We've only got one child.  She was a true miracle in all senses of the word 'miracle'. Number one, we weren't even sure we were going to have a baby and number two, she arrived three months prematurely.  Maybe we should have named her Miracle. Maybe she would have wanted nothing to do with us if we did! In any case, she's our only child (for now) and our house is filled with photos of her.

Trust me, when you have a preemie, you want to take photos of every single moment.  Why? You just never know if you'll have another minute together.  At least in the early days of life in the NICU.

Little One will be turning four years old on Remembrance Day (Ha! A day I shall always remember!). When Printcopia asked us to select a product from their site to review, I let Little One choose a photo she would like to have made into art for our living room wall.

Little One wanted this photo, so we got it done on 11"x14" canvas.

The quality of the product is fabulous.  I am extremely pleased with how the final product turned out. What I most impressed by however, is the customer service!

When uploading the original photo selection we chose, the photo was too pixelated. One of the staff at Printcopia e-mailed us to inform us that the photo would come out fuzzy and not to their standards, but if we really wanted to go with that, they'd do it.  I was so shocked and impressed that they would actually take the time to ensure that the product was exactly what we wanted.

We even received a phone call from Printcopia the next day to let us know that the photo would be pixelated. I had a pleasant chat with the person on the other end of the line and again was surprised and impressed at Printcopia's customer service!

We tried to upload again, but the photo was still not the right size and we decided to go with another photo (the one with the onion ring). I uploaded the new photo and then clicked 'done'! I received a phone call shortly after and the lovely person I chatted with from Printcopia checked the photo and told me that this new photo worked much better and he chuckled at the photo selection, saying it was cute and that he liked the onion ring!

I'm happy to say that the Printcopia product is simply perfect and looks great on our living room wall. More importantly, I am thrilled about the customer service we received.  If a company cares so much about details and ensuring that their customers are 100% satisfied, I'm more apt to giving them my continued business.

Thank you again, Printcopia! Printcopia really does "Turn Memories into Masterpieces"!

{WIN IT}
Printcopia would like to give one of my readers am 11x14 canvas print! To enter, simply enter the Rafflecopter form below. Open to residents of Canada and the U.S. - Ends November 23, 2012.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Disclosure - I received the above product for review purposes.  All the thoughts and opinions on this blog are honest and my own.

The past few months have been fettered with highs and lows.  Lots of happiness and lots of sadness.  Incredible, heart-wrenching sadness.

For the most part, we've been plugging along and letting our busy daily lives consume us and help us temporarily forget the sense of loss and the pain we are all feeling.  Most days are tear-free because of just how busy we've been,

On Halloween, our friends were excited to give Little One this:
Along with heaps of Halloween treats, the couple gave Little One a twenty peso bill from the Philippines.  The gesture was so kind and thoughtful.  The conversion at current is 20.00 PHP = 0.48 CAD . It's amazing how far 20 Pesos can go in the Philippines though.

What happened after Little One received the twenty pesos from our friends was something I did not expect.

Little One broke down and cried.  "The Philippines! My great-lola is dead! I miss my great-lola!"

The weeping from my almost-four-year-old started to make me cry.

I was shocked that she was able to connect the Filipino pesos to our trip to the Philippines in May, and ultimately to the death of my grandmother.  Exactly how much does this little child know and understand about death?  It's incredible that she remembered all of that.

The fact that Little One reacted that way really struck me.  I see just how sensitive and sweet she is.  I'm just not sure how much is too much to talk to a not even four year old child about death and dying.

Most of you already know that November is always a hard time for me.  November is Preemie Awareness Month and it's also the month that Little One cannon-balled her way into existence.  Every November, I get really weepy just thinking of what we went through and how some days I thought we would never leave the NICU with our baby. There were days when I was nervous going to the NICU, not knowing whether Little One was having a good or bad day.

Who knew that I'd ever have to know what "CC" and "Q" meant. CC is a liquid measurement of volume.  Little One was fed by NG-Tube (nasal gastric tube). Q is used for "every", for example: "Little One's feeds are given Q2" or "Meds are administered Q6". Meaning, Little One is given her milk every two hours and meds every six hours. Low-flow, ROP, desat, tachypneic, and other terms used in the NICU were words that became common to all the parents of preemies in the NICU with us.

It was surreal thinking of a tiny 980 gram baby having to undergo so many tests and even a lumbar puncture (spinal tap).

