oops

I messed up. We won't have internet service until Friday. Bummer.

and off we go

Tomorrow is our move day. I get to unpack the boxes that I pack today. Maku wonders why I tape the boxes, "Don't you need that stuff when we move to the other house?"

I'll be back here later next week. Have a Happy New Year everyone.

o sweet Christmas

You are probably tired of seeing Christmas tree photos by now, I just want to give my sister a big thank you for hosting another memorable Christmas. We spent the night at her house and waited for Santa together. I also want to thank her for my new sewing machine. Yes! Now I don't have to keep borrowing hers.

The children received what they wished for. A dollhouse for Snow, a ninja for Maku and a plane for Jin.

things to love

It's not easy gettting into the festive spirit amidst moving boxes. I am so proud of Snow for her creative festive efforts. I love our paper tree.

I also fell in love with these dolls. They are handknitted in Peru from blablakids. They are so soft and so cuddly and best of all they are washable. I wonder if their recipients will love them as I do.

now the fun starts

We are officially on holiday. Two full weeks of no hurried breakfasts, dirty lunch boxes or bedtime before dark.

While the two are monkeying around, my niece Jin and I are working on a big craft project. An apron is not necessary but she felt like wearing one anyway. ^_^
I've been busy organizing and packing. I don't keep too many things but we're moving to a smaller place so I want to get rid of the little bit of clutter I have.

I hope Snow will do the same.

an after-school treat

a mid-week, right-after-school unplanned visit to the beach
no suits, no towels, just my camera and a hot cuppa

here's Maku occupying himself (again) with an upside down pot

it was such a treat, especially for me ^_^
with the wind and the waves muffling the sometimes fun and sometimes frustrating noises three children can make

but the real treat was catching a glimpse of hungry seabirds diving for dinner

and watching creepy crawlies scurry back into the gulf.

that unexpected break

enjoying the cool breezy days before winter
wrapping presents
and packing up for our 4-mile move

Goodbye white houses! Goodbye white cars!
Goodbye lollipopped trees and neatly squared bushes!
Perfectly lined palm trees and pesticide-filled grass!

his name is Tooter

curls lost

Maku's hair was looking dry and frizzy before our trip to Buffalo; the solution (or so I thought) was to give it a trim.
I grabbed a pair of scissors, pulled a section of his hair between my fingers, and started cutting. Several snips later his hair was looking like Sheena Easton's (yes, it was that awful). I panicked and asked Dave to help (big mistake!).
He ran a pair of clippers through my poor boy's hair like he was trimming a hedge. When there was barely enough hair to fix he stopped and suggested I take Maku to a barber.
I took him the next morning, camera in hand, but no pictures were taken. I ended up sitting on a barber's chair wrapped in a cape that smelled like a mixture of Pinaud and Barbasol while Sheena...er, I mean Maku, was on my lap getting his hair fixed.
It has been a month since the tragic trimming of the tresses and his curls are now slowly growing back.

And look what I found while I was looking for a curly headshot:

Maku having a go at his stomp rockets.

holiday shopping

Made my list, checked it twice
because shopping with a 3 year old is not always nice

Shirt on backwards, flip-flops flung through the air
Trying on a skirt can be such a nightmare

Running to the potty, crawling under a fitting room door
"I'm thirsty." "I'm tired." "Let's get out of this store!"

a sunny Sunday

Woke up to a warm, almost cloudless day. Morning was spent reading about Thomas Edison - did he really sit on goose eggs to try to hatch them?
After a light lunch we jumped into the pool. I jumped in and quickly jumped back out -- the water was cold! The children, however, played in the water 'til their lips turned blue.

We ended the day with plates of warm zucchini stuffed with smoked eggplant and large glasses of chilled pineapple juice.

Sundays - there's nothing quite like them ^_^

december 1st

How time flies when you're grown up. It's hard to believe it's the end of another month and that we are approaching the end of another year.
The first of December marks the start of our holiday decorating and gift-making. Maku is putting together little pots of aloe for his friends this year. He adorns them with pebbles and puts leaf beds for tired fairies to rest in.

Snow is sewing marble pouches like the one she made for herself a few weeks ago. Jin has complicated plans but nothing she can't handle on her own...

...just look at this cutie crayon case she made for a friend.

the Monday after

The girls are back to school after a five-day break. Snack time was lonely with two seats empty but Maku and I kept busy.

One of the things we did was play hide-and-go-seek.
"Maku, why don't you go hide while I start the laundry."
"Okay, Mom. I'll be hiding in the hammock just in case you can't find me."

shark specifics

The day before our trip, Maku drew me this.

"I need to bring a toy that can swim, if I accidentally drop it into Mimagra falls, I know it will be okay."

We had to make it to his specifications or potentially lose it forever.

orange - so it could easily be spotted by rescuers
blue eyes - so it could see well under raging waters
no gills - so it could breathe in air during the helicopter lift


Booksie was never dropped into the river but there have been many rescues, some more complex than others. There was a cave rescue that lasted for days with many rescue dogs hurt. Today he was found stuck in a bamboo forest and was rescued by a helicopter. Where would you go if you were a shark with no gills?

and here is part 3

After getting drenched from the heavy mist, a bit of sun and wind helped dry us off.

Then we visited Horseshoe Falls. We were greeted by a great cloud of mist and loud, thunderous roars. The children (and Dave) rolled down the slope over and over until they were completely exhausted.

I am not quite sure if these two even glanced at the falls. They were much too busy with other things. Cousins, black squirrels, fallen maple leaves and layer-upon-layer of clothing.

Before 7 am the next day, we were back on a plane headed home.

Niagara Falls, part 2

The Bridal Veil Falls - view from the top.

And the in-your-face view from the bottom.


We had a delicious Thanksgiving celebration. I handed the apron over to Dave, he had such a fun day in the kitchen he's still in there cleaning up.

Niagara Falls, part 1

The American Falls as seen from Luna Island. I always get a thrill when I see a rainbow, and this one seemed to be an arm's reach away.

Crossing the bridge to Luna Island was like walking through the perfect jigsaw-puzzle scene.


More to come. I will be preparing our Thanksgiving feast all day tomorrow but will try to post while the side dishes are simmering.

Have a happy Thanksgiving! And to those who don't celebrate, have a happy Thursday!