Next Tuesday

What are YOU doing next Tuesday night (September 21) at 9pm Atlantic?
I can tell you what we'll be doing:

Season Two begins - yay!
We haven't got Dad on board with the whole Glee addiction yet but maybe this season!

Kennedy Directing Her School Sign Language Club Signing Rudolph

Today was the holiday show at Kennedy's school. Each Monday, she and her interpreter run a noon hour sign language club. They had been practicing the song, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and performed it today. It's a great video but since Kennedy is directing, we mostly just see the back of her! They did a fabulous show and I'm so proud of all of them. Way to go!

Alice in Wonderland - Pics and Video

I'm not sure how many of you readers of the blog are not also Facebook friends but just in case, I'm going to post the video here of "Alice in Wonderland", in which Kennedy played the Queen of Hearts (as well as part of 'the black hole' and the Jabberwocky gang in other scenes...but the Q. was her main part). It's about 44 minutes long; if you're looking for K's main scene specifically, skip to about the 25 minute mark. If you have time, though, to watch it all, it's pretty darn cute. (I know, I'm biased.)

If you are a Facebook friend, I apologize for the redundancy but I can't help how cute, wonderful and talented these kids are!!

Pictures I took at the show can be found here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=149270&id=587985427&l=3778778a89

Alice in Wonderland - IACT August 22, 2009 from Lisa on Vimeo.

Almost April

Time for another long-overdue update, I can't believe it's been so long since I've written. It seems like I get (or make) time to do this about once every 3-4 weeks, I'm not a very good blogger. Things are going well around here - Kennedy is getting toward the end of grade five now and getting psyched for middle school. The biggest issue right now is what school she's going to be attending. The one she is slated to attend is up on the chopping block to be closed but the government has not made a decision yet. Apparently we're supposed to know by next week. I don't really have a strong opinion either way. The one she will attend if the original closes is closer in proximity to our home, but will be HUGE in terms of student population; the other is in an area of the city that is really rough and known for drug busts, etc. The school, staff, etc, is good, it's just the periphery that is worrisome. We shall see and whatever happens, Kennedy will adjust and do well, just like she always does. I always worry more than is necessary, but I'm getting better.

March has been fairly uneventful - she's had lots of school work and projects to do so that's kept her busy. This Friday she has two big projects due: one on floods and a 'Wanted' poster for a character in a book. She has been working hard on those. I have been supply teaching a lot and also got a second interview for a teaching position at a private school so I've been preparing for that this week.

In March, Kennedy also went to the endocrinologist, who found she was happy with her growth in terms of height (that had been a concern). She still is around the 5th percentile for height but has remained on her own curve and her growth velocity per year is fine. Other issues we are watching for now involve puberty; we had a blood test done to look at some things so hopefully all will be moving along in that area when her body is ready.

Last night we had a family date to go see Monsters vs. Aliens, which was very cute. Kennedy actually let me dry her hair with a diffuser to really bring out its natural curl. Since it happens so infrequently, I captured the look with my camera. Here are a few shots - I love her curly hair! She is wearing her favourite shirt in these photos - it's her grade five graduation shirt from her school. They have a tradition of having everyone sign their name and putting it on the back of a t-shirt in the year of graduation, with the school crest on front. Cute keepsake!

Front view: my little girl is growing up.



Back view: I love these curls!


Side view: Little button nose :)



Typical pose: I wish Kennedy would open her mouth and smile more for pictures but she has it in her head now to keep her mouth closed. It's still adorable, but I miss her open-mouth smiles. At least she lets me take pictures, I remember my boys did NOT like getting their pictures taken at this age!

Another March Break has Come and Gone

Random musings on March Break '09...

Well today is the last day of March Break. Kennedy had a fabulous week - the first weekend of March Break we had Taylor home all to ourselves for the weekend for the first time without her Mom & Dad. I had a ball being the doting Nan and Kennedy loved helping out with everything as the ever-loving Auntie. She helped me give her baths, feed her, hold her, change her bottom, play with her. It is so beautiful to see the two of them together. I am so proud of how responsible she is becoming.

