Kids, Cookies and Cocoa

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-13T22:01:00.002-04:00

For once I'm early with a post!! Can you believe it?!

It was a blustering weekend we just enjoyed. We got some rain, some snow, some freezing rain and some high winds! Thankfully we didn't lose our power and enjoyed a quiet Sunday at home. Marko and I played Risk with Sean. It was Sean's idea and when he realized that its not as easy to win as playing Sorry or Aggravation he was ready to pack up his armies and send them home. Later we all sat down and watched the movie Up. What a cute movie, we all really enjoyed it.

Today we enjoyed some bird watching ,school time and baking and Valentine's crafts. Tomorrow we have Bible study and then we hope to visit our neighbour and share our Valentine treats.

We mostly have Blue Jays come and visit us. Sometimes we have Starlings and would you believe that we saw a Robin yesterday?!

And here is my happy Valentine cookie decorating crew. You'll notice an empty spot...that was Nate's seat. Instead of decorating the cookies, he ate them so that was the end of his job. :)

Hard at work.

Very serious work to be done.

I just LOVE this shot because of that cute little brown eye peeking out at you!

The masterpieces.

And the kiddos and their Valentine people.

Cookies, Yummy Cookies

2012-02-06T21:50:00.001-04:00

Who doesn't love a good cookie now and then right? I know I love cookies and so do the kiddos. One of my favourite cookies is Fudgeeos! Yum! Can't go wrong with chocolate cookie part and that scrumptious fudge filling. Ya gotta twist the cookie apart and lick off the yummy filling! Marko bought a box of Fudgeeos yesterday and we all enjoyed a couple for snack today. So far, not a very interesting story, but wait there's more!!! Later on in the day the kiddos were doing video games on my netbook and I decided to take some time and head upstairs and read my book. And we all had a very delightful time, apparently some more than others. As I came downstairs I saw Sean and Emma-Lyn using the netbook but no Nate, two more steps and I look into the kitchen and there he is, pleased as punch and covered in chocolatey goodness. He had grabbed the entire bag of fudgeeos and systematically twisted each one apart and ate all the fillings!!! I couldn't believe it! I laughed, and laughed. The other two munchkins did not find this amusing as this meant that there wouldn't be any more cookies for snack...I still think its funny.

In other news I came across this book the other day:

Do you remember this book Uncle John and Aunt Gwen? Its from quite awhile ago so if you don't remember I don't blame you. But anyways, you guys gave it to me for Christmas 1980 (the only reason I know is because you signed it) I'm reading this book to Emma-Lyn for school time. Anyways it reminded me of you guys which reminded me to get the family picture up:

Ta-Da my aunties and uncles!!! What a grand bunch! From left to right is Auntie Fran, Uncle Johm, Auntie Gwen, Aunt Mary-Jane, Uncle Barry, Aunt Karen and Uncle Max. Love you all!!

And Today Was A Day...

2012-02-01T20:08:00.000-04:00

Like No Other in Recent Memory...

Where to begin with this day...I got up a bit late, it was quarter to 7 by the time I sat down on the couch and then no sooner than I had sat down than Nate was up--ugh and he was wet so I couldn't just put him right back to bed. I changed him and then the two of us went downstairs together for a bit.

The plan today had been to go to Bible study here in town and then head out to a friend's place for a playdate out in New Dominion. The kids were pretty excited about the day. Then the weather happened. Snow, snow, snow and more snow. The Bible study was cancelled and when I heard that Holland College was closing I figured it was better to stay in Montague than to go traipsing across the Island. That being said, I figured we'd be okay to head to the local Superstore and pick up a game set that Marko had mentioned and a new broom, then a quick stop into the Library would make for a nice enough outing...

Except that there were no more of those game sets left and that broom I was looking for was no where to be found in the Superstore. Oh and the Library doesn't open till 12:30 and it was only 10:00...Bahhhhhhh. So back home we go. We have a snack of brownies and things seem to improve. Before we had left earlier, I had been on a bit of a hunt to find some extra dry erase markers. I thought I had seen a couple in the linen closet (you know, that place I organized yesterday?!) I decided to finish my hunt and I pulled the whole closet apart and searched each box to find exactly 0 markers...So I put everything back and took some things out to the garage and even tried looking in there with no luck. Oh well. Once back in the house I decided we should at least give school work a bit of a go. Sean and I didn't do so badly. Got a few pages done when we heard some odd noises coming from upstairs. I didn't think much of it and told Sean we would just keep plugging along. He wasn't so convinced. Good thing he wasn't. I headed upstairs to find Nate "playing" in the bathroom. He had opened up their new tube of toothpaste and was attempting to clean the sink and toilet with the toothpaste. I was ever so pleased....UGH!!! I got that cleaned up and I was fed up by this point with how the day was going so Sean and I wrapped things up and I attempted to get my laundry dealt with. It is at this point that Nate decides that one blue couch is not enough and begins to mark on the beige couch with blue pen...AHHHHHHHHHHHH!! I tried to clean this but with little to no success. I lost my cool and gave the kids what I'm sure was one of my best lectures...Bless Sean's heart he grabbed the basket of folded laundry and started distributing it to the appropriate rooms while reminding me to be self controlled....

Okay time for lunch!!! We manage to get that down with no problems. I called the library to see if they were going to open in the afternoon and sure enough they were! Yee HAW! With lunch done I load the kids in the car and we make our way to the Library. The roads were pretty slippery by this point so we took our time. I have never been so happy to get to a library in my entire life! It was like a little slice of heaven. I found a couple of videos to watch and we all found a bunch of books to take home. SUCCESS!! Now just to get home without sliding off the road.

Thankfully we made home in one piece. Now to celebrate our VICTORY!! I quickly got the kids inside and looking at their books while I popped popcorn and made hot chocolate with marshmellows and candy canes. We popped in Kung Fu Panda and sat back and relaxed... Such a funny movie. The kids laughed hysterically and generally just enjoyed themselves. I was still basking in the glow of victory. :) Nate was covered in chocolate by the end of the movie so I opted to put him and Emma in the tub. They were both mighty pleased about that...That is until Emma-Lyn pooped in the tub and then threw it on the floor. And for whatever reason Nate thought he should use both Marko and my shampoo all over his slippery little body!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!!! I get that cleaned up and kids into pjs and head back downstairs to try and finish the laundry and put the pizza in the oven.

And that my friends, was my day...

Yeah, so Remember Yesterday?...

