Zoo School

Emily's class spent five days at the Calgary Zoo as part of their curriculum.  I took the day today and volunteered as a helper.  I've always enjoyed the zoo and it was so much fun to spend the day with my girl.  The four other kids I had were great too.  Neat to see all their personalities developing.

Emily concentrating on drawing a lizard

Touching the lizard she was sketching

Ghost, the newest hippo 

Kind of a blurry picture, but check out that tongue!

So flexible

Hooded falcon

Sweet little meerkat

Emily's 'storage' boot

Penguin plunge

Newest members to the zoo

Snow leopard

Piano

Emily had her Christmas piano recital yesterday.  This is her first year playing and she is really enjoying it.  No nerves even in front of an audience of 150 people.

Ted the Elf on a Shelf

December first has arrived and with that, Ted, our newly adopted Elf on a Shelf has come to life.  He's still on company manners, but has been letting Santa know how Emily and Liam have been behaving these first first days of December.

Liam placed him on the fireplace mantel

Needing a coffee after his first night

Hanging out in Liam's bathroom; good vantage point

Teddy Bear Toss

I work for a company that supports a lot of community involvement and sponsors many events.  The Teddy Bear Toss at one of the Calgary Hitmen games is just one of those annual events.  The Hitmen are our WHL hockey team and when they score their first goal all spectators throw, you guessed it, teddy bears onto the ice.  Emily and Liam really look forward to the game and the shower of stuffies once that first goal is scored.

I believe over 25,000 bears were collected this year and distributed to kids less fortunate.

Anxiously waiting for that goal

Heads up!  Bears were flying from above