Kate is eleven months old!

She is my joy and heart's delight.  ~Robert Wever

Kindermusik with Lisa

On the 15th of September Kate and I started Kindermusik with Lisa.  The class is every Tuesday at 12:30 at the Hillside Church here in Tottenham.  Kate loves her music class.  As we're getting ready to go, I sing her the hello song and she bounces and smiles.  There are three more classes in January and thankfully Antoinette (who'll be looking after Kate) has agreed to take her.

These pictures are from November 3, which was the last class of the first session.

Here is her class: (back row) Tyler, Kate, Marisol (front row) William, Elijah (standing) William

These pictures were taken today.  I'm so thankful that I've had a whole year full time with my sweet girl and that we've done so many fun things together.

And here's Kate with Lisa, and Elijah too.

O Christmas Tree

It occurred to me as I watched Ken with the tree that I have been a grinch!  I am embarrassed to admit that we will be celebrating our seventh wedding anniversary on the 28th and this is our FIRST CHRISTMAS TREE!  Oh my sweet Ken, I'm sorry!  I don't really know why we never had one.  We've lived in some small apartments but we could have squished.  In fairness though I should admit that we did have a small tree, a table top tree and I did decorate it...

...but Ken made fun of it.  This was in 2006 - when we had more than enough room in our apartment for a real tree.

And last year we were living with my parent's and they had a tree...

...but it wasn't our tree.


This year we're in our own house with our very own little person so of course we have to have our very own tree.  And here it is in all of it's glory!

And here is a proud Kenneth.  No, he didn't cut it down himself...

...he did however wrangle into his tiny Honda Civic.


I suppose I could have just made this about Ken and his tree, but Kate is pretty excited.

Merry Christmas!  Now all we have to do is decorate the tree...

Meeting Santa

 

I suppose stunned is better than sobbing?  This was the first photo that was taken.  After this the photographer, in an attempt to get her to smile shook some bells which Kate reached out for.  So instead the photographer tried to play peek-a-boo.  This is when Kate noticed me and started to cry a little and reach for me.  I thought I'll comfort her and we'll try again.  She was instantly comforted but when I turned back towards the man in red she screamed and clutched onto my sweater.  So stunned it is!

Stanley

Today Kate and I had the pleasure of having lunch with "Uncle" Stanley.  He's my dad's uncle - so my great uncle and Kate's great-great Uncle.  He really is so great.  We had a delightful time chatting.  It's so lovely to be with family, to feel at home with them in a way that you can't quite feel with anyone else.  Stanley is an amazing man.  He was the principal viola for the TSO for forty years.  He was telling me that he's been a member of the musicians union coming up 73 years.  They're having some sort of party to honour him.  I sat down and interviewed Stanley three years ago - asking him about family, his experiences growing up and all sorts of things really.  I just recently transcribed the tape and then wrote him a story.  I gave him the story today.  I hope he likes it.  He seemed tickled!

Fangs

I never thought trying to capture evidence of Kate's fangs would be so difficult.

After trying - there were lots more pictures than this I felt it was hopeless.  I mean she looks funny enough with the fangs - forget what a mutant she looks like trying to capture her from underneath?!  I was going to give up until the other day when I felt around in her mouth - as I do from time to time and felt a little something in the middle.  I was spurred into action!  Our sweet little dracula!  She has two middle bottom teeth and fangs - four teeth in total.  Who knows when this smile will change again.

The Royal

Ken and I both have fond memories of going to the Royal Agricutural Winter Fair as children.  And not that Kate is able to make memories she'll keep yet, but we thought it would be fun to take her to the fair, and fun it was!

Our first stop was the horse ring.  We watched a horse and rider being presented, and then we walked around a few of the horse stalls.  Kate was so excited.  Our next stop was the petting farm, goats, and cows and sheep oh my!

They had cups of food for sale that you could feed to the animals.  I fed the animals while Kate watched.  Every so often she would sort of touch an animal.  There were sheep, goats, llamas, and calves.  This picture is not even remotely flattering of me, but it is funny.  I was just slightly icked out by the calf putting his very wet nose all over my hand.  Ken remarked, at least I've never been sneezed on by a cow!  And just in case you were wondering, I used lots of hand sanitizer and washed my hands several times.

After seeing the little animals we walked past the BIG cows.

Our next stop was the Superdog show.  It was super.  The dogs were great.  First on the program was the high jump.  Then came the races.  The show was about 35 minutes long.  Kate got into it shouting at the dogs.

After a morning of almost more excitement then she could handle Kate fell asleep.  Ken and I enjoyed yummy Indian food and walked around a little bit more.  Hopefully we'll go again in a few years, when Kate will actually be able to remember, for now, she'll have pictures.

Ten Months Old

To mark the occasion of Kate's turning ten months old, Ken took a picture of her.

We went to church and I took a picture of her.

It was a beautiful day so we went to the park.  Her Daddy needed to see how much she loves the swings.

After the park we walked past the Tottenham Cenotaph.

We paused for a quiet moment of respect.

And to end a lovely day, Kate had a bath.

We love our cute girl so much!