2012-01-31T20:31:00.001-04:00

Today was not at all like it! I knew it would be busy what with a Bible study, doctors appointments and lunch at Swiss Chalet but I certainly didn't anticipate what ended up happening.

The day began in quite a natural way with waking up and getting dressed and that sort of thing. It was a bit of a twist throwing Marko into the general busyness but, he was one of the one's needing a doctor's appointment so now we were all headed into town for 10:00. We got to the church in good time, Marko dropped us off and ran some errands while we were at the study. At 11:30 the study was over and I packed up the kids, my stuff and met Marko at the doors and we all trooped into the car and off to the doctors we went.

The appointments went very well. The kids are all healthy and growing like weeds!! Just as we were heading into the car I realized I didn't have my purse. And for the life of me I could not remember when exactly I had it last. I knew I brought it to the study but couldn't remember if I had brought it to the doctor's or not. We checked the waiting room, the car, the examination room and conferred with the doctor and the receptionist about my predicament. They couldn't remember whether I had my purse or not, I knew I had brought in Nate's diaper bag as I still had it with me when we left but, had I brought in my purse too? They were quite confident that it hadn't been stolen out of the waiting room as they knew who was coming in that morning and it was a pretty slow morning anyways. We decided that I must have left it at the church. Unfortunately by this time everyone had left and it was locked. We decided we would try a friends house, one of the ladies that looked after the children at the Bible study, to see if she had a key and we could get in to check for my purse. Luckily she was home, but unluckily for me she informed me that one of the other ladies had taken my purse back to Montague. I was a little flustered, see we had been counting on going to the Swiss to cash in on the last day to use those buy one chicken dinner and get one free in the month of January and of course the coupon was in my purse. While I was thankful that the purse was found and on its way home, my tummy was grumbling for chicken dinner. My friend's husband had pity on me and generously gave us money to go out for our dinner anyways and he wasn't taking no for an answer (he's a retired RCMP officer) Would you believe at the last minute we decided to go to Pizza Delight where the kids eat for free on Tuesdays?! I missed my chicken dinner but the kiddos devoured their pizzas and garlic fingers, and who can go wrong with grilling your own bread right?!!

Certainly a day full of fun little twists and turns.

What a Grand Day

2012-01-30T22:08:00.000-04:00

It was a most wonderful day. Nothing too amazing or out of the ordinary happened but, sometimes that can be pretty grand in itself! I managed to get my lazy bones out of bed early to read my Bible and just have some time to myself. I like to be up by 6:30, it gives me a half hour start before the kids start clamoring out their beds. I enjoy peeking out the front door window to see if anyone else is up and if the sun might be up this time of day yet too. Today the kids came running out of their rooms at 7 o'clock on the dot. They were sleepy eyed and had some serious bed head, but they were also full of hugs, which is always a great way to start the day in my books!

They went back to their rooms to play and get ready for the day while I contemplated making the bed but then chose to snuggle back under the covers for just a little bit. Those cozy comforters are just so hard to resist! Once the kids were dressed it was time to get serious and jump out of bed and get breakfast on the table. Sean, Nate and Marko are all avid cereal eaters while Emma-Lyn and I prefer bread. She likes to have an open face peanut butter and jam sandwich, while I enjoy some peanut butter toast and a nice cup of Hazelnut flavoured coffee! Yum. (can't wait for tomorrow morning already! :) With breakfast done and Marko out the door to work, the kids go play while I clean up the breakfast table. I love how we just seem to find our groove and go with it. At 9:00 Emma-Lyn and I get our school work out and have fun printing and reading and making shapes. After her lesson I do some laundry and tidy up a bit. At 10 we have our morning snack. The kids LOVE snacks! And I have to admit I enjoy it too, we sit around the table together and chat or listen to music or read a story, so its a nice relaxing time. Once Emma-Lyn and Nate are done and off playing again, Sean and I settle in for our school time. We talk about the day of the week and month and what the weather is like. We tackle some math, we read another story and work on phonics and science and before you know it its lunch time. Some days go better than others and this day was a great day to be sure, no frustrations or interruptions from the other little ones.

We have our lunch around 12:30 and Emma-Lyn and Nate are both off to naps once they're finished. Nate is thinking he would like to resist naptimes, but I am not ready for that so with a few books in his bed he is shuffled off to napland. Emma-Lyn still really enjoys her nap so its an easy job to get her down. Today after they were down, Sean and I played Aggravation. It was a lot of fun! This was one of my favourite games when I was young. Sean really enjoyed it too even though he didn't win. Afterwards he kept playing with the game and trying to come up with different ways to play it while I sat down with my book. So nice to have a little time to read during the day.

Nate and Emma-Lyn were up at 3:00 so it was time for another snack. This time during snack we put on the Dance Baby Dance cd. What a hoot!! Once the cookies were eaten we got out in the middle of the kitchen floor and shook our booties! We were crazy dancing people in the kitchen! My energy ran out before the kids so I headed for the living room while they carried on. They decided to spice things up a bit and take part in the music making by pulling out my pots, pans, spoons and whatever else they could find. They were so hilarious! They came out to show me their "band" Sean was wearing a stainless steel bowl on his head and banging on a pot, Emma-Lyn was wearing the blue colander on her head and also had a pot in hand--I think she was using it like a guitar. Nate just came running out with a pot in his hand, happy as all get out!

I let them watch some Clifford while I cleaned out and organized my linen closet...that place was a disaster! So glad to have that job done. Once their show was over I took them one by one to have a bath. The tub is narrow and the kids all like to pretend they're swimming so this is the best set up, plus this way I get some extra one on one time with each of them. Once the tubs were done, I got supper started and helped the kiddos tidy up their toys. Daddy came through the door at 6 and supper was on the table. Nate was off to bed at half past 6 , he was a little reluctant but after his story and song he settled right in.

The other two enjoy doing Zumba with me before story time so we pick three songs and have fun. Sometimes they play along and other times they cheer me on. Then we all settle in on the couch for prayer time and stories. The kiddos wearily climbed the stairs to bed, we sang them songs and tucked them in. We always tell them that "Mommy loves them, Daddy loves them and Jesus loves them more." This evening Emma-Lyn told us that "Emma-Lyn loves us and Jesus loves us most." So sweet.

Some days I feel like I'm going crazy in this house, but today, today was a very grand day indeed.

Catching Up

2012-01-22T21:25:00.001-04:00

I was going through my pictures and realized I hadn't put up much from Christmas so I have a couple to share and a couple pictures from Emma-Lyn's birthday. I can hardly believe my little girly is 4 years old already! We had a few friends over and the kids had a great time playing together. A pretty low key kids party.

