The 4 of Us

Gift Card Fun

2012-01-27T22:19:00.000-08:00

The kids got $20 gift cards from their Aunt Linda and Uncle Russ for Christmas to Coles/Chapters. We went down to Vernon tonight (we had dinner at Red Robin - such a nice change from Boston Pizza) and then headed over to the mall so they could make their big purchase. They each managed to get 3 things for $20. Fynn even has about $4 left on his gift card. He got 2 books and a Matchbox car and Sophie got 1 book, 1 Ty stuffy and a Ty Little One doll (she is collecting them).

Here they are posing with their little stash that they carefully curated. The photo is for their Aunt and Uncle to see them enjoying their gifts.

These two...

2012-01-25T21:14:00.000-08:00

Sophie stayed home for a couple hours this morning to let her rest up a bit from the bad cold/flu she has been suffering with. She was much better after lunch so I took her up to the school. 25% of her class was away sick, so her teacher planned a very low key afternoon which was just perfect.

For Brownies tonight the girls had a field trip to the local pet store. Lots of fun touching a snake and holding a hamster or gerbil (not sure which).

As I mentioned earlier this week, we have been trying to lessen our TV watching. The kids only watched about 1 hour tonight and that was when I needed to get some work done. Right after daycare and before dinner Fynn did two puzzles, which is really working out to be a good activity for him instead of TV. Sophie was at Brownies so her TV time is already lessened. We then did a couple of stories after their baths.

Small baby steps...

Unplug and play - Family Literacy Week

2012-01-23T21:16:00.000-08:00

We are trying to do some of the challenges associated with the Unplug and Play Challenge for Family Literacy Week which is January 23 - 29. Having the kids watch less TV is also one of my 2012 goals.

After I got home from the gym tonight we turned off the TV. Sophie did her homework and Fynn had some quiet time looking at one of Vic's bike books. Then Miss Jen came over for Sophie's piano lesson which is the perfect 30 minutes of completely unplugged mind expanding time.

I suggested to Fynn that he and I do a jigsaw puzzle. He loves puzzles and happily did two of them while Sophie had her lesson. After their baths I did submit to putting on the TV for 20 minutes or so which gave me some time to have a shower (I had my fitness class at 5:30pm). I find the TV is extremely helpful when you want to have the kids entertained for a bit and ensure that they are not fighting with each other.

We wrapped up the night with a few pages of their Richard Scarry book.

Weekend Lens

2012-01-21T20:56:00.000-08:00

Sophie is still recovering from a bad sore throat so she had a pretty low key day. In spite of not feeling too well, she had her first extra class for her ballet exam preparation. She is taking six additional classes between now and early March each Saturday. They are to prepare her for the I.S.T.D. exam. While the exam process is for fun it is a good way for Sophie to better learn her dance positions and the discipline that goes with preparing for an evaluation.

Fynn had some fun sleigh riding with dad. We got about a foot of snow last night, so they were out snow blowing and shoveling this morning.

Some accomplishments today

2012-01-18T22:41:00.000-08:00

I met three goals today:

1. I completed the final exam in the 4 part exam series for my Work-Life Certified Professional certificate through World at Work. It was something I have been plugging away at for my professional development at work. Vic and I drove down to Kelowna today so I could write my exam. I passed and I am so happy to have that all behind me, although I did enjoy the program.

2. The other goal (much smaller, but more fun)was to get back to scrapbooking again. I did this page to document Fynn's first time on skis.

3. I ticked off another item on my to-do list and had Sophie's birthday invitations printed up. We are going with an art themed party. Here are her invitations that I had printed through the photo finishing dept at London Drugs. I am super happy with how they turned out - and so is she!

Wrapping up ski lessons

2012-01-15T16:24:00.000-08:00

Back when we purchased our early bird ski passes in September, we also purchased half price ski lesson vouchers. The vouchers gave the kids each 4 lessons. We have found that by having the prepaid vouchers increased our motivation to ensure we get up the mountain each Sunday morning and get them into their lessons.

Progress was made: Sophie has moved from Snow Rangers up to Trail Blazers (she is skiing green runs comfortably and can now do some easier blue runs).

Fynn's first time on skis was in December. He finished his 4th Ready Teddies lesson today and the instructor said he is fine to move onto Eager Elephants. He is started to do some turns now and was able to ride the larger magic carpet today.

Vic and I might use the last two lesson vouchers ourselves next month.

Both kids have done well with skiing but we get the sense that they would like to give it a break for a bit. I am okay with that as it has been a successful season for both of them.

What's making me happy today

2012-01-13T20:44:00.001-08:00

1. I joined a book club with some women from work. I love finding fellow bookies. It is also one of my goals for 2012 around making more time for "community."

2. The kids are happy. They are watching an Arthur DVD that Sophie requested from the library. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

3. Vic had a good day at work with some solid business opportunities.

4. We have confirmed that our bedroom will be painted in March during spring break. Yippee!!

Benjamin Moore Moonshine

2012-01-07T11:09:00.000-08:00

Teresa from our local Benjamin Moore store came over today for a free colour consultation. She was quick to help me find a new colour to paint our bedroom and on-suite.

We are going with Benjamin Moore Moonshine. I love it. Just some touches of blue-grey. Will make our wood work pop.

Making the house feel warmer this year has been one of my 2012 priorities.

Can't wait to see how it turns out!

In other news, Vic to Fynn to Connor's 5th birthday party today (at the local Bowling Alley). Sophie was invited to a movie with Maggie. All in all, a fun day.

All is quiet on New Year's Day

2012-01-01T17:31:00.000-08:00

One of my favourite songs ever. It is from U2's War album. Love the haunting lyrics:

All is quiet on New Year's Day
A world in white gets underway
I want to be with you
Be with you night and day
Nothing changes on New Year's Day
On New Year's Day

We had a wonderful dinner last night with Bryan and Patti. I have found over the years that it is more important to enjoy yourself, doing what makes you happy then following the crowds on NYE (or any other time for that matter). For us that means a first class dinner with good friends.

Today was equally lovely. We took the kids for a walk and then later in the afternoon Vic's cousin Neville, his wife and their two kids came over for a visit. Perfect -- it also ties back to one of my priorities for 2012: community.

Right now the kids are watching this movie and then we are having pancakes.

Art

2011-12-31T16:24:00.000-08:00

One of my priorities for 2012 is for me to create more opportunities for Sophie to do art and for Fynn to have less TV time (ideally with books, but a colouring book works too).

His attention span for colouring is not particularly strong. Sophie enjoyed her new Junior Artist oil pastels. They are really inexpensive and can be purchased at an office supply store.

2012 Priorities

2011-12-30T14:03:00.000-08:00

I am a fairly goal oriented person. I like to set my mind to do something, accomplish it, and tick it off my list. I found a good article here (linked through Karen’s site) that is helpful. I like things that I can look back on and feel good about accomplishing. My MBA, trip to NYC, Boston, and running a 10km are a few. So was ensuring that Fynn was baptized last year and that we made sure Sophie received piano lessons. It was not an easy year, but very rewarding.

So, here are my goals for each priority:

Family
1. Read to Fynn daily. Somehow this has gotten lost and he has fallen into the habit of wanting the TV on at night. Not a great habit at all.
2. Have a family walk or bike ride (when weather is warmer) once a week.
3. Do more art with Sophie. I bought her some pastels today for kids. I think she will really like them.
4. Volunteer once before the end of the school year at Sophie’s school. That doesn’t seem like much, but it is hard for me to get away from the office. I have read that parents who are involved with their kids schools have kids that do better in school.
5. Set weekly date nights with Vic. This is a priority and something we both committed to over the Christmas break.

Health
1. Exercise everyday. Even if it is just a walk. That is okay!
2. Find a trainer so I can add basic weight-training and strength exercises weekly
3. Drink at least two glasses of water a day. I know that is really low, but better than what I am doing now.
4. Get minimum 7hours of sleep every night and 8 on the weekends
5. Only 1-2 lattes per week (I am allowed a Tim’s each workday however)

Work
I have some work goals that I am working on formulating still, so I won’t post here.

Create/Art/Photography
1. Complete one scrapbook layout a month. I have really not done much scrapbooking since Fynn turned 1. Just some birthdays and milestones. I would like to do more of the everyday. A creative release is good for the soul.
2. Learn how to take some photos with my new micro lens . Enrol in a Shutter Sisters class.

Travel
1. Travel has become an important area of focus for Vic and I over the past few years. We are now officially “middle aged” and we are much more aware that we need to make opportunities for travel to happen rather than putting them off.
2. A trip for Vic and I to Amsterdam. We have started researching.
3. A fun family trip with my extended family to Disneyland in the fall.
4. A spring break trip to Vancouver Island.
5. A trip to Barkerville in the summer with our friends Bryan and Patti. The kids will love it.

