Christmas Vacation 2007 Highlights

Dec 22 - We joined Uncle R, Auntie K, G, Nana, Papa & Auntie S at Uncle C & Auntie K's house. We has a lovely dinner and opened a few gifts. The cousin's played happily together. Afterwards we stopped off at the Solstice party. G was still their so she & Draya had great fun chasing each other around while we grownups visited. Much fun was has by all.

Dec 23 & 24 were spent cleaning the house, doing some last minute grocery shopping, wrapping gifts and prepping food for the 25th.

Dec 25 - Christmas morning we opened gifts at home. Draya wasn't particularly thrilled about being woken up at 8am. Once she had some cereal in her we told her that Santa had visited. She ran to the window to look outside. We pointed her towards the living room where she quickly got the hang of opening gifts. Needless to say she made out like a bandit. Mommy & Daddy & Santa were all very generous. Highlights included an indestructible kids camera, 2 pairs of Cars jammies, a load of toy food and the movie Finding Nemo. Then we went to Grandma & Grandpa's for brunch & more gift opening. Highlights from there include a doll's house & a toy helicopter (to go with her Tomas lego). Then we went to Nana & Papa's for dinner. Draya took her nap in the car between parties. Gift highlights from the evening include a doctors kit, some wonderful books (Winnie the Pooh goes to the Doctor is the favourite so far), a stuffed Shrek & Donkey & a princess hat that she calls her 'barbie hat'. Draya and G were both pretty wound up by the end of the night and Mommy felt a little bit like she had been run over by a Christmas train - but it was still a wonderful day!

Dec 26 - Uncle R came over to set help Mommy & Daddy with some technical things and them Mommy & Daddy's friends M & S came over for the afternoon, dinner & games. Draya finally got to watch all of Finding Nemo, and Bambie too.

Dec 27 - We all went to Grandma & Grandpa's for brunch & a visit with Uncle K, Auntie L & W. The cousins has lots of fun playing together. Draya kept trying to steal W's new truck. She also really liked the dress-up trunck that she received. That night L & A came over for dinner & games.

Dec 28 - Mommy made stew and we all went over to TL & D's for dinner. Draya adores baby W. I think she's itchin' for a baby brother or sister but we're not quite ready to give her one... yet.

Dec 29 - L & P & I & G, L & M & B, T & H & J all came over for dinner & a kids gift exchange. Draya received a wonderful game called Hullaballo that she & the girls immediately opened and played in our bedroom. It's all about shapes and colours and pictures and even though it says that it's for ages 4 & up she actually did pretty well at it. She also got 2 great books and a cute ladybug dress-up set. She has been using the skirt from it to play ballerina.

Dec 30 - Draya got up and insisted on playing Hullabaloo first thing... in the bathroom. We had a quiet day at home because mommy is sick with a cold.

We accidentally left our camera at Nana & Papa's on the 25th so we're missing photos from all of the days after that. But, Daddy picked it up today so Mommy will download Christmas Day photos soon.

Next up... New Years Eve at Morgan's...

Donkey!

Draya has decided to give everyone in the family (but Ginger) Shrek names,
She is Shrek
Mommy is Donkey
Daddy is Dragon
Casey is Fiona
and her 3 baby dolls are Shrek's 3 kids
And she refers to us as such on a regular basis. It's cute & we play along. But I did have to do some explaining to her great grandmother on Christmas when she started calling me Donkey.

Feet

Draya likes to check her toes for fuzz. Yesterday she insisted on cleaning Mommy's toes too. And then she put MY socks on for me (with some help) AND my slippers. I don't usually wear the two together but she insisted! I had to get over having ticklish feet really quickly!

Dressing Independently

This morning, Draya went upstairs, chose the clothes she wanted to wear, striped off everything including her diaper, put on a new diaper & dressed herself. She even put her dirty diaper in the garbage. And she's not even 3 yet!

Kow Kabaret

I really want Draya to grow up to be a good theatre patron! Last night we took her to the Kow Kristmas Kabaret. She was all excited about seeing a show but when the guys got on stage she freaked out. I guess 5 men in suits singing is a little scary for her. She watched the first song from under the pew. Then daddy took her downstairs. She watched some Veggie Tales and played in the nursery while her parents took turns watching the show. We thought for sure we would have to leave at intermission... then I took her up to the balcony. I guess a little distance made all of the difference. She started to dance and enjoy herself. Sure she ran around a bunch too but she wasn't too noisy once I took her shoes off. She just has too much energy to sit still - I guess I'll have to wait a few more years before she's the perfect audience member. The only thing she wanted to know at the end of the night was where the cow was & why wasn't there one in the show?

Daycare Christmas Party 2007

Draya dances with the little kids.

Showing off her 'Must be Santa' picture. "8 little reindeer pull his sleigh"

All the children, big & small sang 4 songs.

Clapping along.

Draya actually sat on Santa's lap to get her gift, a little red-headed china doll in a blue dress that matched hers!

Enjoying the goodies after the show.

Toddler Fashion Statement

Draya found the old wrist rattles that she had when she was a baby. She is currently wearing two purple pigs (she insists they are bears) on her ankles. She put them there her self last night and slept with them on. She doesn't want to part with her baby toys.

More recent photos

Just like one of the kitty cats, Draya attempts to take a nap on Daddy's legs.


Draya likes to drink tea from her special demitasse tea cup. It belonged to Mommy when she was a little girl!

Mommy's little baker

Draya LOVES baking cookies with Mommy. She samples every step, from just margarine to fresh out of the oven. She also helps pour ingredients into the bowl and stir. Usually we make various chippit combinations. Tonight we made white/dark/milk chocolate ones for Draya's Daycare Christmas party tomorrow night.
Here are a few photos from two past baking adventures...

Kids Christmas Party Photos

Draya tries her hand at yoyoing.
Mmmm... nacho chips!
Making a craft.
Quietly colouring.
Playing with the rice at Daddy's juggling ball station.
Leaving with Uncle P.

Wellness Update

Draya ended up staying home from daycare last Tuesday & Wednesday too. She still had a stuffy nose on Thursday still but so did all of the other kids there so we sent her back. I think she was happy to get out of the house. Her cough stayed a problem for two more nights that but it was just a regular cough, not barky any more. She would wake up crying and screaming often - Thursday & Friday nights were kind of rocky.
Draya was pretty much back to normal on Saturday though when we took her to the Kids Christmas Party at Mommy's work. Daddy & Uncle P were both working it (juggling ball making & yoyo stations respectively). She did hide under a table when Santa showed up but eventually agreed to sit on his lap with Mommy. Photos are coming soon...
Saturday night Draya went to stay with G'pa while Daddy & Mommy went back to Spruce. Mommy had to work and they both stayed to see MSND. G'pa took her to McDonald's and let her stay up late. She had lots of fun with him! Only thing is... now Mommy is getting sick. And Daddy is under the weather too.