Sophie's 4th Birthday

I can't believe that Sophie is 4 already!  Her birthday was on a Wednesday and like every Wednesday, she went to preschool.  However, this was an extra special day because it was her snack day, which meant that not only was she leader all morning, but I also got to volunteer in her classroom.  So after I dropped Elise off at Sarrah's house (a first for Elise, being dropped off somewhere), we headed to Sophie's school.  I got to see her daily school routine and participate in all the listening, learning, singing and dancing.  I also got to help with snack and craft time.  Sophie decided her classmates should have a choice for snack time so we made princess/pony sugar cookies and cupcakes.  It was a lovely morning and I am so glad I got to spend that special time with Sophie.  It also made me realize just how much I miss being a teacher!

Celebrating Chinese New Year at school

Later that day, we gave her our birthday present, which she loved!



On the weekend, we had a birthday party for Sophie at Vecova.  She wanted a My Little Pony birthday party this year.  Her good friends, Sarrah, Scarlett and Finn, Candice, Caiden and Aileen, Denny, Chelsea, Emily and Logan, Nike and Dara, Dennis and Alyssa, Kelly, Jude and Jonah, Sana, Aunty Nat and Uncle Rob, all came to celebrate Sophie's 4th birthday.  We spent an hour playing in the gym, then headed to the birthday room for snacks, cake, cupcakes and cookies (because our friends need options!).  Then Sophie got to open the mountain of gifts she was generously given.  There was a great variety of crafts, games and farm animals for her new barn.  It is so nice to have such wonderful and amazing friends!

Pony Princess!

Check out that cake!  More than just a pretty face (as my husband would say).

We also had several visitors come by over the past couple weeks, bringing birthday wishes for the girls.  The weekend before Sophie's birthday Mamie and Pepere came to visit, the weekend after her party, Uncle Dan, Aunt Tina, Madeleine and Vincent came, and just last weekend, Nana and Papa came to stay with us for a night.  We love having family come visit!

Great tool set!  Thanks Mamie and Pepere!

Check out the matching Frozen shirts!  Thanks Aunty Tina!

Touching moment with Papa, walking at Bowness Park

 

To see more pics from the last few months, click here and here.

Christmas 2014

December was a long, and busy month, getting ready for Christmas, getting over flus and colds (that still just won't go away!), and keeping up with our Advent activity calendar. 

Sophie and I were busy decorating the house, baking up a storm, making cards, wrapping presents and singing Christmas carols every chance we got.  She has inherited my love for the holidays, which makes her mom so proud. 

The girls were sick since almost the beginning of the month so there were some high and low days, some pajama and hold down the couch days, but what better time for it than the winter. 

I tucked a piece of paper with a Christmas activity behind each decoration on our advent calendar.  So from the beginning of December, we were busy doing all sorts of fun holiday crafts, like building a gingerbread house, and making and sending Christmas cards to all her friends, as well as taking trips, including going to the Twelve Days of Christmas at Heritage Park, Christmas concerts, sledding, and skating.  Sophie also participated in her very own Christmas concert at preschool.  She was feeling a bit under-the-weather that day and we thought we weren't going to make it, but after a little breakfast, she pulled it together.  It was so cute!

 Also new to us this year was our Elf on a Shelf.  She arrived December 1st and Sophie named her Sophie.  Not only was she terrible at finding creative spots and activities to do each night as some might see other elves do on Pinterest, but some nights, she completely forgot to find a new place to hide.  Sophie found her to be a bit lazy.  Perhaps next year she will do better.

Mamie, Pepere and Uncle Julien came for a few days before Christmas.  Ryan and I got to go on our anniversary date.  We went to see a Christmas Carol and then went for dinner.  It was great.  Not having family in town makes it difficult for us to have some time for just the two of us.  The girls enjoyed an early Christmas with Mamie and Pepere the next day and we had our turkey dinner later that evening.  A few days later, we had a quiet Christmas at home with just us, the girls and Hunter.  And then boxing day, we went to Olds for turkey dinner with the Van Ormans. 

