Christmas Sweaters and Cookies.

Today we had a really fun morning at a cookie party, hosted by my friend Victoria, with some of our other mama friends from our play group.  It has been really great meeting other mamas who are also at home with their kids and looking for things to do with their littles.  We met some of these women within weeks of moving to Toronto and it's been a great source of support just knowing there are other mothers out there to talk to, who encourage each other and just to hang out with. 

Victoria, well, this woman knows how to host a mean cookie exchange!  She had all the rules out to us in advance, prizes, snacks etc. and it was pretty fantastic.  Let me tell you, because I've now sampled a corner of each type, that there were no duds in there!  And they were all packaged up so nicely with wrapping and ribbons.  I didn't even want to open them, they were so pretty!   Koodoos to "Chewy Chocolate Gingerbread" mama who wowed me with her cookie.  (And included the recipe!!  I mean, how perfect is that?)

With Christmas coming up soon, we all got into our various Christmas outfits to celebrate.  There were bows, shirts, leggings.... tacky Christmas sweaters.  How fun!

Thanks mamas for sharing your baking (because if it took you as much time as it took me to make seven dozen cookies with a toddler running around, you are a superwoman), your experiences, your encouragements.  I'm so enjoying getting to know you.

Now...  whatever am I going to do with my almost five dozen cookies?  Playdate anyone?
 
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Bundle up!

The first snowfall of the season is always the most enchanting--that moment when you open the curtains in the morning to find a mantle of pristine, freshly-fallen snow and suddenly all the dimness of November, and of late Fall when there are no more colourful leaves, disappears.  The whole is bright again--literally.  That's the first snowfall.

We ate breakfast this as fast as we could this morning.  Gabriel was dazzled by the snow and we couldn't wait to get out there and frolick in it with the dog.  You see, with a heavy white winter coat of a Siberian dog, this kind of weather is what our dog Abe is made for.  Nothing makes him happier. He literally bounds through it with his tongue hanging down, licking up all the snow as he goes.

I have to admit that I am just a little bit excited about winter this year, especially after seeing how much Gabriel loves it.  Last year, our first snowfall was Boxing Day and then again in January.  And in BC, we only ever had snow on our lawn for maybe 5-10 days of the year.  But, this is when the fun stuff happens--outdoor skating, sledding, hot chocolate, Christmas, wooly mittens, bluebird sky days and cozy fires.  Yup, it's cold.  But you have to bundle up and love it.

Looking forward to you winter, so bring on the snow!

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Christmas Two Years Ago....

The first few flakes of winter hit our yard and the city of Toronto this weekend and we are not sure how long they will stay.  But after almost 10 years of living somewhere that doesn't have really snowy winters starting in November, it was a tiny bit magical.  We spent the weekend quietly at home watching the flurries cavort around the yard in the strong winds and then pool at the edges of fences and sidewalks.  We hibernated.  Reading, baking, cooking and catching up on sleep after finishing our third round of colds (and starting what looks like a fourth.  Sigh).  But it was nice to be still.

And it meant that I spent a little bit of time looking through some old pictures from a couple of years ago.  I found a few gems from pre-Christmas two years ago when I was pregnant with Gabriel and although I am, with great discipline holding off on doing any Christmas decorating before December first, just thought I would share a few in festive spirit.

Winter two years ago, we were graced with a few mornings of shimmering hoar-frost on the trees, grasses and mosses along the beach by the river close to our house in BC where we would walk the dog.  And if you got up early enough, you could catch the sunlight shimmering through the iced branches in glistening beads of light.  We spent a few mornings down there by the beach with Jordan throwing rocks and blocks of ice across frozen pools of water where they would ricochet and shatter the thin layer ice sending a reverberation of loud springy echoes in the valley.  They could have happily done this for hours.

I remember getting so excited for Christmas that year, knowing that merely a year from then, our baby (who we were yet to meet) would be almost one and crawling around indiscriminately tearing open presents.  But that didn't stop us from picking up a few presents for baby-to-be!  This was to be our last "quiet" Christmas for a long time and we were excited about the upcoming changes. 

Now, two years later, I find myself in the almost the same situation--holding a little life within me once again: A beautiful present from above, arriving just shortly after Christmas.

