Hello. My name is Jill. I have an addiction. Okay, I have many addictions, but now I have another addiction!
So recently, during my search for all things fresh and lovely, in order to make both my girls blogs look prettier... I fell among some really neat sellers on Etsy. These lovely ladies do exactly what I have become addicted to, indeed, let me introduce you to... digital scrapbooking and paper packs!!
Now I can freshen up my blog and create frames for my pictures, to my hearts content! I will introduce you to some of my favourite sellers soon.
If only there were more hours in the day!
On Friday evening, after a pretty big thunderstorm, Lilah and I headed to the Ornamental Gardens, situated here in the city.
Earlier in the day I had googled online for things to do in Ottawa, just to see if there was anything happening this weekend that we could enjoy. While browsing through the list, I saw something about a Peony Rose tour at the Ornamental Gardens. As much as I adore Peony Roses, a Peony Rose tour certainly isn't my cup-of-tea and definitely wouldn't be Lilahs either! However, I decided, since we both love the Ornamental Gardens so much, that maybe we could visit them ourselves... you know, without the guided tour part!
So, we did. And not only were the Peony Roses in bloom, a lot of beautiful flowers were blooming - blooming beautiful as the saying goes. Lilah loves the great outdoors, she had a wonderful time: measuring herself to flowers, matching her clothes colours to flowers, smelling the flowers, swinging on branches, checking out the fish pond, singing along with the birds, searching for bugs and we also played our own version of i-spy around the gardens, I would describle flowers and she would find them. Of course, she also left with an armful of treasures, ...including 5 pine cones (because she's 5 years old, of course!) some pine needles (to give me injections!) and a few other rocks and twigs and leaves she found lying around.
Another thing she gathered up, were petals, that had fallen to the ground from the Dog Roses. When she was picking up the petals it brought back some childhood memories for me... as a child I used to pick the petals, put them into a bowl with a little water and smush them up to make my own brand of perfume. So I was telling Lilah my childhood story and she thought it was a great idea - she couldn't wait to get home to do the same! After she made her own perfume that evening, I asked her what she was going to call it, I made a suggestion that maybe she could call it rose perfume or something along those lines... but my independent girl had her own idea, she said "It's called Petal Perfume". It really did smell good!
I'm going to apologize in advance for the number of pictures I've included in this post! Decision making definitely isn't my strong point.
Lilah has been learning about the lifecycle of a butterfly this past week in her Junior Kindergarten class.
After watching this movie of herself, she was quick to tell me she made a mistake,
the caterpillar actually sheds it's chrysalis, not it's skin!
Yesterday, we visited the travel doctor and nurse, and Lilah got her two shots (one in each arm) for travelling to China.
I call them her "China Shots", but she lovingly refers to them as her "Sister Shots"!
She was such a brave girl, as always... so after she got them we headed downstairs to the local grocery store and found something that Lilah has been looking for a LONG time - a peaked hat - so she can look just like her Baba! Baba thinks it is just the sweetest thing that she wants to look like him, and I do too. She's a cutie pie for sure! Today someone stopped with her and told her: "You sure joined the right team!"
Recently she's been all about running races, jumping and hopping. She draws lines on the ground with chalk and we have to race, yes, of course, I have to run and jump and hop too... phew, I'm certainly not getting any younger!
“Do never ever talk to strangers Mama, because they could take you in their car.”
lilah: “My friend Fenna speaks English and Dutch – what does Dutch sound like?”
me: “I’m sure we can find a youtube video of someone speaking Dutch.”
lilah: “Well I know how to speak Chinese, because I can say Yang Qi!” (Yang Qi is Phebe’s Chinese name)
After Baba and Lilah’s ‘Daddy Daughter Day’ together at the farm, on the drive home Lilah announced from the back seat: “'Ça va trés bien! That means I had a good day Baba!”
lilah: “What does reward mean?”
me: Well it means if you do something good you could get something special for doing it. Like for example, if I asked you to put the dishes in the dishwasher and told you I would reward you, I might take you to the 7/11 and get you a treat.”
lilah: “Oh.”
(45 minutes and lots of conversations later, supper is finally finished and Lilah starts taking the dishes from the table over to the dishwasher.)
lilah: “Do you remember what we talked about earlier Mama?”
me: Hmm. Lots of things, what are you thinking of?”
lilah: “That thing we talked about when you were making supper?”
me: “Well we talked about a lot of things and I don’t know what you’re thinking. Can you remember what it’s about?”
baba: “Hold on, are you thinking about the reward Mama was telling you about?”
lilah: “YES! Do I get one now?”
(Of course Baba took her to the 7/11 for a treat!)
me: “Lilah, what are you thinking about?”
lilah: “I’m just sitting thinking about Phebe.”
At the supper table one evening Baba and I were chatting about a Chinese-Canadian family in our Church who are planning a trip to China to visit their families… they weren’t out at Church that particular Sunday and Baba was asking me if I knew when you were supposed to be going to China and if they had maybe gone already? Of course Lilah was listening in and at the mention of the family going to China, she quickly asked: “Are they going to get a baby sister too?”
lilah: “When your mom or dad shout at you or something, you should go into your bedroom and get calm… it’s an exercise called spaghetti toes… I learned it at school today.”
me: “Really?” *Snort*
lilah: “Don’t laugh – it’s really true!”
me: “Love you so much Lilah.”
lilah: “Love you even more than you do love me.”
Lilah: “I really want to go to California sometime”
Me: “Oh. Why?”
Lilah: “I just want to see what that country looks like.”
