Ah, summer vacation.....

Well you may have started to wonder where I went (or maybe you didn't).

You know you've let your blog go when even your own mother gives you shit for not blogging.

My excuse: ah, it's summer vacation and I have been extremely lazy.

I can't even claim that I didn't have the time because my kids have been awesome with sleeping in, etc.

And I have taken full advantage of that.

So here is my attempt to "catch up".....

Celebrated Canada Day by waiting for a hour for cold pancakes!

Went to visit Grandma Elain at the gravel pit.

Saw a crazy amount of rain.  This is someone's yard.

Joely at 2 months old.

Celebrated Harper's 3rd birthday with a mermaid themed party.

Went camping again for August long weekend.

Did some geocaching, which has become my new favorite hobby.

Made some saskatoon jelly.

Went to Calaway Park.  Which was so much fun and affordable.

Especially since we camped again and we bought our tickets at over 50% off when we booked the camp site.

Taking a lunch break at Calaway.

Road lots of rides, played some games, won the required amount of stuffies for the girls.

What is it with girls and stuffed animals!

Lexie was so brave and went on so many rides!

Went to the overpriced Calgary Zoo.

Decided to take a little "trip" to Banff for supper.

And after all the excitment promptly passed out in the van.

Easter Time!!

I think regular old food coloring works the best to dye eggs.

We bought the primary and neon colors and I think these are our best eggs ever.

The girls loved the egg hunt but I wish it had been a little bit longer.

They were really getting into it and then it was over.

The only thing is that I don't want to have a ton of chocolate leftover.

 The Easter Bunny is going to have to come up with something for next year.

The girls with their loot.

Mostly books, a coloring sheet each, jumbo kinder egg each, small chocolate bunny each and a bag of mini chocolate eggs to share that the Easter Bunny had hid around the house.

Went to my parents for supper on Sunday and enjoyed a delicious meal.

Hope your Easter was filled with family and fun times.

P.S.  10 more days until this baby comes.

Unless it decides to come early.  And sometimes I swear it is!

What do you do in your spare time?

Build Pirate Ships!

And sail them on the open seas!

And it FINALLY disappeared.....

Before:

After:

I told you I was decluttering!

No, he had to shave it off because he had to fly into the States for work.

Had to look professional.

Or as I would say, "He had to be able to get on the plane."

First Burger off the BBQ this year....

Oh and it was so good!  This actually happened back on March 18th.  It was nice that day and Brad managed to get the cover partially off the BBQ.  Actually half of the cover is still suck in the ice around the BBQ!  So here's hoping that spring arrives soon because I don't know how much longer my family can stand winter.  You know it's bad when even Brad is saying, "I just wish this snow would melt already."  He never complains about the weather!

Things I Learned this Week.....

We have a saying in our family.

The saying goes: Play, learn and grow.

Brad started saying this to Alexa when she was really little and it has just carried on.

We always say it to each other when we're parting ways.  Going to work or school, etc.

So in trying to think of things to blog about this came into my mind.

I thought about what I learn in a week and sometimes it is some interesting or funny stuff.

So lets have a toast to my new endeavour and may it make me remember what I have learnt and may you also learn from it or at least have a good laugh about it.

So the things that I have learned this week:

1) putting lotion on my hands while making dinner is never a good idea.

2) even though a child may tell you that they don't have to go to the washroom before bed, make them.  If you don't, nothing good will come of this and you will cause more work for yourself.

3) sometimes life just doesn't seem fair or make sense but I hope that there was a reason for certain things happening (and that those reasons will some day come to light) and that a family's suffering will not continue forever because they deserve to have peace.

Malanka

So this is the first time that Alexa's group danced in front of an audience.

This particular time was to celebrate Ukrainian New Years.

She is the one at the back of the girls on the left hand side.

And the head you see bobbing around below stage is Harper.

That child danced with every group that came on stage.

45 minutes straight!

You should have seen how tired she was at the end.

Also keep in mind that this was after 6 pm and we hadn't eaten supper yet.

Let's just say that we only made it until about 8 pm before we headed home.

It was pretty cool to see them dancing.

The costumes were amazing on all the dancers.

Maybe next time I'll try to get a video of the older kids/adults dancing.

Now that is some crazy dancing!

My child seems not to be able to make a normal smile when a camera comes out.

She is very animated! 

Crazy Weather - Part 2

I'll take my camera outside tomorrow so you can see what my backyard looks like.

It's pretty crazy.

How much snow do you think a tree can hold?

Because I'm starting to get concerned.

Crazy Weather

This is just way too much snow!

Alexa thinks it's fun but Harper lasts like 5 minutes before she is done.

And we are getting more snow right this minute.

Actually through the whole weekend.

I don't know where it is going to go!

I'm just thankful that I'm preggo and I'm not the one shovelling!

It's a girl!

Meet the newest addition to our family.

She weights 13 ounces.

The technician said that she is a very wiggly baby.

Kicking her legs and punching her fists like a mad woman.

I think she is just preparing for when she comes out.

You know she was two older sisters to run away from!

Can't wait to meet this little one.

New Year's Resolutions

I don't really get the New Year's Resolutions, or I should say that I don't understand why people do it.  I do think it is important to reflect on your life and seek understanding on your life but I just don't get the constant need of people to make their life "better".  Whatever happened to enjoying what you do have, enjoying the stage of life that you're in right now and just to relax a bit?

