December 24, 2010 by Barbara.

Last year, Andrea at Peek Inside the Fishbowl posted a picture for each hour of Christmas Day. I must confess that I usually enjoy Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day. I love the anticipation and preparation. I’ve decided to try the picture an hour approach, with updates to this post as the day passes.

3:50 - Do I really have to wait until tomorrow to eat this?

2:54 - Poppa Howard’s memorial angel

1:45 - Skates off - Uncle Roger and Reid

12:50 - Skates on - Dylan and Brianna

11:56 - Browsing the toy aisle, I don’t know why

10:54 - On the way to get those last few things

9:50 - Watching Christmas specials

8:53 - Grandma and Reid watching Portable North Pole video message from Santa

7:51 - Aunt Karin and Reid at work on cherry pies

6:52 - pie dough waiting

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December 20, 2010 by Barbara.

Uncle Roger told us yesterday about the total lunar eclipse that would be occurring overnight. Reid was excited to see it and I know myself well enough to know that it was a chancey proposition for me to wake up on my own and get her outside. We stopped at Uncle Roger and Auntie M’s house on the way home from Leamington and invited ourselves for a sleepover. Sure enough, Uncle Roger woke us up at 2:20 and we bundled up and headed outside. (Note that it is mercifully not as cold in Wheatley as in Ottawa.) We saw the last of the earth’s shadow obscure the moon and Uncle Roger knew lots of things to tell about the eclipse. He’s an interesting astronomy instructor.

I tried taking some pictures of the moon but wasn’t up to the task of setting my camera’s shutter speed to appropriate number. Instead, I took a picture of Uncle Roger and Reid looking at the eclipse. Thus depriving them of their night vision for a few seconds  ;+)

We were back in bed by 2:50. I’d been afraid of how long it would take Reid to fall back asleep but it wasn’t very long before she was asleep. I think she’ll remember the eclipse long enough to make it worth the disrupted sleep.

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December 15, 2010 by Barbara.

View More Wordless Wednesday Participants, look at my previous Wordless Wednesday entries, or check out the cute babies and kids at 5 Minutes for Mom.

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December 9, 2010 by Barbara.

Reid’s hockey team - one of the many, many, many Timbit teams in Canada - was invited to play a mini-game between the 2nd and 3rd periods of the Ottawa 67s game on Sunday. Over the weeks between when she found out and the actual game, Reid talked a lot about the “big game on the big ice”. Her excitement was contagious and both Ken and I were looking forward to going. Scotiabank provided 2 tickets for each player but I was sure we’d be able to sit together once I bought my ticket.

We watched the first period and a half of the game and then trooped over to the dressing room to get Reid into her gear. The kids were all lined up and waiting by the time the second period ended. One of the fellows with the 67s organization had them all standing with their hands out, waiting for high fives when the 67s came off the ice. After a short delay due to some fisticuffs, a number of the Kingston Frontenacs and most of the Ottawa 67s gave the Timbits a high five as they went to their dressing rooms. Reid and her teammates looked so small next to the big guys! I wonder if the big players thought about when they were little or if it’s just a part of their routine each week.

The kids hurried onto the ice and began the long skate to the far end while the parents went to the players benches for photos and videos. I resisted the urge to record video while walking but one of the other moms didn’t. The video I took in Scotland convinced me that movement + video = motion sickness.  I did take many photos of the scrimmage and Ken too some video. My Flip video camera is small enough that I can take video while I take photos but it’s nice to have another person (another reason I’m glad Ken is back :+)

The coaches tossed a couple of pucks on the ice and the kids split into two swarms. They all moved from one end of the ice to the other a few times in their 10 minutes of fame. Reid was triumphant as she came off the ice, excited and proud of herself. She wondered if we’d seen her play and we assured her we had.

The 67s Six-O Power Dancers (like cheerleaders) came into the dressing room while the kids were changing. They seemed surprised to see a girl hockey player and made quite a big deal over Reid. Reid was stumped when one of them asked what position she played and I had to say that she played them all for now. I explained to Reid that the players who try and score are Offence and the ones who try to prevent goals are Defence. She decided that she wanted to be Defence. In a later conversation, Ken told Reid that players on defence were called “defencemen” and she countered that the girls would be “defencewomen”. He told her that it was “defencemen” for both. I think Reid and I will just stick with “Defence”, the way that Chairman/Chairwoman has become Chair. It sounds a bit odd at first but it’s equal.

The 67s staff gave each kid a box of Timbits (of course ;+), a medallion with the 67s logo on it  and posters of a few of the 67s players. The kids all seemed to have a swagger in their step as they left the dressing room. Their big game had gone well.

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