Melissa & Brody

Puppet Show

2012-01-29T19:20:00.000-08:00

Making good use of her Christmas Puppet Show Theatre made by Auntie Darcie, Melissa entertains her brother with dancing puppets :) It's a win / win situation. She has an audience and he has entertainment!

Melissa's Build-a-Bear's Wardrobe

2012-01-21T15:35:00.000-08:00

Last week we found a girl on Craigslist that was selling her Build-a-Bear clothing as she has outgrown them. Melissa did a photo shoot with her two Build-a-Bear cats and had me print them out for her to put into a little album :)

Bouncy Boy

2012-01-19T08:27:00.001-08:00

This video was taken a few weeks back, but shows you a bit of Brody's adventurous behaviors! I know Melissa certainly never was this active in the bouncy chair!

Evidence

2012-01-18T20:00:00.001-08:00

God is funny... he has given me this wonderful daughter with many opposite traits to myself... just to test my patience! I was a neat freak as a child and still am!

Snow-play

2012-01-18T19:23:00.000-08:00

So we have been blessed with a decent amount of snow here in the Fraser Valley! Much to Melissa's excitement, yesterday was a snow day from school :) The sun was out and she spent a few hours playing in our yard...

Brody & my view from the safety of the front window...

Splat!

We put out some snacks for the birds. Didn't attract exactly what I had in mind... a huge flock of crows came and devoured the stash :(

A video of Melissa's slide she made...

Christmas Day with the Klassen Family

2012-01-14T19:48:00.000-08:00

The Christmas excitement continues with a family gathering at my parents.

Auntie Darcie had a little baby time with Brody... won't be too much longer and there will be another cousin in the family! How perfect for Brody to have one his age :) (March 18th is the due date.)

The cousins checking out all the presents under the tree... locating which ones are for each of them!

Posing for the camera...

Preparing the dinner in Mom & Dad's newly renovated - out of a magazine - kitchen...

Pixel and his cousins...

Papa & the grandchildren reenact the nativity story...

Brody in the middle of much excitement during the present opening!

A Jack-in-the-box from the Brown family :) Surprisingly he didn't startle at all from it. It was like he knew what was coming and just sat there with a smile!

Melissa received a puppet show curtain which crafty Auntie Darcie sewed...

Nani & Brody :)

A Barbie mobile for Melissa!

Pixel and his new winter coat we got him!

Nani & Papa receiving the theme photos of Brody...

All these photos were taken by my BIL Jason Brown as you can probably tell :)

Christmas Morning - T4

2012-01-10T19:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning the kids woke up to an assortment of presents gathered under the tree!

Opening their stockings...

Melissa got lots of scotch tape... she loves to cover crafts with tape! Now she can do this without me griping about how much she is using ;)

Glittery bobby-pins! Brody is even impressed!

Brody digging in on his stocking...

This was a present from Melissa to me. It is baby Jesus in a manger of hay, made from popsicle sticks, toilet paper, brown paper & a few pieces of tape!

Brody gave his sister her first Ken doll... :) Don't remember the Ken doll being so metro-sexual when I was growing up... pink shirts and washboard abs!

Brody got a Sophie giraffe to chew on... he got right to it!

A Christmas Card / Poem that Melissa wrote for Brody...

If you can't hear her words clearly here is what she says:

"To Brody love Melissa

My Santa Hat it has zero corners
Zero corners has my Santa Hat
But if it has zero corners
it would not be my Santa Hat

Love Melissa
6 years old"

Christmas Eve with Nana & Pop Thomas

2012-01-09T19:35:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve with Nana & Pop Thomas. Before we left, we let Melissa open one present from us. This year, all she said she wanted was high-heeled shoes, scotch tape & cardboard boxes! Well... turns out she got much more, but the first present we let her open to go with her Christmas dress was a pair of high-heeled shoes. She was very pleased as she click-clacked around in them like a little lady :)

A picture of our little man in his sweater vest!

Gift opening under way... a lucky year for Melissa as she got to open her presents as well as Brody's (this too for the advent calendars!). I'm thinking next year Brody may want a piece of the action himself!

Melissa giving a special present to Nana, a Christmas ornament she painted all by herself.

Finally... the last and largest present (and the first one Melissa had spotted when we got there)...

A very happy girl with her new Barbie house!

Brody & I taking a break after all the gift opening!

Mini Christmas Tree 2011

2012-01-03T11:27:00.001-08:00

In keeping with tradition, Melissa was sure not to let me forget to take her picture (with Brody) by our mini Christmas Tree as we have done every year in the past.

2011 - Melissa 6.5 years / Brody 5 months

Here is a flashback to the past:

2010 - 5.5 years

2009 - 4.5 years

2008 - 3.5 years

2007 - 2.5 years

2006 - 1.5 years

Christmas Photos

2011-12-28T17:11:00.001-08:00

This year instead of a family Christmas picture card, I inserted photos of the kids into cards. This is Melissa's school photo and Brody had a photo session with the Canadian Baby Photographers who did all the cute (cheesy) staged photos below :)

Let me know which is your favorite of Brody!

Christmas Cookies

2011-12-28T15:50:00.000-08:00

Melissa's Christmas School Performances

2011-12-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Boogie Woogie Choo Choo Train

Waddly Atcha... a song I remember from my childhood!

The Gingerbread Man Rap

Jolly Jumper

2011-12-08T19:50:00.000-08:00

So this video is from 2 weeks ago (Brody is 17 weeks). It is one of the first times he was in his Jolly Jumper. Nothing too exciting, but I imagine in a month or two the progress of his jumping skills will be substantial!

I have been meaning to blog more, but somehow it is one of the last things on my list... have to pick my priorities :P I'm sure in a few weeks we will have some cute Christmas pictures to share!

Found another video I uploaded a few weeks back when Brody was 16 weeks. This is him smiling and cooing. He has recently taken his cooing to a whole new level, we compare the sound to cats yelling (like when they are in a fight!). I'll have to get it on video too!

Melissa writes a book

2011-11-26T16:28:00.000-08:00

The other night, awhile after tucking Melissa into bed, we could hear her making a bunch of noises in her room. Ken went check on her to discover that she was writing a book. I scanned it in for your reading pleasure... if you can decipher it!

Translation:

Day 1

This is Lilly. Lilly is bad. Lilly bites. Bad Lilly.

Day 2

This is Isabelle. Isabelle is very naughty. She kicks the garbage can.

Day 3

This is Lucy. She rolls in mud. Lucy does not like that.

Day 4

This is Starburst. Starburst is the biggest star in outer space.

Day 5

This is Lovely. Lovely makes people happier.

