Haunted (local!) happenings

I’ve been wanting to do this every season for years now, but it always seems like life gets in the way and my endless reams of notepaper goes missing. This weekend is the last weekend of October—and presumably (at least for us Canadians!)—the last real weekend of fall. Frost has been gathering on the windowpanes, mittens are dangling from winter coats and a prediction of snow on Hallow’s Eve has got all of us just waiting for the other fur-covered boot to drop!

So, the end of another season—and once again, not a moment too soon for me! I’m already waaaaaay over Halloween. Yeah, you heard me. I bought my first Xmas album a week ago and I’m already planning out the Christmas card photo. Hot cocoa, wood-burning fires, even wore my new winter boots to work the other day. Sure, it was warm—but I was totally rocking the Fa-la-la-la vibe!

Anyhoot—reining myself back in here—if you have kids all eager to give their princess dresses and ghoul masks a dry-run, then I’ve got the list for you! If have a hankering for something spooktacular this weekend, Ottawa is definitely the place to be. Here’s a pretty comprehensive list (yes, I know, I do a lot of research. Yes, you are all amazed by how I find all this stuff, yadda, yadda....) of the haunted happenings in the area this weekend. Find yourself some fun!

Happy Boo to You!

Halloween Hoopla
• Fiery Faces at 2825 Dumaurier Avenue, Ottawa. See a light display of hundreds of carved jack-o-lanterns in support of Ottawa’s Boys and Girls Club. Nightly displays from October 28 to October 31 from 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Family Fun Day from 12:00pm to 5:00pm on Saturday, October 29 with Ray’s Reptiles, pumpkin carving and cookie decorating. Free, but donations accepted.
• Bat Hunt at Canadian Children’s Museum. Find all of the bats hidden throughout the museum and win a special Halloween treat.
• Happy Halloween at Canadian Children’s Museum. October 28 from 9:30am to 11:30am. Costumes parade, make a mask, decorate a trick-or-treat bag and take in a show.
• Sesame Street Halloween Party at Canadian Museum of Civilization. Sunday, October 30 from 1:00 to 3:00pm. Dress up in best costumes and visit the Grand Hall. Treats, cool crafts, DJ for a dance party and appearances by Elmo, Cookie Monster and Abby Cadabby.
• Pumpkin Patch Parties at Gymboree (373 Vantage Drive, Orleans). Friday, October 28 at 6:15 to 7:15pm. Open to everyone ($12 for members, $15 for non-members). Treats, crafts, costume parade, games and more.
• A-BACH-cadabra! at the National Arts Centre. Follow Samara, the Witch as she and the orchestra set out on a Halloween adventure to discover the music of Bach. Dress up for this special concert. October 29 to November 1.
• A Barnyard Halloween at Canada Agriculture Museum. Trick-or-treat scavenger hunt through the barns; take a wagon ride; make caramel apples, pumpkin desserts and other treats in the kitchen; and decorate your own pumpkin (extra fee) and take it home. 9:00am to 5:00pm.
• Halloween at the Canadian Museum of Nature. October 29 and 30. Creepy Crawly Show ‘n Tell in the Theatre, scavenger hunt through the galleries, airbrush temporary tattoos in the mezzanine.
• Vintage Halloween Hijinx at Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. Kids trick-or-treat around the village, play old-fashioned games and learn about the history of the holiday. October 29 and 30 from 10:00am to 5:00pm. $7 per adult, $5 per student and senior and $18 per family. • My Little Pony at St. Laurent Mall. Not really spooky—but had to share. My Little Pony characters (with a special appearance by Chuck the Truck) will be doing free 30-minute shows. Can meet and take photos with Twilight Sparkle, Rainbow Dash and Applejack at 11:00am and 2:00pm on October 29 and October 30 in the courtyard. Free.
• Trick-or-Treat with the Mayor at City Hall. Saturday, October 29 at 5:00pm to 7:30pm. Safe and fun haunted house trick-or-treating in the Heritage Building, followed by ghoulish tales in Andrew Haydon Hall and a pumpkin parade at Jean Pigott Place. Admission is a donation for Ottawa Food Bank’s Baby Supply Cupboard (formula, diapers, wipes, food, etc.).
• Spooktacular Open House at Tiny Hoppers (Orleans). Saturday, October 29 from 9:00am to 12:00pm. Dress up, enjoy baked treats, games, colouring contests, free play and draws for a birthday party and summer camp.
• Halloween Party at Billings Estate. Sunday, October 30 from 11:00am to 4:00 pm. Spooky crafts, trick-or-treating, costume pageant and scary games. $6 per person, $10 per pair and $16 per family.
• Halloween Haunted Community Centre at Dovercourt Community Centre. Monday, October 31 from 6:00pm to 8:00pm. Includes treats, a ‘friendly’ house for the little ones and a ‘scary’ house for the brave of heart. Free.
• Mini Hottie Halloween at Midway Family Fun Park. Grand re-opening of Canada’s largest entertainment centre and Hot 89.9 will broadcast live at this Halloween party. Dress up, come play black light minigolf and bumper cards, take part in the balloon drop and costume contests. Sunday, October 30 from 10:00am to 4:00pm.
• Bring Your Mummy to Bayshore Shopping Centre. Monday, October 31 from 1:00pm to 8:00pm. Movie Zone in front of HMV will play four Halloween movies throughout the day, popcorn supplied by Kernels and gift card prizes by HMV. Storytime by Cole’s employees four times throughout the day with illustrations on large screen. Refreshments by Timothy’s. YMCA craft table. Trick-or-treating, courtesy of Mrs. Tiggy Winkle’s, starting at 3:00pm. Free.
• Wickedly Westboro Street Party. Saturday, October 29 from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Family zombie walk with makeup and drama lesson from Ottawa’s School of Speech and Drama, pumpkin-carving at Your Independent Grocer’s, neighbourhood scavenger hunt, trick-or-treating and reusable bags, magicians, jugglers, psychics and palm readers on street. Sidewalk sale from participating retailers. Free.
• Halloween at Place D’Orleans Shopping Centre. Monday, October 31 from 10:00am to 2:00pm. Free face painting and crafts in Laura Court. Trick-or-treat at participating retailers. Free.
• Halloween at Rideau Hall. Trick-or-treaters will be led through several ‘Mad Scientist’ experiments on the pathways at Rideau Hall. Monday, October 31 from 5:00pm to 8:00pm. Free shows--and treats!
• Halloween at Michael’s Craft Store. Saturday, October 29 from 11:00am to 2:00pm – a costume parade, crafts ($) and free face painting. Sunday, October 30 from 1:00 to 3:00pm – free make-and-take craft from Crayola. Ages 3 and up.
• Halloween at the Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada. Saturday, October 29 (from 10:00am to 5:00pm) and Sunday, October 30 (from 1:00pm to 5:00pm). Spooky crafts, scavenger hunt, activities and a bilingual magic show and workshop.
• Spooktacular at Hazeldean Mall. Stop by the Lottery to get special bag and trick-or-treat from 11:00am to 2:00pm. Free.
• Trick-or-Treat to Win at Carlingwood Mall. Purchase a trick-or-treat backpack from the mall ($10) and receive a ballot for the Kid’s Crooked Play House on display. Then, on October 29 and 30 (from 10:00am to 4:00pm) trick-or-treat with participating retailers and be entered to win the house. All proceeds go to Children’s Wish Foundation of Canada.
• Halloween events at Ottawa Public Library branches. Each branch of the Library has a different Halloween-themed storytime or party (with games, crafts, costumes and treats) taking place over the Halloweekend. Check out the website and find your local branch to see what they are offering.


