"3 Anime"

Today Emma had 2 friends over and they decided to start a band called "3 Anime". They wanted a photo shoot for their album cover and then they went to figuring out lyrics. As soon as they got 2 lines down they ran down to my studio and Emma started on the keyboards figuring out melodies. It is the coolest thing to hear your daughter play the piano, figuring out chords and melody lines for her very own song!!! I had a lot of fun listening to them too!

So, I now present to you "3 Anime" . . . a Christian girl band that is planning on donating 1/2 of their proceeds to charity.

The members are:

Emma Bailey - Lead Vocals / Keyboardist

Katrina Burns - Drums

Victoria Burns - Guitar

(oh, and the only one that actually plays an instrument right now is Emma - lol!)

They have been practicing their signatures like crazy too so that they will be ready to sign autographs, so make sure you ask for one!!!

It's so much fun listening to the dreams of the girls . . .

Headline: Daughter Hits Tree While Sledding With Father

This is just a little clip of our tobogganing on Monday . . . as you can tell, our Navia is fearless (and she bounces) !!!

This one is of one of Kaleb's runs - he got some pretty good ones in and in this one almost made it to the open water . . . which would not have been a good thing!!!

Tobogganing at the Experimental Farm Arboretum

On Monday, December 29, the weather was gorgeous and we just had to find a great hill in Ottawa to go tobogganing at, and we did . . . it was great!!! Although there were occasional trees (which were protected by bales) and oh, a river that wasn't frozen to sled into (hehehe!), and a steep incline to try and climb back up - it was a great place and we'll definitely be returning! We went with the Burns' family and the kids had a blast!

Katrina, Emma and Victoria taking a bit of a break at the bottom of the hill.

This is actually where the tree was . . . at the bottom of the sledding run - oh and can you see the open water?!?!?

Yep, Victoria, Katrina and Emma had to go out to the very edge of the ice . . . needless to say their moms were calling them right after the picture was taken . . . gotta take a picture, right?!?

Victoria, Katrina and Emma on the long walk up

Daddy and Navia getting ready for one of the few runs together . . . Navia was very independent and wanted to go by herself . . . even after running into the trees numerous times and getting bowled over by another tobogganer . . . yep . . . she's an independent one!!!

Just one of the numerous walks up with Navia - usually she was in the sled that Daddy was pulling up the hill

Navia having fun at the last little jump of the run

Kaleb getting up after one of his fast and furious runs . . . he liked the jumps that were on the hill!

A view of part of the walk up - Navia, Braden, Kaleb, Emma, Katrina, Victoria, Cynthia and Mike

Daddy heading down, ready to catch Navia when she comes

Mike and Navia watching the ducks swim around

Victoria, Emma and Katrina after a fun day of sledding

Can't you tell that Navia's not too happy about this picture . . . she's been told that she can't sneak another ride down . . . and Daddy is happy about that one :)

First Knitting Project - A Combined Effort!!!

A little bit ago I blogged how Emma is learning how to knit, and so am I . . . well . . . this is the beginning of something kinda fun . . .

The first couple rows

So, she worked on it and then I worked on it and last night it was finished . . .

The finished product!!! FINGERLESS GLOVES!!!

Emma wanted me to do different things with the picture and this was her favorite

Oh - and now Kaleb has wanted to learn how and has officially finished his first 2 rows of a smaller "boy" version of these gloves. This project is a pretty easy one and I think I'm going to make a pair for Navia to put on under her mitts so that her wrists quit getting so cold when she plays outside . . . oh and maybe a pair for me too - but I'm going to try ribbing the wrist, stitchenette the body of it and then rib the finger area . . . we'll see . . .

Gingerbread Fun and Christmas Eve . . .

Every year we make a gingerbread house, and this year was now different . . . still "boys" and "girls" sides . . . and this year you couldn't really tell which did which . . . quite impressed!!!

Daddy and the kids building it

Mommy's turn to get in the pictures - the girl's side is showing for the roof!!!

What can I say . . . I kinda got carried away with the icing bag and ... well ...

Now they all have runny icing noses!!! Don't sneeze!!!

We HAD to take a picture after and all crowded in together . . . can you find the one that isn't happy and squished???

Tonight is Christmas Eve so we went to our church's Christmas Eve service. The kids had fun being a part of the service as angels and a shepard - singing and everything.

Emma's on the far left and Navia, the short little one kissing the camera :)

Kaleb waiting for his part . . .

finally . . . candy canes on the tree!

After the service we came home to open up the one present (like we do each year) and it was hilarious seeing how excited the kids were at their presents . . . pajamas . . . like they get every year on Christmas Eve! You gotta love kids!!!

Sorry - they just had to do funny face poses . . .

Then is was time to put out the cookies and milk for Santa and the reindeer food for Santa's reindeer. The kids love doing this because just before they go to bed they take the reindeer food and sprinkle it all over the front in the snow so that the reindeer know which house is ours, just by smelling . . . and it gives them something to snack on while Santa is doing all the presents. It's just oatmeal and colored sugar so that any animals will enjoy it as well.

