Back To School : Simple Traditions

School Season is here! Kids have returned to school, did you do anything commemorate the day or wish you had?!

We ourselves have a grade one'er and a preschooler on our hands! As a parent these are big moments for our kids (and us)! It's a weird, exciting, slightly terrifying transition going from 24/7 parents to only seeing our kids about 6 or so hours a day! This is why I want to share some simple ways you can commemorate this big change and even start a yearly tradition for each new school year!

1. Take A Picture

Last year when Rylee started Kindergarten we started our first tradition by capturing her on her way in her first day of school outfit with an old picture frame I refurbished into a chalkboard. This year we did the same thing for her first day of grade one and for Zachery's first day of preschool!

2. Celebrate With A Special Treat

Last year we took Rylee out to her favourite restaurant, Chinese. This year we did take out and celebrated at home. It doesn't have to be anything fancy or super expensive, but taking a time out with your child with a hot chocolate date, or going for ice cream, or bake some cupcakes is a great way to celebrate their big day and create a fun memory with them.

3. First Day of School Questionnaire

I saw this everywhere on social media this year, we do this for birthdays so I opted out but its still a great idea! Ask your child some simple questions like, "whats your favourite colour?", "Who's your best friend?", "What do you want to be when you grow up?", and so on. This is a great to hold on to and compare over the years.

4. Create Something

Most first days back to school are half days, set aside your afternoon to create something with your child. You could go all out with a paint your own pottery session, paint or craft class, or keep it budget friendly by creating something at home. One idea could be making a shrinky dink keychain of their handprint, as the years go by you'll have a cute mini keepsake of how they've grown, check it out the tutorial here.

5. A Special Gift

I'm not about over spending or creating a materialistic tradition, but think about holding on to one of their back to school essentials (new shoes, t-shirt, backpack), get them the one thing they had their eye on and surprise them when they wake up for their first day back to school. Another good and educational idea could be a new book from a series or author they love.

Good luck with the back to school transitions with early wake ups and tired little people. One day they will be grown and enjoying these moments now will be something you never regret!

Adelyne Turns Two : 20 Questions

It's 20 Question time! Every year around each kid's birthdays I like to document what their current fave things are. It's simple, we ask the same 20 questions every year, and as time goes on we'll have something to look back on to see how much they change over the years.

You can read past years of the kid's "20 Questions Interviews" here.

This time around, its our baby who is no longer a baby, Adelyne Quinn! She's just turned two on the 26th of July. This birthday in particular is such a bitter sweet moment! Adie is our last "planned" babe (you never know, the odds could defy us :P), so cue an over exaggerated fist pump and cue this momma shedding a few tears over a season of life that will no longer exist! 

So let's get to it, we'll see how well she does, this should be the last year I have to fill in some blanks due to her limited vocabulary!

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20 Questions for Adelyne : Year Two

1 // What is your favourite color? All colors.

2 // What is your favourite toy? Melissa & Doug Fold Up Princess Castle 

3 // What is your favourite fruit? All kinds, but watermelon has been a current fave.

4 // What is your favourite movie? Paw Patrol

5 // What is your favourite outfit? her birthday suit!

6 // What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Hot dogs.
7 // What is your favourite game?  Peek-a-boo.
8 // What is your favourite animal? Dinosaurs and puppies.
9 // What is your favourite treat? Andy! (aka: candy)
10 // What is your favourite book? Carry and Learn Numbers Board Book.
11 // What is your favourite song? Sleeping Bunnies
12 // Who is your best friend? Rylee.
13 // What is your favourite drink? Dauder (Water).
14 // What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Babies and unc-ee (monkey).
15 // What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? Sausages.

16 // What is your favourite thing to do outside?  Play in the dirt.
17 // What is your favourite word? Whhhhhhy?
18 // What is your favourite thing to do?  Eat.
19 // What is the latest thing you've learned? Lots of new words, and starting to sit on the potty.
20 // What do you want to be when you grow up? Can't answer this one yet.

Last Day of Kindergarten : Rylee

Today was the last day of school! Are you excited? Or does the thought of two months home with all your kids get you totally overwhelmed?

