Sweet Lily's Birthday and other Updates

My darling daughter turned four yesterday.  She was so excited to be four and every time I asked her how hold, she would hold up four fingers.  Wouldn't speak the words but very proud to show those four beautiful long fingers.  Gosh I just love this girl. 

We celebrated with our Vietnamese families we travelled with and they joined us at the Wiggles in Toronto (the new Wiggles) and then we came back to my house to have a fun dinner, playtime and then a magical story played out by Marjorie called Cuio and the Magical Banyan Tree - A Mid-Autumn Festival Tale.  It was so cute as all the kids towards the end of the story came out with their homemade lanterns in a parade to help Cuoi come back to earth.  So lovely to see the kids engaged in this story.

 

I have noticed my last post was Christmas 2012 and that is just shameful on my part.  It has been a busy time for us with lots of great memories created.  But let me chat about the big milestone....Lily started all day JK this past September and although the first week I thought I was going to call for a straight jacket, we did make it through.  Now we are in week 4 and things have settled down.  Today Lily ran into the class and yells back "Mama...a kiss, we forgot a kiss".  And so it goes as all things do.  She is feisty, funny, happy almost every waking hour, stubborn, goofy, sensitive, thoughtful, loving, picky, inclusive, and beautiful!  photos from that day soon to be posted.

Best Christmas Ever!!

Wow, it felt like such a whirlwind of activity this year.  Although we stayed at home in Toronto on Christmas Eve (to start giving Lily some of her own traditions), we sure covered some ground on Christmas Day visiting family.

We had some very magical moments that I have to mention here just in case I don't get it written elsewhere.  Lily really understood the holiday this year and singing Christmas songs while out walking from Jingle Bells, Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer to Oh Christmas Tree.  One of my favorite walks occurred after Christmas.  Erik brought Lily in her sled and Charlotte (our dog) down to meet me at the Go Train to walk home all together.  About 5 min into our walk Lily started talking very loudly, and saying "Ho Ho Ho, Merry Christmas to All My Friends", repeatedly.  Then she would add in, "Up up and away".  Gosh I was so mad that I did not record this as she just kept it up for the rest of the walk home.  It was priceless and everyone out at this time quite enjoyed her spirit.

On Christmas Eve we went to my cousin's home and had a sumptuous dinner with close friends and family.  There we were all gathered around the table ready to eat when Lily grabbed my hand and said that we all had to hold hands (this started only a few weeks ago).  As we all joined hands I went to her and asked her to say something to everyone.  Out of this sweet angel's mouth came two lines but they were so very precious.  She sang the following, "Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree".  I don't think she said much more as we all joined in to finish the next verse.

Lastly, I just have to mention Christmas morning.  Poor peanut fell asleep coming home from our Eve dinner so we had no conversation about Santa coming to visit but she did know based on the last door of her advent calendar that Santa would be coming.  At 8:00am Lily woke up and called for me.  I peaked my head into her room and she asked if Santa came.  Of course I am so excited to just see her face when she sees the presents that Santa brought and her stocking.  We start going down the stairs and halfway I had her peak out into the living room.  She saw her stocking but shouted out "ORANGES mommy...Santa brought me oranges".  That's my girl, always noticing food before anything else.  I helped her shift her gaze from her stocking to the play table where Santa set up all of her PlayMobile.  She had the cottage plus to horse stables and a car ferry just like the one we go on to get to our own cottage.  It was all there beautifully displayed and what does she notice?  About two feet above on the counter I put out some packets of Lindor and Toblerone.  She shouts "Chocolate!"

Lily is precious and I am enjoying all the moments with her.  Three is such a fun age and her development is so rapid.  She is talking well in full sentences and has a wonderful imagination.  We finally got the toilet training done and there is just no turning back now.  A few times a week I get the call in the middle of the night that she needs to go pee.  I am certain she will be demanding no diaper at night very soon.  "I am a big gurl mama".

Here she is with Auntie G lighting candles for Hanuka.

 

 

Below is the annual tree trimming party at her Nana and Pappy's House.

 

The morning excitement with her Advent Calendar.

 

Sharing moments with her beloved Char Char.

Well that about wraps up our holiday.  I am looking forward to 2013.  Hoping for lots of snow to play in and perhaps get some skiing lessons with Aunti ME.  I don't want to move too fast as Jr Kindergarten is this year and those steps are just too big for me to take right now. 

Wishing all of my friends and family a wonderful 2013.  May we all be blessed with excellent health and good cheer the year through.

Best Intentions...

Yes, I do have best intentions with posting updates on my blog.  Seems that there is always one more thing to do before I settle down to the computer to add a post.  Life is great and busy.  Wait, did I mention life is busy?  That is an understatement.   The good news is that it is busy with really fun things like walking Lily to school and being able to spend some additional minutes with her in the daycare a few times a week;  walking the dog all together and enjoying the beautiful days of fall; baking, cooking and eating...yes, lots of eating.  Lily is an eating machine just like her Uncle Dale.  Don't know where she puts it ....voila, it just disappears. 

I have opted for much less TV for both of us.  As a single parent I have to put my hand up to say that the TV goes on so I can run around and get ready for work in the morning.   With all the new shows this fall it is so easy to get suckered into watching many of them especially when the weather turns colder and all you want to do is throw your PJs on and cuddle up on the couch  with a blanket.  I am saying "no" this year and sticking to a few that I can record and watch once a week.  I will let you know how that goes.

