Saturday Zen

I need some Zen today, big time.  Lenny decided to wake up at 5am and stay up! Now, I know that plenty of you out there have kids that do that kind of unspeakable, hateful thing to you every day but Lenny never has. She usually sleeps as late as we do.  As a result, we're both cranky and tired and did I mention cranky?

Ugh.  On to the ZEN.

Shot last Sunday with my first roll of film for my new Diana Mini camera.  You can learn more about my adventures in analogue here.

Lenny takes New Orleans!

The Robeau grabbed this one with his Blackberry.  Lenny with some of her Easter Parade loot on a stoop in Marginy.   

Lenny insists on carrying our doggie bag from Delmonica - it's almost as big as her!

Dancing in Jackson Square

Indoor Playground Fun

Happy New Year - from all of us, to all of you!

The tradition continues...

Happy 2012 you guys. We love you all to bits!

Lenny's A-HA Moment: Christmas Stocking Edition

Last year was a little different.

BOO!

LenBot had a great time last night.  She spent a lot of it standing at the door watching the big kids Trick or Treating. Every once in a while she'd let out a high pitched shriek when I opened the door, much to the delight of the kids and their parents.  I think she's getting the hang of this Halloween thing nicely.  Next year?  Candy!

Sunday Offerings

This morning we took Lenny to Chapters and let her wander around the kids section.  They have it set up like a giant playroom with books and toys at baby-eye level.  She was totally in her element.  Everyone was smiling at her and saying hi to her.  Well, everyone except the 4 year old boy crying in his stroller.  She waved at him, pointed at him and yelled "baby!"

Hey, she said it, I didn't.

He gave her the stink eye and she toddled on.  Then, she stopped dead in her tracks, stared straight ahead and let out a high pitched squeal.  Like a deer in headlights, there she was staring at a picture on the wall, about a foot off the floor, of the one and only ELMO.  Who she still calls "Melmo".  After the squeal she beamed at his picture and sort of sighed, "Meeeelmo!"

The next five minutes consisted of Lenny taking toys and books off the shelf, carrying them over to Elmo, showing them to him and then placing them gently on the floor in front of him.

Then I lit some incense, threw some oranges on top of the pile and bowed.

Elmo, he was pleased.

Vocabulary

Everything is a phone to this kid...a lego block, a cookie, a banana...they all get held up to her ear and then she yells "LO!"

Here's an ever evolving list of Lenny's Vocab.  I wonder what's next?

Baby!

Ma Ma

Dadeeee

HiLO! (variations: Hieeeee and LO)

Bow (as in Bow Wow Wow)

CockaDOO (as in Cock a Doodle Doo)

Duck

Mo Mo (as in the little red, furry muppet)

Turning One: Part Three

You knew when I said that I'd be back tomorrow with more pictures from Lenny's birthday party I actually meant four days, right?  Le sigh.  Being back to work has been wonderful, but it really has cut down on my ability to keep up with things like blogging in a timely manner, returning emails...ever...and various other things that make me, I'm sure, a rather frustrating person to deal with.  Mea culpe.  Thirty lashes with wet noodle.  When I get home from work all I really want to do is hang out with Lenny.  Can you blame me?

So, to sum up the birthday party, which was a week ago now (!) I'll just say that it's the friends that make a party great.  Hell, it's the friends (new and old) that make life great.  We are blessed beyond measure in that department.  Lucky, lucky us.  Thanks for the photos Aunt Mo!

Year two...here we come!

Turning One: Part Two

This past Sunday, we celebrated Lenny's first birthday with family and friends.  We wanted to keep the gathering informal.  It was, after all, a baby's birthday party.  That said, The Robeau did a lot of work getting the backyard in shape and I cooked up a storm.  Some of the decorations are homemade, but most are from Dollarama, every mother's best friend.

I wish I could tell you that we spent a lot of time lounging under that lovely canopy in the back garden, watching our younger guests chasing each other and blowing bubbles.  But, no, there was a MASSIVE thunderstorm as evidenced by this picture of my mother, the drowned grandmother rat...

Now I ask you, is that a dedicated grandmother or WHAT?

The rain was so heavy I assumed that most of our guests wouldn't make it.  I thought the power was going to go out and that the six of us that were there would be sitting by candlelight, brainstorming uses for the obscene amount of potato salad I was sure to have left over.  But NO, our friends and family are a hearty bunch and they all showed up to celebrate Lenny and her birthday.  It was so lovely!

On the menu, we had a picnic-style buffet with all the staples and few new ideas to keep people guessing!

The Robeau's ever popular bbq chicken!

Super yummy Pulled Pork Sliders (recipe to follow)!

A new favourite of mine, Green Bean Quinoa Salad (recipe also to follow)

Tomato Watermelon Salad 

The obligatory Potato Salad

Later in the afternoon we stuffed ourselves with cake and cupcakes, which were prominently displayed on this amazing Elmo cupcake stand that Annette sent us for the party.  Don't you just love it?  Lenny sure did!

I was worried that it might all be a bit much for Lenny, having so many people in her house wanting to spend time with her and all the noise and fuss that comes with parties.  She took to the whole thing like a fish to water though.  I guess I shouldn't be surprised that my little leo is a social butterfly.

I'll be back tomorrow with some photos of our lovely guests, snapped by Aunt Mo, the official family photographer.