Alyssa: "Mommy when is it going to be Thanks A Bunch Day?"

Me: "What do you mean, Thanks A Bunch Day? What do you do on Thanks A Bunch Day?"

Alyssa: "You know, when you have lots of people over and feed them and say thanks a bunch for everything."

Halloween 2010

Well, today is October 30 and, Halloween is over. When you live in a country that doesn't celebrate Halloween, you take what you can get. Sure, I could plan a party of my own, but that seems a little much. The school has a great Halloween Carnival, which took place on Friday. They turn the entire ES and MS into a "Trick or Treat" trail using the classrooms more or less as houses. The ECE also does a Halloween Parade and Halloween parties in the classroom. Like I say, it's pretty good for a country that doesn't celebrate Halloween, but it's just not the same. Then again, where else could you wear all those skimpy costumes and still sweat on Halloween, rather than wearing a snowsuit?

Spiderman hanging out with a pirate...cause they are both so cool

Aiden aparently did not care to hang out with Princess Alyssa

Checking out the snow drifts in Regina before we head out to sweat in the Malaysian heat!

Alyssa and her friend Sofia in the school parade

Hayden is pretty thrilled at his catch!

Canadian Please

This is the video for our UN Day number. If you haven't checked it out, do...it's cute!

UN Day Celebration

Friday, October 22 was UN Day at our school. Every country represented at our school has an opportunity to do a 2 minute presentation about themselves. While I love the idea of UN Day assembly and seeing all the presentations, as a teacher, it is somewhat unnerving when all the elementary school enters the gym and your students go in 15 different directions to find their country groups. This year it got slightly more stressful when, right in the middle of the Canadian performance, the fire alarm went off. You must realize there were 500 + students and teachers as well as parents (probably about 600 people total) in the gym to evacuate. As well, there was the middle/high school UN Day performance in the theatre next door, probably about 400 people. Ai! The stress. No problem, building evacuated (although it took awhile) and then everyone filed back in for the marathon assembly...

For my first year, Canada did not perform. Last year a couple of us got together and did a bit of a poem about Canada. This year, with the "famous video", Canadian, Please, floating around FB and the web, we had a great option. I choreographed a 16 count line dance and we danced while the song/video played on the big screen. It was a hit, and fun too!

Alyssa: "Dad, I think Mickey Mouse is just a person in a costume..."

Steve: "really"

Alyssa: "But now I KNOW that the princesses are real!"

Hong Kong Disneyland

Let me begin by saying that I LOVE OCTOBER BREAK! A whole week off in October which coincides with end of semester in MS/HS is the best idea ever. This means we get a nice break every semester...1 week in October, 3 weeks at Xmas (1/2 way through the year), 1 week + in March and then, summer vacation. Also included are multiple long weekends as Malaysia = the land of holidays. Well, this year, since he had just taken 5 weeks off for summer vacation, Steve decided he didn't want to ask for another whole week off. So, we decided to do a mini-break in Hong Kong ~ with a focus on Disneyland. Being that our break was about 2 weeks after Alyssa's birthday, we talked her into this instead of a birthday party which mean less planning for me!!! yipee! So, Saturday, Oct. 9, we headed to Hong Kong. I didn't realize that it would take so long, but it was pretty much an entire day by the time we cabbed to the airport (2 hrs early for int'l flight), flew 3:45, and took 3 trains and a bus to get to the hotel. We had to pass right by the park and, when you board the Disneyland Resort Line, you are instantly wisked away into that magical land with Disnye music, brass figurines, Mickey train windows and handles...etc. The magic starts before you even get there. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel which, if your child is a princess, is a great place to stay (and only 700 m walking distance to the park!).

On Sunday morning, we went to find breakfast and instead found the maze which the kids loved!!! After spending about an hour in the maze, we headed indoors to find some breakfast....when low and behold we stumbled upon the "Character Breakfast". I had heard about these in the US, but didn't really give it a second thought as to being in Hong Kong (not sure why not). Yes, it was pricey, and no, the kids didn't eat much due to their immense excitement with Mickey, Goofy and Pluto running around, but, their expressions and the magicalness were well worth the price. Here's Hayden cracking up as Pluto pretends to eat Hayden's breaky...

After breakfast we caught the hotel shuttle to the park (we didn't yet know you could walk just as quickly). We thought it would be busy and arrived early to check things out. Who knew that they selected a "special family" to unlock the gates and be the first ones inside the park? I'm sure having two blondies at an Asian Disneyland helped our chances of being chosen! So, there we were, hanging out with Mickey and Minnie and the rest of the cast members while everyone else was locked outside. The kids even got a huge gold lock and key to symbolize the gate opening!