The kiddos are loving the swimming lessons. Sean is doing well and is very excited to try new things. I was impressed when he showed me how he could swim underwater. Emma-Lyn is also enjoying being in the pool and trying out her new abilities. Nate is pretty thrilled with being in the water but doesn't like to stray too far from Mommy. I enjoy being in the pool too, but man, by the time we get home I'm all in but my shoelaces!

Life is busy but good. On Tuesdays we go to a Bible study in Charlottetown in the morning. I love the time spent with other mothers and time for the kids to play with their friends and we try to run some errands in town while we're there and make a day of it. On Wednesdays we have a Bible study here in Montague which the children home which is nice since we're off to swimming lessons on Friday afternoons. You throw a prayer meeting in there for Marko and an evening to Stratford for me to do Zumba with the girls and life can seem pretty busy.

Also I feel I should confess...I am a crappy Canadian! I HATE the cold!!! I know there is some tv ad that says Canadians love the cold and can do manner of things in the cold but I AM NOT THAT KIND OF CANADIAN! I don't know about you but I'm already dreaming about sunny summers, walks along the beach, BBQs, campfires, smores...sigh.. :)

Part of the kids Christmas concert. This is the entire Sunday School at our church. Yes, we are a small church. :)

The kiddos on Christmas eve. I told Nate to put his head up (he had been looking at a book)...funny kid!

Emma-Lyn waiting to open her gifts,..Doesn't she look like she's been put on time out??

Opening gifts with big brother Sean behind her to help read the cards for her.

Getting Back Into the Swing of Things

2012-01-09T21:00:00.000-04:00

I must admit I love having a routine. For me it helps the day move along and you can look forward to things happening throughout the day and the week. I'm looking forward to getting back to our ladies Bible study in Charlottetown tomorrow and then the one on Wednesday in Montague.

Sean is doing well with his studies, he loves working things out and listening to stories. Today we had a lot of fun. After school time and lunch was over we all had some play time outside in the snow. We pretended we were the good guys and went about with swords (i.e. sticks) in our hands and we destroyed all the buildings that the bad guys were in. We had to use our escape pods at one point but, in the end we were victorious! We trooped back in the house and settled in for some hot chocolate and cookies while I read book after book after book. We had bath time after that which turned into a bit of a thing as Nate decided it would be a good idea to poop in the tub...Aughhhh, . We enjoyed a yummy supper of Triple Pepper Bacon Sausage Pasta Bake! After supper and the dishes were washed and Nate was off to bed, we had some Zumba time. Both kiddos and I have a great time in the evening getting our dance going. Then its pray time, story time and off to bed.

This semester we hope to have all three kiddos into swimming lessons! One of the other homeschooling moms was able to organize swimming lessons with the local pool and they even have a class for the little guys. I'm pretty sure Nate is going to LOVE this.

Hmmmm, lets see what else is new...We've done some changes in our living room. We took out the much loved big rocking chair and put in a bookshelf. While we loved the chair we were in desperate need of a new bookshelf. If you'd like a big comfy rocker, you are more than welcome to take it off our hands. I can hardly believe we've been in our little home for over a year now. I just love our little place. We've taken down the wall paper in the bathroom but haven't really gotten much farther than that. Maybe this summer we'll get that tackled. Well I guess that covers most of it...

Here's a pic of the other two doing their own thing while Sean and I do school. Emma-Lyn loves to be a big girl and "read" to Nate.

Here Comes New Years!!

2011-12-31T14:58:00.001-04:00

Sorry for the lack of posts folks. As you can imagine things have been fairly busy here. We enjoyed our Christmas at home and Boxing day at the Hopes.

The kids even slept in on Christmas day which was really nice. :) We did stockings (we give stockings to each other so even the Big Kids get a stocking) and then had breakfast and headed out to church. After church we sat down and enjoyed opening our presents. The kids were so much fun to watch and they just seemed so delighted with every package they opened. As for me, my favourite gift that I received had to be the DSLR camera that Marko got for me. :) I was so shocked and excited all at the same time. He bought the one I had borrowed so very many times from work. It was like opening a surprise gift and receiving an old friend! :)

We spent a lovely afternoon with Marko's mom and sister and we ate the MOST DELICIOUS cheesecake!

The next day we all piled into the car and drove the long way around to my folk's place. The kids did a great job, its a 4 hour drive with one pee break so kudos to the kiddos! So happy to spend time with my family. We built a snowman that the kids quickly smashed apart. We opened more presents and ate a lot more food! It was grand! After the kiddos went to bed, we played some Trivial Pursuit--only we skipped using the board and just asked the questions. I highly recommend this method of playing, lots more talking and laughing about possible answers.

We made our way home after lunch the next day, we were fortunate to have great driving days and not much snow to worry about. We have enjoyed a slower pace now and look forward to the festivities tonight. We're all heading to the church for a potluck supper afterwards, we're dropping the kids off at home with Grammie and heading into town to celebrate the new year with friends.

So from all of us, We wish you a most Happy New Year!

And a quick shout out to my Uncle John and Auntie Gwen Hope who sent not only 1 photo of the aunts and uncles but 3!! I hope to put those up on here in the new year! :)

Playing with Trooper

Apparently Grampie takes snowball fights very seriously!

The end of the snowman!

Ain't he cute?!

Birthday Fun!

2011-12-06T22:01:00.001-04:00

Phew, what a time birthday parties can be. I thought I was going to make things simple and as time went on it just seemed like things were getting more complicated. I decided for Sean's kid party to do cupcakes instead of a big cake. I figured there would be less mess this way. The only problem was that I didn't have enough muffin tin liners so I decided to make them without and that ended in a catastrophic fail. The end result was hard little charcoal rocks. Not good. I tried again latter Friday evening and thankfully they turned out but, talk about a wasted morning.

Saturday morning I made shortbread cookies for the kids to decorate and then I made the coloured icing to go with it. That also seemed like a lot more work than it needed to be but, the kids enjoyed decorating their own cookies so I'll count that as a win! After the cookie decorating Sean opened his gifts and they all went to play while we set up the table cloth on the floor and set the table with cupcakes and chips and cheezies and juice. This went over really well and cut down on messes! The kids had a great time and by 4 most of the kiddos had gone home. My friend Laura brought us a toddler bed for Nate so she and her kiddos stuck around while we moved the bed into Nate's room. This was a bit of an engineering feat since one of the banisters and a railing had to come down in order to get the bed upstairs. Tonight is Nate's second night sleeping in his big boy bed and he is doing really well.