Reading
1. Read a book every two weeks. Continue to request / order books from the library to ensure I am reading what I want and not leaving my selections to chance.

Learning
1. Take one class non work related locally. Don’t know what about yet.

Community (This is a particularly hard one for me.)
1. Continue to go out for breakfast on Fridays with Vic, Bryan and Patti
2. Make a coffee date with Kim (1 per quarter)
3. Leave comments on blogs I read once a week

Home
1. Work on (work in progress) making the front study/piano/sitting room homier. Art work, a carpet/rug
2. Locate and purchase a carpet/rug for our bedroom
3. Art for kids play area

Thoughts to Cultivate
Over Christmas, I created a major focus area on something I am going to improve on. Something that I will likely need to come back to again and again this coming year since it is my Achilles heel.
1. Let go of worry and rumination This is definitely the biggest issue for me. I used to be a big worrier. Now I would say that has flipped to rumination. I am always thinking back to bad events or things that did not go well, digging into the painful memory and making it worse. I have taken out a great book and am reading it now. It has already made a difference in how I think. I want to be very mindful about my triggers for rumination.
2. Slow down and be aware I tend to be an over-achiever which is great but because I am so task-oriented and accomplishment-focused, I often rush through things. I am focused on the end and I don’t enjoy the journey. I don’t slow down. I don’t take my time, explore, learn, as much as I could. So my plan this year is to slow down considerably. Take my time reading and thinking. If some things don’t get done, that’s ok. Since my word for this year is acceptance, this is something I plan to pay extra-attention to. I need to reduce the pressure on myself and ask for help more often. This is usually related to chores related to the kids.
3. Do not yell This one is self-explanatory. I literally feel sick when other people yell. Especially at my kids. I hate it in myself when I yell. It is mostly at Sophie and Fynn. This is a non negotiable. It will not happen.
4. Be patient. This one goes along with 2 and 3. I need to practice more patience. I don’t need to rush through everything. Fynn and Sophie are only 4 and 7. They are good, sweet children. They deserve my patience. So does my husband. And me, too, I deserve being patient with myself. I am patient with my coworkers, but I can’t seem to muster up the patience when I get home each night.
5. Embrace joy I want to seek joy. I want to quit worrying and ruminating and embrace life and joy and bring forth good things in my life. Joy, fun, laughter.
And there we are. I am sure more will come up. But these are some of what’s on my mind.
Here’s to hoping 2012 is great for all of us!

haircuts for the new year

2011-12-29T21:17:00.001-08:00

Both Sophie and Fynn had their hair cut to today. Sophie's was getting really unruly due to the length it had gotten to.

On top of a new haircut, she also lost her top front tooth.

She is really looking grown up!

Peace

2011-12-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

Our day started at about 7:50am when the kids came down to our bedroom. I had told them that they could open the 1 present that was under the little tree in Sophie's room. The present was a little craft from my aunt. It kept the kids busy for a bit.

The rest of the day was really nice. We opened the presents one at a time. The pile was fairly small under the tree, but just enough to feel exciting for the kids.

Sophie loved her Barbie's camper and Fynn with his Hot Wheels track.

I enjoyed the quiet of a day where we had no real obligations. Since we had our turkey dinner yesterday we didn't have that extra work today. We had a nice breakfast of french toast, some cheese and crackers for lunch, and then pizza for dinner.

We relaxed, went for a run (Vic), walk (me) and the kids had lots of play time. Without company, it is very quiet. A nice way to spend the day.

Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T23:24:00.000-08:00

Today we took a walk down the nature trail in Salmon Arm with the kids to help them burn off some pre-Christmas excitement.

Later we had our turkey dinner - yum! Vic did a great job of pulling it off.
We had pumpkin pie from the Shuswap Pie Company.

We then went to Christmas Eve service at church. We watched a movie after that -- The Little Fokkers. Very funny but a little too PG in some spots.

The kids were very wound up but hit the hay about 10:30.

Merry Christmas!

2012 art work

2011-12-23T23:39:00.000-08:00

Source: google.com via Naoph on Pinterest

Needing a mental break from all things Christmas tonight, I started thinking about artwork. I would love to own a piece of original art. We have a painting that one of Vic's clients did for him and it is in our spare bedroom.

We saw this painting at the Boston Museum of Fine Art. It glows in a beautiful way. It is by the artist Childe Hassam. I would love to have this in our study / piano room. Hassam was an impressionist painter. This particular piece is titled Boston Common at Twilight.

Star Kids Ski Lessons

2011-12-22T16:32:00.000-08:00

We took our second trip of the ski season up to Silver Star today. Sophie and Fynn each took in a 2.5 hour lesson.

Observations/feedback from their instructors:
- Fynn was very "positive" and showed some resilience in wanting to get back up when he had fallen,etc.

- Sophie needs be challenged on some blue runs. She is managing just fine on green now. She is not quite ready for ski poles yet, either. She also did the chair lift once and seemed okay with that.

Vic and I had about an hour and a half to do a few runs before we had to pick them up from their lessons. It was just right. My feet were getting really cold. We are both thinking that some of these will be a good investment.

Tummy Troubles

2011-12-19T21:33:00.001-08:00

Sophie has had some tummy troubles the past few days. She had been complaining of a sore tummy which seemed to be getting progressively worse. I made a mental note to have her checked out by our doctor this week. However on Saturday night she woke up at around 1am complaining of a sore tummy. Not wanting to take chances (I always worry about appendicitis) I took her to the ER. She was checked out by the ER doctor who said she was likely constipated. She was given a glycerin suppository (which she did not like) and we were then released to go home. About an hour after we got home she woke up again, this time with diarrhea and vomiting. It was a big mess, and Vic and I spent the better part of 4:00-5:00am cleaning up. Sunday was uneventful. Sunday night I put her to bed and about 10:30pm she woke again complaining of a stomach ache. Thinking for sure something must be wrong; we went back to the ER. The same doctor was on. This time he took a blood sample, since in appendicitis the white blood cell count is usually high. He also ordered an x-ray of her stomach. He called me over to look at the x-ray.

What we saw was interesting: her intestine contained quite a bit of stool (poop) stuck in it. This was likely what was causing the stomach pain. It really was a bad case of constipation. Again, she was given a suppository which really didn’t do too much. They wanted to watch her so we slept on a gurney in the ER for about 2 hours. Finally at 2:30am, I woke up and asked the nurse if we could leave since it appeared that she wasn’t getting any worse. The doctor wanted us to come back at 7am to check her out before his shift was over. In the back of my mind, I was thinking, not a chance – I couldn’t imagine going back in a few hours. I was exhausted and I needed a bit of sleep so I could work today.

She has been drinking lots of water, eating fruit and drinking prune juice. So far, a bit of action has been happening – and her tummy doesn’t seem to be bothering her as much. We have an appointment with our family doctor tomorrow to have her checked out. We are both hoping for a quiet night with some sleep tonight. Needless to say, constipation is not a fun thing. She is going to start liking prune juice!

Home Alone

2011-12-18T19:01:00.000-08:00

For $5 I picked up the DVD Home Alone. It is such a classic that has stood the test of time, so I think it will be a good one to have in our small DVD Christmas movie library. I was testing the kids on Home Alone trivia after dinner tonight. Incidentally the house where the movie was filmed is up for sale. I love that house.

Sophie's friend Maggie came over today, so I snapped a few photos.

The Nutcracker

2011-12-16T23:20:00.001-08:00

Today was Sophie's last day of school before Christmas break. Her class had a little Christmas tea and made a Yule Log.

Her class had a secret Santa gift exchange and the kids were not supposed to buy gifts, but make or reuse something. Sophie had Cami's name, so we used some of my pink fabric stash and an iron on sparkly transfer and sewed up a pillow for her dolls. Cami clutch her new pillow all afternoon -- it was really cute.

I have always wanted to see the Nutcracker Ballet at Christmas. When I learned that it was coming to Vernon I bought the four of us tickets a couple of months ago. It was GREAT! We got all dressed up and went down to Vernon for dinner. The kids were entranced for two hours and Fynn was really good - he only got restless the last 10 minutes or so and even then he was still quite composed. Sophie wants to make it a Christmas tradition - which sounds perfect to me.

The Weekend Lens

2011-12-11T22:02:00.001-08:00

We had a short trip to Vernon today to pick up a few things then back in time for Sophie's Dance Christmas program.

Fynn and Sophie's joyful expression is from watching their video message from Santa. Pretty cool.

Christmas Parties

2011-12-10T22:53:00.000-08:00

Tonight was a double special evening: we were invited over to our friends Margaret and Pauls to help them celebrate their wedding (they got married in a small ceremony this afternoon).

Following a lovely reception at their home we headed out to my office Christmas party.