Having just given birth and having to commute to and from the hospital every day and at the end of the night having to leave your baby in the hospital is not anything I'd ever wish on anyone.

I'm thankful that we developed the friendships we did with other NICU families and with the staff at Mount Sinai's NICU.  The doctors nurses, RTs, and staff were fabulous.  Though we had our friends and family, unless you're not living or experiencing what other parents of preemies are living through, you just cannot fully understand what it's like. I appreciated the "Oh, don't worry. She'll be fine", but the truth was, we never really did know if she would be fine or not.

I couldn't have survived those rocky first few months of Little One's life in the  hospital without our NICU family.  We were there for Little One's first Christmas and for New Year's. It was so lonely, depressing, and emotionally draining to be separated geographically from family and my husband for the holidays. Hubby was able to spend Christmas Day with us, though he had to travel 6 hours in horrible Winter weather to be with us.

The staff and our "second family" (everyone in the NICU) took such great care of not only Little One, but of US. This is why each month, we donate to Mount Sinai.  However, this year, I would like to make a special donation to the NICU for helping us through some challenging times.

With November being Preemie Awareness Month (and Little One's birth month), and the Holidays coming up, I want to do something for other parents who will be spending their Holidays with their babies in the NICU this year.

My friend and I will be putting on a concert with all the proceeds going towards helping families in the NICU at Mount Sinai. My friend's husband is part of an amazing band called Rural Roots and they will be performing for our concert.

It's so heartwarming knowing that our community reaches out and helps those in need.  I remember when people on the Island heard of Little One's early birth, the love we received was enough to make us cry.  Some of the ladies on the Island knit tiny hats and booties for the babies in the NICU, others made blankets, and donated other things.

I just want to give back to those who were there for us when we really needed the love and support. Four years later, and we have a happy, healthy little girl.  We realize how blessed we are and would like to offer some kind of support to other families who are going through what we went through.

Thank you, everyone at Mount Sinai's NICU and to the Perinatal Parent Association/the Parent Advisory! A big thanks to Rural Roots for performing! We appreciate you sharing your amazing music with us.  They're a great local band.  They play an eclectic mix of music from a variety of musical genres.

Date: Saturday, November 24, 2012
Time: 7pm - 11pm (doors open at 6pm)
Location: Tehkummah Triangle Club
Tickets: $10/person, children free
Contact: christine (at) lifeonmanitoulin (dot) com

There will be food and refreshments for sale, and a silent auction will take place.  Islanders, we hope to see you at the concert.  Come and enjoy some great music and fun times...and remember, it's for a good cause.

For more information about Preemie Awareness Month, visit the March of Dimes. I realize this is an American site, but raising awareness re: premature birth is very important in Canada as well. To learn more about Mount Sinai Hospital's Perinatal Parents Association, click here.
To read our story, click here.

Little One sporting her favourite birthday present given to her on the weekend from her grandparents.  Such a fashionista.  The kid loves clothes!

Link up your Wordless Wednesday posts!  We'd love to check them out and comment!

One of my addictions is Zumba. I LOVE the energy and the music! My only problem these days is that I don't have time to drive to my Zumba lessons. Zumba DVDs it is, then. *sigh* It's not the same as taking a class with a Zumba instructor who has enough energy to keep the entire class dancing and having fun!  Let me tell you, Casey is has lots of great energy and her enthusiasm and passion for Zumba really show in her classes! She is so fabulous at what she does.

As part of my Manitoulin Spotlight this week, I want to introduce my Zumba instructor to you.


1. Briefly tell us about yourself. Where you live, what you love doing, hobbies, etc.
 My name is Casey Boisvert and I live in Little Current on Manitoulin Island. For the most part I have always been an Islander, despite being born in Sudbury, and the small stint I spent in North Bay getting my BA in Psychology and the Bachelor of Education Degree at Nipissing University. 
Right now I don't have a lot of time for hobbies since I am running a Service Canada Program in M'Chigeeng, tutoring, and running Zumba. I think given all that I do, it is safe to say that I love teaching in any capacity it comes in. I think I have always been a bit of a performer, and I am sure my family will attest to me loving attention, so this all seemed like a natural fit. It is such a powerful feeling knowing that you have helped a student learn something even in the smallest capacity, be it tieing there shoes, reading a few words, or making life decisions.
I used to love writing, poems mostly, as I felt that it was always a release of emotions. I love sports, and used to be involved in several volleyball leagues, and I played Ultimate this summer. I am trying to learn French as a second language right now, as I feel that this will benefit me and make me more employable with the Rainbow District School Board. I also fancy myself as a bit of a creative person, give me some crayons, scissors, or glue, and I am sure to be able to make something out of it. Of course, I have to listen to my music in order to come up with all these Zumba routines.

