Party Weekend

On Saturday night we went to Braden's work party, but it looks like the camera came out when the boys were away, oops - sorry Brade!!! So instead we have the ladies . . .

Then on Sunday it was a very different party . . . Navia's very first birthday party ever, her 4th Birthday Party!!! She wanted two special friends to come over for a princess party and they had a blast!!!

They made little "gingerbread cottages", freeze dancing, a treasure hunt and lots of playing . . .

and of course, cake!!!

Oh, and presents!!!!

After the girls left Navia played with her new toys and then the kids bundled up and Daddy took them sledding! Emma and Kaleb have mastered standing up on their sleds - kinda a "foe-snowboard". Navia has tried, but keeps on getting a face full of snow :)

Kaleb likes trying new "techniques" for going down the hill . . . I wonder what he'll come up with next?!?!?

The night ended watching a Christmas movie and remembering.

Today would have been Braden's mom's 53rd birthday. She is still such big part of our life and to let today go by without anything didn't feel right (although most years Brade would have called her tomorrow and then they would laugh about him missing her birthday by a day . . . again!) So, I took the bottom part of the cake that wasn't touched, re-iced it, decorated it. After supper we went around the table talking about the great memories that each one of us have of Mom - from her reading to the kids, doing puzzles with them, beating them at "bop-it", making cool breakfasts and not letting them disturb their mom and dad while we were still sleeping, making them sock monkeys, laughing with her . . . the list went on and on, but each thing was another part of who Mom was and how she loved each of us. We sang Happy Birthday to Gramma, watched the sparklers burn bright and then kids blew out the candles for her. We miss her soooo much and I know that this Christmas is going to be a unique one - a time of fun and laughter and joy, then at the same time remembering that Mom isn't here this year and we won't see her face on the computer screen as we open gifts with Gramma and Grampa Bailey via the webcam and we won't be able to talk to her or try and find the perfect gift for her. It will be a hard one. But, it will be one that we will remember everything that she was and still is to us.

So, weekend of parties ended with celebrating an amazing woman that was born on this day and we were lucky enough to call her Mom & Gramma!!! We love you!

A Month in Pictures

This last month has been quite busy around here and I've neglected my blog, so . . . here it goes . . . a month in pictures . . .

Daddy bought silly string to have a silly string fight with the kids in the backyard - Gramma Bailey did this in one summer and it has such good memories attached to it . . . I think our neighbors thought we were crazy though!!!

Ganging up on Daddy

Run Emma, run!!!

In November Gramma and Grampa McGifford came down for a week. The kids had school for a few of the days so Navia got some extra one-on-one time, but she sure didn't mind!!! It was great having them down and showing them what our life is like out here - this is the first time Grampa has been to our new place. The kids had a blast and it was a bit of an adjustment when they left . . . yep . . . we would love to have grandparents living around here! Brade and I even were able to sneak out for a date out to Merrickville :)

You'll notice that the kids LOVE playing tag - and they do it with everything in them and making sure that everyone around gets involved. I'm sure Gramma and Grampa were exhausted by the time they left!!!

Sorry - you don't need to see me stuffing my face - I'm a hypocrite though, so here's everyone else - hehehe!!!

Gramma and Grampa gave Emma a recorder and within 10 minutes of a www.youtube.com video she was playing like a pro. Kaleb thought it was cool that Emma learned "Jingle Bells" because he knows it on the piano and thought that they'd play it together. Great idea, except they were playing in 2 different keys - ouch!!! BUT - they didn't even notice :)

The kids also gave a concert for everyone and Navia had to do her "special song" for everyone. . . it changes each time but always will contain "in this world" - too cute!

We went to the Museum of Nature one afternoon and the kids had a blast - I think they liked having grandparents here to show off to!!!

They were "vets" at the bird rescue station - which they took VERY seriously!!!

Emma wanted to learn how to knit and Gramma taught her, but I forgot to take any pictures. After Gramma and Grampa left I searched www.youtube.com, taught myself how to knit and then kept helping Emma. She's now made one fingerless glove and needs to start her next one. The only side effect of this is that now I know how to knit so every time I sit down I have to be knitting! I just can't seem to let myself waste valuable time when I could be doing something . . . I think I'm going crazy!!!

