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.

We made a few salt dough ornaments — the project was mostly a quick way of sending Auntie Nina some handmade ornaments for her first christmas tree…

and we made bird seed ornaments. These i love. I followed a recipe found on pinterest — though next time i would use 2 env. of gelatine because they were too delicate!

We also got to try one out with a broken ornament — the birds loved them!

We also made soaps (which i failed to photogaph) with the kit that elizabeth got for christmas last year. she was sooo excited to make and share soap. Alexandre made the soap tag (i scanned and reprinted)

Elizabeth made the birdseed tag.

this is the care package I sent to New Zealand — which may or may not have arrived yet. It’s far and I was very late sending it. It consisted of our annual family calendar and a small stack of film proofs. it was hard to part with them… but they since they were of HER family I thought I should. And I have the negatives, I can reprint…. (and get gorgeous darkroom prints. oh to have my darkroom…)

oh, and our gift tags I loved a 4×6 photograph on their gifts.

Two more post-christmas post coming soon — food & mama handmades.

There was family. There were friends. There was a visit from Santa and a very rehersed ‘Petit Papa Noel’ by one five year old little girl. There was a children’s choir. There were Pierogi. There was magic. and lots of it. There were smiles. There was sharing. There was gift giving. Handmades given by children this year. There were hours of winter outdoor play. There was a snowman. It was a lovely success, despite the illnesses.

A new tradition… a tree in their room.

Elizabeth sang in the children’s choir on Christmas Eve. A new tradition to be certain, she couldn’t wait to be old enough to be ‘up front with the others’. She had to sit bits out because she was fading fast — mama was thankful the service wasn’t a minute later than 5pm otherwise we probably would have had to skip it all together. Alexandre while fading even faster did muster the energy to play photographer.

oh, and perhaps most importantly… there were blessings, counted.