O Christmas Tree

Our Christmas tree went up early this year! We decided to buy a bigger (fake) tree than the one we had before, so when I brought the new tree home last week, it seemed silly to put it away for just a week. Plus, the kids were excited to see it so we popped it out of the box right away.

We put the tree up in the evening and decided to decorate it in the morning. The girls really enjoy hanging ornaments in the tree and I love watching their excitement and creativity. A Christmas tree with lots of ornaments on the bottom half is a tree decorated with love!

Daddy helping out

Are you cold Daddy?? ;)

For a few morning in a row, the girls would "undecorate" the tree and decorate it all over again. So cute!

I kept up with last year's tradition of the girls making/painting some ornaments to hang in the tree. We went to Michael's and the girls each picked two ornaments to paint. They definitely enjoyed the crafting and I adore the personal touch.

Emily's ornaments:

Jessica's ornaments:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

Snowy Days

We had our first snow of the season this weekend! It melted pretty quickly, but then we got a good 10-15cm of snow last night. The girls were thrilled, especially Emily.

Watching the first snow of the season

Can we shovel yet?

Disappointed because there wasn't enough to shovel!

We woke up early this morning and saw this out our patio doors:

Christmas lights buried in snow

And as the sun rose, we admired the beautiful snow-covered landscape:

The girls couldn't wait to wake up Daddy so that we could all go outside and shovel the snow. The weather was nice and mild today -- perfect for playing around in the snow.

I just enjoyed the snowy view out my windows all day!

Interview with (2.5-Year-Old) Jessica

Nathalieland: Happy half birthday, Jessica! How does it feel to be 2.5?
Jessica: Feels great, actually! I love getting bigger, smarter, and more independent.

N: Have you entered the 'terrible twos' yet?
J: Nope. I'm a chill girl who likes to follow the rules, just like my big sister. If any issues arise, having a talk with me is usually all that's needed to work it out.

N: Lucky Mom and Dad! Tell me a little bit about yourself. Anything new since 2.25?
J: I'm definitely growing, developing, and changing every day. I jump into conversations just like everyone else and seem very mature for my age (my parents often forget I'm only 2.5!). I love to share and will gladly give away even a favourite treat, because I love making people happy. I'm easily amused and enjoy following Mommy's lead (sure, I'll go fold laundry or run errands, whatever she wants!). I have a slight obsession with clothing right now -- there are certain items that I love, certain ones that I refuse to wear, and it's always important to have matching pyjamas.

Paper bag Princess

N: Interesting. What do you like to play?
J: Puzzles, Legos, drawing/colouring, hide and seek, and at the moment: decorating the Christmas tree! Sissy and I remove and replace the ornaments a couple of times a day.

N: Yes, your sister's always liked that 'game'. What are some of your favourite foods?
J: Peanut butter, oatmeal, cheese string, pistachios, pizza, all fruits except kiwi, and all treats (cookies, cakes, chocolate, candy, and ice cream).

N: And your drink(s) of choice?
J: Chocolate milk and watered-down juice.

N: Sounds pretty good. What's your bedtime routine like these days?
J: First Mommy brushes and flosses my teeth. I'm not a big fan of this step, so we've started counting to ten in French before start, which pleases me. Then I pick my (matching!) pyjamas and Mommy reads me three books. After we turn off my light, we go stare out the window for a few minutes. I love it when I see the moon or some stars! Then Mommy puts me in my bed and we chat a little bit before she kisses me good night and leaves. Sometimes I call her back in for more chatting, other times I'm quiet as a mouse and fall right to sleep. 

N: Do you have any favourite books?
J: I love anything written by Simms Taback or Lucy Couins (Maisy books). It's always what I look for when I go to the library. Otherwise I enjoy a wide assortment of books, no favourites in particular.

N: Your sister was quite anxious at this age. Are you experiencing any stranger anxiety or fears at the moment?
J: I'm actually quite comfortable talking to strangers. I just get a bit stressed out around other kids, because they're so unpredictable. I keep thinking they're going to hurt me or take my things. Other than that, I hate loud noises! I plug my ears and/or cry when they occur.

N: Any other differences between you and Emily at this age?
J: Unlike my sister at 2.5, I LOVE to sing! I can sing all kinds of songs, and while I might not get the words right, I can definitely carry a tune.

N: Any extracurricular activities?
J: I've been doing gymnastics for a couple of months and I do enjoy it. I think I would love swimming if I tried it. Maybe this winter? I'm also really hoping to play soccer this summer with Sissy. I'm very interested in this 'school' thing that Emily keeps talking about. I think I'm going to be very excited when I get to go too!

N: Well thanks for the chat, Jessica. All the best during the second half of your third year!
J: And to you as well.

Christmas Lights: Attempt #2

Yesterday's attempt went much better than the first, but we still hit a few bumps in the road. First off, I had bought the wrong shingle/gutter clips, so my dad and I had to drive to the store and exchange them before we could get started.

We attached the new clips to four sets of lights (so 100 clips), then within two minutes of beginning to install the lights, we realized it would be much better to attach the lights under the soffit (instead of the gutter), without the clips. Ha! Installing them this way gave a much cleaner and consistent look.

Can we come out too, Mommy??

Sure!

Testing out the first set

The tricky part

Lights on!

Unfortunately, we weren't able to install the lights everywhere that I wanted. It was too difficult to access the gable above the garage, so it remains without lights (for now!). I keep talking to Steve about ideas on how to get up there, but he refuses to let me climb up on the roof. :p

Feels like Christmas

I still have the deck lights to attempt again -- I'll hopefully get that done this weekend. Thanks for your help, Grand-Papa!