First and Last

First Day of School 2010-2011

Last Day of School 2010-2011

School's out for summer and the boys are thrilled. Can you tell by the smile on Sterling's face that he had a great year? We celebrated by going to Swiss Chalet with a gift card I had received for all my hard work with our grad committee. I can't think of a better reason to use it.

Lots more blogging coming up then a quiet week next week as Jessica and my girlies will be here. I'm going to be soaking in all their greatness and probably won't spend too much time in front of the computer. Sterling has asked if they can be in the gnome picture next week so we may have some guest stars. Watch for them!!

Kaedo's 12th Birthday - The Party

Saturday afternoon found us rushing from the soccer tournament to Woodbine for the races. Kaedo decided that is what he wanted to do, even after we advised that he could not bring any friends (can you imagine that invite - "we will be taking your child to Woodbine so he can bet the horses").

We were late and almost lost our reservation but I called and pleaded for 5 more minutes just in time. Craig dropped us at the door and we rushed up to "Favourties" the dining room. We had a wonderful table with a big TV and a wonderful view of the track. The food was great. The chef came out and walked Sterling through the buffet showing him all the food he could eat and what he needed to stay away from. Sterling was thrilled. We arrived in time to bet on the third race and stayed right until the end of the 10th. If was amazing!!!! We pigged out, laughed, took 39 pictures, watched the races from table and from outside and even sang "Happy Birthday" in our best voices. Kaedo came out $10 ahead, Sterling $20. They loved that. Craig lost every race except one and I was down about $4.

We got home about 7:30pm and had to roll each other into the house because we were still so full. Kaedo didn't even want to do his birthday cake as he was so full. We left that until Sunday afternoon and there is only one slice left.

Sunday Kaedo played 2 games again and they won both games. It was a great way to come out of the tournament. Sunday afternoon we had 5 kids here, biking, scootering, jumping on the trampoline, and having supper. The kids had a wonderful day.

Trampoline Part Deux

Lots to say about Kaedo and his birthday but I will start with pictures from last weekend and the first foray on the trampoline. I always allow a couple of jumps without the enclosure - mostly for the photo op! The pool has gone up this weekend and with only about 18" between the pool and the trampoline, the boys would love not to have the enclosure up. Too bad for them! We thought we better get the pool set up and water into it as "the Alberta littles" will be here in a week (yay me!!!!) and we wanted them to be able to play with the boys as I am hoping Jessica does not bring her shitty weather with her. It is supposed to be between 23 and 25 here all week, so that should warm up the pool nicely. I know I posted the picture of Sterling already - didn't realize I had chosen it again, and Blogger won't let me remove the double photos - sorry once again.

Kaedo played in a soccer tournament this weekend and they lost two games yesterday and won two games today. He was thrilled, but four games, a trip to Woodbine and a couple of late nights texting his "friend that's a girl that's a little more than a friend" makes for a tired kid. We got home today about 1pm and he was miserable as he always is after his games. We forced him into the shower then cut into his birthday cake for lunch. Afterwards he got together with a friend and they are out scootering with Sterling and two of his buddies. They all get along great so I am happy they are out in this sunshine. Last I heard they were stopped at McDonald's for drinks (and probably fries or a pie) - thank god for winning at the races - now mom doesn't have to pay - they have more money than me!

Our school graduation is tomorrow and Kaedo has a league game in T.O. that Craig is taking him to. He will probably score a goal as that's what he did last time I missed a game. Sterling has been "voluntold"ed into working at the Grad with me as I sit on that committee for parent council. It doesn't finish until 11pm and then we have to do all the clean up. It will be a late night (or early morning on Tuesday).

I will try to get the pictures from our day at Woodbine up tomorrow but no promises can be made at this point. Just know we had THE BEST DAY EVER!!!!! and the boys loved it. We took about 50 pictures and it was a fabulous experience. One I will definitely do again. Maybe for my 40th?

Happy 12th Birthday, Baby!

Happy Birthday, baby! 12 already - I can't believe it. At 5:47am Alberta time, Kaedo came into this world and completed our family. He had a rough start and fought to be well as did I. From day one we have had a wonderful relationship. A close bond. One like I have with no other. I love him with my whole being.

This year there have been a lot of changes for Kaedo. He has really come into his own. He speaks up, he talks back, he has shown his incredible sense of humor and his amazing dancing skills. He ROCKS!

He has become an incredible scooterer, he has become a competitive soccer player and he has a wonderful group of friends, both in school and on the field. He has the love and respect of his family and is finally playing on an even field with Sterling both emotionally and mentally.