Sophie snapped our photo before we headed out the door. The kids had a blast with their sitter Dory who entertained them with crafts, colouring, stories and popcorn.

Christmas lights and Brownie Camp

2011-12-04T16:42:00.000-08:00

Sophie had a great time at her Christmas Brownie camp. They did crafts, had hot chocolate and ate turkey dinner with popsicle sticks :)

Daddy and Fynn put up the Christmas lights this afternoon.
Later I took the kids to the SASCU (my work) Children's Christmas party.

Fynn has been feeling whiny and so emotional this weekend. Part of it is lack of sleep due to a couple of late nights. I am so ready for an early night with him tonight.

First trip of the season to Silver Star

2011-12-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

Sophie was at her 2-night Brownie camp this weekend, and we got a babysitter for Fynn for a few hours so Vic and I could go up to Silver Star. It was the first ski day of the season. Good to check out our equipment, figure out what extra clothing layers we had forgotten (we both got cold towards the end) and re-familiarize ourselves with the mountain.

Fynn and I are having a relaxing afternoon. I've been thinking about how to incorporate more minimalist living into our Christmas preparations.

Each of the kids is getting two gifts (one from Santa and one from mom and dad) and their stockings. I generally limit the Christmas decorations to the tree and the mantle area. I think I will buy a nice pointsetta again this year and that should be good. I think resisting the temptation to buy more ornaments is key.

The Weekend Lens

2011-11-27T17:14:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Sophie invited her friend Hunter over for a sleepover.

Vic and I took all three kids to the new movie, Arthur Christmas. Very cute, well done and answers that age old question of how Santa manages to deliver presents to all those children in one evening.

As someone in the HR field, the movie hit a few good HR funny spots: family succession planning, executive recruiting, and the problems when your key employee (Santa) is just phoning it in.

Piano Recital

2011-11-19T18:31:00.000-08:00

I had a workshop for my job from 9 - 12 noon today. After that I headed back home and we got ourselves ready to take Sophie to her first piano recital.

It was at a retirement centre in Salmon Arm. Quite a turnout of senior citizens were in the audience along with the family members of the 10 or so students who were performing.

Sophie was second from the beginning (after her friend Cami) and she performed 3 little songs. She did very well.

We are really proud of her! Fynn was also very good in that he sat and stayed reasonably attentive for an hour while listening to the songs.

Self-care

2011-11-17T21:48:00.001-08:00

I think most mothers can relate to the feeling of doing for others. It makes us feel good. But when we spend so much of our time doing for others and not enough time for ourselves we feel burned out, run down and cranky.

I had a jammed packed day. I did a mock interview for a friend who's spouse is looking for work and he needed some practice with the interview process. I went out for coffee with another friend who was recently restructured from his job. He was looking for some insight into our company and I was happy to help him. I desperately wanted to get home by 4:30 so I could squeeze in a short run with Vic before it got too dark out but unfortunately that didn't happen. I had a meeting that ran late, then it was off to pick up the kids, get home and quickly clean up and head out the door again. I was committed to meeting with a co-worker to review her Masters thesis paper, as I am her project sponsor and she was looking for some feedback.

I felt this was my day of "giving." For me self-care means drinking enough water, exercising and resting. Today I was short on all 3. However, now I am happily home with my feet up and it feels good. I hope I have made a difference in a few lives today or helped them all in some small way. I did sneak out of the office at lunch and go and pick out a new pair of eye glasses for myself. My prescription has changed and my poor glasses (that I love) are scratched and showing their 4+ years of use. I chose a new frame and they should be in next week. After months (since April) of putting this off, I am proud of myself for taking a bit of time for me and following through.

Time Travel

2011-11-14T21:04:00.000-08:00

Once a year Vic and I like to take a trip to Victoria to do a little early Christmas shopping (sans Sophie and Fynn). The kids stayed with my mom and dad, for which I am very grateful. We drove down to Vancouver to visit his mom on Friday and had a nice visit with her. We then drove over to catch an evening ferry to Vancouver Island only to be told that the next sailing was in 3 hours due to some strong storms that had been happening that afternoon. We decided to stay overnight in Vancouver at a hotel downtown and then head over to Victoria in the morning.

That turned out to be a good decision and it enabled us to do a little bit of window shopping along Robson street on Friday night. Each time we take a little trip like this (this was a 3 nighter) we try to do something a little different or see something we haven't seen before.

We both love learning about history and there is a lot of it in the Victoria area. We took a tour at the Greater Victoria Art Gallery and saw an exhibit called Resonance.The Emily Carr collection at the gallery is impressive too.

On Sunday (in spite of the cold) we took a walking tour that is sponsored by the Old Cemetery Society. It was amazing! The Society is very active and does a tour each Sunday on a different topic. We did the tour of Ross Bay Cemetery called Murder Most Foul about murders and murder victims from the Victoria area. Fascinating facts about the area and provides a real insight into crime, especially around the late 1800s. It also provided a great photo taking opportunity.

Piano

2011-11-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Sophie has been taking piano lessons from Miss Jen for about 4 months now. She is really starting to get it -- I know because I don't understand what they are talking about anymore and I can't read the notes that Sophie is starting to be able to read.

She is in a little piano recital at the end of November at a local senior's home. Sophie at first didn't want to do the recital, but when she found out her school mate Cami is in the recital too, she was fine with it.

All in all, she seems to be really enjoying piano and she is practicing on her own, so I can't ask for too much more than that.

The Weekend Lens

2011-11-06T19:10:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Vic and Fynn had some fun "smashing pumpkins." We had a bunch of our pumpkins that needed to start decomposing in our back garden, so out came the axe and a iittle bit of chopping. We joked that Fynn is claiming responsibility for the Pumpkin Day Massacre. (A little dark humour).

In the afternoon we dropped Sophie off at her Brownie sleepover camp. It was in one of the buildings down at the fairgrounds. Sophie had her bedroll (sleeping bag, tarp and foamie) all rolled up and ready to go, along with her kitchen bag (eating utensils). This was a trial run overnight trip for a two-day Christmas camp the girls are doing in Vernon closer to Christmas.

The girls had a great time. They went to the movies and saw Puss and Boots, played outside, had hot chocolate, did crafts and read books. The Brownie leaders love to stay busy so the girls are always doing things and earning badges.

We took Fynn down to Kelowna. We went to the new Bed, Bath and Beyond store too. The next time I need new towels or bedding, I will definitely check it out. Fynn got one of these (now he has no excuse to take Sophie's).

Gymnastics

2011-11-04T21:35:00.000-07:00

Sophie's Grade 2 class had a module of gymnastics this fall. It was parent observation day today for the final class.

She really loves gymnastics and has come pretty close to mastering her cartwheel -- much better than I ever did as a kid.

Here are some photos of Sophie. Her little friend Hunter is in the pink leotard.

My work

2011-11-03T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is a photo I took of my computer screen this morning at work. I wanted to capture a moment in time at work, one of the many moments were I am looking at information on a screen. My computer is such an integral part of my work, when the power goes out, we all sit at our desks momentarily stunned because we are not connected to anything electronically.

I am not saying it is good or bad. I don't really try to pass judgements on technology. It is a tool, plain and simple.

I am in the middle of budgeting right now at work. Working with spreadsheets for my operating plan, staffing worksheets and training budgets. It is all good, all part of the process and cycle.

Being fitted for skis, boots and bindings

2011-11-01T21:24:00.000-07:00

This year we decided to take the plunge and introduce Fynn to skiing. Hopefully it will be a happy introduction and not one spent crying hysterically in the ski school lobby. To alleviate the hassle factor of renting equipment for Fynn, we bought him a ski package at Source for Sports this past weekend. Boots, bindings and skis. They are very small boots -- the smallest I have ever seen. His skis will last him 2seasons. The nice thing about Source for Sports is that we can get a trade in next year. We did this for Sophie this year when she outgrew her ski boots. We purchased her a new pair at a discount since we were trading in her old pair.

Renting equipment for Fynn was an option, however, when we weighed it out with the hassle of renting each time we go up to the ski hill, plus the cost of renting, it was about equal to buying the ski package of equipment. With our seasons passes this year, we also purchased Group Lesson vouchers. The Group Lesson vouchers enable each of us to have a morning or afternoon lesson. So, Vic, Sophie, Fynn and I will all be able to have a few lessons at the start of the season. I suspect Fynn will stay in the lessons for the entire season (much the same way Sophie did last year). I have seen parents try to struggle with loading/unloading kids off of chair lifts and I don't really relish that thought. Best to leave it to the pros (certainly not me).

Silver Star has a 12 cm base so we are still a long ways off from ski season officially starting.

Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T19:46:00.000-07:00

The festivities began at about 2:30pm when Sophie came by my office with her buddy Hunter (Hunter's mom Angie picked the girls up from school today). The girls did the Downtown Trick or Treat Trail. Lots of mayhem and fun.