The girls were spoiled as usual but I think the toys that were the biggest hit were Sophie's camera, the kitchen appliances, the princess dresses and accessories, the cowgirl dress-up outfit, and Elise's set of small horses (a popular pick for both girls).  They also got a water-colour pad and alphabet set, a stamp set, some puzzles, art kits, Anna and Elsa dolls and much more.  Ryan got an electric trailer jack and a Nakiska ski pass (2 whole days of just Dad time!), and I got a gift card for the spa (Mom time).  Another great Christmas!  Already starting to think of the fun activities we will do next year.

To see more pics of December, click here.

Wiggles' Biggest Fans

Last year, over the winter months, when we were stuck inside for days on end because of the cold, miserable weather, we discovered the Wiggles, an Australian musical group geared for kids.  While I had initially put this music dvd on for Sophie's entertainment, it quickly became Elise's most favourite thing to watch.  So much so, that every time she was fussy or cranky, we would throw on a Wiggle's dvd and she would be magically cured of the crankies.  She would get up to sing, dance, sway and follow along with the actions.  Our collection started with one accidental Wiggle dvd purchase, and now we have over a dozen movies.  We have spent so much time watching the Wiggles that Ryan, Sophie and I know most of the words to many, many songs, and Ryan and I have claimed the Wiggles as the sound track to our life.

When we found out that the Wiggles were coming to Calgary in October, we just had to buy tickets.  Ryan took the afternoon off and the four of us went to the Saddledome to enjoy the show.  The girls had a great time.  They were singing and dancing and of course, Mom spent way too much money on memorabilia.  But really, who knows if we will ever get the chance to see the Wiggles again!

There is one song in particular that Elise loves called "Rock-A-Bye Your Bear".  There are actions to this song that she has known since before she was a year old.  However, we always struggled to get a good video of her doing so.  As soon as the movie camera came out, her attention was on the camera instead of her performance.  Here is a video of Sophie and Elise doing the actions to "Rock-A-Bye Your Bear" at the Wiggles concert. A little hard to see since it was so dark.

Sophie's First Day of Preschool

Sophie started preschool this year at Creative Beginnings.  Her first day was hard on both of us.  I tried leaving several times, which made us both cry.  Eventually, the teachers had to gently suggest to me that it was time to go.  I left and sat in my car and cried some more while listening to Elise say "Sissy" over and over, not quite understanding why she wasn't with us.  I finally got myself together and left, moving on with my day.  I felt so guilty leaving her with strangers.  Since we have no family in the city, we have spent every day for the last three and a half years together; she has never been dropped off anywhere ever. 

I thought it would only get easier, but it didn't.  For the first month, Sophie cried each time I dropped her off and I kept wondering if it was too soon.  But yet when I picked her up, she was always happy she stayed and said she enjoyed herself.  After the third day, when I picked her up, the first thing she said was, "When can I come back?" So I knew that in the end, this was the right move for her.

The last two times I have dropped her off, there have been no tears, something I was starting to think might not ever happen.  It was a huge relief to me.  She loves her school and is such a little social butterfly.  Now when I pick her up, she tells me about a new friend she has made that she would like to have over for a play date.  I just can't keep up with her! 

Her teacher is Ms. Bango and her friend, Alyssa, from down the street, and her cousin, Liam, are both in her class.  She goes Monday and Wednesday mornings from 9 to 11:30 am.  They have music class one day and gym the other.  I look forward to hearing about the many friends she will meet and the many memories she will make at her new school this year.

      

Top 10 Things I Love About My One Year-Old...

In no particular order.

10. Her hair - I don't know where they come from but I love her crazy, curly locks and hope her hair continues to grow in curls.  It is just one more thing that makes her unique.