Day 6

These are my friends. Peace and Hearts and Circle-ys (not quite sure how to spell that so you can tell it is the word circle with ies on the end - circlies reads wrong)

____

Just thought all the spelling was so cute! Reminds me how crazy our English language is ;)

Rub a dub dub

2011-11-18T19:48:00.001-08:00

17 weeks

Trick-or-Treat

2011-11-12T20:11:00.000-08:00

Brody in his Halloween day outfit...

Side profile!

Sitting with Nana who brought treats and a special festive bib for Brody...

Melissa out knocking on neighbor's doors...

Going through her loot after...

Handing out candy at our door...

Boo Shoot

2011-11-10T20:00:00.000-08:00

On Halloween, I took the two kids to Revival Arts Studio to have their photos taken in their costumes. This year we had a Tinkerbell & a Tigger :)

14 weeks

Pumpkin Harvest

2011-10-23T16:23:00.001-07:00

Last weekend we harvested the pumpkins that we planted at the beginning of summer at Papa & Nani's.

Melissa was drawn to the largest pumpkin in the patch...

and a cute white one...

and her & Lexi found the smallest pumpkin too!

When planting this year, I had in mind the fact that our little boy would be here when we came for harvesting. So I enjoyed holding Brody while watching the kids. About five more months until another baby comes into the family (my sister Darcie). We have lots to be thankful for this year :)

Washing them and divvying them up...

The kiddos

2011-10-23T11:16:00.001-07:00

(Brody 2 months & Melissa 77 months)

Bedtime buddies

2011-10-09T06:46:00.001-07:00

Last night, at bedtime, I asked Melissa if she would like to cuddle with Brody while I got myself ready for bed. I came back to check on them after washing my face and brushing my teeth, and they were both sound asleep :)

Show & Tell

2011-10-04T17:24:00.001-07:00

Today Melissa's classroom had an Open House. So Brody and I went for a visit. Melissa was very pleased to show off her little brother :)

Big Smiles :D

2011-09-20T15:01:00.000-07:00

Finally caught a big smile on camera. He started very intentionally smiling for us 12 days ago (on my birthday!). Amazing how much joy a simple smile can bring!

Brody's 5th & 6th week photos

2011-09-11T16:38:00.001-07:00

Here are a bunch of photos from the 5th & 6th week of Brody's life:

Watching the tv show Wipeout with Dad...

Sleeping again with his hands on his face...

Staring at his beautiful sister...

Wearing his V.I.B. Bib - Very Important Baby - I'm a big deal around here!

Making back-to-school muffins with my two helpers!

Brody couldn't stay awake if he tried...

Having a great dream...

First time in a restaurant - fitting that it was Boston Pizza (our family's favorite)

Melissa's First Lost Tooth

2011-09-11T16:04:00.001-07:00

It finally happened... the wiggly tooth Melissa has had since the end of August has come out (with a little help from dad!).

Random Summer Pics

2011-09-03T15:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a post of random pics I accumulated throughout the summer. This one was taken before I had Brody, and I was too big to bend over and paint our toe nails... so Ken had to pick up the slack :) Melissa was impressed with how good a job Daddy did!

After a backyard haircut...

Doing some yard work for $$$...

Playing at the local playground...

Swimming in Uncle Dennis & Auntie Gayle's backyard pool... hosing her Dad :)

Brody's 3rd & 4th week photos

2011-08-30T14:00:00.000-07:00

Zonked out with Dad on the couch after a hard day's work :)

Met Great Grandpa & Great Grandma Stobbe (my grandparents)...

Chatted with his stuffies!

Slept in bed with big sister Melissa...

Sister cuddles...

Visited pool-side with Great Auntie Gayle...

Enjoyed his personal spa treatment...

Brody's 2nd week photos

2011-08-29T13:49:00.000-07:00

In the second week of life, Brody met some friends of ours.

The McMillan family...

and the Chartier girls...

He loves to cuddle up tight under your chin...

He was lulled to sleep on the playground swing...

Deep in though while getting his beauty rest...

We did foot & hand prints...

He also got to meet Great Grandpa & Great Grandma (aka GP & GG - Ken's grandparents)...

Brody's 1st week photos

2011-08-28T13:45:00.000-07:00

Chillin' outside with mom's sunglasses...

First time to the Agrifair...

Even was a horse with the same name... (different spelling though!)

Brody's First Bath

2011-08-28T11:19:00.000-07:00

Brody's Hospital Visitors

2011-08-28T10:35:00.000-07:00

We were only in the hospital for about 14 hours after Brody arrived and we were eager to have our family come and meet him for the first time there. Here are a few pictures capturing the first introductions!

Melissa had a sleepover at Nana & Pop's and I couldn't wait to introduce her to her little brother who was FINALLY here!!! She had waited so long for this moment :)

Our first family of four picture...

Sister & brother first moments together...

Proud Dad with his son...

Nana & Pop with their grandchildren...

Nana & Brody...

My parents were at the cabin when I went into labour, and they quickly headed home to meet their new grandson. They actually arrived at the hospital at 1:30 in the morning when I was still in labour, then headed home to wait for the good news!

My Dad (David aka Dave - the inspiration for Brody's middle name) & I sharing a moment...

Melissa received a present from her thoughtful little brother :)

Auntie Darcie...

Cousin Lexi...

Cousin Xander...

Uncle Dan...

Auntie Nikki...

At 6:00 pm Sunday evening we headed home to begin a new chapter of our lives together!

Brody Video of 4 weeks old

2011-08-23T20:57:00.000-07:00

Agrifair

2011-07-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

The Agrifair landed on the weekend after Brody arrived. We had bought passes ahead of time, and Melissa was very excited to go, so she & Dad went two days (Brody & I went for a few hours on the second day). This year it was mostly about rides for her... so that is where they spent most of their time (and money!)

Sitting on the hillside...

Laughing after she had be rolling down the hill...

High in the sky!

She talked Dad into going on the spinning strawberry ride with her (her favorite, but not Ken's!)...

She tried going on the roller coaster, which in the end wasn't her favorite :P

To finish off their last night, the two of them went together on the ferris wheel...

Announcing the Arrival of Brody

2011-07-26T11:26:00.000-07:00

We had an early arrival of our new baby boy to our family this Sunday - July 24th at 3:39 am. Brody David Thomas weighed in at 6 lbs 14 oz. Here are a few pics of our little miracle :)

Maan Farms with McMillans

2011-07-21T13:38:00.000-07:00

We went on a last playdate to Mann Farms with our friends the McMillans - who are moving to Edmonton in August. Over the years we have spent lots of time together and it certainly is sad to be loosing them to the distance. First thing the kids wanted to do was go on the barrel tractor ride. I was quite pregnant at this point, and did get in one of the barrels, but was far to uncomfortable to go on the trip around the farm. So I took pictures instead :)

After, the kids played on the playground, and then visited the animals in their petting zoo...

A favorite was the baby bunnies which the kids loved holding...

