Someone is CRACKERS for crackers...

Alan and I rue the day the sign for crackers was introduced. Crackers, crackers, crackers! Everyday, sometimes every hour, we get asked for crackers. And it's not like she just gives the sign for crackers. She makes sentences: Sign for 'more', followed by the sign for 'crackers' and finally the sign for 'please'. How can you say you say 'no' when she is being so polite?!?!? Sometimes we pretend we don't know what 'someone' is saying. It doesn't work. We are then promptly led to the pantry. Well, the girl knows what she wants.

Everybody was KungFu fighting...

Halle got a package in the mail from Nana and there were a couple of bandanas in there. She and Custard (the bear) dressed up in their team colors. Halle thought the whole thing was hilarious!!!

Halle is 18 months old!

Halle turned 18 months yesterday. I can't believe how much she has changed. She was pretty young back when we brought her home and now, barely 10 months later, she is turning into quite the little girl!


Halle at 8.5 months-ish...

Spring 2008....starting to wear pigtails and climb the stairs...

And now, 18 months old!! What is Halle up to these days? She is still learning new signs and using the old ones. Lots of times though she uses the sign and the verbal just in case we don't know what she is saying. When asked what her name is, she replies 'Halle Mei'. She is running and climbing everything. One her favourite ways to pass the time is to take a box out of the recycling bin and go around the house collecting objects. Last time I found a MiniWheats box containing a thermos, a block, two pieces of kibble and some crumpled paper. Halle is a fan of Barney and likes to watch him in the mornings while brushing her teeth. She LOVES the pool and now tries swimming and blowing bubbles. Halle loves music, singing and dancing. She picked up a few moves with the past season of So You Think You Can Dance. I would definitely classify her style as 'contemporary'. She is really starting to mimic everything and everyone around her so now we have to be extra careful. Halle is a sweet little girl, always willing to share her Goldfish or sippy cup with a friend in need. We don't want these days to end but at the same time we can't wait to see what she is going to do next. We love her to bits!!

A Week at the Lake

Alan and I were trying to remember the last time we spent more than just a long weekend at the cottage and we couldn't come up with anything! The weather was fairly decent considering it has been like either May or October and nothing like July should be thus far. I don't get to say this often but NS was hotter than here!! Very unusual. Halle had a good time. She picked flowers (stole flowers), went "swimming", went for boat rides, had friends over, went shopping, went to Rushing River provincial park, ate ham, fell in love with blueberries all over again, learned new words, learned how to climb the furniture, discovered one can use a lazy susan as carnival ride, took up salsa dancing with Daddy, perfected swiping carrots from the fridge...the list goes on and on!! ha ha Halle discovers or learns something every five minutes it seems. I guess she is just at that age...

The first few pictures were taken two weeks ago but I decided to sneak them in here...

Yup, Grandpa let her drive....

Driving is way cool, Mom!!

Ok, I'm packed for the week...I have Blankie and Picalo Bambino. (Why the name Picalo Bambino? When we can't think of a name for a stuffed animal we just call it what is on the tag...we have three Ganz...thank heavens for Beanie Babies that come with names ha ha)

Wow Mommy, these flowers practically pick themselves!!! Practically.

Another marathon teethbrushing session...I had to make her stop after the fifth time...

Rushing River Provincial Park. We haven't been there in years and what a fantastic place for families.

Demonstrating new chair climbing skills...

See? I told you I could fit in here.

Adventure continued...

Alan really, really wanted to go back to Fortress Louisbourg in Cape Breton. (The last time we were there was ten years ago and Alan was blonde. Yup, blonde.) The Fortress is a national historic site where 1/5 of the original Fortress has been reconstructed. They have people in costume throughout that detail the goings on of their daily lives and the various rolls of people in and outside the Fortress walls as it would have been in 1744. It turned out to be the perfect time to go because there were hardly any people. Apparently everyone must be waiting for the reenactments which take place in the next week or so. Halle loved the Fortress. As we walked in some of the 'actors' were playing music and dancing. Two of Halle's favorite things. She joined right in with her little booty shake (unheard of in 1744 but what the heck). Halle loved going up the stairs into the houses and buildings...everything was an adventure. She took a little rest in the soldiers barracks on the straw filled bunk bed. She got dressed up in period costume. When it came time for the musket and canon firing, Halle yelled back as the Sargeant at Arms barked out the orders. Loudly. Very loudly. After the demonstration we went and had tea in the Fortress inn. Halle had soldiers bread ( I think it weighs almost two pounds a loaf) and some white cheddar cheese which she thoroughly enjoyed. I think she could adapt well to life in the 18th century. ha ha I would highly recommend a visit to Louisbourg for anyone travelling east.

