little miss pearsonality

2012-01-26T22:31:00.000-06:00

i have to register sophia for kindergarten on february 6th

its freakin me out

she is just too little - how can she be going to school full time in the fall?

im a little mad at canada. they started full day kindergarten last year. its not an option - every kid has to go the full day. i am not ready for that - im not sure if sophia is ready for that.

i just literally want to freeze time and not let her grow up.

beauty in the mess

2012-01-16T15:22:00.000-06:00

as random as they get

2012-01-10T23:24:00.000-06:00

in love with these photos.

really they deserve their own post. (but the blog bug struck tonight and its gonna be all sorts of random photos thrown in here to show you what we are up to)

sophia loves to dance and dance she does.

this particular day she dressed herself first thing in the morning full on in dance gear. she planned it out the night before. she declared "i am going to get dressed in my ballet clothes and dance my way to breakfast". so theatrical it kills me.

cutest legs.

i can not wait to paint her dresser.

did i ever mention i picked up the this dresser and two night stands at thrift stores to one day be painted and used for sophia's room? the time has come now that she has a big room. i just need to find the right color. however they have really grown on me and i kinda like them just the way they are. sophia however is very convinced they need to be pink.

this girl can't stop dressing up. some days she goes through six wardrobe changes. i have no say in what she wears (unless it is ridiculously inappropriate) then i put my foot down. other than that i have totally let it go. i love to see what she comes up with. some days her outfits are the cutest ensembles ever. other days? oh wow. they are something special. but you know what it is fun and i love to see her be creative and figure out this whole thing called fashion. i thought i would have a harder time letting go of choosing outfits on a daily basis. i kind of secretly love just saying ok sophia go get dressed please. and not have to help her. you see up until a month or two ago i would still physically dress her. she had no interest. she would be choosy some days in what she would wear but she would need my help to put on every single item. now? total and complete independence. i hope it will make her confident and have a sense of her own personal unique style. she is very proud of what she chooses and i think that is so cool. i have started to take photos of her outfits but i will save those for a separate post.

one night i came in her room to tuck her into bed and she had already laid out her clothes for the next day. its not like i have ever laid out her clothes for her. i am not that organized. i thought it was the cutest thing ever (and a totally cute outfit complete with her tiara headband and a comb)

two shoe options people.

we brought out her old crib and mattress from storage to get ready for a foster child. sophia wouldn't leave her crib mattress alone so she got to have a camp out on her bedroom floor on her crib mattress. so silly and cute. (side note we cant find the hardware for the crib - so not cool - how are we going to put it together??)

this is cutie pie. sophia's butterfly. its not real. but it looks and acts so real it has fooled many a people. we love her. she got her in the summer and is still a constant companion.

the last night sophia was in this bedroom. it made me teary. it needed to be documented.

what our house looked like the next day. lord help me.

so much work. we painfully rocked it out. chris had to re organize the storage locker, we packed away our dining table and flipped our whole house around. it was all the fun of moving without actually moving. lovely.

a sneak peak at sophia's new room. grampa bob came over before bedtime as a special treat to read to her from a new fairy tale book he bought her. the girl loves the fairytales. (by the way - i have so much more to do in her room, lots of painting and cute details to follow). all of her toys are now tucked away in the cubical we bought from ikea. love that its all hidden.

its pretty fun to have a table in the middle of your bedroom. perfect for crafternoons.

dropping off my sweetie at preschool. she is learning all about dinosaurs and is loving it!! my little girly girl is very into dinosaurs i would have never saw that one coming.

i cant resist her, i love her so.

totally random one to end on - but this is what i've been up to. getting my sweat on at the gym. it feels really good. like i'm getting my groove back in that department. and dare i say it i look forward to going. and its not because of new years resolutions or any of that. it was just so beyond time. my resolution? to go to bed earlier. i aim big.

and with that i say goodnight :)

new update

2011-12-28T00:24:00.000-06:00

click here for the link to a new blog post on 'for the love of foster'.

and just so you know you will need to scroll down to the very bottom of this blog to find the blog link. it wasn't working out on the side with the size of my pictures so until i can figure that out (and keep my blog pretty) it will be at the bottom:)

and don't miss out below for a new christmas post!

christmas as seen through my phone

2011-12-27T23:06:00.003-06:00


sophia and santa - this moment was so worth the crazy amount of time that we waited in line - i was one of those moms who stayed in line even though my sane self knew it was ridiculous - but the moment was magical - this santa knows his stuff and made my girl feel very very special - so worth it

i baked - these are white chocolate cherry shortbread - i also made our classic pearson gingerbread men - and egg nog cookies - baking and me these days are not best friends - we get quite annoyed at each other


my happy thrifted find - an old tree topper (it came complete with the original box - handcrafted in romania) $3.99

two of my five vintage christmas cards - purchased at an antique store in mt. vernon washington - they make me happy

these make sophia happy - some of her advent treasures - thats right she had a my little pony advent calender - very traditional - but for real every morning was so fun to open up each box and find itty bitty pony fun

how old are you? oh your four. daydreaming away looking at books - the nutcracker is her favorite

maple ridge tree in the center of town

daddy and his girl on a christmas eve eve walk

maple ridge has its not so fabulous moments but one thing they always get right are there christmas street decorations - i cant get enough of the old vintage street decor

sophia in a princess dress (how unusual - i have no say over what she wears anymore people - its a sad day) christmas eve at grama and grampas admiring the tree

christmas eve

we played charades - ok sophia played charades and we guessed - somebody cough cough *auntie sara and uncle dave* dont play games - party poopers. good thing we have a cutie who plays

pirate loot inside our christmas crackers

auntie sara made chocolate dipped strawberries and dipped mini oranges - so gooood!

christmas caroling by candle light

santa came to visit!!

sophia opened her christmas eve gift before bed - a new owl stuffy and new jammies of course!


christmas morning and santa left an easel!! very exciting! it was a wonderful christmas - i even have a little bit of real photos - i may even post those soon ;) but for some reason i love the fuzzy haze of my phone

she likes to pose by the snowflake

2011-12-16T21:42:00.007-06:00

...and wear pretty dresses

and put curls in her hair

and wear lip gloss

sophia the girliest girl i know

who looks much older than four in these pictures

who is sweet as pie

who i love with all my heart

we even take phone photos by the snowflake

fostering

2011-12-11T21:43:00.002-06:00

some of you may know this and some of you may not know

i have kept it close to my heart but feel ready to share with you what chris and i are doing

i started a new blog dedicated to our journey into becoming foster parents

feel free to check it out here

or right over there -----> on the side of my blog

sophia's preschool christmas concert

2011-12-09T10:31:00.001-06:00

here is a wiggly wobbly video of 'must be santa' performed by sophia and her preschool classmates last night at the school concert. you will have to get past the beginning where i completely drop the video camera because i was too busy blowing kisses and catching sophia's kisses. its a rough life being the mom to this sweetie!

(and to the lady in the front row - stop tilting your head, don't you know im trying to video tape here - geez)

i got a fancy phone

2011-11-30T00:44:00.000-06:00

chris and i got new phones - like really cool "rich people" phones

i know i am a bit slow on the trend of the instagram photos - but whatever!!

okay okay i dont even have instagram i have the android phone versions but again i say whatever!!

it is so handy to have my fancy phone to take photos with me on the go or even just at home when i dont want to get out our real camera :)

so without further ado i give to you my first phone pictures

i know i know sooooo exciting!! try to contain your excitement!

can you find sophia?

my pretty new christmas wreath that i made - huzzah for burlap!

bathrobe cutie!

learning to tie her shoes with auntie sara

collage-o-rama

it doesn't get much bettter than this

2011-11-07T22:32:00.001-06:00

what a fun halloween

2011-11-04T01:03:00.001-05:00

aunty sandy's halloween party(a) you and finn starting to decorate your pumpkins (b) mummytastic finnley (c) livia and her mommy (d) cutest little jedi cousin mason - poking himself with a lightsaber (e) love the mummy pumpkins (f) finished pumpkins (g) sophia's kitty (h) mason - cant get enough of him

(a) becoming dorothy (b) annual chili night at friends before trick or treating (c) posing pretty with your friends before heading of to trick or treat (d) silly photo with friends (e) laughing it up ( f) totally rocked trick or treating such a big kid (g) looks like mommy and daddy hitting up a house for candy but you were hidden behind me, you asked for a little back up on this extra spooky spectacular house (h) a little bonfire action and a little tasty treat from your bag full of candy to end the night (i) back home we said hello to g&g and we had to have a good look at all that candy!!

we started celebrating halloween early on saturday at your aunt sandy's fun halloween party. you made a kitty cat pumpkin and ate all sorts of spooky treats. sunday you went to church as dorothy gale and had a great time with your fellow dressed up friends with grama leading the pack. monday it was preschool party time. i stayed with you in the class and we partied it up preschool style. mommy made marshmallow treats again - this time orange colored chocolate with a candy corn on top. sugar high goodness. later that night we went to karla's house and ate the best chili complete with all the yummy toppings. second year in a row tradition. you and your girlfriends went trick or treating. totally proud of you. you mostly kept up with your friends who are one year older. you and paige held hands most of the night and braved the spooky houses together. you both remembered to say thank you and happy halloween to each person (even if some of the happy halloweens came after they closed the door) you were so cute it hurt.

amazing how much more i enjoy holidays now that i have my sweet sophia!

we're off to see the wizard!

2011-10-30T00:19:00.000-05:00

2011-10-25T22:25:00.001-05:00

*photo taken on her actual birthday right before she blew out her birthday candles

four

2011-10-12T22:28:00.001-05:00


my little girl (the hair stylist) turns four tomorrow!!

we have a very busy week ahead!

family birthday dinner tomorrow - we are having mexican night
sophia's favorite dinner is homemade bean and cheese burritos - that was *always* my birthday dinner growing up too!
saturday is her birthday party - 'hello kitty' party here we come!
auntie gina, uncle matt, sam and lola are arriving tomorrow to stay the week so lots and lots of fun family times ahead!

life is full of goodness and we cant get enough

xo

fresh from the garden

2011-10-04T23:46:00.001-05:00

the last flowers of the season

picked lovingly today by sophia with grampa's help

for me the saddest part of saying goodbye to summer -
no more mason jars full of our gardens flowers

till we meet again next spring

three weeks ago

2011-10-03T15:19:00.000-05:00

the outtakes!

im a *tad* behind here on this blog aren't i

sophia is now a seasoned 2nd year preschooler

3 weeks under her belt and took to it like a pro star!!

such a huge change from last year - my little girl who was stuck to me like velcro at every drop off has now become little miss independent!

it makes this momma proud to know how much confidence she has gained!

she goes three times a week in the afternoons for 2 hours

and loves it!

my almost 4 year old has also become a ballerina

she attends 'creative dance' once a week for 30 minutes and adores it

my heart bursts with pride at how much she is blossoming

life is good my friends!!

show and tell

2011-09-13T23:33:00.000-05:00

i just have to share with you some of the treasures i came home with - treasures that belonged to my grama and grampa peragallo

a few weeks back we rearranged our house

i have had these photos sitting here to share with you since then - blog motivation where did you go?

anyways we finally have our old dining table back in action

i cant tell how good it feels to have a proper table - not just an island to eat at

friends you can come over now and i wont make you eat on the sofa!

in a nutshell we moved our tv room downstairs to the playroom

my dad built a wall separating our space from my parents

it is great to have the extra space and the added privacy

again to my dad - you are amazing!

i will show you the downstairs another day when it is painted


master bedroom details

1. my nightstand - above it hangs my 32nd birthday present from my dad - a poem called 'my daughter' it is so lovely - on the back it was originally dated and given to florence on her 21st birthday, august 16th, 1931 - love it

2. my grama carmens typewriter- my heart leaped with happiness when i found it in her home - my grama loved to write stories and this is what she used to do so

3. i had printed out some of my favorite photos of sophia to use in a project - that project never happened but i wanted to still look at them everyday - so i hung them on twine and used clothespins. fast easy and cheap *i wont make the joke that i really want to make here*

4. this you guys is just amazing - my grama carmen left me two special things in her will - the first being this hand crocheted queen size blanket - my love of it is hard to even describe - it is so fine and delicate looking but it is so heavy and sturdy you wouldnt believe - it is now lovingly on our bed

in these pictures you can see

the beautiful crocheted blanket

my nightstand (which one day i will paint - i found the two night stands at value village for 5.99 - then a couple weeks later i found the matching dresser at sally anne - i was one happy camper)

the old window (turned pseudo head board) that was hanging on my dads shed - he let me steal it from him and when i turned it over it had all this lovely chippy paint - i fell in love instantly - inside the window i have hanging a linen that came from my gramas linen closet - i need a close up picture it is really lovely

a vintage looking hanger that i purchased a few months ago in fort langley - my sister gina, my cousin kristin and her roommate brittany were all visiting and we spent a lovely day antiquing - it was a very fun day indeed

attached to the hanger are some peragallo family photos - my dashing grampa in his military uniform - the photograph is lovingly signed "to my dearest darling wife love and kisses, joe" - swoon - the other photo is my dad and his older brother joe

here is our new and improved dining room which was once our tv room

we brought in our rather large dresser which was overtaking our bedroom - we are now using it as a sideboard - i quite like it here as it gives me more kitchen storage and a pretty display area

do you see that amazingly wonderful bird cage?