Waterslides

2011-07-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

We spent the day at the waterslides with Uncle John & Luca. Everyone had a blast!

Melissa going down the big slides for the first time with Uncle John catching her...

Thumbs up!

After a few times down she got brave enough to do it by herself...

Three thumbs up!

Watching from the sidelines, I get the 'I Love You' sign as she passes :)

Still having a great time :)

After many hours, and much energy spent, she had a sleep on the ride home!

Berry Festival

2011-07-09T19:07:00.000-07:00

We went with Luca & Uncle John to the Abbotsford Berry Festival this summer..

The kids played a little mini-golf...

Got their faces painted...

And had snow-cones...

GV Zoo with Uncle John & Luca

2011-07-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

A huge highlight this summer is our out of town visitors... Uncle John (Ken's brother) and cousin Luca who came from Toronto for just over a week. Our first outing with them was to the Greater Vancouver Zoo...

Pop, Nana, Melissa & Luca...

Luca documenting the animals as we went along...

Luca navigating...

the kids were always on the go to the next animal ahead of us.

Heehaw...

Shadow the bear went swimming for apples...

At the giraffe look-out...

They brought out a few trees for a "giraffe snack"...

Brothers and their kids...

It was a hot day... and we had a much needed cool down with ice cream treats at the end.

Canada Day Parade 2011

2011-07-06T16:48:00.000-07:00

This year we celebrated Canada Day in much the same manner as we have for many years now. Same piece of sidewalk (in front of The Reach) with the same people (this year minus my parents as they were at the cabin). Unfortunately this looks like it will be the last time we are sitting there with the McMillan family as they are moving to Edmonton :(

Melissa with her flag and lollipop...

Melissa & Kiera enjoying the sights...

Just before I took this photo, the water was aimed right at our feet... the firefighter either has impeccable aim, or we were very lucky. One inch higher up and we would have been soaked!

Out of the blue Melissa's Kindergarten teacher, Ms. Carroll, walked past handing out balloons...

She's such a great teacher, Melissa had a great year with her...

The parade went on for 2+ hours, and the kids lost interest... but found other ways to entertain themselves...

Kung-Fu Fighting Acro Performance

2011-06-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

Oh the pride a parent can feel watching their child accomplish something you know they have worked so hard for. I don't think I can watch this video without becoming emotional... could be the pregnancy hormones, who knows! Last night Melissa's Acro dance class performed at their year end recital. Now forgive me as the video quality isn't the best, it does get clearer after the first few seconds, but honestly videoing was forbidden so to even have this video means a lot to me. A few pointers to locate which one is Melissa through the performance:

- first from right in front row at the beginning

- first leading right side group running in circle

- 2nd from right for stunt pose to roll

- 2nd on right to be carried across stage

- top of right side pyramid

(you may want to click on the video to view in YouTube so that it is full size & centered)

First time trying on the costume for photo day...

Doing some Kung-fu poses!

Yesterday after the performance when we picked her up :)

Professional individual photo...

Class photo...

Father's Day Gift

2011-06-23T08:10:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in the previous blog post where Melissa's class went to Magnum Concrete for a field trip, Melissa had the opportunity to make a special Father's Day present. Here are the pics from the making of a custom stepping stone.

Each child put their name under a ring which was then filled with concrete...

They then specially chose rocks to decorate the concrete...

The stepping stones were later delivered to her school, and we brought it home and she gave it to her Daddy on Father's Day :)

Spring Gymnastics

2011-06-21T13:03:00.000-07:00

This spring Melissa tried out a session of a gymnastics classes. She thoroughly enjoyed it, and it is something we will continue again in the coming fall months. Here are some photos that were taken of her class.

Sports Day

2011-06-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

This past Friday was Sports Day at Melissa's school. Melissa not being big on competitive things, felt a little hesitation before the day began. But once it was over she said "it was like a whole day a gym", and gym days are her favorite days in a school week :)

There were 16 stations the kids went between...

The station I was working was always hit, it was the rice-krispies & water station! (pregnant woman perks, getting the easy station!)

Baseball bat spin...

Going backwards, ball on spoon relay...

Cheering her teammates on...

Caterpillar crawl relay...

Close-pin between knees...

Hopping to pick up pennies...

Melissa and carpool buddy Luke hanging out with me at my station, showing off their 'participant' ribbons...

The first sports day of many to come!

Pepper Farm Field Trip

2011-06-18T16:11:00.000-07:00

Melissa's class went on a second field trip, this time to one of her classmate's family pepper farm - Merom Farms / Greenhouse Delight.

The three kindergarten classes were split into their groups and went between stations. First station for Melissa's class was a ladybug craft...

Next station - completely pepper farm unrelated - was one of the owner's race car...

After learning about the car and the gear needed to drive in one, the kids were given the opportunity to inspect the car...

Next station the kids were brought into the greenhouse where the pepper plants all were. They learned about how they fed the plants...

And how they protect the plants from bad insects... here they are being shown a box filled with ladybugs...

After all the learning, everyone was treated to a hotdog lunch!

It was a surprisingly interesting & fun field trip, and we were pleased the weather cooperated and didn't rain on us :)

Lemonade & Cookie Stand

2011-06-14T12:55:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we had a garage sale, and Melissa and friend Kiera set up a little stand to sell cookies & juice to the people who came to shop. Their attention spans weren't long enough to be highly successful but they had was fun while it lasted :)

Baby Spencer

2011-06-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Last week we visited a friend's new baby boy Spencer. It has been a long time since Melissa held a baby, and this was specifically applicable to her now as she soon will be holding her own little brother. How sweet! 64 more days to go :)

Magnum Concrete Field Trip

2011-06-07T08:39:00.000-07:00

Last week all of the Kindergarten classes at Melissa's school went on a field trip to Magnum Concrete.

When we got there, all the kids were given hard-hats and vests...

Soon the field was swarming with little workers...

A quick debriefing before heading to the Magnum property...

The kids got to explore some of their large equipment...

And sit in the driver's seat (pull the air horns if the child desired... what a racket!) Baby Thomas was certainly able to hear the noise in utero!

Melissa's morning class posing in a loader bucket, Melissa got blocked at the last minute...

Next the children moved onto a large sand hill which they raced up. Melissa didn't make it too far up before she turned around to tell me she was getting dirty! LOL... this was completely unavoidable, and I told her to go for it!

Didn't take long and she was into it...

Dirty hands...

Lastly the kids made a craft for Father's Day... which I'm going to hold off posting pics of until she gets to give the gift to her Dad. Everyone was treated to a hotdog bbq and the trip was done. Turned out to be a fun morning... wasn't sure what to expect at first, but the kids did have a great time! I was so thankful the rain held out for our entire time there. Melissa got the dirtiest she ever has.... it would have been fun to have measured how much sand she brought home on her person/clothing!