We headed to Baddeck (read Ba'deck, not Bad-deck) for supper. Alan noticed that the Telegraph House inn had live music on the deck so we went there for supper. There was a fiddler accompanied by someone on the piano playing Cape Breton fiddle music. I think this was the highlight of the trip for Halle. She danced, played air piano and clapped and shouted at the end of each song. At one point Halle had to go to the ladies' room and missed the end of one song. The musicians actually asked Alan where Halle went because they missed her cheering. Too cute. At the end of supper which coincided with the end of the music, the musicians thanked everone and gave a special thanks to Halle for the applause and for having an appreciation for music. It was very sweet.

(I'm having some trouble posting the rest of the pics right now...I'll have to try later...)

What an Adventure!

For the first ten days of our trip, Halle and I spent some quality time hanging out and visiting with family and freinds. Halle met some of her cousins from the coast, picked flowers with Nana, discovered sitting in a wagon is the way to watch Ni Hao Kai Lan and in general, just chillaxed!!

Halle also learned to say 'I don't know' and had her first taste of ice cream in a cone.

Dad's arrival was met with a gigantic feed of lobsters. I still don't know how we got them all in the pot. After our mussel appetizer we sat down to gorge ourselves on fresh crustaceans. Mmmmm....

We took in the local Canada Day parade. It was so much fun to see Halle's reaction to the floats and the pipe bands and all the people. She waved her little Canada flag proudly and cheered at all the appropriate moments!!

Alan, Halle and I also took a couple of little trips to PEI and Cape Breton Island. We made the 8am ferry (a miracle in itself) and had breakfast on the boat. Halle got her sea legs under her and was a maniac running around the ferry. She was not happy when we wouldn't let her climb up and down the stairs as you can see in the pics. In Charlottetown, Halle had her first taste of Cow's ice cream ( a must do on the island) and enjoyed listening to a brass band. The band even played her a song 'Mary Had a Little Lamb". We went to see the Anne of Green Gables house in Cavendish and took a walk through the Haunted Wood and a stroll down Lover's Lane. Later Halle dipped her toes in the ocean in North Rustico. Well, she actually baptized herself when she tripped on some uneven sand and went face first in the salt water. She was none the worse for wear and was soon running about collecting rocks and getting her hands dirty with the beautiful red sand on PEI.

Life on the Coast...the one that matters...

Halle and I have been on the coast for over a week now and we are both doing really well. We are looking forward to the arrival of daddy tomorrow though. Halle misses him. I wouldn't give her her own way the other day and she asked for him. Too cute. Halle has made some leaps forward in our time here. She know days 'I don't know' and holds out her hands in a questioning manner. She has also been working on spelling her name with Nana. It's pretty cute. She has not reacted well to the black flies. Her bites are swollen and look infected. Does anyone know any remedies you can put on a 16 month old? Halle's hair seems to have grown since we've been here. I have to keep it pinned back out of her eyes which is a challenge. The other day I caught her chewing one of her hair elastics like it was bubble gum. Nana has been keeping her well fed and I think she eats more than me at a meal. A bowl of cereal and toast for breakfast, a glass of milk and fruit. Yeeesh! She must be having a growth spurt or something.

When Alan arrives with the laptop I will post some pictures. Halle had her first ice cream cone the other day. It was mildly amusing watching her get the last of the ice cream out of the cone. She loves my mom's little dog too. She hand feeds her whether the dog is hungry or not. She and Papa have BIG conversations at the dining table discussing the days events and sometimes what she says even sounds like English. She calls my sister 'Jay' and gives her big hugs. Halle is a huge fan of her Uncle Allan (yes, my sister is marrying a guy named Allan too. He loves shopping, talks just as much etc etc). He was playing with her on the couch in the livingroom and it was all belly laughs. He's a big teddy bear.

Saturday is 'the lobster feed' as they say out here. After we finish indulging and gorging ourselves, I will hopefully have some interesting pics!!1