Putting Christmas back in the box

"Wrapping up" the festive season, here are some other pics from Christmas - a holiday we spread over the entire month of December!

Deavan showed his dad how to dress for the occasion.	Casey surprised everyone by turning Deavan's award winning "sofa shot" into a blanket that Grandma FitzGerald can snuggle up with.
*** Gab's dinner - her first turkey!  And it was spectacular! - of course deserved the family silver.  It still cleans up nice, Robin.	*** He's a cutie, and had no end of paper, bags and bows to keep him occupied.
*** The fun continued with a Slivinski Christmas.	*** The star of the show was the animatronic Holly Jolly Santa, which continues to keep Deavan entertained.
*** Though the drive was long and the weather cold, the Alight the Night experience in Morrisburg, with Casey & Lawrence, was still beautiful and fun.	*** Goin' to the Chapel.

Birthday Boy!!

People (parents) kept telling us that "time flies"... and as Deavan passes the one year mark, it's really incredibly just how true that is. Not just that weeks or months flew by - the minutes, hours and days absolutely disappear! Changes happen so fast - things that seemed de rigeur at the time - like having him fall asleep on your chest for 2 hours while you watched a movie on the couch - are distant memories. Do I even remember when he couldn't crawl, rollover or hold up his head?! Tempus fugit...

He had a great first birthday party; he had just started taking his first steps in the few days prior and so made a grand entrance to much fanfare. Thanks to everyone who came (including his "other" girlfriend, Kate - shhhh... don't tell Elena... he's playing the field!) and made it such a fun, special occasion!

Letting mom help him open a birthday card from his Great Grandmother.

Playing tug-of-war with Grandpa's glasses.

*** Aunt Renata did a grrreat job on the birthday cake!!	*** Showing off his festive plaid with Grandpa Slivinski.
*** We've been having to closely monitor Deavan's diet, so giving him birthday cake was a bit of a gamble - he had some fun mushing it up, but wasn't too interested in taste testing.	*** The centre of attention. He tried blowing out the candle, and then decided he'd rather reach for it instead.

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Missed in the previous post... here is a picture of Ruby earning her supper, harnessed and pulling Deavan in his sled. Dad stayed out front in case a bit of extra pulling power was required, while Mom was the caboose, providing any necessary course corrections through the twisty bits. Deavan relaxes in the middle, loving to drag his hands through the snow. He had a great time... even if the scenery never changes. ;-D

Christmas in the Capital

Only 3 days until Christmas and we've already had many sightings of Santa!

                   Off to the Mall we go to find Santa and give  him Deavan's wish list for Christmas.  His first test with Jolly 'O St. Nicholas wasn't too bad!  Follow that up with a trip to the Carp Community Center where Deavan adds more goodies to his wish list.

 

 

                                                  Taking advantage of the snow out back, Ruby pulls Deavan in the sled while Calli stays behind make sure he doesn't fall out...  Such hard work!

 

                                                                                                             Gab and Scott take Deavan out to test his new one piece snowsuit and matching red hat and mitts.  He seems to like 'em!

Last Days of Autumn

Winter has quickly replaced fall, with ample snow and below freezing temperatures keeping us indoors a bit more than usual.  The memory of a last hurrah in the leaves will have to endure for the months of winter.

	Dane gets a work out while Deavan thwarts Elena's advances.
*** Richard directs the action at the more-or-less-weekly neighbourhood playdate.	***   Ruby makes Deavan happy!
***	***   Boy - just turn your back for a second...

Scary Kid!

Well, not so much "scary" as "cute", I s'pose...  Halloween has come and gone, but not without plenty of fun and photo opportunities!

	L'enfant tortue!
***   Deavan models the latest in holiday fashion trends - an Atlantic Giant pumpkin from the Slivinski garden!	*** Elena & Dane keep an eye on Deavan before doing some trick-or-treating of their own.
*** This years pumpkin.	*** The 3rd of our three Hallowe'en guests - Batcameron!  Run you miscreants and doers of evil - RUN - for Batcameron is on your heels!

Adventures

Summer is gone, with warm and sunny weather fading into memory... so when the day dawns with an opportunity for breakfast outside, we take it!	He loves crawling behind the trestle table in the kitchen, though he's just about too tall now to stand up without hitting his head.
*** Following on from his excursions behind the table, Deavan also enjoys spelunking back-and-forth along the tunnels in the land of Couch and Loveseat. Great fun for the little guy, who loves to play peek-a-boo when he pops up at either end!	*** We also enjoyed a 2 hour hike on the mountain bike trails in Kanata. Notice how he's leaning to his left... which he did for 2 hours. Thank goodness for a sturdy and load-dispersing backpack!
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Three generations of Edward's (Dennis, Scott, and Deavan) made a trip to the Museum of Science & Technology for an interactive experience (and to see the special Bicycle exhibit). Deavan had a great time, owing mostly to the fact that it was very quiet, and he could crawl around everywhere! He loved pushing buttons, turning lights off and on, making sounds, turning and pushing things around, and spending time with Grandpa Fitz. It was great fun, and while the Museum is in desperate need of stepping into the 21st Century, it's still worth the trip.

Fall Fun

It's our favourite time of year - crisp mornings (with maybe a touch of frost!), spectacular colours in every direction, and just all-around gorgeous days to be outside.

Our Valco stroller has been outstanding - we've been abusing it like crazy, and it still goes like it's brand new!  Here, Deavan enjoys the scenery on Wilbert's Trail in the back yard.	We were fortunate to source a babysitter for a WHOLE DAY (thanks, Casey!) so Gab & I could enjoy our anniversary (FIVE years already!) with our own rural ramble in the Ottawa Valley, finishing with a Polish dinner in Wilno.
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We also took advantage of the season - and beat the traffic - to enjoy a hike at King Mountain in Gatineau Park.	Deavan enjoys his new backpack carrier - traveling in style, safe and secure, and without sending Da-Da to the clinic with back problems!

 

Let's all go to the Fair!!

We're in the thick of the fall Fair season, and of course Deavan couldn't miss his first Carp Fair - in fact, it was so much fun, he went twice!

This was the 145th year of the Carp Fair - an impressive anniversary for our humble hamlet. Agricultural endeavours still feature prominently in the Fair and are a big part of what makes it so special and so much fun. As in previous years, Gab entered a number of contests, and took home prizes in 3 categories: Single Portrait (for a picture of Deavan, of course!), Mixed Herbs, and Ceramic Decoration.

Mark your calendar for next year's Fair!

Mom chauffeurs the carrousel horse	Taking a ride on the Eh! train
Hey kid!! (Get it?!)	Aunt Casey chauffeurs the carrousel horse
And Aunt Casey chauffeurs the giant pumpkin (she can drive anything!)

Workin' like a Baby

With Daddy Day Care in full swing, Deavan's easy life in the hands of his mother are over - it's time this boy learned the value of an honest days work!!

First up - laundry. Get in there and make sure everything is clean and dry! Next, time for some vacuuming - make sure you get into the crevices and under the cushions! Finally, we need to do an inspection - be sure to check under the couch!

Good work, son! Your reward shall be a visit with grandma!

Step by step

  

 

 

 

Living in a bungalow, Deavan doesn't get to try out stairs too often, but the first chance he got he climbed all 7 steps by himself (of course he had his grandma there as a spotter)!

 

 

Scott, Gab and Deavan, along with a (VW) friend and his kids, went to Saunders Farm and meandered through the labyrinths made of trees, grape vines and corn.  Known for their Halloween setup, Saunders' mazes must get pretty spooky at nightfall on the 31st - we were safe though!