On Monday, she began to go to theatre camp. She asked to go for the whole week so we signed her up and she went on her own each day. There were different themes for the days, such as 'Broadway Bound' and 'High School Musical'. She came home so happy and excited every day. It was not as fun for me as we usually have the whole week together and didn't this year but she's growing up, expanding her interests and I think it's great she wants to do other things.

We did catch a movie together on Tuesday night: Jonas Brothers 3D. It was a lot of fun; those boys have a LOT of energy. Kennedy loved it! Friday night, after theatre camp was done for the week, we had a girly spa & movie night, complete with a full massage, bubble bath, manicure, and movie. Oh yes, we also had fun playing 'Guitar Hero: World Tour' together. Graeme actually joined in for that. Kennedy's score beat ours almost everytime, no matter if she was on drums or guitar. She loves that game so much and is so cute to watch. She is her mother's daughter - loves the 80s music - we often hear, 'Eye of the Tiger' and 'Beat It' pounding away down there.

Yesterday (Saturday) was a cooking day, she wanted to make cheesecake so we spent the afternoon doing that. In the morning,though, we had to go out and do a few errands, one of which included going to Home Depot to pick up a small light switch. I wish I'd had my video camera because Kennedy began giving us a guided tour of Home Depot. She would walk us over to the kitchens and say, "This is the cupboard, these are some lovely drawers," etc...and would open them and point just like she was little Miss Saleslady. It was so adorable.

On another somewhat related topic, something she is doing a LOT of lately is asking us, "What will I do if I work here when I am older?" She does this at almost every new place we go; she has a real curiousity about working and having a job. She is very excited about this. We spend a lot of time talking to her about different responsibilities of different positions. She thinks she might like to work at the hospital where people register - you give them your Medicare card, they enter your info in the computer and then tell you which way you need to go to get to your desired destination. I think she'd be great at this (or whatever she sets her mind to). She certainly knows her way around the hospital and is excellent on the computer. Time will tell, I just want her to be happy in her life no matter what she does.

Last note about March Break '09 - K got a cheque for Xmas this year that had been sitting on a shelf in our kitchen for going on three months and we decided we better get it cashed. So Kennedy opened her very first bank account yesterday, learned all about getting an account, how much she could take out in one day, got her new bank card, selected her own PIN for the account, asked questions of the bank manager who set up the account, etc. It was happy and sad at the same time - happy to see her taking in the information, getting more independent, but sad because my baby is growing up!

Back to school tomorrow - I'm not scheduled to work tomorrow yet so that's a good thing as Kennedy's big brother, Kyle, is coming home from his high school trip to France at about 1:00am. She is excited to see him as am I - can't wait to go pick him up tonight, Kennedy will have to wait until the morning to see him, though as she does need to wake up for school!

Hope all of my readers had a great break or will have a great break if you haven't yet had it!

Auntie Pictures

It's been a while since my last update but we've pretty much spent most of the winter DIGGING out from the snow. It's the worst winter I can recall in my lifetime. We have 7 foot snowbanks in our driveway and there's a ton more falling today, at least a couple more feet. Yikes!

On a sunnier, brighter, happier, more joyous note, Miss Taylor, my granddaughter and Kennedy's sweet niece, was here for the past weekend and I got a couple of really cute pictures of she & Kennedy as well as she & her Gramp. I thought I'd break up the February blahs (and my long hiatus from posting) by sharing a couple of these pictures.

Sunday morning pajama girls:


Gramp & his girls:

Kennedy As Miley Cyrus

As many of you know, Kennedy got her beloved Disney Sing It for the Wii for Xmas. As promised, here is an early video of her belting out "Start All Over" by Miley Cyrus.

Random January Pics

Here are a few shots of Kennedy in January at her family birthday party, with great grandparents, with her beautiful niece (and my lovely granddaughter!) Taylor, with her cousins, and outside playing in the snow. Did I mention we have gotten a TON of snow this January? There is also a sweet one of her with her dad, who, after almost 13 years of us being together, shaved off his moustache much to my delight. There is a photo near the end of her with her new blonde-highlighted, straightened Hannah Montana hair, which was her last birthday request. What a diva...