Our oldest, Rylee, graduated from kindergarten today and I for one, am totally ecstatic! No more forced schedules, no more early wake ups (for Rylee at least), and no more fighting to get out the door! And we get to see Rylee all day, everyday. That alone is the icing on the cake, I love having her home. She may be one more kid to care for, but she's a helpful kid, and she's at an age where I can actually hang out with her and do crafts or other fun things.

To celebrate her last day we took her to her favourite restaurant, Chinese food, where she got to pick whatever she wanted (iced tea and a whole plate of sweet and sour balls to herself). I know it may "just" be kindergarten but I'm still so proud of her! Over the year she's learned to count from 1-100 and to count in multiples of 10 up to 100, she's started reading basic words, she's taught herself how to skip, she can do some basic addition, and her artwork has improved significantly!

Just for fun, below you'll see her first day of kindergarten. Putting these two pictures together I can actually see she's grown (hard to believe, this girl grows at a snails pace!), and her face has definitely matured, she just looks so much more confident! This girl blows me away, she's such a spitfire, with so much personality and independence all rolled into one. I hope everyday we as parents can do right by her and set her on paths that help her grow, she's got so much potential and so much good in her that I just can't wait to see where she soars.

Adelyne : 18 Month Update

Toddlerhood and up only exists in this house from here on out! I have very much mixed emotions about this! Every new milestone Adelyne hits excites me and breaks my heart just a little bit. She's our last baby and a part of me wants her to stay just that, a baby, forever, and then the frazzled realist in me pipes up and sees we are getting closer to a less demanding life... which this momma desperately needs!

Adelyne recently hit her 18 month milestone and boy has she changed since her 12 month update. She's 22lbs 13oz now and has grown 2.5 inches making her 29.5in tall; she's got 10 teeth (4 molars, 4 up top, and 2 bottom); her hair is long enough to be considered a mullet when its not constantly matted (she's the first one to be blessed...or cursed? with curly hair); and she's in 18m/2T clothes and size 4/5 shoes.

She's started to really vocalize herself and can say: Bubba (milk), water, puppy, hat, go, no (that's her favourite), yep or yah, Dad/Mama, cold, in there, stop, hot dog, and bowl... you know the essentials. She's also started recognizing where her body parts are and can point when asked where her hair, nose, teeth, tongue, bum, belly button, feet, and hands are.

She's feisty as ever and is impatient and demanding for what she wants (bad combo). She's yet to learn the ability to share (she hoards her toys and pounces on anyone who touches them). She's super kind and gentle to animals.  She's a great cuddler (when she sits still...) and gives the sweetest hugs and kisses.

She still loves her food, the more the better, and some faves are apples, kiwi, yogurt, avocado, craisins, rice, mac&cheese, and much to my dismay... hotdogs are her absolute favorite thing. Her favorite things to play with currently are my Ipod, and her sisters Melissa & Doug Folding Princess Castle. Her favourite books are Robert Munsch's "The Paper Bag Princess Board Book" and Sandra Boynton's "Belly Button Book". Other things she loves is stealing grandma's breakfast, hot tub time, and playing tag, Things she's not highly fond of: her car seat, brushing her teeth, and other kids sitting on my lap.

Zachery Turns Three

We just celebrated Zachery's third birthday, well sort of, time really escapes me as it's already been two weeks! Recently I've been watching a lot of our old home videos from our time in Thailand and it almost feels like another life reminiscing that's where Zachery was born and spent the first four months of his life.

The beginning of his life was very much an adventure (He's already been to five different countries!), fast forward three years, we haven't traveled to anywhere cool and exotic, but his personality shines through and through as a little explorer.  He loves to be outside wandering around collecting things; he loves to climb things; jump off things; pretend we're on a roller coaster when we're driving (I'm not saying I drive fast, but where we live there are a lot of windy curvy roads!); he's fearless, carefree, and beats to his own drum.