I picked up Fynn at around 4pm so he could hit a few places on the Trail, but since he is getting over a cold, I didn't push it with him.

We had dinner and then the kids were out again at about 6pm - just dark enough. By the time we came in after doing our neighbourhood it was quite dark and cold. We got about 30+ Trick or Treaters this year. Around the same as last year.

Art Gallery Field Trip

2011-10-29T21:27:00.001-07:00

On Monday, I booked a few hours off of work to help out in Sophie's class and accompany the kids to a field trip down to the Art Gallery. I got to spend about 30 minutes in the class before we headed out. It is a lovely class. The kids come in without being rushed, find their reading or workbooks and start to work, often pairing up with a friend. It is such a change from Sophie's class last year. It felt much more inviting and enjoyable.

The trip down to the gallery was easy. It was all downhill. The trip back up to the school on the return walk home was a bit of a struggle as it is pretty much all up hill. Hungry, tired Grade 2s. However, everyone persevered and seemed to have a good time.

We saw this exhibit.

I love city vacations

2011-10-24T21:38:00.001-07:00

I could travel to cities for our vacations forever!

I don't do the beach very well, so for me, fall or spring in a great city is like eye candy and a treat for my soul. I love museums, people watching, taking photos, great food, coffee and public parks - oh, and a little shopping thrown in too.

Vic and I loved Acorn Street in Boston. It is the prettiest little street I have ever seen in my life and would be a dream come true to live on it.

Baking Brownies

2011-10-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

Sophie and Fynn love to bake. With me at work each day during the week, it is hard to get in any baking time, but the weekends are good for this activity since we have the extra time without the pressures of the daily schedule. They learn about measuring, counting, telling time, science and having a bit of patience since baking isn't instant gratification.

I pulled up a picture of the last time we made brownies (2009!) and I used a mix. They are so easy it really is a shame to use a mix. Today we made them from scratch using the 101 Brownie Recipes book that my sister-in-law Joanne got me several years ago. It is a great book and we always go back to the basic brownies recipe since they turn out perfectly each time.

The Weekend Lens

2011-10-22T20:33:00.000-07:00

We had a nice, quiet Saturday. Sophie had her friend Hunter sleep over last night. Hunter participated in our usual Friday family activities which include going to dinner at Boston Pizza and a visit to the library.

She and Sophie stayed up fairly late (no surprise) talking, giggling and reading.

This morning we did a bit of yard work around the house until it was time for Hunter's parents to pick her up.

Tonight Vic and some friends are at our kitchen table playing poker. Nice to have a quiet evening to myself. A book I am really enjoying right now is Simplicity Parenting. It is excellent.

4:08 am

2011-10-20T20:40:00.000-07:00

...is an ungodly hour to be at the airport, but we needed to be there at that time last week on Wednesday when we departed Kelowna for Boston (via Seattle).

I have lots of photos but am just sifting through them and posting a few to Facebook too. It was a great trip. Such a beautiful city. Old buildings, museums, churches, cobblestone streets, brownstones. I would love for Vic and I to go back and explore it some more.

We got back home on Monday evening after driving to Oliver to pick up the kids from my moms. On Tuesday evening I was back at the airport again (deja vu) to catch a flight to Vancouver for a workshop I went to for work. I stayed at this gorgeous hotel. It was very nice.

I am exhausted from the running around, driving and flying this week. Since it is a pro-D day tomorrow, the kids and I are sleeping in and I am going into work a little later. We all need a little extra "home" time.

The Weekend Lens

2011-10-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we visited with family for Thanksgiving and celebrated Fynn's official 4th birthday. Vic and I also ran in the BMO Okanagan 1/2 Marathon and 10km race (photos a bit later).

Today's highlights

2011-10-04T22:03:00.000-07:00

Today's highlights:

1.Sophie is enjoying her piano lessons. Jen is a good teacher and they are using some of the material from Music for Young Children and it seems to be resonating with Sophie. MFYC uses animal figures/names to help teach the various keys.

2. Zellers had rubber rain boots! Normally rubber boots wouldn't excite me but when Sophie got home from school and announced that she needed a pair for her field trip to Hanna's Orchard tomorrow, I had to find a pair -- pronto.

3. Fynn is having 40 minute melt downs in the morning. He doesn't want to wear pants to daycare (he'd prefer shorts) and it is causing some challenges. We know it is just a phase, but a difficult one.

4. Between work, parenting, fitness and preparing for our Boston trip next week, life is becoming a tad stressful.

5. I am thankful for the 40 minute walk I got in after work today. It helped clear my head and gave me a bit of exercise before Vic and the kids came home. I will take exercise where/when I can get it.

The Weekend Lens

2011-10-03T20:23:00.000-07:00

This weekend was busy!

Sophie had a sleepover at her friend Hunter's house on Friday night. She wrapped that up while Fynn was having his birthday party.

On Sunday we had a fun event for my work. 31 of our staff and their families went down to Davison's Orchard in Vernon for a great afternoon of orchard touring (it made me proud to be an orchardist's daughter) and then some pumpkin picking.

Last night Vic and I went to the movie The Help. I loved the book so much, I am glad the movie did it justice.

Fynn's 4th Birthday

2011-10-01T17:35:00.000-07:00

Four years ago today (well, actually next week on October 10), this little guy was coming into the world.

This year, his gift from Vic and I was a new bike. He was so excited. His smile was ear to ear.

He celebrated his birthday by going to Junglemania with his friends. While at first I wasn't sure if the expense of having his party there was worth it (it is pricey) when it rained today, there was no way I could imagine all of those little boys running around our house and having as much fun as they did. Their fun was topped off by pizza, slushies and a great Spiderman cake from Save-On Foods.

Happy birthday little guy!

Autumm loving

2011-09-29T22:14:00.000-07:00

There is just so much to love about autumn; the vibrant colors, fallen leaves, crisp air, yummy warm drinks, bountiful harvests, Fynn's birthday, my birthday, Thanksgiving, Halloween, walking in crunching leaves. I love the change in the air. I am so not a hot weather person. I love our pumpkins. Yippee for Big Mac pumpkin seeds. Yippee for fall.

French Immersion

2011-09-26T19:59:00.000-07:00

Sophie is really enjoying Grade 2. The difference in her level of anxiety this year is so much lower. I drop her off in the morning and she easily wanders over to the playground to play and wait for friends to arrive.

We have started her tutoring again this year, but only once per week since I don't think anymore than that is necessary at this time. We can assess it again after the first report card.

I asked her Vice Principal, Madame Gervais (who is bilingual) to address the issue of when Sophie's reading in English will start to move up.

Isabelle, responded in an email to me, that I thought would be worth sharing in case anyone who happens to read this is curious about French Immersion. It helps reaffirm what Vic and I have been told about FI. The research states that:

"... a 1991 review of student outcomes research showed that
although French-immersion students sometimes lag behind at Grade 3, they
match and often surpass English program students' performance in
English-language skills by Grade 4 or 5."

This is what I have found to be true in my experience as a grade 4/5
teacher. At Bastion we have made a decision to start English at the
grade 4 level. (In some school districts they introduce English
instruction at grade3). This decision was made based on research. By
doing this, it allows students to develop a greater proficiency in their
second language before they are introduced to formal English
instruction.

More can be found through this link:

In an immersion program a great deal of time is spent in the earlier
grades to develop vocabulary and some oral fluency. This is the first
step. Some students develop reading fluency earlier then others. Each
child is unique. The skills and strategies that students learn in French
concerning decoding and comprenhension are transferred to the English
language when the child is ready. For most students this happens on
average from grades two to grade four.

The best ways for us to support Sophie are to share our love of reading by
listening to her read in French and then reading to her in English until
she is ready to assume some of the reading. This can be done by sharing
reading of easy reading material or simply by choosing and reading to
her books from the wealth of good English children's litterature. It is
important to remember that reading should be a fun activity and that it
is especially important that children maintain a love of learning and a
desire to learn.

As my blog header photo indicates, books are big in this house, so there is no shortage of reading opportunities!

The Weekend Lens

2011-09-25T14:31:00.000-07:00

On Saturday morning we went to the memorial service for our friend Doris' father Gunther who passed away recently. It was a very nice service, but also sad since Gunther was a lovely man and only 72.

Later that day we took the kids out to Harold Park and let them race around the almost deserted campground (now that the Albertan tourists have all gone home) and enjoy themselves on their bikes. The lake is still warm enough to dip your feet in, too.

Tonight Vic and I are going for my final long run before the 10km in a couple of weeks. Bryan and Patti are watching the kids for us, then we are putting some steaks on the BBQ and wrapping up the weekend.

