Friday, October 26, 2012

We Wiggle!

Last night, my mom and I took Isla to see The Wiggles at Rexall Place. I know what you're all thinking, "Seriously Jill, The Wiggles?" As I dip my head in shame, I admit... the show was AWESOME! Despite Isla waking up feeling feverish, snotty and tired, she was SUCH a trooper! We made a whole ladies night out of it! We went for dinner at Swiss Chalet and then headed on down for the show. I wasn't sure what Isla's reaction would be... she's never been to anything of this magnitude. And as such, she seems like more of an observer than an avid participant. However, she did surprise me a little bit. After eating an entire bag of salty, buttery popcorn to herself, The Wiggles finally came on stage and Isla..... cried. Wailed actually. And I thought, "This is going to be a long, expensive night". But after a couple songs, she warmed up and even started doing some actions, all while remaining firmly seated on my lap or Nana's. By the end of the show, she was standing, singing and dancing and having SUCH a great time. She was in there like a dirty shirt and I was so proud of her. They performed for about 80 minutes and were promptly finished at 8 pm. Those Wiggles sure understand children and their bedtimes. Despite being insanely rich and successful (it's true, they've made more money than bands such as AC/DC and Van Halen), they are so great with kids. They took time to go into the audience and collect signs kids had made for them. They also collected roses for Dorothy the Dinosaur and bones for Wags the Dogs that eager audience members had brought along. They were extremely funny and very entertaining. It was a super great evening and one I will fondly remember! Can't wait to take Isla (and Annie-Roo) to more of these events.

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suppertime snuggles

love this picture!

the low budget stage

3 generations! (Isla's popcorn-munching face is hysterical)

smiles

the bag did not leave her hands

ta da!

Isla using Nana's flashlight as a "star" during Twinkle Twinkle (she sang every lyric).

Isla fell asleep approximately 68 seconds after buckling her in her seat! She was so zonked. But she woke up happy (say what??) and couldn't stop talking about her night! Special times!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Eight

Annie-Roo was 8 months old yesterday. Nothing too new or different to report on... she is still toothless but Cam and I are starting to get sick and tired of the misery that goes along with teething. Having said that, Annie's misery is like Isla's happy moods. The nights are getting worse, once again, and her little cheekies are flaming red. She does seem to be in distress sometimes and has given up eating. We look in her mouth, which is impossible as she seals her lips pretty tight as soon as we try and peak, but we can see all four bottom teeth under the gums. Gross. If all four come at once, I may need to resort to mountains of chocolate for solace. Or wine. As I've said before, she is so delightful and beautiful and charming and happy. She loves her sister and watches everything she does. It's pretty cute. Also, right now (I say this because it is inevitable that she will become a Daddy's girl) she totally prefers me. And I am so proud and happy. Isla has always been Cam's so maybe, just maybe, she will be mine. We are just so blessed to have Annie. She brings so much joy and fulfillment to our lives and really makes our family feel complete.

strategically placed bubbles.

twins!

big smiles

love her little curl!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Pumpkins & Pedicures

This past Sunday, we spent some time doing some fall crafts. We picked some leaves and did some pencil crayon drawings with them! They turned out really nice and are currently hanging in Isla's room. We also decided to carve pumpkins! Cam and Isla did the goo scooping while Annie cheered them on from her high chair! Cam also did the carving but Isla certainly did help. It's really sweet now that Isla is old enough to be an active participant in these activities. She really enjoys craft time and the opportunities to do new, fun things!




The finished product!

Go Daddy and Isla Go!

After dinner, I thought it would be fun to give Isla a pedicure. After explaining to her what exactly it was, she was pretty thrilled! We started with a soothing foot soak, followed by a coconut cream exfoliant. I massaged her feet with a peppermint lotion and then of course, painted her pretty toes! She sat the whole time and told me how nice this was. "This feels good Mommy". Although it lasted all of 7 minutes, it was really fun for the both of us! 



Ta da!


