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Though I generally like to keep crafts pretty simple with the kids in charge of most of the process, during Christmas time I have been doing some artwork that is a little more complicated. These first two crafts I did in the first few years of elementary school and doing them with Leah brought back childhood memories.

The first one is made by saving old Christmas cards and cutting the front page out into circles before gluing three of them together with ribbon in the middle. The second one is made by colouring a picture with felt markers and then painting with canola oil and bordering with black paper. The oil lets the light shine through just like a stained glass window. This was the first time Leah has used markers.

I covered a few of our picture frames with paper and let the kids colour and glue Christmas pictures all over them. I also made hand print wreaths with the kids. Leah wouldn’t let me paint her hand last year put this year she was more excited about the prospect.

I never had a stocking growing up but decided to make one last year while my sister was making one at my mom’s house. Between that stocking and Leah’s one from last year and the one she made this year, our mantel looks very Leah-centric. I hope to do one every year with her to see how her art changes. Last year I remember it being so much effort trying to glue anything with the kids. This year I let them have had it on their own as they are all getting pretty proficient with glue sticks.

Because of this book, she now loves mermaids and will pick her mermaid puzzles over all of the others.

I may have gone to town with Christmas baking this year…

We had our extended family Christmas get together at Morgan’s mom’s house last weekend. We brought some gingerbread houses Morgan carefully constructed with graham crackers so the kids could decorate them. As Leah gets older, it is so much fun to see her participating in more and more activities. I wasn’t sure how well she would do or her interest hold up but was happy to see she did most of it herself while sitting on Morgan’s lap.

On Sunday evening we went out to a Christmas parade in Cloverdale. We sat on a blanket on the roadside while eating our dinner as we watched the semis and other participants go by.

Last weekend we met up with a mommy friend to check out the local Christmas festival. There wasn’t much for the kids to do in the morning but we still enjoyed looking at Christmas decor and checking out the vendors. They did get the ‘train’ up and running before we left which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. We also did got some errands done together which was great.

We have been busy doing Christmas baking. Leah likes to help me which works out very well. It keeps her happy and busy while I’m getting stuff done.

Morgan snapped a few pics of Leah while he was between stages of putting together gingerbread houses.

And last but not least, funny, fish faces.

As I sit here and type while hearing the rain pound upon our roof dissipating the remaining snow, I’m happy to report Leah has made friends with the snow. If the forecasters are correct, Leah will have at least a few more opportunities to enjoy the festive white over the winter.

Once the temperatures rose (up to -3.5 from -10) and the wind had calmed, we discovered beach toys make great snow toys. We made snow castles and threw snow around with shovels.

Leah and her buddy also discovered they could help clear the driveway by using their shovels. When we were done clearing our driveway, Morgan went to help a neighbour clear her driveway. Leah’s buddy wanted to go and help, which I thought was so sweet, so we went across the street and offered our assistance.

The snow seems to make life slow down and the world a brighter place. Neighbours visit while shoveling driveways, walks are taken and children engage spontaneously in snow play with no prior arrangements. It is all the more enjoyable when you have nowhere you need to go.

I’m glad the really cold weather comes in small doses so I can still take the kids out on a regular basis to get their energy out and we all don’t feel so housebound. Even though I’m not a fan of the early dark nights and the cold weather when we don’t go outside, it makes me appreciate the spring so much more.

Leah and I were waiting in the Doctor’s office a few weeks ago, doodling on a notepad I brought along for her to colour on. She recently learned how to write a the letter ‘o’. It’s big and messy but it is an ‘o’ and she is proud. I was writing out her name and she asked me to write an ‘o’. I explained that she does not have the letter ‘o’ in her name. She was sad about this realization so I told her she does have an ‘a’ which is an ‘o’ with a line on the side. She was still disappointed about the lack of an ‘o’ in her name, even after I told her I like her name just the way it is.

She is quite the character. Just look at this face, I can’t help but smile too.

Last week I was looking at the garden while the kids were playing outside and I was amazed at how much colour there was for being close to the end of fall. I was surprised to see a rose still in full bloom.

This tree has all different shades of green that looks like it should be springtime with new growth.

Alongside the flowers are signs winter is coming with barren trees and varying shades of brown overtaking what was once green and vibrant.

I pulled out my sad looking pumpkin/squash vines that only produced very mini watermelons except for one that was mini pumpkin size. I let Leah and her buddy play with it and they had a blast carrying it around the yard and pushing it down the slide.

This weekend we were surprised with snow. I heard the forecast but never fully believe them, especially when it comes to snow. Leah isn’t too fond of the snow and would rather be carried than walk through it. I took her for a small sled ride up and down our street but the unsteadiness of the sled because of the ruts in the road made for one unhappy girl. Next time we will have to stick to the yard.

I know it is past Halloween but these cookies just make me smile. They seem to have such personality… for being a pumpkin cookie.

I was looking through my early childhood resources so I could do some new and exciting activities at circle time. Almost everything is geared towards children 3-5 so I adapt where I can and create some new, age appropriate material where it is lacking. All the children I look after seem to be fascinated with fire trucks and everything that goes along with them. While the kids were playing, I was hand stitching up these guys. Now I need to find some great firefighter songs and rhymes.

