Happy Birthday, Maelyn!

Our big girl turned 6 today -- how did that even happen?? It seems like just yesterday she was placed in our arms, so very little. Today, looking at her, I realized yet again how quickly she has grown into such a wonderful, amazing, strong girl who is ready to take on the world.

This morning she woke up to six balloons in her bedroom and she loved them. Even better was the fact that Grandpa picked her up at school and took her out for lunch for her favourite food -- sushi! To top it off, she came home to flowers from Auntie April and video messages and birthday songs from family and friends.

Ailee just had to be included in the festivities... :)

Maelyn opened her gift from us -- plane tickets to Disney World. She has been saving all of her money for quite some time now to be able to go where she believes the princesses are born and live. Although I know she is excited, I don't think she quite 'got' what we were giving her. She will once we are on our way! :)

It was a nice way to end a very busy first week back to school. Maelyn is now really looking forward to her birthday party with her friends next weekend. 

Happy Easter!

Easter was a quieter event this year. My new niece was due to arrive on Easter weekend, so our typical family get together was postponed. Add to that how crazy-busy our lives have been lately and we chose to keep things simple.

We woke up on Easter morning and the girls were thrilled that the Easter Bunny had visited our house. (Mom and Dad were smart this holiday - we didn't remind them about the Easter Bunny the night before, so they slept in!)

Checking out the goodies that the Easter Bunny brought...

Sharing some chocolate with Pandy...

Blowing bubbles -- her favourite activity!

The festivities were done by 8am -- we had a blast! This year, Ailee loved searching for the eggs and kept running from hiding place to hiding place. She still ate a ton of chocolate, but a lot less than last year! :)  Maelyn, as always, loved the hunt and searching for the tricky hiding spots.

We spent the rest of the day in our pyjamas, changing only to go outside to ride our bikes. At nap time, Ailee was almost asleep when she opened her eyes and shouted out, "Chocolate is so yummy!" I have to agree! :)

Xin nian kuai le!

Happy New Year! I am a little late in posting, but I figure that since CNY technically lasts 15 days, I am still posting during the holiday. :)

This year, Maelyn was excited to help prepare the hongbao for her classmates. She couldn't wait to share this special holiday with her friends. Maelyn brought a few read alouds about Chinese New Year to share with the class and her teacher read them throughout the week.

On the big day, Maelyn wore her traditional dress and had her hongboa and CNY colouring pages ready to go in her backpack. To top it all off, it was crazy hair day at school!

Unfortunately, our CNY celebration with our friends had to be delayed because of the weather. This winter has been a long and tough one -- so many get togethers have been cancelled or delayed. Hopefully, we will be able to celebrate together soon!

Welcome!

What better way to procrastinate the completion of my report cards than to create a new look for the blog?! We are finally adjusting to our new normal around here -- the both of us being at work has been interesting. :)

I am really looking forward to slowly getting back to doing a few activities that I enjoy and find relaxing-- such as blogging. So stay tuned for some way past due updates and of course, tons of picture of our two little monkeys. :)

The Royal Winter Agricultural Fair

 

I was on my own with the girls on a weekend when the Royal Winter Agricultural Fair was in Toronto. I decided that rather than trying to entertain them at home, we would go on an adventure together and explore the fair. I hadn't ever been to the fair myself, so I was excited about going for the first time with my favourite little monkeys.

 

 

It was so nice to just take our time looking at all of the animals and exploring the grounds. I loved being able to slow down and enjoy our time together.



Both Maelyn and Ailee were so disappointed that
 they couldn't ride the horses!




Enjoying our packed dinner, while looking at the horses...

 

 

 

A highlight of our visit was the large petting zoo area. The girls absolutely loved feeding the goats -- they kept trying to steal all of their pellets! At one point, a goat took Ailee's pellets -- including the

cup!

 

 

Playing at the indoor playpark...

Maelyn was helping her sister conquer the climbing wall...

This 'sandbox' was fantastic! It was filled with grains and seeds -- so much fun to play with!

A treat at the end of a perfect outing!

We had such a blast together! What a wonderful way to spend the afternoon and evening. I put the girls in the pyjamas and we headed home just in time for bed time -- perfection! :)

Forever Family Day - One Year!

One year ago today we were anxiously waiting to meet our new daughter -- to become a family of four. And then after waiting for about an hour for her to arrive, there she was.....and our lives felt complete.

In many ways it feels as though Ailee has been a part of our family forever -- and in others, we just can't believe that the past year has flown by so quickly!

Our baby has grown -- so much has changed over the past year. The girls have gone from adversaries to the best of friends. Ailee has gone from having no words to being a little chatterbox. From a baby to a little girl.

She is such a sweetheart with a smile that lights up the room. My heart melts each time she wants a cuddle and is nestled in my arms. My heart feels full -- our girls are home and they are the most wonderful parts of our lives.