The other thing that stands out the most and is my most favourite thing about him is that he's our little joy giver. His smile is goofy, his laugh is contagious, and he's a complete ham in a crowd of people. I can't tell you how many times a week people notice how happy he is and the twinkle in his eye.  Its always encouraging amidst these hard toddler stages, it reminds me to stop and just enjoy him and all his awesomeness. I mean it's a truly wonderful thing to watch such a tiny person (my tiny person!) lift the mood of an entire room of people.

Here's a few pics from his paw patrol party  

Zachery Turns Three : 20 Questions

Zachery just turned three, and you know what that means! It's 20 Question time! Every year I like to document what their current favorite things are. It's 20 questions, the same 20 questions every year, and as time goes on we'll have something to look back on and laugh at and see how much they change over the years.

You can read past years from the kids answers from last year here.

20 Questions for Zachery : Year Three 

1 // What is your favourite color? Red.

2 // What is your favourite toy? Water Shooter.

3 // What is your favourite fruit? Mango.

4 // What is your favourite movie? Not movie but tv show... Paw Patrol.

5 // What is your favourite outfit? Underwear.... or nothing at all.

6 // What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Macaroni.
7 // What is your favourite game?  Snakes & Ladders
8 // What is your favourite animal? Velociraptor or other dinosaurs that bite.
9 // What is your favourite treat? Lollipop.
10 // What is your favourite book? My Big Dinosaur Book.
11 // What is your favourite song?  Deep Deep Water (also know as Deep Cries Out - Bethel Kids).
12 // Who is your best friend? Mommy & Rylee, not daddy (his words not mine haha!).
13 // What is your favourite drink? Smoothie.
14 // What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Dinosaur and soosie.
15 // What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? Pancakes.

16 // What is your favourite thing to do outside?  Ride bikes.
17 // What is your favourite word? Pop.
18 // What is your favourite thing to do?  Watch TV and ride bikes.
19 // What is the latest thing you've learned? Hold his breath underwater, put his clothes on by himself.
20 // What do you want to be when you grow up? A car crasher (I'm concerned already...).

Rylee Turns Five : A Royal Tea Party

Our oldest daughter, Rylee, has hit a huge milestone! She's FIVE years old! That's a whole hand of fingers! She's our sweet girl with a vivacious spirit. She challenges me everyday, and that's a good thing! Her strong will teaches me (well inspires...) me to be more patient, and less controlling; her fearlessness teaches me to worry less and let her be, because when I do she never ceases to amaze me; her laughter and goofiness reminds me stop and enjoy these moments, she's a kid, and its ok to just be silly once in a while. She really is a remarkable kid, so full of life and joy. Everyday she inspires me to be a better mom, to love all that she has to offer, and to raise her well to make a beautiful difference in the crazy world.

She being the kind of girl who knows exactly what she wants, decided almost a year ago what her five year old party was going to be! So to celebrate this milestone we threw none other than a tea party for her and her closest friends. It was lovely and actually quite simple to pull off what looks like time intensive details... most of my time went into finding affordable teacups and baking the goodie bag cookies.

Unfortunately I didn't capture of the birthday girl individually, she was dressed up to the nines in a Belle-like princess dress *sidenote: she came minutes before her party from soccer, kicked off her muddy gear and jumped into this dress... I love that she's a tomboy and princess all in one! She had nine friends attend her special event, all of which were amazingly well behaved, and had lots of fun.

We served Shirley temples to kick things off. Candy bracelets doubled as serviette holders. PB&J Sandwiches, ham and cheese croissants, cream puffs, muffins, cookies and fruit were on the menu for their high tea. Each had the choice of hot chocolate or cinnamon apple tea to choose from.

For activities they colored Chip & Mrs. Potts (free printable found HERE). They made their own candy necklaces, which I just cut cord long enough to fit over their head easily with a knot at the end, then got all kinds of candy with holes in it (ring pops, lifesavers, sour keys, etc...), this activity was a hit...maybe not for the parents, but the kids loved doing it! Next up they got to decorate their own cupcake, I set up a few paint trays with a variety of toppings and let their inner cake decorator come out.

To finish up the kids watched excitably as Rylee opened their gifts. And then we got them outside to run off the multitudes of sugar they consumed, and then that was it! We sent them home with homemade "tea bag" shortbread cookies, which Rylee had helped make (recipe and idea found HERE).