Farming

2011-05-31T13:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we went to my parent's place to do our annual pumpkin planting. First off Papa brought out his latest toy, which he used (and put the first scratches on) for the very first time! Xander was first up for a ride with Papa on it...

Melissa & Lexi went for a ride together...

Melissa got to drive the excavator... which was a little bouncy for Lexi's liking!

Xander got a chance to maneuver around on it solo...

Papa even coached him to dig a hole!

Later we moved on to planting the garden. The kids didn't linger around the garden plot too long once they eyed up the long grass to play in beside it. This pic is Papa making all the pumpkin mounds while the kids played...

I went to round up the kiddos to come and do some planting...

The all got busy planting a variety of pumpkins which we will check in on their growth progress each time we come for a visit...

Looking forward to October when we get to harvest them... the exciting part for me is that we will have our little son by then! We will have to see if he or the pumpkins is bigger! Any predictions? Baby Thomas should be 2 months old by then.

Dentist

2011-05-27T14:35:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday Melissa had a special visit to the dentist. This was for a regular cleaning and a "small" procedure called a frenectomy. Melissa was born with a lower frenula than is considered normal. It hasn't been a problem, but the dentist highly recommended fixing it as it is known to be a cause for creating a gap between your adult teeth when they come in. Seemed like a simple thing to do if that is the case. We didn't give much warning to Melissa, just told her the morning of as she is prone to serious worry, especially at night time. She took the news that morning quite well, and kept saying how excited she was that she was going to get prizes from the dentist (and we told her we would buy her a toy too). So at least she went in not kicking and screaming :)

First she got her teeth cleaned. She loves being in control of the "vacuum"...

Getting a brushing demonstration...

After the cleaning she got to pick one toy... (with the promise of two more toys after the procedure).

Getting the freezing put in. She wasn't a fan of the feeling of her lip frozen and feeling strangely huge!

The procedure itself wasn't worth taking pictures of, I was rather grossed out, and felt bad for her going through it. She looked so puffy after. (I had given her Gravol before hand to help sedate her, which it did, and she looks sleepy because of it).

After she got to pick out two more toys, and amazingly enough she was still up for a trip to the toy department at Walmart where she picked out a hotel / carrying case for her Zhu Zhu pets as a reward for being such a brave girl! So far she is healing quite well. Luckily the mouth heals quickly, so it shouldn't be long and this will all be a memory in the past.

Reading

2011-05-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

Kindergarten has opened a door to a new world of reading for Melissa. Often you can't get her to stop reading books, over and over again! She'll even follow you around the house reading to you. In these pics she is doing just that to Daddy, reading "Hop on Pop".

Kim's Annual Egg Hunt

2011-04-28T10:12:00.000-07:00

Neighbor Kim's Easter bunny was up to his regular egg hiding stunts again this year! When we came home from church, there was an Easter basket waiting for Melissa to fill on our front railing. Melissa got right to it, this time on our front lawn (as Kim's lawn had just had a little thatching work done on it the day before :)

Thanks Kim :)

Easter visit from Nana & Pop

2011-04-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Nana & Pop came by to drop off a "little" basket from the Easter bunny for Melissa. As usual there was more than enough candy for a classroom of children! Melissa did not complain though!

Nearly as much candy as collected at Halloween!

Hop on Pop time... poor Pop was given a work-out!

Melissa shared her enhanced reading skills. She has become so interested in reading simple books lately, it has been amazing to watch how quickly she is learning to read!

Some video footage of her reading "My Dog Buddy" to Nana & Pop...

Birthdays with the Klassen family

2011-04-27T09:01:00.000-07:00

The day after Melissa's friend birthday party, we were ready to party all over again with my family. This time we also included celebrating Daddy (Ken's) birthday, which was earlier in April. The photos were all taken by Uncle Jason of Revival Arts Studio.

The party details...

Papa hugs...

Everyone gathers in the kitchen area to make their own pizzas...

My prego shirt debut... "I'm not fat, I'm pregnant"... I know it's tacky, but good for a little chuckle!

Present opening... a new Zhu Zhu pet puppy "Howser"...

A silly face... Daddy must have done something to provoke this response!

"Barbie A Fairy Secret" doll...

Playing "hot potato"...

Playing "pin the bow on Hello Kitty", Lexi's turn...

Melissa going a little off-course...

landing the bow on my belly!

Uncle Dan's turn. Somehow he went off course too and the bow landed in Xander's hair!

Cake time! Once again Daddy's up to his usual silly stunts!

Birthday Build-A-Bear

2011-04-26T15:58:00.000-07:00

After her friends birthday party, Melissa opened presents from us, and then we told her our plans for the rest of the day. A trip to Build-a-Bear so she could make a new stuffie. (Something she has been asking for continuously for some time now!)

After choosing an empty shell of the stuffie she wanted, we proceeded to the stuffing machine where she stepped on the pedal to blow the stuffing into the shell...

She then selected a heart and filled it with happy thoughts, love, wishes & warmth...

All stuffed up... her new cat :)

Next she took her to the bathing station to clean off all the fluff & fuzz...

Then we brought her to life on the internet...

Lastly we selected some clothing for her new friend... which she fondly named "Rainbow" as the wings she wears have a rainbow on them! Rainbow has found a special place to sleep each night with Melissa in her bed :)

6th Birthday with Friends

2011-04-26T11:19:00.000-07:00

Our little girl isn't so little anymore... on the 16th she had her 6th birthday! She chose to have her party at our house, and do a Hello Kitty theme. We started the planning about a month or so prior and made most of our own decor, which was a fun way to build anticipation!

Here is a sample of the invites we sent out to her friends:

Just before her friends arrived, I got Melissa to pose with the "Pin the bow on Hello Kitty" poster...

and the Hello Kitty homemade pinata... it was a lot more work than I had anticipated, but at least we were happy with the end results!

Melissa chose to have "make-your-own pizzas" for lunch. The girls took turns loading their pizza with their favorite toppings with the help of Melissa's Nana...

Making crafts...

We played a few rounds of Hello Kitty Bingo while Nana baked the pizzas...

Pizza time...

After a bit of free play, the girls played a game of "hot potato"...

Present time!

Playing "Pin the bow on Hello Kitty"...

Time for the pinata (pull-string style, Melissa didn't have any interest in beating it with a stick). It worked out great, each girl got a chance to pull a string, and then Melissa finished it off!

Gathering the loot...

Cup cake time...

And there's the party in a nut-shell :)

One of each

2011-04-15T09:20:00.000-07:00

We found out that we are expecting a boy! Kinda a surprise, as we only know what it is like to raise a girl. But having one of each will certainly be nice. Let the shopping begin...

