Saturday, March 29, 2008

10 steps

Kaya was mopping and spilled a huge puddle of water. Zoe wanted to get past it but didn't want to get all wet, so she just stood up and walked through it! But the time I noticed, I counted 10 steps. She must have taken a couple before that too. She's sooo close to just taking off on her own. I tried to get her to do it again so I could catch it on video, but of course she wouldn't perform when I switched the camera on. It has to be her idea or she won't do it. :)



Friday, March 28, 2008

getting ready to move

We've been offered a house, and have gone to see it. It's 1250 sq ft, so a little smaller than the one we're in just now, but it has a full basement, which is unfinished but will be able to be used for a music room, play room for the kids and storage. So that will free up some space upstairs.

There's no dining room, just a small eat in kitchen, and I'll definitely miss that.

What I like most about it - the livingroom windows look out onto the back yard, which has a large hill/park just behind it. We're very close to the playground. It's $210 a month cheaper than what we're paying now! The fridge is bigger and there's a dishwasher. The utilities are lower and there's central air conditioning (we're using window units just now which just don't do the job the same).

We're moving on April 25th, or probably the Sat afterwards, the 26th since that will work better for most of our helpers.

I'm looking forward to getting out of this big old house. It's not well insulated and cost us a fortune in utilities. And its so tilted you have to hold on to your platre while you eat so it doesn't slide off the table. It'll be nice to live somewhere level!

So we're boxing things up and starting the packing. We're going to have to get rid of a bunch of stuff to squeeze it all into the new place. It's good fun though, and would be more fun if we didn't all have colds...

This was a boring post wasn't it? Sorry to sound so boring today.



Thursday, March 27, 2008

new videos



I've added a few videos to my photobucket account - password is pinkbunny



Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The good and the not so good

The good, Zoe can draw circles! How clever.

The not so good, she developed this new talent on our white walls!

I managed to get it off thankfully because I caught it right as she was drawing. She was so pleased with herself making big circular motions with pen in hand against the wall, and bending her knees in a little happy dance and smiling all the while.



Monday, March 24, 2008

My husband's blog

My husband has decided to join the world of blog. Catch a glimpse into his strange mind
at kilted corn





Saturday, March 22, 2008

Highlights from the dresses shoots

I've finished them and I'm about to upload them to smugmug. Here are a few of my favs.






















First steps

Zoe finally took her first steps on Thursday! She has been crusing a lot and had taken her hands away and taken a step or two before, but I didn't count it since it was unintentional.

But on Thursday when daddy came home, she was standing in the middle of the floor and he said "come to daddy" and she took about 4-5 deliberate steps towards him! She took 2 for me yesterday.

I think 12 months is a perfect age to start taking steps :) Kaya was 10 months and Lana was 15 months when they first started walking. 12 months seems like a nice balance.



Thursday, March 20, 2008

Easter Dresses

Grammy Burton bought the girls the most fancy Easter dresses you've ever seen!

I did a photoshoot the other day but am no where near done editing them.

Here's a sneek peek though of the few I've done. (click on them for larger version)








Why do we need to have bones?

I'm just reflecting today on how many learning opportunities for young children the day provides when you are able to spend it together.

I'm homeschooling my children and still finding my style, but for the most part we just wing it. We have workbooks and things which we go through, and we always have an ongoing project, for example just now we're learning about the earth's resources and how we can help preserve them.

But in terms of individual lessons, I find I don't have to make any forward plans. All I have to do is be available to my children and spend time with them, and they start asking questions and if I can't answer them, we find out together. Just at breakfast this morning Lana was asking "Why do we need to have bones?", "how is orange juice made?" and "What happens to food after it goes in your tummy?"

I don't imagine that children have the same opportunities in a traditional school, to just ask random questions as they come up, and while their interest is high. This is definitely one of the pros of homeschooling. It's such a pleasure and privilage to be able to be present while my children are learning about life, to watch them hunger for information and grow in knowledge and skill. It's wonderful to be able to be a part of this process.

I remember one special moment, standing outside Asda grocery store in Scotland on a clear, cool night when Kaya was a few months old. I was holding her and she was looking up at the sky. I pointed to the moon and said "that's the moon. Moon." And then I suddenly thought to myself - I just showed her the moon, she had never seen it before, or noticed it before, and I just had the privilage of teaching her this word for the first time, and showing her the magic of it's luminosity against the night sky. What a wonderful moment. I'm so glad to be homeschooling and to be able to enjoy many such moments.



Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Kaya layout





Baby movements

I'm feeling all the little flutters now (I'm 15 weeks along) and even some distinctive kicks. This is my favourite part of being pregnant.



Monday, March 17, 2008

Sweet Sweet Baby

"Sweet sweet baby" by michelle featherstone is my song to Zoe. I've sang it to her since she was just new. I think she was maybe 10 days or so old in these photos.





Sunday, March 16, 2008

Summer 2007

I can't wait for this type of weather again!





Outside to play

I think it was Friday, we had another nice day. (Maybe thursday?) The girls and I played in the yard. They loved playing in the empty pool, with dry mud! Zoe especially loved that. Then they were desperate to play with water, so I filled up their sledge with some icy cold water from the hose and they splished and splashed and had loads of fun.








Friday, March 14, 2008

Kaya's Drawing

Kaya drew this picture of our family. I was touched that she included heather and Padi (the in utero nickname we had for a baby we miscarried before we got pg with Lana, I only briefly mentioned it to Kaya once, but she remembered) with little wings.

Notice I'm tallest. :) I like that. It must mean I'm most important :)

And that's Turtle over there next to Kaya and Lana. She's drew it as a Turtle. I'm starting to wonder if the kids will be surprised when I deliver a baby and not a reptile!





Thursday, March 13, 2008

And another





When Zoe was new


Just a simple, old style layout.



Wednesday, March 12, 2008

park pics

From yesterday







Pink face and naps

I have a pink face from going out to the park today with some homeschoolers, and getting too much sun! I didn't expect pink face for another couple months. It was in the upper 60s today. Windy, but the sun was warm.


And Kaya tired herself out by playing so much she's having a nap. She NEVER naps. Heck she hardly even napped when she was a baby! I guess she had fun.



Tuesday, March 11, 2008

Ahhh this is the weather I'm talking about

Today according to our car, it reached 70 degrees. Looks like Spring is here at last! We went to the park today, at 5.30 after Daddy came home. We played for a couple hours until it started getting dark. Lots of fun.

Yesterday it was in the 50s I think, and we went out to play in the back yard. Because the snow has recently melted it was just a mud fest in the yard! I was clearning up leaves from the fall which have sat rotting over winter. I got 5 large bags full! My legs ache today. I didn't realise how much excersise it was at the time.

And Kaya and I played frisbee which required me to use some muscles I hadn't used in a while.

Good fun. I'm soooo happy for the nicer weather and a chance to get fresh air and enjoy the outdoors.

Mmmmm mud. Yum.


Remember to check out all our March 2008 photos at SMUGMUG



Better Brownie Pics

When I posted this recipe for protein brownines, I didn't have my camera to take a proper picture. I used the webcam.

I just made another batch and thought I'd post some better photos of it to show how yummy they really look, and are.







Monday, March 10, 2008

Play with your food

It's encouraged in our house.






Friday, March 7, 2008

Bath Layout





Look who can hold a big cup!








Tortilla Soup

I tried a new recipe last night. Vegetarian tortilla soup. Lots of nutrition in there, zuccini, tomatoes, tofu, avacado etc And it was very yummy too! Got rave reviews from Rene, who said it was even yummier as leftovers for lunch today. It's a keeper.




recipe came from here http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=8756.0