And this one's really just for adults! If you have a few hours to kill on Saturday night this Halloweekend, why not take part in a Guinness Book of World Records attempt? Check out Thrill the World Ottawa. It is the world's largest attempt at a flash mob-type dance to Michael Jackson's "Thriller." Over 160 cities around the world will be taking part at precisely the same time. Here, in Ottawa, the event takes place in front of the giant spider sculpture (fitting, no?!) in front of the National Art Gallery downtown Saturday night at 10pm (there is also a 10am dance on the same day that will not be a record attempt, but will act as a rehearsal and great YouTube fodder). Registration is required and begins at 5:00pm at the U of O campus. There is a mandatory two-hour dance rehearsal (with instructions for the dance), followed by costume and makeup. Guinness officials and media present at 10pm dance, so there will be lots of photo ops and surprises. Even if you can't dance, might be worth checking out just to see the two-minute show!

Pumpkin patches and haunted houses
• Pumpkin Festival at Ferme Proulx. Wagon rides through a mysterious forest to the haunted shack and the cemetery of former employees. Cornfield mazes, children’s shows, playground structures and inflatables. Weekends 10:00am to 5:00pm.
• SKreamers at Ferme Proulx. Not for the faint of heart—or the thin of wallet. For $20, you can visit the Haunted Barn of Terror and go on the Scary Wagon Ride. Not recommended for children under 10. Nights from 7:00pm to 10:00pm.
• Chills for CHEO at Funhaven. Ottawa’s best haunted house experience with 100% of proceeds going to CHEO. New permanent location at Funahaven, a new entertainment centre in Ottawa. Offering two haunted houses—Magic Manor for kids under 10 ($5 for kids, accompanying adults for free) and Crypt of Torment for all adults ($10 each). Weekend days 1:00pm to 4:00pm and evenings 6:00pm to 10:00pm. Volunteers and donations always appreciated!
• Cannamore’s Spooky Wagon Ride in Embrun. The Ottawa area's premier Spooky Wagon Ride! Children's activities, petting zoo, games, pumpkin patch and Halloween characters. Evening wagon ride is not recommeded for young children.
• Saunders Farm in Munster. Halloween shows and musicals, hayrides, playground obstacles, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and other farm fall attractions. Evening ride not recommended for young children.
• McMaze in St. Andrew's. Farm activities with a special focus on corn mazes! Open until Halloween.