did you know i have wanted a vintage bird cage for a long long long time?

do you know that i could never find one that was right?

that little bird cage of awesomeness belonged to my grandparents and it had been hanging in their kitchen nook for as long as i have had memories - the happiness to know it is now mine to treasure and admire on a daily basis is just remarkable

i also brought home the white platter from my grandparents

on top of the platter rests a vintage milk glass pyrex dish that i found at a thrift shop in california - i need to do an update on all the glorious pyrex i have accumulated - its a bit of a problem but i love it so!

inside my white frame i have housed two little prints i picked up at the beginning of the summer at an estate sale - i love them very much - the estate sale is a post in itself - i now have a cupboard full of vintage linens, tablecloths and aprons that i adore - i could have purchased everything that day

close up of the birdcage - we have a little white wooden bird nested inside now that was not present at the time of the photo - it looks very darling and sophia loves it

these beautiful doilies belonged to my grama - i would assume that she made them or perhaps my great grama lola did - my aunt deann mentioned that a lot of the linens i brought home were hand made by them both

how lucky am i?

i had the best compliment on my home the other day that i think i could receive - my parents had a church picnic in the garden last weekend and i showed a few ladies that i had never met before our home - they just moved here from brazil - the older lady of the two who could only speak a little english grabbed my hand and looked in my eyes and said "your home is filled with so much love i can feel it" i had to choke back tears - that made me so happy because that is all i want - a home filled with love - having my grandparents precious belongings just adds to the layers of love i want my home to have - generation upon generations of love

xo

welcome to the peragallo's

2011-08-10T23:47:00.000-05:00


my grandparents home

a home full of memories

so many that it is still hard for me to put things into words

driving up to my grandparents house every summer was always a highlight for me and my sisters

the neighborhood is so incredibly beautiful

streets lined with gorgeous old homes, huge trees and sunny blue skies

the kind of homes i would love to live in

an extra special part of the homes exterior is the peragallo's sign

the sign has been hanging there for as long as i have known

i have always loved that sign

i just learned only a couple days ago that my dad made that sign in grade 9 for his parents

my love for that sign went up about 100 times

it is now hanging outside my parents home and it makes me very happy

this is my grampa joe's garage - a happy place for me

i can still hear my grampa ask me if i want a "sodie"

of course i always wanted one and into the garage we would go to get a sodie pop from the garage fridge

i usually had a root beer

i loved being in that garage with him

on this trip i spent some time in there just looking around and remembering all the good times it was a way for me to say goodbye again to him and goodbye to the house and that special garage

the backyard - with the lemon tree


the lemon tree

this photo of sophia was taken on the day of my grama's funeral

she had a lot of fun with her cousins picking lemons from the tree

we gathered a whole bag to take home with us

we made lemonade that night

my grandmothers living room is so beautiful to me

she always kept her home so pristine

i remember visiting with her in this room

we would sit on the couch and she would sit in her elegant chair by the window

my grama's voice was just about the best - she called it her minnie mouse voice

i loved it and can hear it clear as day

by the front door was the grandfather clock - a very special piece to my grama

my grampa's ashes were kept in there after he passed away

she toasted to him every afternoon

it makes me happy knowing they are together again - there was so much love between them


the stove

i dont know the exact history of this stove

all i know is that this is the stove they used daily and it still looks brand new

i love this stove

the blue room

every grama needs a blue room

both of my grandparents have a blue room

i love them both

who doesn't feel cheery walking into a room like this

******

sophia and i spent two weeks in california

soaking up the sun and family

i didn't realize how much i needed to be there and do just that

it was a very special trip that will never be forgotten

i learned on this trip that my grama carmen's full name is carmelita

carmelita corona - how beautiful is her name?

her funeral was lovely and intimate

we gathered in her backyard and it was attended by family and close friends and neighbors

it was wonderful to hear stories and connect again with my two peragallo cousins and their children

i was able to take home many treasures from my grandparents home

i cant even begin to put into words how special it was being in their home and finding family history to bring home to my sisters and sophia

i got to spend time with my aunt deann as we discovered new things that had been forgotten

it will go down in history as one of my most favorite days

thank you aunt deann for such a special day - it was wonderful seeing you

i will post some of the special items i was able to bring home on another day when they have found just the right place in my home

i love that all the things we brought home smell just like their home - i have such smell associations with things and i never want the smell to disappear - ever

i love you grama carmen and grampa joe

******

grama carmen

2011-07-22T16:30:00.000-05:00

i wanted to let you all know sophia and i will be out of town for a couple weeks

we are headed to california to celebrate the life of my wonderful grama carmen who passed away yesterday

the trip will be filled with mixed emotions

sad to say our goodbyes to grama but happy to see all our extended family

i haven't been back to california in probably 10 years

i spent every summer growing up there - i am excited to bring sophia

i have so many memories and cant seem to get my head in a place to write it all down

i am busy packing today and making sure everything is in order for our trip

you will be greatly missed grama carmen

an interview with sophia

2011-07-13T22:51:00.003-05:00

last night sophia was having a tough time falling asleep.
i went in and laid in bed with her.
i started asking her some questions.
after a few questions i said we should really be writing this down - so off i went and got a pad of paper.

this is my interview with sophia straight from her mouth to the paper:

sophia what is your favorite toy?

my new baby alive doll

what is your favorite thing to do outside?

jump rope

what is your favorite thing to play?

dress up

what is your favorite food?

strawberries with sugar sprinkled on top and candy

what is your favorite thing about mommy?

that you bake with me

what do you love most about daddy?

hmm, im thinking, what is it? i know! he plays with me a lot!

sophia what do you like?

i like birdies, butterflies, flowers & caterpillars

what do you dislike?

bees & flies - oh and black and grey

(mommy: the colors black and grey?

sophia: yeah i dont like them)

sophia what do you wish for in the whole world?

that butterflies and owls and birds would fly around in our house and i could play with them!
(that would freak mommy out - just sayin)

sophia what are you looking forward to?

halloween

why are you looking forward to halloween?
because i get to wear a costume and get presents and candy. i get to buy a bag and go trick or treating -thats my favorite!
(not sure why she thinks she gets presents at halloween but ok)

what is your favorite tv show?
strawberry shortcake

what was your favorite thing about preschool?
doing crafts with my friends

what is your favorite flower?|

daisies

what do you love about auntie sara?

that she comes to our house and plays with me

what do you love to wear?

dresses

what is your favorite color?

pink and white

sophia who is your favorite person in the whole world?
paige!

(i should have known - i wanted her to say mommy though haha)

this is her beloved friend paige - as you can see they have a lot of fun together!!

**************************

then sophia wanted to interview me - so here is that interview

mom what did you do today?

you and i went to auntie sandy's house. mommy used their gym and we had lunch with jada, mason and auntie sandy. we came home and cleaned our house and then we danced ballet (in a nutshell)

mom what do you look forward to?

i look forward to the fall season and having more children in my life

what is your favorite color?

light aqua (im sure there is a better name for it - but its my fave and i don't what else to call it, ha) oh and i like yellow too

what is your favorite flower?

peonies

what do you like?

i like thrift shopping, things i can fix up and vintage pyrex bowls (which sophia calls pirate bowls)

what do you really love?

i really love sophia and daddy .... and having a pretty house that is clean and tidy!

what do you like playing with me?

i like playing with you in your kitchen and playhouse, i like to bake with you and color and do crafts with you and dancing with you of course!

what do you like about me?
i love everything about you sophia! i love your kindness and sweetness, i love your imagination and creativity and your sense of humour to name just a few things!

what do you like in the whole wide world?
i like being your mommy!

********************************

pretty sure i need to do this every few months. it was such a sweet memory that i know i will always cherish. we both had fun interviewing each other and she fell asleep right away afterwards.

*********************************

a few more things

*i have about a zillion photos to post that i am so behind on

*grama lola and grampa joe were here visiting for a week and i have photos to post from then too

*my back was out - i mean out - like i couldn't walk and i may or may not have had to go to the hospital via ambulance so that i could get relief because there was no way i could sit in a car to get there

*my parents are away for three weeks and i am in charge of the garden again - today it rained and i thanked God about 100 times!

that is all

luckiest girls in the world

2011-06-24T22:20:00.004-05:00

grampa bob is amazing

we really cant get enough of him

it was his idea to build a playhouse - within days it was up

i painted it and then sophia and i decorated it

i was going to re paint the outside but have decided to just leave it alone

i never realized that picking playhouse colors would be so stressful

rough life.

the style is so my dad

it is unique just like he is

sophia is beyond lucky - and so am i

our life is grand

and this is just what is outside our suite - the whole garden awaits us daily and is amazingly beautiful and full of charm - breathtaking at times - a discovery place for sophia - sometimes i think we are living in a fairytale garden amongst the woodland creatures.

dad i just have to say it again...

thank you for such a charming life and our whimsical playhouse

how did we get so lucky??

welcome to sophia's playhouse!

spray painted milk jugs and holder

tea party time!

housekeeping

drive thru window

view from her doorway - that is our entry to the backyard and kitchen window - i can watch her play while doing housework

reading from her 1979 children's cookbook

sophia's veggie patch - she is growing butter lettuce, romaine, peas and celery!

meeting mason rayne

2011-06-20T16:08:00.000-05:00

my little nephew has arrived!

mason arrived on the 17th - a perfect little bundle of joy!

as you can see by these pictures he is just perfection.

he looks so much like his big sister jada mae - pouty little lips - and oh that chin, i could just gobble him up!!

i pretty much did not want to stop holding him - pure delight!

forever and a day

2011-06-10T00:56:00.000-05:00

its us.
sophia and laura
do you remember us?
the lure of this blog comes in ebbs and flows for me
i just cant quit you
i love having a place to post when i am inspired
when life has calmed and i am in a mellow place
some days the crazy (the good and the bad) takes over and all i want to do at the end of the day is relax mindlessly
other nights all i want to do is create and be inspired
that comes in forms of browsing the web where i can drool and only wish
or all i want to do is work on crafts and diy
or organizing my house and rearranging and then rearranging again
other nights i want to tackle the milion photos i have on my camera
perhaps maybe picnik it up a little
tonight was a tackle photos night
and what does that lead to?
why i need to post them on my blog of course

until i go through the other 999,995 photos
here is a quick peek into our day today
plus one extra of one of my all time favorite photos of my beautiful daughter

sophia had crazy hair day at pre school today - i called it crazy 'cute' hair day!
as much as i tried to go all wild and crazy with her hair this morning it ended up being way cute - because lets just be honest everything is cute on her - i am biased though - you should have seen the amazing shirley temple curls sophia had after i took out her twisty buns

while she had fun at pre school i went to my favorite spot to hang out while she is in class - the vv
where upon my arrival i spotted this old super 8 camera.
love.
has all the parts and original case
we will just pretend that it works.

oh here it is.
i just love this photo
no rhyme or reason why i posted it other than that it is one of my favorites
it was taken at the beginning of april
we were playing outside checking out puddles in flower pots
finding all the baby snails
and generally enjoying the beginnings of spring

this was taken this afternoon
grams and soph
cleaning out grama linda's playhouse
doesnt get much cuter
just you wait it actually does - sophia has her very own playhouse now
grampa bob built her one just outside our kitchen
its pretty much the best
pictures to follow soonish

i love my home
i love simplicity
yet i cant seem to stop collecting

you know how you are supposed to do what you love?
well i am pretty lucky

a) im sophias mom
b) i get to be a homemaker and make a comfortable and loving home for my family
c) i get to rescue old thrifted goods
d) i get to create
e) i get to be with friends and family

im a simple girl and little things make me very happy
so thankful for the life i have

in this pic...

1) thrifted embroidery hoops filled with fun fabric

2) my new clock (garage sale find for one dolla) belonged to a 95 year old lady

3) my fenton milk glass - cream and sugar set (gifted to me by my wonderful friend christina's mom - i have a whole collection from her) - these two are sitting in a melamine aqua dish

4) close up of my vintage clock -still works like a charm and i am in love with the ticking noise

5) old food scale - thrifted at vv for 7.99 - pretty darn ecstatic when i found it (those puppies arent cheap) - i have wanted one for a long time

6) my cannisters that i thrifted a while back plus my peel and stick chalkboard - i had it where my new clock is - it is very handy having it on my fridge now - i try and keep track of what produce and leftovers we have on it - because i am queen of forgetting what i actualy have in the fridge

7) i embroidered the word 'home' in a hoop - i just learned to embroider the other day - something i have wanted to do for a very long time - i like simple one worded hoops - i am making a collage of fabric and embroidered words for sophias room - so very fun and so very easy

8) obsessed and on the hunt for old pirex bowls - these two were scored at vv - i really want a whole collection of the vintage bowls - they make me happy

9) my vintage 50's melamine small plates - these are the plates sophia uses every day - atop the plates is a milk glass candy dish just recently gifted to me by my lovely cousin kristin

10) cannisters and chalkboard

11) the coasters i made at my sister ginas house when i visited a few months ago - basic white tiles bought at home depot - pretty paper napkins peeled to just the top layer then mod podged and sealed on top of the tile- so easy and they look handpainted - on the bottom of the tile is cork - love them

and that my friends is a very small sampling of a few of my favorite things in my home
i have many more so perhaps another collage is in order!