2. How did you end up as a Zumba instructor? Was it something you had always wanted to do?
I have always loved dancing. While living in North Bay I had the opportunity to sign up for a dance class. We loved it and I noticed that I had a natural ability to remember routines and keep the counts in my head. Due to a conflict with my volleyball schedule, I wasn’t able to sign up for this class the following year, so me and several other girlfriends looked elsewhere. We found a little dance studio downtown North Bay and they were offering something called Zumba. The price was right so we decided to try it. It is kind of funny to think back on now, but my friends always wanted to hide in the back, and I was always gung-ho to be up close to the teacher so I could get all the moves just right. My friends would often stand behind me and say things like how do you know what to do and I have just been watching her feet. Again, I seemed to be able to pick up the steps and remember the routines. Well as fate would have it, I moved back to Manitoulin and there was a woman on the Island who had just got her training to be an instructor. I thought, well I know what this is all about I am going to go out and have some fun. It wasn’t long after that the Instructor and I became friends, we were discussing music, I was making up some of my own routines to teach, and a few times she called on me to cover her class. Eventually, it was like why don’t you just become an instructor? So I did. I went to a CanFit Pro conference in Toronto, got stuck in a room with probably 500 other people, and became an Instructor. It wasn’t long after that that I started up my own classes and I have just hit my year anniversary this month since I began on my own. 
Zumba wasn’t something that I really planned on making a career out of. It was just a passion that I followed, and in all honesty, I thought that maybe I could use it as an in with schools on the Island to teach dance or drama programs. Even though it is hard work, I can’t really picture myself not doing it anymore. Any time a song comes on on the radio I am instantly mapping out moves in my head, the routines play over for songs I have already done, and given the opportunity and the audience I will bust out some moves just to show people what it is all about. 

3. For those unfamiliar with Zumba, could you explain what it is?
Zumba Fitness is a Latin inspired cardio dance fitness program is you want the official definition. But really what I like to tell people is that it is fun. A lot of people get too hung up on the word dance, but really we just get out there and move to the music. The music is loud and upbeat to make it feel like a party atmosphere and it is exercise in disguise. I think you just have to try it to get what it is because it means something different to everyone. Some I am sure like it for the party atmosphere and it is a mood elevator and stress reliever. Other like it because it has a social aspect to it. It is appealing because you are getting a great workout but having fun at the same time. There is great love and support in the room and really, everyone can do it. You don’t need any experience or special equipment. It works for people at all fitness levels and for people with any type of limitation. I always tell my first timers it about feeling the music and having fun, they know their limitations and restrictions and they can work within them. There is no wrong way to do Zumba because everyone has their own flavour to bring to the group. I always say if you smiled and had fun then you did it right. 

4. Quick! 5 reasons why you think people should take Zumba lessons!
- Great Workout
- Fun Atmosphere that is low risk (meaning that you can feel comfortable to try something new because everyone else is doing it with you, it doesn’t matter if it looks the same as someone else)
- It is for Everyone
- No special equipment or training required
- Breaks out of the normal routine, where else do you get to dance and shout out whenever you feel like it!

5. What's your favourite Zumba song/routine? (Is there a YouTube video you can recommend?)
I have done so many that it is hard to pick a favourite, and there are ones I like for different reasons. Some I like because they are the first ones I ever made, some I like because of the choreography and it is so cool watching a group of people come together to do your moves, and some are just crowd pleasers – when the song comes on you can see that they are excited, or they scream louder, or give a little extra of themselves to the music. I feed off their fun. I think last year one that everyone enjoyed was Moves Like Jagger, this year I feel like it is going to be Gangnam Style. 
There isn’t a video I would recommend watching, I make up most of my own routines, or sometimes for inspiration I watch other routines for new moves. I would just tell people to pick a song they like and type Zumba behind it. Or to just type Zumba on its own and there are going to be thousands of options that come up. This way they can get an idea of what it is all about. There are some really awesome routines out there, but there is a lot of junk too. The best way to really know is to try it yourself. 

