Said by my four year old, early one morning

"He's no match for me. He's a ninky dinky boy!"

Ok then.

Iatse christmas

So, last weekend was the event of the year IATSE Christmas. So, for those not familiar this is Len's big work christmas kids party. Len's a stage hand, so one can imagine they go all out!
A track with motorized kids bikes. Two bouncy castles, a blow up train, breakfast for two hundred, a gift from santa, another take home bag of treats.
Plus this year, a magic show, dog show, bird show, 2 clowns and an aerial acrobat.
Oh right, and the snowing. In the opera centres rehearsal hall. Over all 200 hundred people. These people know how to throw a Christmas party! Adara was very able to navigate it on her own this year. During the magic show, she wandered off by herself. Len and I watched and giggled to ourselves from across the room as she siddled up to an eight year old boy that she'd been playing with earlier. And he let her. She watched much of the magic show cuddled right up to the eight year old and his ten year old friend. How does she get away with this?

This year we followed up iatse christmas with another friends Chanumas open house. It was very popular as their was a new dog plus a bevy of kids to play with in a large basement.

This weekend my friend Tracey's party (no other kids, but a cat... we'll see) and her good friend Emmas birthday. Plus, 2 batches of cookies and pie crusts to make in preparation for heading home to my parents place.

It sounds like we're too busy, but we're not. All of this "extra stuff" is what gives me energy and drive for my long weeks at work. After a terrible end of day at work today, Adara and I made a craft and had a very boisterous dance party for two. Perfect.

Remember us?

We're here too. She's just cuter and someone always has to be taking the picture. Thanks to our friends Mark and Laura's wedding we got out kid free for a summer wedding, so here we are lookin' good.

Swimming

Adara had been doing wonderfully over the summer with swimming, getting really comfortable in the water in her life jacket and without. So, it was time to set her free. Last year we did guardian swim which meant that I was in the water holding her all the time. The problem is, I never take my hands off her. The thing that's funny about swimming is you have to sink a little bit to learn what the opposite is. So, we signed Adara up for one on one lessons. We went for our first lesson and Adara was immediately comfortable. At the first lesson, the lovely lifeguard, Anya, let Adara sink a bit. She didn't like it, but now she certainly knows what's needed to stay afloat!

To my Four Year Old Adara

Hello Bella, Happy Birthday. As you laid on my chest asleep last night, I had some time to think back on four years. What a ride! At the risk of exposing my bias, I think that this past year was my favourite yet. You've become cunning and witty, bossy and charming, analytical and athletic. You are a whole little person unto yourself and heaven help the person who crosses you.

Tonight, while singing to me Oh Canada, you skipped the word God. When I asked you why you said it was a bad word. Worrying that my own leftist liberal tendencies might have got to you I asked why and you said "You know,when I say OH GOD!!! you say that that's bad. So God is a bad word". Ah, right. This is a level of subtlety that I was not expecting to cover yet. However in the past month we've covered "Where do babies come from?" (mommies and daddies, end sentence) "Will Daddy die?" (yes, eventually) and "Will Daddy die and come back as a zombie (said gleefully)" (not likely, but who can say, really?) It's been a pretty exciting year keeping up with you.

The major advances this year have been athletically and scholastically. You can hit a ball that's pitched to you pretty much every time now, can catch like no ones business, climb far too easily and outgrew the preschool soccer, you didn't want to "play soccer with those babies, they don't know what they're doing".

Scholastically, this was your first year of school. You seem to be doing pretty well although are seriously put out by the fact that this school thing will go on for the forseeable future. You've got your letters pretty well under control, can spell and write your name as long as no one cares too much if you do and can count to thirty. Not bad kiddo, not bad. Now learn to read. No, seriously, learn to read. You like stories far too much you need to make this leap now before I get laryngitis from reading out loud.

You also have shown serious aptitude for drawing, drawing dinosaurs, people and birds from all different angles and levels of action.

Adara, we love you so much. You are the light of my life and the thing that makes me step away from work when things are hectic. Surprisingly, you've become the centre of my life balance, the counterweight to all else.

I look so forward to the years ahead. As you lay on your tummy this past weekend ably working my old record player from the 1970's I thought "Wow. What a lot we still have to explore together". I can't wait.

