Just Call Me Twilight

As a blogger, there is one end of year activity I like to participate in.  Well, this is my first year as a blogger, but as a reader of many other blogs, I have participated in this activity over the last few years.  So, really, this is my first year participating as a blogger, but my third year in general.  Did you follow that?  I'm not sure I did. Anyways, the new year is almost upon us and it is time to pick a new word of the year.  Let me give you a bit of background on this.  I don't know about you, but I do not make, nor believe in, resolutions.  They, in theory, are great.  You make a list of improvements you would like to make.  Some of you out there that have great willpower, can hold out most, or some, of the year.  Me, a few days.  Then a few more days of guilt for my lack of willpower.  Then, it's forgotten until next year.  The Word of the Year is a bit of a different take on resolutions.  You pick a ...

2013 is coming to a close and this last month has been one of my family's busiest.  We are always so excited about the month of December, with its' hints of the fun promised - the real world "magic" we anticipate seeing in our children's faces.  But the downside of the month of December is that we sometimes forget to slow down and truly enjoy those moments.  Sometimes its' due to the sheer number of activities we attempt to shove into 31 short days; sometimes its' because, as adults, we forget to look for that magic, forget to close our eyes and just savour the gentle hums of the Christmas music.  But if we are lucky enough to remember the happiness of this season, we are blessed with picture moments worthy of sharing.  Here are a few, just for you. Oldest Daughter once again danced as a beautiful ballerina.  I never tire of watching her dance.  Is she the most graceful?  No.  Does s...

Today is Youngest Daughter's second birthday.  At this age, she doesn't understand what having a birthday means, but she does recognise that Oldest Daughter thinks it's a big deal.  As she is too young to fully enjoy this day as her special day, today's post is going to be a little different.  I am going to memorialise her birthday, by talking about me. After Oldest Daughter was born, we had absolutely no intention of having any more children.  We had waited thirteen years for Oldest Daughter to come along and we were content with our one perfect child.  "One and Done" was the phrase we uttered any time anyone asked us if we were trying for another. But the universe had other plans for our little family.  When I found out I was pregnant again, it threw me for a loop.  And by loop I mean that I felt like a freight train had run me over.  Over and over and over for about three months.  That is how...

We have a new Christmas family tradition.  I can say that now as this is the second year in a row we have done this.  And we have had so much fun doing it the past two years, that we are already looking forward to doing it again next year! Williams, Arizona hosts The Polar Express.  We bundle the kiddos up in warm footie pyjamas and ride a train to the North Pole.  Along the way, we drink hot chocolate (really it's just lukewarm for the kiddos, but still tasty), eat giant cookies, hear the Polar Express story read to us by Liam Neeson (no kidding!), sing loads of Christmas songs and meet Santa who gives us a bell from his reindeers harness.     It is a magical time for The Littles.  The minute they hear that Santa is somewhere on the train, they can hardly contain themselves.  After every Christmas song we sang, Youngest Daughter would say "again, again", smile, dance and try to sing along to the next song.  Now tha...