On Sunday Nate and I stayed home from church. He was full of the cold and I needed some down time. But then I remembered we didn't have a cake for the family party so I baked a cake and some chocolate chip cookies, Nate helped. :)

We had a wonderful visit with my family and with Brian and Bonnie and their girls. And no sooner had our guests left, than we were all piling into our car to head out to another party for a friend of ours!

Such a busy weekend, tomorrow we're taking down Nate's crib and putting up the Christmas tree. Should be fun!

While the Hopes were here, we thought we'd do a wee impromptu photo shoot...

Ahhh, now that's more like it!!

A shot from the kid party.

A proud Grampa and Gramma with their grand kids..

And now showing their true colours... :)

My How Time Flies...

2011-12-01T20:18:00.001-04:00

Hard to believe that Sean will soon be 6 whole years old!!

This Saturday is his kid party which will be followed by his family party on Sunday. I'm busy pulling things together for his kid party. I'm trying to keep it simple so as not to lose my mind. Simple decorating, simple cake, simple activity, simple grab bag = sanity still intact...Or at least I hope so. :) He is more than a wee bit excited about the whole thing. Anyways, it's late and there is lots to do tomorrow and I need to get to bed. I hope to have pictures up of the parties on Monday...we'll just have to wait and see if that actually happens!!

Who knew that something so small, and helpless could turn into this:

A big ball of boundless energy!!! I love my big boy!

The Big Snow Has Landed

2011-11-23T21:35:00.001-04:00

Finally a big ol' dump of snow has found it's way to my part of the world. We've had a couple light dustings here and there, but this thing is major! It started around noon and now it's 9:30 and still going! We're expecting around 15 cms of snow once everything is said and done. The kids are loving it! I even enjoyed it. I had a slow cooker cranberry pork roast simmering away and the aromas were heavenly, add to that some quiet Celtic Christmas music, the lightly falling snow and I felt like I was living in a Christmas card...That is until the kids came traipsing in the house with their snow covered snow suits and boots...then things just started feeling a lot more slushy. Still, their bright rosy cheeks and dimpled smiles were hard to resist.

It was such a lovely time. As I was puttering about listening to the music and thinking about Christmas, I got a little nostalgic. A song came on that reminded me of my Uncle John Hope, unfortunately, I can't remember which song it was but, I could remember hearing my uncle laugh (I just love his laugh, its so infectious) and that got me to remembering the Hope family Christmas get togethers at our house in Ontario. I LOVED those get togethers. There was so much hustle and bustle and that was even before the aunts and uncles showed up! My sister and I had a grand time entertaining our extended family. There was just so much to enjoy, although I'm not sure if many of us enjoyed wearing the silly paper hats that came out of our Chirstmas crackers! I loved being around my aunts and uncles. There seemed to be a lot of them, I mean there was Uncle Barry and Aunt Mary Jane, Uncle John and Auntie Gwen, Auntie Fran, and Uncle Max and Aunt Karen.

Some of them I knew better than others like Uncle Max and Aunt Karen. We used to pop over to their house fairly often. My uncle Max reminds me the most of my own dad. They have the same loud laugh and until a few years ago had pretty near the same hair style (lets just say my dad's hair line is thinning quicker) oh, and there's the bushy eyebrows they both have. Aunt Karen was great, she was quieter and easy to talk to. Uncle Max thought I was weird for peeling a grape once (which I was) but he seemed genuinely impressed when I told him my first bowling score--it was 46 or something like that, I don't quite remember I was like 10 or so at the time. Also, I nearly killed him. I was a girl guide at the time and we had made gingerbread cookies one night at meeting. The meeting was at the school that my uncle worked in, so I thoughtfully left him a cookie or two..Guess they're weren't so great... :)

Uncle John and Auntie Gwen were fairly close by too and I remember visiting and playing with their little dog. Uncle John always seemed so kind and had great teddy bear hugs that any niece would love to get wrapped up in. My Auntie Gwen is diabetic and as a child I didn't know that but I did know that she had the coolest bracelet with red snakes on it. And she and my Auntie Fran taught me how to play Waterloo rummy, now that's a good game!

Auntie Fran was always so interesting. She has the same loud laugh and she had horses!! That was cool! I remember when she let my sister and I ride them, that was so much fun. Another thing she always made to be exciting was the times when we would drive out of her condo's underground parkade. As we drove up to the door she would instruct us to say, "Open Saysa Me!" and like magic the doors would open. Auntie Fran gave us magical powers!! Also she seemed to have the strongest addiction to Coca-Cola---I feel like such a traitor for loving Pepsi the way I do. :)

And last but not least are Uncle Barry and Aunt Mary Jane. They lived the farthest away and so I don't know them as well. But I sure do remember their pool!! It was amazing. I always loved going to visit them, or was it their pool I loved the most?!! Again, they were so easy to get along with and all of them loved to laugh and laughing loudly seemed the absolute best way to go about it!

I wish I had a picture to include of them all but alas I do not, seems that something should be done about that don't you agree? HINT HINT to any Hope relative reading this right now. I'm sure it would make a lovely Chirstmas present for someone...:) And don't tell me you couldn't find the address, call your brother Garry and he'll get Marianna to email it to you!!

Thank you to my Hope family for making the Christmases in Ontario so memorable. I miss you all and love you sooooo much! Merry Christmas to you all...I know, I know sill early yet ,but I had to get that hint in about the present so you'd have time to mail it eh?!!

Guess What I Did Today?

2011-11-17T21:24:00.001-04:00

I moved the furniture around in our master bedroom! So fun! And I love the way it looks and feels. Before we used to have the dresser pushed up against the sloping wall but now we have the bed pushed up under it. It really makes the room feel bigger and the best part is you don't actually smack your head against the wall when you get up. (which was a concern of mine) I didn't take any photos of that so I don't have any to share with you but I do have some great shots of the walk we went on this past weekend.

It was a gorgeous afternoon so we thought it would be great to find a nice trail and go for a leisurely walk. Well, I guess it was leisurely for Marko and I while the kids pretty much ran the entire time unless they were busy picking up rocks and tossing them into streams we walked by. We have been so blessed with some delightful weather this month! It was great to be able to get out there and enjoy it!

Now for the pictures,

The kid is such a ham...Cute one though!