Because of the time of year, all the characters we dressed in their Hallowe'en costumes which was kind of fun!

It was pretty "magical" and we definately felt special having been the chosen ones. I don't think the kids realize that this would NEVER happen at one of the bigger Disneys.

After opening the park, we sauntered in, just enjoying the atmosphere and not in a hurry to really do anything (although some people were and were sprinting to be first in line, but we'd already met Mickey and Minnie). We wandered onto "Main Street U.S.A." where we were approached again and asked to be Mickey's special family to lead the parade that afternoon. We were both a bit shocked, but thought it would be super cool so we agreed.

We continued to meander towards Fantasyland, but when we got there, it was all roped off, closed. I had no idea what was going on, so we looked for a clear spot by the rope and found one way over to the side. We were going over to check what all the excitement was when we were approached a 3rd time and invited to be their special guest to do the opening ribbon cutting. Ok, I felt tremendously guilty having been chosen so may ntime so I had to "come clean". I told them we had opened the park already and if they wanted to, they could find another family. They said no, that we were double lucky and we were still welcome to do it if we wanted to. Thank goodness, for Alyssa's sake, I agreed...not only did this mean cutting the ribbon, but also meeting the princesses before everyone else AND walking hand in hand with them to the gazebo where they would have photos done after us. Needless to say, Alyssa was flabbergasted. Check out her mouth on the first picture of her and the princesses...

Our morning sure was busy with all these jobs! After the princesses, we explored the park, going on rides, looking in shops, Alyssa begging for her own princess dress, etc., etc... Mid-afternoon we were to head to "City Hall" to prep for the parade. They were shocked we were so early (5 min.), but let us in to the air conditioned VIP room anyway. Hayden had fallen asleep in the stroller, so we were just wandering around not doing too much anyway. It was nice to hang out in the cool room. Alyssa enjoyed posing and feeling like royalty.
Then, she brought in the props...since we were "Mickey's Family" for the parade, we all needed to wear ears and wave with a glove...Hayden was still sleeping at this point and there was no way I was waking him up until we absolutely needed to ~ so he missed the family photo.
...but here he is in all his glory as one of the "Grand Marshals" of Disney on Parade. When I have to wake Hayden up, I expect him to be super grumpy and always expect the worst. However, this time, he pulled it together and was the star of the parade. He smiled and waved his little heart out on the parade route. Alyssa was more half-hearted (I think tired and a smidge of stage fright). The more people clapped, cheered and took photos, the more animated and goofy Hayden got. It was terrific to watch!

Our first day ended and we headed back to the hotel on foot, exhausted from the days events. We decided not to do the Haunted Hallowe'en in the evening (probably too scary), but enjoyed our second, more relaxed day topped off with fireworks. What an amazing trip. I never believed it before, but now I see the truth in the saying "the happiest place on earth".

Me: "Hayden, are you excited to go to Hong Kong Disneyland?"

Hayden: " Honk Honk Disneyland here...we...come!"

Alvera Wendell

My Gramma Wendell passed away Saturday, October 2, at the age of 93. While I am sad, I can't help but feel a sense of relief that her suffering has ended. I'm sure her life was not easy, being the mother of 4 boys, but I like to think she had a long, full life with many happy times as well. I will always remember the fun times I had at her house. I loved going there for sleepovers with my cousin Kyla. She made the best doughnuts, fruit soup, buns and cabbage rolls. She introduced me to lefse, although I never REALLY made it with her (I think I helped a time or two). I will fondly remember our games of cribbage as that was something we always played when I got older and would come for lunch and a visit. It was always fun to tease her about cheating, because, if you knew her, you would know that she would NEVER cheat (unless by accident). There are so many good memories, I can't list them all...I just want to remember. Rest in peace grandma, your family will always love and cherish you.

with a young Alyssa

My two Gramma's, who have both now passed but have left me with fond memories



July 2005, Happy Birthday Gramma!

Summer 2005

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

After school on Friday, Oct. 1, we had a small party to celebrate Alyssa turning 6. We invited 5 friends (2 old, 3 young) and had pizza, juice, and cupcakes by the pool (plus wine and beer for the adults, being it was Friday). The kids played in the pool and only stopped to come up for food. Such a low key birthday was awesome!!!

mmmm fresh strawberries

Hayden and Renee (whom he adores!)

giggling with the girls (Renee and Ella)

I love this shot ~ so happy and fun! The girls were so good playing with Hayden so I could just relax

The 5/6 year old crew jumping contest

McKenna, Alyssa, Guthrie and Aidan

The girls...

...and the boys

last but not least, the cake

thanks friends for a great, momorable afternoon!

you are my "village"