See my fish candy now Opa?

For those who have talked to Lexa on the phone as she wanders and shows you things. This is what it looks like from our end. In this video, she's showing Opa her fish candy.

Today was a nice warm break and Lexa and I played outside. While working on the driveway, Lexa was happy to distract me by tossing snow at me. When she said it was her turn I was a little leary. Water on her face or cold snow has never gone well. I have to say she surprised me, even when a little fell inside her scarf! That game was getting old and the snow was a little chunky....and I had a shovel in my hand. What more was there to do but make a fort!?

I plan on working on it a bit more. Lexa decorated it after this picture was taken by sticking her colorful pinwheel in the side. It didn't go up easy, I had the foundation row down and a little girl came along and stomped on it. In her defense, she didn't really know what I was doing and she loves to make paths and walk them, but my feelings were hurt non the less. I pouted for a bit and considered not going on, but this Momma persevered.

Later in the day Ashley and Lauren came knocking to ask if we wanted to play outside. There were fresh warm muffins needing to be tasted, so we invited them in instead. Poor Mark....

If you look close enough, you'll spot him under the stuffie pile.

I'm relieved to say, the last three years of pictures are safe! I've been concerned that they'd be lost if this ole computer decides it's too tired to go on. There was no back up... until last night... I worked until 2AM to condense and compile folders that would fit on DVDs, there are now 8 DVDs jam packed of adorable Lexa pics and videos!

What has happened to my child?

I'm understanding the reference to "Tiresome or Tantrum Threes", it's going to be a long year. I think it would be more descriptive to call it the Two to Teen year. Lexa is fighting everything and demanding more. Granted some may be a case of cabin fever already but we sure do get along better exploring the world under the sky instead of under a roof.

She wore me down this week and had me fighting back. Of course that resulted in both of us being miserable and trying to out tough each other. Hard discipline may work for some families, but I just can't keep up and honestly it doesn't seem to improve my mood. I don't cool down as quick and easy as I used to. This duck is old and perhaps my duck feathers aren't as well oiled as they used to be so the water doesn't roll off.

After taking blow by blow this week I felt defeated, I felt unable.

She cried and threw a fit that her toy pony fell on the floor, within reaching distance.
She cried and threw a fit that there were no more raisins on her plate (even though she didn't want more).
She cried that she didn't have the right color cup.
She whined about bedtime.
She whined about eating anything that wasn't candy.
She yelled, rather, squealed, "NOOO" when I did anything besides exactly what she told me to do, that includes asking her to go to her room until she calmed down.

I only won one this week. It must've been Thursday and I was trying to talk to Mark. She hasn't been the most patient when she's not the center of the discussion but she wouldn't let us talk around her either. Usually, she's very patient and will wait...but not this week. My look must've been something else, I'm sure my voice was not my own as I said "I'm...talking..to..your....father." She cried and ran to her room before I even had to ask. Momma had a time out that night too.

As a mom, I was seriously thinking that I simply was not growing and keeping up with Lexa's growing needs for her best development.  There's some days I really don't want to have to keep up, I just want habit to settle in and coast for a bit, but a growing toddler changes so quickly!

Today, somehow, it came to me during whining fit of her wanting something in a demanding NOW way. I came up with a new rule, when we ask for something, we have to ask with a smile, no matter how cheesy or silly the smile is. It seemed to work for most of the day. I say most because she got frustrated with it and wanted to fall back into asking with an over dramatic whine and cry, but I'd look at her with an open mouth silly smile and she'd relent. Whew... I really hope this sticks and breaks the habit. If not, I'm sure we'll both be miserable for a week or so until I muster the inner strength and creativity to come up with something else on the spot.

When I first started the discussion with her, before the smile idea popped into my head, I tried to tell her to ask for things in a normal voice. She got up from her chair and rolled on her back, put her feet up in the air said she was playing with yarn. You see, there's a cat on Garfield named Nermal.

A fun November

What a filled week! The weather's taken a turn for the cold and Lexa and I are already feeling the effects of cabin fever.

Everything is beautiful to Lexa these days. "Lookit my beautiful plate", "my beautiful raisin"... you get the idea.

There's been a lot of firsts

the past while. Her first toboggan ride in the backyard on a huge snow drift to accompany her first snow fort made with Dad. Her first Christmas tree decorating, for which the lights have to ALWAYS be on. Last year I really felt like it was new and fun but that the events didn't stick in her memory. This year she's much more a child than a baby.

We took full advantage of a nice day but it was super muddy! Lexa had lots of fun playing in the mud with Madison. This is just the start of it, it got much worse on the way home.

Even her face wasn't safe from the mud!

The next day we played a bit of soccer. What an outfit! Her clothes were still muddy so I dug out a pink and black checkered jacket and her black polka dotted hat. So cute!

