My Hannah, who is 7 years old. 7 is a lucky number. I will remember the eve of your 7th birthday forever. You burst into the sweetest tears about the milestone that lay ahead. You just didn't want to turn 7. The birthday was exciting. The party was going to be perfect. The gifts were all welcome but the passage of time....the end of your 6th year and the beginning of your 7th year was too different. 6 was good. It treated you well. You carried it off flawlessly.

I promise you Hannah - 7 is lucky. It's different and new but you are ready for it. You will be the best 7 year old that ever was.

My Sadie, who is 4 years old. I will remember the eve of your 4th birthday forever too. We were distracted by the company of friends and you were full of laughs and when suddenly you remembered what you were going to wake up to in about 12 hours. You climbed into my lap on the couch and lay back and said "Can I go to bed now so I can wake up and turn 4?"

Your 4th year of life is going to be as exciting as you anticipated. It's the final year of preschool for you. You will be in "The Big Kid's" class upstairs. You will slowly prepare yourself for kindergarten, surrounded by your friends, loved be each and every one of them. It's a big adventure to turn 4. You told me today that you don't like princesses anymore. I remember the day that Hannah told me that and I do believe that she was 4 years old too. You are following in your sisters footsteps and believe me - those footsteps will not lead you astray.

*This picture was taken in spring 2009. We took a short trip up to Tremblant village. The weather was at least 20 degrees but the bottom of the ski hill was still covered in snow.

A House of Brick

I yanked you out of your old home and you trusted me. A little reluctantly, but you went along with me and hoped I knew what I was doing. The truth is, I brought you along because I didn't know what I was doing but you make me brave. Welcome to your new home. We have already had three parties in as many weeks. We have all the time in the world to make this place laugh out load while we tell funny stories. This house is a house made to keep our hearts warm and our feet dancing. This house has 4 doors - enough to open wide and let our friends come pouring in, no matter where they are coming from. This house is taller than the others so that we will see it from far away and never ever lose it. This house is made of bricks so the wolf can't blow it down. This house is a home. I picked it for you. I promise to always have a home for you. Welcome home sweet peas!

"If ever there is a tomorrow when we're not together...there is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. But the most important thing is, even if we're apart...I'll always be with you."

Winnie the Pooh

Christmas Gifts

Hannah -you started this tradition with me the Christmas you were two years old. That year we hand made gifts for you to give out to all of our family. We spent so long pressing fimo clay into tiny little tin containers with glass lids. Each one got a red ribbon on it so that you could hang the little ornament on your tree, showing off the tiny little snowman inside. You are such an artist that you guide the creative side of the projects now as much as I do. You and I do these handmade gifts every year with Sadie. Last year we made hand rolled bees wax candles with such success that we brought the project back this year. I like them because they can be used to help celebrate the season in the household of whoever is lucky to receive one from you both. They burn beautifully.

This year while we were making them I had an off cut from a sheet of bees wax that was a bit bigger than the other ones. I rolled it up myself and said "Here, this one can be for us. We can burn it on Christmas eve. For Baby Jesus!" We continued to roll a few more and after each one we remembers someone else that we wanted to give a gift to. "This one is for Cam." "This one is for Grandma." " This one is for Joshie." Then I heard one little voice beside me say "This one's for Nana." The little voice on my other side chimed in "We'll burn it for her with God in heaven."

I can't believe I was worried about this Christmas going by without a proper sense of celebration.

What's Your "Self Number"?

Sadie- you continue to amaze me with how you can cut directly to the point with so few words. You have always placed phone calls to my Mum since she passed away in March. It was so sweet when you started doing that. I am so happy for every day that goes by without you and Hannah forgetting her. Recently though, you have added an imaginative layer to this sweet homage to Nana. You always flip open your toy cell phone and ask me for Nana's "Self Number'. The first few times it happened I tried to correct you. "Do you want her cell phone number?" But you always insisted that it was her "Self Number" that you required to place your call. I always give you the phone number we had when we were growing up. "237-3775". You place the call and then pass me the phone "It's your Mum." I always have a nice conversation with Nana about how we are all doing so well and we miss her and then pass the phone back to you. "She wants to say hi to you." You usually just say "Bye Nana". I guess you know it's me who needs to talk to someone.

This picture was taken on the day of your first "parent presentation" at LynnAnne's dance studio. I am hoping to keep feeding your creative side for as long as necessary - please don't grow out of your imagination. You are in the front row -the only one holding your skirt out in a curtsy.

Christmas 2008

Here comes Christmas. Am I ever glad I have two girls to show me how to celebrate this year. I have always loved Christmas time. My parents filled the month of December with so much magic that I can't help but get excited every December 1st when I hang the advent calendar for you both. It doesn't matter that the pockets no longer contain treats intended for me. I am actually MORE thrilled to hear your squeals when you run to the calendar each morning than I was when I was the one running to see what the fuzzy felt pocket each day in December. Last week I set up the nativity scene that sat on the mantel at my house when I grew up. It's sitting in front of me now on our fireplace mantel. I can't tell you how many times I re-arranged that scene each holiday season growing up. It was like my Christmas doll house. I am so glad to have it here at our house this year. As Christmas Eve approaches, I have a bit of anxiety about how to keep the magic alive but I think I am missing the point to magic, aren't I? The magic comes to me through you. I'm not sure why or how it will come, but I know that when dusk falls on that night, where ever we are, who ever else we are with, it will be great. I have 35 magic Christmases under my belt as proof. Now it's time for us to look forward to the abundance of magic in the air that follows us everywhere we go.

Children (this passage makes me weep - in the good way!

From The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

Your children are not your children.
They are the sons and daughters of Life's longing for itself.
They come through you but not from you,
And though they are with you, yet they belong not to you.
You may give them your love but not your thoughts.
For they have their own thoughts.
You may house their bodies but not their souls,
For their souls dwell in the house of tomorrow, which you cannot visit, not even in your dreams.
You may strive to be like them, but seek not to make them like you.
For life goes not backward nor tarries with yesterday.
You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.
The archer sees the mark upon the path of the infinite, and He bends you with His might that His arrows may go swift and far.
Let your bending in the archer's hand be for gladness;
For even as he loves the arrow that flies, so He loves also the bow that is stable.