Self Portrait

minnie's new bff

hanging out at minnie's house...

together

I can't believe I'm posting this...and NO, this does not count as MATCHING outfits...but seriously, we're pretty adorable, yes?

our little girl....

man, they grow up fast!

A Day In The Life Of Elmo....

ELMO INVITED TO BREAKFAST...
















ELMO GETS AROUND...
















ELMO MAKES A FRIEND....












ELMO'S CLOSE-UP












ELMO TAKES A BIKE RIDE





ELMO & TAEYA DANCING (wearing Grandma's shoes)





ELMO TAKES A DIVE...

Getting Back To You

You know how when a friend calls and leaves a message and it's a really busy week and you just don't have the chance to get back to them? And then the next week is really busy too and although you think of them a lot, you just can't find the time to pick up the phone. And then by week three, you feel like you've been rude and now you have to apologize and that's difficult and time consuming in itself....anyway, you get the point. That's how I feel about this blog. But I'm here now and maybe next time, I'll even post some photos.

For the moment, we're all surviving. I am in rehearsals for my play, which is fabulous but....we're at the point where we rehearse 8 hours and then perform for an audience at nights (previews). All of this means that Steve is doing a fabulous job playing "mom" except that Taeya clearly takes after her parents and is insanely stubborn about bedtime. Meaning that she waits until I get home (at midnight) to go to bed with me.

The interesting thing about this play is that one of the central themes is a father who dies of cancer. It's...um...hard to go there every day but also probably helpful. Although in the last few days, I find that the realization that Earl is dead hits me like I'm being punched in the stomach and I sit there winded and trying to figure out how to recover. I still find it hard to believe and I can't believe that I can't pick up the phone and talk to him. In the last scene of the play, the father has died and comes back to talk to his son - to have the conversation with him that he could never have in life. I still can't watch it. I guess it will get easier.

On a more positive note, Taeya is a wonder to behold for us. She has mastered the alphabet and totally delights in picking out letters from books and signs she sees. She's also counting to 10 (over and over and over again!) and has started talking in sentences. How weird to have her say, "I want to touch that". Or "No broccoli, more pasta please". [Although I'm sure no one but Steve and I understand her. We've become experts in toddlerese.] All of a sudden, we're living with a human being who has very clear opinions on what we do. Never mind the whole parroting thing...she now says "wow" and "cool" a lot. Apparently, I should upgrade my vocabulary.

But nothing is better than the way she runs across a room and flings herself onto my body and holds me as tightly as she possibly can, and then she whispers in my ear "Mama, Mama, Mama, I love you." They never told me it could be this good.

Anyway, I do have many pictures to upload and post and lots more to say but it's 1:30 in the morning so 'till next time....

Merry Christmas To The Great White North....

I have no pictures to post because my camera is temporarily on haitus (it's a holiday thing). It is sunny, warm and we are off to enjoy a seafood luau in La Jolla to celebrate our non-Christmas Christmas. Then we may take a walk on the beach :-) We have been very busy lounging for the last week and intend on doing more in the week to follow. The snow kids and the city kids are all arriving next week to do their own lounging and hopefully by that point I'll have convinced my camera to go back to work. I hope this day is filled with laughter, love and family for everyone. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night....

Grief

He passed away on November 29th at 7:34pm. In his final moments, he found peace. He was the greatest father I could have asked for and he will be deeply missed.

His death was a remarkable experience and I hope I can write about it one day. Right now I am so profoundly sad that I don't know what to do with myself. I am so filled up with sadness and grieving that I think perhaps I'll try to pass some around at the funeral....stand at the door and hand out little gift bags of grief for all the attendees to take with them so that I don't have to carry the world's grief inside my heart.

We are in Calgary now (at yet another hotel) and the funeral is tomorrow. Then we are finally coming home......