Another Milestone

Posted on November 2, 2012 by Gwen

As unlikely as it may seem, kindergarten registration opened yesterday for all children born in 2008. This means that Quinlan is now eligible for kindergarten registration. My baby is now ready to go to kindergarten in 10 months. Yes, in 10 months time Quinlan will be a four year old in kindergarten.

I am so glad that I am not going through all the rigmarole that I did when getting Aidan into kindergarten. This time Quinlan has sibling priority so I do not need to pick a few schools to be back ups in case he doesn’t win the lottery. I looked at the people in the office today trying to get their oldest or only children into school and the panic in their eyes was palatable. I am so glad not to have that panic anymore. I am so happy to actually have the registration over with. A weight has been lifted.

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Happy Birthday My Beautiful Little Boy

Posted on November 1, 2012 by Gwen

I am slowly coming to terms with the fact that I now have a four year old. My Quinlan is now a four year old. Four sounds really old to me. Four is almost in kindergarten. Four is able to be away from mommy for hours of the day. Four is old enough to start taking on chores like setting the table. Four is beginning to read. Four is becoming more and more independent. Four is changing from my baby to my big boy.

To my beautiful Quinlan on your fourth birthday: (Though posted after the fact because your birthday  and the days preceding and post were so busy.)

Over the last year there have been so many changes. Last year we started preschool and ballet and now you are at preschool 4 days a week. You still love ballet and when the music is on you are one of the most natural dancers I have seen. It makes me so happy to see your joy in movement. You went from a little boy who still needed a stroller for long walks to riding a bike by yourself, or riding on the back of the trailabike. You love to be outside playing at Douglas Park, but now instead of being in the baby swings you are soaring on the big boy swings and learning to pump and keep yourself swinging.

In January last year you started theatre classes at Carousel like your brother and our Sunday mornings are still spent at Granville Island. You love your classes and in the show cases you are not afraid to show everyone the stories your classes are supposed to be acting out. It is lovely to see how much your teachers love your enthusiasm and imagination. I can’t wait to see your version of the Wizard of Oz. I love to see how engaged you are when we go to see plays at Carousel as well. You become so engrossed in the action and want to be on the stage with the actors. It is a joy for me to see.

Most of the things you do make me smile, though sometimes it is frustrating to have a little guy who tries so very hard to be independent. You love to eat and the most common phrase out of your mouth is “I’m HUNGRY!!!!!” It is hard to keep you sated and you want to snack all the time. Luckily you are one who loves to eat fruit and you are starting to eat more and more vegetables. I now have a corn on the cob monster.

Quinlan you still have the most infectious smile. You can make the world smile and feel happier just by grinning. I still don’t understand where you get some of your ideas, but I like that you are learning to communicate your ideas. I love how enthusiastic you are about just about everything. While sometimes this enthusiasm is a little bit loud it is nice to know that you love being happy.

Happy birthday my little man. I can’t wait to see how four turns out.

 

 

 

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Disney’s Dare to Dream and Hype Studio Hair Donation

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Gwen

I always thought that donating my hair would be a good thing to do before getting a radical haircut. Since my hair is processed I can’t do it now, but I always thought if I could get my hair long enough that it would be a worthwhile thing to do. Since I can’t donate myself I still can encourage others and let you know about a hair donation drive in Vancouver this November.

In honor of the Vancouver premiere of the new Disney On Ice show featuring Disney’s newest princess, the long golden-haired Rapunzel (from “Tangled”), Disney On Ice is sponsoring a heartwarming hair donation campaign partnering with Hype Hair Studio and Balding for Dollars
to benefit underserved children suffering from long-term medical hair loss from any diagnosis. Disney On Ice and Hype Hair Studio are inviting the community to cut and donate their hair from November 5th – November 9th. In appreciation of this donation each person (up to the first 50) will receive a family 4 pack of tickets to one of  the Disney on Ice Dare to Dream performances.