Adelyne : Twelve Month Update

We just had Adelyne's 12 month check up and she's 19.2 lbs, and about 27 inches tall! Over the last few weeks I keep looking at her in amazement, shes just getting so big! Rightfully so, this girl has earned the nicknames of "Hoover" and "Garburator" in our house. Such a breath of fresh air having a child who is happy to eat whenever and whatever is set before her... it is beautiful... so very beautiful!

She's in 12m clothes, size 2/3 shoes, she's got no teeth, and not so much hair but what she does have is wild and mad scientist like. She loves bath time, meal time, and playing in the kids Hape play kitchen, and her current toy of choice is the Melissa & Doug Pound a Peg. As for development she's started climbing, she's incredibly strong; she's saying "mama" more frequently now and "more" but its more like "moe moe"; and she follows basic instructions like "shut the door" and "sit on your bum". She still sleeps horribly, we get to wake up typically 3 times a night... it's awesome. She may not speak yet but she can be very clear communicating what she wants/doesn't want, she's very strong willed, she's playful, and for the most part very happy and content, and yes she is still a momma's girl through and through (its exhausting, but lovely all at the same time).

Adelyne : Eleven Months

Adelyne is growing up too fast! Eleven months? I can't even grasp this. Since she's our last I think these moments are hitting me extra hard. Its bittersweet to watch her grow and develop out of the baby stage, it makes my heart hurt, I just want her to stay my small little baby forever.

She now weighs about 18lbs 4oz. She is chasing after her brother and sister. Her latest trick is giving kisses, but only on her terms, letting you know by using her other trick by ferociously shaking her head "no". She's a curious button, always pointing and looking at things in bewilderment (I'm trying desperately to catch it on camera).  And last but not least, this girl knows how to throw a fit, I'm talkin' the sprawled out, head in the floor, legs flailing, complete and usually inconsolable meltdowns, and typically a sure sign she is ready for bed... immediately... go to bed, go directly to bed, do not pass go, do not collect $200.

Adelyne: 8 + 9 + 10 Month Update

Ok I've been really bad with keeping up with Adelyne. I've made mental notes of her development but before I forget I need to get this down!

8 Months: She celebrated her very first easter, not that she really took part haha but she wore her bunny hat like a champ! This month we also battled some sleep training with her, it was awful, this girl is stubborn! But after a few weeks of fighting through the endless crying fits we finally got her routined to three daily naps, an earlier bedtime, going down on her own, and sleeping longer periods throughout the night.

Nine Months: She had a check up with the doctor and weighed in at 16 lbs 12 oz.! That was exciting, I was being really intentional about feeding her lots of healthy full fats (avocados, greek yogurt, peanut butter, etc...), and it paid off. She had slowed down in her growth at her 6 month appointment and I really wanted to get her back on her normal growth curve.  It was also at this appointment we learned that her (and Zachery) have a something called a flow murmur... apparently not a huge concern, but something to watch as she gets older, we are still awaiting a referral to a pediatrician to follow up with it. As for development, it was on her 9 month birthday that she took her very first steps, it was totally out of the blue, and totally awesome! Another little milestone to note is she moved overseas (mainland to island life)... she left the first home she's ever known and is now a small town island girl!

10 Months: Over the course of a month we've watched Adelyne abandon walking for a few weeks and then BAM all of a sudden we have ourselves a wobbly little toddler! She's the cutest little thing chasing after her brother and sister. We've also noticed her little personality developing, she's beginning to assert herself and stand up for herself when her brother or sister mess with her. She's learned to clap, and wave (but usually too late for the moment haha), she grooves her little head around listening to music (hilarious!), she's got an apparent love for animals, and I also swear I've heard her say "bana" when I was giving her a banana. And speaking of food, this girl is a bottomless pit! She eats anything and ALOT of it! Her current favourites are crackers and watermelon. Oh, and we took her on her first vacation, a mini road trip to Penticton!