If these photos do not start, or say, 'no such photos found' hit the 'F5' button at the top of your keyboard to refresh the screen and remember, it's not us, it's Flickr! ha ha...

Kennedy is almost 11!

Kennedy had her 'friend' birthday party early this year - last night to be exact. The reason we did it was because she wanted a movie party and there were no real 'kid' movies coming out on her birthday weekend so the girls all went to see 'Hotel for Dogs' last night instead. They had a great time and Kennedy was so excited because we straightened her hair and I let her wear make-up. They had a great time and two of the girls, Jenna & Marysa, came back over to our place after for a sleepover. We let Kennedy have her present from us then - a new cell phone. She went CRAZY...it seems crazy at 11 to have a cell but it seems to be all the rage and we look at it as another social tool. She was texting up a storm last night! Here are some pictures from last night's festivities...


We are planning a 'family' birthday get-together for next Saturday, which is closer to her actual birthday, the 27th. Should be lots of fun...oh and we do have a video of her singing from her Disney Sing It! game for the Wii, I just have to convert & upload it!

A Christmas Story!

Hey everybody! Its Kennedy! Today I read a Christmas story. I hope you enjoy the video!

Thank you and MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Love, Kennedy
xoxox
(Mom here) The name of the story is, "What Santa Can't Do" and it is written by Douglas Wood and illustrated by Doug Cushman.
Here is the video and the words are below so you can follow along - enjoy!

There are lots of things that regular people can do, but Santa can't. He can find every house in every town in every country. But sometimes he can't find his pipe or his slippers.

He can remember everybody on his list. But he can't quite remember what Mrs. Claus said to get at the grocery store. Santa can never buy enough reindeer biscuits. He can't drive a car. (That would hurt the reindeer's feelings.) And he can't fly in airplanes. (That would really hurt their feelings!)

He can't shave. No one would know him. And he can't wear a suit and tie to work. Well, maybe a red suit. Santa can't quite touch his toes. Or do as many sit-ups as he used to. Santa can't wear Bermuda shorts and a T-shirt. Or sandals.

Santa can't do his best work without elves. And he can't wait to try out the new toys! Santa just can't help smiling. And he can't seem to smile without his eyes twinkling. He can't stand having an empty lap. Santa can't chuckle. Or giggle. Or snicker. He can only "Ho! Ho! Ho!"

He can't pack a regular suitcase. Santa can't sleep at night. At least, not on Christmas Eve! He can't leave for work without a kiss. And a present for someone special. He can't come into a house the normal way. He doesn't know how doorknobs work. Santa doesn't relly like fires in fireplaces. ("Ouch!") He just can't seem to walk past a plateful of cookies. Or a glass of milk. And he can't leave a single gift in his bag, even the tiniest one.

There are lots of things Santa can't do. Lots of ways he's different. But in one way he's just like you and me. He can't wait for Christmas!
------------------------------
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO EVERYONE FROM THE WEIR FAMILY!

Kennedy Xmas Concert '08

Just a couple of shots of K in her Xmas show - her class sang "Jingle Bells" (all four verses - did you know there were four???) and played recorder on the chorus. We were so proud of her and how well she did with the recorder. I was excited to help her learn as I'd played the saxophone for many years and the recorder is very similar so I hauled out my old recorder and worked with her; we had many "Jingle Bells" duets here at the house before the show! Unfortunately I had only my Digital SLR camera with me without video capabilities so I didn't get any video. Maybe Santa will bring me a digital video camera! ha ha...:)

Singing Shot:



Recorder shot with her class:



Recorder shot close up:

A Fitting Story for Remembrance Day

Kennedy wanted to read a story to my class at school because they had asked her to read more to them after I showed them her poems the other day. She chose, I Am Canada by Heather Patterson. I thought it was fitting that she chose this book because today is Remembrance Day and we would not have this wonderful country the way it is without those who risked and sacrificed their lives to fight for it.

