and so here is January, from the iPod with the help of instagram!

1. Sun, January 1, 2012, 2. Mon, January 2, 2012, 3. Tue, January 3, 2012, 4. Wed, January 4, 2012, 5. Thu, January 5, 2012, 6. Fri, January 6, 2012, 7. Sat, January 7, 2012, 8. Sun, January 8, 2012, 9. Mon, January 9, 2012, 10. Tue, January 10, 2012, 11. Wed, January 11, 2012, 12. Thu, January 12, 2012, 13. Fri, January 13, 2012, 14. Sat, January 14, 2012, 15. Sun, January 15, 2012, 16. Mon, January 16, 2012, 17. Tue, January 17, 2012, 18. Wed, January 18, 2012, 19. Thu, January 19, 2012, 20. Fri, January 20, 2012, 21. Sat, January 21, 2012, 22. Sun, January 22, 2012, 23. Mon, January 23, 2012, 24. Tue, January 24, 2012, 25. Wed, January 25, 2012, 26. Thu, January 26, 2012, 27. Fri, January 27, 2012, 28. Sat, January 28, 2012, 29. Sun, January 29, 2012, 30. Mon, January 30, 2012, 31. Tue, January 31, 2012

happy February!

Day 15 :: I thought of all the things I really needed to do to catch up from a week of being sick. And then I decided that’s what Mondays are for.

Day 16 :: they were so happy to have gone down the big hill today. I’m happy she proved me so wrong.

Day 17 :: I go round and round and always come back to the same conclusion. makes me realize I need to embrace it.

Day 18 :: she was so mad when I said she was too sick to go to school. I think she finally believed me after her two hour nap.

Day 19 :: I rocked her for hours this evening and thought that her smallness would soon be gone.

Day 20 :: It felt like she was so much older than her five years and a bit. They baked cupcakes for Juliette’s birthday celebration tomorrow.

Day 21 :: and just like that, surrounded by friends and family, she was one. One.

For a blog tour of {this moment} by others who are sharing, visit SouleMama’s friday posts.

We celebrated Juliette’s first birthday on Saturday. I knew this year would feel fast, but it feels even faster, if possible. I have a hard time accounting for where it went… a very obvious reminded — in a screeming tone — to SLOW DOWN.

She was a happy little girl at her party. She’s always a happy little girl. She loves (oh-so-loves) people, just like her big sister. She also very much knows what she wants, just like her big brother. Overall though, she’s very much Juliette. Her unique little self is so fantastic to soak up. One is such a time of discoveries and change — and we’re all immersed into what she’s doing now and what she might be able to do next week. The kids adore their little sister. I heard Elizabeth refer to her as her baby sister the other day and I did a double take… because she almost exclusively refers to her as ‘her baby’.

For christmas Elizabeth & Alexandre each got a kit to decorate cupcakes and they wanted to decorate some for Juliette’s party. So we baked chocolate cupcakes… and I also made a pumpkin cheese cake (we had many guests to feed cake to!).

For lunch we had a soup party – three delicious soups (a mexican bean one that my mom made, a beef barley soup and a coconut chicken rice soup) and fresh bread…. We’ve made these twice (a modified version of a recipe I found on Pinterest) and both times they’ve been quite a hit. Because I have plenty on my plate, I wasn’t going to tackle bread — but 2 days before the party it occured to me that I couldn’t just go to the bakery like I had planned because of a severe nut allergy in one of our small guests — so I decided to make the bread instead! The soup party idea came from something I read from a friend in December and thought ‘that’s great — totally Juliette’s birthday lunch!’.

Happy Happy birthday Juliette!
xo

Long before Christmas, Elizabeth had been talking about asking Santa for a ‘pond and a duck’ to play with. Really? a pond and a duck. and I would say she first brought it up probably about 2 months before christmas. Almost daily. I found it odd, but there you have it. She tells wild stories – and I figured it was for her storytelling. (and perhaps she has a duck + pond story at school, not sure) Anyways — Mid december, the kids wrote their letters to Santa. Elizabeth did NOT mention this. I thought ‘yes, we’re off the hook!’ (not because it’s not a good idea, but mostly because it’s really a ‘how will i get this for her??’ kind of idea) and then Alexandre asks for it. ?!