*****
and with that i say farewell on this fine evening
im sure not many of you are reading this but if you happened to stop by please say hello!

******
oh and lola joy and grampa joe - i promise to post many pictures of your darling grandaughter very soon - im sure you need new ones to say hello too ;)

lots of love

laura

on girlyness

2011-03-28T16:21:00.000-05:00

it is innate

she is all about pink

she cant get enough of dresses and dress up

sparkly shoes

or play makeup

don't get me wrong she is not only about those things

she can play in the dirt with the best of them

she would love nothing more than to be outside from morning to night

looking for worms and making puddle soup

i love the two sides

but there is no denying

sophia is a girly girl

from the drama to the attitude to the sweetness that is her

she is definitely all girl

i bought her her very own nail polish kit
she took to it like a pro star
wow, how are you so good at that??
i mean i guess her mother is an esthetician
but i was mesmerized with her
the focus, the dedication to do it perfectly
she even bejewelled

she keeps the set on her bookshelf now
lines it up just so

i walked into her room today and saw how she set it up herself
a dishtowel was layed out
all the supplies lined up
a crooked attempt at closing the bottle lid tight

melt my heart

the kind of jewellery i enjoy

2011-03-24T12:04:00.000-05:00

i have drooled over allora handmade's necklaces for a very long time.

i love them.

one day i had a light bulb moment.

i can make those for myself!

i also found the cutest earrings on etsy.

and again i thought i can make those myself.

so i did

here is my allora knock off in my signature color. i love it.

i cant wait to get more fabric and make more! i have never made jewelery before so it was really fun for me. i figured out how to make a chain and clasp right in michaels. snuck a read in a jewelery making book and taught myself on the spot and then bought the supplies.

i have a few more earrings in the works and a cute spring headband for sophia, stay tuned!

2011-03-23T00:06:00.000-05:00

wreath

2011-03-22T00:40:00.001-05:00

do you like yarn?
do you like rosettes?

i do.

here is a fun project you can do while watching your favorite show.
there is a lot of mindless winding of yarn so watching a mindless show while doing it works out quite well.

a few months ago i picked up these heart wreaths (circa 1992 im sure) at a local thrift store called cythera. its how a thrift store should be. the prices are what you would expect *ahem value village* thrift shops should be. how many times can i say thrift store in one paragraph? anyways i got them for .25 a pop. i had no idea what i was going to do with them but i knew someday i would want them. lo and behold i stumbled upon danielle at take heart. she makes the cutest wreaths and i was taken with her and her lovely wreaths. she takes the time to give tutorials (something i never remember to do while im in the creative process, yet LOVE when others do) i will work on that. so go check out how i learned to make them here. danielle is also selling her wreaths to help fund her trip to blog sugar. so check this great gal out!

since these wreaths were for sophia's playroom i let the little miss pick out her own yarn. for real i did. very unlike the control freak inside me. she chose the bright rainbow yarn. i loved it too. yay. that wasn't too hard. together we chose the pink yarn that matched best. i wanted it to be fun and cheery and indeed it is just that!

i will say this dont let a three year old come home and play with the yarn. it seemed like a good idea at the time. she was happy and feeling her inner crafter. it wasnt until i sat down to start when i realized what a complete and utter disaster my yarn was. headache central. if it wasnt for the unknotting (all while pulling my hair out and possibly saying some christian swear words) part it is very simple. since my wreaths were thrifted i didnt have the luxury of plastic coated wreaths. yeah messy really messy. i could have had a barn dance with all that hay on my floor, couch, clothes and daughter.

oh and a little note on my post below. i kinda left you hanging about that bookcase. you all know we have a very little home or cottage as my good friend amanda calls it. well long story short. chris is getting a well deserved new computer and needed more room. he moved his desk into our room and suddenly i had an empty area. gasp. i didnt go a day without finding something to fill the space. its a disease people. i poached the bookcase from my mom. it was sitting lonely with a few books and magazines on it. i wall papered the backs and left the rest as is. love it. makes me happy.

bookcase upcycle

2011-03-21T00:52:00.004-05:00

buds

2011-03-15T23:02:00.000-05:00

its all about the collages

2011-03-10T00:29:00.002-06:00

i got all gussied up today for my bible study and then found out it was cancelled. sad face. so what's a girl to do with herself? take pictures of her cute scarf and cute earrings and make silly faces and then proceed to make a collage. sophia and grama had a date to go swimming and make soup. besides my impromptu photo shoot i also grabbed a coffee to go and went window shopping where i proceeded to drool and torture myself by looking at all the ridiculously adorable items that i can't have. thank you homesense.

another impromptu photo session took place the other day. i have a gazillion kajillion pictures of my sweet honey child but barely any of me. i cringe at seeing myself in photos and would like nothing more than to never see my self in one again. however i know one day i will want to see myself with my girl. at this moment i may not think i look good. i may criticize my self way too much and complain about the acne that decided to come late in life. but one day i may have acne and wrinkles and i will think hey i looked pretty good for being a chubby acne prone 31 year old.

and this little beauty? what can i say other than that she is awesome.

dont let people freak you out about what the different ages bring. that is all silly scare tactics. every age has it's challenges and learning curves. i still have them. i call it the terrible 31's. every year she grows and i grow and we figure it out together. it's the best job in the world it's also the most tiring confusing self doubting exhilarating heart bursting love swooning job in the world. there are days where i feel like i am the biggest failure on planet earth and then bedtime comes around and we read and pray and chat and giggle and all the hard times of the day melt away and you know everything is going to be alright. in those moments i know i am not totally ruining her life and in fact i know i am doing a good job.

the playroom

2011-02-27T20:27:00.002-06:00

last saturday afternoon i had a burst of energy

i painted the basement from a dark green to a light bluey green

i filled the room full of toys hearts and all things girl

see those stairs on the right?

that's how my parents house and our suite are connected

we call it the rabbit hole

as you can see it is quite cozy down there.

fireplace. check.
big fluffy rug. check.
tv for watching strawberry shortcake. check.
queen size bed for mommy naps. check. (i wish...but there is a bed)

bookshelf hung at a three year olds level
yarn and felt heart wreaths i made for the room

toys toys and more toys (it amazes me that we fit most of these toys in soph's room)
a desk for mommy
part of the bed that always calls my name

the chalkboard i made for the room!

(i will do a before and after photo soon. let's just say there was lots of gold and the last supper was the main event on the inside)

guess who we had over as a visitor? little cousin jada!!

sophia has already had a few friends over.
we just send the kids down the rabbit hole and the mommies chill chat and drink hot beverages. good times.

over all this room has made a huge difference to us.
we have a very cozy and fun filled space to play in that really is a little girls paradise!!

so come on over let's play!

boys are allowed too :)

*the control freak inside of me feels the need to mention that the color in the room looks so much better in real life. seriously i couldn't capture the real feel. i am anti flash. i really dislike how harsh the photo's become. however i lack any sort of photography skills to know how to capture the light properly. one day i hope to actually know how to use my camera. until then oops.*

i may have a problem

2011-02-21T17:21:00.001-06:00

so what have i been up to?

lots and lots of painting.

obsessed could be the word.

i have done so many up-cycling projects lately.

i need a cooler word.

refurbishing?

still not that cool.

i always tell people i like to do crafts.

i despise that word.

we really need a new word for craft.

d.i.y?

until a new cool word comes along we'll just say up cycled.

so i have up cycled quite a few pieces as of late.

here is my coffee table thatshouldhavebeensupereasy turned terriblywrong project

but i learned a lot...

sanding the shine away, getting ready to prime it.
i liked it dark too. just doesn't go with my decor this way. also there was a lot of scratches that needed sanding out
i love my dad's power sander. it's my new best friend.

(bought at value village for 14.99)

pretty details

i primed it white, then painted it gray. it looked really pretty gray. i could have just been done at this point.

but no i had to try my hand at crackle...."friends don't let friends crackle" my sister later told me she read a blog post titled that.

too little too late...

crackle disaster nightmare.
my coffee table looked like it had a skin disease. not pretty.

many moons later

plus lots of sanding and fresh coats of paint i finally had a white coffee table that i am quite fond of.

even though it was a major pain i learned a lot.

that is how you become good at something right?

trial and error.

it's still not perfect but it's good enough!

did you notice my white frame above my couch?

this is how that bad boy started out.

gold and goddy just the way i like them!!

*(these frames were originally marked at $69.99 and $49.99 ridonculous! so me and my mouth complained at the horrible pricing system vv has and the manager gave them to me for $5.99 and $4.99!! bingo! plus i had my mom with me can we say seniors discount? i got 30% off those bad boys. it was the deal of my life. sometimes it really does pay to have a big mouth and actually use it!)

addicted to white paint!

i also painted a wee stool for sophia

my newly painted frame plus some vv dishes and the sconces i previously painted.
not so sure how i feel about the plates hanging in there yet. doesn't quite go. but i don't have anything else for inside the frame. i'm sure one day i will change it.

love this one

i didn't make the birds but wanted to show you my little birdies hanging in my window.
i bought them from here on etsy

and here is a sneak peek!

i transformed this wooden play cupboard into a kitchenette for sophia

she loves it!

it is now downstairs in sophia's new playroom!

on saturday i painted my parents basement

(im getting realllly good at painting)

brought down all her toys

and set up a little girls paradise!

it is cozy and cute and gives us so much more room to play!!

my parents rock in case you didn't know!

i also made sophia the cutest chalk board you ever did see.

stay tuned!!

p.s. if you want to see my previous before and after projects click here

milestone

2011-02-18T11:57:00.001-06:00

sophia went on her first pre school field trip yesterday.

a field trip to the firehall!

the shiny new fire hall that is right up the street from our house.

the fire hall that we pass almost every day.

i remember when i was a little girl going to the fire hall in little 'ol bonners ferry.

the main thing i remember from my field trip was seeing the fire mans big black boots and being amazed at how huge they seemed to me.

it was fun going in to Sophia's field trip with my own memories of my first trip to the fire hall.

i loved seeing her eyes light up with excitement and how she had to tilt her head all the way back to look at the big trucks. how she stood on her tippy toes to try and be as tall as the fire trucks wheel, how she was totally mesmerized with the cute fire fighter.

also, the fact that my little three year old was on a field trip? excuse me? how? she is still my baby. babies don't go on field trips!

pre field trip photo op!

my little beauty

she really got into posing for me ( a rare thing these days!)

sophia and all her school mates! can you spot sophia?
(miss linda is on the left in the green jacket)

i love sophia's reaction...my drama girl! (everybody else is unphased, ha)

tippy toe reach and she is as tall as the wheel!

class photo!

sophia got nervous when it was her turn to sit in the firetruck. it took her a while to recover and didn't want to stand in for the class picture...that is why she is sitting in miss barbara's lap. did i mention she loves drama?

fire chief sophia!

i asked sophia what her favorite part of the field trip was. her answer was the doggy in the video named sparky! the kids got to watch a fire safety cartoon while the parents went upstairs and watched our own safety video. embarrassed to admit it but i totally got choked up and had a few tears run down my cheek while watching our video. i totally had to focus on something else so i wouldn't start crying like a fool and humiliate myself in front of all the other parents. let's just say after we picked daddy up from work we headed to canadian tire and picked up a new fancy fire alarm and a co2 alarm!

from our hearts to yours...

2011-02-14T14:37:00.000-06:00

...happy valentines day!

o little town of bethlehem

2010-12-22T13:56:00.000-06:00

- a play by sophia.

cutest mary i ever did saw

here is the manger scene...
baby jesus is wrapped in swaddling clothes.
the bowl of m&m's is frankincense.
the rock is myrrh
my big ol ring is the gold
the cream blanket is hay
the cheetah stuffie is a monkey (ok she strayed a bit from the story there)

my sweet mary

sophia grace you blew me away when you did this all by yourseslf!
there was no help from us.
your imagination is awesome.
your spririt even brighter.
you followed the star (our ceiling spotlight)

you know this story.
you were all about being mary and taking care of your baby jesus.
you had the blanket out waiting for his arrival so you could wrap him in swaddling clothes.

i had to go get grama and grampa so that they could witness your awesomeness.

we then all played a part in your play.
mommy, daddy and grama were wisemen.
grampa was a shepherd.

you touched us all with your beautiful little play.

a wonderful christmas memory.

something we will never forget.

holly jolly

2010-12-17T17:34:00.002-06:00

sophia meet santa....santa meet sophia.

today was a big day for sophia. it was the first time she got to meet santa and have her picture taken with him. she was very excited. she brought her little purse. inside her purse she carried a mini snow white, mini princess belle and a strawberry shortcake doll. she knew that santa would really love them.
it was meticulously thought out on her part. she wanted to wear her gumboots and a cream sweater. have i mentioned she is ~~bossy~~ three and very opinionated? that's ok she has good taste. she also really loves having braids and wants to grow her hair forever just like tangled. i am never allowed to cut it again, not even her bangs. this could be trouble.

yes, i did take pictures of a picture. i don't have a scanner.

a couple days ago we made our traditional pearson gingerbread. best ones around i tell ya!

kung fu sophia was ready to go!