Halloween's Been Over For Five Days, What Do You Mean You Aren't Ready for Xmas Yet?

Kennedy decided today that she was good and ready to compose her annual letter to good ol' St. Nick. Here she is doing her favourite activity of late, making videos of herself:

Happy Halloween!

Kennedy has a message for everyone today about what happened at school:


HAPPY HALLOWEEN from the 'Elegant Witch'

WELCOME!

Kennedy's new 'Welcome' video - October 25, 2008
Kennedy wanted to make a new welcome video - it'll live on the side bar at the top but I thought I'd post it a little bigger in a post so people could get a look at all her cuteness!

Kennedy is an Auntie!

Last weekend (Thanksgiving weekend no less!), Kennedy became an Auntie! My son Ryan and his girlfriend Angela gave birth to a BEAUTIFUL, healthy baby girl on October 10th. Kennedy hadn't been sure about this whole 'Auntie' business and quite frankly, wanted to be a 'sister' to the new baby but when she saw her little niece for the first time, she was fine with it!

I am pleased to present Miss Taylor Kennedy Nolan (yep, they gave her Auntie's name for a middle name)...born on October 10, 2008 at 9:42pm, weighing in at 7lbs 1oz and 20 inches long. I am a proud Nan and Kennedy is a proud Auntie. Here are some pictures:



Taylor with her Mommy (Angela) and Daddy (Ryan) - 10-10-08


Auntie Kennedy feeds Taylor while Nan happily snuggles her



Taylor, one day old


Taylor with her Daddy and Auntie Kennedy

Blog Neglect - Brief Update

Hey gang, I know I've been woefully negligent in posting here but with Kennedy & Kyle back to school plus me doing my full-time internship and two university courses, there isn't much time for blogging. On a good note, grade five is going pretty well for Kennedy so far. Her writing has improved so much, she is adding so much more detail to her sentences, using conjunctions, etc. Mommy is very proud.

She has decided that she doesn't want to go back to Guides this year. I'm a little disappointed but I respect the fact she doesn't want to and I won't force her. She's still bowling in the league every Sunday and going to theatre classes beginning in October on Thursday nights. She goes around telling everyone, "I'm an actress now." It's so cute.

Hope all of Kennedy's readers are having a great September/back-to-school time!!!
Here is the little Missy on the first day of school - what a diva with her Hannah Montana hair and outfit on, blowing her kiss to Mommy!

Boing!

This is probably one of the best investments we've made - Kennedy's trampoline. I know they sometimes have a bad rap but if used properly with the safety netting and supervision and following the rules, I think they're great. Plus, they are great exercise (trust me, I've been on it and your heart rate definitely goes up after a few jumps!). She'd been asking for one since last year when she tried it up at my cousin Sherri's house at our family's annual 'Estrofest' - Graeme named it the Estrofest because it's a three-day thing each August where the females from my mom's side of the family all gather up in northern New Brunswick at my cousin Sherri's place. We are actually heading up there tomorrow morning for Estrofest so we'll be away from the computer for a bit.

Anyway, Sherri had a trampoline, she tried it and loved it and has been asking for one since so when they went on sale, we bought her one and she's been jumping ever since. She goes out in the morning in her jammies and gets in and sometimes (like the video below), she does it in the evening with her jammies on. She is actually pretending she's hosting a show during this jumping segment, thus the "Hi, this is Kennedy Weir and welcome to my house" and what not throughout the jumping. She loves the whole butt-feet jump combo; it's her favourite so far...

Following the Leader

This is from the Peter Pan movie, the song is "Following the Leader." This will be the last one from the show. There was another video clip of Kennedy delivering her lines but the audio didn't pick them up as she was standing further away...:( She did great though, we were all very proud.

I've Got No Strings

Another video from the show - this one is 'I've Got No Strings' from the Pinocchio movie. Kennedy is on the far right.