Knitting with Oma

Here's hoping she can learn from my mother the one thing I never could: sock knitting

Halloween 2014

Happy Halloween!

I've been doing Halloween posts three years running now, and I don't see any reason to stop. Halloween is one of those dress me up, give me way too much candy, and let me have a lot of nighttime fun kind of holidays. I have many happy memories of choosing a costume, working hard to create it just like it was in my imagination, and then showing it off to all my neighbours while collecting a bag full of candy I probably didn't need. And it's fun to see my boy now getting to the age where he really gets lost in the anticipation, imagination, and excitement of the holiday.

This year, he was a train man (again, surprise surprise) and his dad escorted him as Captain Smith from the Titanic itself. And Amelia was a lady bug, though she only made it until 6:30 before she crashed in her crib. And I, well, I was in my usual costume - a whitch of course :) cackle, cackle.

A few photos of the evening coming up. But first Amelia's first birthday halloween party:

I made caramel apples, surprisingly easy, and festive I'd say.

 She was a ladybug, so I made ladybug cupcakes. Seemed appropriate.

And tonight: Captain Smith and his train engineer.

Matt wore Jake's captain hat from 2012. FIt like a glove.

Our not so sleepy looking, sleepy ladybug.

Our spooktacular house: 

And Jake's loot (this is only our neighbourhood. After this he went to Nana's neighbourhood and brought home double!)

I mean, check out all the coffee crisp alone... that can't be good for his teeth. In fact, I think I'll take him to go brush them now.

Have a spooky night!

The Boyds

Playground Photo Dump

Okay, so here's the truth: my laptop died. It was a long time coming, and it's probably my own fault for not treating it with the care and dignity it deserved, but it's too late for all that now because it's a goner. The problem is I haven't replaced it, and all the things I once loved to do on my laptop now have to be done on my husband's computer, which is all the way in the corner of the living room basically a million miles away, and the chair is uncomfortable, and the desktop is unfamiliar, and that is why I haven't blogged in ages.

At least that is what I am telling everyone who has been asking me why I haven't posted anything in eons, and am I okay? Yes, I am okay. We are all wonderfully, happily okay - all but one. The laptop.

Anyway, long post over due because a great many things have been going on here at the Boyd residence, namely little girl turning ONE! So long catch up post is coming soon - promise.

For now, a few snapshots from a recent visit to the park:

Ask her "Amelia, where's your tongue?" and this is what you'll get.

Sister loves when daddy does this.

Okay, not a picture from the park but I'm putting it in anyway:

September in pictures

September, I love you. You know I love you. I've loved your scents, flavours and colours for eons. You signal to me that cooler, darker, cozier days are coming. And so I love you, we haven't forgotten you - we've been living you, and it's been fun and busy. it's been fun-sy.

September, this is what you've looked like for us Boyds:

We kicked you off by going to the fair:

I love the fair because it offers the same joys year after year. It's the stuff childhood is made of. Half the people go their because they are kids, and the rest of us go there because it makes us feel like one again.

Daisy the cow. She never gets old. Literally.

Pumpkin of the year.

Remember this?

And this? This year we had our vanilla.

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Next on the list of Septembers goings on is Amelia learning how do to this:

And she's been doing it over and over and over, ever since. Crawl, crawl, crawl, reach up, grab, pull, stand, grope stuff and toss it on the floor. Sit down. Repeat.  

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We played outside a lot. 

And then later in September someone we love madly deeply had quite a milestone birthday. 

Great Gramps turned 90. In case the ginormous button didn't make it obvious. And that's Jill beside him. One of his BFF's. 

And speaking of BFF's. Mine got married this September as well. So between the two major parties my heart was in celebration overload.

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And as September slowed down, cooled down and darkened we started up our Fall chores. Among Jake's favourites - raking.

But the tell tale sign that September has arrived is when you look out the window and see these guys. And have they ever arrived. You could hear them clicking their antlers together from behind the closed windows.

Amelia was awestruck. She pulled her self right up and stared out the window while Jake explained where these guys come from (the north pole), and how they come this time every year to fatten up and eat all the grass before winter. The extra calories help them pull Santa's sleigh a little faster.

I think she bought it.

So yeah, that's what we Boyd's have been up to this September. That plus I have started working again. And Jake has started school again. And, and, and, we've been busy. But as you can see, we haven't forgotten September. We've been lovin' it.