Ghost tours
• Ghost Hunting at Billings Estate. Psychic Connie Adams teaches you how to search for ghosts around the estate. Saturday, October 29 at 7:00pm, $15, ages 8 and up. Sunday, October 30 at 7:30pm. Advanced registration required.
• Haunted Walks of Ottawa in the Market and Sparks Street Mall. A lantern-lit, nighttime walking tour of all of downtown area's most haunted locations. Special tours for Halloween. Call for pricing and times.
• Ghost Walk at Pinhey’s Point. Creepy storytelling at haunted heritage house. October 29 at 7:00pm. Ages 12 and up. $15 pp. Reservations required.
• Horaceville Haunt at Pinhey’s Point. Creepy storytelling in the cemetery, followed by a séance with psychic. October 30 at 7:00pm. Ages 16 and up. $20 pp. Reservations required.
• Haunted Tours at Canadian Museum of Nature. Castle tour at night, led by a storytelling ghost guide. Select nights. Approximately 90 minutes in length. Children $10.75, students/seniors $16.75, adults $17.75.

Magic machine

So, two weeks exactly since our Disney wish trip return. I'm not even sure how to feel now. I think I'm still a little sad, actually.

Sad, you say? How could I possibly be sad after coming home from the Happiest Place on Earth? Well, simple. I'm here---not there.

I've got the wish trip blues. I won't even call it 'Disney blues'---for it was far more magical than just any trip to Disney could be. It was Make-a-Wish and DISBoards and Give Kids the World blues. All of these amazing organizations that went out of their way to make every moment of that trip and the months that led up to it, pure magic. We will never experience that level of kindness, generosity and good fortune again. And, it makes me a little sad to think that our lives may have to return to normal. To days when the only pixie dust we'll be able to find will be in the pages of our photo albums and our autograph books.

And, now I'm sad because the trip is over. I need time to mourn the end of our fairy tale. It's time to get back to reality--to laundry and swim classes and cable bills and publishing week at work. But, I'm not ready. Ugh.

Let me explain. I've been planning this wish trip with our Make-a-Wish representatives for months. I've researched, I've joined online forums, I've watched videos, read books. I put so much energy into the plans. You name it, I did it.

I found a group of 'FairyGodMailers' online and had someone send the girls a postcard from Disney a few weeks before our trip. (The idea is that when you go, you have to pay it forward. I sent two cards to Hope and Grace in North Carolina. Hope they liked their cards!) It's a wonderful little initiative. Adds a bit of fairy dust to the mail and get the girls excited about the trip!

Then, thanks to the kind-hearted friends I made on the Disneyboards (DISBoards), my daughters were selected to participate in the Big Give. It's basically a program in which volunteer crafters (many of whom are former wish trip families) choose a family to 'gift' with custom clothes for the wish trip. They sew beautiful princess dresses or create personalized t-shirts and then send them, along with stickers and colouring books and travel essentials, to the girls. It was....amazing. For about a month, every day the girls would receive a package or two, filled with surprises. They were spoiled. Rotten.

B has inherited her love of getting the mail from me, so this was just pure delight. We'd get so excited, waiting all morning for the mailman to come, then rushing to the box to to see what today's package could contain.

Such thoughtful and clever gifts! Personalized autograph books and adorable I-Spy bags. A crocheted mermaid doll. A princess picture frame. Books and stickers and Ariel socks. And, such beautiful handmade clothes! Cinderella ball gowns and Ariel pettiskirts for Brooke. Minnie Mouse hats and cupcake bibs for Avie. Matching jungle twirl skirts for Animal Kingdom. Orca-printed dresses for Sea World. Matching hair ribbons and Cat and the Hat aprons. The girls were definitely the best-dressed kids in the park. Honestly, people came up to me (at least a half-dozen every day), asking where I bought such beautiful clothes. I could have been handing out business cards. The girls looked amazing and I didn't have to pack a single piece of clothing for them. It was all a bit overwhelming!

It was just more kind-hearted wish trip magic.

And, then there was the Make-a-Wish (MAW) reveal party! The MAW wish grantors came to the house, accompanied by the sweetest man imaginable--Wayne, Brooke's wish grantor. They brought cake and balloons and presents galore. They flooded our house with good wishes and hugs and tears and laughter. Cameras whirring, bulbs flashing, princess tissue paper fluttering to the ground as the girls dug into gift bags and treats and passed out hugs and kisses for such generosity.

