The Kids Embrace Winter

The first week of winter vacation was all about embracing winter. Ski school  was a success, with ideal ski weather every single morning. We decided that the youngest one would only begin skiing next year, but she tagged along most of the mornings. On Thursday afternoon, the ideal sledding weather presented itself: Lots of snow, and near 0 degree weather. We drove to the local hill, and enjoyed an hour of sledding, the little on included:

Our middle one in the pink snow pants

Our oldest in the black helmet

First Snowman

While the first snowfall was exciting, the snow was just not sticky enough to build a proper snowman until last week...For the last month, almost on a daily basis, the two younger ones have been asking when they could build a snowman. Finally, the perfect snowman temperature and snow presented itself last Thursday, and after a quick after school snack, we headed outside with a hat, a scarf, a few buttons and a carrot. Actually 3 carrots. The first two were eaten by our three-year old who announced that she would not help build the snowman.

He took only 15 minutes to build, and two days to start melting and to lose his head. All that remains of him now is the bottom snowball, currently covered in a sheet of glistening ice. "Mama" said my 4-yer old, "next time lets build a snowgirl!"

First School Concert

Because of the teacher's strike last year, our 6-year-old only had her first school concert this week. We were not sure if she would be healthy enough to attend as she had missed most of the week with a fever. But on the day of the concert, she seemed energetic, did not vomit, and her body temperature had normalized. So off we went to the school gym on a Thursday evening, with the whole family for a 1/2 hour concert. The first graders sang songs, while the second-graders acted out a play about a snow man with a warm heart. Surprisingly, even though our little one had missed the dress rehearsal, she sang all the songs, and even did most of the motions.

When we got home, she once again spiked a fever, and would be sick for another two days, but we were glad to have attended the concert, while simultaneously hoping that she had not infected the others...

The Girls do an Hour of Coding!

This morning, the two older girls hit the local Apple store for an hour of coding with their father. For now, I do not think that they will follow in their father's footsteps and become coders...

Swinging into December

The snow has melted, and playing outdoors in the wet cold weather has not been too enjoyable. However, the girls continue to enjoy their indoor playtime. Here are 2/3 of them at their last Gym and Swim class before the Holidays:

First Snow: 3 Photos, 3 Happy Girls

First Tooth Falls Out

She was at school when it happened. She was at her desk resting her head on her hands, when out fell the tooth. She excitedly told her teacher, who sent her to the secretary. There, she received a cute tooth-shaped container for her tooth. A few months ago the dentist had pulled four lower teeth to make room for some incoming teeth, but this was her first spontaneous tooth loss!

A Day in the Life of 3S

One rainy afternoon a few weeks ago, the girls announced that they were bored. I don't know how they could possibly have time to be bored, or whether or not they actually understand what "bored" means...Nonetheless, we set up a pumpkin painting station in the basement, and even Mama got her own pumpkin.  They very much enjoyed this impromptu activity. Unfortunately the heavy pre-Halloween rains washed the paint away...

Three Furry Monsters

Three furry monsters

Out for Halloween treats

Running to and fro the houses

In search of yummy sweets

A dawdler ran to catch her sisters

And fell and bumped her knee

For she wanted as many 

Candies as them, you see

Before long, the little one tired 

And Mama and Papa took turns

Carrying the little red monster

All the way home

Preschool Halloween Party

Halloween came early for our two preschoolers as their party was held on Thursday. They changed their minds multiple times, but in the end chose Strawberry Shortcake, and Ballerina (not a costume, but her sister's old ballet outfit). Their classroom was turned into a not-too-scary haunted house, with plenty of fun games and treats. Here they are before heading to school:

School Photos

It that time of year again...Last week, my first-grader brought home some photo proofs. Much to my surprise, her smile was not forced. Nonetheless, I was not convinced that we needed to buy a package of multiple prints in a variety of sizes. The digital version made a lot more sense, and the very same day, I was able to download the class photo as well as two poses with three different backgrounds. Here is my favourite...now if she could only keep her her neat for even an hour after arriving at school...

Swim Team Meets

Our 6-year old proudly made the local winter swim team a few months ago. Practices, twice weekly, were supposed to begin at the end of September. Unfortunately the annual pool maintenance uncovered some larger-than-anticipiated problems, and the local indoor pool remains closed for renovations. An alternative pool was found in the interim, and the junior swim team met for the first time this week. Rather than have two separate half-hour swim practices preceded by a land workout, they met once for a one hour land workout, and a second time for a one hour swim practice. The land practice, held locally, went very well. The swim practice was another story. The water was ice-cold, and the air temperature was not much warmer. The kids quickly developed blue lips, some were left in tears, and very few lasted longer than 30 minutes of the 60 minute practice. After multiple complaints, the swim club had decided to ask the school board that runs the high school pool in question to warm it up...Here is hoping that next week's practice lasts a little longer. Just in case, I will be brining her neoprene swim suit...

