Three Years Old

So G turned three years old on Monday. 

We gave her a very large box.

It was a trunk full of costumes.

Like Hats.

And a Superman outfit.

Then we ate cake. On her request it was Chocolate and Chocolate, shaped like a bunny. 

"What did you get for your birthday, G?"

"PRESENTS!"

1922-2011

My grandmother passed away on August 8th, the day before her 89th birthday. She lost her husband, my grandfather, ten months earlier. It was a surprise that she went so quickly after him, but I think she just didn't quite have the energy to fight illness after he was gone. 

Grandma was the anchor, the matriarch of the family. She always knew what was going on in each of her children and grandchildren (and great-grandchildren!)'s lives, and kept us all informed. 

Grandma wasn't one to share a great deal about her past, but I grew up knowing that she'd lost her first husband in WWII before marrying Grandpa. 

She was a dedicated member of the legion, and I'll always remember her and Grandpa on Remembrance Day. I was able to take some pieces of her jewelry, and one of the things I took was a poppy pin, which I plan to wear in their memory every Remembrance Day. 

Grandma seemed like a very practical person, she was concerned with down-to-earth things like getting dinner on the table and making sure to remember every birthday and anniversary. She was at our house many years ago when I was crying over my breakup with a boyfriend and she said "You're young, there's lots of fish in the sea." Frankly, it was exactly what I didn't want to hear, but she was right and that's the kind of thing she would say. 

But she was sentimental too, and a packrat (a tendency I share). She kept every card and letter she'd gotten over the past 60 years, plus. It was neat to glance at a few of the letters my parents sent when they were young parents like me. Grandma was very English as well. She loved the royal family, tea and proper etiquette. Even at 88, she was up to watch the royal wedding earlier this year. 

In short, I will miss her. I will miss them both. Even when lives are long, we cannot help but wish for more time with our loved ones.

Lots of things

I've been neglecting posting and now I have a huge backlog of "events" to write about. So... hopefully this week I'll post about.

-My grandmother's death and subsequent trip to Saskatoon
-Flying with two small children on one's own
-G's third birthday

August has gone by in a blink. I can't believe it's the 23rd already.

The Fox and the Raccoon: a 2 year old's story

G tells stories and asks for stories constantly. I recorded one for posterity a little while ago, and her storytelling has improved in the past seven months. So here is a story she told me this afternoon.


Once upon a time...
there was a little little little fox who lived in the middle of the tree:
And he said: "Why can't we eat crench?"

"No, No, NO" said the raccoon.

"But I want to" said the fox

"No no no, it's crumply" said the raccoon.

"We are going to get crench" said the fox "we are going to the woods"

"But I thought If we go to the woods, we must get ready to go"
said the raccoon

"But we must stay sitting next to the tree" said the fox

"French?" said the fox "Crench!"

"I don't know" said the raccoon " I don't eat any"

"Crench is not food!" Said the fox

"We should go to the city" said the raccoon

"No, we should just stay home" said the fox

"Yesterday" said the fox " We should just go yesterday"


Then the fox said nothing.
Then the world was back. The end.