Brownies

2011-09-21T20:18:00.000-07:00

Tonight was Sophie's first session of Brownies.
She was a little nervous at first, but she met her friend Hunter and then a couple of other girls from her school she recognized (Mia and Sabine) and all was well. I stayed and watched and in an hour and a half, the girls had a lot of fun. A few games, a craft (making their nametags), learning some rules, and making a marshmallow person.

I really like one of the objectives of Girl Guides:

For Girls:

Guiding is an accepting environment . The programs and activities are exciting, and offer girls the chance to discover new interests and to learn valuable leadership skills with friends. Guiding gives girls the tools and resources they need to achieve greatness.

I was asked twice if I wanted to be a leader, but said I needed to watch how things went a bit first. I have a fair bit on my plate this fall, although it does look like a lot of fun.

Parenting

2011-09-20T11:20:00.000-07:00

I came across this book today and the title resonated with me.

I am trying to slow down with the kids. We are getting back in our habit of reading with the kids in the evening. During the summer we got hooked on watching DVD movies many evenings. Right now we are reading together a fun Phinneas and Ferb book that both the kids love, even though it is light on pictures. Fynn still loves the narration.

I need to remind myself that they are just little and their emotions are so in flux. Today was a mess of crying and frustration as we tried to get them out the door. Sophie and her fears of being late (which we are not, and no where close) and Fynn wanting is "Fluffy Duff" (his stuffed dog). I felt bad that they can become so unhappy in the mornings. I want to enjoy their "little hood" and I am trying to relish it. Some days are just harder than others.

The Weekend Lens

2011-09-18T21:25:00.000-07:00

This weekend we focused on our yard and garden. We also brought a new fig plant into the living room area. It looks good and adds some green life to a corner.

We planted a fall mum that is a bright beautiful yellow and looks great on our front steps with our pumpkins.

The pumpkin patch is robust! We will have a lot of pumpkins this year and we grew them ourselves.

Saturday afternoon I had a work planning session and then later I met up with the kids and Vic who were over at Marg and Paul's for a little get together to celebrate their harvest of honey from their bee hives. Very unique get-together.

10 on Tuesday

2011-09-13T20:07:00.001-07:00

1. Sophie is registered in Brownies. She starts next week. A new little chapter in her life.
2.I decided that Fynn needs to be in preschool. I think it will help support his overall maturity. Our daycare offers a preschool program, so it looks like he can start October 1.
3. His 4th birthday is October 10. He will be celebrating it with 4 little friends on October 1 at Junglemania. Little boys need to run wild and this venue is perfect.
4. I have been keeping up with my running. Thankfully the weather cooled just a tad today.
5. Sophie loves her teacher this year. Loves. I am so happy. Last year was good, but hard.
6. Ballet starts this week for Sophie.
7. I am recruiting for 3 management level positions at work right now. Assessing candidates is always challenging.
8. Vic's business is going well, but he still is trying to secure new office space. Nothing is ever easy.
9. The pool is drained. The pool guys come in on Thursday and shut it down for the season. I find this time of year a bit bittersweet.
10. I have been thinking about my old school a lot this week.

Glacial National Park

2011-09-10T22:22:00.000-07:00

We drove up to Glacial National Park today, about 60 km east of Revelstoke. It was the 125th birthday of the park. We had fun looking around the Discovery Centre which had displays about the history of the park, guiding, and alpine hiking.

Sophie spent the day with her friend Mikayla. They sat on the Shuswap Daycare float for the Fall Fair Parade and then they spent a couple of hours at the midway on the rides.

Finally we topped the day off with likely the last dip in the pool for the year since we are going to shut it down later next week (in spite of the weather being a very warm 30+ degrees). Our friends Bryan and Patti came over for a glass of wine after dinner to tell us about their summer holidays through the Prairies and we compared notes on the Copper Eagle in Greenwood.

miss jenn

2011-09-07T20:22:00.000-07:00

A bit of a rush after work today. I went to my fitness class while Vic picked up the kids from daycare. Sophie had a great day at school -- so far, so good.

Back at home he gave them snacks to ease their hunger and they got to watch a bit of TV until Sophie had her piano lesson at 6:15pm. It is a new time for her lesson, so it will take a bit of an adjustment to get used to. Her teacher Miss Jenn is very enthusiastic about the piano and loves to share her knowledge of music and piano with kids. We are lucky to have found her.

Fynn had a couple of "poop" issues tonight. Ugh. They are happily glued to Arthur (cartoon) before bed and I am thankful for some quiet time.

The first day

2011-09-06T20:40:00.000-07:00

Sophie had a great day and loves her new teacher, Mdm Dollack.

We got the bus organized, I enrolled her in ballet which starts next week, and finalized a change to her piano lessons.

Fynn really stepped up today too, and had a good bowel movement in the toilet tonight!! That makes me so happy.

I am wiped out as I woke up at 6:30am and was on the go for most of the day.Very grateful for Vic's pancake dinner tonight. The kids love it.
I am going to read a new book from the library and wath TV until it's bedtime tonight.

summer vacation: a list

2011-09-05T18:22:00.000-07:00

Elizabeth Dillow who's blog and scrapbooking style I adore, had a great post about her summer vacation in list fashion.

I looked at Vic tonight after dinner and said "I'm a bit blue that it is Labour Day." How the heck did summer pass so quickly, but when I think about all the stuff we did, it is no wonder it flew by. Gone are the days when I used to spend my summers hanging out and generally being idle.

Here is the list of why our summer flew by:

meals on the covered deck (A LOT)
overnight camp for Sophie
20 or so dips in our pool (I counted)
2 sets of swimming lessons for Sophie
1 set of swimming lessons for Fynn
3 trips down to Oliver (July for the family BBQ, early August on the way back from Vancouver, early Sept)
1 trip to Vancouver (Aquarium)
1 visit from our friend Jim
2 sleepovers for Sophie
summer piano lessons
1 hour of French tutoring per week x about 7 weeks or so
bike riding in the cul-de-sacc
pumpkin patch and raspberry tending
running after work
lots of photos
a trip to Greenwood/Kettle River
a trip to the IPE (Fair)
a trip to the O'Keefe Ranch
a trip to the Osoyoos waterslides
shopping for back to school clothes (Sophie)
Fynn's incessant toilet training "poo" issues

An that is just what I can remember off the top of my head.

Onwards to fall :)

The Fair

2011-09-01T22:30:00.000-07:00

We made our annual trek down to Armstrong to go to the IPE.

The sky was overcast so it seemed to keep the crowds down which was nice.

The fair itself is good. The amusement rides are the usual rip-off, but it seems we must spend $20 to buy a few tickets to appease Sophie.

Fynn was really into the animals this year, and both kids loved the interactive 4-H exhibits.

All in all, a good way to top off summer.

Running

2011-08-30T19:18:00.000-07:00

Today Vic and I ran 7km. That is to the end of the Nature Trail and back.
About 6 more weeks until my 10km in Kelowna. I am feeling pretty good and finally starting to really notice the improvements in my fitness.

My hair has also really grown out since I started running and leaving behind my pixie cut!

happy saturday

2011-08-27T16:53:00.000-07:00

Our old roomate Jim came by for a visit last night. Here was in town for the Blue Grass Festival. He is a gifted photographer and helped me with a few questions I had.

We had some nice family time in the pool this afternoon.

31 degrees celcius here today so we are just hanging low and staying cool.

best neighbourhood friends

2011-08-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Maggie's dad knocked on our door about 5 minutes after I got home from work today (Vic is in Vancouver for work). He needed to help a friend with some work and asked if Maggie could stay with us for a couple of hours.

I love having Maggie over. Her and Sophie play well together -- it borders on mischevious fun but nothing that I worry too much about.

They decided they wanted to do faux piercings tonight with some stickers.

O'Keefe Ranch - day trip

2011-08-21T20:49:00.000-07:00

Today we headed down to Vernon to visit the O'Keefe Ranch. We went there a couple of years ago but Fynn is much more interested in it now. Highly recommended if you are passing through the north Okanagan. The mansion tour is a must.

"I Can Do It"

2011-08-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today Sophie learned the importance of perseverance.

She enrolled in Level 4 Canadian Red Cross swim lessons in July and needed to repeat the level because she hadn't mastered all of the skills yet. She was unhappy when I enrolled her for the 2nd set of lessons to re-do Level 4.

However, on her first day of class she was thrilled to see her buddy Hunter in her class and instructor Teresa "The Turtle." Teresa has taught both Sophie and Fynn several times and is a great teacher.

She worked hard on her front crawl, flutter kick and diving this session. Today when she she got her report card she was beaming when she passed and is moving on to Level 5. We will wait now until next summer before we start that. One thing at a time.