Me: “Do you know someone who went there?”
Lilah: “Aunt Sue went there. Did you ever go there when you were young?”
Me: “No, I’ve never been to California.
Lilah: “We should ask Baba if we can go… and if he says no, we’ll beg him!”
baba: “Eat up your crusts Lilah, they’ll make you smart.”
lilah: “I’m already smart… but crusts will make my muscles strong.”
“We can all share germs, because we’re all the same family.”
"Pitter-patter, pitter-patter," can you hear the rain? ~ "Pitter-patter, pitter-patter," on the window pane.
"Pitter-patter, pitter-patter," let's go out to play. ~ I just love to jump in puddles on a rainy day.
Little raindrops, "Splashing, splashing," all across my face. ~ Little raindrops, "Splashing, splashing,” splashing every place.
"Pitter-patter, pitter-patter," do you hear that sound? ~ I just love to hear those raindrops falling to the ground.
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Lilah is so thrilled with her birthday scooter.
On her birthday evening, (Tuesday past), she had already changed into her pajamas and was all ready for bed when I realized she hadn't actually had a chance to take her scooter outside and try it outdoors, so I felt a little bad about that and asked her if she'd like to have a little scoot, even though it was past her bedtime...
Like she was going to say no!
The only thing she hesitated over, is wearing her pajamas... she wanted to be sure that no one would think she was wearing her pajamas... so I reassured her that no, no one would know she was wearing pajamas, they'd just think she was wearing shorts and t-shirt! She's pretty self conscious over little things like that, the funny monkey!
She sure loves that silly old scooter... and she sure can scoot, I almost got run over a couple of times!
May sure was a whirlwind month. The old saying stands so true, time flies when you're having fun!
I need to resign myself to the fact that May is always going to be a crazy month, because I imagine it's going to stay this way for a while! Every May, we three May babies all get to celebrate our birthdays! Yes, our current entire household's birthday is in May! Phebe will be thrilled when she realizes she doesn't have to share her birth month with all the rest of us! Along with three birthdays, the beautiful Ottawa Tulip Festival is also in May. Oh, and lest we forget Mother's Day - definitely a special day for me! And last, but not least, our Church Conference is in May - there's always plenty of cooking and baking to prepare for it, but we always get the holiday Monday to recover and to be honest, spending time with friends and listening to God's Word is a wonderful way to spend a weekend in May.
Did I happen to miss anything? Why yes! We also made it to the National Gallery this month, because for sure, we must not have been busy enough! We also got some gardening, park, paddle pool and bubble blowing time fitted in there!
I love May, but man I'm exhausted and ready for a little downtime! Is it any wonder I caught a sweet sleepy moment of Lilah Grace this month! It was probably just a little wishful thinking on my part!
I think it's safe to say it was one of the best days of Lilah's little life so far!
Her actual 'friends' birthday party won't be until June 23rd. The paint splatter art studio that I suggested and she really liked the sound of, I tried to book it over a month ago and the closest Saturday available was June 23rd... crazy!
She woke up to a bedroom full of balloons and also the helium ballons were a surprise. We had decorated while she slept and I think if we'd left it at that, she'd have thought it was a pretty amazing day! It's the simple things in life, when you're only 5 years old! She brought cupcakes for all her Junior Kindergarten friends to share, she was so happy! Her birthday was announced over the PA system and the teacher read her a special birthday story and gave her a card.
She asked for her birthday present to be a 'fast' scooter, like the older neighbour kiddies have - I'm afraid the pink "Radio Flyer" scooter just wasn't cutting it anymore - she said Phebe could have it now. Ha! Actually, when I asked her if she was SURE she wanted a scooter for her birthday, her reply to me was, "Well, actually, I'd like a motorized scooter!" Haha! Okay girly, now you're just pushing your luck! We did get a laugh over that though! She had her very favourite supper, lasagne, and for her cake, she loves Cars at the moment and Lightning McQueen is still a big favourite, so he made it onto the top of her cake this year! She loved that!
Happy 5th Birthday Lilah Grace. We love you so so much.
Also, a BIG thank you to our family and friends for all the beautiful presents, Lilah sure was spoiled!
My beautiful sweet girl turned 5 today... FIVE years old?
Can someone stop the clock? Anyone?
I'll be back with more pictures tomorrow!
A couple of weeks ago, Lilah arrived home proclaiming with much awe that her friend could blow up a balloon!
Her question to me was whether she could do the same?
So of course I had to go poking around in the basement to come up with a balloon... which happened to be from a packet of leftovers from her 2nd birthday! She blew and blew and blew until she could blow no more. If nothing else, Lilah is as determined as a child will ever be. Thankfully her determination energy is channelled in a good way - otherwise this parenting gig would be much harder than she's made it for us! Anyway, her determination has paid off - she is now a qualified balloon blower and can be found at any given moment, blowing up her yellow "#2" balloon.
Today she asked me if it was possible that I could buy her some new balloons with #5 on them. I'm pretty sure we can work something out, especially since she's turning 5 in just TWO days!
I have to laugh at some of the crazy faces she pulls when blowing up that balloon!
[ the flickr set is here ]
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You can read all about Stefanie and her beautiful family,
and check out more Sunday Snapshots at Ni Hao Ya'll.
If you want to be creative, stay in part a child, with the creativity and invention that characterizes children. ~Jean Piaget
I am imagination.
I can see what the eyes cannot see.
I can hear what the ears cannot hear.
I can feel what the heart cannot feel.
~Peter Nivio Zarlenga