Baby Thomas Ultrasound Pics

2011-03-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the highly anticipated ultrasound appointment.

We have some pictures to share...

Profile:

Arm:

Leg:

Face:

Spine:

Good news is that the due date looks to be accurate, so we can anticipate the baby's arrival mid August (12th).

Bedroom Make-over

2011-03-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

The time had finally come for Melissa to get her big girl bed. We had been unsure how things were going to pan out for having another child, and the set she was using had the crib turned into a day-bed, which she had come to be nearly the full length of.

Here are some "before" pictures of her furniture:

(yes her room is a mess... that is how she likes it, she is a clutter-bug - she certainly didn't get that from me!)

The white cardboard box is a "house" she played in for a few months.

(I should of taken some pics of it before it was collapsed. It had a door & windows and lots of art lovingly displayed all over it.)

Her make-shift desk, she loves to do arts & crafts... but so often the desk was such a mess that she'd end up using the floor. Hopefully this won't happen again on the new desk :P

After finding out the furniture was on its way, Melissa & I spent the prior weekend going through her stuff in her room to have a bit of a fresh start. In the process I moved out her bed & she slept on her mattress on the floor with this tent over it... just like camping!

She wanted some pics of herself sleeping in it...

Couldn't keep a straight face for long :)

The next weekend the bedroom set arrived! We got busy and assembled it right away! This was the first night getting ready to sleep in it...

Her new desk...

and chest of drawers...

There is still some decorating that needs to be done... we need to find the right bedding set, and some decor for the walls. I'll try to post another picture once we get the final details all together. I'm also documenting the changes that are happening here in the baby's room, which is currently my office... I'm getting the boot! Right now I'm surrounded by baby furniture, and have yet to move out.

Addition

2011-02-25T10:12:00.000-08:00

To the loyal readers of this blog... life is about to get more exciting! While I know you enjoy reading about our one child, things are going to be changing. We are expecting an addition to our family in mid August! I am currently 16 weeks along. I don't plan on going public on facebook until after the ultrasound, which is scheduled for March 18th. We are planning on finding out the sex of the baby at this date, so stay tuned for that news :)

Melissa is very excited, and can not wait until the baby arrives! She gives the baby (my belly) kisses & hugs often! She will be a great big sister and a huge helper :)

Happy Valentine's

2011-02-14T13:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend Melissa & I had some fun making Valentine's cookies for her friends. I saw a this idea online and decided it would be neat to make...

Each candy piece was strategically placed...

A sampling of her masterpieces...

All packaged up and ready to go to...

Wishing you a special day with those you love :)

Welcoming Fur-Cousin Pixel

2011-01-26T13:30:00.000-08:00

Just over a week ago we had the pleasure of welcoming a new member to the Klassen family. Uncle Dan & Aunt Nikki brought home a little puppy Pixel! We went to visit him right away, and Melissa (and I) fell in love immediately! He is the cutest little thing :)

Playing with his "road kill" toy...

Chewing on the puppy teething bone we brought for him...

If you are wondering, Pixel is a Shih Tzu with 1/4 Poodle.

Snowplay

2011-01-15T09:57:00.000-08:00

Melissa has had a lot of fun playing in the snow that we have had in the past week(s). She was thrilled we even had enough snow this past Wednesday that they closed school for the day!

She loves going on the hunt for the perfect icicle...

Ken & Melissa made a simple slide on our front lawn after the first snowfall...

Klassen's Christmas

2010-12-31T15:27:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated Christmas on Boxing Day with my side of the family. Melissa gravitated towards the tree loaded with presents as soon as we arrived!

Present opening was a blast... here Melissa just received a lava lamp from her cousins...

Matching puppies for Melissa & Lexi...

Xander and his Hex Bug from Melissa...

Melissa received a renewed subscription for Chickadee magazine from Uncle Dan & Aunt Nikki. She looks forward to it arriving every month throughout the year...

Sitting down for our delicious family dinner...

Christmas Day at the Thomas' '10

2010-12-30T10:45:00.000-08:00

This year we celebrated on Christmas day with Ken's family. It wasn't more than a minute after we arrived that Melissa was eagerly sitting with the presents ready to unwrap.

Pop received an original piece of art for hanging in his newly finished "man cave". The picture is of him in his Metropolitan Nash car while Melissa looks on...

Melissa hardly took much pause between present opening...

Zhu Zhu pets!

Helping Nana...

Daddy got to help dress her new Lalaloopsy doll...

Later in the afternoon the rest of the family arrived, GG (Great Grandma) is given a cookie mix that Melissa made for a gift...

Cousin Katie & GD (Great Granddad) get a Lalaloopsy demonstration...

Christmas at our place '10

2010-12-30T09:58:00.000-08:00

Christmas morning finally arrived. Melissa awoke to full stockings on the mantle and a great increase in presents under the tree!

A cheer for the additional presents!!!

Pepper & Crash go to town opening up their catnip Christmas toy...

Silly bands...

A happy dance for a new Wii game - Kirby's Epic Yarn!

And a much wanted Lalaloopsy Doll...

Such a joy it was watching Melissa open her presents!

We quickly got cleaned up and ready to go to Nana & Pop's for the Thomas' Christmas :)

Disney On Ice

2010-12-19T09:29:00.000-08:00

Earlier this month we went to the Disney on Ice show.

Waiting for the show to start!

Some original Disney characters came out to welcome us to the show...

The story progresses and each princess takes their turn dancing in a song with their prince charming...

The classic Disney characters were used throughout the show...

Tinkerbell (one of Melissa's favorites) appeared in one or two of the larger group dances...

An appearance from the characters of Toy Story...

One of the last songs, which had lots of the characters in it...

Melissa thoroughly enjoyed the show!

Mini Christmas Tree 2010

2010-12-16T20:13:00.000-08:00

Christmas tradition for Melissa is posing with our 3' Christmas tree. Certainly shows her growth progress :)

Here is last year's blog entry, along with the links to previous years.

Christmas Card

2010-11-24T09:37:00.000-08:00

We have begun setting up for Christmas here... and unpacked some Christmas stickers. Melissa got busy in her room and made this Christmas card for me!

Translation:

To Donna

From Melissa

Happy Christmas Mommy

From Melissa

Ice Skating Lessons

2010-11-21T14:37:00.000-08:00

Late October Melissa started her first ice skating lessons. We have been so thrilled that she has taken the sport on with such enthusiasm and she seems to have a great sense of balance which certainly comes in handy. Below are pics & videos I took from some of the first classes.

Playing "Red light / Green light"

Giving me the "I love you" symbol through the glass...

Learning to skate backwards by doing the boogie!

Playing "Simon Says"...

Learning to skate backwards...

Please let me know if these videos are unaccessible, as I have tried a new level of privacy "Unlisted" on YouTube.