Adelyne : Six + Seven Month Update

It is almost a daily  occurrence where I am looking at Adelyne amazed and being hit with pangs of sadness because my baby girl is growing so fast! I haven't the foggiest how she went from a squishy immobile newborn to this miniature person who holds her own ...honestly... how?! 

She is now seven months old, half way to eight! Over the past two months she has changed enormously! 

At her six month check up she weighed in at 6.76kg (14.9 lbs) and was measuring 63.5cm (25 in.). She's slowed down a little bit in her growth, but nothing alarming since the two before her are petite themselves. It was one week before her half birthday that she officially started crawling, she was rolling places weeks before, but this is when she finally figured out how to move her legs and hands consecutively to propel herself forward. And by propel I mean it, this girl goes places, she's fast and sneaky! She also started solids around five and half months which she has taken to quite fondly, but thats another post!

Lately she's following in her brothers footsteps and discovered that the floor holds endless possibility of appetizers... we are constantly pulling bits of who knows what outta her mouth! I'll note right now that I vacuum daily... if not twice daily... and she STILL manages to find things! I like to call her hurricane Adie because she's also learned how to pull herself up on things and likes to clear all items from their rightful places, the living room is in a constant state of disaster. fun times. fun times. As for things she struggles with, the big one is sleep, and is as stubborn as mule when it comes to sleeping in her crib, she also has mommy separation issues... its hard some days, I'm a person who desperately needs my own space, too much clinginess throws me over the edge! But on a bright note she continues to love music and will perk right up with bright eyes and smiles when you sing to her... a current fave is "Itsy Bitsy Spider".

Zachery Turns Two : 20 Questions

Our Zachie boy just turned two! TWO! He is still so much of a baby in my eyes that its hard to believe that he's into that official toddler category. Every year I like to document (and eventually ask) what their current favorite things are. It's 20 questions, the same 20 questions every year, as time goes on we'll have something to look back on and laugh at and see how much they change over the years.

You can read his answers from last year here.

 
20 Questions for Zachery : Year Two

1 // What is your favourite color? Blue.

2 // What is your favourite toy? He likes any kind of sports ball, a current fave is his golf ball and hockey stick used a golf club.

3 // What is your favourite fruit? Grapes.

4 // What is your favourite movie? Not that into TV yet.

5 // What is your favourite outfit? Not outfit, but his jacket and shoes are his favourite things to wear.

6 // What is your favourite thing to eat for lunch? Anything, this kid is a bottomless pit!
7 // What is your favourite game?  Baseball or Basketball.
8 // What is your favourite animal? Dinosaurs and puppys.
9 // What is your favourite treat? Welchs Fruit Snacks.
10 // What is your favourite book? A Big Boy Now by Eileen Spinelli (He likes the bikes).
11 // What is your favourite song?  Ring-a-round-the-rosie.
12 // Who is your best friend? Rylee.
13 // What is your favourite drink? Milk, aka "bubba".
14 // What do you like to take to bed with you at night? Olaf, Puppy, Blankie, and now Dinosaur.
15 // What is your favourite thing to eat for breakfast? Yogurt and cheerios.

16 // What is your favourite thing to do outside?  Ride bikes.
17 // What is your favourite word?  Mine and no.
18 // What is your favourite thing to do?  Ride bikes, help cook, and eat.
19 // What is the latest thing you've learned? That a golf ball goes on a tee before you hit it (this, he figured out all by himself!).
20 // What do you want to be when you grow up? Can't answer that quite yet :P

wanna read more 20 Questions... go here! 

Adelyne : Four & Five Months

Our lovely little Adelyne hit her five month birthday on boxing day! We have been so busy that I missed her four month update so here I will try to remember the milestones in correct order and update both months. 

Four Months

At her four month check up she weighed in just over 13.5 lbs and was beginning to roll consistently from back to front and front to back. She started cracking more smiles at us which was pretty sweet. It was also around her four month mark that she got her first cold. She was congested in her chest, days and weeks went by and it just lingered on, so after the third week she developed a sporadic congested wheeze, which was a tad concerning because there's asthma in my family history, so that is when I broke down and took her to the doctor. The doctor agreed that her wheeze is concerning but due to her having a cold its really hard to give a clear diagnosis on whether she truly does have asthma or just a bacterial infection that just needed to run its long drawn out course. Just in case we went home with asthma medication and a special infant inhaler to use for a week and then to use as needed after that. Long story short the wheeze subsided and the cold lingered for a few more weeks and she has a check up in the next couple days.

