Has it really been two months since I last posted??

Feels more like two years! We've had a busy couple of months - 2 birthdays, a spring break and the final weeks of the kids activities.

Sam turned 2 in April during spring break. We spent a few days in Edmonton with Grandma and celebrated his big day with a trip to the zoo (which was only half open it being April and all :P) and some cake after supper.





Sarah's birthday was next in May. She's 9 years old already! We had a much quieter birthday with a few friends and a movie. It was much less stress than last year, I tell ya!





Michael has started hockey boot camp which runs from May to August three days a week. He's been doing mostly dry land training and gets ice time starting in the middle of June. Hopefully, it will show in the evaluations this year as ho goes into his first year of midget (15-18 year olds). He was a little nervous about playing with guys 3 years older than him but he has really sprouted up (he's 5'11" already!) and the boot camp will help him have some confidence, I think. He can certainly hold his own with the big boys.

Emily is still preparing for her big trip to Kenya in the summer. One month left until she leaves. We have shopping to do but she has received her immunizations and prescriptions for traveling to a third world country. We're excited and a little nervous. I think the pros outweigh the cons, though. I think... :)

I had a little vacation in May as well (Henfest 2010 - Runnin' Free in Kimberley!). Grandma came to help look after the kids so I could have an extra long weekend with a bunch of friends. We went to Kimberly, BC where one of the ladies has a timeshare. So much fun!! It was great to get away from the daily grind and hang out with some fantastic and inspiring women. I do think I was the oldest one there but I didn't get left behind - no siree! LOL There weren't any morning runs for me (and there probably never will be) but I did do an after supper walk. My favorite part of the whole weekend was just getting know some women that I have always admired but never really hung out with. I think I made some new friends - hopefully they did, too. :)

Chipmunk Cheeks

Emily had all four of her wisdom teeth taken out today. I was going to take her picture when she had the ice packs on both of her cheeks but I had an attack of compassion and decided against it. This is as close as you'll get to seeing what she looks like at the moment.


This is a picture of her mood:




Luckily we have pain medication. I think she'll be just fine. I hope the rest of us survive. ;)

Toddler Property Laws

If I like it, it's mine.

If it's in my hand, it's mine.
If I can take it away from you, it's mine.
If I had it a little while ago, it's mine.
If it's mine, it must never appear to be yours in any way.
If we are building something together, all of the pieces are mine.
If it looks just like mine, it's mine.
If I think it's mine, it's mine.

If I give it to you, and change my mind later, it's mine.

If it's broken, it's yours.
- Unknown

I came across this little poem in a child development book the other night (yes, I do read them from time to time) and it just tickled my fancy. Truer words were never spoken and I have proof of that every day with Sam and the little girl I babysit, Sophia. They are 6 months apart (Sam is older) and just the epitome of toddler development. The following picture is a perfect example:

Obviously one or more the toddler laws were broken and they are "making up" or, rather, hugging like they were told to because "we treat our friends nicely."

I have to be honest - I read these child development books because I have no idea what I'm doing. It's a good thing I believe in prayer because I fly by the seat of my pants most of the time. I don't take everything the books say as a hard and fast rule, but, as I'm sure you know, it's been several years since I've had to deal with a toddler. The last toddler I had was a dream child. Couldn't ask for a more agreeable, pleasant, adorable little pumpkin. These two test my patience every day. Every hour. Every minute. Okay, maybe just every hour - except when they nap. If they keep the commandments the way they stick to the property laws, they'll have no problems in the eternities :)

Oh, but I do love them so.



P.S. I also caught this little gem on Facebook of all places:

"Listen earnestly to anything your children want to tell you, no matter what. If you don't listen eagerly to the little stuff when they are little, they won't tell you the big stuff when they are big, because to them all of it has always been big stuff." - Catherine M. Wallace

Good advice.

Consider yourself updated...

I guess it's been awhile since I posted. Once again, stuck in the rut of feeling like I have nothing to say or just maybe no pictures to go with it. So I guess this is gonna be a post without pictures.