6. Anything else you'd like to add or would like readers to know?
I often tell my first timers that it is going to feel overwhelmed the first time and probably a little lost and to at least give me two classes before they decided on whether or not this is for them. They are learning the routines for the first time and hearing the music for the first time so the learning curve is huge. I tell them that I do my best to verbally and visually prompt them so they should never feel like I am going to leave them alone to figure it all out. Everyone was once in their shoes, we all have to start somewhere. They shouldn’t feel like they look stupid because Zumba lets you add your own style to every move we do. And trust me everyone feels the way you do, but everyone is so focused on me and getting th moves they aren’t going to see how hard you are shaking your hips, or if your left arm went up first. I want everyone to feel comfortable with and love who they are, I am not here to judge, I love all of my Zumba-ers. Without them everything I have done wouldn’t be possible, without their energy, love, and support, I could have easily of given up. They are the reason I keep going, and I want them all to know that some days seeing them smile and hearing them cheer gets me through my day. I love hearing that they loved a song, had fun, or are achieving their weight goals. It’s a wonderful feeling knowing that I am making a difference to someone one song at a time. 
Lastly, if you aren’t sure about a move, ask me. Teaching is what I do and I want you to feel like this is something you can do!

If you are on Manitoulin Island and are looking for a fun way to keep active, I would definitely recommend taking Casey's Zumba classes!  I'm so looking forward to my schedule slowing down so I can re-join the classes! Like I said, Zumba DVDs are great (love them), but the vibe from an actual Zumba class is beyond compare! Definitely an adrenaline rush!

For more info, check out zumba.com!

I love my bed.  I really do.  In fact, I'm really attached to my bed.  It's comfy, and cozy...and is just perfect! When you've got the perfect bed (you know, the one with just the right fit?), you want to keep it forever.

Well, I've had my bed for years. I got it in my mid-twenties when I purchased my first bedroom set.  You know, the first five piece bedroom set you purchased with your own money? Not the one that your parents got you? That bedroom set!

Needless to say, the thought of getting a new bed has come up.

I was in bed, looking at the ceiling and thinking, "Wow. This bed is so uneven!"  The bed frame is permanently on a slant and the mattress, though super comfortable, is over ten years old. I just cannot bring myself to let go. I never sleep well unless I'm in my bed. The head board has been taken down because I was worried it would fall on us while we slept. It used to be a gorgeous bed, but now it's just worn loved and could probably be replaced.

Yes, it's probably time we started thinking about shopping for a new bed.

Hubby loves our bed, so trying to convince him that we do in fact need to upgrade has been a challenge. The unevenness of the bed drives me crazy. I even considered taking the box spring and mattress off the frame (it's the frame that is wonky) and just setting them on the floor.  Hubs is concerned that leaving they won't get enough ventilation if they're on the floor.

When looking for a new bed, these are some important things to consider:

• MATTRESS! For me, this is the most important thing. A good mattress is so crucial (for a good night's sleep and for your back). 
• Comfort and just the right firmness of the mattress. I'm so fussy when it comes to mattresses. Too firm will make my back hurt and too soft will also leave me waking up not feeling well rested.
• PRICE- We like to make sure we are spending our money wisely. A good sale or deal is always welcomed. This said, a good mattress is something I will never skimp on. Quality, quality, quality!
• Appearance - I like a bed I will be happy with looking at every day.  Your bedroom is your oasis. It's a place you go to seek refuge from a busy day and have a good rest. The right

I've been getting some really great ideas for new beds and mattresses at Tesco Direct!

What do you look for when shopping for a new bed?

Disclosure - I was asked to write this post for a client. All opinions are 100% my own.

By now, most of you know how much I absolutely love this island I now call 'home'.  Apart from being a majestic, magical, peaceful place to live (for those of us who love being in nature and enjoy outdoor activities), Manitoulin Island is home to many incredible small businesses.

I love supporting local businesses.  There's something so special about the love and time small business owners put into their craft.  Whether it be products or services, our household definitely supports local Manitoulin businesses.

One of the newest businesses I have had the pleasure of discovering is BabyBits.ca! I was given a few items to try on Little One.
My little girl  loves the headbands and elastics she was given. Very cute, comfortable, and well made.

