Steph:

It was SO GREAT to skype with you today and finally meet Matthew! After awhile I really did feel like were just having coffee together. How amazing. Although, I must say we can visit a helluva lot easier when The Cruise Director (aka Madeleine Jane) is tucked into bed. Jeepers creepers.

Anyway. I think of you guys so much and I never call as much as I should. I hope you can feel my "thinking of you vibes".

lots of love.

j

Photo Shoot

These are an old pair of my glasses. Jason popped the lenses out and now they are Super Fun. Obviously they were way to small for me, b/c Maddie's head has not yet reached the planetoid proportions of my head. Maybe she'll have a teeny tiny head like her dad. Maybe.

NEW from Mattel:
H1N1 BABY

Baby helps you establish your Home H1N1 Protocol.

Feel a part of the mania - get yours today!

(sorry, antibacterial soap not included)

Move over Ansel Adams...there's a new photographer in town:
~ Maddie ~

Morgan called me yesterday to see if Maddie and I wanted to go with her to P.A. for the pow wow. Such a great idea. We had so much fun. The costumes (traditional dress??) were amazing. Unbelievable. And the teeny little kids that were dancing just melted our hearts. We had really good seats right in front of the some drummers so we were able to see the drumming up close. Maddie really wanted to dance with everyone but she was finally content to just dance on her seat. It was a really good day. I would do that again in a heartbeat. And really the best place to take a 2 year old b/c Maddie didn't have to sit still and be quiet and there was so much to see. She loved it.

Love this picture!

These are my eye glass frames from grad school. Jason popped the lenses out and - Voila - a super fun new toy for Maddie. She wears them around the house (I NEED a picture of that). But the first night of course she had to sleep with them.

"Mommy, it's time for soup."
Maddie set the table with her own play kitchen dishes.

Cancel that call to Social Services: Maddie now has her VERY OWN Sears Christmas Wishbook. Grandma Pollock was appalled (and Colleen, Claire, and Daniel) to hear that Maddie didn't know what a Wishbook was. She decided to take matters into her own hands and brought Maddie one all the way from Alberta. The Wishbook worked it's magic and Maddie has been enthralled with it ever since. THANK YOU Grandma Pollock!

Sammy is modeling the new Fall Line of Beagle Fashion. Donna made a sweater for Sammy and one for Bosco, complete with a little button hole for their leash. Sammy is quite thrilled with her sweater and Bosco was horrified. This is usually how it goes around here.
Again, THANKS Donna for the terrific sweaters. They'll be the best dressed Beagles in town!

Today's Top Story:
Toddler Storm Madeleine Hits Rural SK Community

Maddie has a new bedtime routine: We get her ready for bed, then she kicks us out of her room. We leave the door open and she plays in her room with all her babies (there are six now, PC Catherine is on a bit of a holiday - more details on that later). Anyway, she plays in there for 30-45 minutes (really, it's usually much closer to the 45). When she's had enough she calls out to let us know that she is ready for us to tuck her in and shut her door. So, being the good parents that we are, we do as we're told. And she goes right to sleep. It's actually a great system AS LONG AS WE DON'T RUSH IT. Heaven forbid we rush anything.

So, it's a good system, except it's hell on her room. I came in the other morning to discover the following:

Together Again...

Tickets went on sale today...and we are ROW G!

Morgan, Lara, Lisa, and one other mystery guest will be joining me for an evening with Jann!

Yippee!!!

I think it was six or seven years ago now that Morgan and I had supper with Jann at the Arden Diner. Yes, I'm name dropping. So tacky and true. In truth I like to see her in concert more b/c I was so nervous that night at dinner that afterwards I felt like a big ol' nerd eating with the coolest kid in school.

hmmm, spell check says that "afterwards" isn't a word. Is it afterwords? Oh, maybe it is. Afterwards sounds better. Like "purt near". As in, "I purt near laughed my ass off afterwards."

oh well. good night.

Vocabulary According to Maddie:

Decorate! = Trick or Treat
stunk = skunk
Bob the Building = Bob the Builder
Johnny Johnny Johnny John = tune of Baa Baa Black Sheep
toonis or peanut (as in "Sean, my daddy has a peanut") = well, I think you could guess
dina = again, just use your imagination (although she can now say this word)

khaskatoon = Saskatoon
Two waggo= Diego
toepaytoes = tomatoes