Another Look at 2009

Here it is already halfway through January and I'm just getting around to posting this now. Here are a few stories and pictures from 2009 that I never got around to blogging about.

C turned 7 this year. For her birthday, we made a Dive-On-In cake. In the months leading up to her birthday, C had poured over the Kraft website and watched lots of the cooking videos and looked at all the cakes to decide which cake she wanted. The Dive-On-In cake was her favourite. It was fun to decorate and yummy too.

I noticed early in the summer that wasps were getting into the brick wall on the front door side of the garage. There wasn't that many at first, but the activity gradually increased to the point that we knew we had a nest somewhere in the wall, or up in the soffits. Hubby called around for advice and was told that if there was only one entrance, we could block it and starve the wasps. That seemed easy enough, so one night after the wasp activity settled down, we blocked the entrance and figured the problem was solved.

The next day, there were a bunch of angry wasps flying around and pecking up and down the brick wall as they searched for an alternate entrance...we could no longer use our front door for fear of being stung. The wasps found what they were looking for and I watched in horror as I saw them getting in through many places under the soffits and front porch......we knew it was time for an exterminator. The exterminator told us that we should never block an entrance because they are determined critters and will find alternate entrances...even into your own home. Also it's much easier to deal with the problem when there is only one entrance. He laid the poison down and the wasp activity settled down very quickly. After many weeks of wasp activity by the front door, I was in awe of the silence that now greeted us when we opened the front door.

In the summer, hubby and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. We had planned on taking a trip to Europe, but decided to put it off for another year. Instead we spent time at my in-laws trailer, as well as taking some day trips to a couple of Ontario attractions...Marineland and the Toronto zoo...both highlights of the summer for C as she loves animals and rides.

She wanted to go on all the rides at Marineland... starting with the Sky Screamer...the scariest ride in the entire park. I said we'd have to work our way up to that one. She and I rode most of the rides in the park, but never made it on the Sky Screamer as she changed her mind after riding a real roller coaster for the first time.

At the Toronto Zoo, C could barely contain her excitement about seeing so many different animals that she starting screaming, pointing and jumping up and down when we first arrived and she saw wild geese in the parking lot. She wanted to see every animal in the zoo, so we walked the entire 10+ km trail through the park in one day. However, C was really disappointed that she didn't get to see the lion very well. He spent the whole time we were in that section sleeping with his back to us.

In the fall, I started to teach C piano. She had been asking me for a while to teach her and I thought now would be a good time to start. She was keen and enthusiastic at first, but that soon wained as she realized that it was going to be work if she wanted to play like mommy. I'm trying to take it at her pace and use a little bribery, or rather rewards, too. I have purchased some special dollar store items that she can pick from once she obtains enough lesson points. Hopefully one day soon I'll be able to post a little video of her playing.

C's reading ability has skyrocketed over the last couple of months. She loves to read and will read multiple early chapter books (around 75 pages) in one day. We love it...C is a talker so the silence of reading is music to our ears.

We hosted another Irish homestay this year. And like usual, it didn't take long before C became very attached to her and we were soon joking that our Irish girl had a fan club. We didn't realize how attached C was to her until she left for home and we were left with a sobbing child who was inconsolable. It made me wonder if we should be putting C through this all the time. The morning she was to leave for Ireland, C wrote her the cutest letter and pushed it under her door with chocolate. It read...I miss you a lot. I hop you can come to canada again. you give me the best presits. rit to me soon ok. Frum your #1 fan. The best presits being a matching hat, mitts and scarf set in leopard print...it was the perfect gift for C as she loves leopard print.

My sister-in-law works for an organization that was looking for kid voices for their Christmas fundraising radio ads. She asked us if C would be interested in recording her voice for these ads. It was a neat experience for C, who did really well...so well that they want her to come back next year.