Boo Shoot

2010-11-08T11:26:00.000-08:00

Melissa went to Revival Arts Studio again this year for her Halloween costume pics...

Halloween

2010-11-02T13:13:00.000-07:00

Trying something new here... Melissa is sitting beside me and is going to provide the captioning for these pictures :)

"Mommy & I are getting seeds out of a pumpkin"

"Our pumpkin is glowing in the dark"

"I am posing with the candy from Nana" (& Pop)

"Kim is asking if I am the same Munchkin that lives across the street"

"I am on Kim's driveway dressed up as Hello Kitty"

"I am at Axel's house to get candy, and I am not scared"

"I like trick-or-treating!"

"I am trick-or-treating at a pirate's house with my cousin Xander"

"All three cousins getting candy"

"The End"

Mann Farms

2010-10-05T19:28:00.000-07:00

We enjoyed a beautiful fall afternoon at Mann Farms with our friends. We started out our visit with Papa John's Corn Maze...

The kids started out with so much energy :)

Along the way they had signs that we had to write down the animals we found and some letters, to unscramble...

The halfway point where there was an option to take the short way, or long way. We did both :)

Evidence we made it to the end! We spent about 1.25 hour in the corn field, and the kids were ready for something else!

Resting their legs in the pumpkin field...

Next we went on a barrel train ride around the farm...

And then petted a few animals in the Critter Corral...

The kids very much enjoyed the playground...

Free-range turkeys & all!

Acro

2010-10-03T09:02:00.000-07:00

Melissa has been thoroughly enjoying her new Acro class this fall. When I arrived to pick her up this week, they were doing this stunt...

They are also learning cartwheels, handstands etc. Hopefully Melissa will master the cartwheel one day... something I never was able to accomplish!

Osoyoos Weekend

2010-09-20T14:57:00.000-07:00

After the first week of school, we spent the weekend in Osoyoos at Walnut Beach Resort. The weather was beautiful for the Saturday we spend lounging around the resort. It was a nice way to end summer holidays.

In the morning we spent some time on the beachfront and met the local ducks, who were far from shy...

Melissa played in the sand with a new friend...

Then we spent the majority of the day sitting poolside... I could really get used to that :)

Unwinding in our room at the end of the day, acting "normal" for the camera!

Make-up Artist

2010-09-14T13:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Melissa asked if she could apply her make-up.

This is how things turned out...

She was very adamant that she do my make-up next.

(which I somehow got out of :P )

*disclaimer - I didn't buy my girl make-up...

it was received as a birthday present.

School Bus

2010-09-13T19:52:00.001-07:00

This morning was an emotional morning for me. It was Melissa's first full (1/2 day) of Kindergarten, and she rode the bus there all by herself! With my previous experience raising Melissa, I completely anticipated her chickening out about riding the bus once it showed up. But to my surprise, she just hopped on, and waved goodbye out the window. My baby is growing up, and not needing me as much (which is wonderful, but sad too).

Waiting... it was a very wet morning.

The moment before she hopped on...

Kindergarten

2010-09-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today marked the first day of kindergarten for Melissa. It was more of an orientation, and the remaining week is a very slow entry, but next week will be the real deal. She is going 1/2 days, and to a traditional school, which as you can see requires a uniform. I've been told I will grow to appreciate this! (At this point I'm still trying to learn what is proper attire and such.)

Seattle, WA

2010-09-05T10:09:00.000-07:00

In the spirit of discovering a new city, we took a 4 day vacation in Seattle this summer.

We visited the Seattle Children's Museum. Melissa's favorite parts were the stations they had set up in children's size. This is her in a cafe selling us foreign food...

In a mini kitchen making us soup...

And here she is in her favorite station, the grocery store. Don't know if I've mentioned it on here before, but Melissa has an obsession with being a cashier. Everywhere we go that has a self-checkout, she does it for me. Right down to swiping the card. Needless to say this was right up her alley, and we had to tear her away as other kids were interested in having a turn too!

And for us adults, we did the Seattle Underground Tour. It was very interesting to say the least. Educational and entertaining! (Very simply put, Seattle had a fire back in 1889, destroying the majority of the city, and they decided to build up). The tour took us into a number of the underground parts...

Here are a few interesting pics I took, a sign saying rooms 75¢, writing on an underground grocery store wall, an original "crapper", and an antique bathtub...

We rode this monorail often from the Space Needle to Downtown Seattle. (those were its only 2 stops!)

Our hotel had an indoor pool which we enjoyed in the evenings. Melissa made some great progress with her swimming confidence. She worked her way up to doggy paddling across the width of the pool. (she does have a slight floatation device built-in to her swimsuit)

Here she is leaping into the pool... countless times!

The night-time view of the Space Needle from our hotel window...

Our hotel room. We loved our hotel - Hyatt Place - it was only 2 months old and had great design/function. Would highly recommend it. It was in a perfect location for being a tourist, just 2 blocks from the Space Needle.

The most memorable happening of our trip was at a kitchen store we went to in Pike's Place -Sur La Table. We had a great time looking through all their ingenious gadgets.

I had been looking at this tool I had never seen before, it is designed to cut the kernels off of a corn cob, a "Corn Zipper"...

I moved along to some other gadget and was showing it to Ken, and right beside me Melissa suddenly starts wailing in panic. We noticed she was bleeding profusely from her finger tip. Ken immediately took to tending to her as I picked up the corn zipper on the floor, finding a decent sized slice of her fingertip in it. All she says she did was take the cap off of it, and as she did this it sliced her finger tip.

The staff immediately were abuzz around us, and pretty much right off the bat they were on me to fill out an accident report. We tried to get the bleeding to stop, but it just wasn't happening. After a lot of discussion on how to proceed, they decided to call an ambulance and see if they could tend to her on the spot.

So the ambulance came, sirens blazing! The medics were wonderful, and bandaged Melissa up and gave us a supply pack.

Then they gave Melissa a mini-tour of the ambulance...

Seeing we were there, and Melissa was taken care of, we walked around Pike's Market for awhile. There were lots of fresh fish stands, and when someone would purchase one, they would start throwing them around!

Later that afternoon, we met up with the McMillans, who were just starting their holidays in Seattle. We walked around the Olympic Sculpture Park and saw many different interpretations of "art"...

Melissa was very diligent in keeping her hand at her heart, she even slept this way (with her new "Hello Kitty" stuffy)...

Didn't go up it this visit, but took a pic of Melissa with the Space Needle...

Cascade Falls

2010-09-05T09:54:00.000-07:00

About a week ago, we went for a mini-adventure to the Cascade Falls Park just past Mission.

After a 2 minute hike we were at the lookout point and enjoyed the view of the Cascade waterfall...