...so was ballerina sophia.

bad hair day for us both. but we had fun!!

she definitely takes after me!

sneaking in kisses

more dough, can't get enough!

clean up time!
have to let the dough chill for a few hours. seems like an eternity for a three year old!

forcing her to look at me while she does "dishes". the teenage years are going to be fun!

the hours have passed and the cookies are ready to go in the oven.
(newly aquired ariel bandaid for a her pretend owie. she would be covered in bandaids if i let her!)

waiting so patiently

*note to self - clean the oven window

voila!
our yummy finished product. loaded up with *smarties of course!! the only way to eat them in the pearson household.

*smarties are a canadian chocolate candy. i have heard in the states they have a candy named smarties but it is chewy? these smarties are delish and don't melt or crack in the oven like m&m's would. also they are a little sweeter than m&m's.

come over to my house and you can try them and have an eggnog latte too!

sophia's first preschool christmas concert

2010-12-13T20:59:00.004-06:00

last thursday sophia had her first school concert!

what a joy seeing her and all her class buddies walk into the gymnasium with their santa hats on all dressed in their best. it was a large crowd to perform to. there was 4oo or so other parents watching.

me and my little camera (that *ahem* got dropped and broke earlier in the day by a certain three year old) were ready to capture the special moment. the video isn't that clear and quite wobbly. i didn't want to watch her while looking through the camera so i did my best just free holding.

and YES she is chewing gum.....parenting fail!! let me explain. so the concert was at 4:00 and when it came time to get ready she was not in the mood to get dressed or have her hair brushed. the clock was ticking and i succumbed to bribing her with the only thing i can...gum! you see back at halloween i gave her a sucker. a sucker that i didn't realize had gum inside. a little later i noticed she was chewing something. i asked her "is that still the sucker?" she said she didn't know and showed me what was in her mouth. gum! well she couldn't have been prouder or happier that *she* was chewing gum. in the past i always told her that gum is only for big kids and she had to be at least five. anyways she was co cute chomping away on her gum i let her keep it in her mouth with the wise words of...if you take it out of your mouth and get it stuck somewhere she could never have gum again. fear never hurts right? haha. the few times she has had it she has been great with it and has had no problems. so back to my story. i gave her the gum to get ready and i told her we have to throw it away once we were at school. i dropped her off in her class and in all the crazy commotion i totally forgot she still had the gum. i didn't remember until that exact moment on the video where you hear me say it. so funny!! i can't believe she is chewing gum at her first school concert. my little gum chewing chomper girl!

i will leave you with a funny quote sophia said when she first chewed gum " this gum takes forever to chew".

yes it does sophia, yes it does!

how fun is it being three by the way? and how fun is it to be a three year olds momma!!

sophia and grampa talk santa

2010-12-13T20:26:00.001-06:00

(tip of the day- adjust the number underneath the video screen, it may say 240p change it to 360p and the video will be much better quality!)

old lady chic

2010-11-16T23:11:00.000-06:00

my name is laura and i am a value village addict.

every tuesday (while sophia is at preschool) i head to my local value village. tuesday is senior discount day! and wouldn't you know it my dad is also a vv-aholic. i get to use my dad's 30% off seniors discount... appropriate enough since i call my style old lady chic.

when i was in high school i was an avid vv shopper. mostly for clothes. i stopped my thrift store addiction for a long time. i forgot about how much i love it! nowadays i am all about the housewares and kids clothes. about 90% of sophia's clothes are from the vv boutique. look around my house and the majority of things you will see are from there. it's getting out of hand.

when you are on a strict budget life can be challenging. i always feel the need to create and craft and above all i love to decorate my space. two things that can be impossible when you can barely spend any money. should i even mention my other love? my love of shopping for sophia!!! going to the mall and cute stores just made my heart ache seeing all the pretty things and knowing i couldn't buy any of it. so very hard for a shopaholic like me!

the photo's i am posting below are not amazing feats of craftiness. in fact the pictures don't really do them justice. but i wanted to post them to show my sisters. when gina was here for a visit i got her started on a vv addiction. we had a lot of fun looking at things and thinking what we could do with them and how she could decorate her new home on a budget. sorry gina that you don't get dad's senior discount. i think you should befriend a senior in your area ;)

the before of all the frames and sconces i collected. not gonna lie i wasn't hating them gold but i love them white!

before of the mirror i scored

the before of the frames (on the chenille i found!)

after - two of the frames!
i really wanted a photo wall. all i did was print out the black and white pictures on regular paper, no cost.
the top frame in the right corner i made into a chalkboard from chalboard paper i had.

loving milk glass these days! i have quite a few pieces of it. see? i told you i was old lady chic.

milk glass flower pot/bookend ( i have another larger one on the other side of the books)

after - the sconces and the mirror. i love how they turned out

the flower curtians i got for sophia, LOVE them!

they make my old lady heart a flutter

cute little chairs i found

sophia really needed a bedskirt and voila i love it

one of my first household purchase from vv.

the coolest part? i found out that these exact cannnisters belonged to a lady i used to work with. she received them as a wedding gift in 1975. she had just recently dropped them off at the thrift store. true story!!

i had really been wanting curtains for our living room but couldn't afford any. chris jokingly said if i could find curtains for $10 i could get them. he was joking... but i took it as a challenge!! i found the blue panel for $10 and the cream one for $8 so technically i was over the limit but i was close! my mom and i cut the two panels and sewed them together. easy peasy. i was lucky to find two curtains that had the same ring top so that made things very easy.
this room still needs some work. i also recently added an awesome white lamp i found at vv. i am loving my old lady rocker!! in fact i am sitting in it right now as i type :) the chair was one my mom had in her home that she let us use. it really cozies up the room. oh and the third frame is up there above the key rings.

and this is my next project!
sophia has been using this as her "kitchen" so i am going to cutesy it up by painting it and modpodging it up to look like a real kitchen for her. i am very excited to do it!

on a random tangent...i just want to say sorry to my blog. i have so many pictures, stories and goings on that i am just so behind on. i feel like i am so busy with everyday life and have no time for being on the computer. you have definitely become last on the rung of life. i guess that is ok though, priorities right? i have thought about shutting you down, but i just can't quit you! i am making no promises but once in a while when the stars align and all my everyday things are taken care of me and you will have some quality time.

get ready for a cousin picture-fest!

2010-10-29T01:02:00.000-05:00

gina,sam and lola came to visit!

they stayed for one week and the time we spent together was so wonderful.

sam and sophia got along like best buds. i don't remember one time where they were not getting along. it was amazing. there is just nothing like family!!

it broke my heart to say goodbye to them. sam and lola stole my heart (like they do every time). it was so nice to spend time with my sister and just chill together. we are already planning another trip but this time i go to see them. i can't wait. january can't come soon enough!!

we love you guys!

xox

sophia's halloween costume, she's a tough but smiley pirate!

sam the cheetah in the wild jungle of grampa's garden!

twinsies!! gina and i both unknowingly bought the same outfits for our girls!

at the park

lola bear

have i mentioned how much i love fall??

love these two little munchkins!!!

race ya!!

swing time fun!

lola and sophia

lola bear in the pumpkin basket!

pumpkin patch time, giddy up!

gonna "milk" the cow

best friends forever holding hands

oh this photo makes me laugh sophia....bend with the knees girlfriend!

my loves! it was such a fun, awesome trip and we can't wait to do it again!!

harvest party - three year old style!

2010-10-18T17:34:00.001-05:00

pumpkins, hay bales and scarecrows oh my!

a pumpkin for each of her friends to decorate and take home

filled up with their goody bags too!

kids table

so hard to get a "normal" picture of my three year old!!

daddy's girl

some of sophia's buddies

Sophia handed out a pumpkin for each of her friends

let the decorating begin!

so focused on her art!

waiting patiently for present time!

thanking cathie for her lovely present!

3 candles!!!

make a wish birthday girl!

what a fun day!

i still can't believe sophia is three!
it was a party to remember. filled with games and treats and friends.
we played pin the tail on the raccoon, drop the pin in the bottle and decorated pumpkins!
we ate candy corn, pigs in a blanket, grapes, cheese and crackers and of course cupcakes!!
we celebrated with our friends jake,adrian,lily,julia,paige,elysia and makenna.

happy third birthday sophia grace!!

glorious october

2010-10-08T22:45:00.009-05:00

sophia was supposed to be born on november 22nd. i had all these idyllic visions of her birth date. it seemed like the perfect date to me. all warm and cozy. the date appealed to my senses. when i realized that in fact she was coming early. the first thing that ran though my head was "what day is this?" i realized the date was october 13th. ohhh nooooooo i thought. this is so wrong. I wished she could wait one day or have come one day earlier. i just really didn't like the 13th in october. i have often felt guilty for secretly not liking her birth date. i am so wierd. i only told my mom and sisters how i actually felt. so ridiculous to get hung up on that. believe me i know. i just have some random quirks. i should just be rejoicing that i was given this amazing girl. which i am. but i would have liked to receive her one day later. see? issues.

but this year on her upcoming third birthday i am coming to grips with it. (i love how i am talking like this is such a big life shattering deal)

i was talking with my mom the other day about just how much i adore fall. everything about it is awesome. then it hit me. duh! october is glorious and sophia is so lucky that she gets to celebrate her birthday in the best month ever!! none of this november stuff. it is all about october!! as for the 13th? i will get there. baby steps people.

so to start the month off right we headed to our local pumpkin patch. which honestly is the best patch ever!! when we lived in calgary they didn't even have a pumpkin patch (gasp, the horrors!) perhaps that's why this year i was reminded about how glorious and beautiful october is. because in calgary it went from summer to winter without any autumn. im sorry my fellow calgarians for having to endure that. such a shame.

get ready for a massive influx of pumpkin patch pictures!! seriously dudes this isn't even half of them. also my camera died just as we were about to enter the actual "patch". who takes 307 pictures in a pumpkin patch?? apparently i do! thank god for the digital era!!

... and now i am wiped out from uploading so many pictures ;) like i said my camera died so you don't get to see the pumpkins we chose. chris got a big ol' pumpkin, sophia chose two little ones and i got a white pumpkin (i always wanted a white one, it makes me happy!!). apparantly i was lucky to get one as only a few grew this year. see the early bird does get the worm!!

first week wrap up

2010-09-17T00:59:00.005-05:00

day two of pre school was a success!

she was a little nervous in the morning but once we got her settled into class she was all smiles and gave me a big kiss and we said our goodbyes.

when i picked her up she was still playing near the teacher instead of on the playground but she was very relaxed and all smiles. did my heart good!

grampa set up a bonfire tonight in our backyard so sophia could have her first campfire and smores experience. let me tell you someone was excited!!

so was mommy ;)

the sugar high has hit!!

while we roasted our marshmallows i kept enjoying our amazing yard. it was raining and the yard looked so lush and beautiful (we had our bonfire in the gazebo).

so we made it through her first week of preschool. we had some bumps and bruises along the way and we are still adjusting. sophia has just been out of sorts all week. she has been full of attitude and defiance with me. it's been a long week to say the least. i am hoping she will be back to her old self and that it is just an adjustment period and not...dare i say it what three is going to be like, gulp!! speaking of the big three. my mom and i have come up with a very fun birthday idea for the little miss! i am excited and i will share it with you soon. for now take a moment and visit grama's blog to see what else we have been up to this week

big day

2010-09-14T16:23:00.005-05:00

she did it!!

we woke up bright and early and started our day.

first up we had blueberry pancakes. sophia made a special request for them the night before. she ate, she got ready in her special new outfit then it was picture time!

i brought her to her class. we met a few new friends as we waited outside the classroom waiting to be let in. we were early birds.

it was busy. so many kids. so many parents. all excited and nervous. we found her little hook and cubby. we put away her backpack and switched her into her indoor shoes. next we lined up to wash her hands. we then found her name tag and found a spot at the coloring table. i told her i loved her and i would see her after class (just like we practiced). she was cool. she said "ok mom" and we hugged and off I went holding down the lump in my throat that was dying to come out.