Life isn't worth living unless you're running! :)

And they're off..

Okay, so sometimes I could get them to stop for a moment.

But then they were off and running again!!

This is by one of the streams we passed by. The kids loved this! So fascinated with tossing things into moving water!

Like I said, they LOVE to run!

A couple more silhouette shots.

And now how about a couple reflections,

Nate just loved this big truck!

Me and my big boy Sean!

Hmmm, what is wrong with this picture.

And oh so many things right with this shot.

On the go.

2 Birthdays!

2011-11-08T21:01:00.002-04:00

Yesterday was Marko and Nate's birthday. I can hardly believe that Nate is already 2. His speech has really picked up lately and he is very happy to tell anyone he meets that he is TWO! And just so you know Marko is doing splendidly for a 36 year old! :)

I put together a surprise birthday party for him on Friday night. I invited our gang out for dinner at the Swiss and then off to Brian and Bonnie's for games afterwards. So many times I thought I was going to let the cat out of the bag. I did end up having to tell him that I had something planned since we hit a bit of a glitch with the babysitting. It was so great to be with all our friends and enjoy the ever so yummy Festive dinner at the Swiss!

On Sunday we all got the surprise of our lives when my parents landed on our doorstep!! The last time I had spoken to them they weren't coming and now here they were on my doorstep!! I was so happy to see them. We had a delightful visit and the kids thought it was awesome! Grammie Peric and Auntie Linda joined us later for cake and presents. It was a grand day indeed.

Yesterday as it was in fact the actual day of Marko and Nate's birth we had a lovely little family dinner at home. The kids and I had fun decorating and making things special for the evening.

Then, just to keep the birthday momentum going for one more day, we went out for supper at Pizza Delight tonight. It was a treat for all of us, gotta love places that let the kids eat for free!! :)

Nate filling his face with cake!

Inspecting his Tonka truck flashlight. This was a huge hit!!

Introducing his Tonka to his Mater truck.

Oooh I think he's in love.

This was our outdoors inspired centerpiece for our supper table.

Welcome to the Peric Bistro! On the menu we have succulent lamb sausages, served with long grain rice and a fresh garden salad and sparkling apple juice to drink! :)

A Little Late This Week...

2011-11-05T13:16:00.000-03:00

Did ya miss me? ;) And I don't even have a good reason for not posting. No big problems with kids plumbing or the house's so I certainly can't complain. We actually went to a friend's farm where we harvested Jerusalem Artichokes. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun. We also got to see some really cute piglets as well as some adorable puppies. There was a cute little chocolate brown one that just melted my heart. The kids had a grand time running around and playing on hay bales and checking out all the livestock. And now I have a 50 pound bag of those artichokes. Apparently they're a lot like potatoes so we'll have to see what I can come up with in the kitchen.

I took the kiddos down to the waterfront on Friday to do a little impromptu photo shoot. I love photography and had taken a wee break for a bit. A friend of mine had invited me to do a photo blog where you post a picture a day, but I quickly got burnt out and ended up abandoning things and re-evaluating why I enjoy taking pictures. While I've had my go at some professional type gigs, I don't feel that thats what I want to do with my photograpy, much better suited to someone with more time and more skills. What I enjoy is just spotting images that I find interesting or at least feel that I could make interesting. I especially love nature and trying to capture it with my little camera. Its fun and something I can do with my family and even include them in it. Hence the little photoshoot. It was late afternoon so I was pretty sure of some good lighting. I chose the waterfront because there's an old train turntable that is a really unique space. Plus the kids LOVE it there and could spend an entire day there I'm sure!

So here are some shots that I liked:

Nate doing laps around the turntable.

This was actually one of the last shots I took. It was too precious to pass up.

I love the view on the waterfront especially in the fall. I feel very blessed to live so close to it!

One of my favourite things about Autumn are the trees in all their colourful splendor.

This kid is such a ham!! Just love him!

My sweet little girly.

What a clown!...Good set of teeth too!

Just love sunsets.

And there he goes again!

I'd like to play around a bit more with silhouettes.

Mr. King of the Turntable!

I really like shot because of the different textures.

Are You Ready For This...

2011-10-24T20:44:00.002-03:00

Cause I'm pretty sure I wasn't! We just managed to get through a pretty wild weekend filled with thrills and spills and way more puke than I ever want to see. I should warn you now that if you are the squeamish type then this might not be the post for you. That being said there is a happy ending so if you just bear with me, you might just enjoy the read.

The 'fun' really started the weekend before. On Sunday evening after church we were at a friend's house for their housewarming party. The kids had a great time. They got to eat lots of food, stay up late and play with other children. The morning after was a bit of a different picture. Sean got up and threw up in the toilet. I chalked it up to the craziness of the night before and didn't think much of it. He was fine the rest of the day.

Then came Tuesday and the day had been bright and beautiful. That is up until supper time when Nate decided to stuff his face full and guzzle way too much juice at one time which as you might be guessing caused for some impressive vomit! Right at the table...fun. But again, it seemed kinda random and there was no temperature so figured all was fine. That is until we got him up the next morning and the poor thing had gotten sick over night...ICK. But he was in good spirits and ate his breakfast with no ill effects. So off to Bible Study we went. And everything was wonderful until Nate once again stuffed his face and took off running...guess what--he barfed! Yippeee! Thankfully though, that was the end of it.

Or so we thought. Lets jump to 4 am on Saturday, we wake up to Sean calling out that Emma-Lyn has thrown up in her bed. And whaddya know she did! So time to clean more puke and usher her into the bathroom. At this point I am trying very hard to find reasons to be thankful, like "hey, at least its on the bed and not on the carpet." or "she doesn't seem to be continuing so maybe this is it."

We all ate breakfast and everything seemed back to normal so we figured we'd stick with our plans and head into town. We visited Marko's Nanny first then we popped into a thrift shop to look for costumes for the Murder Mystery Party we're going to on Wednesday night, then we went to the Superstore for lunch, did a pop into the Farmer's Market, then off to the Value Village for more costume hunting and finally we found ourselves on our way home. Emma-Lyn pipes up in the back seat with these ominous words, "My stomach hurts..." And without further ado she promptly up chucks all over herself--twice. Sean is freaking out now because some of it is on him! We calm him down and tell him we're not far from a gas station where we will get everything sorted out.