We walked on a little further and found this area where you could walk on the rocks. Melissa surprised us with her quick rock hopping skills. At this point in our visit, the clouds opened up and in an aggressive manner, dropping the largest raindrops. We were all pretty soaked by the time we got back to our vehicle.

On our way down, this is the walkway built to the falls...

Waterslides

2010-08-26T09:43:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we had a family day at the waterslides. This was Melissa's second time there... and she has worked her way from being too afraid to go down the children's slides, to going down the big ones all by herself!

Summer Sports

2010-08-19T19:24:00.000-07:00

This summer Melissa has done several week long sports; soccer, swimming and t-ball. I'm pretty sure she would tell you soccer camp was her favorite. While I didn't get any pics of her at soccer camp, here are a few I took at t-ball, and a video of her in swimming lessons.

Agrifair

2010-08-15T21:12:00.000-07:00

Mid summer marks the Abbotsford Agrifair, and the anticipation was high as we had watched them set up for it for days.

In the Kid Zone, which one would you trust more?

A visit with "Tork" the turtle, who was rather quick, and liked painted toenails (like mine!)

Melissa spotted Hawkey a mile away, and didn't skip a beat to go and sit next to him for her picture...

We checked out the new Safari Zone which had a great play area for kids...

We had to search all over for the baby chicks as the Safari Zone had been built where they had been the past few years. But we were able to find them, and Melissa relived her memories of wiggling her finger like a worm for them to peck...

Playing mini-golf...

So if you know Melissa at all, up to this point she has been too scared to ride carnival rides. Every year we have tried to coax her to brave it, but each year unsuccessful. This year Melissa saw this large apparatus and said she wanted to go on it. To our dismay, she didn't have any hesitations (even with this burly man guarding the gate!)...

she pushed her way through the punching bag section...

crossed the moving bridge, climbed rope webs...

and came down the longest slide in the end...

all with a huge smile on her face :)

and she wanted to do it again!!!

Feeling the momentum of braveness, we got her on some of the other rides, starting with a dragon...

next she was giggling on the fish...

then piloting the helicopter.

We returned to the Kids Zone to watch "The Flying Fools" hi-diving act. Pictured here is a guy diving from 80' high into a 10' deep pool...

Melissa enjoyed going on this large inflatable slide, countless number of times. It is so nice to enjoy her enjoying the fun things for children! A very successful trip to the fair indeed.

Cabin at Green Lake

2010-07-29T07:38:00.000-07:00

Time had finally come for us to take our annual trip to the family cabin at Green Lake. Melissa looks forward to this trip from the moment we return, it is talked about year round!

Travelling, playing a DVD interactive game to pass the time on the drive...

Our usual lunch stop at Skihist. As we were arriving there was a train going by below the lookout. We dropped our food on a picnic table to quickly take a look...

Not gone even 3 minutes, the resident crows had already gone to town on our Munchie Mix! There was no doubt they had done this before! As other travelers arrived, we watched as they did the same thing. Put down their lunch (with a bag of chips) and looked over the lookout.

Our little girl, so happy to be en route!

Burning off some energy before continuing on...

We arrive at the cabin...

Playing indoors...

Playing Xander's DSI...

Giving the girls a pedi & manicure...

The kids get a "dry run" on the water inflatable...

In the lake...

Taking Papa's custom-made trailer out on its maiden voyage...

Photo Melissa took of us...

The family present...

Melissa kept waking up with the birds (so she could have a special morning walk with Papa), and going to sleep very late, so in the afternoons she had a nap with Papa...

Catch with Daddy...

A neighbor had a garage sale, and Xander bought Melissa a tiger stuffy which is kept at the cabin...

The cousins...

On the journey home we stopped for lunch at a new rest-stop, Goldpan. It was very hot, but beautiful...

One more stop, Hope, where we had an ice cream to cool off. This is the face I often get (but don't post) when I ask Melissa to open her eyes - as her posed smile causes her eyes to be squinty...

A great time was had indeed! She already started asking about going back on the ride home ;)

Zoo

2010-07-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Two weeks ago we joined Melissa's preschool friend Nayimah and her mom & brother for a visit to the GV Zoo. We rented a bike to cruz through the park and see the animals. The bike wasn't as easy to pedal as I had thought, but the two of us managed with only a few sore leg muscles in the end!

A stop in at the new petting zoo, where Melissa did her best to force the goats to eat...

Stopping for an ice cream treat in the end...

Took plenty of pics of the animals, but am keeping this post about the kids ;)

Razzle

2010-07-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we visited a friend's horse, Razzle, out in the Matsqui flats. Melissa has always wanted to ride a horse, but when the opportunity was available she was a little more hesitant, but braved sitting on it with me.

Science World

2010-07-15T14:11:00.000-07:00

Earlier this week we went with our church's summer camp to Science World. Melissa had been to Science world a few years back, but didn't have any memory of it, so all was new and exciting!

Pulling herself up on a pulley system...

The walk on piano.. (the one thing I remember from when I was young)

The water system, which a child could play in for hours...

Peg board...

Electricity ball...

The group of kids I was responsible for, inside a tree stump...

Wheelchair race game...

Skiing game...

The ride home on the bus, Melissa & I "sleeping"...

Dance Photos

2010-07-02T10:04:00.000-07:00

Melissa's dance photos...

Preschool Graduation 2010

2010-07-01T21:12:00.001-07:00

Last week marked the end of Melissa's two years in preschool. Our little girl is growing up :'( Her preschool put on a great performance for us at the last of their "Party Days".

During the month of June they had been studying Drama, so the kids were all cast as actors & actresses in short fairy tales. Melissa was given the role of Mother Bear in "Goldilocks & the 3 Bears" as you will see in the following videos...

As the story goes, the three bears exited stage left and in came Goldilocks, who proceeded to eat the porridge, sit in their chairs, and fall asleep in their beds. Then the three bears came home...

Well, it was her acting debut, and it does leave plenty room for improvement... but you never know where this could lead! The kids next got dressed out of their costumes and into their graduation hats, and sang a few favorite songs from throughout the year. It is amazing to compare them back to their first Party Day back as 3 year olds. (here is a link) They sure have grown-up!

Before Melissa was called up to officially receive her graduation diploma, Teacher Susan read a small blurb about each child. This is the text read about Melissa:

"Melissa really enjoyed playing in the dress-up and kitchen areas with her friends. Melissa is a very sweet, gentle girl who surprises me every time when I look up and see her being truly loud. Melissa's dream is to own a store and get lots of money. She would like to sell pets. With her tender heart and kind spirit I know Melissa will be a great store owner."

Melissa receiving her diploma from teacher Monika...

Posing with both teachers...

Giving thank-you flowers to both teachers... I know she will truly miss them, they have been the most excellent teachers!

Dance Graduation

2010-06-20T10:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Melissa was excited to receive a graduation certificate for completing her dance year. She has really enjoyed her tap / ballet combo class this year, and will definitely continue on with dance next year.