The Cutest Homework Club

When I met with my daughter's grade one teacher early in the school year, I felt overwhelmed by the amount of homework she would be doing. A new book to read every night for a week, about 200 french words that she would have to master by the end of the school year, in addition to nightly vocabulary, and a weekly test involving numbers. I needn't be worried as her homework is completed within 15 minutes, she has aced all three of her tests so far, learned all of her words within three weeks, and actually enjoys doing her homework. So much so that our 4-year old asked if she could do homework too. Why not, I thought, and bought her a prep book for kindergarten. She take out her book each time she see her sister doing her homework, and meticulously practice writing letters, both "majuscule" and "minuscule"...

The Girls Play Hockey

In a bid to improve their skating skills, we signed our two oldest girls up for pre-novice hockey. The play two days per week, for a total of 2.5 hours. There aren't any teams or goalies yet, but eventually there will be one practice per week, and one game per week. For now, they are just learning how to hold a stick, and how to pass a puck, all the while playing games and improving their skating skills. They have also picked up some new vocabulary, including "stick-handling" and "passing a puck". Our littlest one watched intently, exclaiming "I can't play hockey yet because I am too young".  Our youngest one will continue her once weekly skating lessons which start in mid-October. After just two weeks of hockey, our oldest one has said on several occasions that she enjoys the sport, while the middle one not so much, although she isn't a strong skater. We are hoping that she will enjoy the game more as her skating improves, but more than anything, we are hoping that both girls continue to play at the same time each week and that they will be placed on the same team once the teams are assigned in January.

Apple-picking with the Preschoolers

On Wednesday, we met 20 other pre-schoolers at a large apple orchard not far away. It was a sunny day, and we did not need the rain boots we had brought along. We played in a large park, petted and fed some hungry goats, and snacked on apple muffins and apple-juice before heading out the the orchard on a tractor ride. The pre-school teachers lead us in song, and even Mama found herself singing along to some farm tunes she had never heard before.

#3 on a tractor ride with her cousin

#2 on the tractor ride with her cousin

We then filled three bags full of tart apples, mostly of the Macintosh variety. And munched on a few apples as we waited for the tractor to pick us up...

Proud to be carrying her own bag full of apples!

Mama Helps out at Preschool

At our new preschool, all the parents have one duty day every six weeks or so. My "duty day" fell on the second Monday of school. I arrived 15 minutes early to set up, and left 15 minutes after school to tidy up. And in between, I played with  over 20 preschoolers. I found myself exhausted by the time the school ended, and marvelled at how the two teachers could spend 4 half days a week with so many children...

The theme this month is "farms", and the kids had a great time learning all about farms. They practiced milking a cow (glove filled with water attached to a broom stick) and even "made" butter by mixing heavy cream. They enjoyed crackers with their homemade butter, and learned a few farm-related songs.

Mostly, being "on duty" reassured me that the kids were well taken care of, and were learning in the process...

milking the cow

hugging her cousin

In the playground after school

First Day of Preschool

Our two pre-schoolers enjoyed their first day this last Tuesday. Their new preschool is adjacent to the swimming pool where we spent much of the summer, and it almost seemed as though we were simply returning somewhere familiar. There were 5 other kids amongst the 25 children that they knew from their old pre-school. Perhaps because they saw so many familiar faces, or perhaps because they were both in the same class, but they had a great first week, and can't wait to go back!

Walking to School on their first day

Outside Their Class

First Day of Grade One

On Wednesday, our 6-year old started grade one. In the days leading up to her first day, she mentioned being "nervous". She was nonetheless excited about seeing some friends from kindergarten hat she hadn't see on all summer. She met her new teacher, Mme Nathalie, in the  school yard. Six and a half hours later, she successfully finished her first day. I would later hear that she had gotten lost on her way to the washroom during her lunch hour, but quickly recovered. When she was in kindergarten, the washrooms were actually in her classroom, so she didn't have to go far.

On the evening of her second day of school, the parents met with their childs' teacher. I found myself somewhat overwhelmed by the large volume of subjects that they would be covering throughout the year, and by the homework that is to start shortly.

Thank goodness I still have a year to go before #2 goes to elementary school!

