No surprise that Marissa ate the candy first, but she did eat up all the rest too. Hey, it's Fun Food Friday, who says you can't have dessert first?!
Happy Friday!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Fun Food Friday - Joy to the World!
Love how this one turned out!
No surprise that Marissa ate the candy first, but she did eat up all the rest too. Hey, it's Fun Food Friday, who says you can't have dessert first?!
Happy Friday!
No surprise that Marissa ate the candy first, but she did eat up all the rest too. Hey, it's Fun Food Friday, who says you can't have dessert first?!
Happy Friday!
2 Days 'til Christmas!
Drumroll please...
Marissa was thrilled about this! We moved the coffee table out of the way, made a nice cozy bed on the floor for Marissa, and set the playpen up right next to her for Taylor. Lights out. Tree lit. Magical. We will so do this again next year. At one point in the night I could hear Taylor crying. I would too. She must have felt trapped in the playpen, she's so big she practically fills the whole thing up if she stretches out. So I lifted her out, laid her on the floor next to her sister (who was sound asleep through the crying), and covered her up with her weighted blanket. I never heard another peep. Two sisters slept all night under the tree.
Happy happy. Joy joy.
Marissa was thrilled about this! We moved the coffee table out of the way, made a nice cozy bed on the floor for Marissa, and set the playpen up right next to her for Taylor. Lights out. Tree lit. Magical. We will so do this again next year. At one point in the night I could hear Taylor crying. I would too. She must have felt trapped in the playpen, she's so big she practically fills the whole thing up if she stretches out. So I lifted her out, laid her on the floor next to her sister (who was sound asleep through the crying), and covered her up with her weighted blanket. I never heard another peep. Two sisters slept all night under the tree.
Happy happy. Joy joy.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
3 Days 'til Christmas!
And the reveal...
These are the special times. Our oldest daughter's first school concert. We got settled into our seats and then I moved up to the front row marked 'paparazzi'. They designated two rows of benches at the front for parents to get pictures of their kiddos. Enter Kindergarten and Grade 1's. My girl in her beautiful silver sequined dress is in the middle row on the far right. I'm right in front of her. Prime spot to capture this proud moment on camera. Now picture this. 75 little kiddos all dressed up singing their hearts out, complete with actions, to a bursting audience of proud parents.
Correction. 74 little kiddos all dressed up singing their hearts out along with actions, 1 little kiddo all dressed up, standing there silently and twisting her dollar store necklace around her finger the entire time. Yep, that was my kid.
Oh, these sure are the special times!
These are the special times. Our oldest daughter's first school concert. We got settled into our seats and then I moved up to the front row marked 'paparazzi'. They designated two rows of benches at the front for parents to get pictures of their kiddos. Enter Kindergarten and Grade 1's. My girl in her beautiful silver sequined dress is in the middle row on the far right. I'm right in front of her. Prime spot to capture this proud moment on camera. Now picture this. 75 little kiddos all dressed up singing their hearts out, complete with actions, to a bursting audience of proud parents.
Correction. 74 little kiddos all dressed up singing their hearts out along with actions, 1 little kiddo all dressed up, standing there silently and twisting her dollar store necklace around her finger the entire time. Yep, that was my kid.
Oh, these sure are the special times!
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
4 Days 'til Christmas!
Today's reveal...
I've seen all kinds of these ornaments on blogs and really wanted to give them a try. I painted Taylor's hand while she was sleeping and made her print on a gold ornament ball from the tree. Marissa was next, although she was awake and fully alert, happy to have a freshly painted hand to transfer onto a big gold ball. I left them out to dry and before I went to bed I got out my Sharpies and had some fun creating snowmen out of the girls' fingers. Now I have two beautiful ornaments on my tree made out of the girls' handprints.
I just LOVE these!
