Anniversary Adventure

For our anniversary this year we opted to take the kids bowling.

Grace jumped with joy.

Anne used all her muscles to push the ball down the lane.

James and I did a little bowling too.

We enjoyed a little family adventure.

Christmas at Last

Everyone loves sprinkles....lots of sprinkles.

James enjoyed the festive treats this season.  Thankfully he has returned to eating food that doesn't contain sugar, chocolate, or marshmallows in it.  For I while I thought I'd need to start dipping broccoli and peas in chocolate frosting to encourage him to eat something semi-nutrious.

Family Christmas Eve Pajamas.

Grace with her new baby and cradle.

Baby was recently named Flower.

Anne's baby and cradle. 

She is using her finger to keep baby Sparkle from fussing.

Super Train Engineer James.

He enjoyed having his own set of markers....which he used to mark his Superhero symbol on his forehead.

We finished the night with roasted duck for dinner and  decorating gingerbread houses with our friends, Troy and Taivna.

Christmas is finally boxed up.  The remaining gifts have been mailed or delivered.  We have finished the last of the holiday goodies, and we are back to living our daily life.... and yes, I'm already gearing up for next year!

The Barbie Doll House

Grace asked for wood for her 5th birthday in November. A strange request for a child, but I told her repeatedly she could not receive a plastic barbie doll house.   She opted for the raw materials to build her dream Barbie house.  When she untied the ribbons she didn't seem very excited about this gift.  

Edwin and I wondered if we did the right thing.

But then the creativity started flowing.....

Grace spent the next several days drafting house plans for Barbie.  

The top floor is Barbie's room with a bed, a wardrobe for hanging dresses, a box for her shoes, and of course an amazing bed.

The second floor is the recreation room.  On the left is Barbie's TV.  The next room houses an amazing chandelier.  The room on the right is a soft chair for sitting.

The bottom floor is my personal favorite.  It is the kitchen with a table and chairs, forks, plates, bowls, and cups.  The kitchen comes with a stove and refrigerator. 

This little girl had the details planned out. 

The final product.... is a success!

Edwin finished the construction before Christmas. Three stories, a balcony, and an attic for storage.

Barbie has some prime parking space!

Now it's my turn to help Grace with the painting, carpeting, and decorating. 

We are beginning to gather our supplies and we anticipate that this winter could be full of creative snow days.

Here's to Grace and house plans!

Snow Days

One morning the air was filled with "sparkles" and Anne went outside to catch them.

Edwin captured them on the camera.

James wanted to join the fun with the family outside.

He hollered at me until he had Anne's boots and hat on.   

The kids used our slope from the backyard to the sidewalk as their sledding location while Edwin shoveled the driveway.

James didn't last long outside, but he sure had fun.

"Big Enough"

I found this entry I didn't post! 

Here are pictures from Grace's Birthday 45 days later!

The morning started off with Grace lying in my bed saying,

"Look how long my five year old arms are!"
"Look how long my five year old legs are!"
"See how big my five year old hands are!"

Yes, Grace turned five and that means her world will change forever. She will start school next year. She is now "big enough" to cross the street by herself. Little does she know that I stand looking through the window and I've called the neighbor who is standing at her door watching as well to make sure Grace is safe crossing the street by herself. But, she is finally "big enough" to do it on her own and it separates her from the little kids.

 

First thing in the morning we went to visit our friend, Pops, and get him some breakfast. Then we decided to come home and get the party room ready for the pinata. Grace was super excited to take cupcakes to Reading Club, but unfortunately it was cancelled at the last minute for medical reasons. So a disappointed birthday girl stayed home and painted her pinata. We were able to hang the pinata in the basement this year so everyone stayed warm. Clare and Jacob came from our old apartment complex, and our new neighbors, Loie and Gavin came over as well. The kids busted open the pinata, played with some toys, and then we sang happy birthday and ate cupcakes. It turned out to be a pretty low-key event and we had a great time. Edwin ended up working extra late so the rest of the party seemed to take forever to arrive.



However, we managed to survive the long day and Grace was soon able to open her presents. She only wanted two things....More Barbies and Wood. The Barbie car was an added bonus that she seemed quite pleased with. The wood is being used to make a large Barbie house. Grace drafted some plans with her daddy's help. The Barbie house is in the building stages, but Edwin wants to wait until it is finished before we post pictures. So wait you must.

All in all it was a fine day and Grace loved her tall "stair cake like the one when you get married at your wedding." She is all girl...there's no doubt about it!



Our friends came over the next day to eat birthday cake for breakfast and have a tea party picnic on the floor.  Happy Birthday, Grace!