Every single item is made lovingly by hand.  When visiting BabyBits.ca, I was shown many different fabrics, shades of material and other items used to create these beautiful headbands! The flowers are all so unique and pretty! I have little secret. I actually use some of the hair ties that were given to Little One!

Here are some beautiful items BabyBits has for little cuties!






I am happy to have been able to interview Bev, the owner of BabyBits.ca.

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. 

It's always a mad house at the farm.  Little One's 4th birthday is November 11th, but Mommy will be busy at different social media events this week and had to scrap the big party. Yes, I cancelled the rental of the party room and heated salt water swimming pool.  I wasn't going to do anything for her birthday because things are so busy, but I felt that Mama guilt kick in and decided to have a very impromptu gathering of just family and her closest friends.

It was a great time spent with our loved ones. Just the perfect number of people. The personalities of the children in attendance meshed well. No fighting for toys or pushing and screaming. No crying fests. It was perfect.

Since I felt badly for not inviting Little One's entire Junior Kindergarten class and all her friends (as promised), I asked her if she had any special requests.  She requested that I make Hello Kitty cake pops for her and her guests.

MeMyself&Us sent us a fabulous variety of different baking kits to test out.  The Hello Kitty cake pops were  on Little One's list of MUST bake items.
They turned out pretty well. Everyone was impressed. Definitely far from professional looking though! Each Hello Kitty was unique Errrrm! Different? Not uniform?!

The process of making the cake pops was fun and easy. However, it would have gone a lot faster if Little One didn't "help" so much. We made a deal where she could add all the ingredients and mix everything up, She even helped form the kitty heads. The only catch was that she let Mama melt the melting wafers and decorate the Hello Kitty heads.

Why? You probably think I'm not a fun Mama and that I'm a little controlling in the kitchen.  The thing is, you really have to work super fast to get the cake pops finished! The cake balls have to be frozen and the chocolate still  hot.  They have to dry/solidify and then you decorate.

Don't worry, I do let her have fun in the kitchen. I totally let her knock herself out making MeMyself&Us animal cookies the other week. She also had a blast making these festive cake pops for her friend's birthday party!

The Halloween cake pops were cute too. Again, Mommy did the detailing, but Little One did assist in the making of the cake pops.

We had lots of fun with the MeMyself&Us Baking Kits. For more info on the kits, check out the website here. You can also connect with them on Twitter and Facebook.

Here's Little One dancing up a storm at her party.
Disclosure - We were given the above products to facilitate this honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

There once was a time when my hair was shiny, straight, and healthy.  I remember being ten years old and walking into the health store where we bought our vitamins, and the lady working there commented on how shiny my jet black hair was!

That didn't last long.

High school came around and I dyed, bleached, permed, crimped, and pretty much tortured my hair! Then there was a period in my teens to early twenties when I was anaemic and had to get regular B-12 shots from the doctor. My hair became stringy, fine, and thin. The only time my hair was great again was during my brief pregnancy, but after giving birth, it was stringy, fine, thin, and mousy again.

Can I tell you how envious I am of friends, family (and even strangers!) who have thick locks and gorgeous manes?

At the ShesConnected Conference in Toronto, I wanted to look my best.  Ummm...running around with ambassador duties was  not easy on my hair! I woke up early in the morning to blow dry and style my hair, only to have it looking like a matted, sweaty mess only minutes after reaching the conference hall!
I have a little secret that I think only Sober Julie, my roommate for the conference knew about! For much of the conference and for the parties and dinners at the end of each day, I was wearing Lavish Dream extensions!

This was my first time wearing them to a BIG social event.  To be honest, they just blended in! They're easy to put on and are fun for changing up one's look. You can go dramatic with cool hairdos (long ponytails, updos, etc) or subtle with just wearing them with your hair down.

I didn't put all the wefts in all the time. Sometimes I just used a few and other times I used all to create more fullness and more body.
 Nugglemama and AskMamaMOE et moi at the Benjamin-Moore 50 Shades of Grey Party!
With Whispered Inspirations and Donna Marie Antoniadis, Co-Founder & COO of ShesConnected Multimedia Corp.

When I put my hair up, it looked and felt very natural. Because my hair isn't too long, it was nice to have a little change.