The little badge she received helps reinforce and reward Sophie and motivate her even further. We are proud of you, Sophie. I feel a scrapbook page is in order for Sophie (and Fynn) to recognize their swimming accomplishments this summer.

On an unrelated note: Fynn is having LARGE bowel movements while at daycare, and they are in the toilet. Thankfully his gentle laxative is working. He is also quite proud of this not insignificant achievement.

Haney Classic Car Show

2011-08-14T17:30:00.000-07:00

Had fun today looking at the old cars at the Haney Classic Car Show. Bryan, Patti and their little godson Lincoln came along too.

the weekend lens

2011-08-13T17:15:00.000-07:00

Sophie had a sleepover last night at Hunter's house, so Vic and I took Fynn down to Kelowna today for a little bit of a road trip.

Sophie had a great time - they had a French themed dinner, complete with crepes and then French toast this morning for breakfast.

Here are Sophie and Fynn getting ready to hit the pool this afternoon.

Fynn

2011-08-10T22:17:00.000-07:00

Fynn has been having problems with his bowel movements for the last few weeks. He either will not or can't go, and when he does he usually leaves a small little "package" for me in his underwear. Not the nicest blog post, but a real part of our lives these last few weeks. I have been doing way too much laundry because of this, and he has become increasingly upset.

Finally, I went to our pharmacist Cathy on Monday and explained that I thought he was constipated. She agreed that is what his symptoms sounded like. He was also doing this little silent grunting/crouching. So she suggested a very gentle liquid laxative that we can add to his juice once a day. So far he has had 2 bowel movements in one day! He hasn't had an accident or done his little crouching thing in 2 days. I am hopeful that this was the problem and we have found a solution. The laxative is also non habit forming, so no worries with using it.

His mood seems much happier too. Poor little guy -- he was constipated.

the weekend lens

2011-08-07T19:14:00.001-07:00

The best of Sunday.

a very good playdate

2011-08-06T20:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I emailed Mikayla's mom and asked her if Mikayla could come over today for a swim and an afternoon playdate. She was happy to come and Sophie was excited.

They happily played in the pool (a lovely 85+ degrees so I was in there for quite awhile too) and when it came time for Kari to pick her up, I could see how she really didn't want to go home yet. I suggested Mikayla spend the night. The right playmate makes all the difference. Her and Sophie happily played, we had dinner and now all 3 kids are watching Ramona and Beezus. Everyone is happy and no one is complaining to me about being bored. I am looking forward to when Fynn can start having real playdates with his little buddies.

The day was lovely here. Beautiful weather and happy times.

august long weekend

2011-08-01T21:21:00.000-07:00

We had a relaxing weekend. Back from my parents' place on Saturday meant that we had Sunday and Monday at home. We hit the pool which was nice. Maggie came over yesterday and her and Sophie were in the pool for a couple of hours. After that Sophie and her concocted a "invitation" and Maggie joined us at the Smurf's movie. We are happy to have her along with us, but it is funny how the two of them scheme up these things without checking with either parents :)

Today Vic rode his first Masters Circuit Bike Race. That's 57+ km. It was the hardest thing he has ever physically done.

The photo of him and Fynn resting on the bed with even a Tim's coffee not able to help him keep his eyes open.

I was at the kitchen table with Sophie doing some work while Sophie and Susie her tutor went over this week's drill.

All in all, a nice weekend, restful, rewarding and and gorgeous weather.

wrapping up our summer vacation

2011-07-30T23:11:00.001-07:00

This year we kept things simple (and less expensive) and decided to not go to Vancouver Island this summer. We did 2 nights in Vancouver staying here, with the highlight being the Vancouver Aquarium and also a short visit with Vic's cousin Tiffany one evening. Then we headed to Oliver for 4 nights. Highlights were the water slides, public swimming in Oliver and warm days in the sunny south Okanagan.

sights of summer

2011-07-23T21:43:00.000-07:00

After a week of rain, we got out into the pool today. I love how it relaxes the kids and lets them burn off energy.

Tomorrow we are off to Vancouver for a couple of days, then over to Oliver to visit my family.

balance

2011-07-19T23:28:00.000-07:00

I was reading a blog I love about how working moms find balance. I enjoyed the questions that were asked of the moms, so I tried them on myself.

1. What's your work schedule?
I work 8:30 - 5:00pm Monday - Friday. I also work from home as needed in the evenings. It doesn't happen that often but likely 1-2 evenings a week I am reading emails or composing a document of some sort at home.

I drive Sophie to her daycare (when school is out) or to her school during the school year by 8:00am each day. She is still a stickler for time, so I try to get her out the door to reduce her anxiety in the a.m. Vic takes Fynn to daycare since Fynn needs a bit more time in the morning to walk up and get going.

2. How do you handle childcare?
Both Sophie and Fynn are in full time daycare. For Sophie it is an after school program that is run through the same daycare as Fynn's. Both kids have been going there since they were 1. We love our daycare. We are very fortunate to have a good one. It is not cheap -- not crazy expensive either, but still a significant expense each month.

3. Where do you work during the day?
From my office at work.

4. What do you like best about your current set-up?
That I know the kids are well looked after, entertained and educated during the day by people who are competent in childcare. Sophie is thrilled because her group is going to Wendy's for lunch tomorrow.

5. What do you find so-so/tricky/hilariously bad about your current set-up? What would you love to change if you had a magic wand?
The scheduling if Sophie or Fynn has an appointment or an activity. Sophie was in ballet and had French tutoring twice per week last term. That was enough to almost put me over the edge as it meant one of us had to pick her up from school (instead of her taking the bus) and then drive her back to her daycare. It was a bit harried.

6. What's your favorite part of your work?
The challenge, the great people I get to work with. The work itself is also very good and rewarding (Human Resources).

7. What's your favorite part of your home life?
Time with Vic after 9pm. Library evenings (Friday) with the kids. I am also enjoying Sophie's french tutoring that is happening at home on Monday evenings. I can sit at the kitchen table and listen and be part of it, but also do some of my own work too. It's actually quite calming.

8. How do you and your husband fit your marriage to the balance?
We try to go and see the odd movie -- sometime it is hard to get a sitter, but we do our best. We are also hooked on Nurse Jackie so that is our guilty evening pleasure.

9. Do you have time for yourself?
Every few months I will get a pedicure and Vic and I have an unwritten life rule that we are each entitled to exercise/fitness time. So, we don't really compromise on that front. He gets more fitness time in than I do, but that likely will shift as the kids get older and I'll have more time for runs and walks. I also read like crazy so as long as I have a book to read at night, I'm happy.

10. What advice would you give to other moms about how to balance work and life?
Life is not neat and tidy. One foot in front of the other. Keep moving the marble forward.

The days go slow but the years go fast

2011-07-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I will take of photo that stops me in my tracks. In a split second I wonder how Sophie suddenly became 7 and a half. Her baby days are so long over. I try to cherish each moment but sometimes I fail and just wish they would grow up a bit. But that only happens when I am struggling with parenting them. Most days are good.

The days go slow but the years go fast.

swimming lessons

2011-07-16T19:01:00.000-07:00

On Friday we wrapped up two weeks of swimming lessons for Sophie and Fynn.
Both of the kids did well with their lessons: Fynn advanced from Sea Turtles to Sea Otters and while Sophie was strong in her diving and length swimming, she needs to keep working on her side breathing for front crawl. So, in mid August she is signed up for another session of Level 4. She was disappointed and frustrated that she didn't pass Level 4, but it was a quite of a bump up in that there is more technique now than there was in past lessons.

In other news, we have started up her French tutoring one evening per week just to keep the momentum up over the summer for French.

thankful

2011-07-09T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today I’m thankful for the fact that Vic talked me into installing our pool when we built our house.

He grew up with a pool as a kid and had nice memories of it.

I grew up spending summers going to Haynes Point beach on occasional Sundays or going to the town pool.

With our own pool steps from our door we have been in it 4 days this week. Sophie and Maggie were in it for over 3 hours this afternoon. I couldn't believe they weren't getting bored but not a chance. Maggie's mom came over to get her at 3pm but she wanted to stay -- so she did.

I look at Sophie and Fynn splashing around - Sophie diving for toys and Fynn riding his "Sharky" and it makes me happy.

We had lunch and dinner on our deck under the gazebo and that topped off a lovely day.

I'm thankful to give my kids the chance to create their own summer routines and memories right in our backyard.

mid year goal check in

2011-07-05T19:58:00.000-07:00

I set some general goal categories for myself in January. I should have written them down, since that is one of the best ways to accomplish your goals, but I am pretty self motivated so I thought a general check mid year would suffice. I believe in baby steps and not killing myself (I have enough stress!).