When the party first began and Brooke caught the first glance of the princess balloons, Brooke looked at me and asked quite wide-eyed: "Is it my birthday?"

It wasn't, but it sure felt like it was. Like it had been her birthday and Christmas and every holiday and childhood celebration all rolled into one. When the guests left, I sat there stunned for about an hour. I wiped away the happy tears and just mulled over the kindness that had been heaped upon us. Magical.

So, the lead-up to that amazing trip, was....incredible. Mindblowing. Awesome--but not awesome in that 'cool!' sense, but in the original, awe-inspiring way.

And, then--on September 8, 2011, at 5:10 a.m.--a white stretch limosine pulled into our gravel driveway to whisk us away to Magic Kingdom and Give Kids the World. To take us to relive our childhood and to celebrate life and merriment and innoncence and victory over disease. And, for one week--one week that passed by much too quickly--we forgot what real life was like.

It was magic.

There are not enough qualifiers and adjectives in the English language to describe that trip. To explain just how fortunate we feel, how blessed to have shared such an amazing experience with our children. Or how it felt to watch Brooke's face light up when we turned that first corner and the castle's magnificent fairy-tale silhouette filled the horizon. Or to describe the joy in Avie's laugh as she ran into Donald'd Duck's furry arms for the fourth time. Or to share the emotions I felt watching as the starstruck shyness that comes when a nearly-four-year-old meets the princess she's been dreaming about for over a year falls away and she throws herself in for an embrace.

All that magic, all that bliss--how can I ever convey it with words? What I need is some sort of new-word machine into which I could I could shake all of the the 'imagination,' 'sparkle,' and 'glitter' words from the dictionary. Then I'd throw in a cup of pixie dust, dump a bucket of love and kindness, add a batch of strawberries for sweetness and hit the 'blend' button. After some whirring and beeping, the machine would churn out a new word, so fresh the plastic seal would still be intact. I'd peel away the plastic and voîla! The perfect answer to the simple "How was your trip?" question.

I'm not very good with electronics and short on time these days, so it'll be a while before I get to work on such a machine. For now, I'll just say it was magic.

Pure magic.

D minus two days

So, I haven't written in months. I feel the weight of that, trust. But, right now, I am too panicked about the immediate future to care. In just two days time, we'll be leaving in the dark of night, climbing aboard a plane to catch a flight to Orlando for Brooke's wish trip to meet Ariel and the princess crew. Should be an amazing experience--if we don't all die of gastro beforehand. That's right. I am on day two of a nasty bug that has definitely made me it's bitch. I hate to be sordid, but that's the brunt of it. I don't think I have been this miserable since the day I gave birth to Brooke--and that ended beautifully, with me smiling down at an 8.8 lb little bundle of joy. There will be no reward for this pain, however. And, no amount of soda crackers, can keep back the nausea. I have it all--shakes, headache, achey muscles. Right now, I'm just praying that the virus goes away before Thursday--and that it doesn't affect any of my family. I can't imagine battling this illness in the happiest place on earth. So far, Hubby shows no sign of illness. And, he's--thank God--one who rarely gets ill. When he does, give him 12 hours and he'll be as good as new. Avie looks like the one who started us on this merry little adventure. She had gastro last week and the diarrhea dragged on for days. However, she is her smiley, happy self right now with simply a mild case of the sniffles. I can live with that. Brooke--and this is the one who really worries me--is fighting off a cold. She, too, is just as happy as can be, with no signs of getting worse. Sniffles and coughs. Pray that it does not get any worse. I'd love to keep writing about how I was suppose to spend yesterday packing and getting ready for our trip, and how I needed to go into the office today to finish up some projects, but the fact is that the toliet is once again calling for me.

For shame

I'm so delinquent with my postings it's ridiculous. I've managed to go an entire summer without posting up so much as a photo. Sad. And, there has been no lack of interesting events taking place. A week in Muskoka, a beach vacay at Wasaga, BIG GIVES, Brooke's Wish Day celebration, school supply shopping, preparing for our Disney wish trip, prepping for my Walk of Smiles....and the little bits of ordinary life in between.

To tide you over until I have time to get back at you--if you are even still tuning in and frankly, I wouldn't blame you at all if you had already forsaken me. I kinda forsook (?) you first. An eye for an eye and all that. Anyways, here are some recent pics of Miss Bee and Miss Aviecakes.

I present to you, Miss Bee meets Miss Avie for tea. They greet one another as only grand dames of sophisticated culture and impeccable--and never ostentatious! oh no!--taste should. Aren't they lovely?

Diagnoseversary

When I sit down to write a blog post, I often wonder how much of our lives to put out there. How much do you really want to know? What parts of my life should I share?

What may seem trivial and mundane to a reader might be a momentous occasion in our household. Do I bother to chronicle the lemonade ice cream, courtesy of President’s Choice, we tried for the first time this weekend? (It was heavenly—pink and creamy and so tart that your cheeks suck in and your eyes squint at the mere thought of swallowing it. Mmmm.)

