Piano Elf

An elf appeared at our piano today and graced us with music.

This elf looked vaguely familiar to our daughter, 

who usually sports a more toque-ish style!

A ribbed beret

 In our neck of the woods it is snowing...again.

At the beginning of the week there was only a little snow on the yard.

Then it snowed, almost melted, and this evening the mountain is encircled with clouds

and we are being sent more white stuff....sigh!

 The only good thing about this cold weather is

that it keeps the girls and I crafting.

Today they created "Fortresses" with popsicle sticks and hot glue,

while I knitted.

What a lovely day!

 My oldest daughter is modeling the beret I finished over spring break.

It fits her a little better than her younger sister.

But her little sister has made it clear, she isn't getting it.

Ravelry: Design B - Berets for Women and Girls

Yarn: Sirdar Escape DK

I am really happy how the beret turned out.

Some comments said that it turned out larger than they wanted.

So, I really watched my tension and decreases,

and think the end result is lovely.

The girls

Our little gaggle of girls enjoying Maui back in December

frozen

northern lake,

my daughter and our dog

5 kms of trail and a pair of skiis

splendid!

sisters

they laugh, giggle, cry and fight,

sometimes they drive each other crazy

but somehow they always grow closer,

understanding each other, needing each other

family

for this i am thankful

Doing what she loves

the everyday moments

This little girl of mine is one of a kind.

When she wants a hug or a cuddle she will literally climb up you to get one.

When I am teaching school, she often wiggles her way in between books and paper and snuggles in.

~

On the other hand, when she needs space, move away and give her some.

~

Tonight when I was tucking her, I wanted a snuggle, but she didn't and slid over to the other side of the bed. So I kneeled beside her bed in the semi-darkness and kept talking to her.

All of a sudden she was back on my side of the bed, asking if I was sad. I told her that I wasn't really, but had just wanted a hug.

~

She immediately hopped up and embraced me. Afterwards, she sat on her heels and said "Momma I love you, but there is a God up in heaven that loves you a whole lot more than I do!"

~

I was stunned by her words and the timing of their delivery. Knowing that she gave me what I thought needed (a hug) but pointed me to what I really need every day, God!

a doll quilt

I had a little bit of leftover fabric and whipped together a little doll quilt for my youngest. This project was really fast and came together well. All my girls still love playing dolls and what better than a little bit of love to wrap them in.

I went completely unconventional and threw on a bright border. The blue is actually in the quilt in a few places. It seemed a little more fun than more orange or yellow.

One more handmade done for Christmas. Speaking of which, since all my kids are asleep, I have one more to finish. It's starting to feel a little last minute!

a christmas wish

Papaya had a very specific Christmas list.

She was worried that we wouldn't have anywhere to put our stockings. The stockings that are hung every year on the railing/banister of our stairs. So she wrote a quick wish and gave it to her Dad.

In the spring we had replaced the carpet in our living room and upstairs. However we never put our banister back up because my husband's busy field season was upon us.

The "wish list" from our daughter was the incentive he needed to get started on the project again. I figure it is better the kids encouraging him, then me nagging. So, with the help of a friend, who is a contractor, from church they hauled out the tools and started to tackle the project.

Here is what it looked like for the last 7 - 8 months.

Here the bottom plate and main post are getting set in.

Then a days work is almost done as they, okay friend, place the last spindles. The work isn't really done. The railing is just primed white and we need to decide exactly how we are going to paint it. Any suggestions?Here is our "Chief Inspector". She had her magnifying glass out and was a helpful little girl to the gentlemen that were working.
And here is the answer to a little girls wish.

The stockings are hung by the stairs with care,

in hopes that St. Nicholas soon will be there.

another one done....almost

I am trying to tick the things to do off my Christmas list.

This is one of those projects.

And it is almost done.

This is my last pair of Christmas socks to knit.

I will be glad when it is done.

After that only a few more small sewing projects and I should be done.

a few little smiles

This afternoon I tried to clear my head a little bit.
So I took my camera and headed outside.
Sometimes with photography things work out just right.

And for reasons I can't even totally explain right now, I LOVE the above picture.
It is straight out of camera. I love the colours, the mood and the expressions.
I took a few others.

This one picture absolutely cracked me up though.

Really, who has a dog that blinks for a picture?

I got the proper shot of them both looking, but this one is so cute.

Should run, my kleenex box is calling!

daughter's observations

"Mom it looks like you want Christmas to come pretty bad!"

"Why's that?"

"Because your nose is red like Rudolph's!"

Haha, I seem to have a comedian in the making.

Good thing they make us laugh.

As for right now,

regardless that I am physically attached to my box of kleenex,

I think I am going to bundle up,

go outside

and get a little sun.

Anything has got to beat being stuck inside feeling yucky.

new advent tradition

Here's our newest tradition.

I splurged a little and bought this advent truck.

It has 24 drawers in it.

To count down the days until Christmas.

Our girls were very excited this morning.

With 3 girls and 24 drawers the math works out perfectly.

They will each get 8 turns opening a drawer.

Each drawer will contain a little something.

Maybe a chocolate or eraser.