Last but not least, a little dress for a beautiful, brand new baby girl. Baby girls have been in abundance lately so dresses abound.

On Remembrance Day we headed out to Vancouver to participate in their ceremony at the cenotaph. Leah was having a hard morning that day so I tried to help her mood by explaining what we were going to do. I told her about seeing marching bands, listening to trumpets and riding on the skytrain. Leah, being hesitant about riding on trains because they can be quite loud when stopping and starting, said maybe later we will ride on a train. I had to laugh a bit as when Leah suggests something that we aren’t going to do immediately that she is excited about, I respond with maybe later.

Turns out, she loved the skytrain. She helped get the tickets out of the machine and put them in her pocket. The skytrain is real quiet so Leah had no fears about getting on.

We arrived shortly before the ceremony began and found some great seats on the side of the road. We brought a blanket to sit on and patiently waited.

It was pretty cold out but we bundled up and stayed warm. I was very impressed at how well Leah sat through the singing and speeches. During the two minutes of silence, a few formations of planes flew over. In the midst of this somber remembrance, Leah yelled out with a few other children, “planes mommy, look at the planes” in a joyful tone. I just smiled to myself, while so grateful that when we hear planes go overhead I have no fear or need to rush my family into a bomb shelter.

Near the end of the ceremony Leah was asking to go. By this point, I was getting cold and feeling the same way. Fortunately the marching bands along with the parade of cadets and soldiers were next. While sitting on the roadside with the chill of the November day on my face as it started to rain, I thought about why Remembrance Day should be held in a warmer month of the year. But as my thoughts turned to why we participate, I thought the chill, rainy day is suitable for a day like Remembrance Day. While I’m so thankful for the peace in which our country lives, many soldiers fought in rainy trenches for weeks and months on end, fearing for their lives in the midst of horrible conditions so others may enjoy what I take for granted everyday. An hour or two with cold feet is nothing in order to honour their great sacrifice.

As we walked away, Leah on her daddy’s shoulders with an umbrella keeping her dry, I prayed for peace in our world and thanked God Leah has her daddy and I have my husband with me. I don’t think I will ever grasp the sacrifice made by those who left to fight and those who stayed home so that others could have a better life. I will remain thankful and that is why we will bring our family out in the chill for a couple of hours on a somber November day.

One Saturday morning Leah and I decided to visit my mom at her work before heading off to a lunch date. They were really busy as it was Thanksgiving weekend so Leah and I helped out a bit where we could. Pumpkin pies were selling quite fast so I helped out by putting on the pie crust leaves on to the top of the pie. Leah was feeling a little left out so my aunt got her a slightly burnt pie that was unsaleable and she put on the same leaves over and over again. She took her time, was very careful and was happy to be busy.

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Leah is convinced that every place we could ever go has toys for her to play with. We were at a restaurant the other day when Leah declared she was done eating her dinner and ready to go play. I told her there were no toys but she didn’t believe me. As it was a very small, open restaurant with only our large party there at the time, I told her to go and look for some. Though at first it seems odd to think everywhere has toys, it has been mostly true for her. Grandma has a whole toy cupboard, her friends all have lots of toys, the Dr’s office has a basket and even the local coffee shop has a whole playroom devoted to kid’s entertainment. Everywhere else we visit, such as the grocery store, Leah is too busy with the cart or other business that there is no time to look for toys.

When we were visiting a friend of mine at her parent’s house Leah asked for some toys. I didn’t bring any except for a few small doodads in the diaper bag as usually Leah is pretty good at entertaining herself. We did find a few toys downstairs that we brought up for her to play with. I remember having the same Fisher Price farm set as a kid. They also had a great tea set for Leah to play with as well. I love the toys from my childhood. They were so simple and quiet yet a child could be amused for hours with some help with their imagination.

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Tomorrow will be the last day I look after Leah’s best buddy. They have spent so many hours playing, exploring, eating and creating together and have grown so close. I hope they will remain close friends for a very long time. I was looking back at pictures from when I first starting looking after her and it is amazing how much they have grown and how their relationship has developed alongside their personalities.

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Leah received a tricycle last Christmas and has now learned how to pedal. For the first while, we kept it indoors but now it stays outdoors as she gets the hang of it. She hasn’t had much practice as I put it away when I have daycare kids here but seeing how much she enjoys this new accomplishment, we will be taking it out more.

One Sunday morning we went for a small stroll around the neighbourhood before church. Our street has a downhill slope which Leah really enjoyed. Going back home up the alley was a little more difficult as it was uphill and more narrow with ditches on either side. I’m glad Morgan was there to help steer Leah along.

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Last weekend I joined my group of ‘mommy friends’ and spent a night in Whistler. We had a really nice time relaxing, eating and chatting it up with each other. The fall colours were gorgeous as was the scenery on the way up.

I tried to be artsy…

We had a great time and the talk of getting away together again has already began. Though I loved the time away, I also cherished the big hug and excited greeting I received when I walked in the door.