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First Haircuts are No Fun :(

Ok, so apparently I am not the only one to ever get traumatized by a haircut.  I remember coming out of those discount haircut places as a teenager feeling like I looked like a poodle, or better yet a man. Change is scary.  Especially when it means something you sport on your noggin for everyone to see....  I guess?

I kind of knew that the first haircut might be a little rough (if not for him, for us!) and so like a diligent parent, I did a quick google to see what helpful hints there were.  And then employed as many as I could.

We actually found a good place and were greeted by a fun young stylist with wild hair--green and an orange spiral on top (see below).  I think Gabriel liked her and even gave her "ten" and a hug when we left.  But just wasn't so much into the comb and scissors. I don't think it would have mattered what hair place we went to, Gabriel wasn't going to love it no matter how many Cheerios, songs, iphones we had going.  Some kids are just like that, I guess.

It was a miracle his hair came out looking like it did with all the arm flailing and head shaking going on.  Admittedly, my own heart sank a little when those first blonde wisps hit the floor.  I was so nervous that those locks of silk would magically change into real hair.  But I didn't let them cut too much, and a day later (and a sucker later) we are glad we cut it. Maybe we should have started with the sucker?

Oh, and I did show them this picture from the summer when I thought his hair was perfect.  That helped a lot.

Goofing around and getting him comfortable....He walked in there like he thought he was getting a needle.....

See, it turned out just fine.  Thank you fun lady with the green/orange 'do!  We liked you.  Sorry for the tears!  And if any other mamas have tips out there....  We are open to suggestions for the next time..... in about six months.

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Swim.

This fall we finally got our act together and put Gabriel in swim lessons.  Weird that we hadn't done it earlier, considering how much he has always taken to water right from day 1.  But with all our moving around, it just never hit the priority list.

Personally, I enjoyed being back in the pool zone since a pool was exactly where Jordan and I met when we were teenagers and then spent many hours.  There was something slightly nostalgic about walking around in the warm deck, sunlight pouring in through the windows and watching the lifeguards on duty, rotating through.  As I watched them shift duties, I had a flashback to the 15 min snippets of conversation (when neither of us would take our break) while guarding that Jordan and I had over four years working together--a friendship that eventually developed into a relationship and then into a marriage.  Oh, the good old lifeguarding days!

Since then we've spent hardly any time in the pool for two former lifeguards, so it has been fun getting back into the routine with Gabriel, our little water boy. 

Once he warms up, he most definitely loves the water and I'm sure, with his slim physique and broad shoulders, he'll be a natural.  Of course, people always said that about me and basketball and we all know I'm Godzilla on the court, so you, know....  maybe not.  But so far we are having fun!

Ps.  That hair!  Finally got it cut....  After seeing these pictures.  More on that coming....

Photo credit: Marion.  Thank you once again for capturing the moments! :)

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A Quiet Steady November.

This fall, since moving and settling in we've had some pretty quiet weeks and weekends home, even when family comes to visit.  This seems like a bit of a change for us, but we've been hard hit with colds and flus this year nearly every week and maybe just sporting this ever increasing bump (and the associated tiredness) has forced us to take a much slower pace...  Which is sometimes a little tough.  You know us, we just like to keep going! 

More grandparents in town this weekend!  And we spent time hosting (and being hosted) for dinner, beautiful breakfasts out, carving new paths through the woods at High Park, walks in the cold, cold sunshine (while watching the planes flying ever so close overhead), and reading through old letters addressed to Jordan's grandfather (ones we found stashed away in the old hutch).  It was quiet and close to home, due to another bought of cold/fever for poor Gabriel.  But how lovely for Jordan to spend so much time with his dad and for Gabriel to have his grandparents to cuddle with, play with and have read to him.     

 
Of course, tradition dictates that Saturday mornings MUST be spent at the Yellow Cup Cafe, a favorite of Jordan's grandpa when he was alive. 

Gabriel is "helping" to mark report cards. 

That dimple, it gets you every time!

It was so cold and windy that we broke out the new snowsuit while we went for a bit of a walk.  It was to beautiful to stay inside.....  And the planes were flying so low that we just had to check them out. 

Thanks, family, for coming and spending a weekend with us on the old turf! 

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