Let Liberty Ring

We had a weekend to spend in Pennsylvania because Leah and Matt has off for Columbus Day. We decided to head to Philadelphia  for the day before heading home. Leah was looking forward to another visit to American historical sites. Add another city to our road trip belt for the year.

Waiting at the Visitor Center for our Liberty Bell tickets

Getting ready to wait in line to see the Liberty Bell

Slavery and how it worked---Leah read it all

Looking at some "Founding Fathers"

The Liberty Bell was a symbol of freedom not just for the revolutionary fathers. Quote from Frederick Douglass.

The Liberty Bell and its crack

 

Washington Square Fountain

Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier

Congress Hall

Franklin Square Park

 

Cloudy Days Sweeping the Sun Away

We headed to Sesame Place for their Halloween themed entertainment. As it was on our last visit earlier in the summer it was rainy and cloudy again. We came prepared and bundled up so the kids didn't mind it at all. Leah was a great sport and was excited about seeing everyone all decked out for Halloween.

Telly Monster

Cookie Monster

Oscar the Grouch & the kids in their Maid of the Mist ponchos

Zoe

The Kids watching and enjoying one of the Halloween themed shows

Big Bird & Elmo

Waiting for the evening parade

Silly

Pumpkin Picassos

Best Big Sis

I know I've written this a dozen and some times but Leah really is the best big sister. Louis had an accident in the house and bumped his head pretty hard. Matt took him over to the local after-hours pediatric care center to have it looked at and Leah went along for moral support. Louis said she helped him feel better about it and less frightened. So proud of my little girl.

Off to 3rd Grade!

Today was Leah's first day of school, off to third grade she goes.

O Canada - Day Six - Centre Island

After visiting the Ontario Science Centre we headed back to downtown Toronto. Our plan was to spend the rest of the day visiting Centre Island. I found this part of our trip to be a nice bargain. An $8 parking fee (for the day and evening) plus a $7 per adult ferry ride bought a really nice leg of the trip.

Due to it being the last weekend of the summer (Labour Day weekend) everyone that didn't head up north for the holiday seemed to be making their way out to the Toronto Islands. There was quite a crowd of people waiting to get on the ferry. 30 minutes of waiting and Leah pointed out how nice everyone was. No arguing, no pushing or shoving. Very different from what we are used to back home.

Finally we made our way onto the ferry and short, nice ride brought us to Centre Island. Leah went with Matt & Louis up on upper deck while I stayed with Gabriel down below.

 

O Canada - Day Six - Ontario Science Centre

We started our day with visiting the Ontario Science Centre. From the minute we walked in the kids were in love. Immediately they ran off to get a look at the long hallway that lead to the first level of exhibits. It was a chronological walk through botany of all the different changes over the billions years on Earth. The first exhibit was a great one, on the circus.

O Canada - Day Five - Walking Tour & CN Tower

We continued our visit to the City of Toronto by heading downtown. I was most looking forward to this part of our trip. The rest of the family? Not so much. We walked to Kensington Market. Leah an Matt grabbed some burgers for lunch while I window shopped. I felt at home. No surprise there. Leah loved this car, dubbed the "hippie mobile" by Matt.

O Canada - Day Five - ROM

We had a loose itinerary for our first trip to Downtown Toronto. Traveling with the kids we know we have to play it by ear and go with the flow.

Day Five:
     - ROM
     - Walk to Kensington Market, Chinatown, Queens Street West, Harbourfront
     - CN Tower

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

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

 

O Canada - Day Two - Darien Lake Fun!

 Day Two:
- Darien Lake Amusement Park

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.

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.

 

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

Dress Up Time

Leah wanted to dress up in her comp outfits and play dress up. Her dye washed out and she asked to leave it this way. I'm not the biggest fan because it looks a bit too mature for me BUT it is her hair. All good by me. She pulled off some gorgeous shots.

One of a Kind

Just got this great upcycled newsboy cap for Leah via Homesewn by Kelly Hogaboom. I've been adding pieces to her wardrobe over time, one of a kind pieces. Just like Leah, one of a kind.

She loves the hat.

Pretty Purple Girl

Leah loves wearing dresses and being so physically active she doesn't wear them as much as she'd like. Today she was happy to wear a cute maxi dress.

Getting a Lil Manic Panic'd

Leah has been bugging me and asking to dye her hair purple for 3 years. Every year I've told her "maybe in the Summer" but the Summer would come around and we'd never get around to it. I promised her once it was the last week of school I'd do it for her.

I struggled quite a bit with the decision. I spoke to other friends, including two top of the line Vidal Sassoon colorists (one does Dakota Fanning's hair and other celeb kids) about it and at the end of the day I decided that it Leah's hair and she could do what she wants with it. Her stake in her own individuality is more important to me than what others may deem as appropriate for a 7 year old.

Hair at the end of the day is a decoration and as such she can choose what to do with it. My only guidelines were that she had to take care of it and that it would only be for the Summer. In elementary school hair colors can be a bit too much of a distraction for some kids.  It was just like her ear piercings. I refused to take her until she wanted to have it done and was willing to care for them on her own.

In order to get the purple she wanted I knew we'd have to lighten her hair, after some research on what the best natural alternative would be we settled on a plan of action. She wanted just the front of her hair done so we lightened the front. Followed by an application of Manic Panic Purple Haze. Manic Panic is a great choice for anyone who wants some alarmingly unnatural colors. It is gentle on the hair as it is a vegetable based dye (Vegan too!) and it is a conditioner. It stains the hair, is semi-permanent and on hair like Leah's? It washes out very quickly. She will be swimming every day at camp so it won't be long before it's gone and I'll have to retouch it.  I've been using it for years (since childhood) and considering all the comments I get about how vibrant and shiny my hair is? I felt confident that her hair would be fine afterward and that her health would not be adversely affected.

She absolutely loves it and I do love that she shares my love for the quirky and fun colored hair. It suits her.

Happy Birthday Daddy!

We celebrated Matt's birthday today at Red Robin.

Leah wearing one of her newest fave t-shirts. She LOVES Big Bang Theory. After Jeopardy we usually watch the syndicated episodes on Fox 5 at 7:30 pm.

This is her 'Sheldon' Face.