Welcome

Its been many months since the painting of the entryway. Here it is (it looks a little more grey on my screen than it actually is). Butterflys joined us last night. I think they are very welcoming. And, if you are reading this, you are welcome to come visit us anytime.

Winter Weekend Mornings

One thing I really enjoyed doing on Saturday mornings was putting on the layers, putting the kids in the sled and heading off to the library and coffee shop. Here's a little glimpse into one of those mornings. Soon it will be biking down to the farmers markets on sunny summer saturday mornings!

i miss winter.

so I know that not many people will agree with me. But, I wasn't quite ready for the snow to disappear. I've been missing times like these...

Kellen was so excited to go skiing for his first time.But, after awhile he said, "Why is it so far to the big hill???" I guess he didn't quite get the difference between x-country and downhill. My explanation of how much fun it is to have an adventure in the woods wasn't cutting it. He did not want to continue on.Thankfully, this woodpecker appeared. And we watched, whispered, and marvelled about the woodpecker. Then we had a crazy, exciting, giggling race against Dad. It was so fun, I wish we'd gotten him out with us one more time.Ian & I went to Madge Lake with another couple for a kid-less weekend. The trails were beautiful and busy. It was shocking to see a x-country ski parking lot packed, including 3 large tour buses. There were 200 skiers for a loppet. Not initially excited about that, but ended up enjoying it and left dreaming about soon having our family out there together participating in fun events like that. I really enjoyed watching the young kids and families skiing together. What a good group of friendly people. (Oh, I hope my future weekends might look like this and not include eating rink food and listening to parents yell...)We also really enjoyed our coffee/hot cocoa watching these little guys. I have never been so close to beavers before. Ian just about fell off his log perch laughing when I asked if a beaver would ever attack. I was just making sure!

Did I make anyone else miss winter fun?

February is Birthday Month

Birthday Party #1 - Grandpa Gerry and Grandma Lorna visited to celebrate before their trip to Israel. Lots of fun. Lots of excitement about Lanelle's kitchen! Kellen blew out his candles and asked, "Am I 4 NOW?" "Birthay" Party #2 - Noticed only in pictures that in my haste to get the icing letters on before it all ran out of my fast flowing, makeshift tubing that I missed the "d". No one even commented (that I heard). Lanelle's actual 2nd birthday day.Birthday Party #3 - Invited friends to swim with us at the Gallagher center in Yorkton. Kellen asked on the way home "Am I 4 NOW?" Birthday Party #4 - Kellen's actual birthday. Uncle Michael and Arwen came for lunch and brownies ( I was tired of cakes and cupcakes). Kellen said "NOW I AM FINALLY 4!!!!"

not so therapeutic

I had great plans for a great weekend. Things don't always turn out like planned. My relaxing trip to the city by myself was not so relaxing and I was not alone. There was no skiing. The huge dump of snow has left me feeling like a single parent. Ian is now on his second night of snow removal and also had to fit in the shovelling at the condos and driving his bike out to clear at a cottage, oh yeah, plus some sleep in there.

I have promised myself I will never enter another Home Depo again. How long could it possibly take to get some help? Apparently, VERY long.

And, why can I not sleep well while Ian is working? Not sure, but I spent more time awake in my bed last night than asleep. Which is probably why I find myself complaining here (I didn't plan this.) So sorry for that.

On to a better story...

I didn't have the energy for Kellen's desire to have a partner in his "transformer" play. I was oh, so creative in explaining I was the baby transformer, so I had to lay down and watch him, so I could learn how to be a good transformer like him. It was very entertaining and (somewhat) restful as he totally bought into my story line and ran with it. I was a very well taken care of baby - milk, blankets, stories, kisses...

I got around to organizing some pictures. I hadn't done anything with some from November yet. I did a rapid selection of some favorites to share...

Lanelle's new favorite activity - thanks Auntie Andrea
Kellen trying chopsticks

Family + Christmas

i love Auntie Sheena

the first tree decorating (it fell over after)

making pancakes with Mom

weekend therapy

• loving the cross country ski trails with the love of my life
• playing tea with Lanelle
• making bread, smelling bread, eating fresh bread
• watching Kellen comfort his sister when she cried
• coffee and The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from a Delicious Revolution by Alice Waters

Just some of the things that made my weekend wonderful.

laugh

It's good to laugh. Kellen always is making me laugh, but I don't usually replay what he said over and over again through out the day. I'm not sure I can write this well enough without the sound effects of the wailing and sobbing that came with the words to help you understand why Ian and I have repeated this several times and howled about it.

Kellen woke up earlier than I would have liked this morning, asking for toast "cause I'm very hungry." Since we strive for fairness, I told Ian since I'd been up in the night with Lanelle, this one was for him. Kellen would almost always be fine with Dad, but for some reason came unglued about that. Even with the smell of toast in the air, he came back to my bed crying that I had to do the toast. I picked him up, hugged him and said Daddy can put pb and honey on toast the same way I do and I carried him back to the kitchen. I headed back to bed and shut the bedroom door behind me. Well, Kellen had followed me down the hallway and was not happy about this.

"Fine then, I will just go to my bed!
WAAAAA! She won't make me toast.
WAAAAA! She shut the door!!!
WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO ME????"

Yes, I must have scarred him for life by not making his toast. What will happen to him now?

Ohh, it was said so dramatically. Way too funny.

Thank you, God for the little ones who bring so much humor to our lives.