What I Wore Wednesday - Vacation Edition

  So my FIL came up from Louisville on Friday. We have been visiting all over Toronto and doing a lot of walking. My knee is a bit sore. And on top of it all I caught the virus the kids had so I feel like poop on top of it all. I've been taking naps because I've been feeling so sick. Isn't it awesome to be sick on your vacation?

Still  being mostly  couch bound  has afforded me more time to work on my projects.  You can check them out   here where I hold myself accountable on a weekly basis and post my pictures on facebook and twitter daily.

As with previous weeks I'm linking up with The Pleated Poppy , Mama Go Round and the Transatlantic Blonde.

 

 

Wednesday - work and physio

 

headband - made by me

 top- Penningtons

pants - MXM

Thursday - Work 

headband - made by me

dress - Walmart (I just picked it up the day before and I love the colours on it)

leggings - Penningtons

 It was also spirit week at school and Thursday was Crazy Hair and Pj day. Here is Monkey rocking the look.

Friday - work and FIL arrives for a visit

t-shirt - Penningtons

belt - Walmart

jeans - MXM

Friday was rainbow day at school

I chalked her hair for the rainbow effect.

 Saturday - Trip to St.Lawrence Market and the Beaches

headband - gift from a friend

top - Winners

jeans - MXM

Sunday -  shopping at the Paper Place, Kensington and out to dinner at Canyon Creek. I was excited to go shopping and pick up lots of washi tape at The Paper Place, so many pretties in one spot. And dinner was just Rock, myself and FIL, the kids stayed home with my parents. It was nice to enjoy a peaceful dinner and then after dinner we had a shopping trip at Chapters where I picked up the newest issues of Artful Blogging, Where Women Create and Somerset Studio, and I also picked up Art Lab For Kids and Desire to Inspire.

headband - made by me

cowl - made by me

top - Walmart

jeans - MXM

Dinner

 headband = gift from a  friend

cardi - Dress Barn

maxi dress - made by me

 

Monday - lab work, walking around Sherway Gardens and dinner out at the Muddy Duck

 

 

 headband - made by me

cardi - Fashion Bug

jeans - MXM

 

Tuesday - walking around downtown and Eaton's Centre and dinner at East Side Mario's.

 headband - made by me

dress - Target

flower pin and belt - made by me

jeans - MXM

 

 

Here are some pics from FIL's visit

 

 Rock and his dad at the Beaches.

The girls enjoying some honey sticks at Kensington.

The kids releasing energy at Sherway

Us at Younge Dundas Square

Us at dinner, and please ignore the stain on my hoodie, I swear I didn't see it until after the picture was on the camera. In real life it looked like it was clean, not sure where it came from.

And here are some pictures I took of the super moon on Saturday.

I hope that everyone had a great week and  creative week.

Ania

 

Full of Gratitude

Since my birthday party I have been full of gratitude. That whole weekend made me realize how blessed I am. I am grateful to all the great people in my life. I am grateful to the friends and family who spent most of the weekend with us celebrating my birthday and Monkey's First Communion.  I have such awesome and amazing people in my life.   Even the ones who couldn't make it because they were studying or something like that. At least I know I was free from silent judgement those 2 days.

I am grateful for one particular friend who can be a total PITA but I know she is doing it for my benefit. She wants me to be the best me I can be. I appreciate her honestly, her support and her butt kicking abilities. And I'm a tiny bit sorry we can't race in the fall together but seriously lakes truly freak me out and I don't want to do it again.

And speaking of friends, I am grateful to the bestest friend I have Rock.  He loves me and supports me.  He is such an awesome dad.  I don't know very many people who can live and work with their spouse but we've managed for 15 years.  Not to mention how he's picked up the slack the last few weeks since I am partially out of commission.

And since I've moved onto family; I am grateful for my 3 loving kids, Seriously I could not have asked for better kids. I love them with all my heart, they are sweet and kind. They take care of each other.  They are bright and funny and I love spending time with them.

