Happy Halloween

Parker, Little E and I went to Strong Start at Lord Selkirk this morning - all dressed up! Well the girls were,  but I admittedly decided to forego a costume - boring I know, but try getting two little girls all dressed, snacked and out the door and then tell me what you'd wear. I was lucky to have anything on!

Of course I could have easily gone as a referee, but that's how I feel every day when I have the two of them. I am constantly looking for ways to distract and deter. I have accidentally taught Little E the word "trade" which she now uses constantly even immediately after a successful transaction.

Although they seemed to be at each other from Parkers arrival there were some moments of respite. Like while we were walking in the glorious Halloween sunshine to our school destination, Little E was reaching over and stroking Parker - much to Parker's dismay. Finally I said "Parker, do you want to hold E's hand"?
Parker reached out and Little E reached back - they held hands for the rest of the trip!
So cute!

I can't believe I didn't take any photos of the cutest little ladybug Parker, but here are some from our Halloween party at Jude's house...

Pumpkin Patch

This post is a long time coming...I think it was last week some time that we went to the Pumpkin Patch out at Richmond Country Farms. It was a recommendation from my friend Kate and it was a good one!

Little  E and Parker loved the animals they saw including the old favourite - a dog, a close second - cows, and a new and highly appealing goat. Wandering around the pumpkin field was a classic photo op and I snapped away, but unfortunately my eye didn't translate to the lens. I got a few decent photos when the girls weren't chasing me. Getting to and from the tractor was a bit of a circus for me, but we managed and had a great time!

Here are some shots of the day...

New Day

The weekend was very emotional and exhausting.
We were in the Comox Valley grieving the loss of Daddy C's little 12 year old cousin Marissa. And most of the planning and gathering was happening at Granny's house where we were staying. Little E was definitely affected by the mood and reflected our tears and solemn vibe clinging to us for most of the time.

The funeral was very moving and I managed to sing a song in honour of Marissa and her Dad. I sang Lullaby by Billy Joel - find it here...
Then on Sunday Daddy C built a shrine for the family to erect at the site of the crash.

The wake was held on Saturday night after the funeral and was a really nice evening. These occasions are so strange because all of the family and friends are together, and it feels as though it should be a happy time but we're mourning - weddings and funerals - the same but so different.

One really joyful thing took place during the wake though. Little E met her second cousins again as a more coherent being (older now). They are two of the sweetest little boys I have met (twins), and they spent a good 10 minutes walking around holding hands, hugging and stroking each other and sitting together in a lounge chair. All the while flashes were going off around them as we the family were madly snapping photos of the love in - I felt like paparazzi.

Mobile

Just a very quick post tonight cause I am tired and emotionally drained from the weekend.
I just wanted to show you the pictures we took of the mobile I made for my step sister's baby that's due mid November...
It turned out really well and I'm hoping to make another one or two sometime, when there's more time?

Apple Press

My Do It Yourself club made apple juice last weekend!
It was so much fun.
We rented use of the apple press at Southlands Farm in Kerrisdale and I felt like something out of an old homestead novel (whatever that may be). It was so picturesque with young kids on horses nearby and another group of little ones having a birthday party. The weather was perfect.

With our near 400 pounds of apples we pressed nearly 70 litres of juice. Some of which we pasteurized, some we left fresh and some is in the process of fermenting into hard cider.
Here are some photos of our experience.

Too Soon

With loving sweetness...

Exam time

Daddy C is studying for an exam on Monday, hence fewer posts, despite the backlog of thoughts I have building up...

I can't believe I forgot to mention one of the highlights of the weekend. Little E had her first hair cut, really just a bang trim actually, but it looks so cute and sophisticated. She looks like a little girl now.
Here are a couple of before and after shots...

Also, leading up to and upon our return Little E was chanting Parker Parker over and over again as if to conjure her up on the spot. When Parker finally did arrive on Wednesday for a visit, they were like true best friends; hugging, stroking each others hair, sitting next to each other forehead to forehead and chasing each other around. I'm surprised my heart didn't melt right out through my socks.

Gobble Gobble

What a fabulous Thanksgiving weekend we had!
Aside from the numbskull move I shocked us with on the way home (booked our ferry reservation for the wrong direction) we really enjoyed ourselves.
Family, Food, Adventure - what more could we ask for??

It started with a power outage at my mom GG's house just as the turkey was getting warm. We enjoyed a delicious bar-b-qued turkey and of course as we had just lit the last candle - presto - light. We had a yummy meal with our surrogate family the Tully's.
The next morning bright and early Little E, Daddy C and I went over to the said Tully's house to pick apples. They have at least 4 apple trees on their beautiful Denman Island property and we ended up with a couple of boxes of a few different varieties (we'll press them with our DIY club next weekend).

We arrived in Courtenay with threats of a resident cougar and feral cat. Guess which one we saw (luckily albeit somewhat disappointing) the domesticated kind.
Little E couldn't get enough of Granny's garden. On Monday morning, she crawled all the way down the stairs, put on her boots, climbed up into the stroller and said "doggy, walk" while pointing to the door. Daddy C, Granny and I grudgingly put on our coats, suited up Little E in her full body rain gear and huddled under a tree while she explored and chatted happily.

Last but not least...Little E busted out with a word this morning that neither Daddy C nor I knowingly taught her. We were in the front hall seeing Daddy C off to work and Little E pointed to the candle on our hall cabinet and clearly said "Buddha". Could it be? A buddhist in a past life, or has someone already been converting her?
Wow, never cease to amaze!

Brains

It amazes me, the magnitude of Little E's understanding of what we are saying. This morning she was looking under our bathroom cupboard for some little bath toys that had fallen down and out of sight (of adult eyes) saying "ba doys". She couldn't reach them at her angle, so I said "try moving around to the other side" and she did! Brilliant!!!
Well, now that I'm writing it out it doesn't sound as incredibly intelligent as it seemed at the time but there are so many examples every day of the brains in my babe.
Perhaps it's all the reading...

Things Little E Loves

Here is a list of a few recent things that we have noticed Little E loves:

1. All things Parker - Parker, Parker's clothes, shoes, soothers, cups, high chair, dolls...and on and on.
2. Babies, live or otherwise - she waves at them, carries them around, pretends to feed them, and "shooshes" when they're sleeping...so cute.
3. The Bodem and the grater from our bottom kitchen drawer - she pulls them out, carries them around, gives a few good plunges and then puts them back.
4. Blueberries of course - will that ever change?
5. Raspberries (the mouth on skin kind) - on her neck, cheek or anywhere bare that you can nuzzle.
6. Jake and all of his barking - she especially loves giving him treats, she asks for mo-mo (more) when she's only just released the first.
7. If You're Happy and You Know it - she loves this song and we love her dancing.
8. Dancing for that matter.
9. Walking - our excursions are getting slower and slower.
10. Being in charge - yikes.

Here are a few super cute shots from today!

Normal?

Today was so much closer to "normal" (if there even is such a word to describe parenting).

Little E was over her fever and the ooze from her nose has calmed down. Her sleep seems to be regulating again despite some tears and wake ups and our house is settling back down into the old routine. 

Here are some super cute photos of Little E helping me with the laundry by putting on my rubber gloves. I was hoping she could take it a step further and put them to their prescribed use by cleaning the bathroom! The other shot is of Little E and Parker getting so much better at sharing! I had to catch it on film.

I will try not to be such a slacker over the next few days!

xo