My new favorite picture of Faith

Duncan took this at Christmas. (I know, I know...get a digital camera!)

Who says TV isn't good for your kids?

Faith and I were having supper tonight when she looked at me and said, "Take chances. Make mistakes."

Thinking this was a pretty profound statement for a four-year old, I asked, "Where did you learn that from?"

"TV!" she replied.

OK...teachable moment, I think. She heard it on the Magic School Bus that morning. (Every morning she gets up and eats breakfast in our room while we get ready for work. This means watcing the Magic School Bus...which is actually a pretty educational show.)

So, we talked about why taking chances and making mistakes was a good idea.

I like TV. :)

Girl power...

Picture Faith dancing around in a pink t-shirt saying, "I'm a giiiirl. Giiiirl power."

Her favorite t-shirt is pink and says Girl Power. Is there something contradictory here? I haven't decided yet. :)

Mom, you don't have your listening ears on

What does it say about your parenting skills when your child says, "Mom, I saaaid, 'Pleeeease get me some milk.' You don't have your listening ears on!"

My stomach hurts...but I can have dessert

Faith decided that her stomach hurt at the end of supper. (Perhaps it was all those snacks before supper...I know, bad parenting.) The conversation went something like:

F: "Ohhh! My stomach hurts! Ohhh!"
M: "Well, you should go lay down."
F: "Ohhh! But I can still eat dessert. Ohhh!"

Apparently Smarties are medicinal.

Hey lady...our little speed demon

Faith has turned into a speed demon on her bike. We've been taking advantage of the great weather and extra light to walk (me) and ride (her) after supper. I actually have to jog to keep up...luckily she stops for snacks a lot. (She keeps a bag of cheerios on her bike at all times.)

But, not only is she fast now, she can do "tricks". Look ma, no hands! I can ride one-handed!

This leads to waving and saying hi! (I know, Faith saying hi to strangers!) Or, my personal favorite, one hand on the handlebars, one hand waving saying "Hey lady!"

Mmmmm...maple syrup

On Saturday, F--, C-- and I set out on an adventure to witness maple syrup production, pet baby farm animals, and eat pancakes. We travelled to McCullys Farm, just outside of St. Mary's, where we got to travel on a horse drawn wagon through the sugar bush. We saw all the buckets of sap being collected, as well as the huge, wood stove where they boiled the sap down to make the syrup. This was all quite interested to the girls, although even more interested was the cat that came along for the ride. He looked just like Boots (C--'s cat) but without a tail (a manx, as C-- informed me).

Then, we got to see a barn full of baby animals -- pigs goats, lambs, bunnies. There were also chickens, ducks, miniature ponies, and a rather sad looking donkey. Very Eeyore-like. The girls were most fascinated, however, by the new baby lambs that were born a couple hours before we got there. It was live and in-color, including the afterbirth, which they found mesmerizing. They got to pet the baby goat, lamb, horse, and the "favourite", a baby bunny. F-- was great because she went up and pet each animal.

Afterwards, we had pancakes, maple sausage and maple baked beans, drenched in maple syrup. Yummy.

Once the girls were suitably reved up on sugar, we went into Stratford to pick out W--'s first birthday present at Family and Company, a very cool toy store. They have selling down to an art there. The staff walk around demonstrating the toys, and anytime the kids touch something, the staff person shows them how to play with the toy. A fun place for kids, and I escaped by just buying the girls a 50 cent pink, stretchy lizard. :)

The funniest part of the day was the ride home. C-- states from teh back seat, "Countdown to a toot. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." Toot. And a real stinker too. :) Her parents were suitably impressed by their daughter's talents when I recounted the incident.