I even wore them for our 80s Party! ThisLilPiglet and I don't always dress like this...just so you know! ;)
I thought I'd have time to take some videos of me doing up my hair, but with all the ambassador duties that weekend, there just wasn't any time at all. Next post! I promise!

Curious about Lavish Dream? Connect with them on Twitter and Facebook. You can also check them out here at www.lavishdreamhair.com. 

Photos for this post courtesy mapleleafmommy, mommyoutsidethebox, Zwap.ca, SoberJulie, Little Miss Kate. Visit their fantastic blogs!

Disclosure - As a Lavish Dream blogger, I have received products from Lavish Dream.  Though affiliated with Lavish Dream, all the thoughts and opinions expressed on this blog are honest and my own.

To be honest, the idea of trolling the neighbourhood for candy (and in our case, full-sized bags of chips and cans of pop) was a little unsettling to me at first.  Number one, Little One doesn't get to eat things like that at our home on a regular basis.  If we're at a party and people are serving those items, fine.  Once in a blue moon won't kill her. Number two, I just wasn't too keen on the idea of going around to people's houses and getting heaps of junk food.

Then I decided that I didn't want my child to live in a bubble.  I can't stop her from learning about the ways and practices of our society.  I can help her make good choices, but I can't stop her from learning about what goes on outside of our home.

Enter Halloween.

I should first say that we live in the countryside.  Here, people give out family-sized bags of chips (or Cheetos) and cans of pop.  Oh, they also give out full-sized chocolate bars!  When I was a kid, this would be an incredible score! Now that I'm a Mom?  *groan*

When Hubs and I were thinking of starting a family, I was adamant about only feeding our family wholesome foods -- food that I grew with my own hands and dishes that I made completely from scratch. Though I try to feed my family that way for the most part, occasionally a little handful of chips or a few bites of chocolate are okay for Little One.

This may sound crazy to you, but I have been thinking long and hard about how we talk about food in front of Little One. We already know she loves her veggies, fruit, dairy, and meat. She's a healthy eater with a voracious appetite. I used to banish sugar from the house. No fried food, no sugar, no added salt...none of that. Then I looked at my little girl and had this frightful image of her ten years from now, hiding in her closet, curled up in the corner with a piece of chocolate cake...all because I wouldn't let her have chocolate when she was a kid.

The thought disturbed me so much. At birthday parties, I used to not let her have any birthday cake. "The icing has too much sugar" or "She doesn't need that stuff. It's not even 'food'".  I realized I cannot shelter her from what other kids are eating. I can show her that fruits and veggies are so much tastier and healthier than gummy worms or sour patch kids. I can remind her that there are so many nutrients in greens and brightly coloured veg. I've learned to ease up a bit on the not letting her have a piece of chocolate every now and then.  Even at the age of three, it's all about learning to make good choices.

I've been living on "the Island" for eight years and I am still surprised at the Halloween haul.  Because where we live, there are so few children, the goodies are far more than what I used to get living in the city.  Another difference is that we know everyone whose houses we go trick-or-treating at here.  Everyone knows everyone and everyone is your neighbour.  People even give out homemade baked goods or homemade caramel popcorn and candy apples!  I was always taught as a kid to never ever take anything not packaged or that is homemade because it could be dangerous.  Like I said, here we know our neighbours.  Not to say we shouldn't exercise caution, be we only go to people we know really well anyway.

After all the trick-or-treating is done, the kids in the community head to the Community Hall where there are games, prizes, snacks, and lots of laughs.  There's always a Halloween costume contest for all age groups, and lots of Halloween-inspired games. The kids just have a lot of fun and it's great to see all the kids come out of the woodwork!

The best part? Little One has a blast and is so exhausted by the time we head home. Love it!
Of course, she fell asleep after being a little silly!

Hope everyone had a fun (and safe) Halloween!
Funny story:  We were on our way to our first house for the night and halfway up the driveway, I heard "MEEEEEOW". Then I heard Little One laughing like crazy! When I opened the van door to get her out of her car seat so she could commence her trick-or-treating, our cat, Spike ran out of the van! Immediately, our neighbour's (neighbour meaning one of the families that lives down the highway about 10 km!) dog ran after the cat. Little One had put the cat in the van to take her trick-or-treating with us! There we were, in the pouring rain, not even started our trick-or-treating and the cat was up the neighbours tree! Makes for an interesting Halloween story. I had to tell Little One that she cannot take the cat trick-or-treating!