Family
For the summer our goal is to use our pool as a family as much as possible. So far we have used it 2/2 nights.
I was committed to having Fynn baptized and so happy that we pulled that off. Also feel good about getting Sophie and Fynn into swimming lessons and Sophie on the way with her piano lessons - that was definitely a priority.
Vic and I don't get too many date nights in, but we have started watching the Nurse Jackie episodes at home. They are so good - both of us are engaged in the episodes and it prevents one or both of us from multi-tasking and doing other things (like aimlessly surfing the net).

Health
Going strong on the running. I run with Vic 3 sometimes 4 times per week. I also signed up and registered for the BMO Kelowna 10 Km in October. My sleep has been okay - I could likely use an extra hour each night, but I will take what I can. I still like my caffeine and I can't see myself giving that up anytime soon. Vic and I try to have a healthy salad for dinner at least once a week. I am due to get my second annual mammogram but just need to book that appointment.

Scrapbooking + Photography
I scrapbooked last night and was really happy with how the layout turned out. I ordered a kit from Cocoa Daisy - it is so much easier when I get a kit with coordinating "outside of the box" papers and embellishments. I try to do a page for each of the kids every month or so. Still taking lots of photos. Trying to ensure that I am organizing them properly in my various folders, printing them as needed and deleting the bad ones.

Reading
Still reading lots. I have two books that are historical about Boston in preparation for our trip in October. I also read to the kids regularly.

Learning
I ordered the last course in my Work-Life certification for work. It should come soon and then I can get to work on that.

Community (This is a particularly hard one for me.)
Going strong with my Thursday walk/hikes with Patti (this qualifies as something in the health/fitness and socializing category). Apart from that, not doing too much else. For volunteer work, the Canadian Parents for French group is on a break for the summer, but I still have my daycare board meetings.

Piano Lessons

2011-07-05T19:48:00.001-07:00

Sophie started her piano lessons tonight with Miss Jenn.
Jenn is the piano accompanist for Sophie's ballet lessons.
She is a lovely person and has a nice way with Sophie.

I can see how Sophie is just soaking up what she is learning. She'll be doing piano lessons once a week, with practice sprinkled in here and there between lessons.

Between swim lessons for both kids, and work the days are going by quickly. Piano feels much more calming. Likely because Jenn comes to our house and I don't have to drive anywhere and also because her approach is really gentle and non chaotic. All good things in my book.

Obama Cookies

2011-07-04T20:12:00.000-07:00

Our friends Bryan and Patti arrived back from their Canada Day weekend visit to Ottawa. They brought Sophie and Fynn back some Obama cookies.

In other news, the kids started their swimming lessons today: Sophie is in Level 4 and Fynn is in Sea Turtles. The weather has been much better these last few days so we also used our pool after work today.

Summer is here.

The last day

2011-06-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Such a different feeling than Sophie's first day of Grade 1 when she didn't want me to take her picture. She was certainly much happier today.

Here she is with one of her teachers, Madame Shannon. Madame is very close to being ready to have her baby!

We dropped Sophie off at Gardom Lake Camp this afternoon. She was pretty unsure about the whole thing when we got there but then when we took her to her cabin and she found out it was just Hunter, Cami, Heidi-Lee and herself and they were all waiting for her, she was very happy. Her camp counsellor is Christa who was very sweet. I am sure she will have lots of stories to tell us when we pick her up tomorrow.

prepping for camp

2011-06-25T20:40:00.000-07:00

We popped down to Walmart last night in Vernon and picked Sophie up a sleeping bag for her overnight camp trip that is coming up this Wednesday.

Vic is teaching her how to roll it up nice and tight and neat so it fits back inside the sack. We will see how it comes back when we pick her up.

In other news:

More tooth drama - my temporary crown came off my tooth again while I was eating breakfast this morning. Luckily I have had the root canal and I can't feel any pain. I have an appointment with my regular dentist on Wed so he can attach the permanent one.

Vic is racing in the Kal Rats race this Sunday morning. When he gets back I am heading out to Trail in afternoon with a co-worker. We are doing some research at the credit union there. I will be back Tuesday afternoon - just in time to send Sophie on her way to her last day of school on Wednesday and camp that afternoon.

teeth

2011-06-23T21:25:00.000-07:00

I had my root canal treatment today in Kamloops. Vic drove me up to my appointment (how said that our "date" is a drive to a root canal appointment). Dr. McLean did my procedure - he specializes in endontics (root canals) and did one for me a few years ago. He is extremely good but charges a pretty penny (like $1200) and that does not inlude the permanent crown I have to have inserted next week in Salmon Arm.

The guy is super duper smart - I found his bio on line:

Dr. Alex McLean practices endodontics in Kamloops, B.C. Graduating from the UBC School of Dentistry in 1980 he was in general practice for 21 years prior to pursuing graduate endodontics at Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Dr. McLean has taught at both the pre-doctoral and graduate level in endodontics, and has published articles the restoration of endodontically treated teeth and the structural impact of post space preparations. Dr. McLean is currently involved in research into rotary instrumentation. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Canada and a registered Professional Engineer in the province of British Columbia with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Anyway, teeth are big business. For now, I am waiting for my extra strength Advil to kick in because my poor gums have been bruised up with the several needles he game me.

Fynn's Baptism

2011-06-19T21:31:00.000-07:00

We had a big crowd over at our house today following Fynn's baptism at the United Church. We had meant to baptize Fynn when he was a baby but for one reason or another it slipped away on us. It kept niggling me, so we finally made some plans and arranged for it to happen this Sunday.

Here are a few photos of the lunch we had over at our place afterward.

I could tell you about...

2011-06-15T21:30:00.000-07:00

The fact that I have to get a root canal next week because just putting a crown on my cracked tooth didn't work. Ugh. The low level pain from this tooth is just enough to have me popping Advil. Hence a trip back to the dentist yesterday and I diagnosed myself and said to him, "I need a root canal, don't I?" Dentist: "yes, I think you do." So, off to Kamloops next week to see the endodontist (root canal specialist).

On happier news, Fynn enjoys his bath.

summer camp

2011-06-14T21:56:00.000-07:00

This quote is making me chuckle today: A lot of parents pack up their troubles and send them off to summer camp. Raymond Duncan

That's because on June 29 - 30 Sophie will be attending her first away from home camp trip up at Gardom Lake. My coworker Angie suggested it to me today since her daughter is attending it and her and Sophie are good little buddies.

I popped up to Sophie's school at noon and chatted with her about it and she was pretty excited. The idea of going away to camp with her friend is exciting. Gardom Lake looks pretty fun. Tonight she asked me if she could stay longer than one night but I explained to her she was still too young for that. Let's get through this summer first.

sophie and maggie

2011-06-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

These two played non stop for several hours today until I had to tell Maggie it was time to go home at 5:30pm as we were going to eat dinner.

Somedays I don't know what Sophie would do if she didn't have a neighbourhood playmate. I'm grateful for our kid-abundant cul-de-sac.

around here

2011-06-10T20:07:00.000-07:00

We are:

- celebrating the Canucks win!!
- thrilled that our little pumpkin seeds have grown into little pumpkin plants. perfectly so.
- that I ran with Vic 4 x this week! I am now a runner :)

pre-Baptism test run

2011-06-05T15:41:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to church this morning to help them get used to it (since we haven't been since Christmas -- oops). Fynn's baptism is in a couple of weeks and we wanted him to get a bit more comfortable with the whole thing.

Considering he lasted an entire hour before he got completely squirrely we thought he did well. They were rewarded with a nice trip to the water park.

Springing the kids from school/daycare early

2011-06-03T20:10:00.000-07:00

Every so often, it is fun to do something different with Sophie and Fynn and surprise them. Sophie knew we would be picking her up just after lunch today to go to Vernon. I was seeing a specialist to look at the spider/varicose veins on the back of one of my legs, so we were all going down to Vernon for the afternoon.

My appointment was really good. I spent about 20 minutes or so with Dr. Sanders who specializes in vein treatments. The treatment is covered through BC Medical due to the aches I get in my legs and my family history. I should be done in 2 treatments because mine are pretty minor but his ultrasound did pick up a slight defect in one of the valves (blood flowing the wrong way which causes a varicose vein).

Afterwards we took the kids to Polson Park, then over to Kreative Kaos (a big art / craft show) and finally Red Robin for an early dinner.

Family life is built on routine (or atleast ours is) and every so often you have to bust open the routine and shake things up a bit. We were all supposed to be some place else this afternoon, but having a bit of fun like this is a good way to remind yourself that we were all just where we needed to be (even the awful balloon that popped in the truck on the way home and almost deafened us).

Pom Love

2011-06-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

Several months ago I ordered these handmade tissue paper folded poms from Pom Love. I put them in Sophie's stocking for Christmas.

