I know, I know...

Long time no post... well, fear not, all is well here, we are plugging away, getting through winter and life is good. Ciana is still very much enjoying school and daycare and I am now enjoying work a little more. Joe is on his hockey team with Flynn and online as a point scorer!! We are getting ready for Christmas and Halloween has come and gone, I can hardly believe she is coming up on three years already. I remember clearly the days when Mom and Dad would talk about where the days went and how I thought they were too nostalgic, there was lots of time and now I see...
Speaking of school and time passing, Ciana is learning at a rate that I swear is astronomical!! She can recognize all her letters (almost) and is counting in English, Italian (shocking) and French, which is almost blasphemy at this house (jokes only). Anyway, it is late and I should sign off but not before posting some pictures of us recently. She also aquired new ice skates so enjoy.

I know, I know...

September, School and Ciana

I've decided to pick up the blog again for anyone interested this in the age of facebook etc., however unlike all those sites this one will only be accessible by friends and family. Ciana is now 2 and a half and she started last week at a really cute little Montessori School in our neighborhood. I had mixed feelings once the days neared for her to start but today it was confirmed that we made the right choice. She was up this morning at 8, teeth and hair brushed, downstairs for breakfast then dressed (in, mind you, pink graffiti-ish pants, purple gumboots with pink flowers, a beautiful cream-colored sweater made by her GG, a yellow multi-colored rain coat all accessorized with purple elastics in her pigtails and of course the gratuitious pink horn-rimmed sunglasses!! Can you see it??) She was very pleased with herself when she looked in the mirror. We packed the car with her lunch, backpack and carseat and were greeted at the door at nine by one of her teachers, Miss Rebecca. While we chatted about Ciana's last day Ciana busied herself with changing into her indoor shoes, removing and hanging up her jacket and searching for her goldfish crackers in her backpack that she knew I'd packed at a treat. Where'd did my baby go, the one I used to bottle feed and rock to sleep on lazy rainy mornings in the recliner??
While chatting with Miss Rebecca and signing in Ciana I noticed a notice for "Ciana's Parents" on the table amongst other for other parents that turned out to be a permission slip for her very first field trip, to an apple orchard in Langley no less. They will sample and learn all about the "planting, growing, picking, eating" of apples (Did I mention she's 2 1/2??) Ha ha, oh well it'll be fun and I think I might tag along and see what a day in the life of Pookie entails. Don't worry, parents are always invited to attend, I won't be stalking a few groups back dressed incognito!
I will try to post as many pictures as possible and get this thing up and running again, I just seemed to run out of time. Hope all is well out there, if there is anyone left...

This is what we left on the Coquihalla, and, coincidentally, what we came home to.

Pookie showing off her new slippers on the patio. We're having technical difficulties unloading pics so be patient, sorry, just when I got the hang of the system they ve formatted it completely!!

Mexico 2007!!

Hi Everyone,
Here are a smattering of the pictures from our latest adventures. Our camera conked out on the third day so as time progresses I will be adding pictures from Joe's sister Eileen and hopefully from Dieter too. It all went by in a flash so its nice that we were able to salvage at least these to look back on. Ciana was as good as gold except on the plane ride down but what can you expect with only a few hours sleep and a head cold? As I mentioned there won't be all the photos online for a bit and my time is limited right now so here's just a small effort.

Hi From Cianaland

Hi out there,
Its been a really busy year already, I had two and a half weeks off in the beginning of January and I don't know where all that time went! We spent some on the island, spent some chilling out at home and then it was back to work. Shortly thereafter Joe was off to Toronto for business, Ciana was back on the island with her Grandma and Grandpa and I was all by my lonesome trying to keep busy. Here are some recent pictures of herself on the island visiting our Auntie Marie's neighbors 3 day old lambs, Ciana in the tub (her hair is actually really long when its not all curly!!) and Ciana in her Grandparents basement checking out her new tricycle. Hope all is well and pretty soon the pictures will be all sunshine, surf and Puerto Vallarta!!

New Tricycle 

Bathtime grin 

Checking out other babies with Grandpa 

Pookies first hockey game, and in the suite no less!!


 

Christmas been and gone

I can't believe it but it is already 2007! Happy New Year to you all out there. Ciana had a wonderful time and we had Christmas here in Coquitlam which was really exciting. We were all spoiled and enjoyed some fantastic food (Thank you Walter) as well as some really nice time together as a family. The golf course is now closed for the first half of Januaryso I am looking forward to a trip to the island for a nice visit with Joe's Aunt Uncle and Grandma as well as my parents and brother. Other than that its a whole lot of downtime for Tames!!

Sorry to all the folks that haven't seen what our little one looks like lately but here are some shots of her in the snow on Sunday morning. We had her all bundled up with layers of jackets, tights, jeans, her hat and she LOVED IT!! So much so that after half an hour she didn 't want to come inside to the warm bath that was waiting for her, let me tell you she certainly knows what she wants!!

 

Modelling her teeth as well as her rain gear that she got for her birthday. It is finally wet enough and she is mobile enough that her slicker is necessary.


 

Almost Christmas!!!

Can you believe that Christmas is something like 43 days away?? We are all getting really excited around here about it, I was even thinking about getting some of the decorating underway tomorrow. Life is so busy and it is all going by so fast... Ciana is talking like crazy and is actually going up and down stairs facing forward but likes it if you let her hold your hand. She pretty clearly says Kitty cat, pizza, dirty, thirsty, cheese, juice, and a few others but she is an absolute sponge, mimicing everything you say, Joe even had her saying 'I love you' but it comes out more like one word rather than three.
We have been having some technical difficulties as of late so I know that you are long overdue for Halloween (sooooo much fun!!) pictures and well any photos that aren't summer so know that I am working on it. Hope all is well and I will hopefully be posting a bunch of pictures in the near future.