I've seen all kinds of these ornaments on blogs and really wanted to give them a try. I painted Taylor's hand while she was sleeping and made her print on a gold ornament ball from the tree. Marissa was next, although she was awake and fully alert, happy to have a freshly painted hand to transfer onto a big gold ball. I left them out to dry and before I went to bed I got out my Sharpies and had some fun creating snowmen out of the girls' fingers. Now I have two beautiful ornaments on my tree made out of the girls' handprints.
I just LOVE these!
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
5 Days 'til Christmas!
Here we go...
Quite often on Tuesday nights we have a tea party after dinner, we even use my Granny's china to make it special. We haven't done one in a while, so it was nice to have a little treat after we ate supper. Except a 'festive' tea party requires Christmas mugs for our tea. We had some delicious leftover cranberry squares from dinner at Grandma & Grandpa's the other night, so I didn't even have to come up with a dessert for the occasion! Nice and easy, just the way I like it!
Mugs in hand, pinkies out!
Quite often on Tuesday nights we have a tea party after dinner, we even use my Granny's china to make it special. We haven't done one in a while, so it was nice to have a little treat after we ate supper. Except a 'festive' tea party requires Christmas mugs for our tea. We had some delicious leftover cranberry squares from dinner at Grandma & Grandpa's the other night, so I didn't even have to come up with a dessert for the occasion! Nice and easy, just the way I like it!
Mugs in hand, pinkies out!
Monday, December 19, 2011
6 Days 'til Christmas!
What does today have for us?
I was in the chair holding Taylor, who had fallen asleep. Marissa wanted to join us, so Daddy was left alone on the couch. We watched one of my favourite Christmas movies, The Santa Clause, with Tim Allen. It's a pretty cute one, Marissa enjoyed it.
I was in the chair holding Taylor, who had fallen asleep. Marissa wanted to join us, so Daddy was left alone on the couch. We watched one of my favourite Christmas movies, The Santa Clause, with Tim Allen. It's a pretty cute one, Marissa enjoyed it.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
7 Days 'til Christmas!
Today's reveal...
I thought this would be fun for Marissa and her cousin Mady to do together so I gathered up all the supplies and we took them with us to Sunday dinner at Granny's. The girls were very excited to sit down with a pile of candy after dinner and decorate their gingerbread cookies.
Taylor watched the excitement and enjoyed the beauty around her :-)
I thought this would be fun for Marissa and her cousin Mady to do together so I gathered up all the supplies and we took them with us to Sunday dinner at Granny's. The girls were very excited to sit down with a pile of candy after dinner and decorate their gingerbread cookies.
Taylor watched the excitement and enjoyed the beauty around her :-)
Saturday, December 17, 2011
8 Days 'til Christmas!
The envelope please...
We had so much fun today with this one. That Taylor could fully participate made it even sweeter. There's a great toboggan hill right here in our community by the lake. So we bundled up, collected our sleds and headed out for some family fun!
After lots of fun slides down the hill, Marissa wanted to go 'skating'. She doesn't have skates yet, but she wanted to pretend skate in her boots. They flood the waterpark here for the winter and have a huge fire going all day, so we huddled around the fire to keep nice and warm while Marissa 'skated' around the rink. She wants to be a figure skater now. Why you ask...because they get to wear pretty outfits of course!
We had so much fun today with this one. That Taylor could fully participate made it even sweeter. There's a great toboggan hill right here in our community by the lake. So we bundled up, collected our sleds and headed out for some family fun!
After lots of fun slides down the hill, Marissa wanted to go 'skating'. She doesn't have skates yet, but she wanted to pretend skate in her boots. They flood the waterpark here for the winter and have a huge fire going all day, so we huddled around the fire to keep nice and warm while Marissa 'skated' around the rink. She wants to be a figure skater now. Why you ask...because they get to wear pretty outfits of course!
Friday, December 16, 2011
Fun Food Friday - Elf
This one didn't turn out quite as cute as I hoped, I think the ears are a bit too big! But Marissa had no complaints...
Happy Friday!
Happy Friday!
9 Days 'til Christmas!
The countdown continues...