11:30 arrived and i promptly greeted sophia out on the play ground. as i was walking up to the play area i could see lots of kids playing and running about. i looked and looked but i couldn't see sophia. hmmm i thought. she must be inside the playhouse. as i got closer the teacher stepped aside and wouldn't you know it sophia was standing right there next to her. she was just standing there and playing with the rocks. i gave her the biggest hug i could but she was just kinda being cranky and furrow browed. I eventually got the smiles from her and giggles and all was well again. i asked her teacher ms. barbara how she did. she said she was very good and that she was always right behind her. she said that every time she turned around sophia was right there. "Oh" i said "she was your shadow for the day (welcome to my world!)" the teacher laughed and said "yes, i kept calling her my silhouette". we said goodbye and got all her things.

here is her classroom (ms. barbara is kneeling at the table)

on our way out sophia showed me the class gerbil. not sure what his name is yet.

we said goodbye to the schoolbus that she really wants to ride on

the funny thing with preschool is you don't get a play by play from the teachers. you dont get much. what you do get is cryptic bits and pieces from your child. i learned that she got two tinkerbell stamps on her hands for listening. they read an alligator book and got to touch a real alligator (it was a toy but this is sophia's version). she ate her snack. and that's about all i got.

as the day went on i got a little more info. she made a friend named sarah.

it wasn't until bedtime that i got the real deal. and it made my heart a bit sad.

she told me that she was sad because she missed me. she said when she was coloring she cried because i wasn't there. (heartbreaking). i told her how proud i was of her and that she did it without me and that it will get easier every time.

she then told me she didn't want to play on the playground. she wanted to play on the grass. i said well im sure that would be ok if she wanted to do that. sophia told me "no, the teacher said i couldn't". "ohhhh" i said. it all came clear in my head...that was why she was out of sorts when i picked her up. she said "i was just standing on the rocks and i was bored, i didn't talk to anyone" (had to hold back my tears and the urge to promptly pull her out of preschool and keep her home safe with me). i told her that it was ok she didn't want to play on the playground but she should try and that she might like it. i let her know that she was a good girl for listening to her teacher and following the rules.

day one. we already learned a life lesson. she will get stronger from it all. she will get braver. i know she will. she is not the type that will just run off and play and mingle. it intimidates her and she gets very shy. i just have to trust that the teachers are sensitive to her and that they will help her grow more comfortable with the big group environment.

i just hope she is still excited about going again on thursday. it might be harder the second time around you never know. fingers crossed!!

and if you were wondering what i did while she was at school?? i went to my new/old favorite place. value village. that's right. i am addicted to thrift shopping again. most of sophia's clothes are second hand these days. you can get the best stuff for so cheap. love it. i also went grocery shopping for our chicken, apples and peanut butter dinner. but we ate it at lunch ;) i also made monkey bread. so dangerous and so good!!!

the eve of pre-school

2010-09-13T22:18:00.007-05:00

twas the night before pre-school, when all through the house
not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.

the backpack was packed by the door with care,
in hopes that the school bus would soon be there.

sophia was nestled all snug in her bed,
while visions of school books danced in her head.
and mama with her handkerchief had just settled her brain
to realize her baby girl is GOING TO PRE-SCHOOL!!!!!

back in the day (feels like yesterday, where did my baby go? seriously holding back tears over here) when she would let me pose her in pretty fall sweaters! Sophia at 8 months

now this is what i get....

and this...

(the above pictures were taken last thursday when we went for sophia's orientation. she got to meet her teachers ms. barbara and ms. linda and see her classroom)

she better pose for me tomorrow...in her new outfit!! thank you auntie sara for the early birthday present!! i am going to make sophia wear that vest every day of her life. (i found those cute ankle booties at walmart, holla!)

she is all set with her new lunch box and backpack!! the lunch box came all the way from europe! thank you grama and grampa! the backpack is from sophia's friend alex in calgary! he knows how much sophia loves strawberry shortcake :)

thumbs up for pre-school!!

too excited to sleeeeeeeeep!

pretending to sleep. she told me to make the picture dark and take a picture of her "sleeping". she is a very good actress. we had a lot of fun tonight before bed talking about the next day. we took a million silly pictures. we laughed so hard because every picture we took her eyes are ALWAYS closed. the only two where her eyes are open i posted.

yesterday i asked her what she would like as a special first day of pre school dinner. i told her she could choose anything she wanted. she replied that she would like "apples, chicken and peanut butter".

i love you sophia grace. tomorrow is a big day for both of us.
not gonna lie i am looking forward to the two hours of "me time" but at the same time it is really really hard letting you go. it means you are no longer in any way my little baby. that is hard for this momma to deal with. i have never left you somewhere other than a family members house. this is it. you are now in the world of learning to fend for yourself. momma won't be there to run to if you are nervous or scared or intimidated. there will be 17 other kids in your class. gulp. i hope you won't get lost in the shuffle. in groups you get so quiet. you tend to shy away and let other kids get their way. i want you to be brave and confident. i want your teachers and new friends to see what a sweet, creative, unique little girl you are! i know they will. how could they not. you are amazing. i am so blessed to be your momma!

tortilla maker

2010-08-26T23:10:00.004-05:00

i am just trying this new blog look out.
what i wanted (when i ended up ruining my old layout) was bigger pictures. i think i got it. they are huge. but i think i like it?
i ran out of room on my free flickr account months ago and was losing pictures. so i switched to photobucket and the photo comes in one size. big. so i got what i wanted. i just want to know how to keep this size photo and keep the width of the column but be able to choose a cute background. Anyone out there know any of those tricks?? i'm all ears :)

lately sophia and i have been making homemade tortilla's. it is so simple. i quite possibly could eat homemade tortilla's all day long and need nothing else. ok maybe some butter to go with them. when i was growing up my birthday dinner was always my mom's homemade bean burritos. they are amazing. i am passing on the tradition to sophia. she is such a little helper when i bake and she loves to sprinkle the flour out onto the counter and roll out her own tortilla. i love cooking with her. i could do without the huge mess of flour left on the counters when we are done however.

chris captured a picture of us the other day. and although it is not a great photo it still captures a moment that i will always remember.
me and my tortilla maker.

we will be heading to kimberley to meet sophia's great grandma who is arriving from the philippines. it is going to be a great little family reunion. sophia is very excited. we will also be stopping into Calgary for a few days on our way home. we will be staying with friends. i am very excited to be able to see our friends for a few days. looking very much forward to our little trip. we will have lots to catch up on once we are back. see you soon!

blog makeover in progress

2010-08-25T23:51:00.002-05:00

if you happened to wander onto my blog at this exact moment and it looks all crazy. i apologize. i was trying to fix some things and accidentally messed it all up. oopsies! carry on and enjoy the ginormous pictures of chris and sophia below....

daddy and me

2010-08-25T22:48:00.004-05:00

momma and me

2010-08-16T22:53:00.009-05:00

(i dont think i have ever mentioned this but sophia does not call me mom or mommy but momma. i thought it was a phase. it started a few months ago. i think it is so cute and i wonder how long it will last. she sounds like a little country bumpkin. it's awesome.)

here we are just being silly.

we were waiting to head on out to a blueberry festival with friends.

it was the hottest day ever.

let's just say the blueberry festival was cut short and we headed to a friends pool instead. thanks sheila!

i can't believe it has been so long since i last posted!

how is it august 16th already?

i have about a million pictures since i last posted. it is a bit daunting trying to decide what pictures to post so im pretty sure you will be getting a picture smorgasbord pretty soon.

we have been busy catching up with friends, trying to keep cool, visiting with my sister, keeping the garden watered and anxiously awaiting my parents return home.

the summer is zooming by us.

i am excited for fall and all that it brings.

i am craving routine and i know with the start of sophia's pre-school and hopefully dance school we will soon have one. what a funny thing to crave right? we are so lucky to do what we want when we want.

i have started to walk/jog every morning and my energy is starting to return. i was feeling pretty zapped on energy. to keep up with sophia i need my energy. it is so easy for me to get into bad habits which cause low energy. now that i am older and my priorities are different all i care about is being healthy for sophia. i don't worry about how i look it is all about how i feel. i have given up my beloved diet pepsi. sara did you just fall on the floor? i feel so much better just doing that. water with lemon is my new best friend. i love it.

we have friends from calgary coming for a visit this weekend. i am so excited to see them!

we also will be heading to kimberley at the end of the month. his lola (that is grandma in tagalog) is visiting from the philipines. sophia is very excited to meet her great grandma. this will probably be the only time she gets to meet her. sandy and aaron and baby jada will be there too along with chris' uncles from california. it is going to be a great and special time!

also if you have a sec check out our crab pot party on my sisters blog it was such a fun night and mmm mmm goood!!

sunshine fairy

2010-07-28T00:21:00.004-05:00

cousins

2010-07-21T22:27:00.003-05:00

reunited and it feels so good!

the last time we saw jada she was about 4 months old. she is now 10 months old and is still such a complete sweetheart. her smile lights up the room. i pretty much just want to keep her forever. i love babies! i miss having a little peanut around.

grampa joe and grama lola these pictures are for you! a picture-fest of your little granddaughters together! get ready to swoon...

this is jada's mommy her name is sandy and she is chris' sister (in case you didn't know)

this is me. jada wasn't too sure about the grass or having her picture taken.

an attempt at a group picture with the girls. sophia was not feeling it and was actually picking grass and sprinkling it on me in this pic. jada just wanted her mommy. oh well. we will try again next visit!

sunny days in the sandbox

2010-07-16T00:33:00.002-05:00

grampa bob built sophia her own private beach.

her very own sandbox that is!

i highly recommend every parent get their child a sandbox.

you want a little quiet time to yourself?

get a sandbox!

sophia will play in it all.day.long. it is fabulous!!

she has quite the sweet set up outside. sandbox and pool right next to each other. we haven't done anything else the last few days but play on the deck. the weather has been perfect. not too hot (where i start to lose it). just right.

the only problem with a sandbox? sandy floors. i feel like we live at the beach because I am constantly sweeping up sand, sand in the bathroom, sand in the sink, sand in clothes...

a small price to pay for the happiness it brings my sophia!

Thanks grampa bob we love it xo

pretty new sun hat from grama

showing her real colors....cheeesy smile face

like grandfather like granddaughter

2010-07-03T01:17:00.008-05:00

who doesn't dig in the dirt wearing a pink skirt??

she is so in love with her grampa!

always always wants to do what grampa is doing.

full of a million questions for him.

"what you doin' gwampa"?

"why you diggin' that gwampa"?

"momma i wanna see what gwampa doin"

grampa's little helper focusing on the task at hand

she is also his garden fairy, flitting all around and exploring his garden.

makes my heart happy.

one word....target

2010-07-02T23:22:00.002-05:00

the day finally arrived.

the day i finally got to get my target on.

i have been waiting oh so patiently.

it has been years since i last visited the states.

i have dual citizenship.

i was born and raised (until 10) in the states and then we moved to canada.

i got my dual citizenship when i was 20 or maybe i was 21 (somewhere around there).

anyways my point is this. i always feel the pull of my homeland country calling my name. it says laura come visit me, come shop, come see the sights. as soon as i cross the border into the u.s.a. i feel happy and at home and somehow lighter. (haha stop laughing)

dont get me wrong i love canada. very much. but i always feel a pull and a patriotism towards my homeland. all my extended family are in the states. can i get a what up to california? shout out to idaho, oregon and washington, holla!! i grew up in idaho, spent every summer in california and we would drive up the coast through washington and oregon on our way to cali. visiting family along the way. so many good times!!

so when sara arrived last thursday for a visit we through caution to the wind and went on an impromptu run for the border.

you see when we moved back to b.c. we put some money aside for a clothing fund for chris, sophia and i. we all really needed new clothes. the money was literally burning a hole in my pocket.

i knew where i needed to go and her name was target.

and this is what happens when your mommy is let loose and actually allowed to shop...

(sophie's loot) amazingly cute stuff, i found kids clothes were a better deal than adult clothes. i know where soph's pre-school wardrobe will come from. just sayin'.

momma's loot...oh ya....

miss model trying on some of her new apparel

cutest little jacket ever...cutest little dress underneath too...doesn't exactly go together but we don't care. also, you can never go wrong with a jumbo lipsmacker courtesy of auntie sara. she has not put it down since getting it. she has the most moisterized lips ever. so does mommy.

so my target craving has been satisfied for now.

i had to put back the cutest bedding ever and it hurt. bad.

don't even get me started on anthropologie. i will get to you soon my pretty.

i will be visiting the states again on the 10th with some girlfriends....danger! now if only i was wise enough to save some of my money, buhahaha.

you know what the bonus was?? we didn't have to pay duty. thank you border guard girl, you were a kindred spirit and let us through. i will never forget you....;)

enjoying the days

2010-06-29T16:20:00.008-05:00

we are settling in quite nicely over here.

so nicely that i am having too much fun and not enough blog time.

my computer situation remains the same so that really puts a damper on things.

i will use my husbands desktop for now since my laptop remains for whatever reason determined to not keep an internet connection. all my favorites are stored in my laptop and i need to transfer it all over. but it kinda breaks my heart to not be using my pretty laptop. i have been stubborn about transferring things over. i have transferred enough things lately.

auntie sara came for a visit and sadly left yesterday. it was so nice to see her. we all just need to live in the same area gosh darnit! that goes to you too auntie gina. lets all just move here and we can live happily ever after. the end.

we love our space and it is working out quite smoothly. of course it never looks as tidy as it does in the pictures i took. i like to make you think it actually looks like that all the time and that i am the perfect housewife, hehe. so not the case.

sophia and i have a new favorite hangout. its called golden ears park and it is fabulous! all it is missing is our buddies from our calgary mommy groups! it is such a beautiful park. it has tons of trees surrounding, huge playgrounds for all different ages, a fantastic water park and a river that runs through and little trails perfect for a two year old. we could spend all day there. when it is time to go sophia gets quite upset. we went there this morning and i told sophia we had to go home for lunch. she was none too pleased about that. the only reason she agreed to come home was because she accidentally stepped in a pile of dog poop on our way to the car. for those that know sophia and her one liners guess what she said?? "i smell something" haha. only auntie sara and grama will get that joke. anyways we love it there and pretty sure it will be an almost daily spot to visit.

all in all it is beautiful here, we are so happy to be near grama and grampa but we miss our friends back in calgary terribly. it leaves an ache in my heart to not be with them. i am not worried about meeting new friends. we already have some new friends here it is just a sadness of leaving our friends behind. sophia has asked a few times if her friends could come over. it breaks my heart. sophia starts pre-school in september and i know she will have lots of new buddies to play with soon. but we miss you all in calgary so much!!

on june 25th it was chris and my 5th year wedding anniversary. on a last minute impromptu kind of thing we dressed sophia up in our flower girls dress. my mom has had the dress hanging in her change room waiting for the day we could dress sophia in it. chris and i were on our way out the door for dinner but of course we had time to take some pictures of our sweet pea!!

proof we are here too and on our anniversary...on our way out to dinner

sophia loves to help me cook and bake, we were making muffins this day

some random pictures, but i love her outfit in this one

my tween chatting it up on her phone

getting ready with grama

extreme close up of my sweetie

i have yet to mention that auntie sara and i went on a last minute "lets go to the states right now" adventure. it was so much fun. i ransacked target. it made me very happy. sophia and i walked away with lots of new loot. i will post pictures soon. it was a good time and just what my little states loving heart needed!!

xo

oh yes, i am still alive!