Happy Birthday Adara

Thanksgiving rough housing

Thanksgiving was at our house once again this year and was a gorgeous, hot, sunny day. Mom and dad came for the whole weekend and did swimming lessons with us and all. The rest of the fam came for sunday and Monday.


As you can see it, it got a little rough! Len made a crown roast of pork and fixings, dad took care of desserts and Kristen was the queen of wine and cheese and beer. Really, what more could you ask for?

Poser

Adara has developed quite a penchant for posing for pictures lately. Here's some of my favourites. I have a feeling that the "poser" may become a regular feature here!

Well, we are there far too quickly: Adara's first day of school. On a lovely, far too sunny september 9th morning we made the trek half a block over to school and still managed to arrive just in time!

Last night Adara suddenly decided to wear the mermaid dress that we'd had made for her instead of her ratty old dinosaur tshirt. I'm convinced that she did it to please me even though I said nothing about the dino tshirt being ratty.

This morning she wanted to know if she wore her shoes in the school or not and if that was "rude". Obviously she's been thinking about it. With a new backpack and lunch bag and an applesauce for snack, she was off. I can't help but feel that this is the beginning of it all. Dramatic, I know, but the beginning of all choices and chances and opportunities in life. However, she's just happy that they have trucks and a play kitchen to play with. Kristen, this one was a big one, it'd better be in my blurb book at Christmas, that's all I'm saying!

Here's a couple of shots from our camping adventure the last week in august.
We all took the week off and headed to Highland Pines near Fergus, ON. We rented a wee cabin with no plumbing or anything to protect us from any rain, provide us with real beds and shelves to keep things tidy and easy to get at. It was pretty awesome, and thank heavens we were in a cabin as we had one evening and night of torrential rain, high winds, and three tornados circling us. No harm came to anyone but it was a wild night. We made two new little friends, Rachel and Brodie and their mom Jen out camping. So, the night of the tornados we had them, plus my sister and Liam, plus our friends Pablo, Carrie and their two little girls in two little huts. Quite a night, but I'm glad that we were all together.
Otherwise we spent the week looking out over an idyllic lake, swimming in the pool and playing in the playground. The only thing missing was a wee place to get coffee and tea. Making that over a campstove is time consuming!

Gluten free victory

The other day Adara and I visited a friends house where they were making muffins. I was feeling bad that between her nut allergy and Len's wheat sensitivity, I couldn't easily do the same for her.
So, with the help of the internet, several substitutions for what was on hand and a bit of ingenuity, I bring you

MY VERY FIRST WHEAT FREE, NUT FREE BANANA MUFFINS! TA DA
Beat two eggs until frothy, add 1/3 cup olive oil, 2 previously frozen bananas (sweeter this way!)\, 3/4 cup brown sugar and tsp vanilla

Mix together

Then Add 1/2 cup rice flour, 1 and 1/2 cups corn flour, 11/4 tbsp baking powder, 1 tbsp pumpkin spice (or a mix of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice to taste) and 1tsp salt

We baked them in a cupcake pan for 22 minutes at 350 degrees F

I am inordinately proud of myself as I've been feeling pretty overwhelmed about baking for wheat free and nut free. But now, I am off and running 'cause those muffins were darn good! Even my dad would have eaten them!

The New Dress

Here's Adara's new dress made by an old highschool friend who I recently got back in contact with. Adara went online with me and chose the two fabrics for a dress. She's suddenly gotten dress crazy and we only had three, so the situation had to be rectified immediately!

Of Tornados

Many friends and family have been asking how my home town of Goderich is after the F3 tornado that ripped through last week. My parents and their properties are fine. But Goderich is pretty destroyed. Every tree in the square was felled, the 15 historic buildings on west street were decimated and will have to be pulled down and several homes were levelled. Thankfully there were very few injuries and only one death. All of the major businesses and industries in town were also decimated including the grain elevators, salt elevators and volvo factory. I won't be posting any pictures here as it's pretty upsetting but there's plenty to see online. If you want to help Goderich you can go to the Huron Perth United way website or text UCARE to the number 45678 before thursday. Thanks for all your concern.