Marissa ended up going for a playdate at her friend Maya's house, and Taylor napped while she was gone but I decided the show must go on. So I drew a string minus the lights across a piece of paper. Then I got red and green paint ready and took them over to the swing where Taylor was sound asleep. One by one, I painted her thumb and pressed it onto the paper to create the lights on the string. I managed to do the whole thing and clean the paint off her thumb without her waking up. Now that's a good sleep! I think it turned out pretty cute.
When Marissa came home from her playdate, she did one too. She was so excited that she dunked her finger and had such a mass of paint on it that when she pressed it to the page it slipped and her first light was quite deformed! Nevertheless, she pursued and had fun doing her own strand of lights.
Such a cute craft this was, and really easy too.
Marissa ended up going for a playdate at her friend Maya's house, and Taylor napped while she was gone but I decided the show must go on. So I drew a string minus the lights across a piece of paper. Then I got red and green paint ready and took them over to the swing where Taylor was sound asleep. One by one, I painted her thumb and pressed it onto the paper to create the lights on the string. I managed to do the whole thing and clean the paint off her thumb without her waking up. Now that's a good sleep! I think it turned out pretty cute.
 |
| You can see the paint on her thumb here as she sleeps |
When Marissa came home from her playdate, she did one too. She was so excited that she dunked her finger and had such a mass of paint on it that when she pressed it to the page it slipped and her first light was quite deformed! Nevertheless, she pursued and had fun doing her own strand of lights.
Such a cute craft this was, and really easy too.
Thursday, December 15, 2011
10 Days 'til Christmas
Today's reveal...
My sister was going to come by tonight for a visit after picking Mady up from dayhome. So we decided to make tacos for supper and let the girls play for a while. They were pretty excited about making Christmas necklaces! They were pretty finicky though and turned out to not really be a kid-friendly project! Craft glue wasn't working so we had to pull out the big guns, and fired up the hot glue gun. So the mamas made the necklaces and the kiddos wore them when they were done.
I think we did a decent job, the girls were happy with them, and they're made out of a big jingle bell so how fun is that?
My sister was going to come by tonight for a visit after picking Mady up from dayhome. So we decided to make tacos for supper and let the girls play for a while. They were pretty excited about making Christmas necklaces! They were pretty finicky though and turned out to not really be a kid-friendly project! Craft glue wasn't working so we had to pull out the big guns, and fired up the hot glue gun. So the mamas made the necklaces and the kiddos wore them when they were done.
I think we did a decent job, the girls were happy with them, and they're made out of a big jingle bell so how fun is that?
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
11 Days 'til Christmas
More giving back...
I explained to Marissa today that there are many kids right here in Calgary that won't experience Christmas the way she will. They won't have gifts to open. She wasn't buying that though, she told me quite matter-of-factly that Santa would bring them presents. So I'm not sure that she's ready to grasp this yet but I explained to her that for today's special task we were going to donate a new gift to Toy Mountain, and that it was going to put a smile on some little boy's face on Christmas morning. That made Marissa happy. Toy Mountain is Calgary’s largest Christmas toy drive in support of the the Salvation Army's Family Assistance Christmas Program. The Salvation Army relies heavily on the program to ensure that there are toys in the hands of less fortunate children on Christmas Day. Last year, Toy Mountain collected over 30,000 toys and they hope to make this year even bigger and better!
I explained to Marissa today that there are many kids right here in Calgary that won't experience Christmas the way she will. They won't have gifts to open. She wasn't buying that though, she told me quite matter-of-factly that Santa would bring them presents. So I'm not sure that she's ready to grasp this yet but I explained to her that for today's special task we were going to donate a new gift to Toy Mountain, and that it was going to put a smile on some little boy's face on Christmas morning. That made Marissa happy. Toy Mountain is Calgary’s largest Christmas toy drive in support of the the Salvation Army's Family Assistance Christmas Program. The Salvation Army relies heavily on the program to ensure that there are toys in the hands of less fortunate children on Christmas Day. Last year, Toy Mountain collected over 30,000 toys and they hope to make this year even bigger and better!
