Happy Birthday my Little Girl

It's Kiera's third Birthday, so this post is dedicated to pictures of her.

Do Over...

With no job to go back to after maternity leave, I have been thinking a lot about what I want to do.  If I want to change careers, now is a good time.

When I was 6, I wanted to be a professional baseball player, a teacher or a business woman.

If life was perfect and I could do anything, what would I do?

Photographer

Psychologist
Event Planner
Singer
Chef
RULE THE WORLD

Actually, not that last one, too much work.

It's Never Too Early to Start

I am not sure why, but I am on this creativity kick right now.  Thinking about it, but not really doing anything with it yet.

Creativity is something I want to encourage in our girls.  Even if you are not artistic, musical, etc, you can still be creative.  Even in the business world, creativity helps you think "outside the box" (I wish I knew what box they are talking about), and come up with new or innovative solutions.

Kiera loves to colour and draw and paint, and do anything that makes a mess, so we do those kinds of things.  However, I just discovered something else they can do, BLOG.

I know, you would think that something like that would be obvious, but I never thought about it as something kids do.  Until I heard about blogs written by kids.

Veg (Mary) is a 9 year old girl in Scotland that has been photographing and talking about her schools cafeteria food on her blog NeverSeconds.  She even started Mary's Meals to school lunch programs in developing countries.

In Toronto, KJ, who is 8 years old and the worlds youngest blogger, posts news stories that are interesting to children and adults alike on his blog.

What an amazing way to allow kids to express themselves, share their interests and develop language skills.  Perhaps one day Kiera and Kayla will have their own blog, and they can talk about "Life with Mommy and Daddy."

Family Bucket List

While surfing the net, with a baby sleeping in one arm and dog napping on my legs, I came across this article: 25 Activities To Do During Maternity Leave. I was intrigued.  This might give me some ideas of things to do with the kids.  I opened the article and started reading.

What I thought was just a list of activities turned out to be a Bucket List for the Family.  The author is actually doing 101 things to do in 1001 days (Heather's List).  Now, that might be a little too ambitious for me, but I have come up with our Family Bucket List.  To me, it's on going.  As we discover new things, I will add to the list.

Short Term (next 5 years)

Personal

Learn to shower when home alone with kids

Brush Teeth regularily

Get a Pedicure

Get a Haircut

Make a 50 Things I Enjoy List (I like Lists)

Read 15 books just for fun

Reach goal weight, and maintain it for 3 months

Family

Take kids to a movie

Go camping

Build a snowman

Take the kids tobogganing

Take the kids to the Library

Create a list of favourite places we visited as children

Take kids to the zoo

Romantic

Go out for just dessert

Go to a play, concert and movie together

Friends

Start a monthly Mom's Night Out

Sport

 Try Roller Derby on their open night

Food and Drink

 Make olive oil infusions

Do the city's cocktail tour

Household

 Clean out my closet

Mud and paint hallway

Hang framed photos

Finish reno's to living room

Open RESP for Kayla

Update will

Create a 72 hour disaster kit

Professional/Creative

 Take a Photography course

Print and frame 1 creative photo I've taken

Update Resume

Work on Dillon Family tree

Long Term (10 years)

Family

Take kids to favourite places on list

Romantic

Plan an anniversary weekend away

Tour a winery we have not been to before

Friends

Go on a motorcycle road trip with another couple

Sport

Skydive

Learn to SCUBA

 

What would be on your list?

Run away little balloon

Recently, on our way somewhere (I don't remember where or when exactly since no one was bleeding), I saw a balloon floating up into the sky.

Wondering where it came from, I looked around.  I was frightened by what I saw.

A mother, on her knees, looking under her van.  A 2 year girl in one hand, playing a toddlers favourite game "Dead Weight".  There were 3 or 4 balloons in the other hand and a 6 year old boy beside her.

My first thought was please don't let that happen to me!  

My second thought was we must stop and help her.  

And my third thought was "Oh My Goodness.  I'm a mom!"

The Truth Things New Mom's should know

12 things I wish I had known as a new momBabyCenter Blog |

I read this article and thought "Exactly."  Of course, as a first time mom, I doubt I would have listened.

I have definitely noticed a change in attitude and priorities, and time in raising Kayla compared to Kiera.

If the soother falls in the floor...
Kiera - taken away, spare one pulled out of the purse, dropped one washed then boiled for 10 minutes
Kayla - pick it up, inspect it for hairs, wipe it off, put it back in her mouth

Feeding solid foods...
Kiera - cereal for first 2 weeks, then vegetables for 1 month waiting a 4 days between introducing new flavours in case of allergies
Kayla - cereal for 2 or 3 days, mixed vegetables right away, wait a day or 2 between introducing new flavours

Kiera - 4 months

Photographs...
Kiera - monthly growth photo's taken with her giraffe and shared on facebook
Kayla - random photo's taken with cell phone and posted on facebook (no monthly schedule)

Toys...
Kiera - age appropriate toys and nothing else
Kayla - anything that she cannot choke on or otherwise hurt herself with or that she can damage (we let her play with the DVD remote)

Kayla - 4 months

Illness...
Kiera - temperature taken at the slightest sign on anything
Kayla - temperature not taken at all, she is always happy

In the end, I think both of the girls will out to be happy, well adjusted adults.
I hope...

Little Artist

Speaking of being creative, here is our little artist at work.

The Light Side

I am not a creative person by any means, but I do enjoy some creative pursuits.

I love to blog.

I am the next Car Star Idol.

 

I do Think I Can Dance badly.

 But the truth is, if I was ever to explore my creative side, I would be a photographer.  I love capturing nature in perfection. 
The world is so beautiful and powerful.

 

Melotov Cocktail

My sis played her inaugural roller derby bout a few nights ago.  We dressed up, got the noise makers and made signs to cheer her on.

 

What is it about Roller Derby that attracts the fans?  I might be the hot pants and fish nets, but the crowd was mostly women.  

Is it the hip checks and shoulder checks that send the other girls flying? Or maybe its the spills that thrill?  What other sport allows women to take out frustrations in such a way?

According to Melotov, it is because it is the only sport where you can check a girl into the stands, and have her come back to you and say "Good Hit!"  Those ladies have a great camaraderie both with each other, and with the teams they are playing against.

No matter what it is, I would love to be in on it.  One day, I may be lacing up a pair of skates myself.

There is an app for that.

Literally, there is. There is a Blogger app for my phone.
That means I can post a blog any where I have my phone and wifi. In fact, I am posting from my phone right now (otherwise I would post a picture of me posting from my phone).
I promise not to post from the bathroom.
PS the photo was taken with another app I love Paper Camera

Our Doggy Chef

Kiera has made a delectable, beautifully presented lunch for Bolt.

Just look at the composition, the use of colour.

And for dessert, I was treated with a pencil crayon popsicle.

Yummy.