Do I mention that the adorable baby Crocs Hubby snatched up at the Dollarama keep falling off Avie’s feet. As tiny as those shoes are, they are still too big for her!


Should I mention that we have already had a record strawberry haul, in that this week alone, Monique and the girls have picked (and then proceeded to eat!) three mixing bowls worth of berries?


Do you really want to know about Brooke’s sniffling the other night that kept both her and I awake until 1:30 a.m.—or how I’ve lost my maternity leave paperwork amidst a growing pile of bills and invoices and other things that are on ‘to be filed’ list? (Aw, man....I was supposed to look up that Service Canada access code again today. Ah, crap!)

I guess that’s what’s great about blogging. I can keep track of what’s important to me and you can choose whether or not you want to hop along for the journey.

You may have noticed that this is my 100th post. I’ve really been toying with what I should write for this post, as I thought it should be a reflection of who I am or what this blog is supposed to represent, what it has become and what it will come to be in the future—but, let’s face it, I just don’t have the introspective quality or the energy to be that philosophical. It’s a pretty shallow pool o’er here.

But, fittingly enough, today is her diagnoseversary. (I did not coin the phrase myself, I stole that word from someone on the DisBoards. I'm adding that to my personal dictionary, for sure.) A year ago today, Hubby and I were faced with our worst fear—our child was sick. She had cancer. She would need to undergo major surgery and an intense chemo treatment schedule. Her hair would fall out. She would lose weight. Turn pale. Feel tired. Catch every illness under the sun. She would have to make weekly trips to the hospital. She would need to take nasty meds that would make her puke.

I won’t lie to you. The thought of that day still makes my stomach queasy. I hope that the vividness of the day will begin to face, but I don't think I'll ever really get rid of the fear that the cancer could come back. Although each passing scan makes the next more bearable, I know I will never be able to put that notion completely out of mind.

It was a year ago, but I remember it as clearly as if it had just happened. I remember catching "My Sister's Keeper" on the movie channel a few days before, and crying uncontrollably as I watched one sister battle renal cancer and the other insisting she would give up her own kidney if her sister would just continue to fight. The tears were many more than is typical for me in watching a movie. It seemed an omen, to me. A sign I could not shake.

I remember bathing the girls with Hubby one night before the tests began and telling him "You know, this might be the last time we have healthy kids," as he poured bubbles over their heads to laughter. He told me I was being paranoid--and blamed it on that movie I'd just seen and some residual post-partum emotions.

It wasn't. It was mother's intutition. I see that now.

I knew something was wrong. That's why I called the doctors to begin with. And, I knew it was more than just a UTI. I'm glad I followed my gut and went to the ER that night rather than wait until September for an ultrasound. It didn't let me down, although it sure as hell gave me the scare of my life.

No, I won't ever be able to forget that early Wednesday morning, when I received the call. An ultrasound spot was available at noon at CHEO. Could I make it?

Well, I wasn't about to miss it.

I had just bought popsicles at Wal-Mart, when I got the phone call. We had gone out after Avie's immunizations to buy party hats for the twins' party that weekend. We were about to go home, but as the appointment was in an hour and a half, I just decided to go straight to CHEO.

I remember thinking that my popsicles would never make it in the heat and I would come back to a gooey, melted bag of groceries if I didn't act quick, so Brooke and I sat in the parking lot and devoured as many popsicles as we could. I threw the rest of the box out when we got to the hospital.

I can still smell that scent of hospital cleanser and Purell that permeates the halls of CHEO, as we entered 'the train room' (radiology) for the ultrasound test. I can still envision the discoloured Sesame Street characters peeling off the wall of the ultrasound room, the crooked bird mobile swaying lazily over Brooke on the table. I can remember thinking that I should go to the dollar store and buy some new vinyl stickers and give them to reception to brighten up this fading room.

Time seemed to stand still in that dark, quiet room. Just the sounds of jelly being squirted, quiet giggles from Brooke, noisy snoring from Avery and the clicks of the machinery as the tech twisted knobs and tapped keys. I can still see the surreal flash in Hubby's eyes as his darted over to mine and we communicated silently our daughters' slumbering bodies.

This is taking too long. What is he looking for? Something's wrong, isn't it?

I can remember swallowing hard when Jerry, the ultrasound tech turned to us and told us to go back to ER and wait for "someone to come talk to you about the results there." That didn't seem like normal procedure to us. If there hadn't been anything, it would have been a "You'll get results next week. Have a good day" instead.

I can still feel my pulse quickening as we fairly flew to ER, anxious to find out anything. I can still see the nurse at reception shake her head at me. With a newborn who had just been immunized that morning, she wouldn't let me into the ER waiting room where we might pick up an infectious disease. I went around to the front entrance of the hospital with Avery, while Hubby and Brooke stayed behind.