Today we are heading to a soccer tournament first thing this morning as he plays at 8:30 and 11:30am and then we are rushing into the city for a day at Woodbine. Kaedo really wanted to go and we are happy to accommodate. The horse races sound like a great way to spend an afternoon to me. We explained to K that we would be thrilled to go but that he wouldn't be able to invite any friends. We figured telling a friend's parents that we were going gambling for the afternoon wasn't the best way to keep a friendship going - so needless to say it will just be the four of us.

Kaedo opened half of his gifts last night - his iPod, case (from Sterling) and iTunes gift card (mom and dad). He still has some money coming from us today. He and we thought last night would be good for the iPod as that way he could play last night, upload anything he wanted, set his background and do all the stuff we knew he would want to do with it. He was thrilled and loved the case from Sterling. The gift card came in handy with some downloads. His scooter, that he got earlier in the Spring from mom and dad has been well used and much loved. Thanks to everyone for his gifts. He will be speaking with you all and will thank you personally.

One last thanks to all of you for helping us raise such a wonderful boy. Thank you thank you thank you. He is amazing and every day I see part s of you in him.

*** have no idea why the pictures are doubled - sorry about that - can't get the second set erased. Guess you'll just have to see his gorgeousness twice!

week 39

Week 39 and Kaedo is suffering from a severe sunburn - what good parents we are! Hence Sterling only "sort of" having his arm around him. The boys are doing great and we are looking forward to our weekend activities and the celebrating of our baby boy's birthday. More details on that later in the week.

Trampoline Part 1

Sunday afternoon we set up the trampoline. It took much longer than we had hoped, but it was fun and there were a lot of laughing moments. The trampoline was a gift from Jessica in 2008 and it has definitely started to look a little ghetto. We have had to duck tape the pad and around all the joints but the kids love it and it was enjoyed for quite a while after it was set up. I have more pictures of their first jumps but I will post them later in the week. I have printed the close ups of these pictures too so you will have these coming to you as well.

I'm not sure this is how Craig wanted to spend his Father's Day but he played football all morning, so he was happy to get this done. The Littles love the trampoline and they will be here in 10 days so we needed to get it set up. This week we plan to get the pool up so that the water is warm enough for when they get here. We can't wait!

Soccer Tourney

We played soccer in Lake Simcoe this weekend. This is about 90 minutes from home. Our first game was on Saturday at 8am, so a 5:45am depart time from home was necessary. While I have been getting up some mornings about 4:30am, this morning, 5:15am came early. We headed out and the kids played their first game. They lost but only by 2-0, so while we weren't thrilled, they didn't take a beating. Their second game was at 10:20am and they got annihilated. I didn't realize that in our age group there are 3 levels of play - A,B, and C. A being the highest, C being the lowest. As a team with only 3 returning players, we are a C team, this year. We played an A team in our second game and it was a real eye opener. I think the most shocking part was the drunk parents at 11am (other team). They heckled our kids, mocked our coaches, yelled at our parents and I heard one man exclaim, "this game is really gonna cost me - I promised $50 a point". The final score was 7-2. The stomach ache I had after that game was overwhelming. I was sure I was going to be sick.

We left the tournament and headed home. A tragedy at 11am, closed the highway and it took us 5 hours to get home. When you don't know why the road has been closed, and you are crawling through the city at 5km an hour it is very frustrating. We listened to music, took camera phone pictures, laughed a lot and stopped at the gas station for snacks. Once we got home, we learned our long but fun afternoon had been due to a tragic death on the 401. A father was killed, a mother with 2 broken legs and 3 children without a scratch. It was a senseless, careless accident that should never have occurred and an innocent man died, leaving a widow and three children and a young girls driving changed her life forever. Let me just say that we were thrilled to have gotten home without incident. A sad way to start Father's Day weekend.

Sunday we returned to the field for another game, which we won. Our boys were thrilled.

It was a long weekend of soccer that was capped off by another game last night. We played a division up from us but we did fairly well. We lost but learned, and that is the name of the game. They have practice tonight and a lot of talking and drills will be performed.

The pictures above were the best I got from the weekend. I love them. I have printed copies of one of these and have them ready to be sent to all the family.

Happy Father's Day

This photo is from our first Father's Day. We lived in Carbon (yuck) but were so happy to be the proud parents of this little boy. He had already captured our hearts and changed our lives long before but this was a day of celebration. Those are Sterling's hand prints you see on the t-shirts as we (Sterling and I) had them custom made for Craig. I love my skinnier self in this photo. And look at all that hair - not a grey or blue streak in site!

Anyways - happy Father's Day to all the dad's in our lives - Stan, Dad, Kelly. We love you and hope you have had a nice day. In our family (mom and dad, Jessica) we have a long standing game of who calls first on any given occasion is deemed the winner. Jessica even went so far as to call me at 12:01am one year for my birthday so she could be "the first". Anyway, today I called dad at 7:30am to wish him a happy day and when I asked if I was first, he assured me I was as he was still in bed. Unfortunately, Jessica kept him up until after midnight (I'm sure just to be first) and got me on a technicality as they are spending the weekend with her. Damn you Jessica - I shall one day win again!!!