Two years ago, my sister and I started a new Christmas tradition for my dad...we fill a stocking for him and leave it out with the kids stockings so that it looks like Santa brought grandpa presents too. This year, my dad wanted to tease the grand kids so he went out and purchased the largest stocking he could find. When he showed his large stocking to the kids and told them that he was going to leave it out for Santa, C's responded with...That doesn't mean you are going to get more stuff.

Blessings

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

I've been a little under the weather over the last few weeks...feeling bummed at times that the recovery process has been a little slow...especially during the time of year when there is so much to do. But as a friend reminded me, I need to remember God's blessings.

I am blessed with an amazing husband who has had to do so much more over the last few weeks and has never complained once.

I am blessed with an amazing church family which has provided meals and even cleared snow too.

I am blessed with an amazing Heavenly Father that knows what his daughter needs....

Last Friday I was feeling really cooped up and wanted to get out for a walk. With the nasty weather, snow and being unsteady on my feet, I thought a walk at the mall would be perfect...but had no one to take me. As I humoured options of who could take me and whom I would feel comfortable taking their arm for support, I thought..."I want my dad". I knew my dad would be the perfect person to walk me around the mall...but I also knew that it wouldn't happen as he lives 45 minutes away and would probably be working. I decided I would just have to get hubby to take me after he came home from work.

But God had another idea.

At 3 pm, the door bell rang and when I saw whose face was pressed against the window, tears welled up in my eyes. I flung the door open and said to my dad as I gave him a hug..."Oh dad, I'm so glad you're here. I wanted you to come." I had not called him to come...but my Heavenly Father knew I needed my dad and had him come. Isn't that cool!

Back to School - Grade 2

Last week C started Grade 2. She was so excited to be going back to school, and even more excited that a couple of her friends were in her class. I'm not sure if I'm ready for grade 2...she's growing up way too quickly. At least she still wants to hold my hand as we walk to school...even on the playground.

To continue what I started last year, here is my grade 2 school photo. Same ringlets...just a little longer...and it looks like mom did a better job on my bangs (or perhaps I start still better). I'm not sure how long I'll continue this tradition of posting my school photos...it starts to go downhill around grade 5 when I cut all my hair off and started wearing glasses that were half the size of my head.

Missing Daddy

Hubby went away to a conference a couple of weeks ago and was gone for five days. C was quite upset the first night that he left, even hovering over the answering machine to hear his voice on the message he left to tell us he had safely arrived at his destination. When it came time for bed C had a tearful request that melted my heart.

"Can I sleep in one of daddy's shirts?"

"Sure. Go pick out one of his T-shirts from the closet."

"Which shirt does he wear the most?"

"I'm not sure C. Why don't you look and see which one you remember him wearing the most."

"I think it's the sail boat one."

"Alright, wear that one. Why do you want to wear the one that he wears the most?"

"Because then it feels like his arms are around me giving me a hug."

Wordless Wednesday - Toothless

Thanks to my sis for the pic.

Soccer Season I

Back in March hubby said..."I think we should sign C up for soccer. She needs an outlet for all her energy". At first I wasn't keen on the idea as there were practices or games twice a week. But after some thought I realized that it was only for 2 months and it didn't hurt to try it. It would be good to expose her to sports so that she wasn't sports challenged like her mother. I was always picked last for school gym teams and avoided most sport activities like the plague as I have no confidence or skill. The last time I was coaxed to play a sport (family friendly church baseball game), I ended up in emergency getting 3 stitches. I tried to catch hubby's pop fly, but missed and caught it with the side of my head.

It was a good soccer season and I was quite surprised at how much I enjoyed watching the games. We were also really impressed with how well C was doing by the end of the season. Every once in a while she would get a burst of energy and on a breakaway would take the ball up the field and try to score a goal. Pretty proud parents we were. We would love for her to play again next year, but we doubt that that will happen as we realize that soccer is not something that overly interests her...we'll see what she says next year. But at least with one season under her belt, she has more sports ability than her mother.

Proverbs 3

"C, God tells us in the Bible that if we follow his commands it will go well with us...and we'll live a long life. Do you want it to go well with you?"

"Yes"

"Do you want to live a long life?"