I can still feel the knots in my stomach, the plastic handle of Avie's carrier cutting into the flesh of my upper arm, the plushy fur between my fingers of the monkey I bought in the gift shop, just knowing that this monkey would be hanging from a hospital bed.

It couldn't have been more than 20 minutes. I had time to pick up a magazine and a granola bar, trying to force myself to read and eat to keep from staring at the numbers tick by on my cell phone. I remember the wild look in my husband's eyes when he came looking for me. The breathlessness of his words, the way he cradled my eldest in his arms as if he would never let her go.

I can still hear the sounds of the rolling office chair scratching around on the floor as we wheeled around the waiting room trying to keep a bored two-and-a-half year-old busy, while waiting in agonized impatience for the doctor to arrive. The way the door opened and he slipped in and closed it quietly behind him. His young face, pained with the thought of having to tell us that news. The hesitation in his voice.

I wonder if we are the first family he has ever had to say that to?

I can still feel the prick of the tears that began welling in my eyes as he spoke. I remember trying desperately to suck back the tears, while Brooke wiggled in my lap. And, most of all, I hear her little voice, as she turned around to pat my cheeks with her tiny, warm baby hands and told me "Don't cry, Mommy. Don't be sad."

Those memories won't ever go away. But, they needn't be the only ones that are tied to this diagnoseversary.

This day also marks the day when we started to cure my daughter's illness. When we found and removed the tumour that would have eventually killed her. This day was the beginning of a completely different perspective on life for us. I like to think that this day changed our lives in a good way--we are better people for having undergone the dark days that followed the diagnosis.

And it has just been a year. We are very fortunate--some cancer patients are on treatment for years. Leukemia treatment plans, for example, can last as long as three years--that's an insane amount of time for families to carry such burdens. Three years? Can you imagine how financially, emotionally, physically draining that must be for everyone involved? I can't even fathom it.

Brooke only underwent chemo for six months. She never had radiation. She never had any blood transfusions. She never had any hospital admissions. She never caught any of the illnesses that are typical with low-immunity systems. Overall, she had it easy.

And, the biggest blessing of all? She has graduated into the post-treatment clinic just after New Year's. The hospital visits are fewer and farther in between. Brooke is beginning to forget the nurses' faces. Today, she is cancer-free.

I think I'll toast to that.

Catch a falling star

I don't even know where to begin when it comes to this. It is mindblowing and two weeks later and I am still trying to wrap my head around it.

If you will remember waaaaaay back in February, after much encouragement from our Interlink nurse, we applied for a wish for Brooke from Make-a-Wish Foundation of Canada. Brooke was eligible, so we filled out the paperwork. We filled out the cute little questionnaire about her favourite colours (orange and blue), her favourite store (the blue store--WalMart), her favourite dinner (grilled cheese), favourite sport (she said soccer, even though she has never played it), etc. She also answered several questions about her wish and drew some accompanying pictures. We threw in a few prints of Brooke and Avie (as they asked for photos, too) and hoped we'd hear from them.

Well, fast forward a few weeks (nine to be exact!) and a polite query to see where the status on Brooke's application stood. Immediately following my e-mail, we received a call from Anne, our local Make-a-Wish (MAW) co-ordinator. She told us that they had not forgotten us and were, in fact, going to contact us shortly to arrange a meeting between our little family and some volunteer wish grantors. She said that ''our daughters were beautiful and they were honoured and looking forward to granting Brooke's wish.''

Sold. That sentence alone was enough for me.

A week later and we had a date for our little meeting. Anne herself would be coming (I couldn't have been more pleased as she was so sweet on the phone) and so would another volunteer named Laura. They were to come that Saturday morning.

On Saturday, I vacuumed the house like a fiend and cleaned up a bit. It was raining outside (uh---until yesterday, when has it not this spring?!?), so I knew we would have our meeting inside. I made a pitcher of iced tea. Hot Wife will tell you that I love iced tea. Hubby put on a pot of coffee. Hot Wife will tell you that Hubby likes his coffee. We were prepared.

The day before the wish visit, I had told Brooke that her fairy godmothers would be coming to grant her her wish. Her response--and I should have expected this--''Will they be coming in a car or by their wings?'' (When I told this to Anne and Laura, they laughed. Laura has determined to get herself a pair of wings and a wand for her next wish-granting visit.) Curious about the fairy godmothers, Brooke prepared herself for her wish.



Anne arrived first, carrying with her a huge gift bag. Brooke was so excited, that she gave Anne a hug before the woman had even stepped over the threshold. We welcomed her in and that's when the magic began.

We chitchatted until Laura arrived a few minutes later. The ladies were simply lovely. They told us all about MAW and then, not wanting to keep Brooke waiting any longer, handed her the gift bag.