Maybe a bible verse about the Christmas story.

Maybe a little task of kindness.

I only have 6 days done,

even though they don't know that yet!

The drawers are small too only 4 cm x 4 cm.

Any ideas would be great!

Then this afternoon we put on music

and they spent time painting some Christmas decorations

made out of a baked dough.

Messy but fun! The perfect day!

mortifyingly funny

My child! She never ceases to amaze me. Doing and saying things in places that I rather she wouldn't.

Today we were at the hairdresser. All three girls needed a cut. Long past due since they hadn't had their haircut since the middle of summer.

Boo-boo was done her cut and watching Papaya finish up her cut. Someone said something funny and the hairdresser laughed.

It was a little thready laugh with a slight beat too it
"Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh"

Which Boo-boo immediately echoed by the same "Heh-heh-heh-heh-heh"

Which made the hairdresser laugh again.
Which made Boo-boo echo again.
Which made others in the hairdresser shop burst into laughter, including her mother.

It was so entirely funny. After I regained my composure I tried to explain that I didn't think she was mocking her, just repeating a new sound. But I quickly felt like I might dig a hole big enough to get into so I stopped.

Mercifully, the next time she laughed, Boo refrained!

a child's view on grandparents

While I was driving Papaya home from swimming today, she started to make a comment about how her Opa like lots of butter, actually too much, on his toast. We then talked about how he also likes lots of peanut butter with his butter. Papaya commented that she thought that was okay when she was younger, but now that she is older, it's pretty gross. (Just a reminder she isn't quite 8!)

However, all that said, she reminded me that Opa's are good for some things, like rice with brown sugar and cinnamon, as well as cartoons! She has always thought that his lap is pretty comfortable for curling up on. Especially to watch those cartoons.

I asked her, "What about Oma's?"
"Well she is good for peppermints," came her quick reply.

pressures

Tonight the girls and I had an interesting conversation at supper. They were lamenting. Struggling a bit. Feeling the pressure to grow up, when they have hardly had the chance to be a kid.

Apparently, a couple of kids have said directly to them, that they think they are too old to play with barbies and dolls. They have also perceived this in general from a few others.

The thing that is crazy is that my two older girls are 7 and 9. Pushing 8 and 10. Yes, they can spend hours dressing, caring and making elaborate games with their dolls and barbies. They still play dress-up and polly pockets. But isn't that what childhood is about?

I think our girls are creative. They read feverishly. They spend hours outdoors and find interest in many things this computer generation passes by. Too be honest, in many things I pass by.

They teach me to slow down.
Enjoy the moment.
Look and listen.
Stop.
Breathe.

I wonder what happens when a society tells our children "Grow up!"
"Hurry up!"
When children as young as 10, 11 are reading "Twilight" instead of "Pippy Lockingstocking"

It leaves me sad that our society would want to rush them through this preciously short stage of life....to what?

boo-boo's 5th birthday party

So our little girl is turning five. Her actual birthday is next week but a weekend party was much easier to plan.

She decided that what she really wanted was to decorate cupcakes. At first she said cookies, but with a little hint she thought cupcakes were a fine idea.

She didn't want all her friends to come dressing up as a princess, prince or fairy. She wanted them to come in their regular clothes. So to accomodate the messy decorating, Mommy made everyone an apron they could take home. It was really an inexpensive project. We already had the pink duck fabric and we picked up less than half a metre of the car fabric for the boys.

We spent about half-an-hour decorating cupcakes.

Lots of icing. Lots of candy.

Lots of smiles.

Then my older two girls organized games for the kids. Any one need party planners? I might just have two up for hire.

They played musical chairs.

Pin the tail on the bear. As well as bean bag toss, treasure hunt and they spun the bottle for turns while they gave gifts. What a blessing our older girls were today!

In all, it was a great day for a great girl.

~

She is our little bundle of energy who grabs life by the tail, plays hard and climbs high.

~

Just today we found her standing on top of the bar stool trying to get something from the closet. Yesterday, she climbed across the washer to get something from the cupboard up above. Seems hard to keep her feet on the floor most times.

~

Yet, she's the one who often says, with a hug, "Momma, I love you too much!"

Melt my heart, I love you too my little sunshine!

a beary world

Boo-boo has been learning all about bears, both real and imaginary. So yesterday in school we made a little bear of her own. She wasn't being very cooperative when it came to taking pictures.She looks mad in this picture but she wasn't. I think she wanted to just go and have some quiet time with her new special friend.

~

I helped her cut the bear out, using big sharp scissors. Then she stitched around the whole bear and stuffed it. At supper time she finally picked out the eyes she wanted and we gave bear a little face.

~

A fun snowy day craft!

round and round she goes

I knew she could,
But part of me was reluctant to let my baby go!

However, the moment I took the training wheels off she didn't stop

She didn't look back to see where I was

It was like she never had them at all.

She could have those wheels off a couple of months ago,

but her Mommy wasn't ready.
~
Now when snow could fall any day and stay for months
I decide to let her have the freedom she wants and is ready for

At the end she even knew her bike had to go in the rack now!
My "big" little girl!