We're Back! Otherwise known as " Why Not to Move With a One year old"

I had no idea what we were in for. None. The last week and a half are a complete blur in my mind, compiled of sleepless nights and intensely busy days. People started asking me a couple of months prior to moving ' are you guys packed yet?' I kept answering them with a slightly irritated 'no, not yet.' I mean did they think that we'd never moved before? Try 8 times in the last 10 years (if you count college, which I do). In my naivete I did not realize that what they were really asking was 'are you prepared to move with a 1 year old?' No my friends, I had absolutely no concept of the sheer energy and will-power that was needed to move an entire home with a 1 year old in tote. I can honestly say that this is a feat that I hope never to perform again in my life. To save others from the agony of thinking that it will be 'easy sailing' to move with the friendly toddler down your hall, I would like to introduce the Top 10 Reasons Not to Move When You Own a 1 year old.

10. Real packing only happens during toddler resting periods- that means afternoons and nights. You will be watching Sesame Street at 10am, stressing out that you have hardly packed but realize that to start packing when said toddler is awake and raring to go is futile.
9. Toddler will begin to expect pizza for every meal.
8. Playing Hide 'n Seek in the moving truck proves to be a dangerous game.
7. You will realize 5 days too late that the toddler has not been bathed in a week. Whoops- is it really your little toes that I am smelling from across the room?
6. Boxes and packing tape become the toys of choice.
5. Monkey Syndrome is activated- you will find your body a continual host to a clingy, 28lb monkey, whining not to be put down.
4. Moving = extra sensitive and schmoopy toddler. Just try to leave without sneaking out- I dare you.
3. Elmo and Dora the Explorer will become your toddler's closest friends- at least for a while.
2. Toddler will start to think it is normal to keep toys, food, underwear (anything really) in cardboard boxes.
1. New location means new, extra-early wake-up time. Ugh, enough said.

  Lil and her Dad looking a bit tired from all this moving business.

Lil and I have less than a week left in Canada and needless to say we are excited to get this show on the road and start the next chapter. Overall we cannot complain- we are blessed and despite our current displacement life is good.

A little out of place for this post but thought I would post a picof Lily the Bumblebee and Cousin " Thomas the Tank Engine" Anders on Halloween. At least we got to do a little Trick or Treating amidst the moving. We had a decent candy haul this year.

Ugh, Moving

Just a heads up that I will most likely be taking a brief hiatus from the blogging world for about a week. We are out of our house tomorrow and into the inlaw's place for a couple weeks.. Internet access is going to be a spotty situation, so it might be a while til I load new pics!

Fall Fest

Our lives are currently a whirlwind of boxes,packing tape and bubble wrap. But in between the moving prep we still managed to squeezed in a couple of hours at the Fall Fest here in Victoria. Even though we have lived in this city for 4.5 years we had never actually experienced Fall Fest.We quickly figured out why as soon as we were brought up to the event site on a wagon pulled by a decrepit John Deere tractor. Small children everywhere! Toddlers grooving to the tunes on a live stage. Older children hunting for candy in bales of straw. All children completely creeped out by a clown with a hot-pink wig (oh wait, I guess that was me).

Some kids sit pretty and pose for the camera at the decorative pumpkin patch. Our child thought that she was in heaven chucking around disfigured orange balls.

Quick family shot- no smiles from the small one.

Dancing to the live tunes with cousin Judah.

Corn. The most perfect food (according to Lil).

Lil Chef

Lily is quite the helper these days- especially in the kitchen. She cooks up little surprises for us when we turn away for a moment. Do I foresee culinary school in her future?

Giving Thanks the Canadian Way

One of the highlights of being in a multi-national family is the ability to celebrate a myriad of holidays! Monday we celebrated Canadian Thanksgiving with all of the Victoria family. As you can see I do not have any pictures from the actual meal, this is because we devoured everything before I had a chance to whip out the camera. So instead I will share a few pics from the after-meal festivities, which mostly revolved around chasing after toddlers to make sure that they did not break Grandma's porcelain treasures!

One of Lil's favorite past-times at Grandma and Far-Far's house- gathering the fake fruit.

Lil and Far-Far.

Playing the Bongo Drums with Cousin Anders. Such musical cousins!

Fish Lips. Not sure what this is all about but it is a common occurrence in our house.



Cousin Mattias and Auntie Renee hamming it up.



Grandma and Lil.

Great-Grandpa Lawrence taking a post-meal nap.