Sprinkling the "reindeer food" . . . pj's and boots . . . hehehe!

Good night now my little ones, sleep tight . . . tomorrow will be a fun day!!!

Preschool, Grade One and Teacher Gifts

Well, since giving Navia her ballerina outfits this is what she looks like every single morning . . . we then have to get her out of them so that she can go out into the world . . . the very COLD world :)

Navia had her preschool Christmas sing-a-long day on Wednesday . . . all the parents were invited to watch them perform a little skit ("The Mitten" by Jan Brett) and a few songs/rhythms. Afterwards they made a Christmas Tree craft . . . Navia LOVED the icing and candy part of the craft!!!

Check out the concentration and the tongue - so cute!

Then on Thursday it was Kaleb's turn to do a Christmas afternoon. Navia, Emma and I went to watch his class sing and act out "Frosty the Snowman" and then they showed off their books they had made and snowmen that they had done . . . oh, and of course drink hot chocolate and eat the cookies they had decorated :) Kaleb did great!!!

Kaleb and his Grade One Teacher, Ms. Browne

Then today it is the last day of school before Christmas holidays for the kids and they HAD to bring gifts for their teachers. As a teacher myself I know how sometimes getting gifts from so many students can be, how do I put it, um . . . fattening!!! (hehehe!) Although I don't have to do as much Christmas baking and there are always plenty of chocolates of all sorts in the house just waiting to be eaten up!!! I wanted to do something a bit different for the kids' teachers. I searched on the web and found this great idea on a Just a Girl's Blog. It didn't look that hard to do and it looked like it might be useful as all classes have these in them. The kids went to the craft store and each choose their own stickers for them and then we changed these ugly purell bottles into . . .

(just use Goo Gone and ta-da, the sticky label disappears!!!)

Now, wouldn't you much rather have these sitting on your desk than the ugly ones that everyone else has?!?!?! I actually think that I might do one for myself now, as I use them in each class. Oh, and aren't the bubbles cute!!! And if the teacher wants they can refill it so that they can keep the bottle . . . or not.

So, today they kids are off to school, Navia will go this afternoon and then they will be home to stay until the first week in January . . . so much time . . . now I just need sooooo many ideas to keep them busy!!!

Happy 4th Birthday Navia!!!

It's so hard to believe that our little princess turned 4 today!!! She's growing up soooo fast and is ready to try new things whenever she possibly can :)

Today we made the day a Navia day - in her words, "I'm like a princess today" - so cute! We started out opening gifts before the kids went to school - and Navia LOVED it!!! She actually said that she couldn't believe that people got her gifts and she feels so special.

She read the cards so carefully - this one's from Gramma and Grampa McGifford...

A "Navia" princess barbie and make-up kit from Gramma and Grampa McGifford - the barbie has brown hair/eyes, just like our little princess.

Now's it's time to open Grampa and Gramma Bailey's . . . first the card . . .

She can't wait to dress the angel in the other outfits and the Dora lipstick went straight to her lips - of course!!!

Now's it's Auntie Jenna's turn . . . can you tell that she's excited . . . a gift card to McDonald's - can it really get any better for a 4 year old?!?!

Now for the "American" Bailey's gift - yep - a pink Dinosaur webkinz - it's already very loved!!!

And then she opened the gifts from her brother, sister and parents - ballet outfits, shoes and make-up . . . she's set!!!

Trying to stand on her tip-toes - so cute!!!

Daddy took the morning off to take Navia out for a birthday breakfast and then went to Emma's class for a Christmas craft morning. So while he was taking the kids to school Navia got dressed into her Princess Dress and got ready for the day . . . yep . . . she spent the ENTIRE day in her princess dress . . . the ENTIRE day!!!

She loved her pink hair!

So, first stop of the day - Broadway's with Mom and Dad...

She asked the waitress if there was special princess food here and was brought out a chocolate chip pancake with whipped cream and strawberry sauce - she LOVED it!!!

Next stop - Navia and Mommy went to a movie, "The Princess and the Frog", for a morning showing - just the two of them. She had a blast and loved being able to wear her dress there - everyone at the theater knew which movie she was going to see - we didn't even have to tell the cashier - just had to pay :)

Navia wouldn't take her eyes off the screen - it was a lot of fun to do this with just her!

Next stop - Walmart for Build a Bear. It has become a tradition in our family that on each child's birthday Mommy takes them by themselves to choose an animal to stuff and dress - can you guess what kind of animal our little pink princess wanted . . .

Navia stepped on the pedal too soon and turned into a stuffed girl!!! It was hilarious to watch . . . you can see a bit of the remainder on the floor.

Navia and her pink poodle she named "Rainbow" - yep - I think we need to talk with her about what a rainbow really is, but they're cute together!!!

By the time we got home the kids were getting off the bus and Navia needed to get back into her ballet outfit and that is how she spent the rest of the day . . . Amanda came over to babysit while I taught and they made birthday cupcakes together, icing them and eating them.

She had a great day and I had a blast hanging out with her, just hanging . . . no work, no cleaning, nothing but just being with my new 4 year old - that is the life!!!