I remember feeling a few years ago that I wasn't happy and that I was missing something.  That I needed to "do" something.  Go to school, get a job, you name it, I was thinking it.  I wondered if I should stay at home with the kids or work.

I started to think about what I really wanted from this parenting stage of my life.  I thought about what I believe to be important.  After thinking about these things and then deciding that this is the direction that I wanted to go, all of that indecision, regret, unhappiness dissolved away.  Being home with my kids is the most important thing I can do for them, being there for them even after they reach school age.  I remember being young and coming home from school and liking the fact that my mom was home.  So many kids come home and no one is there to ask them how their day was, etc.  So many parents are caught up in trying to reclaim an old part of their past that they don't see what is in the present.  I do understand that some moms have to work and they don't have a choice or that some moms are better parents when they're not at home all day.  I get that.  I'm specifically talking about what is best for me and my kids and my family.

And that is being home with them, enjoying them, teaching them and being happy about that decision.  Not second guessing it.  We really only "get" our kids for a small time in the grand scheme of things and I would rather send that small time with them and then worry about what I'm going to do with the rest of my life.

One of my new favorite quotes:

Slow down and everything that you are chasing will come around and catch you.  - Tony De Paloa

I first saw this off of Sarah's blog: Cloverlane

If you want to be inspired to be a better person/mother, to laugh, to think then this is a blog for you.

Christmas 2010 Recap



Christmas this year was really great.

We had lots of company and we were busy but we also got to rest too.  Best of both worlds!

Favorite christmas memory this year:

For christmas this year Alexa asked Santa for an "ABC" train and baby stuff for Harper's babies.

Well "Santa" couldn't find an "ABC" train so "Santa" brought Alexa a new baby with accessories.

As soon as Alexa opened it on christmas morning she yelled, "Yes, baby stuff for Harper's babies!  Here you go Harper."  And handed over her christmas gift to Harper.  Brad and I looked at each other and well, what can you say about that.  What an awesome kid!  So caring and loving to her sister.  They can fight like cats and dogs but they'd do anything for each other.  That's all a parent can ask for.



Belly Shot #1

Roughly about 19 weeks.

I am feeling good.

Next week I go for my ultrasound.

Hopefully the little one will cooperate and show us if its' a boy or girl.

Do not let this cute face deceive you...

She will get into stuff,

make a mess,

and do it all with a smile on her face.

What she has accomplished in the last 24 hours:

- swishing out a tube of toothpaste on to the bathroom counter and sink.

- emptying out almost a whole bottle of white glue onto the table and sticking pencils and erasers into it.

I guess I have to watch her like a hawk,

she is definitely my trouble maker/ mess maker.

I maybe should start taking pictures of her mess so I can show her later on!

You almost made Mommy go crazy!



Parenting Moment #1

So yesterday morning was a little stressful because as soon as Harper wakes up in the morning she wants CANDY!  I proceed to tell her no and ask her what kind of cereal she would like.  Now this kid is in a stage right now where she cannot make up her mind, so I just picked Cheerios and gave them to her.  She cried and didn't want them, so I told her that is "what she is getting for breakfast and to eat it", and I walked away to get ready.  I'm in my bathroom brushing my hair and I hear Alexa say, "Oh no, Harper, your cereal tipped over."  I'm thinking as I go out into the dining room that she has tipped it over on purpose because she doesn't want it.  Harper has done this in the past so I was a little bit frustrated and angry as you can imagine.

When I get there all the milk is out of the bowl and a few Cheerios and the rest is still in the bowl.  So I picked up Harper and put her in the corner telling her, "Bad girl and your going to eat this cereal." 
As all of this is going on, Alexa is trying to tell me something and I'm telling her "to be quiet and that I don't want to talk right now."

So after all of that drama and about 20 minutes later we are getting ready to leave for school.  Alexa looks at me and says, "Mom, you know when Harper's bowl tipped over this morning, it wasn't her fault, it was actually mine because I was reaching across the table to get my pencil."  I said, "What?  It wasn't Harper.  Why didn't you....." and I was about to say, "tell me."  But then I remembered that she had been actually trying to tell me but I told her to be quiet! 

There were some apologies to go around and I must confess that I was embarrassed in how I had acted before I even knew what had happened.  Alexa taught me yesterday.  I thought she was really brave to tell me after the fact because she didn't know if she was going to get in trouble are not.  She did the right thing anyways and that made both me and her Dad proud.  I guess we must be doing something right, which is nice to know, when day to day you worry about whether you're doing the right things!

I was totally schooled by my 4 year old and I think that is awesome!

Capturing Everyday Life

These are the faces I get from Alexa when she doesn't want to do something.

Like take a picture on the first day of school.

Or when I try to have a serious discussion about some topic.

These pictures kind of make me laugh but sometimes it drives me crazy.

Does anyone else's kids do this or something similar?

Capturing Everyday Life

How can you not love this face?!

What a goofball.

Look Who Turns 30......

Happy Birthday Brad!

Welcome to your thirty's, you're going to love them!

Interesting facts from 30 years ago:

- Average Cost of new house $68,700.00

- Average Income per year $19,500.00

- Average Monthly Rent $300.00
- Average cost new car $7,200.00

- Cost of a gallon of Gas $1.19

- Ronald Reagan Elected President of the USA

- Fire Destroys the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas

- Release of Pac-Man arcade game

- Millions of viewers tune into the TV soap opera Dallas to learn who shot lead character J.R. Ewing.

- John Lennon is shot outside his New York apartment