad is one of the silliest people you will ever meet. Dad takes after him! We tried to look at my new Christmas book together.

Sometimes it's hard to know when Grandad (and dad) are joking.

Tickle Trunk

I do not actually have a tickle trunk but I do have a dress-up suitcase full of interesting clothes and accessories. I have been very much enjoying dress-up lately.

I think I am pretty much "over" the fear of irreversibly turning into what/whomever I am dressed up as. I am much more comfortable and confident in the irreversible character that

I am...Scout!

Party Girl!

It was Aidan's birthday this weekend! I got all dressed up in my chosen, very polka-dotted outfit. We went to a play called "The Very Hungry Caterpillar", where Eric Carle stories were told with puppets under black-light. After the stories were done we got to see some of the puppets and learn about how the performers put on the show all dressed in black. They called themselves puppet ninjas!

After the play we went to Aidan's house for pizza and Spiderman cake, feat. the Green Goblin, Aidan's favourite. He ate the Green Goblin on the cake. It was fun watching Aidan open his presents and I even got a present to take home with me! It was called a loot bag and I was really happy and surprised that I got a present too, even though it's not my birthday yet!

The next birthday we are preparing for is Dad's. He will be 32! Mom and I got his gift this weekend but...shhhh....it's a secret. That means we can't tell dad. (Mom has to remind me every day, many times about what it means to keep a secret!).

I don't think I am going to be able to keep this secret for another 2 weeks.

Dad is banking on it!

Park Play

There has been lots of beautiful sunshine lately.

Great for my daily Park Play.

Who Needs Halloween?

(except for the copious amounts of candy)

EVERY day can be Halloween if we want it to be!

Visit with M'cuz

Me and M'ttea (M'cuz).

We are very cute.

Halloween at Montessori

All Hallows Eve...(spooooooky!)

First, there was the preparation. Dad and I carved a whole lot of pumpkins.

Then, dad and I practiced making weird and spooky faces.

Then it was time to get all suited up, with many many layers underneath my fantastic giraffe costume (this one's for you, Gran!)

We got the pumpkins set up and a sign letting the children know there was no candy to be had at #36. Then off we went to Aidan's...

Aidan was a Pirate. I was a Giraffe. We made a good, but odd, couple.

In stark contrast to last year, I actually trick-or-treated! I knocked, I said the actual words "trick-or-treat", held out my bucket and (most of the time) said thank you. Mom and dad and I practiced trick-or-treating ahead of time to settle my nerves. I think that helped.

After trick-or-treating we went back to Aidan's and had the hot chocolate that mom brought in a thermos, "to warm us up". It was a good night.

When we got home, we saw the jack-o-lanterns that we had created - in all their spoooooky glory.

The only thing left to do now is...eat candy.