Of haircuts and the like

For one reason or another, getting her hair cut has always for Adara been an outing with daddy. I've missed every single one of her haircuts. But, they seem to make such a fantastic day of it, that I don't begrudge them their outing! It always seems to involve some stops at cafes for cookies for some and lattes for other, a park stop or two and maybe even lunch. Here's the latest haircut outing.

Well, here it is, and what a night of family and fun it was!

These are all the pics from our neighbour on union road, Laura's wedding to the love of her life, Mark.
It was a beautiful afternoon and evening in a gorgeous old church redone as a wedding venue/restaurant. The food was amazing, everyone was gracious and lovely and it was great to get to spend time with all the adults in the family sans kids for a night, as much as we love them.
Len and I had an amazing time and were only sorry that we had to head off as early as we did to return to the wee monkey in Toronto.

I wonder how long the night went on for everyone else?

THE PICTURE OF THE YEAR

Each year at the Aunts cottage, Kristen has managed to get a picture of Adara that is in some way iconic or indicative of who she was at that moment. This year was harder because she wouldnt' hold still! Nontheless she got some good shots. I leave it to you to decide, which is the most Adara this year?

The new house

For those of you who have been asking, here's a few pics of the new house.
The renos have been going like made. In the first three weeks Len oversaw everything and did all the demolition. We replaced the plumbing, electrical, checked for termites (none), waterproofed the basement, put in a new furnace and ducting, hauled old railway ties out of the backyard, painted, refinished all the floors and put in new stairs to the third floor.
We've decided to pause here for a while and enjoy the rest of the summer. The refinish of the basement will just have to wait.

Camping glories

For the first time in 22 years I went camping with my parents. With Kristens help we borrowed a tent trailer for a week away in Miller Lake. From the first moment that Adara saw it she was in love with the trailer. She climbed right up on her bunk, got out all her toys and was in seventh heaven, chatting away to herself in her "own little house" The campground itself was wonderful. It had a sandy shore, shallow lake, big inflatables for the big kids (and me!) to swim out to and climb on, fish to catch in a net (Adara) crafts to do in the rec hall, a great playground as well as ping pong, horseshoes and a great store. And glory be the store had wonderful tea with milk and honey for me to wander down and get while the wee one was napping and grammy was in charge. It's hard to over estimate how important a really good cup of afternoon tea is to me!
Hopefully Kristen or mom has some pics of Liam and Poppa and I climbing on the massive inflatables because it was a tour de force. I'll try to upload the video of Adara holding the fish that she caught (minnow) as well.

In general it was peaceful and easy and relaxing and fun and I can't wait to do it again!

Beach babes and boys

Here's some great pics of Adara and her cousins playing on the beach and at the campground while we were away on vacation last week. We were up at Miller Lake near Tobermory and also near Kincardine at a cottage that my Aunts' rent each year. It was glorious to just be taken care of for a whole week! Thanks family.

Holidays

Adara and I are off tomorrow camping with mom and dad for the week and visiting with family. We're really looking forward to it! Yesterday we did the traditional east york carnival for Canada day and then a lovelly bbq at a friends parents house. A really awesome day and the first Canada Day since Adara was born in which no one cried. Whoo HOoo! Small victories. Part way through the bbq last night, Adara just laid down in the middle of our hosts deck and went to sleep. Probably a good plan. Hopefully I'll have time for more posts and some pics when we're back.

Goodbye

On Monday after six years, we said goodbye to our house and moved onto a new one. We loved our little "doll house" but it was time for new challenges and new surroundings. So, on Monday my valiant mom and dad came and joined us for the big move. After 10 hours of moving, it was done.

As always, I'm sad when I say goodbye to a home. I think of all of the good years that have gone by and the things that I'll miss. This is the home that I brought my baby home to. This is where we celebrated her first birthday and had a massive operatic backyard 60th birthday for our friend Bruce. Len and I went back together yesterday, cracked a kilkenny and walked around the house and yard, remembering and saying goodbye. Adara was a bit beside herself, truly overwhelmed by the whole experience. However, in another week or two we'll be into the new house which is being renoed now and she'll feel better in her lovely new bedroom.

So, for now, a sad goodbye to my first home. Good, bad and all, it was my home and I lived and loved in it.