Five Months

This girl experienced her first Christmas, first snow (if we could really call it that...), and met her aussie living Aunt Dani & Uncle Sam for the first time! She really began getting herself about during this month, she's not quite crawling, but she's definitely not staying where I leave her. She's also started giggling when tickled or watching her crazy brother and sister. Her favorite toy so far has been her Lamaze sensory octopus, its got lots of legs to grab a hold of or in her case to chew on. She loves her hands, they are regularly stuffed in her mouth, or shes attempting to suck her thumb all the while trying to suck on her soother... I think she's just mastering the skill of multitasking early on.

Adie's first Christmas (ps. why am I not in this picture?)

Snuggles with Great Gramma GG

Sweet moment with Gramma Jamma

Adelyne : Three Months

Adelyne is three months! To be honest, she was 3 months two weeks ago, Im a tad behind the game! At her three month checkup with the doctor she weighed in at 12.5 lbs, she's already half the size of her big brother!

She is still one calm little baby. Rarely does she lose it, she just lets us know her needs and is happy to just hang out watching us all zoom around her. She is starting to smile and babble way more. She's lasting longer playing on her tummy and has even rolled twice from tummy to back! We've also noticed she loves the TV or computer screen, haha i know not the greatest thing to be proud of but its pretty funny watching her trying to turn her whole body just to get a glimpse of it

Adelyne : Two Months

Our baby girl, Adelyne, is two months old... ALREADY! Time Please Stop. Just Stop.

Time is going too quickly, and I know I say it all the time, but seriously! I love that she's growing and developing but I miss my tiny little smushed up newborn. No more are the womb froggy legs, this girl likes to stand straight legged and really likes it when we help her bounce up and down... my arms however do not (I have pathetically weak arms!). 

At her two month vaccinations she weighed in at 11 lbs, and stands tall at 22 inches. She's starting to give us big toothless grins that could melt your heart in a second. She is able to combat crawl herself forward... I'm honestly in awe of her strength. And she has finally got her nights and days sorted out, she goes to bed at a reasonable hour and sleeps a solid 8−9 hours, it's absolutely amazing!

Zachery : 18 Months

Our Zachery hit a milestone just the other day, he's one and a half! Dang, it's so hard to believe! When I look at him I still see so much baby but reality is... my baby boy is growing up into a full fledged toddler. He's so full of life, runs wherever he goes, climbs whatever he can, and a boy who likes to get dirty every chance he can get. He's awesome!

18 Month Stats:

Weight: 23 lbs.

Height: 31 in.
Teeth: 10.5 (4 on top, 3.5 on bottom, 1 top and two bottom molars)

Diaper Size: 3

Clothing Size: 18m in pants, 24m in shirts

Shoe Size: 4

Words:

Mum‐ma

Dadee

Bub‐ba [milk]

Baaa [Ball]

Daaa [Dog]

Et‐it [Get it]

Ird [Dirty]

Entle [Gentle]

Ickel [Pickle]

Favourite Things To Eat:

Everything. Kidding, sort of... I call him the bottomless pit, he's happy eating anything! But some of his favorites for sure are: pickles, popcorn, cucumber, blueberries, grapes, kiwi, and yogurt.

Just Discovered:

The latest discovery has been his belly button. You can ask him where it is and he lifts his shirt and jabs himself in the belly repeatedly all while cracking up into the giggles. 

Within the last month he or I guess we discovered he's ready for bigger challenges, like feeding himself. No more help from Mom and Dad, he wants to do it all on his own otherwise he will not eat.

Things he loves :

Our little man loves to go outside, loves it! He brings me his shoes, hat, jacket, all of the above because he knows those things mean going outside. If he hears the door open, he bolts, any chance to escape he tries his darnedest and if he gets caught, get ready for a very sad little boy. 

