Friday, April 29, 2011

Letter 3: The Beauty of Curiosity

I was lucky to be invited to a kid tour of Amy's Farm in Ontario. And WOW did you enjoy that hour tour of animals. First we got to sit on some benches under some nice and shady Wisteria vines, while Farmer Hilary told all the kids what we were going to see on the farm. You cracked me up because after each sentence she said You repeated it with so much excitement and your eyes would sparkle up. Farmer Hilary told all the kids to "follow the Leader" and lets just say you follow instructions very well.














We got to enjoy their large vegetable garden, She handed out shelling sweet peas to the kids and told them it was nature candy inside the pod. You listen to every word she said and ate the peas out of the pod like it was candy, while other kids did not even want to try them. The kids also got to pick onions for Wilma the cow and rainbow swiss Chard for the chicken. We got to sit in the shade while they brought over Wilma, and told us she was 75 in cow years and her favorite treat are onions. We got to smell and look at the onions before feeding them to her.



After that we got are piece of swiss chard to give the chickens. Which was fun to see all the roosters and chickens, you really liked a rooster that had this spiky feather hair-do which you said looked like a prince crown...love how everything somehow relates to princesses and princes. After we were done we got to give the sheep and goats some love....literally for you because you made sure you rubbed every animal in that pen and went back a few times to love the baby lambs.

We finished our Tour with the chance to milk a mommy cow named Honeybun which you loved the name. The Farmer gave us instructions which i could see you absorbing it all in like a sponge. The more she talked the more you got excited about milking a cow. I think you were ready to run and get yourself a glass a milk.

After that we got to pet some baby pigs named Oreo, Cookie and Creme.  And we washed our hand to go see what veggies they sell from their garden. You wanted some candy peas to take home. We found out they have a little produce market and they have bigger sales on Saturday where they post their current crop on their blog. I truly felt like i got to see how curious and enthusiastic you are about the world around you.  I loved the chance to expose you to all the great stuff out there. I hope i get to make you a well rounded and open minded person who loves all that god has created and placed on earth for us to use and love.



Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Letter 2: Being in the Present

I feel like this past easter weekend was jam packed busy, but as i reflect on how you handled it. It reminds me to live in the moment, truly just enjoying what's happening or what i am doing at that very moment.  My Saturday was mostly spent at church doing a rehearsal, then later at a easter vigil/baptism. But in between, we were invited by some neighbors for a little easter party. Which you were fully consumed by, all the easter decor, the coloring table, the small bounce house with a tiny ball pit and of course the pirate ship playhouse. By the way, Thank you Lozano Family for the invite, we always enjoy your parties.













Here you are going "Argh" while steering the pirate ship. This is seriously what i consider getting into the moment. I had a few laughs as you walked around saying argh with the plastic sword you found. And when i found you in the captain's quarter with the pretend map and ball n chains. To see you so engaged into your pretend role, also pleased me, to see your imagination rolling so quickly and how much you were enjoying yourself.














You also enjoyed the plastic tube your Dad rolled you in, you had so many giggles and laughs coming out of you, i started to enjoy the moment and stopped looking at the clock.


Later that night we went to an Catholic Easter Vigil  which included a baptism that I was part of because i am my niece's godmother. It was going to be about 3 hours, and because I have never sat you down for something that long I packed a little bag with drawing books for your entertainment while sitting with your dad, being that i had to sit in the front pew. You got to all dressed up which you loved, swirling around and showing off your dress. Later after the mass, i found out that you enjoyed it and behaved really well. I was told that you enjoyed all the standing and sitting that was asked of you. That you were repeating what the priest and bishop were saying. That you were dancing and swaying to the music, and enjoyed the first half which was lit by candles, which i thought would've scared you. Of course in my brain I got irritated with myself because I was so concerned for your comfort that I keep looking back at you, kept waiting to hear you getting upset. I was just waiting for something to happen that your dad would run out of church for. To only learn that you adapted quite well into your environment, often enjoying yourself. I am learning not to worry so much, especially with the "what-ifs" and instead just worry maybe when something is actually happening. Sunday was a busy but relaxed day and I just decided to let go of my concerns and just enjoy myself, after seeing how happy and present you were all weekend. Living in the moment is something i hope you somehow continue to do all the way into adulthood. It a way of life that I think everyone has to do to live life to the fullest. I struggle with it but am truly working on it. I have you to remind me, thank you. Another reason to add to all the other hundred of reasons of why I love you.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Beyond Thankful

Well I went by the restaurant when they opened today and they did have the camera. I seriously was about to hug the guy i was so happy. I thought writing blogs with no photos would not visual please me, so i thought the start of my blog was going to die before i really got to start it. So I played on Olivia's sea-saw (i think that's how you spell it) and let all her silly screams and giggles let all my crazy "What-if -I-Lost-My-Camera" emotions melt away.

I also finally found a compost bin for cheaper then i planned and am super excited about this Easter weekend. Literally thank god...i feel like everything was going my way today and it felt nice.

Lost Camera

Well i had some photos ready to upload from my camera to only find myself freaking out. I could not find my camera only to realize i took it to dinner on Tuesday and must of left it there. Now i am waiting for this place to open in hopes they still have it there. I am seriously praying they do, if not i am going to cry because i just got the camera less then a month ago. And just got some great photos of Olivia.  :-(  

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Letter 1: Little Helper

It's amazing how over just a few months you suddenly want me to leave you alone and want to be independent. Which I was super happy about when you were using the potty after months of trying to potty train and all the accidents you had. You suddenly decided to be a big girl and were going to the bathroom all by your self. Which I have some pretty sweet pictures of you asleep sitting the the potty but decided to not post those since one day you may be mad at me about it.

So on Monday you insisted on "helping" me make dinner and you wanted to see everything. So up you went on the tiny counter by my stove but away from direct contact of cooking food. I was  not enjoying the idea of cooking with you there.

But boy did you enjoy it, I was cutting up mushroom and letting you hand them to me but of course before you would take a bite of each mushroom. Which gave me this warm fuzzy feeling inside because I use to always grab a mushroom as a kid behind my mom's back when at them store. So happy to see you like them too. You also enjoyed sampling the spinach I was chopping after that.

Just the thought of  sharing this time of cooking dinner with you next to me asking all your curious questions. Definitely a moment I enjoy, just for the reason of you wanting to be with me because I know over time this relationship I have with you will go through it phases of change. Also just seeing you enjoy the food sampling and being IN the moment with you, on top of all the silly faces you made for the camera.


Monday, April 18, 2011

My Need to Treasure my Daughter now

I'm SO excited about the baby i am starting to feel move inside me, but  the change it brings makes me think about the future. I love ALL the moments and joy my first Daughter Olivia has brought me and how my time will be divided by two in about 154 days. I am a middle child, but at one time was the youngest, then felt like the only child in the house, then became a big sister (which felt like the oldest in the house). Which i think each stage had an impact on me and wonder about the effect this will have on Olivia and what ways it may change her to be the oldest child. She has became the little girl i have always dreamed of so far, i love her over the top personality,   her conversations and her need to dance and sing. The goal of me trying to blog....which i hope i can do this, i am not the writer in any form or way. But this is my need to capture Olivia in any way i feel important now, and also for her to know one day what kind of child she was and all MY hopes and dreams for her.
Oh how much i loved this stage, Olivia at 3 month