Goodnight Papa

I got the camera out too late and didn't get her dragging out all her blankets from her room to tuck him in. But I caught story time, which is the best part. Well actually, the ending is the best part.

Baby's First Haircut

Make that, Toddler's First Haircut.

It's been a long road, this hair growing business. After over two years we finally decided that Esmé was starting to look like Patrick Kane and it was time for a haircut.

Sometimes I make a parenting move that, pre-baby, I swore I would never do. Spending 28 bucks on my kid's first haircut when I have perfectly good scissors at home is one of those choices.

But hey, if you got to sit in a pink car while you got your hair cut, you might just pay that extra cash too.

This was the most girly experience either of us have ever had. Esmé had a choice of Thomas the Train, Lightning McQueen, or a pink Barbie car. But even after I tried telling her how cool the train was, she insisted on this Pepto Bismol car. Maybe it's because I put her in a pink shirt this morning. Or maybe I'm failing as a mother.

Ever since Esmé watched Grama get her haircut, she's been super excited to get hers cut. She often pretends that she's my hairdresser and spends a looooong time combing, "cutting", and blowdrying my hair. (It actually feels kinda nice!)

So I told the hairdresser that Esmé will do just fine and I'm positive that she will sit very still. But I guess the hairdresser has had one too many rowdies and insisted on turning on the TV during the cut.

Notice the glazed look of Dora-hypnotism.

So after the cut, the blow-dry, and the application of more hair products than I have in my bathroom cupboard, out comes the red glitter shaker. Yes, glitter. The stuff you use with glue. On paper. During craft time. The stuff that you never want your kid bringing home because you will still be finding bits of it after your kid has left for college, let alone imbedded in her hair for all eternity. Esmé's expression above echoes my thoughts exactly.

In the end she left with some sort of sparkly, poofy, pagent-girl hairdo, but it was definitely worth the experience.

And no girly experience would be complete without a halter-top wearing Barbie sticker to take home.

Crayola

Esmé and I were colouring the other day I noticed this...

What? REALLY? Oh dear Crayola, have you forgotten what century we are in? I checked the black crayon. Nope, no mention of Africa. Maybe that would be a little too obvious.

Okay, for you factual types out there, I did do my research a bit and found out that, according to the Crayola website, Indian Red is also a reddish-brown oil paint found near India. But hey, that's not the point! Intent doesn't matter when the first thing that comes to most people's minds is not obscure oil paint but a racist reference to a people who have endured centuries of brutality. Let's not normalize these terms any more than they already are. Who are these crayon-colour-thinker-uppers anyway? Sheesh.

Bathtime Lineup

(Another example of toddler OCD?)

Christmas Series 2011: Presents at Dawn

Christmas Series 2011: Gingerbread in the Oven

Christmas Series 2011: Ice Skating

Esmé's first time ice skating! We went to the outdoor rink at Robson Square which had a beautiful Christmas tree and a live band playing carols. No better way to get into the Christmas spirit. Esmé was a little freaked out about the whole thing at first and tried to tell me, "Mommy, all done!" But after just a couple minutes of being out on the ice, she was in love.

Christmas Series 2011: The Tree

This year, as we went to get our annual Christmas tree, Esmé was there to learn the important lesson of where trees come from... Ikea of course.

She loved decorating the tree. Although she decided that trees should be re-decorated every day while the tree is in our house. Thankfully there were only a few fatalities: the worst being a reindeer amputee, and a decapitated clay figurine.

Even our cat likes to decorate, specifically, making sure the ornament packaging doesn't escape.

Christmas Series

It has been a busy but wonderful Christmas season. We've had so much fun with so much family! Thank you everyone who travelled to Vancouver to celebrate with us! I have some photos to share so check back often over the next few days as I get them uploaded in this "Christmas Series."

I hope you all had a wonderfully blessed Christmas.

The Sun Rises With the New Year

Happy New Year Everyone!