Friday, August 31, 2012

O Canada - Day Four - Toronto Zoo

After a few days on the road and lots of sightseeing we made our fourth day an easy one. Our hotel was located about 10 minutes from the Toronto Zoo.

Day Four:
- Toronto Zoo
    - Animals
    - Splashpad

- Head back to the hotel for swimming and night in


Thursday, August 30, 2012

O Canada - Day Three - Niagara Falls

***Picture Heavy Post***

Our plans for our third day on our road trip were centered around Niagara Falls and then eventually heading over the border to Canada.

Day Three:

- Niagara Falls State Park
     - Maid of the Mist/Observation Tower
     - Picnic Lunch
     - Aquarium of Niagara
     - Discovery Gorge
     - The Cave of the Winds

-Cross US/Canadian Border via Rainbow Bridge

- Canadian Side of Niagara Falls
     - Dinner
     - Skywheel

- Drive to hotel in Scarborough, ON
 

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

O' Canada! - Day One - On Our Way!

We took our first international trip as a family to wrap up our summer. Final Destination was Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Day One:
-Leave home & drive to Ithaca, NY.
-Swimming &  Lunch at Robert H. Treman State Park
-If time allows visits to Cornell etc.
-Drive to hotel in Niagara Falls.

Sunday, August 05, 2012

A lil Mad Hatter Tea

Leah wanted to have a small tea party for her birthday this year. She picked out pink and black as her theme colors and left the rest to me. Leah loves Alice in Wonderland and especially the Mad Hatter.



Saturday, August 04, 2012

Happy 8th Birthday!

So here we are, 8 years later. 8! 8 years ago our little girl was born and made us a family.



Leah at 8...is precocious, funny, obnoxious--unabashedly so--, lovable, stubborn, strong willed and sweet. She's quirky and a self affirmed nerd. She has a huge heart and her feelings are hurt easily but she bounces back just as easily. She wears her heart on her sleeve and often asks me if I feel she is too soft. While the overly emo moments can be a lot for one to handle all the time? I wouldn't have her any other way. She is who she is and is a wonderful person because of her big heart and how much she cares, how strongly she feels. This also means that she has a short temper and is easily set off. We're working on it.


Leah marches to her own drummer. She has made an effort at times to conform to society's standard of what a young girl is 'supposed' to be like but it only made her miserable. Leah is a girl who will throw on a purple and zebra stripe dress with mismatched socks and dig around outside with her brothers for worms. She wanted purple hair and when it washed out? She fell in love with the blonde and insisted on keeping it that way. I try to support her individuality and her choices to be who she is, and how she expresses herself.

She has big dreams of one day being an artist, a mother (sometimes), a scientist who will make a machine to make us all live forever because she cannot fathom a world without her loved ones in it---or for others so they can always have their loved ones with them.

She loves nature. Throw her in the woods and she'll be happy for days.

Leah - 6 years old - Lake George - August  2010

Leah - 7 years old - USDAN 2012

She has an amazing relationship with her brothers. I try to be a gentle parent but I can stand to learn a thing or two about patience from Leah. I don't think the boys could have a better big sister. She wished for them and told me just the other day they are the best birthday and Christmas presents she's ever gotten. The boys are pretty lucky to have her as their sister.



Leah is often happy and sullen all at once. She sometimes worries so much that she carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. Yet she dances and she dances all the time. It is the best way for her to let loose and drop some of that worrywart weight of hers.

I couldn't be more proud of our oldest. She is already a great little person and I cannot wait to see what she does with herself in the future. All I know is that we'll be there every step of the way helping her grow, supporting her. Working hard to give her the opportunities in life she deserves to grow into the amazing young woman she will be someday.

There is a quote that is popular and I see everywhere. Every time I see it I think "that just screams Leah".

“Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one is listening. Love like you've never been hurt and live like it's heaven on Earth.” 

Leah- 4 years old - Disney October 2008