9. Her adventurous personality - Elise will climb chairs, tables or pretty much anything that gets in her way.  When she goes places, she is running at full speed.  She has had more tumbles, falls, scrapes and cuts in her short one and a half-years than her sister ever has.

8. Her fishy-kiss face - When it is time to go to bed or when one of us is leaving the house, Elise will perk up her lips into a fishy face to give us a kiss goodbye.

7. Her love of music - As soon as she hears music, she will stop and start bouncing to the music and making up her own words to the song.

6. Her excellent communication skills - Elise is very good at letting us know her wants and needs.  She grunts and points and if that doesn't work, she will just start screaming.  She will also use a quieter way of communicating by simply bringing us our shoes to tell us she is ready to go somewhere or grabbing a finger and taking us to wherever it is she wants us to go.

5.  Her small, carefully chosen vocabulary -  Elise knows a few words and sentences that suit her adventurous personality, such as "Big jump!" which she says every time before jumping off a step or her bed.  Other words or phrases she uses: puppy, bird, please, thank you, happy, sissy (as in sister), stop it and give me are among my least favourite.

4. Her hugs - Once she gets her arms around your neck, she squeezes tight.  I love it and hope she never stops!

3.  Her adoration for her sister - Elise loves Sophie so much.  She watches, follows and copies her older sister all day long.  I love to see them laugh and play together.

2.  Her affectionate nature - Whether it is giving out hugs, kisses or just plain old cuddles, this girl loves to give love.  And she isn't picky about who she is snuggling with; Baron is often the target of her affection.

1.  Her smile - She has a beautiful, heart-warming smile that makes her Mom forget just how tired she really is.

If you would like to remember Sophie's Top 10 with me, click here. 

More Growing Up

There were a couple of pretty special days for Sophie in June that shouldn't go unmentioned.  First, Sophie finished her first un-parented class, a move and movement class which she loved.  When it first started, I was so concerned that she wouldn't want to stay because it was the first thing she had ever done without me.  She was excited before the class even began and on the first day, she ran in without looking back.  Elise and I were left at the door, feeling lost without her.  Funny how things turn out.  Anyways, she loved the class and her teacher, and she can't wait until the fall to take another class.  She told me she wants to take ballet next!  We were allowed to attend her last class to take some pics.  We were so surprised at how well she listened to her teacher.  She was always the first to line up and follow instructions.  I wonder why she doesn't listen to her Mom like that...

Sophie also finished playschool at Early Discoveries this June.  We had been attending a parented class since September.  We went once a week to listen to stories, do crafts and sing songs.  Elise came with us as well and would sing and clap along.  Sophie's good friend, Emily, was also in this class.  Sophie received her very first diploma from her teacher, Mrs. Goodwyn.  Sophie will attend an un-parented preschool in the fall.  Such a big girl!

Our first camping trip of the year was also in June.  We went to Bow Valley with  our good friends, Scott, Lori, Nixon and Leland.  Despite a rough first night with little sleep, everyone had a great time. 

 To see more pics from the month of June, click here.

Family Pictures 2014

Elise is almost 16 months old and we only just got around to getting some family pics that included her.  We had planned on getting some in the fall but every time we booked the photographer, it snowed that weekend.  After a couple tries, we just gave up and decided to try again in the spring or summer, when it was less likely to snow.
We found a photographer to take pictures of us at Confederation Park.  It started out poorly; Sophie refused to look at the photographer or smile.  She was having a bad day and she just has issues with male strangers.  After 20 minutes or so, she warmed up a little and we managed to get some great pictures.  The photographer said on an average shoot, he takes 150 pictures in an hour.  He took 400 for our family and felt unsure that there were going to be enough good ones.  Ha ha!  Poor guy!  Not sure if we will be able to get him to take our pics next year.

 

 

 

 

To see more family pics, click here.  Don't worry I sifted through the 400 and only picked my favourite ones.