Penguins anyone?

As you know, Elspeth loves Katrine’s old penguin costume.  Last week she insisted on wearing it to nursery school.  All of the kids were super excited when we arrived and I must admit that I wondered why (they are usually happy to see her but not quite so over the top).  Well, turns out that they are studying artic animals and here was their own real live penguin.  What are the odds?

 

Happy Robbie Burns Day

As usual, we went up to my parents this past weekend to celebrate Burns’ birthday.  Highlights:

 

1.Elspeth likes haggis. (ugh) So does Glenn but Katrine is wise and refuses to touch the stuff. 🙂

2. Both girls danced.  Unfortunately there were technical issues so we have neither photos or video of them.  Katrine did two dances and was awesome.  I have worked with Elspeth on a little routine of basic moves and between that and her overall cuteness she got some cheers and left the floor with a big smile on her face.

3. This year I managed to find Burns colouring pages and I doubt that he ever looked quite so…interesting.  Elspeth even gave him an extra ear complete with an earring.

I will end with a family photo.

Happy Birthday!

I have to admit, I love my birthday.  I also love celebrating everyone else’s birthdays too.  This past week has been a very interesting but ultimately fun birthday.  I did not have my usual skating party with friends because I am still coping with the after effects of whiplash.  I am usually good and can get through the day with the help of pain killers and caffeine (I am not sleeping so well).

We spent the first weekend of 2013 up at my parents enjoying their ample supply of snow with some snowmen, a bit of backyard sledding and Glenn & Katrine went skiing.

I was feeling a bit sad because it took all of my will power to crawl around in the snow helping to fill pails to create the snow pair and push the girls on the wee hill.  No skiing for me. :(  Well, didn’t my parents turn it around.  A special dinner, gifts and GF cake!  Who can feel down when there is cake?

My actual birthday was wonderful. I went for lunch with Elspeth and my fabulous mother in law before enjoying dinner at home.  It was great to watch how excited both of the girls were for my birthday this year.  Katrine loves celebrating things and has always been enthusiastic which is wonderful to enjoy.  Last year Elspeth watched but this year she participated.  All day she was like, “It mama birthday.  I give surprise toe nail polish.  You do my toe nails?”  Okay, she still has to work on the concept of what constitues a surprise but at least she was eager to celebrate.

The gift theme this year was chocolate (oh, and nail polish).  Mmmmm.  Chocolate tea, chocolate soap, chocolate lip gloss, chocolate coloured drapes 🙂 and of course chocolate cake.  It smellt SOOOO good.  Then to top it off the girls made cards which were adorable.  Katrine made hers pop-up while Elspeth managed to copy To mama and print the current version of her name.  I love my girls.

 

Did I mention that I got chocolate cake?  Yes?  Well this was a particularly awesome cake.  First, Glenn made it as a surprise.  Second, it has a half pound of butter and 6 eggs so that alone should make it delicious.  Third, devil’s food cake.  Fourth, it is absolutely adorable.  Glenn made me a gigantic cupcake cake.  As you can see, I could hardly wait to dig in. (Oh and my new scarf was a Mama T creation)

So here I am, 39 and proud.  I have enjoyed every year and earned every wrinkle.  I can hardly wait to see what this year will hold.

 

 

Calico Adoption Play

The Friday before Christmas, I took the girls to visit my Nana Brown.  We had our little Christmas celebration with her.  She got to open the gifts that the girls had made for her and they got to open her gifts as well so that she could enjoy them.  Elspeth received a Christmas Calico Critter set.  It had a Santa dog, some gifts and two small baby/toddler animals.  Now for her birthday, Elspeth had received a family of pandas.

Okay, now that the scene has been set I can relate how the adoption theme was played out.

Upon returning home Katrine placed one of the new critters on the kitchen table and announced that he was a toddler who lived in Africa.  Then she placed the other critter on the kitchen counter and announced that she was a baby who lived in China.  Then she gathered up all of the panda family and began her diaglogue….

“Where are we going on this plane?”

“Don’t you remember?  We are traveling to Africa to adopt your new brother and then to China for your sister.”

“Oh.  Cool.  Will we be home in time for Christmas?”

“Of course, and it will be so much fun having new brothers and sisters to play with.”

“Plus, Santa Critter will bring us more toys!”

The critter plane (played by Katrine) arrived at the kitchen table and the pandas were unceremoniously dumped onto the table top before being lined up in a row to meet their new family member.  Now that is not at all intimidating poor guy.  Toddler deer reacted by silently staring at the 6 pandas who in turn were staring at him.  Then the Mama panda went over and scooped him up just in time to as he started to cry.   After some bonding and hugs the whole family were loaded back onto the Katrine plane to be flown to China for there second adoption. (Seems that there is much less red tape invovled in adoptions in Calico Critter land)

“Okay, here we are in China.”

“Is this baby going to cry or do nothing?”

“I hope that the new baby doesn’t smell.”

“Well, I hope that she can play with me.”

“I am just glad that it is not another brother.  We have enough boys in our family.”

“Hey!”

“Stop fighting.  Here she comes.  Can you see her?”

The baby bunny was already bawling and mama panda began to sooth her right away.  Once again there was a bit of bonding time before they were herded back onto the plane to head for home.

We never got to see how the family’s first week at home unfolded as dinner was ready and the next time we played the previous theme was forgotten in favour of Christmas and rearranging furniture.  Made me smile though.  Never saw the arrival of new toys playing out quite that way.  Kids are simply full of surprises.

 

Concussion update

Okay, we went to see the neurologist last week and received some positive news.  He gave clearance for Katrine to resume skating and her full school schedule as long as she continues to besymptom free.  At the same time he had us do some blood work in case her fatigue was the result of something else.  So it briefly felt like we had returned to some sense of normal.

 

On Sunday afternoon I took thegirls skating.  Nothing new, done it many a time and it should have been plain old fun, right?  Nope.  A kid fell took me out and I smacked the back of my head on the ice really nicely.  For the past few days I have been nursing a mild concussion and a case ofwhiplash.  Just as progress was being made on feeling better ( right now I am typing while I wait for my last Advil of the day to kick in) a blood vessel in my left eye popped so I have a red eye.  Apparently that can take up to two weeks to clear so it looks like I may have some actual red eye in this year’s birthday photos.

That is about it.  Happy new year to everyofeeling soon I will postphotos of my mason jar triffle.  They worked much better than the Christmas cupcakes.