Our Preschooler Turns Four!

Barely a week after her sister's 2nd birthday, our pre-schooler turned four. This was the first year that she seemed to understand the concept of a birthday. In fact, she asked for a few very specific gifts: a new tennis racket, some tennis balls, and roller skates. She also picked out her own cake:

 And just before bed on the eve of her fourth birthday, she requested pancakes. As I was all alone with the three girls on her actual birthday, I made two things ahead of time: the cake minus the icing, and the pancakes, which I froze.

On the morning of her birthday, we wished her a Happy Birthday.  She asked "how many years did I grow?", to which she herself proudly answered "1-2-3-4!".

 After a sweet breakfast of wholewheat pancakes topped with maple syrup, we decide to head outside to the local farmer's market. While still below 0, the weather was rapidly improving. The baby and toddler sat in the double stroller, while my pre-schooler walked next to me. The girls enjoyed some fresh croissants as a mid-morning snack while their younger sister slept soundly.

 On the way home, we stopped to play in the snow. It was a good thing they had thought to pack their shovels!

Back at home the rest of the day flew by. While my toddler slept, my four-year old enjoyed some arts and crafts. When Papa arrived home from work, he took care of the baby while the two older girls and I decorated the cake. Here is the final product...not quite like the photo, but our toddler was none-the-less pleased.

After dinner, she huffed and puffed and blew her candle out on the fourth attempt. The cones were in the way!

 Next up, they opened some gifts which they played with the rest of the evening.

And before bed, our pre-schooler asked "when will it be my birthday again?"

Our Toddler Turns Two!

This week, out toddler turned two. We wished her a Happy Birthday, but she did not seem overly concerned. Instead, her older sister wanted to know why it wasn't her fourth birthday yet! Eight more days until your birthday, we tried to explain to our pre-schooler. But with little sense of time, she didn't truly understand.

The day was like any other. That is, right up until dinner. We had baked a cake for the occasion, which our pre-schooler eagerly decorated with sprinkles. Our toddler blew out her candle on her fourth attempt. They each had a piece of cake. 

Later on, we presented our toddler with a small gift which her older sister attempted to open. I thought briefly that we had erred, and that we should have held a joint birthday...but in the end both girls seemed pleased with the outcome: some yummy cake and a new toy to play with!

Here's to hoping we will have some Terrific Twos after a year of premature Terribles!

#1 decorating the cake

Not to sure what to do!

Figured it out!

#3 turns six months old on the 9th. She is now an expert roller. In a matter of seconds, she can roll from one end of the room to another. Over the last few weeks, she has additionally discovered her toes, and has been nibbling on them regularly. She can also sit with minimal support.

But most importantly, she had her first solid meal this week. We prepared her over the last week. She sat in her high hair daily, playing with a variety of toys. We also introduced her to some spoons. Then finally, a few days ago, one of those spoons held some warm baby cereal. At first, she seemed surprised. While she has ingested at least some cereal at every "mealtime", she quickly becomes bored wit the process...

At least she didn't cry like our #1 whose first meals were very unpleasant. And to this day, mealtime remains difficult for our pre-schooler. #2, on the other hand, readily accepted all food that came her way. Our toddler is still the best eater in the family, including my husband and I!

If early meals are predictive of future eating habits, then our baby will end up somewhere between our hesitant eater and our little gourmande...

January Open Houses

We have successfully attended two school-related Open Houses during the month of January.

The first, in mid-January was held at an elementary school. It is in close proximity to our future house. The open house started in the library. The girls enjoyed a peanut-free snack, coloured with crayons, and were minimally disruptive as the principal presented her school. We then embarked on a tour of the school. Luckily, my sister, one of the teachers, came to the rescue. She had a break while her students were in music class. She whisked off my toddlers, allowing me to enjoy the tour. 

While my oldest is still a year and a half away from starting elementary school, it is never too early to start looking!

Our second open house was a lot more age-appropriate, and took place a few days ago. I dropped the baby off with Grandma, and headed to a pre-school open house. The girls played with many toys, while I chatted with one of the teachers. As the first parent to arrive, I had ample time to ask all my questions. The girls interacted well with the teacher. The only snag is that my two toddlers would be in two different age groups. The youngest would end at 11:15, while the oldest would stay until 13h. It is unclear whether or not they would make an exception for siblings attending the same pre-school.

While the search has not necessarily ended for schools, I have discovered a new, fun-filled, and free activity to keep the kids occupied during the winter: Open Houses!

Colouring and eating simultaneously at an Open House

Looking pensive while enjoying a snack at an Open House