MAW always tries to have a little 'icebreaker' gift for the wish child. Well, Anne and Laura went above and beyond. They had clearly read that questionnaire and knew just what Brooke liked. They brought Brooke an Ariel books-on-CD set, a huge tub of Play-Doh and a giant Ariel teapot, full of tea party dishes with the mermaid princess etched on them. Brooke was delighted, to say the least! They even brought Avie a little something--some chunky Crayola crayons for the bath. Perfect!

Brooke busied herself with the teapot (pouring tea for all of us) while we adults discussed Brooke's wishes. She needed to have three of them--but one had already been 'fulfilled.'

Brooke's third wish had been 'for a park,' which we interpreted as a swingset/slide playstructure. One had been massively on sale at Toys R Us a few weeks beforehand, and not knowing if the wish would ever be granted, we went ahead and bought it. Brooke and Avie would need it this summer if they were to spend the whole summer at home with my mother-in-law instead of at daycare.



Then, it was time for the formal wish from Brooke. Anne pulled something out of her bag and handed it to Laura. Laura started unwinding this little trinket and revealed that it was a special wishing star necklace. She clasped it around Brooke's necklace and it began to glow with a blue light! I started to get goosebumps, as Laura asked Brooke what her wish was.



Brooke's wish? ''I want to see all the princesses checked off in my book.'' The ladies laughed at that and asked "What book?"

Remember that Disney Princess magazine Brooke's picture was in last spring? Well, shortly after her 'win,' I ordered a subscription for her. (Which was a good thing, too! Getting her monthly magazine was a wonderful distraction for her when in the hospital.) Anyways, there is a page in each issue that has a space for readers to draw their favourite princess. Around the border of the page is a picture of eacho f the princesses with a checkbox beside it so that readers can select which ones are their favourites. Brooke had checked them all off.

Brooke raced over to the table, grabbed her magazine and flipped it open to that page to show Anne and Laura, naming each princess along the edge and stating how Ariel was her favourite and that's the one she most wanted to meet. She continued that she had all of the Ariel movies and was even Ariel for Halloween. (She also insisted on showing them the tail I had sewn back in the fall for the costume.) And, finally, how she wanted to see the princesses at their castle in Disney.

Well, folks, the grantors looked at each other and then at us and said ''We think we can do that.''

Then they launched into details about the trip to Disney World and how we would stay at this amazing resort just for sick and special needs children called Give Kids the World. I knew much about these trips already from joining an online forum for wishtrippers back in March. At the time, I didn't know if Brooke was going to get her wish granted, but I had hoped against hope! And, being my neurotic, research-crazy self, I needed to know more about these trips--just in case. I just sat there on the floor, listening to the volunteers talk about the beautiful parades and the wonderful resort, stunned. Teary-eyed. Her wish was coming true!

As much as I wanted her wish to come true, I hadn't really banked on it. I even outlined the second wish (princess for a day) in detail to the ladies, as the first one seemed soooo 'big.' Almost unrealistic. (We even started looking into how much it would cost us to take the girls to Disney next spring if the wish fell through. We were determined to make her wish to meet Ariel a reality.)

And, we thought, there are just so many kids who are (and don't get me wrong, I am beyond thankful for this!) more priority than Brooke. Kids who are terminal, kids who have chronic pain and illnesses. Kids who won't ever get old. We figured Brooke wouldn't be selected in favour of those children. And, we were fine with that. In our minds, there are kids who deserve it more. (Not that she doesn't deserve it--just that there are others who could benefit from it more than she.)

This, however, couldn't be further from the truth. It's a myth that kids need to be on terminal to have their wishes granted. Kids don't even have to currently be ill to be wish kids. Lots of children with serious illnesses qualify, but not everyone knows this. And, no wish child is ever deemed 'less important' than another. All of them get a wish. And, most of them grow up to be healthy, happy adults.

As one MAW volunteer, who is a friend of a friend, put it--a wish is a way to make up for all of the pain and discomfort of hospital visits and treatments that the kid has had to endure. ''At the end of the day,'' she said, ''the nurses and doctors get their paycheque. This is yours.''

But, still--something as big as Disney?! But, as Anne explained, the problem isn't funding. Although they always welcome and appreciate donations, MAW has plenty of that--what they don't have is enough wish grantors and volunteers to make the wishes happen. And even fewer wish kids. (So, if you know of a kid between the ages of 3 and 18 who has or has had a serious illness, regardless of their health right now, encourage their families to refer them to MAW.)

Anyways, after the wish grantors left (leaving behind a MAW star magnet and chocolate, fish-shaped treats for Brooke), we nearly jumped out of our skin from sheer excitement!

Within two days, not only had Anne and Laura called to confirm that Brooke would be going to Disney, but they had already confirmed our flight, a reservation to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salon (for a princess makeover) in Magic Kingdom, followed by lunch with the princesses at Cinderella's Castle. Amazing! We were elated. Totally walking on air!



