The Girls

Lucia Jane

Lucy enjoys preschool for the most part - some days she says she's bored of it, but she's usually happy to go. She really loves her teachers who have reported back that she's an absolute dream to have in the class (interesting because she can give me a really hard time some days!), is really good at colouring, and that she talks a lot and often corrects the teachers if they forget a rule!! Our little miss chatterbox / bossy boots. She's doing great at printing and starting to read. Recently they did a field trip to the space port, and she knows the names of all the planets. She is in ballet and tap and loves it - they're doing a recital in May which will be cute. She has also started a drama class - perfect for her exuberant personality!!

In April Lucy will be getting her adenoids out :( Poor little love. She struggles with sleep at night so much - stops breathing, gasps for air. And she almost always sounds stuffed up and has to breath through her mouth. So this will be good for her, and good to get done before kindergarten. We have no idea what we're going to tell her. She is very nervous about blood & hospitals since she sliced her forehead open a couple summers ago, and required stitches.

Speaking of kindergarten... we have registered Lucy in a Spanish Bilingual school for September! We went for a parent information night and were pretty impressed. The school system here is very diverse, lots of options: you can chose schools with different languages, schools for gifted children and Catholic schools - all free. Kindergarten is half-day here, and she will have to take the school bus as the school is not in Tuscany. She has a friend who is going to the same school, so hopefully they can sit together. The Spanish school has a big emphasis on music which is very cool, and learning a different language will be great for Lu, as she's very, um, linguistically inclined (lol!)

Favourite things. Colour: amarillo (yellow). Music: Mamma Mia, High School Musical, Katy Perry (it's always on the radio!). Food: pasta, rice, fruit - she's a good eater and will eat most foods even if she doesn't like them.

Ainsley Olivia

Ainsley is in Kindermusik which she loves! She loves music and dancing. Whenever she hears a slow song, she closes her eyes, gets up on her tippy toes, and slowly turns around in a circle with her arms over her head... until she gets dizzy and falls! She is also going to a 1 hour preschool class on Thursdays which she enjoys, now that she's comfortable with me leaving her. She is pretty much potty trained, apart from the occasional accident when she gets absorbed in playing and forgets. She is also chatting up a storm - her speech and language are amazing! Another chatterbox on my hands, except Ainsley will also sit and play by herself.

Favourite things. Colour: morado (purple). Music: Mamma Mia, Bruno Mars (Grenade), Kindermusik. Food: hummus (which she's eating in the photo), meatballs, perogies, avacado, sweets - she can be picky and is at a difficult age to try and encourage to eat something she doesn't like.

Both the girls ask regularly about their grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles and friends. When Lucy heard we were selling our Ladner home, she started crying. She says she wants to live there again. I feel bad that they're missing out on time with all those people they love and love them. Thank goodness I have my sister and her family here.

March update

So I've been less since my last post, thanks to a day trip to Canmore with Jose (sans kids) and some visitors. My nephew Simon and his band came for a visit at the end of February. I haven't seen him for a couple of years, as he spent a year in Europe, at Bodenseehof (bible school) and travelling/working. He's grown up a lot (he's 19) and reminds me a lot of my brother. He and his band hung out for the afternoon, had dinner then went off to their gig at a trendy coffee shop. We went and saw them and wow, were blown away!! Simon sang a few songs by himself, just him and his guitar. Then he played the drums in the band. The music was awesome! They came back and spent the night in our basement. They really were a great group - super polite and grateful.

Then my friend Kathy and her daughter Shae (in the photos with Lucy) came to stay for the first weekend of March (while Jose took off on a ski trip with Gerry). It was so nice to connect with a good friend and fellow mum of 2 little girls!!! We didn't do much as I had a cold, but we did manage to take the girls skating at the Olympic Oval. As you can see, they had fun sledding in our backyard too!! Us Mommas enjoyed a few glasses of wine, caught up on girly TV shows ("Off the Map") and teen movies ("Twilight"), LOL. I appreciate my friends more than ever, now that I can't see them regularly. There is something really special about friends who've been in your life for a long time. And the good times continue as soon I'll have my lovely sister-in-law Fio here which will be awesome!!

Have had a few playdates which have been really good. Work also keeps me busy so I have less time to miss everyone & everything. Still, in the quiet moments I am often thinking of home - friends, family, places. Nostalgia settles in, but doesn't last long - Lucy & Ainsley usually do a good job of keeping me from dwelling :)