Annie REALLY does cook...

Here we are preparing squash, one of Annie's favorite vegetables. The chicken is in the oven and the rice is in the cooker...

Here is Annie with her creation!!

Annie also likes to set the table. She is especially excited about the Raspberry Vinaigrette that we will have with our spring greens. We don't normally have the telescope there or boxes of food on the table but with a toddler...

And finally here is the cook, looking out our front window, waiting for Daddy. This is one of the Christmas wreaths that we made together the other day. Our theme this year is Candy Canes!!!! Imagine that~~

As an aside I HATE these blinds and am planning to have a consultant come and create some beautiful window coverings - dupeoni silk perhaps...

She did it!!!

Night two of sleeping in her own room in her big girl bed!! Annie gets up in the morning and runs into our bed. It is really sweet. She is liking her big girl bed but we haven't done anything with her bed beside ours. I will let her decide (with some guidance of course) when we need to take it apart.
In other news, we have had lots of snow here the last few days and little miss likes to wear her snow pants BUT doesn't think that you need to wear pants UNDER the snow pants. Too funny. Oh and we have an electric fireplace that only works with a remote. Well, I couldn't find the remote two days ago and Annie found it under the chair. We gave her lots of praise and positive affirmations. So yesterday, I couldn't find it either and Annie found it. Guess where? Under the chair. She told me that she had made it into a game. What a girl!!!
But I can't find it this morning and it isn't under the chair. Hmnnnn...

Another milestone... kind of...

Annie decided yesterday afternoon that she would sleep in her big girl bed all by herself. I went into our room and she went into hers, got into bed and went to sleep. She had a good two and half hour sleep which she really needed.
So, last night she decided that she would sleep the night in her big girl bed too. She went through her nighttime routine with Daddy and instead of falling asleep in our bed, she fell asleep in hers.
I was a little (really, really,to the point of tears) sad that she was leaving our room as she has slept in her little cot or her crib beside our bed since she came to us. Anyway, at around 1:13 am, Annie came crying into our room. She said that she had to use the loo and low and behold, Daddy hadn't put on her nighttime diaper. She was still wearing her Do.ra pa.nties. They were dry though!!!! After a quick pot.ty break, Annie climbed into bed with us and at 3 am I was finally able to put her in her little cot.
This morning, Annie was up at her usual time and she told me that she wasn't going to sleep in her big girl bed by her "selse" tonight but she would for her nap. A little too much I guess BUT it was Annie's decision and we were thrilled she felt secure enough to attempt it!!!

November so far...

Annie and her Dad are out int he backyard doing this, so I have a few moments to download some photos!!!

So far in November we have spent some time decorating Annie's door...

We have spent some time decorating her big girl room. Thank you Joma for the beautiful quilt!!!

We went on an airplane to Ontario...

We went to the same restaurant we went to when the photo at the top of the blog was taken. This is a happy munchkie-moo, enjoying her mango bubbles from out bubble tea. And yes, I know these are not good for kids!!!!

Uncle Kevin and Blake taught Annie how to play hockey... she is an excellent stick handler.

We went to my Dad's birthday surprise party. Annie is the one in the back with the tartan dress while her cousins are in front of her and beside her under the table. Thanks Auntie Tatie, for bringing the movie!!! I love this picture. It is so "kid" and exactly what we would have done at my Grandparent's parties if they had portable DVD players!!!

We hung out in Ontario with some crazy people and then came home...

It has been quite a month so far!!!!

Happy Halloween....

Update: New House is great, Annie is settling in and very excited for Halloween. Thought I would share some photos of one excited girl...

Visit with Great Grandpa and Grandma Margaret...

Running Barefoot through the grass!!! Love it!!


Catching the wind in her hair on the ferry!!


Loving the flowers... my barefoot baby...

Two heads looking down at the sunken garden at But.chart.

We had a lovely time with Annie's GG and Grandma Margaret. Annie was so sad when we put them on the train for their cross country adventure home to Ontario. Can't believe these two are in their mid- nineties and mid-eighties. Love you both soooooooo much...

Now back to packing... ugh...

Realization...

My world is small and fairly insular, filled with people I love and who love me. It also consists of my small neighborhood in my larger city. This past week, we had my Grandpa and his wonderful lady Margaret here visiting. We did quite a bit of travelling around and went to the big smoke aka Vancouver twice. My Grandpa is 95 and is having some issues with his hip so walking can be a challenge. Anyway, I went to the train station in Vancouver to pick them up and in Vancouver and on the ferrie home, I was asked many times "does this child have a mother?". Annie is a fast 2 1/2 year old and Grandpa walks slow so I was walking in between them. Yep, people thought Annie was a lost child. Hmnnn.
Then, Shawn was visiting our garden (we have a plot in a community garden) and Annie was stung by a stinging nettle plant that our garden neighbor has let over grow. It is great for tea but feels like a bee sting that goes on for a while. Anyway, it is very painful and Annie cried very loudly soooooo someone called the police. Yep, Shawn is now carrying Annie's identification so that he doesn't have to go through that again.
Oh and I was at a party and a young gal - in her twenties- told me she could understand what Annie was saying (she sounds like all the 2 year olds I know who are talking) because there were so many Asians in her neighborhood. Yep, I was upset and this gal wouldn't leave me alone - she kept wanting to talk about Annie's Asianess and how I as her mother wasn't as in tune to her because I am a white blonde woman. Our hosts are very close friends of ours and when I told them what was going on, they were upset too. We left there fairly quickly but luckily that woman isn't around very much.
I have also heard comments like"Chin.aman" , "she's so bright but Orie.ntals are" and other comments that I wouldn't want to repeat. Some of these things were said with the best of intentions but how can all the people in Asia be brilliant? Please explain this to me. As well, if the "orientals" in your building like to shop and dress well, why does that mean Annie will?
So racism is starting to rear its head and in the small world I have created around me, it really hasn't. Annie is Chinese, her first parents were Chinese, her first caregivers were Chinese so yes, she looks Asian and has many wonderful attributes that we can only surmise come from her first parents and/or her caregivers influence. However, I need to start REALLY educating myself on how we as a family need to deal with this. Shawn has seen his fair share of racism and he has valuable lessons and stories to share but I want to be able to give Annie (and us) the tools to deal with these comments without internalizing them. I have dealt with the ugly or surprised looks from passers by on the road, I have dealt with the much older generation and their embedded prejudices through conversation and enlightenment but this past week has really shown me what the outside world has in store for us.
Here are my thoughts:
1. An open dialogue in our family about racism
2. discussion of our feelings when situations arise
3. story books for Annie where people are different but the same
4. we need to prepare responses to people

Any more ideas or books that would be helpful?
Cheers,
Kristine