Winter Fun With Dad

Kindergarten

Leah is officially registered for kindergarten. She has made her 5th birthday party plans and they should be finalized this week.

She is growing up much to my protest.

Age Old Question: Straight or Curly?

Fortunately for Leah she can have both.

Spa Treatment

We were home for the day and Leah wanted to play spa.

I got over my issues about her wanting to look like a big girl and painted her nails.

Who needs a bed or even to lay down?

Leah will generally sleep wherever. It doesn't need to be comfortable. If she is already asleep and it is after 6 in the evening? You don't move her once she is down and you definitely do not undress her or else she wakes up quite cranky and will not sleep a wink until well past midnight. Instead we let her sleep however she is until she wakes up on her own.

Nature abhors a vacuum. And so do I...but not Leah

People used to ask my parents often why they chose to have more than two kids. My dad used to joke that there are more than two chores that need to be completed on a daily basis, so there is a need for more than two children. Hahahaha so funny. O_O

I see his point now.

Leah loves to vacuum. She is pretty good at it too. At first she was just playing around but now she is serious about it. It is a great help to be able to knock a chore off the weekly list with her help.

I know she won't always be this enthusiastic about helping with the chores. She is/will learn that it is part of being a member in the family, that all members help around the house. That the mother is not a short order cook, maid, housekeeper etc.
I am happy to say that I learned a thing or two from my parents, much to my own protest. Chores were always part of our daily routine and I always complained about them. That didn't stop me from completing them and it certainly didn't stop my parents from expecting them to be done. We did not get allowance growing up because we completed our chores. Chores were part of responsibilities of being a family member.

Hopefully Leah understands the latter as a child better than I ever did.

Great News!

I was trying to figure out what to do for Leah's 5th birthday.

I think this will be perfect :D

Christmas Morning

First Snowman

First Snow

Recent Backtrack updates

Halloween 2008

Thanksgiving 2008

Tree Decorating - Take Two

We spent the evening putting up our tree, only to find out that we couldn't get all our lights to work AND get our topper on the tree. I've been asking for a new tree for a while and Matt went out to get one. He brought back a monster of a tree but it is beautiful and ended up being perfect for us.

Yearly Santa Dance

Every year we go see Santa. Leading up to our yearly visit with Santa we have to talk it up with Leah. She, like most children, has an innate built in fear of strangers. Put that stranger in some funny clothes and ton of facial hair? Major fright.

Yet every year she says she wants to go. So the dance begins. About two weeks before the 'big day' we go to the mall and check out where Santa is, at this point Leah will wearily walk around his spot and say "Uh yeah can we go now?". We do this two more times. Then we talk about it some more and Leah usually picks the day she is going to go. This year she picked "Next Tuesday" but it ended up not being the best choice because Matt had defensive driving. So instead she said "Fine Thursday then." For the last week Leah talked about how 'brave' she was going to be and how she couldn't wait to see Santa.

We went through this last year. We got as far as waiting on line and it almost being our turn when off she went. Took off down the mall as far away from Santa as possible.

Thing with Leah is, and something many people do not understand, is that she is scared, she is scared to death...but once you get her up to the person/character/ride and you get her close enough she is just fine. Sometimes I get comments from those around me that I am cruel to push her on so many things but I know my daughter. Can't let her be afraid of everything forever. You have to nudge her just right to get her to do it. Once she is there, she is fine. She gets all happy and participates and then afterward can't wait to go back and keeps telling you "It wasn't a big deal! It wasn't even scary!"

That is Leah. You just have to have the patience of a Saint and go through the dance with her.

So there we were at the mall at almost 6 p.m. We got some dinner, we talked about it some more. We always go on a weekday. It isn't busy, Santa isn't cranky and a little more patient with the high maintenance kids. After eating Leah decided she was ready. We went downstairs she was excited, she was practicing her perfect smile and then we were up and...off she went down the mall, crying and running away. -_-

Matt wrangled her up and we went to Ikea to have a cinnamon bun (only a buck and really yummy) . She ate her bun. She made it clear she did not want to see Santa. We decided to let her run around in the playground for a bit. We left for the playground. She played for 15 minutes or so and then agreed to go back to Santa.

She mustered up enough courage to go back downstairs, and go up to the counter and then...off she went again, crying and running away.

Matt got the patience to go wrangle her up again and bring her to me. I picked her up and marched right over to Santa where he was more than happy to see Leah. As soon as she saw him right up close she was fine. She was ready and off she went.

Here is the picture:


For comparison:
Leah and Santa 2007


Leah & Santa 2006 - Not so happy

Tree Decorating - Take One

Post Thanksgiving Rest

We spent Thanksgiving at Aunt Helene & Uncle Gary's house with Ruth's family. Jacquie's husband Mike cooked a delicious meal (and Jacquie made some really good stuffed mushrooms.)

We all had a great time. Leah had a blast playing with Tyler.

We spent Friday sleeping in.

Leah had a lil trouble getting herself out of bed.

Halloween 2008

Leah as Tinkerbell

You can dance anywhere

First Visit to Disney World - Part One

Just Get Up & Dance