We celebrated Lily's 3rd birthday on October 1st.  Had lots of her friends from our street for a fun playtime.  Playing at the park first and then back to the house for moustache tattoos, crafts, food and double chocolate cake.  Mama only put 2 candles on the birthday cake until someone shouted out "Lily is 3"...oops.  Add one more candle and do a re-take on happy birthday.  Lucky girl got two wishes.

Here are some shots of her birthday:

Oops Mama forgot the third candle

Much better and take 2

Friends from the Hood

Lily and Auntie G

Dr Lily - she makes all of us feel better

Hot Diggity Dog!

Lily moved to a new daycare that is only a couple blocks walk from home.  It is in the big school so now Lily is a big girl, of course.  It was an easy transition as many toddlers from our street and neighbourhood are there so familiar faces help alot.  Since being in this daycare for a month now Lily's vocabulary has increased tremendously.  Also, her being whiny has increased a lot,considering she really didn't do lots of it before.  So is it the daycare or just her age?

Such a funny and silly girl, quite ready for the stage frankly...we were having dinner last night and we each had a hotdog from the BBQ....Lily was really enjoying dinner.  When I asked her to take another bite of her hotdog...she got up out of her seat, danced over to our dog Charlotte and pretended to take a bite out of her.  Both Erik and I looked at each other and started laughing.  We couldn't believe she had done that, or rather, she thought of that.

She has such a great sense of humour and I just love how playful she is.  Photos to come if I ever get my desktop running again.

Hope all of you out there are well, happy and getting ready for a fun filled summer!!

Gotcha Lily

April 2, 2010 at the G & R Ceremony in Vung Tau.  I remember it was a very hot day. I can't believe how much Lily has grown and developed.  I feel so blessed to be her mama.

Couldn't have done this journey without my sister.  Everyone should have a sister like her. She took such good care of both Lily and I and even some of the other families who traveled with us.

Walking inside where the ceremony will take place

More on our first meeting in Vietnam click HERE.

Can't believe Lily is 2.5 years already.  She is developing a wonderful personality and I adore how thoughtful she has become. Lately, as I am driving she shouts out from the back seat, "Careful Mama", "Careful the road".  When I cough, sneeze or hiccup she says "Bless You Mama".  When the sweet boy at school hugs her and then pushes her all in the same day she just says to him "Not Nice, Lily, No Push".

When I wake Lily up in the morning as she is such a sleepy head, demands I crawl into her bed for cuddles (such a nice way to wake up).  The first time she looked at me and said "Love You Mama" I completely melted. She is a little social girl yet, she will pull back if she does not feel comfortable.  Holding my hand and walking down the street she will greet the passerby as though she has known them forever with a big "HELLO".

Life is grand!!

In the Swimming Pool...

My little swimmer Lily who is adventurous in the water but not too much to stray far from her Mama.  Will put her face in the water but not on her own accord, will jump off the side of the pool but only to get into her Mama's arms.  Does not like to float on her back but boy she can kick and dog paddle like no other.  Lily loves the water as long as Mama is there with her.  Our Guardian Swim has come to an end but hope to start up again for the next session.  I think she will soon be ready to go into the Tiny Tot and learn more without her Mama close by.

Time, where do you always go to?

I am a bad blogger.  Four months have passed and I am finally in front of an empty page again eager to type away.  Life is busy and it has kept me away from updates or is it because I get so frustrated uploading photos as it takes way too long?  So, I have a bit of catching up to do since Halloween last year.  I will intertwine it all together and add some photos but for now I just want to start back up and the best way for me to do that is blog about the present rather than the past few months.

Great way to keep your spirit and ears warm at the same time.

Love Family Day weekend and it comes at such a great time in Feb.  just when you can't take it any longer and you think you want to fly south or visit a spa, we get this glorious long weekend!  Well I was lucky on a couple fronts as I did go to a spa with two of my dearest and oldest (not that they are old, but our relationship is).  We actually surprised "J" as she did not know I was going to go until she saw I was on the same train as them.  It may have been just one night but we packed lots of stuff in and even managed hot tub it late the one night with wine in hand.  Thanks "S" for your thoughtfulness and including me!!!

Girls on the train headed to our spa day.

So, back to our Family Day weekend.  Other girlfriends and I plan an annual trip to her parent's farm west of Toronto each year around this time and we bring our daughters.  This is our snow adventure, food adventure and each year as the kids get a bit older we get to see the interaction between them.  This year was so great as they could be very independent with each other which gave mamas some adult time.  We were blessed to have snow on the Saturday and it was the really good packing snow and we also spent time in the barn doing some clean up and brushing horses.  We always make time to go to the local conservation area and this year we actually noticed a  horse farm where we took the kids to ride "Buttercup", the cutest pony!

Baby carrots for the nose and arrowroot cookies for eyes & one hungry dog.

Clean up, clean up.....

No dogs allowed when mixing children and horses.

A sweet ride on Buttercup.

Work on the farm is never done.

All was going fabulously until Monday morning when I fell extremely ill with the dreaded stomach flu.  Everyone else was fine (thank goodness) but I was hit badly.  Well, our dog Char was also hit but her flu was from eating too much horse manure.  Poor stupid yet beautiful dog!

Pretty but not too smart.

Best of times at Nanny's farm.

Well, I think this is a good start at getting back up on that bike again (or should I say horse?).  So, for those followers who have been saying, "when are you going to update your blog", and you know who you are....this blogs for you!