He absolutely loves dogs! The excitement that comes out of him when he sees one on tv, in person, in a picture, or hears barking... pulls at my heart strings, because honestly, I never want a dog. I can only hope his stuffed puppies (his bedtime companions) will keep him happy.

He likes brooms, I know whats going to be his chore when he gets bigger... mwahaha!

If you watch him play he gravitates to things that have holes or can be put together.

Baseballs, soccer balls, bouncy balls, basketballs... he's going to be into sports I'm sure of it! Lately he's really been into playing catch, although he can't really catch he does have a good arm.

He loves the water! You gotta watch out for him, he's a splasher, and he likes to drink it... which is ok but contained bodies of water like baths and pools gives me the hibbidy gibbidies... those waters are pee infested!

Personality:

Zachery has always been a ray of sunshine, he is almost always smiling or laughing and it's so contagious. Once he knows he's got your attention he's such a ham, showing off just to make you laugh. While he's a total goofball, he's also a sensitive soul. It's not unusual to see him completely melt when you tell him "No" or "Stop", he'll give you what I call the "sucker face" complete with a full on lip quiver, it makes you want to cry and laugh all at the same time! We are seeing more and more him asserting more of his own independence, whether that be with feeding himself, or standing up to his big sister when she steals his toys, it's cute but its a hard phase of parenting being patient with this transition from baby to little person.

Milestone : Five Years

Sevio and I were married July 11, 2010 and we just recently celebrated our five year anniversary! It has been an amazing five years, full of adventure, challenges of all kinds, a roller coaster of emotions, and best of all lots of growth... individually and physically (quite literally!). It's actually kind of cool, in five years we've gone from individuals to a family of five!

So I came across this infographic way back and thought once our five year came along I would create our own. In a nutshell I've highlighted all the monumental events that have transpired throughout the years, have a look...

attribution for some of the icons used to make this graphic:

Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com             is licensed by CC BY 3.0

Zachery // 11 Months Old

I apologize in advance, along with my hiatus from blogging (which inevitably skipped this update...) I also avoided my camera... soooo I don't have many pictures to share from Zachary's 11th month! 

But moving right along... quite literally actually...

This month we saw our little man master the art of walking! He's officially a toddler and very rarely does he go anywhere on all fours anymore. This has added a whole new element of play for Rylee and Zach, and its adorable to watch, and hilarious as Rylee runs away and he just chases her full of giggles totally unaware she's pretending he's the "bad guy"! 

Zachery also had his fifteen minutes of fame with his first christmas show that his daycare put on. He was the youngest one up there and in my opinion the CUTEST, hah! With some help he rang his little bells, he even held his composure as one little girl next to him totally lost it! So fun and cute!

And you can't see him in this picture but we also had a well deserved family day (with some close friends) at the Vancouver Christmas Market! Although I was totally disappointed on the size of the market I was completely happy with the yummy treats we got to try and the merry go round was a sure hit with the bigger toddlers (I'll post some of those pictures soon!).

Zachery // 10 Months Old

Two months to go and we got ourselves a ONE year old!!

Over this past month we saw 4 teeth pierce their way through... 3 in one week (lots of restless nights then I tell ya!). He's got two bottom (they came first), and 1 and half top.

He broadened his tastebud horizons significantly by pretty much eating everything! The standouts were tofu, chicken, noodles, bread, beef, cheese, egg... this kid loves everything! And eats like a horse... not looking forward to the grocery bill of his teenage years!

He dressed up for his first halloween. He was a monster, and a freakin'deakin cute monster I might add (you can see more HERE).

And the big news of this month is that we've seen him take his first wobbly steps. He can stand on his own and has taken up to 4 or 5 steps before toppling over. I've been betting that he'll be walking by 10 and half months and I think I may just win (the satisfaction of being right).

Here is the face of what its like to eat meat (chicken) for the first time.

Eggtastic? Don't judge a book by its cover... he really did like the eggs.

Noodle Head! And check out that head... he had a run in with that rock wall you see in the background.

I've yet to capture him on video but this is him showing off taking a few steps at Ry's birthday party!