It's taken this long to get them "poofed" - I had my friend Paula over tonight and we made them up. They turned out really pretty and I think they will look great hanging from Sophie's ceiling. Just her colours :)

In other news we are planning Fynn's baptism (better late than never) for later this month. Vic's cousin Neville and his wife and kids are coming, along with his other cousin and his wife from Vancouver and possibly a few more relatives, so it should be fun. Since we don't see many of these family members it is kind of nice having an event like this to bring everyone together.

The Weekend lens

2011-05-28T20:20:00.000-07:00

We had a nice Saturday.

Easy. We did some gardening - Vic bought some pumpkin seeds (a variety I heard recommended by the CBC) and he also did some planters.

Later tonight while he was at the Rotary Auction helping out, I played outside with the kids. The light and air temperature were perfect.

(I have figured out how to make photos look larger in Blogger - I like it!).
The gorgeous yellow flower is a photo that Sophie took. She is getting really good.

Sophie - doing homework

2011-05-27T23:10:00.001-07:00

May long weekend

2011-05-23T16:30:00.001-07:00

We stayed at my parent's place in Oliver weekend (even though they were away on their cruise) and visited with Vic's brother, wife and son who were visiting from Nova Scotia. Vic's mom is soon moving to Maple Ridge so this might be one of the last weekends we visit with her in Penticton.

We took the kids here and they had a fun time. Sophie did the bouncing thing (not sure what it is called, but she did some back flips in a harness), and did the climbing wall. Fynn and Cairo had fun getting wet on the bumper boats and then Vic and Adam took them on the go-carts. Fynn's face was priceless and they zoomed around the track.

Later we took Grandma to Denny's for dinner. The following day we visited with them again and did a playground trip. Later that night the 4 of us headed back south and went to Diamond Steak. I love it here. We tried Campo's but the wait was too long. Diamond Steak has great food, service and it has just the right amount of noise level that the kids can be themselves (although we warned them to be on their best behavior).

wrapping up another season of Ballet

2011-05-15T15:30:00.000-07:00

Last night Sophie had her final year end show for ballet. It was two performances (2pm and 6pm) which meant much of our day was centered around being at the rec centre or getting her to the rec centre. It all went well and she did great.

It was neat to see her changing over the past three years since she has been doing dance. Her poise, confidence and dance skills have really come along.

NYC - Day 2

2011-05-06T21:10:00.001-07:00

We had a great day taking in a Big Onion walking tour of the Chelsea Neighbourhood.
This is a photo of me in Madison Square park in front of the Echo statue, by Plensa which depicts a nine-year old girl from the artist's Barcelona neighborhood, "
lost in a state of thoughts and dreams." It is huge - standing forty-four feet tall.
More photos to follow...

We're here!

2011-05-05T21:07:00.000-07:00

We left Kelowna today on a 7am flight to Calgary. From there we caught a second flight that was about 4.5 hours of air travel time and it took us to Newark New Jersey which is about a 45 minute cab ride from downtown Manhatten.

We arrived to our hotel, the lovely Library Hotel at around 6pm and had some complimentary appetizers which were a nice touch. We then wandered around for a bit and then had some dinner. This is a photo taken out of our hotel room looking towards the amazing New York Public Library. The top photo is of the Chrysler building. Tomorrow is a new day and right now we are tired, so best to sign off.

Track meet #2 for Sophie

2011-05-04T22:07:00.001-07:00

Today Sophie had her second track meet. Fortunately this one was in our city and we didn't have to drive her out of town like last time. The intent of the track meets are for the kids to have fun and maybe just boost their standing by one or two spots from the last meet. Sophie did just that, and came in #39 down from #77 at the last meet! She was really pleased with herself. Afterwards she had a giant freezie which made for a nice little reward.

Vic and I are excited about getting on our flight tomorrow morning for the Big Apple!

in a few short days...

2011-05-02T20:37:00.001-07:00

We will be here!

It is so much work getting ready.
I have typed up a schedule for our sitter who is looking after the kids, I have typed up a schedule for our itinerary, contacted the school to let them know Patti will be picking up Sophie for ballet, given detailed directions to Patti on how ballet day works, packed Sophie's bathing suit since one of the days she will be with our sitter is a swimming day. And then there is work itself. Trying to do the work of a week in 3 days is not easy. It is an unusually busy time at work. We are going through a lot of change in our company right now -- good things -- but they draw heavily on my department's resources.

I am grateful for my job, but it is taxing to say the least.

Sophie's tutor

2011-04-26T20:44:00.000-07:00

Just after Christmas break, Vic and I decided that it would be a benefit for Sophie to have a tutor to help her with her French. French Immersion is not an easy program. Sophie was doing okay prior to her tutor, but we wanted her to feel comfortable and enjoy her class. Her Grade 1 teacher recommended Susie and it was a plus that Vic and I knew about Susie because she swam in my lane during the one year I participated in Masters Swimming. Susie is a francophone so her French is great and she has a teaching background.

Twice a week Sophie spends about 30 minutes with Susie working on her reading, sounds, dictee and numbers in French. The comments on her last report card attest to the positive impact that Susie has had on Sophie. She has really blossomed!

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T13:49:00.000-07:00

The cousins had their annual Easter egg hunt outside at Grandma's today in Oliver.
Here they are in a collage of Easter egg hunts through the years. In 2008, Fynn and Jackson were too young to participate, so they were not in the photo.

What I Wore To Work

2011-04-23T16:41:00.000-07:00

I have been really focusing on trying to incorporate "orphan" items in my closet and create new outfits from the pieces I already have without buying new things. Granted, I have a few gaps in my wardrobe for spring/summer, but overall, I am in pretty good shape with the pieces I have.

I have been asking Sophie to take my photo before we head out the door each morning for school/work. Sophie is doing a pretty good job of the photos all things considered.

Here I am wearing 3 outfits that I put together with existing pieces from my closet (e.g. shop your closet). The brown tweed skirt is from Banana Republic that I got a year and a half ago in NY. It has transitioned nicely to a spring outfit when I wear it with a Halogen cardigan I got from Nordstroms when we were in Anaheim. The belt is from an old dress. The middle outfit is an old CLEO dress that I bought last spring to wear to the HRMA Awards. I have paired it with a jacket that is a few seasons old from Rickis. The last outfit is a two year old camisole paired up with a little sweater shrug from RW and Co and my grey trousers that I bought at Urbana in Penticton a few years ago.

this n' that

2011-04-22T21:00:00.001-07:00

Just catching up on some photos from last week of Vic's swim meet.

track meet

2011-04-20T21:41:00.000-07:00

Vic drove Sophie out to her track meet in Sicamous today and seemed to have some of the same exposure problems that I did with me camera on a few shots when we were in Disneyland. Ugh - frustrating! Especially when we are getting ready for our NY trip and I need my camera to work!!! I'll be dropping into London Drugs this weekend when we are in Oliver/Penticton to get it looked at.

Anyways, Sophie had a great time and came in #77.

these two

2011-04-19T21:03:00.000-07:00

Sophie and Fynn have been keeping laughing (and crying) with their daily struggles and successes.

Sophie's big event this week is that she is participating in a track meet tomorrow at a school in Sicamous (about 25 minutes by car from Salmon Arm). Today she asked me who she would be travelling with to the track meet. I explained that I had given her permission to travel with another mother because the track meet was at 11:30am and I was at work. There was something about the worry in her voice about "who will I travel with" that got me thinking and not having experienced an inter-school track meet with her before, I realized I needed to do a bit more digging. I spoke to one of the moms who was waiting after school for her daughter who is also tutored and she suggested I speak to someone in the school office. When the school administrator advised me that Sophie would be travelling with a particular parent I got a little concerned. Not because I think this parent might be a bad driver (but what do I really know about her driving abilities?), but I got to thinking about the highway to Sicamous (which is twisty) and the fact that Sophie would be travelling with a girl from her class that I would say had behavioral issues. So, I phoned Vic and fortunately he was available and can drive her to/from her track meet. Sophie was happy and I feel much better.

Fynn has been making some good improvements on his toilet skills. He is getting better at telling us when he has to go #2 and seems much more certain of himself. He had what I would call a "hissy fit" yesterday evening and proceeded to smash our remote control on our coffee table. Luckily our Ikea table is hard as nails and doesn't really show many chips or dings and the remote survived. Fynn however received a lecture in how to behave.

running and growing my hair out

2011-04-18T20:25:00.000-07:00

Back in August, I decided I wanted to grow out my hair. It was a very short cut that I have had since about 2007. That's a long time to stick with one hairstyle. The growing out process was especially painful in the fall when my hair was not quite over my ears. I hated it and was ready to give up and get it all cut off again.

Lately it has been feeling longer. I can actually feeling it swinging back and forth just a bit when I move my head :)

Around the same time that I started growing my hair out, Vic and I also started running together. A similar journey in that it started out painfully and has since begun to feel much more natural and something I look forward to.