Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Good-bye Baby Bottles!

Yesterday was Daddy's day off, and we had a party! I have always loved to go to sleep at night with my bottle, but Mom & Dad said I was a big girl now and I didn't need to have a bottle anymore. So I took my last drink from my long time friend and said good-bye forever. I put it in the garbage myself too! Then we had a party! We had hats and a big balloon and ice-cream too. Mom painted the front window for Christmas...and that was exciting as well. I only cried for a few minutes when I had to go to bed without my bottle,...but quickly realized it wasn't coming back to me, so I just went to sleep.




(Special THANKS to Gran and Grandpa Kelly for giving us their little digital camera so we can update Jade's Palace!)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Winter Skate

Mom and I went skating at the local arena last week. As soon as I get a better fitting helmet, Mom is going to put skates on me and teach me how to skate. Last time we went to the rink we were the only ones there and had the whole ice to ourselves! It was fun!


Monday, November 10, 2008

Lest We Forget



Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae

Lieutenant-Colonel McCrae was born on 30 November 1872 in Guelph, Ontario. At age 14, he joined the Highfield Cadet Corps and, three years later, enlisted in the Militia field battery. While attending the University of Toronto Medical School, he was a member of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada.

With Britain declaring war on Germany on 4 August 1914, Canada’s involvement was automatic. John McCrae was among the first wave of Canadians who enlisted to serve and he was appointed as brigade surgeon to the First Brigade of the Canadian Forces Artillery.

In April 1915, John McCrae was stationed near Ypres, Belgium, the area traditionally called Flanders. It was there, during the Second Battle of Ypres, that some of the fiercest fighting of the First World War occurred. Working from a dressing station on the banks of the Yser Canal, dressing hundreds
of wounded soldiers from wave after wave of relentless enemy attack, he observed how “we are weary in body and wearier in mind. The general impression in my mind is of a nightmare.”

In May, 1915, on the day following the death of fellow soldier Lt Alexis Helmer of Ottawa, John McCrae wrote his now famous work, an expression of his anguish over the loss of his friend and a reflection of his surroundings – wild Poppies growing amid simple wooden crosses marking makeshift graves. These 15 lines, written in 20 minutes, captured an exact description of the sights and sounds of the area around him.

Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae left Ypres with these memorable few lines scrawled on a scrap of paper. His words were a poem which started, “In Flanders fields the poppies blow…” Little did he know then that these 15 lines would become enshrined in the innermost thoughts and hearts of all soldiers who hear them. Through his words, the scarlet Poppy quickly became the symbol for soldiers who died in battle.

The poem was first published on 8 December 1915 in England, appearing in “Punch” magazine.

IN FLANDERS FIELDS

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

John McCrae

His poem speaks of Flanders fields, but the subject is universal – the fear of the dead that they will be forgotten, that their death will have been in vain. Remembrance, as symbolized by the Poppy,
is our eternal answer which belies that fear.

Sadly, Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae died of pneumonia at Wimereux, France on 28 January 1918. He was 45 years old.

Sunday, November 02, 2008

Halloween!


I thought Halloween was a really strange day. There were lots of ugly scary people walking around, and even I was a Zombie for a short while, but my make-up rubbed off thank goodness! I'm still too young to enjoy this holiday, but Mom and Dad seemed to have had a lot of fun. I did get to eat a piece of chocolate, and that was the highlight of my day!

Mom painted Reece's face early in the morning on Halloween, and then wrapped up a pregnant Mummy..(Tracy) I can't wait to show my new second cousin the picture of his Mom when he was still in her tummy!