So it's been about 6 weeks since we last visited. Hmmm... what's happened since then, you ask?

Let's see - hockey is temporarily finished (more on that later), preparations for Kenya are still ongoing, and Sarah is going to be a major theater star. Nothin' huge.

First, hockey ended for Michael before Sarah. Michael's team did make it to the first round of playoffs but couldn't pull it together to keep going. Sarah's team made it to the second round of playoffs but also petered out. They played well and tried their hardest and we had lots of fun so I'm happy. As for hockey being temporarily finished, Michael will be playing more hockey at the end of the month and at least one more weekend in April. He's going to try and make his zone team for the Alberta Cup (http://www.teamalbertahockey.ca/default.aspx?p=alberta_cup) which is a tournament in April in Leduc. I'm really glad he's going to give it a shot. I think he'll surprise himself with what he can accomplish.

Preps for Kenya are coming together. We're waiting for the passport and have the travel immunizations scheduled (cha-ching). Poor Emily has to get all 4 wisdom teeth out first on March 25. Lots of ice cream and jello, I guess. I can't believe it's coming up so fast. She leaves at the end of June and comes back just after her birthday so we'll have a Happy Birthday/Welcome Home party for her when she returns.

Sarah is going to be a major star after she gets discovered in the children's chorus of the Rosebud Theatre summer production of Oliver. She was very brave and auditioned at the theater and was accepted - because she's awesome! We're really excited and it's going to be a fun summer.

I'll leave you with a picture of Sam because, well, let's face it - he's the cutest of all and I don't really have a cute story about him. He is in a big boy bed in his own room now - I guess that's news. Here's a picture anyway even though I said I wouldn't post a picture.


I mean, look at those dimples!!

Time flies...

We survived the month of hockey tournaments. Phew. I'm a huge fan of my kids in hockey - I do enjoy NHL hockey but don't ask me about players or statistics. I don't keep track of those things. I like watching hockey but I don't think I could ever play it. I LOVE watching my kids play hockey. LOVE it. If you have seen me at their games, you'll know. Now don't get the wrong idea - I'm not a crazy hockey parent who yells at refs and insults the coach. I yell myself hoarse cheering on my kids and their teams. I have a cowbell that I bought from the UFA specifically for hockey. I even got all crafty and painted and decorated it.

You should know that I yell differently at Sarah's games than I do at Michael's games.

Mostly at Sarah's games I'm just chuckling with delight at these little munchkins falling all over themselves to touch the puck. You might see the odd superstar who can carry the puck from end to end but not often. I love how much FUN I have at Sarah's games - we're there for the pure enjoyment of the game. No pressure.

Michael's games are another matter. He's been in hockey for 7 years and I have different expectations of him and his team. I will yell at them to skate, hustle, shoot and, yes, even the dreaded "hit 'em!" It's a fact that contact is a part of the sport at Michael's age so when our boys are getting pushed around on the ice, I like to encourage them to give a little back. It's frustrating to watch them skate with the opponent down the ice (the opponent has the puck) and not give them a little shove off the puck. Anyway, a whole different level of intensity. LOVE it. :)

Contrary to what you may think, life is not ALL about hockey at my house. Emily has been in Drama and we were able to go see her in a one act play in January. She was awesome (no surprise there) and she was also the tech (props, lighting, sound) on another play. She's so smart and creative. I am really proud of her. She just told me today that this semester, her class will be doing "The Breakfast Club"! I am so excited!! She will also be doing her own directing project where she will get to choose her own one act play and cast it and everything. How fun!

Ooooh - a giveaway!

Check it out!

http://cheekytees.blogspot.com/

Fun, fun fun!

My bad...

I made a MAJOR faux-pas when I did my Olympic Torch post and I forgot to mention the most fabulous friend who joined me in this adventure.

We waited for a little over an hour for things to start and she was such a stalwart friend to stick by me and help me move my stroller over the ice and snow. Who could ask for a better friend?

Autumn, you are truly one of the best people I know and I count my blessings every day that I am lucky enough to have you as my friend.

(How's that?)

Potty Training??

