Tuesday, September 29, 2009

Charlie & Lola



I like this show. It is adorable, British, and visually appealing.
Kind of like Mark. Hehehe...
OK, really- it has a rather sweet message. Charlie (older brother) & Lola (younger sister) are best mates. They go on all sorts of imaginary adventures together with Marv and Lotta. Sure, Lola can be a little irritating because she is so very little, but at the end of the day Charlie and Lola are indeed the best of mates. Some shows depict sibling relationships to be a never-ending rivalry that ends up turning poor ol' mum n' dad grey in their thirties. Sure, I pulled my sister's hair and she drove me mad, but somehow we would end up with the care-free giggles of childhood bubbling up out of our bellies. My sister, my brother and I were friends, and still are. We always will be.
When I married Mark I got a new sister and brother. One of the many bonuses of being a Hardy.

So call me cheesy, but I like the idea of getting along with family. And I like shows that promote this idea. I realize that it's not easy for everyone, as situations, histories, and values are different. And I don't mean to make the complexity of family relationships sound as simple as a paint-by-number picture. I do feel enriched, full, BLESSED even with the lot I have been given.
Where/who would I be without my siblings, all of them?

We don't have cable for a number of reasons. Besides the fact that we would rather create - draw, paint, knit, play, photograph, film, write, make playdough, bake, cook, etc- than watch television most days, a lot of the programs are annoying. Make that VERY annoying.


This one, however, I find rather charming.

:)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Toddler Time


A flash of rainbow colour
every morning
Assembling Mr.Potato Head
Fish sticks, broccoli
A cheesy macaroni mess
A playmate, a giggle friend
A vibrant little busy bee
Baby-no-more, you are a little girl
and a joy to be around.

Dancing when the music starts,
toys toys toys
Dress-up, singy songs
chalkboard business
running fast, babbling on
holding hands, kitty cats
Daddy, Mummy, stickers, hugging
fearless girl I have to say
it is so much fun when we hang out.

Saying 'panda', 'apple', and 'eye',
carefully pointing out
sticks and puzzles, and sliding down
splish splash in the bath
splish splash in the pool
a toothy smile
outings, naps
colouring
climbing up, having a snack
storytime is the very best
a face full of wonder
a total gem
Adelaide, you are such a clever girl.

Saturday, September 05, 2009

Capitalising


Here I am with Adelaide and our favourite permanent resident of Canada (aka. Mark) in our capital city. I have one question. When did Ottawa get so flipping awesome?!



It has been years since I have been up Parliament Hill, and clearly I was too young to appreciate it, let alone other facets of the CLEANEST CITY EVER. The canal and river are breathtakingly huge, and the Byward Market is so full of magic! I could easily spend a fortune there on handmade clothes and accessories. Oh dear.



Anyway, we sat on The Hill last night watching the sound and light show, "The Spirit of a Nation", celebrating Mark's paperwork being processed in miracle-time. It was so much fun!
Hundreds of people were there, and most were stood up at the end for the National Anthem.

Now onto our favourite French gem, Montreal, for a tattoo expo and some time with friends.
I think Addie wants to 'draw on people like daddy' too. Check it out: