Happy New Year! 2013 already...crazy how time moves so quickly - we have already been in Montreal for 4 months! Everyone seems to be adjusting to the new routine here. Kira seldom mentions her old preschool friends from Vancouver anymore (in the beginning she was mentioning them multiple times a day); Kai loves his daycare and often cries when he has to leave because he wants to "play, play, play" more; Jon is enjoying his new job and coworkers; and I have finally started my french school.

Perhaps the biggest surprise for us so far has been that the winter isn't really bothering us as much as we thought it would. That said, we have spent a small fortune on the proper winter items for us and the kids, so that definitely helps, plus, the "real winter"hasn't yet arrived (or so the Montrealer's keep telling me). Over the holidays we got 45+ cm of snow, but after a couple of days, the city returns to normal and the snow is just there and you live with it. Such a contrast to what I am used to. This week has been warm and the snow is turning to slush, I find myself wishing for the cold temperatures to return so that the nasty slush will be soft snow again. Maybe I really am adjusting to this new place...

Anyhow, enough rambling and poor grammar (yes husband, I know you will comment on it later); here are some pictures of the kids, including some old ones that I have just found on my phone, enjoy!

birthday cake success! this is the first cake she's eaten and enjoyed

Kai wasn't so sure...

Kira LOVES getting mail

checking to make sure everyone is off the bus

"the bucket!"

Gingerbread house construction

The first snowfall

vroom vroom!

no hands!

"Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeese!"

Grandma painting her toenails and Kai observing

Love this pic of Grandma + Kira

CHEESE!

Butterfly face

She really wanted to be a fairy

She still asks me where this butterfly is

Baby dude haircut!

Her first snowman in Montreal

Hahahaha

monkey

Ta-Da!

Chilling with Daddy

Kai LOVED his cousin Conner's trucks

Conner, Nicholas, and Clinton ham it up during Christmas dessert

Angry bird ear-muffs

So happy my kids finally got to play with Maya's boys!

Her next snowman....this one was in the front yard of Uncle Josh's house in Ontario

Being on vacation can be exhausting...

Kai is hanging out with the snowman

The snowpocolypse that greeted us when we got home to Montreal

Learning his ABC's

The snowbanks were higher than her!

Ninjaclava!

She is a serious artist

My first time on a frozen lake! Note lack of mittens despite -10 temp that day, all that gear makes you super warm!