jude and the happy ending

jude disappeared for a almost three days.  he didn't come home one snowy friday night, the night before we were leaving for whistler.  needless to say, we were very worried about him.  

i felt like the worst cat mama. as i was tidying up the kitchen that night i started to cry, i couldn't help it, and had to sit myself down on the stool.  kai heard me.  pausing his video game, he quietly came over to me, sat on my lap and hugged me, stroking my back.  you see, kai believed jude was on an adventure and would come back soon enough.  those two are buddies and i couldn't imagine kai not having his buddy around anymore. 

we left our house key with a neighbour and asked him to keep an eye out for jude.  but it was of no use, jude didn't come home over the weekend.  in whistler, we didn't talk about him, we couldn't.  the night we returned from whistler, kai went to bed worried about his cat.  the idea that jude wouldn't be coming home was sinking in. 

then, bright and early monday morning, stefan and i awoke to a cat's meowing and the jingle of a collar bell... could it be?  we jumped out of bed, each of us fumbling to open up the doors - stefan upstairs and i downstairs.  then i heard stefan say that he had jude.  it was such a tremendous relief.

kai was right, he was on an adventure.



feeling colourful

feeling the need for some colour in the living and dining rooms via rugs.  any of these vintage beauties will do, don't you think?



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have a lovely weekend.

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kai: he is wearing his favourite piece of clothing ever, "it's just so soft and comfortable."  he has had this robe for about one month and wearing it every morning and sometimes in the evenings too.  i'm sure if i let him he'd wear it to school :)



dreamcatcher

beautiful hand-crafted dreamcatchers.  just dreamy.  i think a dreamcatcher displayed in front of the window would look lovely too.

 

 



image from here



weekend pics

it was a wet weekend, one that was meant for staying warm and cozy indoors wrapped in blankets, wearing woolly socks, playing games and drinking tea.  and we did, mostly. 

we also celebrated our friend's son's third birthday.  thirty small children running around, a magician, and a huge thomas cake made for a very festive environment and one happy train-loving boy.  there was all manner of lovely persian food too... i was salivating at the sight.



the birthday boy with his proud parents



 



it was beautiful on sunday up on grouse mountain with the snowing weather (rain in the city often means snow in the mountains).  i have began my snowshoeing season while kai is in ski lessons.  stefan will join my often but i plan to be up the mountain every week.  it's often beautiful and the snow shoe grind is such an intense workout - i love it.  afterwards, we stopped by a café for warm drinks and a decadent dessert for kai - this week it was monkey waffles at mink.
 

 kai's rosy post-skiing cheeks are so sweet. 

 hope you had a lovely weekend too.

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last year i saw lots of mamas on the internet participating in a weekly project documenting their children once a week, every week, for the entire year.  click practising simplicity to learn about the start of this project; i love the concept.  so,  i thought i would do the same and just in time seeing as the first week of january has come to a close.

i am excited to have a little project for this blog but worry i won't stick with it or fall behind. i will do my best though.  every wednesday i will have a portrait of kai or perhaps an "unportrait" of him, something that represents him, a favourite toy he is playing with, muddy footprints in the house, or running wild.  we'll see.

kai: after three days of back to school and two nights of soccer practice, he is exhausted. he fell asleep at five-thirty on the sofa.  no shower, no completed homework, no dinner.  just one boy needing some sleep.  and before falling asleep he was grumpy too.

looking forward



painting from here



instead of resolutions i thought i would instead make a list of things i am looking forward to in 2014.  i have been thoughtful about this list but certain as the year progresses more will be added but for now here it is:

 

reinventing my mornings (i love to sleep in which means i am often rushing out the door so a good start would
be to get up much earlier than i currently do!)

 

taking a photoshop class to create layout and mood boards, retouch photos,

add type and drawings to images... to make my blog posts feel special

 

practising patience, always

 

attending spin classes

 

reading more... books not magazines 

 

mastering the art of icing

 

taking the photos off the computer and into albums (perhaps during those

reinvented mornings?)

 

starting a veggie garden in the summer

 

shopping for new patio furniture once the construction is finally complete

 

being in the kitchen more as stefan's sous chef (i really enjoyed rolling up

tiny meatballs and making gnocchi with him)

 

saving my pennies for a new kitchen countertop... like this one (especially since 
i will be sous chefing more often)

 

learning to blow dry my hair the way they do at the salon

 

laughing, alot

 

getting better about photography... especially to capture action since i have a boy

who often refuses to pose for photos

 

travelling, anywhere

 

hosting dinner parties

 
i love making lists, especially crossing things off as they are completed! 

what's on your list?