So …. I created a pond and a duck. (which I personally refer to the ugly duckling – though never to them — but i used the last of my yellow roving and it didn’t turn out so great. though with more roving I probably would not have managed better!) I sat one evening with my sponge and my stash of roving and needle felted until my piece looked like this. I broke my first needle at the very end (these break often, I just have never broken one before!) and decided it was a good time to stop.

We wrote both their names on the gift. Alexandre opens the box and says “A POND AND A DUCK — JUST LIKE ELIZABETH ASKED FOR!!” he very much could NOT remember asking for it. Do you think they’ll always look out for each other like this?

Alexandre, on music.

Alexandre, the prop master

and on Sunday morning, we got an animated story including the duck and it’s pond. It was lovely. It involved most of the animals they have and snow. and spells. and Minnie Mouse – the fairy – coming down the rainbow. I wish I could bottle up Elizabeth’s incredible story telling skills. I wish you could be present for one of her stories — she involves those that come to her show. I wish more than anything that these amazing skills will remain with her, forever. It’s a fabulous skill the art of storytelling.

a few ipod photos!

Our day started with a lovely story by Elizabeth & Alexandre. Elizabeth as the story teller. Alexandre on props + music. He was operating a radio that doesn’t work — making the sound effects himself. Funniest was the times he got the wrong track! haha.

and then there was music…

and then there was art…

and then there was a family portrait drawn on the chalkboard by Elizabeth…

and then there was a cat so comfy on the laundry pile that I couldn’t possibly disturb him to actually do the laundry… (ok way far of a stretch, but that’s my story and i’m sticking to it!)

and then most impressive of all was the long while the kids played outside… it was COLD today!

there were other moments of laziness that didn’t get captured. It was finally a normal day — the first day in a week that I feel better. Lets hope that 2012 from this week-end on will be healthier. Or at least the next few weeks/months. I sound like a broken record!

I hope your week-end was lovely and/or lazy or busy & productive… which ever it is that you and your family needed this week-end!

Day 8 :: a productive busy day. I was thankful for the visit of a friend so that I could sit and drink hot tea while catching up.

Day 9 :: A day in history following in their papa’s footsteps on the ski hill. Chicken noodle soup was necessary for dinner. I thought of my grandmother all day.

Day 10 :: I thought about putting on some music but decided to just soak up the silence.

Day 11 :: She replied with what to do about each ailments and I was so thankful.

Day 12 :: We sat with a pile of books in the afternoon quiet while the snow came down finally making it look like winter. He came home and made dinner.

Day 13 :: Our day went entirely out of schedule today. I’m grateful for the unexpected nap.

Day 14 :: hot tea and daydreams. she was so happy to finally be able to use her pottery wheel.

For a blog tour of {this moment} by others who are sharing, visit SouleMama’s friday posts.

Week 1 of 52

Day 1 :: Fourteen for brunch. Five missing. He said ‘who wants to go play outside?’ when it was all over and we thought he was done. I rocked her fever away in the afternoon silence.

Day 2 :: I ran while he rocked her cold away. it didn’t work. I told myself to stop feeling guilty for doing something for myself. Fail, on day 2.

Day 3 :: Days like today make me wonder how we’d function wihtout a carrier. She needs to catch a break.

Day 4 :: I had this feeling that whatever I needed to get done had to be accomplished by 10am. I focused. I’m glad because it turns out I was wrong. It was 9:15am.

Day 5 :: He walked in and I went for a run. Sunset. Moon. -9oC and no wind. a fantastic run. Made me thankful we didn’t have a treadmill and then I remembered that it gets way colder in January, normally. Then he de-christmassed the house.

Day 6 :: I thought I was having a bad day and then came upon my five year olds ‘writting’ a thank you letter to Santa Claus.

Day 7 :: The boys practiced their guitar. 4.76 painful kilometers on a gorgeous afternoon. better than no kilometers.

For a blog tour of {this moment} by others who are sharing, visit SouleMama’s friday posts.