2010-06-21T00:55:00.003-05:00

i just blew the dust off my laptop.

sorry about that long hiatus!

i blame moving, unpacking and two year olds but mostly i blame horrible internet connections.

i was starting to get a twitch in my eye from the lack of internet time. apparently i need it to cope. i never knew i was so dependant until it was taken away.

for the time being i am hooked up to my dads router down in his office. so until i can figure out how to keep my computer from dieing every 30 seconds and risk myself chucking my computer across the room and breaking something terribly fragile i will have to sneak down into my dad's office. (i know that was a total run on sentence but frankly i hate grammar and dont really care, but i want you to know that i know).

so without further ado i present to you pictures of our new "une petite suite" as i call it.

was that enough photo's for you? because you know i have more.

we moved in on monday and we had the place ready by thursday. my mom hosted a pampered chef party on thursday and i knew there was going to be "tours" so i went into mad woman mode and didn't stop until it was done. my husband is very glad i am no longer drill sargent laura. there are still some finishing touches to do but for now...i am just going to take a deep sigh and relax.

there is always the secret garden and playhouse to go relax in...dont hate me, come join me! our doors are always open!!

p.s. my mom wrote a cute post that you might like to see. i will also link up soon to all the before pictures as the suite was being built. or just have a peruse through her blog to see them! enjoy!

almost at the finish line

2010-06-01T23:31:00.006-05:00

currently i am sitting in my parents kitchen listening to sophia tell my mom she is hungry and here i sit as grama takes over and gets her a snack. we are listening to rosemary clooney. lovely tunes from the 50's. sophia is sporting a pink tutu. prancing all around. playing with buttons and getting into grama's china cabinet. bliss.

my eyes are blurry and tired but i am happy. i keep thinking we have to go home. but wait, we are home. it's a very odd feeling. our suite is almost done. we should be able to paint on monday. my dad will start to install the hard wood floors on monday as well. hoping to be living in the suite by the end of next week. can't wait to have our belongings which will also arrive on monday. i am a girl who loves her space and her things.

looking forward to getting back to a new normal and a new routine for sophia. she is all over the map right now. long naps in the afternoon equals late nights equals tired family. she rocked the ten hour car drive. can i get a hallelujah for portable dvd players! seriously amazing. i was more whiny and annoyed at the ten hour drive then she was.

i am still wrapping my head around everything. so hard to put into words. i hope to start feeling like i am in my own skin again very soon. i also hope my stress acne goes away. so very annoying. im 31 not 13 thank you very much.

i think i might even exhale pretty soon.

sitting in her new butterfly swing grampa bought...

sophia and grama crocheting or as sophia calls it sewin. i sewin mommy.

my soon to be kitchen. love it. the walls will be painted a grey/blue. cant wait.

us being special.

daddy being extra special in his new get up.
daddy installed insulation with grampa in the attic.
you thought it was pretty funny. so did mommy.

story time with grama. she is showing you one of her altered books she made that was full of baby sophia pictures. you loved it.

tea party time. grama let you get out all the dishes by yourself. you set the table and cut the banana bread. pretty sure you thought you were in heaven. we all enjoyed the tea party with you.

here you are dancing to miss clooney with grama while mommy tries to gather her thoughts into a blog post.

good times indeed.

sophia's mountain getaway

2010-05-24T22:54:00.003-05:00

while chris and i have been packing and loading up our pod sophia has been having the time of her life with her auntie extraordinaire!! check out my sister's blog for all the fun :) i miss my girl!! we will be reunited tomorrow morning. thank goodness. any longer and i don't think i could take it. thank you auntie sara we could not have accomplished our move without you!!!

2 more days before we move!

xo

final countdown

2010-05-22T12:19:00.002-05:00

4 more days to go!

somebody is excited!!

we will be leaving on the 26th and driving to chris' parents for a couple days before we venture towards our final destination.

sophia will be blissed out.

my amazing moms and babies group (that we joined when sophia was 3 months old) blessed sophia with a portable dvd player and a caillou dvd!!

caillou is sophia's drug of choice. she is addicted. i have a love/hate relationship with him. but he keeps my girl quiet and happy when needed!!

they also gave me a gift card to my favorite spot to shop...winners!! they know me too well :) thanks so much you guys! you really mean the world to me!

my church moms with little ones group surprised me with a large custom mug that they all wrote personal messages on and i will cherish it always!! love those girls!!

my generous friend jeannie threw us a big bbq shindig at her place last weekend to say one last farewell before we move. it was nice to have both my mommy groups mix and mingle. these girls changed my life forever and i love them sooo much!!!

how special do i feel right now?? i have amazing, amazing friends, i am one lucky girl!!

our pod container just arrived.

this is it, time to fill 'er up!!

sophia is staying the weekend with auntie sara so we can get down to business without distractions. what will we do without our auntie sara?! words aren't even big enough to describe the love we have for her!

must go before chris catches me on the computer and not packing ;)

xo

jump for joy

2010-05-20T17:44:00.002-05:00

6 more days until we move!

mommy may be full of mixed emotions but sophia is nothing but excited to go live at grama and grampa's. we are in the midst of crazy, messy packing. sophia keeps saying..."im gonna bring this to grama's"..."i need that at grampa's house"...."i can watch that movie at grama and grampa's". so cute!! if she see's a toy on tv or a movie she wants to watch and i tell her "we don't have that toy/movie"....her reply matter of factly is "i can have that at grama's". hahaha! my response is "well maybe, we'll see" sorry g & g! i swear i didn't teach her that. her old stand by response was "mom, we go buy that at the store?" oh if it was only that easy sophia!

anyways she is excited and chris and i are excited!! i get my dream white cabinet kitchen, just on a smaller scale, which i am totally cool with!! the bigger the house the bigger the mess!

i love simplifying.

i don't have a lot of time to post or visit. just wanted to get some cute pics up of my sophia for her grama's and grampa's. had to get your photo fix in for you!

also, i just need to add that sophia is awesome. she is blooming every day. two and a half is a very sweet age. there may be attitude and meltdowns but the sweetness trumps it all. i could not be more in love with my daughter.

peace out xo

so much to say...

2010-05-13T15:39:00.004-05:00

...so hard to put it in writing.

lately i have been feeling so many emotions. so much is going on yet i am having a hard time articulating what i am feeling.

happiness, sadness, feeling sure about our decision, feeling unsure about our decision, excited for all the great happy times to come, feeling sad to leave all the great and happy times we have had.

i have never in my life felt so many mixed emotions. i am sure i sound like a broken record.

i don't think i have told you my plan here on the blog. my friends and family know the plan but my dear bloggy friends don't.

the plan is that we are moving back home. back home as in my parents suite. we will go from being far away to being very close.

the "suite"as we call it was basically a large room with a half bathroom. there was a one car garage attached as well that they used for storage. the suite is connected to the house on ground level but has it's own seperate entrance.

my amazing, awesome, most generous dad is building it into a proper apartment for us.

my talented sister sara designed the plans for a two bedroom, one bathroom and kitchen suite.

ernest a man from my parents church has been helping my dad for the last week do the plumbing and installing the shower and all the not so fun behind the scenes stuff. the stuff that takes the most time and energy yet you don't really see the results. thank you ernest!!

there will be more amazing people helping my dad finish the suite. my parents are incredible people and they have friends that are willing to take time out of their lives to help them and to help our family. we are blessed beyond measure.

i think that is why i am finding it hard to put just how much this means to me in writing. it is just so amazing.

i cant wait to be there!! sophia is going to be blissful living at my parents, enjoying the garden and playing in the life size playhouse they have in the backyard. i look forward to all the memories that will be made.

this morning i had a bite of froot loops. i haven't eaten froot loops since i was ten.

for fun chris bought sophia those mini boxes of cereal. the kind you would buy to go camping.

the point of this froot loop flashback is this. i took one bite of the froot loops and i was instantly whisked back to sitting at my grandparents white kitchen table while on summer vacation in california. sitting there with my sisters and my cousins eating our froot loops and counting down the minutes until we could go jump in their pool. i have so many memories from my grandparents home. i could write novels about all the memories i have.

i know sophia is only two but i think about all the great memories she is going to have with her grandparents. simple things like froot loops. except it will probably be oats or some natural organic cereal because my parents dont really do froot loops, haha!

i am thrilled to get to this next place in our life and sad to say goodbye to my amazing friends here.

broken record, i know.

and on a side note...

i seem to forget to pick up my camera these days. sophia is not a fan. she really makes it quite difficult to get any great photos of her. can i get an amen for being two and a half?

the only reason i got these photos is because i told her i was going to take pictures of her fishy swimsuit. that she obliged too. at least i can still sorta kinda outsmart her. it wont be very long until i can't.

we have been busy having playdates upon playdates to soak up this time with our friends. we went swimming on tuesday with a bunch of friends it was a blast.

i always have to get a swimsuit picture because i cant resist my little in one. we were given some hand me downs recently and this cute fishy suit was one of them. sophia adores it. she really loves that one of the fishies has a bow on it. such a girly, girl!

done deal

2010-05-03T20:49:00.003-05:00

we officially sold our house on april 30th. all the conditions were removed. a big sigh of relief was had! i am getting more and more excited for the move. then i get sad again. i love my friends here so much. but i know it is the right decision. ever since we made the decision to move things are falling into place.

one of the really exciting things that will take place this fall is that sophia will start pre-school!!!!

let's just take a moment to take that in.

holy cow.

didn't i just have her, isn't she only a few months old??

i am excited for her. she has never been in daycare so this will be her first time "away from home". she really needs that sense of independence. she has lots of social play with other kids already, but this will be different. she will have to learn to interact with other kids without mommy standing by to come to the rescue. i know she will be really nervous at first. or maybe i will be really nervous at first. it might be harder on me than on her.

it starts in september and will be tuesday and thursday mornings from 8:45am-11:30am. i am hoping she will be a little more mature and ready by then. she will turn 3 the month after pre-school starts (again what?! 3!!)

but for now she still is my little 2.5 year old and i cherish this age. i know how fast it goes. next thing you know i will be writing how she is entering junior high. waahhh!

today was a day to cherish. sophia went bowling for the first time. yes that's right i said bowling!

sophia and her best buddy alex velcro'd up their bowling shoes and lived it up!!

ready, set, go...

very pleased with herself

look out kids let the professional show you how it's done ;)

they have small bowling balls in canada...perfect for buff two year olds!

sophia breakin the law, breakin the law!! walking on the alley as alex looks on with terror!

alright this is where my computer froze while uploading pictures and i ran out of energy to do anything about it. i have more pictures but you get the drift. it was fun. sophia and alex were beyond excited. i think sophia would have been happy to just wear the shoes and slide around the shiny floors pretending to ice skate. she did a lot of that ;)

thank you

2010-04-25T22:45:00.004-05:00

for my 31st birthday my sister sara and my mom spoiled me with new kitchenware.

originally my interior designer rock star sister was going to buy me new paint and make me new curtains to say goodbye to the red and say hello to grey blue.

but since we decided to sell our house they decided that kitchenware was the way to go.

i feel so completely spoiled!!

my kitchen utensils/dishes looked like i was in college struggling to get by with everybody elses old kitchen stuff.

it was embarrassing. the mish mash utensils. chipped dishes. barely usable can opener.

they took pity on me and took me shopping.

we shopped at homesense (my most favorite canadian store ever) and superstore (another favorite) they both have great deals and great products!

i am one happy momma!!

the simplicity of nice things that i chose makes me feel so good.

giving the rest to goodwill and de-cluttering my kitchen made me feel so happy and content.

i love nothing more than to de-clutter and simplify these days.

i always feel more capable more patient and most happy when my house is clean tidy and organized.

add some chilled out music and a candle burning and well that equals pure bliss.

check out my new kitchen loot

classic white dishes and serving bowls

the second set of white bowls have a lovely damask etched pattern on them...love.

fun blue popcorn bowl and cereal bowls

cute mini bowls for sophia snacks (much like scooby snacks)

a matching set of brushed steel silverware

a really fun green spatula

well you get the picture...i love it all.

i feel like a proper adult now. it's about time.

thank you sara and mom!