Once we are at the gas station both Marko and Sean rush in to find some paper towel. I head for the backseat to see what I can toss onto the ground to begin the cleaning. I unhook Emma-Lyn's seatbelt but, can't do anything else until the boys get back with some paper towel. Again I find myself looking for reasons to be thankful. This time we're thankful that we weren't far from a gas station, I'm very thankful that neither Sean nor Nate end up barfing in sympathy. (something I had a propensity for doing when I was younger when my sister got sick) Also thankful that we have a blanket that we put over the back seat of the car so that everything is contained. I am thankful that the kids' car seats have washable covers. By this time the boys come back with paper towel and the cleaning begins. I get Emma-Lyn out and she's happy to be out and getting cleaned up. We let the kids play on the grass while we finish cleaning up. In the trunk we find a vest that Emma-Lyn can wear for the ride home and a blanket we can put across their seats...again ever so thankful for that.

From there it was all clear sailing. At home Emma-Lyn got changed, we cleaned out the car completely and got things into the washing machine...PHEW! Supper was uneventful... thankfully. And so that brings us to playtime...the time just before bed time. Nate was in bed by this time as per usual and I'm awful thankful he was. Because as Marko was horsing around with the kiddos, all of a sudden we hear this great gush of water! We both took off for the kitchen. Me, all the while yelling, "What is happening?!!" Marko, heads straight for the basement to shut off the water. I run to the kitchen and discover the hole in the tube to the washing machine. I foolishly try to cover it with my finger and really, I don't think I've ever attempted something so useless in my life! It did exactly nothing to help the situation! In the meantime the kids are freaking out and starting to cry. Marko gets the water shut off so now we re-group. We send the kids into the living room to play while we try to figure out what to do. With some effort we were able to move the washing machine to see if there was a shut off near it--no such thing I'm afraid. So Marko heads downstairs again to look for another shut off. The kids in the meantime are dearly wanting to help out so we send them upstairs for towels to help in the clean up.

Marko finds another shut off--problem is it's a little difficult to get to. We have a clay basement and while one part you can maneuver fairly easily, the other area is strictly crawl space--guess where the shut off was?! So, I got to get my grubby clothes on and crawl around the pipes and such to the shut off. Great, got that done, head back upstairs to see if we got the right one. Marko turns the main water line back on and GUSH!! Water everywhere, right in my face since I was hovering right over the stupid thing! Back down I go to try the tap the other way. This time we ask Sean to watch for water. We tell the boy to scream if he sees any...Marko turns the water back on... Sean screams bloody blue murder up there. We yell at Sean not to scream (theres some great parenting for ya!!) Now I try the other tap. We ask Sean to watch for water, the lad is more than hesitant to take us up on this but he follows through anyways...This time no water!! We got it! Out from the crawl space I come and we finish cleaning up the mess. The rest of bed time goes off without a hitch...PHEW

Once back downstairs, Marko and I are thankful that everything is okay and that we don't have any puke to clean up. Not even a minute later and we hear Sean yell down the stairs, "Emma-Lyn is puking in her bed!!!" Seriously?! Seriously. Up we go, Marko takes her to the bathroom to clean her up while I clean the bed and the carpet. One more time we put them to bed in the hopes that we have seen the end of it. We sit back down on the couch and just laugh.

In the morning Marko stays home with Emma-Lyn just to be on the safe side. She did manage to woof her cookies one more time in the toilet, but thankfully that was the final time! After church Marko ran into town to get the replacement hose for the washer. While I took Sean and Emma-Lyn to swimming lessons, he got it hooked back up. I headed back down to the basement to turn the water back on and hope that we got everything settled properly. And we did!! My husband is a superhero!!

All is well that ends well. And in case you are wondering what my husband's perspective on this chain of events is, check out his post on dontmindme.com

My Testimony

2011-10-17T19:18:00.003-03:00

This past Thursday I was the speaker at a Christian Ladies Group and had the opportunity to share my testimony so I thought I would also share it here on the ol' blog. Enjoy. :)

I grew up in a family of four, my mom and dad and my older sister and me. We lived in Ontario for most of my childhood. We went to church on Sundays and came home to enjoy big Sunday lunches...I have to admit that was my favourite part of Sundays--the food!! I wasn’t so into Sunday school or church so it didn’t bother me when my folks decided they had had enough of the church we had been going to and instead we all got to enjoy sleeping in. I didn’t miss it and we still got the yummy lunches so I was pretty pleased about that. I didn’t think much about God or Jesus at that time. I went to school during the week and enjoyed family time on the weekends.

Every other summer my sister and I would get to visit my grandparents in Nova Scotia which we really enjoyed. It was like travelling to a whole different world. To go from the hustle and bustle of city life in Ontario to the laid back and quiet life in the country in Nova Scotia. I lived for those summers. My grandparents had a farm, lots of open space, a barn to explore and of course the animals were a curiosity. Just as curious were some of the friends my grandparents would take us to go visit. I remember one family’s home as they were an older couple and didn’t have children our age so there wasn’t much for my sister and I to do but look around and stare at the walls. There was one plaque on the wall that captured my attention and I began reading it...I’d like to read it to you now, perhaps you’ve heard once or twice before:

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed He was walking along the beach with the LORD. Across the sky flashed scenes from His life. For each scene He noticed two sets of footprints in the sand. One belonging to Him and the other to the LORD.

When the last scene of His life flashed before Him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of His life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of His life.

This really bothered Him and He questioned the LORD about it. LORD you said that once I decided to follow you, you'd walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life there is only one set of footprints. I don't understand why when I needed you most you would leave me.

I have to interject here and tell you that even as a child I was getting upset reading this! I was all like, YEAH, GOD! Where were you when he needed you most?!!!

The LORD replied, my precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you! During your times of trial and suffering when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.

Carolyn Carty, 1963

WOW! I had to fight back the tears so my grandparents wouldn’t wonder what was wrong with me--didn’t figure I read a plaque on the wall and it made me cry would sound all that intelligent...but I’ll tell you from then on I couldn’t get that scene out of my head. Kept mulling it over and over. Still didn’t go to church but I was certainly thinking about God a lot more.

By the time I was 14 my folks were tired of the rat race and keeping up with the Joneses lifestyle of Ontario and my grandparents just so happened to be putting their farmhouse up for sale. It seemed the right time to make the move and on my 14th birthday we made the trek from Newmarket, Ontario to Westville, Nova Scotia. Talk about your culture shock! Went from being right in the middle of town to being right in the middle of a bunch of fields. We were 15 minutes away from the nearest town. Basically everything was far away, or so it seemed anyways.

