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The ballet recital
It’s amazing how quickly life intervenes and prevents you from getting anywhere. During the two weeks Damon was home from work, we got an incredible amount done… The house boxed up and moved, beginning to set up the new place… but now that he’s back at work, we’re lucky to get a box unpacked every day. With work, school, birthday parties, and ballet recitals? It’s tough to find time for anything else.
It’s a little frustrating. I’d really like to have the house free of boxes rather shortly. I don’t want to go into the holiday season amidst piles of stuff.
So here’s something cute. 🙂 The girl had her very first ballet recital today. Granted, it was an early introduction class for 3, 4, and 5 year olds – so there wasn’t much to it. But it was cute just the same. Here’s the video her Daddy took:
The Chihuahua Avengers – 5 Weeks Old
Our Avengers litter has made it to their fifth weekirthday. That’s right! The boys are five weeks old today. 😀
I’d had grand plans about taking proper stacked photos to mark the occasion… they are looking SOOO nice. Really great angles on them, strong rears, nice fronts, wonderful toplines. I wanted to show them off a wee bit. But yeah… grand plans. LOL The fact of the matter is we are five sleeps away from moving house – and well, there are other things that had to take priority. I did, however, take them for their very first outing.
I haven’t bought the boys their own carry bag yet. Roo, Marnie, and Alice each have their own…. but we figured Alice probably wouldn’t mind sharing, at least for a little while. So I popped them all into her travel bag, and brought them to school with me when I picked up the girl. We made sure most of the kids had already cleared out, and we opened the bag for all the teachers to see. They got held, smooshed, and generally just totally loved upon. It was a really great experience. The boys all handled themselves really well. There were some nerves, but for the most part they did fabulously!
While Damon was busy packing, I had the girl give me a hand taking some photos of the boys. Yeah, they’re just the same old iPhone pictures I always take of them, but they will have to do until we get settled in the new place.
We also thought y’all might enjoy seeing the boys in action, so we nabbed a couple of videos of the boys wrestling:
For video #2 click here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151099592627353
We have for sure homes lined up for a couple of the boys, but we are still looking for one more forever family. So, if you’re interested, drop me a line! You can meet their parents, Roo and Sweets, at http://sidhe.tobi-dawne.com/Welcome.html At this point both show prospect and pet homes are being considered – so drop me a line if you’d like to be on our list. 🙂 My address for handling and puppy inquiries is at the Sidhe Dogs website.
MLP FiM LIVE in Saskatoon
This was such an overwhelming experience in so many ways. If you have a loved one who’s all about Friendship is Magic you have got to find a way to get to one of these live performances. Lily-Ann was so gleefully happy it was just awesome. And seeing her that ecstatic filled me with a ridiculously alarming amount of joy. LOL Like, almost tearfully so.
Gasping with excitement upon seeing her hero, Rainbow Dash, emerge from the crowd to approach the stage.
You can hear Lily-Ann calling to Rainbow Dash, and then encouraging her:
Scroll down to the comments to see the video that is supposed to be here. WordPress is messing up in a major way lately when it comes to embedding youtube clips. The second clip below is working fine, but this one is just coming up as a duplicate of the second. So I’ll paste it into a comment instead. Sorry about the headache.
Rainbow Dash, Twilight Sparkle, and Apple Jack – the three ponies who came to Saskatoon for the Prairie leg of the live tour.
Only three of the “mane six” made it out to Saskatoon for the shows, but it was still super cool. Okay, I’ll admit, it would have been at least 20% cooler if Pinkie Pie had been here too – after all, it was a little weird having the other ponies do her songs (and changing lyrics from “Pinkie” to “filly”). But we were still super stoked when they did the girl’s and my very favourite song from season one. 😀 And yes, if you watch the video, that voice you hear singing along through most of it is the girl. We know all the words. 😉
All in all? An amazing, unforgettable experience. So worth the hour of sitting on the hard mall floor prior to it starting to ensure we were right at the front. My body was crying, but so was my heart – and my heart was much much louder.
We snuck up to the stage after everyone left for a quick photo-op. 😉
BEST PHOTO EVER!!!
Wow, one long day!
Looooooong day.
Being up late last night whelping puppies didn’t help, but it was a pleasant surprise. Even having monitored Roo’s temperature for the 40 hours leading up to the birth didn’t give us the “heads up” it should have. But then, Roo has never been one to do ANYTHING by the books.
Even after everyone settled in for the night, I didn’t actually do much sleeping. Between the neon red glow of the heat lamp and the occasional pip from a puppy, it just wasn’t a restful night for me. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m not complaining. The babies are worth a little exhaustion.
This morning we had to be at the airport to drop off Deedee at 8:30. Which meant an early wake-up. The girl and I don’t usually rise until 9, and she wanted time to visit a park with Deedee for some photos before saying goodbye. So it really was an early one.