We are currently making plans for our trip, which we will be taking from September 8 to 15, 2011. We can't wait! We've decided to keep it a surprise from Brooke for now. Anne and Laura want to plan a special 'presentation' for the actual wish package (tickets, expense cheque and flight info, etc.), probably a month or so before the trip, and we'll wait until then to tell Brooke about her wish coming true. They are doing all the work (really, MAW doesn't want us to lift a finger!), so they should get the honour!

And, besides--Brooke has no concept of time, so how would she be able to understand that we are only going in three months? She would ask me every day if today was the day we're going to Disney.

So, yeah--to say the least, it's been pretty friggin' exciting around here lately.



Brooke caught a falling star and she put it in her pocket. She saved it for a rainy day. And that day came. And, with it a special wish.

We are beyond thrilled to be going on this amazing trip with our little girls. It really will be a dream come true!

P.S. Apologies for the huge pics. Am using Photobucket to upload pics nowadays and still haven't figured out the correct sizing yet. Clearly, I have my homework to do.

I am.

Editor's note: It has been nearly a month since my fingers have skipped along this keyboard for anything more than a quick e-mail reply to my grandmother (who has become quite adept at her iPad-use--in fact, some might call it an iPad addiction!) or to look up directions on Google Maps. For that, I apologize. Rest assured more posts coming soon. In the meantime, I humbly offer up an
'I am.'

Every year, I write one of these little stream-of-me lists, but I never bother to scrap or blog them, even though I love the idea that one day, these lists will help my daughters to know me better. Call it shyness. Call it a desire for undue attention. Call it what you will, but it's high time I put myself out there.

And, because I am so rarely seen on the other end of the lens, I've included a few. Avert your gaze as necessary. ;)

I am.

I am a wife, a mother, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a neighbour, a stranger on a bus. I am a writer and a reader. A photographer and an artist. I am a Libra, a blogger, a hum drum housewife. A ginger and proud of it. I am a girl. I am a woman. I am the man on the street. I am English, French, Irish, Scottish, Swiss and everything in between. I am a terrible musician with wonderful taste. I am a guffawing rube with the heart of a poet. I am addicted to greasy pizza, blue jeans, flip flops, stationery and really inky pens. I am Ottawan. I am a GLEEk and a Gabaldonite. I am creative. I am quiet. I am sarcastic. I am not as green as I'd like to be. I am living my life through the lens of a camera and keystrokes on a computer screen. I don’t like coffee, but I love coffee shops. I like the weight of my BlackBerry, but I don’t know how to use it. I am good at remembering names and faces. I am terrible with numbers. I am early—and yet I am out of time. I don’t see the point of Twitter. I am a volunteer and an advocate. I am afraid of getting old. I avoid conflict. I like martinis and manicures and never treat myself to either. I like cuddling on the couch and baking in the kitchen. I am practical, I am predictable, I am logical to a T. I chase rainbows and unicorns and look at life through a half-filled glass. I am generous. I am kind. I am not always the role model I want to be. I am a good student, a good employee, a good girl. A traveller, a home body, a person who sees herself in everyone. I am a scrapbooker. I am a list-maker. A party planner. I buy high-heeled shoes I never wear. I have 10 Christmas trees. I like to decorate for every holiday and celebrate every milestone. I am happiest when surrounded by bubble wands and baby dolls, puzzle pieces and Barbie shoes. I am a pathetic farmer, but a decent gardener. I raise chickens and collect eggs. I am a carefree spirit. I am a worry wart. I am a planner without a plan. I cannot multitask, but I am good with details. I am a font of trivial knowledge. I am a connection between people. I am simple. I am complicated. I am a face in a crowd. I am a work of art. A big kid, a couch potato, a 30-something who has started to notice laugh lines in the mirror. I am past my expiration date, but I have not yet begun. I am a klutz with two left feet. I have freckles and burn like a lobster. I am a fan of vintage clothes, Michael Bublé, graphic art and magazine glossies. I am happy. I am vulnerable. I am confused. I am intuitive and introverted and a social butterfly. I am boring in my fashion choices but have very eclectic taste. I am rural and urban in the same sentence. I am arm charm and I am in love. I am the change I want to see and yet I am so incredibly lazy. I am the eye behind the camera, not the star of the book. I am moving on, moving away. I am freaked out by laser eye surgery and content to do without. I wonder, I daydream, I forget to take out the recycling. I am left wishing and hoping and making excuses. I am an Etsy fiend, a Flickr friend, a Facebook acquaintance. I am colourful. I am challenging. I want more, but want to do less. I am cheerful. I am laughter. I am passion. I am a believer. I am a dreamer. I am inspired. I am uplifting. I am falliable. I am honest. I am an unfinished story.

I am you.