Guidelines for Hair Donation:

Hair must be clean and dry prior to cutting
– The minimum length for hair donations is 8 inches.
– Curly hair may be pulled straight to measure the minimum 8 inches.
– Hair that has been chemically processed cannot be accepted.
– Grey hair is acceptable.
– Donations must be tightly bound in a ponytail or secured with rubber bands one at each end of the ponytail and in the middle; and placed in a sealed plastic bag.

Donations can be made at Hype Hair Studio, 2695 West 4TH Ave., Vancouver, BC, V6K 1P8 – Phone (604)-732-4973 and will be accepted from Monday, November 5th: 10:00am – 7:00pm, Tuesday, November 6th: 10:00am – 8:00pm, Wednesday, November 7th: 10:00am – 6:00pm, Thursday, November 8th: 12:00pm – 8:00pm, Friday, November 9th: 11:00am – 7:00pm.

Tickets for Disney on Ice Dare to Dream can be purchased from Ticket Leader.

Balding for Dollars is Head Shaves, Chopped Locks and other “FUN” fundraising events initiated by parents, hospital staff, friends, families, teams, clubs and communities touched by childhood cancer and blood disorders. Their goal is to raise awareness and funds to support the Oncology, Hematology, and BMT (Bone Marrow Transplant) programs at BC Children’s Hospital. For more information visit: www.baldingfordollars.com.

Voted Vancouver’s Best Hair Salon by WE’s Best of the City and home of Canada’s Best Beauty Talent Caylee Wasilenko, Hype Hair Studio is a trendy Kitsilano Salon that serves busy professionals, moms, dads and everything in between. Come experience what all the Hype is about!

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The Great Big Boo

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Gwen

Last weekend Anthony and I got to take the kids to see The Great Big Boo, a Halloween musical at the Forum. I had always considered taking the boys, but somehow with all the birthday celebration preparations and costume buying or making and Halloween decorating it just hadn’t happened. This year we were given tickets to go and review the show and I am glad we did. I am not sure how willing Aidan would be to go in another year or so. Quinlan was bang on the right age to go and have fun and feel a little nervous.

Aidan, being the older of my two still really enjoyed the spectacle that is the great big boo. He also had the added bonus of seeing it through his theatre class eyes. While the big characters with the puppet like costumes are obviously played by grown ups, a lot of the dancers and the two main characters are played by kids. I think that he saw himself in the kids and it gave him another thing to aspire to. He like the story line and he wasn’t nervous though he did feel sympathy for the characters and enjoyed the storyline. Aidan still lives in a land of imagination and magic and I am glad he got a chance to see the show.

Quinlan was a little nervous at first and even throughout the show. It is hard for him to see the big puppet like characters as humans in costume and he really feels the story. In fact the beginning where the werewolf comes out and tries to eat everyone’s popcorn made him extremely nervous throughout the show. Quinlan was much more afraid of the popcorn eating werewolf than the wicked witch Wendella how hated Halloween. There was a lot of the show that he spent on Anthony’s lap with his hands over his ears and his eyes wide staring at the stage. Despite his nervousness regarding the werewolf he declared The Great Big Boo! the  best thing he had ever seen.

Anthony and I enjoyed the show as well. It was well done and fun for the kids. We sat in the bleachers on the side and I think that was a very good idea. It was easy to see all the action and not worrying about keeping the kids on our laps so they could see made it much more enjoyable for us. If you an be on the aisle ends or in the front  it would be worth the centre seats, but like a concert where you are on the floor with a tall person in front of you anywhere in the middle is a little frustrating. I think we will go next year as long as the boys still want to go, we all had a good time.

If you are looking for something in the same vein for Christmas this year, the people who put on The Great Big Boo also put on a Christmas show, The Magic of Santa. It runs Friday December 21 at 7 pm, and Saturday December 22 at 1 pm, 4 pm and 7 pm and tells the story of Emily who in trying to find her very own Christmas wish discovers the wonder of Santa’s magic. Tickets are 22.50 for reserved seating at the Pacific Coliseum.

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