Hossacks Three

Blake’s birthday party was today and it was wonderful!!

Blake asked for a dinosaur party, so dinosaur party we had.  Each kid got a fossil hunting kit and we spent lots of time using our tools searching through the dirt for dinos and fossils and special gems.  We also played dinosaur egg and spoon races, pin the teeth on the t-rex, and watched a diet coke and mentos volcano.  It was a really fun day.

Here are a lot of photos.  Bear with me.

There were some dino footprints leading up to our door.  They kind of looked like tulips, though.

There were lots of delicious cupcakes.

Blake had a bit of trouble blowing out the candle, but he got it in the end.

A day at IKEA means furniture to assemble.  I had two very special helpers.  When these guys are around, things are a lot of fun.

It’s hard to believe we’ve seen seven Chinese New Year’s celebrations.  Each one amazing, bright, colourful and loud.  All over China, all over the world, millions of Chinese families have come together to feast, set off fireworks to ward off bad luck, shoo away the bad spirits from last year, and welcome the new year in style.  We seen year of the Chicken, Dog, Pig, Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit and tomorrow the Dragon begins.

We decided to spend the night at home this year and were curious about what we’d see at the Links.  It’s very quiet here.  All the migrant workers in the surrounding villages have gone to their homes.  The factories have closed down and it is like a ghost town.  Some of our friends got together and put together a respectable little fireworks demonstration at a respectable time (7:00) and soon it will be time for bed.

I can hear lots of booms off in the distance, but I don’t think we’ll have any troubles falling asleep tonight!

Xin Nian Quai Le everyone.

Terrible photos I know, but you can get a small idea of the night sky.  Here’s Blake watching the show.

A cold day in Shanghai.

A warm play in the mat room.

Funniest thing Blake said today:  Chickens lay eggs.  Cows lay milk.

Birthday pressies:

concentration

Blake busted into this geology kit straight away and started mining for gems.  He didn’t stop until he had them all.  The little safety glasses are a crack up.  In big letters along the top it says, “Just a toy:  these will not protect you from anything.”

These are some stick up on the walls hot wheels.  They are very cool and very fun!

And some super cool magnets from Nana & Boppa.

More candles – in cake this time.

Oh crap!  I didn’t mean to take a photo with the Christmas tree still up.  I swear I’m going to take it down over Chinese New Year.

Which starts tomorrow.  Hurray!

We are so lucky to have Ling Ling in our lives.

Hey Blakie,

Today you are four years old!  I’m not quite sure how that happened.  There are parts of that day four years ago that I remember with perfect clarity and parts that are a crazy blur.  I remember the nurse putting your little head (who are we kidding, even on the first day of your life your noggin was quite BIG) into my cheek and I kissed you for the first time.  I remember returning to our room after getting all stitched up to find my friends fighting to hold you, tiny perfect little you.   I remember wanting to squeeze you so tight but I worried that I would break you, though I’ve since learned that you are almost indestructible.  I remember feeling that finally, FINALLY, you were here with us and we had everything.  I remember staring at you, all 3.1kg of you, looking just like a miniature Scott, to this day I search your face to see if I can find any resemblance to me.  I haven’t found one yet, but I sure do love your dad, so I’m not complaining.

Blake, you have grown so much in the last year, in every way.  You are sweet and funny and friendly and smart and you are someone that I really love to hang out with.  You are all smiles and sunshine.  Pure, unfiltered sunshine.  Part of me wishes I could freeze time right here, right now.  I want to stay in this place and let you brighten my everyday by just being you.  But another part of me, a much bigger part, can’t wait to see you grow and learn and become the amazing person you are going to be.  And I’m not too worried about not freezing time, because I have a feeling that you will ALWAYS brighten my everyday.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy.  We love you so much, you are one spectacular kid!

French toast for breakfast, cake later on, and a dinosaur party next week.

We had a wonderful, wonderful time.  Tree climbing, going for walks and visiting our little yellow house which looks absolutely lovely in the snow.

I think we went skating 3 times over Christmas break.  Maybe 4.  Each time Blake was a little more confident, a little bit braver and a little bit steadier on his feet.  It’s pretty amazing how fast kids learn things.

By the time we left St Marys, Blake felt he was ready to play for the Leafs.  He kept saying, “Okay you guys, let’s play some hockey!”

He consistently impressed me with his awesome attitude, “When you fall, you have to try, try again,” and his amazing stamina, because it was the adults who decided it was time to leave after 40 minutes of skating, and his friendliness to every single person on the ice.

What wasn’t as impressive was his complete unwillingness to listen to any kind of instruction from Scott, me or even Grandpa.

Us:  ”Try bending your knees, Blake.”

Him:  ”No thank you.”

Us:  ”It works best if you point the frame in the direction you want to go.”

Him:  ”I yike doing it this way.”

Stubborn wee thing.

We haven’t written much here in the last few days. We’ve been trying to get our time turned around after a wonderful winter holiday in Canada, fighting off colds and flus and getting ready for a very special birthday later on this week.

On Thursday BLAKE TURNS FOUR!!!!  I’m ‘shouting’ because it seems very difficult to believe that four years have passed since we first met our wonderful little man.  I know it’s a cliche, but man it’s true, time really does fly!

We are getting ready for a dinosaur party.  Roar!  Roar!  Blake is 4!  I wish you could come to the party!