(this is where i would put a big puffy heart if i could)

you guys blessed me so much...

love,

your little sister and your youngest daughter

i wanna win

2010-04-25T20:07:00.002-05:00

my friend chelle from winey mommy is hosting a giveaway!

i normally don't enter these type of things...well because usually they are not open to canadians, humph! but not this time, this time it is open to us canadians and i want to win!

so go have a lookie loo at her blog but don't enter the contest or do but just know that i am going to win, haha! i kid, i kid.

i am a total product junkie.

i turned 31 a few days ago and i swear i instantly aged. the not so fine lines are creeping in. chelle is giving away dr. perricone's face finishing moisturizer. a $65 value.

yes please!

so have a look and wish me luck!

wow that was fast

2010-04-24T20:13:00.007-05:00

if you blinked you missed it!

our house was listed on wednesday the 21st

we accepted an offer last night friday the 23rd!!

holy cow!!

two days on the market!

(*i must clarify that it is subject to financing, so we will know 100% if it is a done deal by april 30th)

we had 3 showings...that's it.

our realtor said that was good traffic as his other listings were not getting any showings and no offers.

pretty sure god was taking care of us.

pretty sure we are going in the right direction and listening to him.

even though leaving my amazing sister and my amazing friends is going to be one of the hardest things i will have to do, i feel in my heart we are meant to be back in vancouver.

i am so excited for sophia to get to know my parents, her grandparents.

i am happy for her. i am happy for my parents. i am happy for chris.

which in turn makes me happy.

leaving our house is going to be another hard thing to do.

this is the house sophia was brought home from the hospital in.

sophia's first room.

i want to just take it with us.

i know i will be able to do it. it's just all happening so fast!

we have had a year where things were not happening.

so going from nothing to moving at lightening speed is hard to adjust to again.

i much prefer moving at lightening speed then being stuck.

even though i have complained about our house, how i am so over the red paint, the lack of being able to buy new decor and even though i have taken it for granted i truly love this house.

it is the house we became a family in and we have been so lucky to own our own house. truly lucky.

these are the photos the realtor took for our listing.

so here is our happy little house...

the sky is so blue here. it can be gorgeous and sunny and the next minute snow. in fact it is snowing as i type this

we just replaced our dishwasher for selling, we handwashed for a year. blah. i now love doing dishes

i had meant to take out the step stool and basket for the picture, but the realtor was too fast

i love this cozy room, and my thick soft rug

our master bedroom minus the curtains that i tried to fix and ended up ruining, ahem, oops

upstairs bath aka sophia's bathroom

the little ms' room. no more bed rail. that's right sophia is a full fledged big girl. no more pullups at night...she is basically a teenager now...waaahhh. as much as i will miss this room i am excited to decorate her big girl room!

our multi purpose room. we do a lot of living down here. it may not be pretty but it works.

there is more to the house (chris' office, laundry room/storage, second bathroom) but i showed you the main roooms.

i hope whoever moves into the home is happy here.

i will get back to blogging soon. i haven't taken one picture of sophia since easter.

i have other things to write about but for now this is what is consuming us so it get's first blogging priority.

i hope you all are having a great weekend!!

ch-ch-ch-changes

2010-04-20T22:25:00.003-05:00

i know that title is completely full on dorky.

however i wanted to let you guys know that in fact changes are indeed happening in the land of pearson.

we are moving back to vancouver!

we couldn't keep doing what we were doing and something had to give.

we are taking a leap of faith and i hope we land softly.

the 'for sale' sign went up today.

we should be listed on mls tomorrow.

deep breaths, deep breaths.

i have never had such mixed emotions in my life.

i will go into more details later.

but right now i am going to go watch lost.

because i have been a non-stop cleaning, organizing freak for the last 3 days.

peace out my friends

xo

biker chick

2010-04-06T23:33:00.002-05:00

look what the easter bunny brought!

sophia's first bike!

thank you grandma and grandpa...i mean easter bunny!

sophia couldn't be happier about this exciting new adventure in life.

she may not get how to pedal it all by herself just yet but there is a bike bell involved and that in itself is exciting!!

sweet ride sophia!

(i realize i went a bit overboard with the picnik, i cant seem to stop myself)

easter bunny

2010-04-05T20:24:00.003-05:00

we hope everyone had a happy easter!

more to come soon...

this outfit brought to you by sophia

2010-04-01T14:32:00.002-05:00

some days i let sophia pick out her clothes.

days where we are just at home and playing in the backyard.

some days her chosen outfits are totally adorable.

today not so much.

even though there is leopard print, hearts, a quilted asian jacket, polka dots and dora all mixed in there, somehow she makes it work.

don't let miss pouty mcpouty face fool you....she is very proud of her creation!

hi lilly cat!

*************************************************************************************

we are heading out tomorrow to spend easter with chris' parents.

i made sophia this little quilted easter bag the other day

i made it while these two diva's napped

somehow i channelled suzie homemaker that day.

*************************************************************************************

i wish you all could have just witnessed sophia's monumental freak out over a bug outside just now. wow. that was impressive. after i calmed her down i put her down for a nap (yes, she is back on naps hallelujah praise the lord) she made me close her door and "lock it" so that no bugs could come in. i think we have sara number two people ;)

see you later peeps! happy easter!

ordinary life

2010-03-18T22:38:00.003-05:00

taken just before bed tonight by daddy.

(it's too bad we are in front of the iguana part of our alphabet...but that's ordinary life for you isn't it?)

take a peak...

2010-03-17T15:22:00.002-05:00

...at my sister's blog for sophia's sleepover adventure :)

i enjoyed my time off but i am so happy to have my little pumpkin back home.

thank you so much auntie sara!!

on her way

2010-03-15T17:56:00.002-05:00

see ya later sweet pea!

sophia just left for a sleepover with auntie sara. i know auntie only lives an hour away. i always dream of time to myself. so why is it so hard to say goodbye? i know she is safe. i know she is going to have a blast. relax laura. enjoy this time. i know that's what i would say to myself if i wasn't myself. so i'm going to relax and figure out something fun for myself to do this evening. thanks auntie sara. you are awesome!! have fun. call me. :)

march smorgasbord

2010-03-13T21:14:00.004-06:00

i want to write a post but i've got nothing.

i don't want to leave my blog empty and alone.

i do that enough to it.

so instead i will post a smorgasbord of pictures that are in my march 2010 folder.

there is no skill involved (at all) in these pictures, just fun.

they are blurry and over exposed.

but to me they are special.

and believe me they are not good for my or sophia's ego. is my face really that huge?

trying to learn how to make fishy faces, haha!

worst picture of me ever award. i need to learn how to do razzberries more gracefully

how bout a kissy for your momma???

no way mom, back it up...

ha i got one!

here she is just being cute playing on my chair

for some reason i love this photo. little cutie chubby cheeked brooklyn. sophia and her glasses. she loves them. wears them all the time. and will protest if even the smallest amount of sun is shining in her eyes. if i dont have those glasses handy? watch out.

hoody towel (made lovingly by auntie sara) that matches her duvet cover (made lovingly by me)...so chic!

p.s i still can't believe sophia is potty trained. that was too easy. she even wakes up in the night to tell me she has to go. who is this genius child?

zoo day

2010-03-07T20:46:00.007-06:00

today we met up with our little buddies.

our little buddies that we have known since they were all 3 months old.

the sun keeps shining in our world.

off to the zoo we go...

we love our friends.

thank you for a very fun day!

sunshine and rainbows

2010-03-05T18:35:00.004-06:00

...and puddles!!

Sophia and I went out with my sister Sara for the first part of our day.

We did what we do best.

We lunched, coffeed and window shopped.

Once we came home Sophia was ready to get outside and play in the puddles!

We said goodbye to auntie Sara and put on Sophia's new rain boots.

It felt so good to soak up the sunshine and breathe the fresh air

It got a little chilly since the puddles were from melted snow rather than from rain

(Sophia's t-shirt says 'rainbows are hugs in the sky' such an appropriate unplanned shirt for the day)

We loved today.

It was definitely one of those rainbow and sunshine kinda days!

potty talk

2010-03-02T17:29:00.008-06:00

And just like that she is potty trained!

(is it weird that I took photo's of her on the potty?)

So proud of my big girl!

I knew that when she was ready it would click.

Some afternoons we would put on her big girl "underwears" and she would sit on the potty and try to go.

She would never actually go but she would sit there and try.

I never pushed it.

If she wanted to do it we would, if not we wouldn't.

It wasn't until a couple of days ago when she accidentally went on the floor a few times and had that uncomfortable wet feeling. She was really upset about it, even though I assured her that it was not a problem and this is how you learn.

All of a sudden things clicked and now when she feels like she has to go she tells me "mommy i pee potty" and we run like the wind and she sits on the potty.

It is awesome.

She learned on the big potty with a little trainer seat on it.

No messy cleaning up of a little potty, just flush and go. Love that!

Ever since it clicked she has not had an accident and she even goes number two on the potty. I have heard that some kids will hold number two's until they have a pull up or a night time diaper on. I didn't know how Sophia would be about it. Apparently it's not a problem for her. So happy!

(Don't you love that I am talking about going number two?)

Today we went out and bought her new big girl underwear with Strawberry Shortcake and My little Pony on them. How fun is that? She even let me know while we were shopping that she had to go and she went with no fuss in a gross public washroom.

She is awesome.

no words needed

2010-02-26T18:08:00.001-06:00

Gratitude

2010-02-24T21:00:00.007-06:00

I know it's been forever and a day since I last posted.

A few weeks back I had written a fabulous super long picture filled post.

I was witty and the words just flowed from my fingertips...

it was the best post of my life.

Then my computer froze, blogger error'ed and i lost the whole entire post.

It was one of those moments where I was like "nooooooooooooo" and I couldn't move my eyeballs from the screen because I couldn't believe what had just happened.

I was too drained from the experience to re-do it all and suddenly my wit and my free flowing fingertips vanished.

But I needed that break.

I needed to clear my head, shake off my fog.

I really want to say thank you for everyone who emailed and gave me comment love.

You guys really made me feel so good and so loved. Thank you!!

Since I last posted I feel so much happier, content, peaceful and full of anticipation.

I know good things are in store for us. I feel it in my heart.

Through this tough year we have grown as a family.

We have learned a lot and have a new appreciation for what we have.

I am truly a blessed girl!

Sophia is growing so fast. She is the most awesome girl.

She is in such a great stage right now.

It's like all of a sudden things are jiving again. Most likely it's because I am in a happier place.

She is talking up a storm. Full sentences. Full of funny.

She sounds like she is from Boston. Hilarious. Her little girl Boston accent is the best.

She is at an age where I can reason with her. I can explain things to her and she totally gets it.

This makes life a whole heck of a lot easier! Less battles, less meltdowns.

The girl loves to be out and about. She is happiest when we have things to do and people to see.

She is social but she is shy. So shy.

She loves to be out with other friends her age but it takes her a while to warm up. She will play by herself and then eventually mingle with her buddies. If it is just her and one other kid she is not shy but in group settings she is. She won't talk much around people she is not familiar with. She does her shy smile and sometimes hides her face with her hands. But as soon as she is alone with me she won't stop talking about them or what she did.

She loves babies. We were able to see both my little nieces in the last month and a half. She talks about them both almost daily and if she see's a baby in real life she goes into this high pitched voice "hi baby" "you want to hold my hand?" So stinkin cute.

The girl is a rockstar about playing hide and seek. She is freakishly good at it for being just two. It is her favorite thing to do. ever. We play it every night before dinner. All three of us play and the laughter involved is awesome.

She is so polite. She is definitely a Canadian! After everything I do I hear a "thank you mom". She says please for everything. Even things she doesn't want. Her most used line is "don't want to please". It's so sweet that she almost gets away with things. almost. The one area we need to work on is saying sorry. She has a major stubborn streak when it comes to that. When she finally says it she will whisper it so you can barely hear her. "Sorry" and then she does her shy smile. We will get there... at least she is now saying it. That took a long time.

I love her with every fiber of my being. It's so cool that she is my little buddy now. We can have talks and conversations and go shopping. We have so much fun together. We both get each others humour. We laugh a lot. Yet even though she is getting to be such a big girl she still needs my snuggles and hugs and kisses.

Speaking of her being "a big girl" (which she now tells me she is 10 times a day) here is a cute story. When my 3 year old nephew Sam came for a visit a few weeks ago he kept saying he was a big boy. The day they left I asked Sophia if she needed help with something and she replied "no i a big boy". So adorable.