The first weekend in December we decided to do the kick off to Christmas thing. On the Friday the kids and I went Christmas outfit shopping - which turned up some amazing outfits, of course. Then on Saturday morning they went to meet Santa Clause and have a pancake breakfast and make Christmas crafts at the community center, in the afternoon we went to a tree farm and cut down a tree and in the evening we went for a snow-less sleigh ride, again hosted by the community center. Then on Sunday we decorated the tree, went for a fancy supper (the kids even ordered salmon, rice and baked potatoe - and it's because of Auntie Jenna cooking salmon in Airdrie for us one time, so thanks Jenna for getting them to eat something other than fries) and then went to their very first ballet, "The Nutcracker". It was an exhausting weekend, but a great one too!!! So, here it is in pictures . . .

Searching for the perfect tree (in the mud!!!)

Getting muddy while trying to cut it down

Emma giving it a go

Carrying it to the van and then we headed off for milkshakes - yep - it wasn't very cold. This will definitely be a memory!!!

Night time sleigh ride - Emma got to sit up front - which she loved as horses are her thing!!!

The rest of us were able to sit in the sleigh and enjoy the lights of the neighborhood

Aren't they just ADORABLE!!! My little man is in a SUIT, Emma wanted to wear a dress with a headband and bow and Navia got to wear another cute dress!!! They were so perfect!!!

Waiting at the restaurant for their food - yep - we made some cute kids!!!

In the theater waiting for the first notes of Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker . . .

It was a great weekend, a great start of December, a great last month!

The Old School Way . . .

You'd never guess what is in our front room . . . yep . . . a record player!

Braden has been wanting one for years and for Christmas this year he got one! (I know, I know . . . Christmas hasn't come yet, but when Braden went home for Jenna's Graduation in October the entire family put up the Christmas tree and all the decorations so Christmas season has already begun . . . oh and the kids and I are already listening to Christmas music too!!!)

The front room has turned into a place to listen to music, read and play the guitar. Yep . . . I really enjoy hearing him listen to his music on his record player and see how much he is enjoying it. Then, when I hear/see him pick up his guitar and play along . . . well . . . it makes me smile!

So, if you are ever in our area you'll have to drop by just to have a cup of coffee and listen to the sound of some great songs on LP. Yep, in the age of MP3's, Brade's going old school (and loving every minute of it!)

Halloween 2009

We went out looking for pumpkins and the oldest two wanted the ones with the most warts, so that's what they got. Come time for carving we suddenly realized why people don't carve warty pumpkins . . . THEY ARE TOO HARD!!! The kids each chose their own stencil to do and as I was helping Navia doing her "normal" pumpkin I couldn't understand why the kids were having such a hard time just poking holes in their pumpkins for the stencil. I was getting on their case about not whining so much when I went to try . . . yikes . . . talk about eatting my words!!! Then, when I tried to put a knife in it, well, it just wouldn't work! So, I finished Navia's Cinderella pumpkin, which she loved and tried to figure out how to do the other ones. Daddy was still at work at this time so I though, who needs him, went down to the basement and garage, and came back with his drill and jigsaw. I drilled a hole to start with (which was hard!) and then used the jigsaw to cut the hole in the top of the pumpkin - which again made a huge mess and was way too hard. Every time I came to a wart I'd get stuck - ug! Anyways, when Daddy came home we told him it was HIS job to do those two pumpkins. So, this morning he got out his Dremel and went to work - making a huge mess, but also succeeding in carving their pumpkins! Yay Daddy!!!

Emma had chose Ichabod's Fate for her stencil (the headless horseman's pumpkin head).

As you can tell, Kaleb doesn't trust Daddy all that much. His face is awesome as he's supposed to be holding the pumpkin so that Daddy can drill the eyes in it!!!

After using the dremel to cut through the thick pumpkin skin it's much easier for Kaleb to use the special pumpkin saw and cut out the face. You'll never find perfect circle eyes like this anywhere else!!! (can you tell that Daddy has a circle cut-out thingy for the drill?) Kaleb had chosen a stencil of Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas - which he thought was scary, but not too scary.