Since we were out already we decided to grab some breakfast. The girl had pancakes. Damon had an english muffin breakfast sandwich (yes, thankfully he had Tuesday off this week). And I had a croissant – boy it’s nice to be on solid foods again… but I do find my jaw gets tired quick and easily.
We did some running around. Picked up some puppy supplies, got our house insurance information ready for the move, paid a bill… Then it was home to weigh puppies and make sure everyone was getting a chance to nurse before taking the girl to school – WITH a photo of each puppy and a family portrait to show off to her class.
While the girl was at school we did some more running around so we’d be ready to go as soon as she was off.
We snagged her at 3:25, headed home briefly to let her change into her ballet clothes and to let the dogs out for a potty break. We also had a 1/2 hour breather (while the dogs were out) during which I just about fell asleep – way too tired. Damon and Lily-Ann dropped me off at my Breaking the Silence board meeting (which was super exciting, I sooo hope we’re able to get my first choice of speaker for the Friday night kick off, he’d be AMAZING), and the two of them went out for an early supper. I had to bow out a little early as they picked me back up at 5:30 so we could head to ballet.
After class, we came home weighed puppies again and made sure Roo laid still for a nice long nursing session. She’s generally a really great momma dog, but she has never been one to stay still for long. Which was fine for her last litter of two… but she needs to stretch right out and lay good and still to nurse five… so she needs us to be rather hands on at this point.
Lily-Ann played on the iPad while we took care of Roo and the pups, then it was time to start the bedtime routine. And I’ll admit, I dozed off a little while Damon was reading Medusa the Mean. I really miss doing the night time reading, but until we get things cleared up for me health wise, it’s been passed on to Damon… tonight though? tonight I was actually rather thankful for that.
Now the girl is asleep, Damon is upstairs on the computer, and I’m laying in bed with the kid typing this blog post. LONG day.
Here’s a puppy video I snagged last night during the birth:
Baby three was one of the only puppies born head first. Most came out backwards. I have videos of those as well… but I haven’t uploaded them yet. It all went so fast, I didn’t have a chance to upload as things went along. When I’m more awake, I promise to share more. It’s pretty cool.
Kid-kid is Five!
Well, it happened. The girl turned five… and a lovely time was had by all. LOL Seriously. It was. 🙂
Yesterday was her fifth birthday, and it was spent sewing, crafting, shopping, and visiting. Getting ready for her party (which was today) and just enjoying being five. She woke up, threw the blankets off, looked at her legs and exclaimed that they were super long! After all, she grew! She is five now, ya know. 😉
Today was just as nice… okay, well… ALMOST just as nice. It was a little busy and exhausting for me (I’m not actually over the ear infection yet, so it was a bit of a struggle, but I don’t think too many people noticed). She had a great time at her party, playing with Parker and some of her cousins and extended family. And I think everyone who came (including her great grandparents) had a really nice time too.
I’d love to be sharing some pictures from the last two days, but I’m still not well enough to be working through any of my photography edits. However… I do have one little iPhone capture and a video (both from yesterday). Enjoy! It’s off to bed for me, we’re going to be extras in a zombie movie tomorrow. 😀
Snow White and Mingo… catching a few Z’s at The Bay after our annual trip to Build-a-Bear to get Mingo a birthday outfit.
At some point I’ll start remembering to hold my phone the OTHER way when I take video. Oooops.
The Pre-K Graduation (photos and videos)
So, yesterday was kid-kid’s pre-k graduation. The kids all did such a great job, and they were all so patient (it’s hard waiting to hear your name called through TWO classes worth of little ones). Lots of people have been waiting ALMOST as patiently for photos and videos – so here they are.
Now, before we start the videos, please note: The girlie had her hair done beautifully. I left her in her classroom about twenty minutes before they came down to the gym… how you see her, is how she came down. LMAO It took every ounce of willpower to ignore my OCD self and NOT rush over and fix her pretty little headband. But I didn’t. I left it as is, and she felt good about herself (me mussing with her would not have been good for her self esteem – and we love her as she is, mussed up tresses and all).
Here they are performing “clap, clap, clap your hands”. Watch afterwards… little Alyssa runs to the edge of the stage looking for her mom, hoping for a little assistance. LOL Too cute! Oh! And yes, my daughter is the only one in the entire class who insists on bowing and taking her due credit for her performance. LMAO No… she couldn’t possibly be MY daughter. heh heh.
Song number two – all about what they learned this year in pre-k. 😀
The girlie sings this song all the time, it’s one of her favourites. We spend a lot of time answering questions about why they’d have a rat chasing away a snake when snakes eat rats… which always cracks me up. She takes it all so seriously. 😉 But honestly? Why do they have a rat chasing a snake?
