Ho Ho Ho!

Peekaboo has definately passed the "terrified of Santa" phase! When he came to the Play School Christmas Party at the bowling alley, she was practically vibrating she was sooooo excited!!

She has asked Santa for a VERY specific gift this year. She saw music boxes with twirling ballerinas in the Sears Wishbook. She would like one, that has a heart on it, a ballerina that twirls around inside and...wait for it....plays the song "Baby Mine" from Dumbo! Do you believe it!?! The girls definately knows what she wants!!

She has recently made an addition to the list, dominoes?!?! I don't know-she is crazy!

She has also asked Santa to bring Ezra something, she doesn't know what. When I asked her she said "Santa can pick it." Seems like sound logic to me.

Earlier this week we were taking the dog for a walk after dinner. It was snowing nice, big, fluffy flakes (strange for here) Peekaboo started twirling down the centre of the road (traffic-free!) with her arms over her head, singing "Have a holly, jolly Christmas!" at the top of her lungs! It was frickin' halarious!!! There was a woman out walking the opposite direction, who commented on her enthusiasm for the snow, what an understatement!

Ezra has also met Santa, and was relatively cool about it...

...maybe it is because he looks remarkably similar to Poppa...?!

Urgh!!

So, I sat at the Craft Fair for 3 hours Saturday afternoon. I was selling fleece stuff and also some really cute hats that I crocheted. I didn't sell many of the hats, unfortunately. Sunday, we are out and about town, doing some errands....I had THREE different people comment on the kids' hats and ask me if I sell them...!!!! Where were they on Saturday?@?!

Time, Time, Time....!

I haven't posted in a while (as you can see!!) I have been busy with, well, life!!

This weekend I was at the annual craft sale, selling my wares. I did pretty good, made a profit anyway! Peekaboo is more than willing to wear any of the leftovers!

We have been fine. Ezra livened up the house for a few days while cutting his first tooth. It made it's appearance on Wednesday-thank goodness! He is doing fine, weighing 19 1/2 pounds at 6 months old, no worries about him!! Peekaboo is great. She is really enjoying Playschool, and comes home just full of new information. I am still looking after Charlotte 4 days a week and that is working out really well. She and Peekaboo play well (well, as well as can be expected of two 3 year-olds!) and they travel to and from Playschool on the bus together.

Our crappy town has cancelled our Santa Claus Parade!! Hay River sure can suck some times! How disappointing. It was supposed to be today, but.... We decided that we are going to decorate for Christmas today. I know that it is still November, and we have always waited until the first weekend of Dec to decorate, but this year we need the extra holiday boost that having festive decorations up will give us!

I am really looking forward to Christmas this year. Peekaboo is asking Santa for a music box that sings "Baby Mine" (nothing like being specific!) and a set of dominoes?!?! She is one strange child!! Ezra would be happy with a box full of paper, but Peekaboo is asking Santa to bring him a new toy too!!

Boo!

So, for those of you keeping track....I stay at home with my (almost) 3 year-old daughter, and my 5 month old son, and I babysit a friend's 3 year-old daughter. I make fleece dresses and jumpers that I am going to try and sell at the annual Christmas craft sale in November. I have been teaching local Hay Riverites how to make tiny knit hats for babies in Africa, and I started this blog :P
Now, I have volunteered to coordinate the Hay River Play School's annual Halloween Carnival! It is the weekend before Halloween, and is a major fund-raiser for the Play School. I have a great committee to work with and delegate to. I am working on getting donations and prizes for the kids, figuring out what equipment we have from last year that we can reuse, finding out if I have a budget and what it might be, and (most importantly) what Peekaboo, Ezra and I are going to dress up as!!

Quiet once again...

Well, the parental units have departed for parts south. It was super-fantastic having them visit, a very nice autumn surprise!





















With only 11 days until my sister arrives for 1 1/2 weeks, it is difficult to not feel the tug of family. We sure miss having those we love closer-which leads me to the discussion that Tim and I have at least once every two weeks...If we move from here, where should we go?
Those of you who know us also know that we have moved from Hay River twice before. We always seem to wind up back here somehow! We moved to Ontario for 3 weeks, the summer of 2004, after living her for only 10 months. We moved back and stayed until Peekaboo was almost 6 months old, moving to Comox BC in the spring of 2006. We stayed there until August, at which point we moved to Inuvik-I taught Grade 4 there for the year. July 1st saw us heading back to Hay River.
With a second child now in the picture, one more reason to be closer to family. My Dad and Liz are the only family that have actually met Ezra-the Ontario crew hasn't had the pleasure yet. Our children have celebrated holidays and special occasions without their extended family. It makes me sad. Aunt Deni will be here for Peekaboo's birthday this year, and she is super-excited! It is the first birthday she will have had with anyone besides Tim and I.
Peekaboo also is very creative, artistic and energetic. I think she would absolutely blossom in a dance or movement class of some kind. Again, not available in Hay River. She loves to spend time outside, as do I. Unfortunately, the two seasons here are 'bug season' and -40 season!
Every time I see my family, it brings all of this up again. I am fairly certain that if we move again, we won't be moving back! We will see.
In the mean time, Peekaboo is thoroughly enjoying Playschool. She finally got to take the bus, and didn't even look back as she barrelled down the driveway! She is preparing for her 3rd birthday party, complete with Strawberry Shortcake birthday cake, and Aunt Deni!
Our weather has turned around, with sun and a warm feeling in the air-after a week of rain and tremendous winds.
I am the Coordinator of the Hay River Playschool Halloween Carnival, and am enjoying having the excitement of having something a little different to do!
All in all, it is shaping up to be a pretty nice autumn!

Play School

Today is the big day! Peekaboo and Charlotte will be heading off to Play School on the little white bus this morning. I don't know how Peekaboo feels about the whole thing, but I couldn't sleep last night!

My Baby Girl

Unbelievably, my 'baby' girl has started Playschool. Children who turn 3 before the 31st of December can go to Hay River Play School. Last year, I was babysitting a little girl who went to Playschool-every Tuesday and Thursday morning the little white bus would come and pick her up at our house, then drop her off just before lunch. Peekaboo would practically quiver with excitement just seeing it-Well, next Tuesday she gets to ride it!!

This Tuesday was the orientation. Ezra and I accompanied her to Play School, she met her classmates, they played and sang. Today, we took her at 9am (getting out of the house and to Playschool by 9am? Tough!! Thank goodness for the bus that starts next week!) I went in with her, took off my shoes and showed her that I wasn't leaving until she was ready. I ended up there for about 20 minutes. A couple of times she looked up in a panic and said, "Don't leave Mommy" Finally, I told her that Ezra and I were going to leave for a little while. She looked at me and said, "You will come back and get me, right Mommy?" Needless to say, within the safety of my van a tear or two escaped.

When I went back to pick her up (5 minutes early) she was all smiles and artwork!! She had a tour of, and a short ride on, the bus to prepare for next week. She, obviously, had a great time and didn't miss me at all!! I am glad, really I am.

How quickly the tiny, needy, helpless, bald little people become 'big kids'. I cherish the memories of her as a newborn, the first time she sat up by herself, her first steps and first words. And now, her first day at Play School-without Mommy or Daddy by her side. Our job, as parents, is to prepare our children to be out in the world. Teach them independence and confidence...but does it have to happen so soon? She is ready, I guess I better be too!