After finishing the pumpkins it was time to do the caramel apples, but small problem . . . actually Emma considers it a HUGE problem - she CAN'T have caramel because of her braces!!! Oops! So . . . what better than to do CHOCOLATE apples and CARAMEL apples and CHOCOLATE CARAMEL apples - yummy!!!

This afternoon the kids wanted to hear some trick or treat stories and I told them about Grampa McGifford's escapades as a teenager at Halloween and also when he "kidnapped" and held for "ransom" a girl who had come to the house with her guy friends to do some "tricking" on the farm. The kids thought it was all hilarious and as Kaleb was walking away Braden gently pulled on the back of Kaleb's underwear, just as a joke - a "gotchie pull". Well, I came to his defense and told Kaleb that he should do the same to Daddy. Needless to say all the kids decided to attack Daddy and show him how it feels to have that done to him! It was hilarious to watch! Navia covered his head with a blanket and the other two tried their hardest to reach their goal of teaching him a lesson. As you can tell, he no longer can defend himself in the way he wants to against his three children - hehehe! I think it's hilarious!!!

Then the kids got dressed up for trick-or-treating and Daddy was convinced to dress up too - matching his son! So Emma was Batgirl, Kaleb and Daddy were Jedi Masters and Navia - well - a princess in pink of course!

We had more kids that usual, or at least I'm thinking so because I had to "recycle" Halloween candy - the kids had stopped home for a drink before continuing and I had mostly emptied their bags, so I was able to hand out their all-ready-handed-out candy to other kids. Actually worked out really well because now we don't have as much at the house. The kids don't even notice that this year's haul is smaller than normal! Yay to that!

Oh, and the results of the pumpkins at night - amazing! It was cute watching little princesses getting their picture taken beside the Cinderella pumpkin - definitely worth the time in making it!

Ichabod's Fate - by Emma

Jack (From the Night Before Christmas) - By Kaleb

Cinderella by Navia

Navia's Words

Last night I was putting Navia to bed and it was her turn to pray when she turned to me and said, "Mom, I can't remember all my words" . . . and then with the cutest little face she looked up and said, "Mom, can I borrow your words?" (This is her way of asking me to pray and her to be able to repeat the words.)

I love the words that come out of our kids mouths!

Guess what's in our garage?

Yep - it's a car!

We just purchased a second vehicle today. I know to most people that's not a big deal, but the reality is that we've been a one car family since Emma was 6 months old (she's now 8.5 yrs) except for a short stint in Airdrie (for a bit under 2 years). It hasn't been that bad, but this last little while with the kids in school (and not on the bus) and Navia in pre-school (further than a walk, but not fun in the pouring rain, distance away from our place) it's been getting harder. So, we found a deal and grabbed it! No more asking neighbors to see if Navia can catch a ride in bad weather to school or watch the kids come home soaking wet and crying! YAY! Anyways - I had to tell someone and you were chosen - don't you feel lucky!!!

Look at the kms - 089,511kms!!!

This car is cleaner than any we've ever owned - the backseat looks like it's never been used. I remember what the backseat of our previous Taurus looked like so he's been warned . . . hehehe!

pssst - all pics taken on the iphone - so not great, but oh well . . .

A Mom's First - A Dad's First

Today there was a first . . . Emma and Kaleb had their Classroom Showcase tonight . . . and I was working. This hasn't ever happened before and when I told them that I wasn't able to go with them they were both mad at me, but . . . then they were ecstatic when they found out that their Dad was coming home early to take them to it!

Since we've moved to Ottawa Braden hasn't been able to do this, so he was excited to do it and I was glad for him, but sad for me . . . I've been there for every school thing and tonight I had to teach 6 4 year olds instead of having my kids show me their classrooms, meet their teachers, etc. I love teaching and it was a good night, but . . . well . . . I guess I know now how Braden has felt . . . and it sucks!

Oh, I would post pics, but there is a difference between Daddy and Mommy - Daddy doesn't take the camera with him everywhere - hehehe!