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
12 Days 'til Christmas
Where is the time going? So much to do and really only 12 more sleeps?!!!
We really should do this more often, may need to soon start a regular family game night. Marissa loves to play games, although none of them by the rules!
I made sure to get Taylor in there tonight too. I held her in my arms and with my hand over hers, we tried to perform a tricky surgery in a game of Operation. With all the buzzing I don't think we'll have our PhD anytime soon!
We really should do this more often, may need to soon start a regular family game night. Marissa loves to play games, although none of them by the rules!
I made sure to get Taylor in there tonight too. I held her in my arms and with my hand over hers, we tried to perform a tricky surgery in a game of Operation. With all the buzzing I don't think we'll have our PhD anytime soon!
Monday, December 12, 2011
13 Days 'til Christmas
Today's reveal...
An important task. The main reason I am doing this daily activity advent calendar is to teach Marissa the true spirit of Christmas, that it's not just about Santa and gifts. It's about family, spending time together, doing special things, having fun, creating traditions, and giving back. I know that one little task isn't going to make her appreciate what giving back really means but I think that creating some charitable family traditions will help nurture her sense of compassion and empathy towards others. I explained to her how fortunate we are and that there are many families out there that have trouble even putting food on the table. Perhaps a little hard for her to quite grasp that sad reality. I explained that by us donating groceries to the food bank, along with the many others who do the same, we can make a difference.
On our way back from dropping our grocery donations off I had to pull over and take a couple of pictures. It was a spectacular day, brilliant blue sky with the new fallen snow covering the branches. Love it.
An important task. The main reason I am doing this daily activity advent calendar is to teach Marissa the true spirit of Christmas, that it's not just about Santa and gifts. It's about family, spending time together, doing special things, having fun, creating traditions, and giving back. I know that one little task isn't going to make her appreciate what giving back really means but I think that creating some charitable family traditions will help nurture her sense of compassion and empathy towards others. I explained to her how fortunate we are and that there are many families out there that have trouble even putting food on the table. Perhaps a little hard for her to quite grasp that sad reality. I explained that by us donating groceries to the food bank, along with the many others who do the same, we can make a difference.
On our way back from dropping our grocery donations off I had to pull over and take a couple of pictures. It was a spectacular day, brilliant blue sky with the new fallen snow covering the branches. Love it.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
14 Days 'til Christmas
What did today bring?
We had lots of snow fall today, Marissa went out with Daddy to watch him shovel the driveway, and then they had some fun playing in the snow. Unfortunately it wasn't the right kind of snow to make a snowman, so we had to take care of that inside with some hot chocolate.
After Marissa had her bath we all got in our jammies, ate supper, then piled into the van to go see Christmas lights. We drove through a few neighborhoods, but the lights at Spruce Meadows were the best. If you haven't driven through there at night, go. It's so pretty, especially with the new fallen snow.
We were literally walking in a winter wonderland tonight. I heard the sleigh bells ring, seriously!
We had lots of snow fall today, Marissa went out with Daddy to watch him shovel the driveway, and then they had some fun playing in the snow. Unfortunately it wasn't the right kind of snow to make a snowman, so we had to take care of that inside with some hot chocolate.
After Marissa had her bath we all got in our jammies, ate supper, then piled into the van to go see Christmas lights. We drove through a few neighborhoods, but the lights at Spruce Meadows were the best. If you haven't driven through there at night, go. It's so pretty, especially with the new fallen snow.
We were literally walking in a winter wonderland tonight. I heard the sleigh bells ring, seriously!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
15 Days 'til Christmas
Today's reveal...
I came across a recipe on one of the blogs I read and thought it would be the perfect festive dinner. Pomegranate pork chops takes care of the red, and broccoli takes care of the green. And it was nice and easy. I like that.
I wish I had the camera handy when Marissa took her first bite. She spat the pomegranate seed out and the look on her face was priceless as she said emphatically, "This is dee-stus-keen!" (a.k.a. "disgusting"). Oh well, you can't win 'em all!