Belated Mothers Day Post

Mothers Day began with Adara waking me at a very leisurely 9 am with her gifts to give me. She gave me the card and bracelet, but in the end could not be parted from her beloved self painted treasure chest. She showed it to me, informed me that I was sharing with her and took it to her room. Len and Adara went off to swimming lessons while I organized breakfast. After breakfast we headed for Royal Bottanical Gardens and had a big walk. Post gardens, we came back to town and found a new little pub, the Ceili House on Queen East. We ate a beautiful charcouterie plate and had a beer with Adara lying on my lap the whole time. Quite lovely, really! Len also came home with a new yellow rose bush for me, which Adara and I planted at the new house yesterday.

We're here, just quiet

Hello all, it's been a long absence as we've been managing many life changes at once. Most importantly, we bought a house (the last day that I wrote) and sold a house (last wednesday). As you can imagine this long delay between the buy and the sell resulted in a good deal of stress. But all is well now, and we move forward. Len and I had a thrilling "furnace shopping date" this am, as we prep for all the work on the new house. It was fun actually, to grab a cup of tea, and tour around looking at furnaces and flooring without the sweet babe chattering at us the whole time. :)

Me In New York

Thanks to airmiles and my friend Heather being here on work and having a lovely hotel room, I've had a little New York mini vacation this week. I arrived on Wednesday and Heather and I did a lovely french dinner and saw La Cage Aux Folles while drinking a great slug of red wine out of an absolutely ridiculous souvenir sippy cup! (I'd include the pic but I promised not to embarass Heather and it's of her).
Then on thursday we did up SOHO, Tribeca, the Tenement museum, and Times Square as well as walking the Brooklyn Bridge. Walking the Brooklyn bridge was absolutely inspiring. To think that they built all of this in the late 1800's is absolutely astonishing. i totally want to find a novel about that, it's fascinating! The tenement museum was also cool. We saw some of the apartments in the immmigrant neighbourhoods which were in the state that they were found in after having beeen closed up from about 1930 to 1980. And then we went into one that they had recreated and researched the life of one of the families that lived there. It was an Irish family that lived there in 1890. Really cool!
We also went to a crazy chocolate boutique that does really unusual savory flavours. And we had doughnuts from a world renowned doughnut place. Heather had peanut butter and jam, I had pistachio. That was lunch

Today we headed out for shopping (new shoes, $50, thank you) and the Museum of Modern Art. Then Heather had to rest before her show so I struck it out solo. Before my family asks, no I did not get lost, not even once. I did Macy's, took in an impromptu street breakdancing show, the Empire state building, walked 5th avenue to see Sacs and Gucci and Tiffany's and the like, toured by Central Park and did two cathedrals, St. Patrick and St. Thomas.

At the churches I lit a candle for my sister and my mother in law as they are both Catholic and St. Patricks is the largest cathedral in the US. It was pretty amazing.
The Empire State building was pretty cool too, the vistas were amazing and I had purchased the audio guide so it pointed out each side of the building very clearly and what I was seeing. A really impressive way to get a sense of the scope of the city.
I have to say that the only dissapointing piece was Times Square. Many friends have described it as an overwhelming but exciting impression of lights and people. I think that after Hong Kong, Times square doesn't really strike me that way so much.
Nontheless, a super cool trip. I'm having a brief break now before joining Heather post show for one last jaunt and then home tomorrow.

Us on Fastforward

This week:
2- days with no daycare, one with my provider ill, one with Adara ill
1- so far trips to the clinic to get Adara's ears flushed out. There may be another yet as she's still complaining that they hurt
2- grants written and ready to go in at work
3- trips to the city of Toronto licensing office to try and settle my works bloody public hall license. Kafkaesque in it's ridiculousness
1-house conditionally purchased (conditionally people, don't get your hopes up and don't get too attached yet, there's a road to travel)
1- trip planned to New York for me with my friend Heather next week. Thank the gods for airmiles and friends with hotel rooms. Perhaps unfortunately timed given the above mentioned conditional house purchase, but nontheless

= 1 exhausting and emotional week.

The tent

Built with love by daddy, it took up our entire couch and much of the living room. It stayed up for three days and was much beloved.