Lots to share this week after a weekend of soccer, trampoline set up and running through the sprinkler. Must not forget gnomee and a special boy's birthday coming up on Saturday as well.

Happy Father's Day all - love you

beauty or beast?

This huge (maybe 3" across) butterfly spent yesterday afternoon sunning itself on our fence. It was creepy in it's furry, wingy, way. Yet, in a way, I couldn't stop looking at it. I am not a real fan of butterflies - too close to moths - which I am absolutely terrified of. While I know it is not a Monarch, I wanted to post it for Shirley as I know how much she loves butterflies.

The weekend will find Kaedo and I at a soccer tournament both Sat and Sun. Sterling will be hanging out with friends and Craig will be playing football. Since I am doing soccer duty, I hope I can convince Craig to put up the trampoline and pool, and paint the kitchen. Any wagers on if I can convince him?????

Weekly Gnome

Good Morning All -

I thought today I would post this years picture as well as last years. Look how they have grown! Yikes! With grade 8 grad around the corner I am busy creating programs, tickets, autograph books and posters and this has found me up at 5am working on the computer. It is 8:30am and already I am ready to go back to bed. Lots to do today as well as a cup game for Kaedo tonight in a neighboring city. This apparently is a tournament game within the regular season games. I have no idea how it works, so don't ask. Have a great day!

Purex 3 in 1 - my true love

Purex 3 in 1 washer/dryer sheets are my best friend. I LOVE THEM! No, this is not a paid advertisement, but I must just tell you how fantastic these are. They come in sheets and all you do is drop it into your washer with your clothes. It releases the detergent as well as a fabric softener and gets your clothes sparkling clean. It then comes out with with a little green bar across the top (when you add it to the wash it is blue). You throw the same sheet in with your clothes to the dryer and that green bar is the static guard. I have been using them for a year and while they are more pricey than regular detergent, I recently bought 5 packages on sale for half price. AND you can always get a coupon online. The nicest thing is that there is no fussing with liquid detergent, or stains from your dry detergent. There is no more Bounce sheets. You know how there are some things you just won't go generic on? Kraft Dinner, Bounty paper towels, Heinz Ketchup, Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup? The list can go on. This is one of these things. If we have to eat pasta for a week so I can buy these sheets we will. If you want me to send you one so you can try before you buy, let me know and I will. After all, I do have 5 boxes. ;)

Monday Ramblings

This was the quote in this morning's dove piece. Love it. I might just have to keep a collection of these "fortune chocolates".

When Jessica and I were kids, we used to go to Woodwards and do the grocery shopping with our mom. She would always let us have a sausage roll and let us pick out one thing from the bakery (I usually chose a mille feuille). I could generally be found either in the books, which was right at the front of the store in front of the cash registers, or in the shoe department. I guess things never change.

One other thing that never changes - peanut butter. You have read about it hear before, but we are back to eating "peanut butter" (really soy bean butter). The reason I am telling you this is because as kids, we always ate Skippy Creamy. My mom would buy it and Jessica and I would try to keep track of which bag it had been put into. When helping unload the groceries, we would try to be the first one to get the peanut butter open, stick our finger back into it and close the lid. This of course left the other to believe that they may be the first. It was such a fun game. I remember many grocery nights laughing about who got to the peanut butter first. Yesterday morning (at 5:15am) I opened a new jar of "peanut butter" and surprisingly was sad to see Jessica had not yet sunk her finger into the middle. I ended up doing it myself before putting it on my toast.

Feeling a big melancholy today and really missing home. Wish you were all closer so we could be together. Love you guys.

Soccer is Killing US!

If it weren't for the fact that Kaedo loves it so much, I would be crying myself to sleep, in the fetal position, due to the amount of soccer we have going on right now. To his credit, he loves it and loves to go, so I am happy to take him. Here's the schedule for this week:

Today - 2 hour practice

Monday - Game about 45mins away from home

Tuesday - 2 hour practice

Wednesday - Free day - yeah!

Thursday - game (some fancy cup game - have no idea what that is)

Friday - preparing for tournament

Saturday - Tournament - 2 games minimum

Sunday - Tournament - one game minimum

Note - tournament in 2 hours away

He has gotten such praise for his improvement and we were told by the coach this week that he is the most positive force on the team and they are thrilled to have him. He told us that Kaedo will never have to try out again if he wants to continue next year and that he was the only one who doesn't complain about their runs, practices, drills or instruction. I am so proud of him and how he has conducted himself. He's amazing.