I bought Sam a potty chair from a garage sale last summer and put it away because he was obviously too young. He saw one of his older friends using it one day and has been sitting on it once in a while for no reason at all. He won't let me take his diaper off - he just sits on it like it's one of his chairs. Now, he has started using it as a table. He actually carries it around and I caught him putting his bowl of snacks in it. Now, rest assured, it has been cleaned thoroughly so I wasn't too concerned about germs. I do think this is an indication that he just isn't ready for potty training just yet :)

Olympic Torch Run

Lots of excitement in Strathmore today as the Olympic Torch made it's way through town. Sam and I were able to be there and while I'm sure he doesn't care one bit - it was very exciting for me!

Sam is all ready and waiting...so excited... why are we here again?

All the schools came and we were lucky enough to spot Michael - who, by the way, refused to wear his Hockey Canada hoodie and instead chose his Russia T-shirt and Ovechkin jersey. Traitor.

What's an Olympic event without a little corporate sponsorship?

I have no idea what this next "float" was but it had something to do with the Olympics, I'm sure.

Paul arrived just in time to take Sam from my aching arms and see the torch come.

What's that in the distance? Is it a bird?

Is it a plane?

It's the Olympic Torch!! Yay!

And that's it. It was exciting to be there and see it up close. I kind of wish I had applied to be a torchbearer. They only run 300 to 400 metres before handing it off. I'm sure I could do that. With practice. ;)

Another weekend come and gone...

Another weekend of hockey has come and gone - only about 4 or 5 more to go. Sarah and Michael played on Saturday - Sarah at home and Michael in Claresholm. They both lost unfortunately :( Sarah is so fun to watch - she improves every time she hits the ice. These pictures were taken in October by one of the moms on the team:







Sarah is number 7, obviously :) I love watching her play but there is sure a different level of intensity between her games and Michael's. I tend to be a little more vocal at Michael's games (with a touch of dancing in the bleachers thrown in for good measure LOL) while I will sit and giggle when Sarah's team plays for the most part. It's still plainly for fun at her age with a huge learning curve - we have higher expectations of Michael. He has really improved this year as well. Perhaps the foot and a half he grew over the summer helped but he's skating well, and hitting and shooting and scoring. Maybe I'm a little biased...

Contrary to what Emily thinks, life is not ALL about hockey in our house. It's only about 90% hockey from October to March :)

I am still alive :)

I didn't quite make it to one year since I posted but I sure tried :)

My goodness - where to start? Life has sped along at breakneck speed and I feel like I'm hanging on for dear life most days. Two kids in hockey, 1 kid working part-time, 1 kid still in diapers who is a master of destruction. Makes me tired just thinking about it.

We've had a tough year to be honest. Paul was laid off from CP for a period of time last summer - just long enough to make life difficult still. He is back with CP (has been for awhile) so we're grateful for that. He is also working for a friend of ours who has a firewood business so when Paul isn't at CP, he's delivering firewood to all over Calgary and area. It has helped to somewhat make ends meet and it's getting busier at CP so we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm also babysitting a little girl who is about 6 months younger than Sam. Her mom is a teacher so I get teacher's days off which is really convenient! Sam is fine with her being here as long as she doesn't touch his stuff or come near me. It's a work in progress. Anyway, every little bit helps but I think I would watch her even if we didn't need the money. She's a little sweetheart.

This time of struggle for us has given me plenty of opportunity to realize what's important in our lives. Money might be tight but we have a roof - which is big enough for all of us! - over our heads, we have clothes to wear, we have food in our cupboards, we have the blessing of family and friends around us. I have to say that I am so grateful for a Father in Heaven who loves me and helps me even if I don't notice right away that He has. I will admit I have murmured against Him from time to time and wondered why we have to endure all these things but then I will go to church and hear lessons of love and forgiveness and I will be uplifted once more to be able to carry on. I am so glad He loves me in spite of my MANY weaknesses and never gives up on me. It helps me not to give on myself.

Okay - off the soapbox now. :) I'll update you on the kids.