So… what do you think? Maybe another performer in the family? LOL
Damon (who took all the videos for me – thanks so much!) missed the very beginning of this next bit. Ms. Tracy introduced each of the kids, and said a few words about them before giving them a book and their certificate. Of course, our little one – who goes to school dressed as a princess or a fairy (and slightly less often as a cowboy or pirate) half the time, was introduced as “Miss Lily-Ann Marie Smith Princess Cinderella”. 😉 And as for the comment that they watched her “become smart as a whip”? We think she always was. LMAO
Back when she was only three, and in her first year of pre-k, Lily-Ann had both a “boyfriend” and a “girlfriend” (the second of which is still her bff, even though she went off to kindergarten and kid-kid didn’t). And that boyfriend title stuck, as Cale also stuck around for a second year of pre-k. I made sure to grab a quick photo of the two of them on their way into the school for their pre-k graduation. All dressed up, and SUPER cute:
Lily-Ann & Cale – a couple of cuties
Lastly is the girl with her best bud from this year. Parker is seriously the sweetest little boy ever. He helps Lily-Ann with her fear of heights, always waits for her to make sure she hasn’t gotten herself into trouble, and is by her side about 80% of the time. He really is such a huge sweetheart. I’m so glad she’s got a friend in him. 🙂 So, I had to make sure to grab a shot of them after their grad:
Lily-Ann & Parker – a mom can’t help but hope he makes it out of the “friend zone” some day.
So thanks for sticking with me through this video and photo laden post. It was a very special day for the girl and us. Can’t believe she’ll be on her way to kindergarten this Autumn. I blinked and my baby girl is already a school kid. How exactly does that happen?
The girl’s best day! (loaded with photos and videos)
Well, today was another busy one with the girl. And at her insistence I took pictures and videos throughout our afternoon. It was definitely one worth remembering. Heck, as we walked out of the school gym after taking a photo with the guys from Hoja she exclaimed: “BEST DAY EVER!” So, even though it was bright sunshiny and beautiful when we left to walk to school, and (with no rain in the forecast or grey cloud in the sky when we got there) we gratefully had to borrow Ms. Tracy’s umbrella for the walk home? It really was a lovely afternoon.
And in case you’d been wondering, Lily-Ann asked the guys from Hoja what their favourite farm animals are. Turns out Matt (the fellow with the beard, who was absolutely amazing with the girl… seriously super sweet fellow who couldn’t have been nicer to her) loves cows. He likes their bells and the silly way they move. Dave and Jesse both prefer pigs; Jesse (the young kid in the center) thinks they’re cute while Dave (who received gasps from the students when he revealed – shockingly – that he is THIRTY) likes the noises they make. The girl? Being swayed by her animal sign likes pigs too.
You can check out Hoja at http://hojaworld.com.
Happy Birthday Marie!
Today is Marie’s birthday. She’s 28, which blows my mind more than a little. I still remember that little girl who joined our family over two decades ago… who would play under the pool table, so unsure of herself and her new family. That girl who grew to be the center of my world for a very long time… whom I would make time to sing with every time I visited home after I moved out. Her favourite song for a while was “There’s a big green monster under my bed”. She’d giggle like mad as I did all the actions, and then we’d have to do it all again. I remember her singing at my wedding… I was fine all during the ceremony, the toasts, the reception, but her singing “You are my sunshine” had me fighting back the tears. Then we had Lily-Ann, and there really was no choice at all. It was a no brainer. Lily-Ann is Lily-Ann Marie. And oh those two get on each others nerves at times. LOL But it definitely gets better as the kid gets a little older, and can understand how special Marie is.
So… anyway… Today is Marie’s birthday. And here we are singing the happy birthday song as my sister Riki carries in the cake:
One of Marie’s favourite jokes, and it’s one that is all her own, is to say your name repeatedly… wait for you to give her your undivided attention, and for the room to go quiet, then both say and sign “flashlight”. So, without fail, someone always gives her a flashlight for her birthday. She loves them, and it only fuels her little gag. This year the joke ended up being on us, as she’s sure that our gift is a cellphone:
Over all? I’d say it was a successful party for someone who means the world to us. 🙂
Happy Birthday Marie!!!!
You make me crazy. 😉
My Little Junior
Well, today the big show news is all about Lily-Ann and Alice. They were so cute together! For both of them, it was their second time in the ring – but it was their first time as a team (you can see the girl’s first time here: junior handling debut) . Sure, there were a few hiccups. In an ideal world you put an experienced dog with an inexperienced handler or vice versa… but they worked their way through it together, and looked cute doing it!
Damon took the video for me, from the other end of the ring. You can actually see me, standing next to the ring steward (who happened to be the show secretary) at the table. And Jewles took some photos – but I haven’t transferred them to one of my hard drives yet. 😉
Alice placed the same as she did yesterday, winning one point for Best of Winners, and winning a stuffed cow toy for Best Puppy. Gotta love when someone has sponsored a booster and there are little gifties to go along with a win. LOL
So, one more day left, and then it’s back to business as usual as we wait for the next show. 🙂
TD 365 