With a friend on her first day

Awards Night at the Pool

After 8 weeks of swimming, diving, water-polo and synchro lessons, team practices, and meets, our summer pool ended the season with a dance party, and an awards night. Typically the event is held at the pool, with fun activities in the pool, followed by food, and awards. Unfortunately rain forced us indoors, to the gym of a nearby elementary school.  

The girls, although quite shy, enjoyed the evening. They ate food and cake, and danced with the lifeguards.

All the kids then received participation medals, and paraded into the gym to much cheer from their parents. They were then asked to sit down quietly for the awards announcements. Much to our surprise, the girls did not run over to the tables to sit with us, but remained seated with the other children.

But the bigger surprise came when our 6 year old received the "team spirit award" for the pre-swim team "Guppies" programme. While she didn't smile, she did seem proud of her accomplishment. Our 4-year old asked us later that evening why she did not receive one. She then requested that I print her out a picture of a trophy, which she coloured, and proudly carried around for a few days.

Our Girls Love Lego: Photo

Our girls have been playing with Lego almost daily for a little over a year, and can't seem to get enough. So when I found out there was a Lego show last week-end in Montreal, we bought tickets. They attended with their father, and I am not sure who enjoyed it more...

Baby Turns Three!

Our baby turned three on Tuesday, and we probably shouldn't call her a baby any longer! We had a fun-filled day:

After changing into her ladybug costume, we headed downstairs for breakfast.  There, a birthday card from Aunt Lois awaited her. She eagerly opened her card, and immediately decorated the card cake with the included stickers:

The girls then helped me ice the ladybug cupcakes.

We then enjoyed decorating the house and kitchen table with a variety of ladybug decorations:

Our cousins arrived in the afternoon, and we headed outside for some fun:

After a sumptuous barbecue dinner, we enjoyed a lady-bug shaped cake made but Auntie:

After a second costume change, we headed to a soccer practice for #2, at the end of which our three-year old requested a red popsicle...

Our three-year old had a fantastic day, and fancies herself a Big Girl now. And Mama often successfully uses the phrase "now that you are three.  For example "now that you are three, you cannot suck your thumb anymore!"

The Loose Tooth

On the same day that our 6-year old scored her first goal of the soccer season, she lost four teeth. Not that one had to do with the other...

 As of yesterday, she had yet to lose a single baby tooth. But last week, as I helped floss her teeth, I noticed two new central incisors popping out right behind her existing lower central incisors. So we checked to see if she had any loose teeth, and sure enough, she had one wobbly tooth. All week, she was so excited about the prospect of losing her first tooth. She asked that in addition to a coin, I give her some candy. Although I thought giving candy was counterintuitive, I said it depended on the Tooth Fairy. She replied, "but Mama, you already told me that the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist, and you and Papa will be giving me gifts under my pillow".

You might be asking yourself how she lost four teeth? As it happened, she had a pre-existing appointment with her dentist Saturday afternoon, and  when he saw the new teeth growing in, he said four teeth needed to come out to make room for them. She was very brave, I was told (as I was at work), and with the help of some local anesthetic, out came the four teeth. She received a neat carrying case for them in the shape of a tooth, and a few non-candy treats from the dentist's treasure box.



Here is her first toothless grin:

July with Cousins

The girls were fortunate to have three cousins, along with their parents visit for nearly the entire month of July. They bonded with their cousins over cards and swimming. They tried new foods, celebrated two birthdays together, and simply had an awesome time. They haven't stopped asking about their cousin's whereabouts since their departure earlier today.

Tried to get all 6 in the same photo...Our littlest one ran away, and a second cousin joined in!

The Three Flower Girls

The girls did protest a few months ago when they found out that they would be flower girls at their aunt's wedding. The middle one said she preferred to be a butterfly, and the youngest wanted a ladybug dress. But when the actual day came, they were perfect flower girls. 

First, they had their hair curled and pinned with little flowers. 

Next, our neighbour painted their nails. 

 Then, just before departing for the ceremony, they donned their beautiful white and lilac dresses. They had such an exciting day, that two of the three fell asleep on the way to the hall.

Once at the hall, they practiced walking down the aisle. The little one knocked down a glass vase, which shattered. Luckily this was quickly cleaned up before the guests arrived.  They posed for a few photos.  

With the groom and two other flower girls

Then, on cue, they walked down the aisle. They held beautiful baskets filled with lilac-coloured flowers.

The little one held my hand, and the other two walked in just before their aunt, holding a sign that read  "Here comes my auntie". Then came the most beautiful bride ever...