For the record, Francis and I both enjoyed it and it did look festive, so all was not lost!
I came across a recipe on one of the blogs I read and thought it would be the perfect festive dinner. Pomegranate pork chops takes care of the red, and broccoli takes care of the green. And it was nice and easy. I like that.
I wish I had the camera handy when Marissa took her first bite. She spat the pomegranate seed out and the look on her face was priceless as she said emphatically, "This is dee-stus-keen!" (a.k.a. "disgusting"). Oh well, you can't win 'em all!
For the record, Francis and I both enjoyed it and it did look festive, so all was not lost!
Friday, December 9, 2011
Fun Food Friday - Frosty the Snowman...
...was a jolly happy soul. And I think he tasted pretty good too!
Happy Friday!
Happy Friday!
16 Days 'til Christmas!
Here it is...
I felt sad leaving Taylor at home with respite, but when we got to our destination I was so glad we didn't bring her. There was no way her wheelchair could have handled the rocky, bumpy ground in the dark. The crowd was huge and it just would not have been fun for her at all. We did manage to get there in time to see the train pull in. The picture is blurry, but it was pretty neat seeing it roll past right up close.
The CP Holiday Train, North America’s longest-running rolling fundraiser, has become an annual holiday tradition for many food banks. Two freight trains, both decked out in thousands of feet of festive lighting, roll into communities on both sides of the border with entertainers performing from a boxcar that has been converted into a mobile stage. Since 1999, the CP Holiday Train has entertained thousands while raising about $5.6 million and collecting over 2.5 million pounds of food for local food bank programs. For many food banks along the way, this is their major fundraiser for the next 12 months. In all, the two specially-decorated trains will visit about 150 communities with everything collected at each stop staying in that community for local distribution.
After watching Valdy sing a few Christmas songs, we decided to sneak away before it was over and the crowds were all trying to leave at the same time. Avoid the gong show at all costs! Marissa was sad to leave before it ended, but when we said we were going for hot chocolate at Starbucks she was a happy camper. Now I always order her hot chocolate half sweet, with no whip. But not Daddy. He orders it full-on sweet with whipping cream and chocolate drizzle on top, just the way it should be. And when he brought it over, her eyes lit up and she sat there and slurped up all the whip. As we sat there warming up with our nice hot drinks Marissa told me she had a secret. She leaned over to my ear and whispered, "this is the best date ever".
My heart is full.
I felt sad leaving Taylor at home with respite, but when we got to our destination I was so glad we didn't bring her. There was no way her wheelchair could have handled the rocky, bumpy ground in the dark. The crowd was huge and it just would not have been fun for her at all. We did manage to get there in time to see the train pull in. The picture is blurry, but it was pretty neat seeing it roll past right up close.
The CP Holiday Train, North America’s longest-running rolling fundraiser, has become an annual holiday tradition for many food banks. Two freight trains, both decked out in thousands of feet of festive lighting, roll into communities on both sides of the border with entertainers performing from a boxcar that has been converted into a mobile stage. Since 1999, the CP Holiday Train has entertained thousands while raising about $5.6 million and collecting over 2.5 million pounds of food for local food bank programs. For many food banks along the way, this is their major fundraiser for the next 12 months. In all, the two specially-decorated trains will visit about 150 communities with everything collected at each stop staying in that community for local distribution.
After watching Valdy sing a few Christmas songs, we decided to sneak away before it was over and the crowds were all trying to leave at the same time. Avoid the gong show at all costs! Marissa was sad to leave before it ended, but when we said we were going for hot chocolate at Starbucks she was a happy camper. Now I always order her hot chocolate half sweet, with no whip. But not Daddy. He orders it full-on sweet with whipping cream and chocolate drizzle on top, just the way it should be. And when he brought it over, her eyes lit up and she sat there and slurped up all the whip. As we sat there warming up with our nice hot drinks Marissa told me she had a secret. She leaned over to my ear and whispered, "this is the best date ever".
My heart is full.
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