I could go on and on.....

Are you still reading? My fingers just seem to keep on typing.

One more thing.

Chris has an interview March 4th for a great job working for Parks Canada.

It is a government job which means many awesome things. Security, benefits, good salary and lots of perks.

He is the perfect candidate for this job. So please pray and think positive vibes that he will be chosen!

The application process started back in October and he has made it through every stage and is now onto the last stage which is an interview and a presentation. It is definitely nerve wracking and we are guessing there are probably about 10 or so other candidates.

I totally know that he is gonna rock it!

I will leave you now with a picture I took today of Sophia.

I totally get a mommy FAIL in the picture taking department. It doesn't help that Sophia hates getting her picture taken. I don't know why? Could it be because I used to take 3 billion of her a day?

Sophia chose her outfit today and she did a mighty fine job. She asked for her "springtime jacket" and her "summer shoes". Made me smile so big. I never called these items that before. She came up with that on her own. I don't think she could be more of a girl if she tried!! Of course she had to have her purse too. She filled it up with ribbons, buttons and her car keys :)

P.S. that is her "say cheese" face. It's a totally phony over done smile. When she does her on demand smile she always winks one eye. I love it.

The one where I let it all out

2010-01-18T21:57:00.004-06:00

A breather

That's what i'm going to take.

I have been feeling overwhelmed lately.

I know I don't normally get into much of my own personal life on this blog.

It's all about my sweet princess.

But i'm going to give you a glimpse of what's going on in our life and perhaps you can understand why I don't blog as much or visit your blogs as much.

First up...

Sophia doesn't nap anymore. ever.

If she did nap it would be late in the afternoon and the girl would not go to bed until LATE.

So I decided no more naps.

Would I rather have my evenings free or 1.5 hours in the afternoon for quiet?

Evenings please. I have shows to watch.

She is totally fine with no nap. Didn't phase her. Me on the other hand? I'm tired.

I miss nap time.

Ok, so that was the easy one to deal with.

The second is that my husband Chris was laid off of work almost 9 months ago.

Totally sucks. He had a good job.

Finding a new job? Near impossible.

He has been doing side jobs (web design etc.) for the meantime.

We have been lucky and that has kept us a float. But it's been tough.

Penny pinching is my least favorite hobby in the world.

I was working part time (20 hours a week) at home while Sophia napped and weekends. Then I left that job and started my own thing working for a local Realtor. December I didn't work for him, but will be starting up again next week (hopefully). The only problem. Sophia doesn't nap anymore. Weekends working to the max here I come.

Really, really, really praying for something solid to come through for Chris. Did I mention it's been very hard? Financially and relationship wise. We are both working from home. Always together. always. Sounds romantic? It's not ;)

Ok and the big kicker is Chris' health.

Some of you might remember me mentioning that Chris had a brain/pituitary tumour? Well he did/does. It will never fully be gone. He has had two surgeries to remove what they could (a craniotomy and one that involves going through his nasal cavities). Pleasant!

He also had radiation last April for five weeks solid.

We just found out that his pituitary is no longer working. Nada, nothing, zip.

Your pituitary gland is responsible for most all of your hormones.

Chris has to go on complete hormone replacement.

He has to wear a medic alert bracelet.

The really bad news is that we most likely won't be able to have any more children.

Gulp. Brace for tears.

There is hope however. We could try different treatments.

But they would all be very costly.

So praying extra super duper hard that we will soon be graced with good news and something to celebrate in our life. (Besides celebrating Sophia, which I do everyday!)

A job that has medical would be ideal. A miracle in that we could still get pregnant (when Chris' is ready of course ;)

So to my family and friends please put on your prayer hats and keep us in your prayers.

I'm feeling a little sad, homesick, lost, confused.

Really feeling the urge to move back home to Vancouver.

I'm not sure if that's my scared self talking.

I want Sophia to be near my parents.

I want to be near my parents.

I want trees and rain.

I want to not be struggling anymore.

I trust in God and I know He will take care of us.

It's in His hands.

I just hope I am listening.

My two peeps on our way to Church.

She is growing like a weed!

(fyi- her hair is not crispy, I just sprayed it down with water to style it)

oh what fun was had

2010-01-09T21:15:00.006-06:00

Hello Jada Mae!

How cute are you??

We had so much fun with you and your mommy!

Sophia still talks about you and lays her babies down and changes them just like Aunt Sandy did with you.

We miss you already and hope you don't grow too much before we see you again!!

Ready to hit the town and go shopping!!

"Hi baby", "Hi Jada" - Sophia would say those words every time she saw her

Sophia was all about holding hands with Jada!

Jada would grab onto her fingers and Sophia would beam with happiness and giggle.

She LOVED Jada so much!!

Sophia taught her younger cousin the joys of peek-a-boo!

Jada got a matching hat just like Sophia's! We tried to get a posed picture of this but somebody was not feeling the vibe to have her picture taken..oh well!!

Quite simply the cutest pic of Jada!!

How much did my heart hurt saying goodbye to Jada and Sandy!

Also, can we just say baby fever happening in me!! I am so ready to have another baby! I was ready to have another baby when Sophia turned one, heck I was ready when Sophia was 6 months...

We just need to work on my husband feeling the same way mmmkay?!

Prayers are always welcome ;)

jada mae is coming!

2010-01-04T20:56:00.004-06:00

Auntie Sandy and cousin Jada Mae are coming for a visit tomorrow!!

That means we pulled out all of Sophia's baby items.

We pulled out the bucket car seat

We pulled out the bumbo

We also set up the playpen with the bassinet and the floor play mat.

Pictures were not taken.

As much as Sophia wanted to play in the bassinet I said no.

Otherwise it would be a broken bassinet and we can't have that!

It will be fun to have a baby in the house again!

Then at the end of the month my sister Gina, Sam and baby Lola will visit!

Yay! Good times ahead!

Christmas

2010-01-02T22:09:00.003-06:00

I don't even know where to begin?

Really, I am at a loss for words.

Shocking I know!

Let's just do a picture essay shall we?

I only have a bazillion million pictures to share.

I keep this blog so that down the road I can remember all the good times that we share and do with our precious little girl.

Sometimes I feel I don't do it justice.

I want to write down more but when I have a chance I don't feel inspired or feel the inclination. So my posts may be sporadic or they may come in bunches when the mood strikes.

Sophia keeps me busy especially since she decided sleeping really isn't that cool anymore.

She is talking up a storm. I am amazed daily.

Today when she woke from her nap (a small new years miracle) I went into her room and picked her up out of bed and she hugged me tight and said "thanks mom for my new pillow, it's nice".

My heart melted.

But you wanna know the funny part??

Her pillow isn't new...haha it's her same ol' pillow she's had forever!

Funny little munchkin, how I LOVE you!!

So with no further ado here are some photos of our very magical, full of special memories Christmas!!

The perfect Christmas tree at Auntie Sara and Uncle Dave's house!

My parents flew in on the 21st and we spent our Christmas at Sara and Dave's house in Canmore.

We didn't want to leave. ever.

On Christmas Eve we met Martha the reindeer.

There were five other reindeer there. We let them go since we knew they had a busy night ahead of them!

Sophia and daddy posing in front of the gingerbread house I slaved over (i'm using the sarcasm font)

Having fun with Grampa Bob one morning!

Perfect storybook frozen pond ice skating was had (minus any real skates)

Sugar cookies and gingerbread were decorated...

'Christmas present mountain' was climbed and conquered!

Enter Christmas morning...

Boom! Hello new indoor cutest play house ever!

Even Grampa Bob likes it!

Princess Sophia complete with tiara!

Meet Ariel.

Ariel now goes everywhere with her!

She trades between Ariel and her Strawberry Shortcake doll. Ahh it's fun to be a girl!

Christmas evening outfit.

Mommy forgot to fix my hair, oh wait, no I just wouldn't let her...

Let the feasting begin!!

Thank you Auntie Sara for hosting us at Christmas! It was truly awesome!

And a big shout out to my parents who spoiled me with kindness and generosity! I love you all so much!!

More to come soon!

We spent the next few days after Christmas at Chris' parents house in scenic Kimberley BC!

Lots of great times including Sophia's first time tobogganing and friendly deer everywhere you look!

So much fun!!

a winter tale

2009-12-15T22:21:00.003-06:00

Once upon a time (about two weeks ago) it snowed a crap load.

Sure it was cozy cozy and we soaked it up.

We made gingerbread men and watched Christmas movies, we sang Carols and drank hot cocoa and sipped eggnog.

We were happy little elves.

But then a week passed and it only got colder and colder.

Momma elf was getting cabin fever.

The gingerbread men were all eaten there was no more eggnog and Christmas Carols started to lose their charm.

This scared Momma elf.

Baby elf wanted to go to Walmart.

The elf's were all getting restless.

But the roads were too treacherous and the weather had reached a low of -32 C (-25.6F)

Our car would not start.

It still will not start.

Pretty sure our block heater is kaput. (is that how you spell that? Momma elf isn't a very good speller)

Luckily our good friends who have a garage (and a block heater that works) came to our rescue yesterday and let us borrow their jeep so we could get much needed groceries!!

Sadly the store was out of eggnog.

Papa elf is letting the car battery thaw on our kitchen counter (or doing something with it) momma elf isn't very car savvy.

Fingers crossed baby elf can go to Walmart tomorrow and momma elf can find eggnog.

Pretty sure after one day of being out in the Christmas shopping mayhem I will be content to stay at home watch Christmas movies and sing Carols again.

But for now...get me outta' here!!

my etsy shop is back!

2009-12-08T11:22:00.004-06:00

Don't be fooled by the name people!

Baby bloom barrettes is back!

This time full of cute camera strap covers!

I had so much fun making one for myself I thought I need to pass on the cuteness of these to others!

Please check out my shop on the right or go to

babybloombarrettes.etsy.com

Perfect Christmas present!

I made them with a serger so they are very durable!

I may or may not have stayed up to the wee hours of the night last night sewing away!

I will be adding more fabric selection very soon, so stay tuned!

Happy shopping!!

Santa's On The PNP

2009-12-07T19:50:00.003-06:00

My sister Gina told me about this awesome site.

You can send your little ones a personalised email movie direct from Santa himself!

It took me two minutes and I couldn't wait to show Sophia the next morning!

So.much.fun.

She may have watched her Santa movie about 28 times.

Here is the link to watch Santa's message to Sophia.

http://santa.sympatico.ca/watch/11f964bd42ca59d98e5d3966f95fb5e4

Then after you watch that come back here and watch a video of Sophia watching her special message from Santa direct from the PNP!

Have I mentioned how much I love this time of year?

im so mean

2009-12-07T10:29:00.002-06:00

the one about the purple tutu

2009-12-03T23:43:00.005-06:00

Sophia loves to dance.

If there is dancing to be had, there is a purple tutu to put on!

There is a show that is aired here in Canada called Toy Castle.

It is creepy.

Sophia adores it.

Auntie Gina will laugh because she knows how creepy I/she thought it was and now my child asks to watch it about 7 times a day.

I have it pvr'd for emergency purposes.

It's a show about a Toy Castle that magically comes to life when the kids are sleeping.

They have creepy voiced over voices and creepy costumes.

Sophia loves it.

Maybe this is where she is getting her vivid imagination.

So the point...I am getting carried away about the creepy show.

Sophia sees that the show is on and runs full speed to her closet while screaming SKIRRRT!

She puts on her purple tutu over whatever she is wearing... jammies, nothing, jeans.

Sophia's dancing basically involves jumping, running in circles and what she calls "stretching".

I call it interpretive dance.

She is so destined to be on 'So You Think You Can Dance'.

She received the purple tutu for her birthday.

The friend who made it asked to have a picture of Sophia wearing it, so that she could start a portfolio for selling them.

Anytime I ask Sophia to put on her purple tutu for the purpose of pictures and to actually put on a matching outfit with it her response is "no way Jose".

Ok she doesn't actually say that. But if she knew that phrase that's what she would be sayin' at the top of her lungs!

So for now sorry friend who made it these are the only pics I could get.....

Also since we are on the subject of the Arts...

Sophia also loves to sing!!

Her favorites to sing include (in no particular order)

-Itsy Bitsy Spider

-Twinkle Twinkle

-This Little Light of Mine

-Jesus Loves Me

-Jingle Bells (this is a big hit)

-Part of Your World -Little Mermaid (This is the only song I know all the words to and I sing it with such fervor and passion) - Sophia knows a few words of this one and will sing along with me.

-Any Christmas song out there ( This makes me realize how very little actual words I know to Christmas songs. I usually make them up or repeat the same line over and over again)

So besides winning SYTYCD she is also going to win a Grammy.

I can just see it now...

(cue dream sequence music)

Sophia telling the media how she started singing when she was only two...

"My biggest inspirations were Ariel and of course my Mother, God bless her. She sang to me since birth. She may never have known the words to the songs she was singing but she sang to me nonetheless. That is truly inspiring, thank you Mother...." - Sophia, famous singer/dancer.

(bubble bursting)

Ahem, it could totally happen.