For one reason or another my father decided to go back to church. This was fine with me so long as he didn’t intend to make the rest of us go, which he didn’t. What he did do was come home with story after story about what went on at church, the people he met, what the minister was like and so on. He also became a member of the choir and now he had even more stories. I love singing and enjoyed school choirs so now he had my ear. After a while I decided I would go with him and see what it was like. I loved it. The people were wonderful and the service was enjoyable. What really struck a cord with me was my first Christmas eve service.

Weeks before hand the church had been decorated with red and green lights around the windows. The sanctuary had green garland around the banisters with little white mini lights interwoven. Even the large stained glass window behind the choir loft was lit up. I just loved it. And on Christmas Eve the church was just glowing and the place was packed with families and friends. You could feel the anticipation building. I loved being in the choir, you had the best view of the place. As we walked in and sat down in our pews, it was delightful to look out at the sea of faces of family and friends. The service began with the usual hymns and readings but my favourite part was the ending. Just as the last hymn’s notes faded away, the lights in the church were turned off one by one. First the overhead lights, then the pretty Christmas lights and then even the small light over the pulpit the minister turned off himself. The entire building was in darkness. It was so dark you couldn’t even see your hand in front of you. The dark and stillness were almost overpowering until the doors at the front of the church were opened and a young boy walked up the aisle with one small candle. He walked up to the minister and lit his candle and then in turn the minister lit the advent candles...little by little the light grew. He walked back to the choir and as we gripped our candles tightly, we passed the light from one to another. In the meantime the minister had gone down to the congregation and started sharing the light with them. It was so amazing to watch as the light passed along and how the darkness was pushed aside as the light continued to grow. There was no stopping it once it started. Once all the candles were lit, each face beaming in the glow of their candles we sang Silent Night--gives me goosebumps. At the last line everyone lifted their candle up to let the light shine! It was a most magnificent sight! The joy just welled right up inside of you till it came tumbling out in song! Awesome!

Another favourite service was the Easter sunrise service. It was held behind the church in the graveyard. We sang hymns and had readings and generally shivered. We were a smaller crowd but somehow that seemed fitting. Again what started as a dark moment was enveloped in light as the sun rose over the horizon. The minister said, “Let us shout it from the rooftops Christ has risen!!” Amen! I so wanted to do that right then even!

Now while those services and the not so exciting services were lovely and all I couldn’t shake the feeling or the doubt that I had missed something somewhere along the line. A piece of the puzzle had somehow slipped out of my hand. There was something and I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Oh well, I thought may as well just keep on keepin’ on.

By this time I was on my way to university in New Brunswick where I joined the choir in the campus chapel. I loved it there, it was open and and the people were friendly. The choir director invited me to join his church choir Sunday mornings which I happily accepted. More friendly faces awaited me. And while I enjoyed the differences of this church that nagging doubt of having missed something just wouldn’t leave me. It would be another four years before anything resembling a solution would appear.

I was living in PEI now staying at a Christian college and attending UPEI to become a teacher. I loved living at the college and took some classes while I was there. Again there was a choir to belong to and I loved it. Even more I felt, while in the presence of these students, that I had somehow, somewhere along the line missed something. And now it was really beginning to bother me. I would think back on my past and how I had gone to church, sang the songs, read the readings, prayed the prayers--so why this doubt? I just couldn’t figure it out. During this time I had developed a lovely rapport with the president of the college and was disappointed when he had to leave to fill another position back in his home province of Nova Scotia.

Still, life had to go on and on it went until one Sunday as I sat in church I just couldn’t stand it any longer and now I wanted to know, just had to know what was it that I missed?!! But I had a problem, who do I ask? The person beside me? What if they had the same question or worse yet they had no answer for me. And besides how is one to even ask?

“Hey uh, I’ve gone to church for years you know and ahh, I sang the songs and read and prayed and stuff and I think I may have missed something---don’t suppose you know what it was?!!”

Yeah, that’s not going to work...hmmm could ask the minister after the service, he’s probably heard everything and might be able to get this one...ugh but he’s always so busy then and people are all milling about. That’s not going to work either. So I was left with the only surefire way to get to an answer: prayer. It was a very simple stated prayer, Lord if you would just put before me a person or such to let me know what I missed that would be great. Amen. To think that even in the Bible it says, “Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with your whole heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13

The funny thing is I pretty much prayed that prayer and then forgot about it. That is, until later on that week when I was at my friend’s home chatting and drinking coffee with her. We weren’t long into it when she told me that she had a letter for me from the past president of the christian college I had stayed at. I was pretty pumped about that, and couldn’t wait to read his letter. What that man wrote in his letter blew me away. About a paragraph into it he mentioned that he feels that I had a heart for the Lord but somewhere along the line I had MISSED SOMETHING!! I just stopped reading there and that prayer came right back to me and I got goosebumps just thinking about it. Now not only had he sent this message but he also included a work booklet for me to look over. It was within those work book pages that I finally found what I was looking for. Simply stated, I was a sinner and needed salvation and the only way to receive it was through Jesus Christ! What a great example of the verse found in Romans 5:8 that reads, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Wow! I can remember being in my own bedroom the night I read those words and then praying that the Lord would forgive me for my sins and live in my heart. To know that it says in Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” It was a quiet and special moment for me and I’m pretty sure I went to bed that night with the biggest smile on my face! I’ll never forget that moment and the life that began that night. I thank the Lord for hearing my little prayer and finding me when I needed him most.

And now years after that prayer the Lord has blessed me with a husband who cares for me (and ceases snoring when nudged) and 3 beautiful children to care for. There are many challenges to face during this journey that we call life. They can be daunting and cause us to stumble, a loved one gets cancer, you are financially strapped, your family relationships may be suffering but throughout it all it is a comfort to remember that there isn’t a thing that can separate us from the love of God as it reads in Romans 8:38 “I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing shall separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Thanksgiving in Nova Scotia

2011-10-12T21:58:00.004-03:00

On Sunday morning we headed on over to the mainland for Thanksgiving with the Hopes. The kids were super excited, they love traveling on the ferry. The ride was smooth and we had brought Superstore doughnuts with us for snacks (if you haven't tried them, you really should, they are amazing!!) We met some friends and chatted for a bit and also met some of the people on the tour group from Michigan. One of my favourite parts of going on the boat is to talk to people and find out where they're from and that kind of thing.