The weather picked a great day to be cooperative, as the graduation was followed by a bbq picnic & lots of fun outdoor games...

Thumbelina Dance

2010-06-02T20:09:00.000-07:00

Melissa's ballet class has been practicing all year for this month's dance performance. The girls received their dance costumes last class, and tried them on with their dance. Seeing cameras are restricted at the final performance at the Abby Arts Centre, these are probably the only pics I will get of them in action. They are dancing to the tune "Thumbelina"...

After class we went to Kiera's house and practiced getting all dressed up, lash extensions, lipstick, curls and all!

(a little editing fun :)

The girls reminded me of the show "Toddlers & Tiaras" (not that I've ever watched it, but see tons of their commercials on TLC)

Current Art

2010-05-21T07:42:00.000-07:00

Here is some recent art Melissa drew at preschool...

Bobs & Lolo Concert

2010-05-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Last month Melissa's favorite children's artists Bobs & Lolo came to Abbotsford to do a fundraiser concert for Autism Speaks. It has been quite awhile since Melissa has seen them live, so we didn't hesitate to get in on the action :)

"Jellyfish, jellyfish... Oh how I wish I could be a jellyfish"

"Rain Drop"

"I Love Bugs"

Happily bouncing to the music :)

Melissa with Bobs, getting an autograph...

Mother's Day

2010-05-11T19:29:00.000-07:00

I was invited to Melissa's preschool on Friday for a Mother's Day tea. First they had us mothers take a seat in a circle, and our children gave us a hand massage with lotion and tranquil spa music...

Then they sang "How much do I love you" to us mommies...

Then we played a game similar to the "Newly Wed Game" where we had to guess what our children answered on different questions. I got asked what Melissa answered when asked "when does your mommy look most beautiful". I wasn't sure what she was going to have told them, so I wrote down "when I smile?". But her answer was "when she wears her dress with flowers & beads". Just so turned out that she had strongly encouraged me to wear it that morning!

We watched a video where each child shared a way that they know their Mommy loves them...

Then we sat down and enjoyed tea & cake served by our little ones...

It was the most special morning!

Birthday Preschool Party Day

2010-05-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Birthday month at preschool is very much looked forward to. This month was Melissa's turn to sit on the birthday chair!

Build-a-bear

2010-05-03T19:33:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Melissa spent some of her birthday money on a Build-A-Bear. If you aren't familiar with the concept, it is where you buy a unstuffed animal and then are involved in the process of "bringing it to life". There certainly aren't any shortages of accessories to go along with your newly made stuffy! Melissa has been really set on making her own for about a year now, this was no spur of the moment decision!

After selecting her animal shell, she was in charge of stepping on the pedal that blew the stuffing into the stuffy...

Then she gave it a squeeze test to see if it was full enough...

Warming the kitty's heart in her hands before inserting it inside...

Making a wish... (she held this pose for a really long time - later she told me she didn't know what wish to make for her kitty!)

Washing & fluffing her new stuffy...

Then next she proceeded to make a birth certificate & name her stuffy "Sparkle", as well as pick out an outfit for her!

Here is Sparkle... all settled into our house!

Melissa's Friend Birthday Party

2010-04-30T21:05:00.000-07:00

Melissa celebrated her 5th birthday with her girlfriends at Castle Fun Park. The theme was Fairy Princesses. So when the girls arrived they were issued tiaras, wands & wings to add to their most beautiful dresses!

First to arrive was Kiera, and the two fairy princesses struck a pose

(or 2 or 3)...

The six fairy princesses, ready to go mini-golfing!

Melissa started the game off...

and the fairy princesses followed suit... they did really well for most of them having no experience mini golfing.

All together at the last tee...

Melissa and preschool friend Autumn...

Lunch followed, and nothing but the best for these little fairy princesses... pizza!

with flower cupcakes...

Present opening...

Lastly the girls enjoyed the arcades and rides together...

This was a first for us trying a birthday party outside of the home, and I was very pleased with the ease of preparation! Plus Melissa was more than thrilled, so a win-win situation all around!

Harlem Globetrotters Game

2010-04-20T20:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend we went with my family to see the Harlem Globetrotters here in Abbotsford! As a child I had watched one video of them (over and over), and always imagined getting the chance to see them in person.

A photo infront of their tour bus...

Their warm-up routine...

Melissa & her cousins got treated to cotton candy... Melissa takes notes from Lexi on how to inhale it best ;)

I think one of the highlights of the game for Melissa was this Big G dance, an intermission entertainment thing. I didn't take this video, but found it on You-Tube, but it is pretty much the same thing as we saw. Melissa cracked up (along with everyone else) when Big G threw himself down on the floor...

Melissa sitting on Nani's lap and laughing at Big G's dance...

The infamous tutu under the shorts when he was pants... "don't take my picture"... haha...

Good fun... hopefully they will come again :)

Egg Hunt

2010-04-07T10:52:00.001-07:00

On Easter Sunday neighbour Kim invited "munchkin" over for her annual Easter Egg hunt at his place. Very eagerly Melissa put on her gumboots & grabbed her handcrafted bunny basket and headed over!

Easter Delivery

2010-04-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Pop & Nana hopped on by with a special Easter delivery for Melissa this Friday.

Melissa, Miga, Sumi & Pepper admire the basket of goodies...

Delighted by the sound of shaking candy!

The easter bunny even snuck in a pair of Olympic mittens :)

What more could a cat ask for... the wrapping turned out to be a hit!

March Preschool Party Day

2010-04-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

March came to an early end, or so it felt... with another Preschool Party Day to celebrate the learnings of another month gone by.

Singing their "Warm-up Song"

Now that they were all warmed up, they sang a song for us about the artist of the month: Wassily Kandinsky. I too hadn't heard of him before, but have since googled it and now am informed :P

They also studied many forms of music this month. They had several guest musicians share their talents with the class throughout the month. One in particular that we were told Melissa was uncharacteristically assertive with was the drums... she just sat down and started hitting a beat. We're thinking her skills may have been acquired from her gigs on Rock Band! Here they are singing the all famous, Do-Re-Mi song...

Lastly, they followed instruction by their conductor...

Marched turned out to be a minimally blogged about month... but April should prove to be different as we are greatly anticipating Melissa's birthday parties as she turns 5 on the 16th. So stay tuned as I will certainly be sharing pictures!

Knock-knock

2010-03-14T12:18:00.000-07:00

Melissa is very proud to tell you her first home-made joke:

M "Knock-knock"

Me "Who's there"

M "Spring"

Me "Spring-who?"

M "Spring is here"

She says the funny part about the joke is that people would be thinking about the bouncy spring rather than the season spring. haha... yeah, I know she has a way to go :)