Spectacular!!!

That's the word I want to use to describe our local mountains today. We took the girls up to go skiing and out of all the times I've been there, I think today was one of the most beautiful times ever! The road conditions were superb thanks to the snowplowing up there this year. They were also the nicest groomed trails I have experienced here and the weather was unbelievable! The sky was bright blue and it was warmer up there than at home. We have been leant this amazing sled to pull Aja behind our skiis for the winter. We used to take Aja in our regular sled with a rope, but this is actually meant for pulling behind skiis so it has a harness and a raised bottom. It was amazing- Aja was so comfy and happy as could be and it felt like nothing pulling her behind us. It was an amazing day! (Remember to click to see larger pics).

Epic power ballad

A couple tracks for the music lovers out there.

Its christmas holidays and chris has taken over the blog. Enjoy...

Ballerinas

Sedona has decided she doesn't really like tap and wants to go back to ballet, so we had to get her all suited up again. 

Happy Birthday to Dada!

 
 Ysterday was Chris' birthday. We had some friends over and made a big Italian feast! Here's to the best dad and husband around!

Christmas Morning

We had a very relaxed Christmas this year. Chris' family was all away this year, so it was just us for the day. After opening gifts and eating a nice breakfast, we went down to the beach for a walk. It was a really nice way to spend the morning. Then we had our good friends over for a turkey dinner. Here's hoping you all had a relaxed Christmas as well!

Very Clever!

My Mom goes to this "One of a Kind" Craft Fair every year in Toronto. I remember getting some of the most unique things from there for Christmas. She got these bike helmet covers form there. Apparently the lady who made them was in a ski accident a few years ago and feels that her helmet saved her life. She thinks a lot of people don't like wearing helmets because of how they look, so she has designed and made all these funky covers. The girls did a spin in theirs on Christmas day.

Twas the Night Before Christmas...

 

Robson Square

 One of the other highlights of our trip was skating at Robson Square with a band playing Christmas carols in the background. Sedona loves sakting. Aja usually only goes on the ice for 5 minutes and then sits in the stroller the rest of the time while we push her. Last night she was determined though and did about 15 laps pushing the bar with my help). 

Polar Express: 4D

We went to the Aquarium and one of our highlights of our trip into Vancouver was seeing the "Polar Express" in 4D here. It is one of my favourite Christmas stories to begin with. If you are planning to see this, stop reading so it will be a surprise. The 4D experience included feeling like you were really on a train going reaaaaally FAST, smelling hot chocolate and a Christmas tree, feeling the snow and hearing things like it was right beside you. It was very cool! I didn't think Aja would make it through it because the train ride was actually quite scary, but she enjoyed it too.

Grouse Mountain

We have gone to see "Bright Nights" at Stanley Park the last 3 years with Maude, Colin, Zoe and Theo. Last year we decided that we were ready for something different, and had heard about The Peak of Christmas up at Grouse Mountain, so we went there this year. There were reindeer, Santa's workshop (so not the real one- he was not jolly at all and when I asked him what reindeer he had with him, he had to ask his elves), an outdoor skating rink which Sedona and I skated on, and a sleigh ride (which we didn't participate in because the wind and snow was blowing too hard by this point)! We took the gondola up and had a hot chocolate. After the expensive trip to the top, all the kids needed was snow and a slide down the hill! It was neat to see, but for that money, I'd say once was enough!

Van Dusen Gardens

 
 
 I have heard about Van Dusen Gardens before and we finally made it there this time on our 3 day trip to Vancouver. The lights there are spectacular! We can't wait to go back in the summer and see everything in bloom. Sedona has been asking me if the Santas at the mall etc. are real. I have told her that sometimes it might be, but other times it might be a helper because he has to be at so many places. So now every time we see Santa, she asks me, was that the real one? I always ask her what she thinks and then we talk about why we think it is or is not Santa. We agreed that although this Santa's beard didn't look real, his presence felt like the real deal. He was so jolly and had a whole audience at the gardens listening to him not read, but recite "Twas the Night Before Christmas." It was quite magical! For any of you in Vancouver, out of all the "lights" we've seen, these are the best, so it's worth the trip there!
 

All things Ooey and Gooey

Sedona and her friend made some cinnamon dough ornaments, while Aja mushed it in her hands for a good half an hour!

Sedona's First Christmas Concert

Sedona's class was Santa's Elves tonight in their Christmas concert. If you look up close Nana, you'll see the earrings Sedona picked especially for tonight!

Hang Time with the Boys

 

Christmas Tree

 
 As per our Christmas tradition, we got a permit on-line, went into the bush and got oursleves a fine looking Christmas tree today.
 
 

Helping Dad carry it to the truck.

Aja digging in some puddles.

Sedona's tree for her room.

Santa's Helpers

 
 
 Our neighbors came over for visit last night, and while Chris and I were cooking dinner, they had the girls' stuffed reindeer all hooked up to harnesses and them driving Santa's sleigh.

Party in the U.S.A.

Jingle Bells

Aja's Debut Performance

 
 
 
 Aja's preschool held a winter celebration tonight. It started with a talent show and ended with food and crafts. The preschool kids all sang Jingle Bells. Aja also did a dance with few of her friends to "Party in the U.S.A." which was absolutely priceless!

Aja's Turn

 Tonight we got to go and watch Aja's ballet class. It was touch and go there for a bit: 5 minutes into the class, she came over to us and declared she was ready to go home, but after a little snuggle, she got back into the game. Let me tell you though, this kid definitely knows what she wants and doesn't want to do- that will be a good thing later in life, right? RIGHT???? It's amazing how you can have two kids and they're so different. The little girl at the top with Aja is her bestest buddy Cheyenne from preschool. It's so neat to watch them make their own firends. Up until now, her friends have been kids of my friends or siblings of Sedona's friends. Since September though, she has really made some great friends at preschool. On Saturday it was Cheyenne's 4th birthday party. Here's a story about how different my two are. We parked across the street from Cheyenne's house at my school because I figured their driveway would be crowded. Sedona was the kid (not anymore) who always wanted me there for a while to stick close to and check things out before she eased into it. Then there's Aja. We pulled into the school parking lot and Aja said "I'll just walk over to Cheyenne's now." She was ready to leave me there at 3 1/2 in the paring lot to fend for myself while she went to the party. So funny!

One Day I Want to be a Tap Dancer too...

 
 but for now, I'll just watch my big sister!
 

Tapper

 Sedona started tap this year. Last year she did a combination of tap, jazz and hip hop and got to choose one this year: she chose tap. It must be the sound of the clickety clacking of the shoes. I did jazz and ballet as a kid but remember always wanting to do tap. She wants to do ballet again, so starting in January, she'll do both tap and ballet. Today was one of the two days in a year where we were allowed to watch them.  It looked like hard work- I consider myself to be pretty coordinated, but I don't know if I could do some of the moves!