So, a busy week ahead. I feel bad for Sterling but he doesn't seem to care. He hangs out with his buddies, bikes, and on practice nights comes to Bville with me and we have two hours of mom and Sterling time. For now it is working out. Wish us luck! Here's to another "top shelf" goal!

U.S of A

Had to buy some Dove chocolates as they have a message inside each wrapper. This was mine. Fitting, don't you think?

Deal of the day!

Yesterday we took a relatively impromptu trip to the USA for a day of outlet malls, Target and cereal shopping. We only decided Wednesday afternoon after the boys convinced us they had been saving their money for such a trip and "please,please,please, cant we go". We went and got US cash and the boys actually got more US money for their CAN$, so they were thrilled.

I had packed breakfast and we headed out about 9:15am. We headed into Niagara Falls, NY where there is a FANTASTIC outlet mall - a true outlet mall, where things are drastically reduced. That was the boys first stop. Kaedo's goal for the day was a new pair of cleats - amazing how fast they get worn down when you are playing as much as he is. He got the deal of the day (a game we play after every trip). His cleats were regular $150 and he got them for $19.97. To say he was thrilled was an understatement. We were on a tight time schedule as we had left Ketchup home alone for the day but we did manage to hit Target, although rarely quickly. I would have loved to have spent more time there but it wasn't in the cards. I headed to the stationary aisle and Craig was looking for a pair of pants that were a different color than ones he had gotten in the Spring that he loved. He was successful and was thrilled with that. The boys headed to the candy aisle and loaded up. They also always seem to buy pop (soda) while down there - ones they can't get here. My goal was to get Kaedo's teacher's gift. His teacher LOVES chocolate, so I stocked up on some different stuff I hadn't seen before and will make a basket covered in cellophane for him to give her. I also was able to pick up the mayo Jessica and my mom wanted, so that was great. Last but not least we headed to Wal-Mart for our cereal excursion. Cereal is cheap in the USA and they have many kinds we can't get here. I picked up Cinnabon, Eggo Waffles, and of course, S'Mores. We were back home by 7pm and our dog hadn't shit in the house, so all in all it was a day well spent. Mustn't forget being able to fill up the van for $4O less than it costs us at home!

Civics

handsome guy watching the show!

Racing to the finish line for the 400m

3rd place 800m ribbon

first lap in 800m

starting line for 400m

On Wednesday we spent the morning at the Civics Track and Field event. This event is for all kids who qualify through their school. They then race kids in their grades from all the schools in our area. It was great. Sterling took the day off to come and watch and cheer and we had a wonderful time. Kaedo came in 3rd in 800m and tied for 4th in 400m. He had a great time and we were (are) really proud of him. He is our athlete and I hope he continues to work hard at these endeavors. He's amazing.

Also - for all our family members that don't have BlackBerrys - get one - then I can give you the play by play like I do with those of us that do, on BBM. I do it for soccer games and any activity the boys are involved in. Do so now - it has been ordered!

week 37

Week 37 and the sun is shining. We had a wicked thunderstorm last night but aside from that the weather is great. The boys are doing well. Counting down to Kaedo's birthday, the end of the school year and a visit from Anti and the girls (I think that is what they are most excited about).

We are looking forward to measuring the boys in a couple of weeks on Kaedo's bday and I'm going to pull out the tape measure to see exactly how tall they really are! They are growing like bad weeds.

hmmmm

THIS

EQUALS

THIS

PLUS 4 WEEKS

Thank you ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all week for your mocking pleasure!

ProAction Cops and Kids Event

Kaedo was very lucky to have the opportunity to participate in the ProAction Cops and Kids event in Hamilton on Sunday. One of the coaches on his soccer team is a police officer and he was organizing a team from our area to play in a baseball tournament that was put on by the different police forces in the GTA. At 9:30am they boarded a school bus and headed out - there is nothing better than a bunch of very excited 12 year old boys. They got out there - kicked some serious butt and won all three games, winning gold for the tournament. They got to have police officers play on their team, meet a police horse (which Kaedo thought was amazing), eat a TON of junk food, get a hat, shirt and medal and get home sweaty and tired at 7:30pm. It was a wonderful day for him and a great opportunity and we were thrilled he was asked and given the chance to participate. It was a day he won't soon forget.

In other news - HE SCORED HIS FIRST GOAL!!!! I know many of you received calls last night - we like to keep you in the loop. He was thrilled and of course I was at a damn council meeting and couldn't be there! Oh well, I'm sure there will be others.

Have a great day!

Flowers

I thought I would show some pictures of the flowers I have in my garden right now. I love flowers and they have greatly enhanced my happiness. I love the simple act of watering them every day, or watching the bees fluttering around and seeing the them reach up to grab a little more sunshine.

Flowers are not cheap but if you shop around you can find good deals. If you haven't added any flowers to your garden, you should. You'll thank yourself. And me :)