Lexa and the Little Tree

Dear Alexiss

Dear Alexiss

Today was a very special day. Remembrance Day, a day to honor those who gave up the comfort of home life to live away from those they loved, who gave up creature comforts for extremely poor living conditions. When I take two minutes to thank every soul who fought wars, I do not take sides. Each life has value, each life was doing as they thought right and just. The mere thought of soldiers voluntarily going to deplorable conditions is unfathomable to me. It was a lone journey for them, alone without family but through it, friendships and bonds were made through a shared experience that none on the outside could understand, no matter how hard they try. It's an experience you had to be in to get the full meaning of it all. The families at home had their own struggles, for them their story was surrounding the same theme but with so many different aspects. All struggled, all gave their time and essentially their love and their life (living or not) to a cause they felt strongly enough about to put it above all else. Powerful stuff. Amazing stuff. Stuff I hope never to have to live, a position I never want to be in, a choice I never want to be presented with for me or my family. Wars continue, husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children, lovers continue to fight and give up all that is comfort and ease.

Personally, I wish, someday, instead of separating by culture, locations, belief and the ego driven thoughts that "our way is right" will melt away to include rights for all as a human race, united and without divide. Acceptance and tolerance, not to what is right or wrong (or what we perceive is right or wrong) but tolerance to ideals and cultures that are in different paths of development than our own.

I am a proud Canadian, today I felt full of pride having the chance to sing "Oh Canada". It was right, it is who I am. I struggle with our history and acquisition of Canada. It was not always our land and the way we made it ours is not as honorable and just, it is as skewed and as unfair as most wars. It was not free land for the taking and I don't feel the outcome was the best solution for all involved. This still does not impede my pride to be Canadian and my need to honor the fallen soldiers.

There was controversy this year. A divide between those who wore red poppies and those that wore white. If we as a people cannot even tolerate or attempt to understand the root of each and accept the good intentions of both, I fear the ego and stance of righteousness will win and humans will always loose. The red poppy commemorates soldiers who have died in war. The white poppy symbolizes a support for peace in it's truest form. I see the both complimentary, not opposite. How best to honor fallen soldiers than to vow to put life of all above war and death. To honor peace, to strive for peace, to honor their life with appreciation of life. If we can learn one thing I would hope it would be that there is never an absolute right and wrong, that as much as we fought for our own freedom, we owe freedom to all, not just ourselves.

So when I honor the fallen on Remembrance Day I honor every soldier, I honor a life, a hard life and quite honestly a life that choose what was probably their last days on earth to be one so far from comfort and love that they could be; to stand..to give.. their most valuable thing..their life. I can do this with all my heart without judgement on right or wrong.

Honor life. Honor love. Justice and right or wrong is not black and white, truth is not black and white. Life and Love are the way to peace.

Love you with all my heart
Momma

Like Mother Like Daughter?

I have yet to dig out a picture of a young toddler Mark, but as I was organizing the boxes downstairs I finally dug to my pictures. So..whatcha think?

We got our Gymboree clothes in, Mother and Daughter are Happy!!

Daughter was so happy that the other night she had to bring her new shoes to bed, and her lipstick too! I didn't get a picture though.

Lexa finally kicked her cold and we went to gymnastics this past weekend. Today's theme of dress... rock star, complete with leopard print leggings and a wide star headband.

Discovery Toys

Our preschool teacher, Lynnette Wiebe, has become a consultant for Discovery Toys. There's a promotion just in time for Christmas and you can order and get them shipped right to Lexa (Ali).

From Nov 5th to Dec 8th

• Go online at www.discoverytoys.com/makesmiles 
• click “shop online” in the big green header
• add your items to the virtual cart by clicking the picture to get you to the toy's description and click the big blue "add to cart" button. You may find better toys for Lexa under the "Clever Connectors (5-7 years) selection.
• You can view your cart anytime by clicking on "your cart" under the big green header.
• When you're ready to make your purchase(s), go back to your cart and click "proceed to checkout"
• A screen will come up that says "Invited to a show and would like to place an order?". Click "yes, help me find my host". (It's an odd way to do it, I know, but trust me, this will take you to the fundraiser and to shipping direct to Lynnette for you). Fill in "Busy Bee Preschool" for first name and "Fun-raiser" for the last name.
• Confirm Busy Bee Preschool Fun-raiser and proceed
• Choose the option to "ship with party"
• Keep going and filling in the information that it asks of you. "*"s beside the words mean you have to fill in that part. 
• If you get really stuck, give me a call. 
• Email busybeecarseland@gmail.com to let Lynnette know who you are sending too or let me know and I'll pass it along to her. 

Everyone can be an angel

Everyone, even a stuffed Dora, can make snow angels!

The snow had all but melted until today...

Trick or Treat..or Goldfish

Lexa wouldn't let a cold keep her from joining the festivities. Halloween day had warmed up quite a bit so I layered our little princess. Last year she refused to wear her costume but this year wasn't a problem with her beautiful dress, wings, tiara and wand. I think based on her daily outfits, it's really been Halloween everyday since her birthday heh.

Ready to go!

Come on! Let's go!

First house done, more to go!

Sitting looking at the haul

I had asked Lexa if she would share, she quickly looked over the pile and kindly gave me... the little bag of goldfish crackers. Smart girl!