New Boots

I have been looking for new black boots since last March. I'm quite specific about black boots. They must be stylish and able to worn with jeans and dress pants, but also eminently wearable. I often find myself walking a half an hour or more in the city, either because I'm thinking about something or because the transit system has failed me and it's just easier to walk. My boots must have a heel, but not too much heel, must be fashionable but classic. I gave up last spring. Last week, I found these beauties. They are Josef Siebels which is a super comfortable, well supported brand of shoes that I've always wanted to buy but never been able to afford. They were onsale. For $85. Down from $285. Budget be damned these beauties were going home with me!


These are my old boots. I will still keep them and wear them because they're still functional and have a slightly different look then the new ones. Plus, I'm frugal. How frugal, you ask? These boots are nine years old. They are older then my child, house and marriage.
And you know what, I'm proud of that. I really despise our throw away society. Here's hoping that the new ones will give me nine years too. Meanwhile, I'm off to the cobbler to put my third pair of new soles on the old ones. Ta Ta.

Adara's quotes of the week

Adara: "What wrong with you mamma?"
Me: "Nothing honey I'm just frustrated and tired"
Adara: "Why don't you go to bed"
Me: sigh.

Adara singing quietly to herself this morning "I am a mystery, a little, messy mystery..."
Yes, yes baby girl, you are.

This week in snow

It's been pretty intense. Tonnes of snow and bitter cold winds. On the upside Adara loves the snow. Earlier this week it was a lovely -1 out and beautiful flakes were falling from the sky. Adara and Len played in the backyard while I made ratatouille for dinner. They came in after it was in the oven, a full hour later and then only because Len insisted. She also loves helping me to shovel and clear off the car in the morning. If only it wasn't so darn cold this week. You'll also notice that the every popular kitty hat/balaclava is riding again. Thanks Viv!

Kindergarten Registration

We registered Adara for kindergarten last week. Before the appointment she was very concerned that we "not leave her there". However once she got there she was more concerned with when she might get to play with all of the kids who were outside tugging each other around in sleds. She knew all her colours and shapes and could open the jars and lace the pictures up and do up the zippers, etc. It was quite fun to watch out of the corner of our eyes as the school representative put her through her paces. We realized how well she takes direction from everyone but us!

Oops!

Adara fell into the toilet last night. All the way in, just folded in two like a little jacknife and fell in butt first. She was trying to go on the potty like a big girl and didn't want my help at all.
After pulling her out and drying her off and drying her tears, I began to laugh helplessly. I couldn't help it, it was so funny to see her little feet stuck up in the air and the surprise on her face. Soon she was laughing too and then we just laid on the floor of the bathroom and laughed and laughed. I believe that this is one of those memories that will make me laugh despite myself forever. I will be on the subway some day, years from now, laughing about my blonde angel falling in the toilet.

Social Life

This winter Adara is developing her own social life and hobbies. She's enrolled in dance class on saturdays and gymnastics on sundays. Dance class she does on her own, which is the first time that I haven't had to be in the room for one of her classes. A definite change and it's interesting to try and gather from her after how the class went as parents aren't even allowed in the class. She is very proud of her galloping skills and will show them off, hands jauntily on her hips, to anyone who asks. Gymnastics, she's not so into, but loves the opportunity just to jump around.
For Len and I it's a move towards the world of a preschooler. Classes and events, teachers and schedules. It's nice to see her reacting so well to authority figures and we hope that this will be a good lead into her school years.
It does make me a bit teary, though!

New Years Day

We had an old school New Years Day here at the Fry/Stannard household: one like I used to have post university. In the morning I got up and played with the kiddo while Len and I prepped a big brunch for friends. Homefries, bacon, poached eggs, toast, champagne and orange juice and Heather brought fruit salad. Several friends and some kids came around 10, ate some food, drank some champagne and then the scrabble began. I handily defeated my two guests and husband. They sulkily (or not so sulkily) went home around 1pm, just as Lisa arrived. We redid the brunch thing for her (she had stayed out much later the night before then the rest of us), more champagne and orange juice (now fresh squeezed by Lisa herself) and another round of scrabble, at which I got hammered. Then, Lisa, Len and I took down the Christmas tree and I made up a lasagna for the family. Lasagna was consumed in front of the tv for a perfect end to a perfect, lazy New Years Day.