The weekend of trains and a new TV (or treehouse as Sarah calls it)

Sarah and I grabbed the bin of train tracks and Thomas and all his friends on Friday when we were at the MFRC for our weekly mom's group. When Dale got home after a very long week of work he was so excited. He wasn't sure who was enjoying building more - Sarah or Daddy!

By the time Sunday rolled around we'd moved the carpet and really got down to business!

Thomas on the track. Look out!

Dale worked on Saturday (he had to fly all day) so Sarah and I set out to buy her some plastic covered potty training pants at Toys 'r us.  She's started to show a great interest in all things to do with potty training so I thought it was time to try it out. We bought a new toilet ring and the training pants. Oh - and some paints and a book that I've been looking everywhere for. Man - that's a dangerous store! Anyway - she did very well in the morning but had an accident after lunch. Apparently being pregnant makes me more likely to gag. Gross! First time for a poo in the panties. You'd think I wouldn't care because I'm used to cloth diapers but I still gagged. So - we washed them and they were back on again that night until bedtime. She's managing to remember to pee on the toilet but the poo part of things may take a while.

Today (Sunday) Dale took Sarah for swimming lessons. She now has absolutely no fear in the pool and can float on her back with hardly any support and can kick her feet and move her arms at the same time. What a difference from a couple of months ago when she was clinging on to a parent for dear life!

 This afternoon Dale went to Costco for the big purchase - a 37" LG HDTV. He's going to finish setting it up tonight. Gone will be the days of waiting for the TV to warm up for 1/2 an hour before we can watch it! Dale's pretty happy about the 19 years that his old TV lived for, though. I bet this TV won't last that long!

Valentine's Day

Grandma and Grandpa Holm sent a Valentine's day card for Sarah that had a crown and bracelet (paper) as part of the card. She also got a very nice necklace. She's modeling them in the pictures below. She picked out her outfit, by the way. She LOVES her fancy shoes (everything is 'fancy' since she got her Fancy Nancy book from Aunty Gwyn and Uncle Tim at Christmas). I better get a move on on my plan to get her a tickle trunk full of costumes! She's going to need it!

Nana and Bummpa also sent her a Valentine's Day card which she loves.  Now whenever we stop to get the mail she's pretty sure there will be an envelope for her! Maybe at Easter time... :o)

Dale bought both Sarah and I a bouquet of flowers. How thoughtful. Sarah was so impressed that she has her very own flowers. She loves smelling them...

and eating them...

and being a clown. Nice teeth!

We have a piece of brown paper that came in a package and she's adopted it for her toy box right now. It has many roles - sometimes its a snake, or a snail or a boat. I was making dinner the other day and when I turned around she'd emptied the contents of her toy box onto it - and she was paddling that boat as hard as she could.

Skating on the river at the Forks in January

We went skating a few times in January down at the Forks.  The weather got too mild in February so I don't think they'll open all the trail again. They will break their record for the longest trail this year - they made it all the way from the Forks to Assiniboine Park on the river. Pretty impressive! We, however, certainly didn't skate that far. Last year Sarah was content to hang out in the stroller while we skated. Not so much this year - she wants to pull the sled just as much as she's willing to sit in it. So - that means 10 minutes of skating while pulling her on her sled and then I change into my boots and we walk on the walking trail right beside the skating trail while Dale takes off for a bit of a skate. Suits me just fine - I'm afraid of falling since I'm pregnant.

This is the band shell during the summer months - a small skating rink in the winter.

Sarah had a great time climbing up this 'mountain' of snow and sliding down it.

Sarah the snow penguin. She's really into penguins these days. We have a book that we read (yes, an Usborne one!) called 'How big is a Million?' that's all about a penguin named Pipkin who goes out into the great wide world to find out just how big a million is... So - every penguin is named Pipkin for Sarah.

They have a little playground built out of blocks of ice up by the market area. Sarah had some fun there!

There was even a tunnel - she loves tunnels!

Sarah pulling her sled on the slippery ice

Watching Daddy skate on the shinny rink on the river. On a mild weekend day this place is usually absolutely packed with people. 

Anne's posse visit

I managed to get to Vancouver (without Dale and Sarah) in between snow storms for my visit with my 'posse' of friends from teacher training. The last time we saw each other was at Dale and my wedding in 2005. We had a great catch up session! Nara came all the way from Williams Lake, Kirsty was on her way to Prince George for Christmas from Hawaii and Erin and I came over from the Island.  Kirsty and Nara had a hard time getting their flights back up to Northern BC on the Sunday due to bad weather. I think it took them an extra day!

front row - Anne and Laura. Back row - Erin, Kirsty and Nara.

Laura and her husband Riel and their son, Liam. Liam loved the attention from the Aunties and Riel took having 4 extra women in his home extremely well!

Happy chappy Liam!

Halliday-Gunn's visit and New Year's

We couldn't get to Vancouver in mid-December to visit our friends the Halliday-Gunns so they came over to Salt Spring to visit for a couple of days after Christmas. We went for a lovely walk at Ruckle Park while they were visiting.

Ian

Lee the intrepid photographer taking pictures of her kids on the logs by the ocean.

Mieka and Graeme Halliday-Gunn

view towards Morseby Island

Dale and Sarah watching the sheep

We went over to stay with Stephanie and Brian McFarlane for New Year's. They had a big party for their friends with kids - started and ended early. We celebrated New Year's with Newfoundland. :o)

Steph and Rachel

All the kids at the party. Brian was playing guitar in the background so I could try to get the shot

Sarah 'pianoing' (her verb). She LOVES music and the piano especially

We went to the beach while we were in Victoria. It was a cold and windy day (but it wasn't raining!) so we didn't stay very long but Sarah got to throw some rocks in the ocean.

Christmas 2008

We arrived on the West coast to find it a winter wonderland...the kind we were hoping the leave behind in Winnipeg! Its a good thing that we brought Sarah's snowsuit.

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Sarah and Grammie out in the yard.

Sarah's transportation (other than being carried). The snow was too deep for her to walk in.


Snow angel time!

On Christmas Eve the grandkids opened one present - the top that Grammie found in an online store from England.  The tops are the old fashioned ones and they're beautiful! 

Clara (Gwyn and Tim's daughter - below with Gwyn) is a bit too young to really take advantage of it yet, but the spinning was mesmerising! 

Katie and Sarah had a great time figuring them out!

Sarah was tuckered out by all the excitement so she curled up for a nap with wrapping paper as a blanket.

Sarah and Katie (her cousin)

Sarah and baby Clara

Gwyn, Tim and Clara opening stockings on Christmas Day.

Mike and Katie opening stockings

Sarah and Dale doing much the same thing

Mike, Elaine, Katie and Mom (Grammie)

Sarah and our Auntie Robyn's dog (mom and dad were dog sitting over Christmas)

Sarah the clown wearing her Christmas outfit (thanks to Auntie Tina for that - she sent it all the way from Newfoundland)

Sarah and Katie showing off their Christmas outfits...and squirming at having to sit still

Katie trying on her gift from Grammie - hat and mittens.

Nice modeling girls!

The two cousins getting art lessons from Granddaddie...it turned into a 'mine' session with the crayons. Not at all surprising from two two year olds!