Smitten

This is just a series of photos of the girls together... Isla loves greeting Annie in the morning or after her nap in her crib. She climbs in and says "Good morning Annie". It's so cute. So one morning, I spent a few minutes capturing their cuteness.

such a sweet toothless grin

"Say what?"

all smiles!

*so unbelievably precious*

Mini Cam & Me

Mini Me & Me

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

Golden Booties

When Isla was a baby, Auntie Coe Coe (Nicole) bought her these adorable little booties. Cam and I loved them so much... the 80's feel must have just brought us back to our childhoods. Best. Gift. Ever. I just recently dug them out again for Annie-Roo. Putting her in them made me smile. They are just the cutest! I am SO glad we can get another round of wear out of them. And I'm pretty sure they would stand up for Round 3. Here they are.

Isla Bean!

Annie-Roo!


ps - the polka-dot shirts both the girls are wearing was so coincidental! They sort of look a like here, right?

Monday, October 1, 2012

Picture Perfect Weekend

This past weekend was spent away in Calgary with my amazingly wonderful Mom and sister-in-law Suzanne. We ditched our husbands and kiddos (in my case) and drove up to spend a schedule-less holiday shopping, reading, eating and enjoying one another's company. We left St. Albert around 3 and fought what felt like bumper to bumper traffic all the way there. It was a looooonnnggg drive, but we passed the time laughing and chatting. After a brief pit stop in Red Deer, we arrived in Calgary and went straight to Cross Iron Mills to kick off our shopping weekend! We had a lovely dinner at Boston Pizza (which, by the way has 28 new menu items and Sue had THE most delicious pizza to ever graze my lips), walked around until the mall closed and then headed to our hotel to check in. We read, relaxed and hit the hay around 10 pm. A perfect start.

Sue and I at BP's. 

As always, a sleep without kids has no bearing on my wake up time. Dang internal clock. I arose at 6:30 am, feeling slightly let down that my body would not allow me to sleep in. My mom and I did a little Starbucks run for some much needed caffeine. 

fresh-faced, early morning coffee run!

We gathered Sue and headed to the most unique, amazingly delicious breakfast joint I have ever been to. We met our lovely friends, Kjerstin and Darren Mein (who just got married this past June) who suggested the Pfanntastic Pannenkoek Haus for some authentic Dutch pancakes.  (*CHECK IT OUT). With a delicious mix of savory & sweet, we ordered 3 to share and topped it off with a banana, chocolate & coconut pancake. Ummm, absolutely scrumptious. If you are ever in Calgary, you simply must go! After a lovely visit, we went to Marda Loop to hit up our favorite jewelry store... Doo Dads. As always, my mom left with an armful of goodies. We continued our shopping extravaganza at Chinook Center. Aritzia, Anthropologie and Lulu were calling my name. We spent a couple hours there (and a little money) and then took a Starbucks break. 

re-fueling with an Americano and little pumpkin loaf

We headed back to our hotel for a little rest before meeting my cousin Paige and her husband Seb at Open Sesame for dinner. We had another lovely dinner filled with LOTS of laughs (Paige told us a story about what she saw on "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" and I honestly don't think I have ever laughed so hard in my life), catching up and great conversation. We had previously bought tickets to see "Pitch Perfect", so after supper we headed there for our movie. Sue and I thought it was absolutely hilarious... my mom, not so much. There are definitely some crude parts but honestly, it's hysterical. Rebel Wilson steals the show (most of you know her has Kristen Wiig's Australian roommate in "Bridesmaids). We indulged in some delicious Purdy's Chocolate treats during the show and then ventured back to the hotel to read some more and go to sleep.

Sunday brought a leisurely get-up, a lovely breakfast at Good Earth and then an absolutely breathtaking walk through Glenmore Reservoir. We drove into Red Deer and stopped for lunch at a local restaurant called The Rusty Pelican... best taco salad ever! We shopped just a tiny bit more and then drove home. It truly was exactly what I needed... time to spend with 2 ladies who love me & understand me & value me just the way I am. We had SO many laughs, great conversation and an absolutely wonderful bonding time. Can't wait for next year (we decided it needed to be annunal).