"Well....I do want to see Grandma..."

Father's Day Coupons

C could not wait to give hubby his Father's Day gift that she made him at school. So Friday after she came home, she requested if she could give the present to him early. She was just too excited to wait. She had made a coupon book in class of things that hubby could "rip a coupon out and ask for". Hubby and I had a good laugh reading them.

This coupon is good for...

...Dad's day out
...make breakfast in bed
...I'll take you out for dinner
...games
...back scratch
...tuck him in at night
...me making lunch
...Tickle party
...bedtime story
...movie and popcorn

It was so cute, because in her mind I'm sure she was thinking that she enjoys these things...so daddy would too.

Quest for Curls

A few weeks ago our church organized a Princess Tea Party for all the daughters of the King. C was very excited about going to the party. We planned to wear matching dresses (thanks to my sister who had made C a dress for Christmas from the material left over from her wedding) and C wanted to have her hair curly for the event. Now C did not get my curly hair...she got hubby's dead straight hair. I didn't think it would be that difficult to curl her hair, but I was so wrong and very glad that we experimented ahead of time.

First I tried to curl C's hair with a curling iron. This has always worked very well for me, but curling curly hair is totally different than trying to curl straight hair. I wrapped her hair around the curling iron and waited a little bit. When I released her hair, there was only a little curve at the very bottom of her hair. I wrapped the hair around the curling iron again and waited longer. This time I got a little more curl...but not a lot. After about 5 minutes, I gave up on the curling iron.


I then tried to curl C's hair using hot rollers. I've never used hot rollers before and didn't really know how to use them. My initial attempt looked pretty pathetic. My second attempt was better as I figured out how the pin worked to keep the roller in place. The hot rollers did give more curl than the curling iron, but the curl quickly fell out.


My sister-in-law told me to try rolling C's hair in foam rollers and have her sleep on them. So I went and purchased foam rollers from the Dollar store and rolled C's wet hair in them. In the morning, C was quite happy with the outcome and I was impressed with how well the foam rollers worked.


The curl stayed in longer, but by mid afternoon it was droopy. I figured if I used more rollers and put less hair in each one, I would be able to get a tighter curl. So the night before the Princess Tea party, I put 30 rollers in C's wet hair.

I thought the curl would fall out of her hair if I took the rollers out too early, so I waited until 45 minutes before we were to leave for the Tea Party to take the rollers out. We both got the shock of our lives as the curl was so tight, her hair sprang up above her ears.

She was NOT impressed and quite upset. I tried to stay calm and reassure her I could fix it (even though I wasn't convinced I could). I tried to pulled some of the curl out by running my fingers though it to separate it. But it was still really tight. So I pinned the sides up so that they didn't fall in her face and hoped the curl in her hair would start relaxing soon. It did and looked great.

The Garden Battle

Here are the gardens in our backyard. Actually, just half of them as there are more gardens along the back of the house and in the front yard. The previous owners planted them all.


You probably think it looks really nice...except maybe the sandbox in the middle. Lets take a closer look.



The weeds and plants are out of control. Every year we battle to keep the weeds out of the garden and the plants out of the lawn...but it looks like this year they have already won. It looks awful and extremely overwhelming. We have avoided using pesticides for the last 3 years thinking we could control weeds without the use of chemicals...but now realize it's impossible unless we plan to spend all our free time in the garden. So this year, we were going to use pesticides to regain control of the yard...but can't because pesticides have been banned in our area. So all I can do now is covet my neighbour's beautiful garden free backyard which also has a really nice deck and shed.


Although the task is daunting, I still love to see the new growth of the wanted plants coming back.


C was a great help in the garden this weekend...digging weeds and pulling out dead growth. I was a little shocked though at what she chose to do when she wasn't helping...cutting worms with a stick, or cutting an ant with the snipers, or poking holes in snail shells because she wanted the slug to come out. After I requested numerous times for her to be nicer to the bugs, she got upset and told me I never let her do stuff like this.