And I can't be grateful for my family without mentioning my parents. Without them we would be lost. My mom has been staying with us since Tutu was born.  Given all the stuff that was going on that year there was no way I could manage a newborn, a 2 year old who refused to sleep at night and my sick MIL.  My dad is here from 7am to 7pm most days (and yes I've been trying to convince him to sell his house and move in with us, it just makes sense on so many levels). At 78 he still works part time 3 days a week at a physical job, when he takes the kids to the park he climbs up with Tutu and goes down the slide with him. He gets Monkey to the bus every day, he does our grass, fixes things for us, and does our garden. Life would be so much harder without the love and support from them.

I don't have much family here in Canada but I feel like I do because Rock's extended family is awesome.  They support us in everything we do, since my MIL passed away they have taken over being that family support for Rock. They love and spoil our kids. They are amazing.

I am grateful to an amazing bunch of mamas I have in my life, I only get to see them every few months but they are a part of my life daily. I don't know what I would do without their advice and wisdom.  No topic is is impossible for them, they always have the answers you need and the support you require.  I don't know how I could be the mom I am without their help. 

I am grateful for my job, yes even this week where it is literally driving me crazy with the monotomus repetitive work I am doing.  The job itself may suck but I still have a job and I am surrounded by a great group of people. I am lucky enough to work with Rock but seriously the people I work with are awesome, we have some good times at work even lately. We all know how to joke around and have a good time.

I am grateful for the talents God has given me. I hope shortly that I can put them to good use in helping my family and eventually helping others.  I can no longer take them for granted.

I am grateful for my hurt knee, not that it doesn't suck royally not to do the simplest things, but it has gotten me to slow down. It has allowed me to take time to reflect and set some goals for the future. I know that there is a lesson to learn from it but that has yet to be shown to me.  Everything happens for a reason but we don't always see that reason right away.

There is probably so much more I should be mentioning but I am getting tired. It's been a long, drawn out day and week. Tomorrow is going to be a big day, we are finally getting back the results from monkey's physcho-educational assessment.  I am feeling really nervous about it but tomorrow will be the start of a new beginning because now we will be able to  better help Monkey be the best Monkey she can be.  We can put tools and supports in place for her. 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful and creative week and thinking about all they have to be grateful for.

Ania

First Communion

On April 15 Monkey celebrate the sacrament of her First Holy Communion.  With months of preparation behind us she was able to participate an important part of our faith.

Following in my mother's footsteps she had one made dress for the day and I store bought one.  My mother and I made the dress she wore to the church. We made it in 2 parts so that in 4 years when Muffin celebrates her First Holy Communion she will be able to wear it.  Right now they are almost the same size so in 4 years there is no way it would fit her.  The skirt we left the elastic undone so we can let it out for Muffin and the skirt is very long. If we need to lengthen it we can just add another row of ruffles. As for the shirt we purchase some extra material so we can make a shirt to fit her.  My mother made the purse to go with the dress and I made the flower pin on the dress and the flower wreath and veil.  I have 6 years to figure out how to sew a suit for Tutu's Communion.

We got to the Church about half an hour before mass so we could take some pictures and avoid the crowds after mass.

These pictures were taken at the back of the church

 Sisters at the Altar

Muffin at the Altar

And of course Muffin needed to have her picture taken.

Monkey in front of the Tabernacle

Of course Muffin needed in on the action

The group of children who celebrated the Sacrament together.

I`m a bit disappointed with the church, they don't it by school which is ok,they do it as part of a few regular masses and there are 3or 4 schools who participate. I'm ok with this what disappoints me is that it`s not made special for the children that day, they sit with their parents during the mass, there are no special songs or readings or prayers by the children. The only thing that was done to made them stand out was 1) their names were read int he prayers of the Faithful, 2) they had the children who were celebrating and their families come up first for Communion before the rest of the conjuration and 3) at the end of mass the children were called up to receive their certificates. I wish it would have been a little bit more.

The cake I made for Monkey

A family picture while we enjoy fireworks on the cake.

 My girl looking so big

I am so proud of my girl, she did so well.

Ania