We had a pretty quiet summer even though I finally got my driver's license! I was hoping to do some day trips with the kids but with Paul being laid off, I worked at Kim's kitchen for the summer so the time and money just weren't there for those things. We were able to go into Calgary a couple of times (woohoo) but I hope we will have a more adventurous summer this year. I'm so itching for a road trip!

Strathmore, Kinsmen Park, July 2009

Emily started work at Walmart at the end August. She did apply in mid-July but someone was on holidays and nothing happened until the end of August. So much for a summer job :) Anyway, she is doing great and trying hard to learn time and money management. It can be a struggle some days but she's a trooper and we won't let her give up because we are mean parents and we don't really love her. Well, that's what she thinks (says out loud) sometimes anyways :) We won't let her give up because we love her. Anyway, she's working towards a trip to Kenya in July. She is going with a group from school and they are going with an organization called Me to We (http://www.metowe.com/). This is a tremendous opportunity for her to go somewhere and make a difference (they will be doing humanitarian work) and gain a little perspective. It has been a long haul already to save the money and prepare but we will see it through even if it kills us. :P

Michael is in his seventh year of hockey and loving every minute of it. He is reffing this year as well which has been great since it allows him to be on the ice more and he's getting paid! I can't believe he goes to midget next year! If he decides not to try-out for a AA or AAA team, he will be done hockey in 3 years - at least we'll be done paying for it :) I think he should try-out to prove to himself what he's capable of but ultimately it's his decision. Of course, I could be a little biased, too. He also finished all the requirements to receive his Chief Scout Award (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Scout%27s_Award_%28Scouts_Canada%29). The scouting program is an integral of our church's (www.lds.org) young men's program. Michael has had the chance to go camping in the winter and make his own shelters and sleep in snow caves. He even when to the Southern Alberta Jamboree in July. He was a patrol leader and was a part of the decision making process for the boy's activities. It was great fun for him and I had the privilege (?) of driving 6 12/13 year old boys to Pincher Creek and back. I may never do that again.

Sarah had a big birthday in May - she turned 8 and was baptized into our church. She had a big party on the Saturday which was bigger than I imagined it wold be. Isn't it normal to invite more people than you think will come because, invariably (hopefully) someone won't make it, right? Everyone came! 13 kids at this party! Needless to say, the 9th birthday will be much quieter. Perhaps 2 friends and a movie. Yes, that sounds lovely. Enough about what I want, back to Sarah. So she was baptized which was a really special treat in that she was the first of our children to be baptized by Paul. He did a terrific job and it was very heartwarming. Michael and Emily both gave talks and did terrific jobs. They are a really good example to Sarah (most days). She has started in her second year of hockey and is really enjoying. She's on a really good team - by that I mean that she is learning alot and having fun. No pressure - just fun. The way it should be. She is also in her second year with the Strathmore Children's Choir (http://smorechildrenschoir.weebly.com/) which has doubled in size from last year as well as starting piano lessons right before Christmas. Yikes. No wonder we have no money. Anyway, she is really enjoying and doing a fantastic job. She even was part of the Christmas recital even though she had only had 3 lessons and she did wonderfully. Besides all that, she's a terrific big sister to Sam.

Helping with dishes, December 2009

On to Sam who is really Dennis the Menace incognito. This kid is into everything. I'm sure more than any other kid on the planet! He will be 2 in April which I just can't believe! I'm planning to have him in his big boy bed in the next couple of months and out of my room. Yes, he still sleeps in my room but it works for us. Everyone sleeps at night which is what nighttime is for, in my opinion :) Anyway, he's really a great kid - makes us laugh all the time. It's really fun to see the other kids' excitement at his growth and development. So big boy bed then potty training. Big year for the little guy. He had a bit of drama in December when he had minor surgery - bilateral orchidopexy (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchidopexy). We were in and out of the hospital by noon - the only "exciting" part was the drive home in the blizzard. My introduction to winter driving. I only cried a little and we made it home so that's all I'm gonna say about that!

That's all I can think of at the moment. I think I've pretty much caught you up as best as I could.