We landed at the homestead at about 11 and the kids were in the house and playing with what used to be Karina my toys on the dinning room floor. The rest of us got comfy in the living room and chatted away. After lunch, we headed out on a little hike in the back fields. Nate and Marko stayed home. Nate needed a nap and Marko's back was bothering him. I love walking through the fields and down past the ravine. It is just so quiet and peaceful. The children had a grand time scooting about, tossing rocks in the water and climbing over branches. We hiked for over an hour and through some difficult spots, lots of ducking and climbing through brush. I was amazed, the kiddos never complained about being tired or needing to be picked up. They were quite the troopers.

Once home, we were all ready for a rest. Grampa pulled out the chairs from the shed and we all sat out on the lawn enjoying the lovely weather and munching on some snacks that Gramma put together for us. It was such a marvelous day. I am so thankful to be able to bring the children to such a wonderful spot and just totally drink in the beauty, the peace and relaxation. As soon as you get there you can almost feel any stress you might have had slip away as you look all around you at the country side.

We had the kiddos have their Thanksgiving supper first so that the adults could enjoy their supper without having to pick up dropped forks and whatnot. That night Sean and Emma-Lyn got to camp out in Gramma's office while Nate began his sleep in Gramma and Grampa's room but would end up later in the dinning room. The kids did a great job, after a bit of a case of the sillies, they settled in and had a good sleep, Nate made a great transition from having to be woken up in Grampa's room to moving down to the dinning room--not even a peep.

The next morning we got up and had breakfast, as soon as Grampa came down the kiddos ran out to the mailbox with him to get the newspaper (this is one of their favourite things to do) We had a relaxing morning. Marko and I took the kids to a local park for a bit before lunch. After lunch we went for another walk up the road. This time it was Marko and I, the kids minus Nate who was napping at the time, Grampa Hope and Auntie Karina. This was a much easier walk and just as nice as our last one.

We headed back to the Island at 4. We had the "good" boat this time and had a great trip back. Once we were in the door, we fed the kids and threw them into bed. They were all tuckered out from a great weekend away. We certainly do have a lot to be thankful for.

One of the streams along our hiking trail.

Oooh, I forgot to mention our little expedition down to the pond to check out the fish...we also caught this little salamander.

The kids thought he was pretty neat.

The house and surrounding countryside...Just LOVE it!!!

Early morning run out to the mailbox. :)

Yesterday was Our Anniversary...

2011-10-12T07:09:00.001-03:00

so that's why there wasn't a post yesterday. I hope to have something a bit more substantial than this up later this evening. :) Sorry for the delay.

Our Trip to St. Peters

2011-10-04T22:22:00.003-03:00

We had a delightful time with Baba and Auntie Linda at St. Peters and Greenwich Provincial Park. It was a bit of a hike for the kiddos and would have been better had I remembered the stroller. We made the most of it and enjoyed all the beautiful scenery. We stopped and enjoyed a picnic lunch while we were there.

We truly enjoyed our week with Baba and Deda. They flew home to B.C. on Monday. I was so glad to finally meet Baba and have both of them over to meet all their grandchildren. The children had a wonderful time with them and were asking for them in the morning. Hopefully it won't be another 5 years before we see them again but, time will tell.

I love this shot of Emma-Lyn running on the boardwalk. I love that it looks like her shadow is running on the ledge.

The beautiful dunes of Greenwich.

Mr. Nate running as fast as his little legs would carry him. He got quite the workout!

Baba and her little grandchildren all dressed in their new clothes.

Just love this shot of Sean.

A Field Trip and a Visit with Baba and Deda

2011-09-27T22:07:00.006-03:00

This past week has been a busy one. Sean and I enjoyed a field trip out to Dalvay with the homeschoolers group. The kids had a great time learning about the flora and fauna of Island beaches as well as pond life. Sean even got the chance to do some net dipping to see what kind of critters live in a pond.

The very next day was even more exciting as Deda and Baba (Grampa and Gramma in Yugoslavian) came to visit from BC. We are so happy to have them here and enjoy family time together. The kids have loved getting to know their family better. They have each gone on little outings with them and have totally taken advantage of having more adults to read to them! :) Today they received lovely presents from them. Tomorrow we're going to St.Peter's with Baba for a picnic and a nature hike. Should be a lot of fun. This past weekend my folks also popped in for a visit so it was extra nice to have the whole house full of family for the day.

Another very exciting thing has happened as well, Sean has lost his very first tooth!! He was eating his cornflakes for breakfast Sunday morning and pop, it came out! I could hardly believe it! So in celebration of this huge occasion we all went out for supper at Pizza Delight. No tooth fairy here (never really could understand why we should pay off our kids for used up body parts) I'd rather give my children my time, quality time together as a family celebrating these big milestones in each of our lives.

A sanderling on Dalvay beach.

Sean net dipping in the pond.

Baba and the kiddos reading.

Family
So great to have everyone together.

The big boy with his lost tooth.

Nate enjoying his chocolate pudding at Pizza Delight.

And the kiddos opening their gifts from Deda and Baba

I Love This Time of Year

2011-09-20T21:02:00.003-03:00

I love Autumn! The cooler days, the crisp fresh air, the radiant colours of the trees and delicious cups of hot chocolate! What's not to love?!! Another wonderful part of Autumn is APPLES!! I LOVE APPLES. It has to be my ultimate favourite fruit! So this past weekend we went to Maple Farms to go apple picking. I was just amazed at the pure size of the orchard, it was huge! The Paula Reds were ready to pick so away we went! The apples themselves even seemed huge! And they were yummy!! The kids had a grand time running up and down the rows of trees and climbing the ladders to pick a few apples. Nate ate the most! At one point he had three apples in his arms that he had bitten into! Looking forward to our next visit!

Has to be the shiniest and reddest apple I've ever seen...yep we picked it. :)

He LOVED the apples!

The more serious connoisseur.

The wee lad away up on the ladder.

Climbing and eating!

And Sean getting in some eating time!

Our First Field Trip

2011-09-13T20:46:00.003-03:00

Today after regular school stuff the students at Peric Academy headed out for their first class field trip. We packed a picnic lunch and headed out to the Old MacPhail Homestead. We enjoyed a very beautiful summery type day down on the homestead. We quickly ate our lunch and then headed down the trails for some nature fun. We picked up some leaves to put into our Nature scrapbooks and just had a great time exploring.

I'm pretty sure Sean would tell you his least favourite part of the trip was when he fell in the water. But I have to say it was so funny. He recovered well and didn't get too bent out of shape when we had to pass by a tour group. When we got home it was getting late so tomorrow we'll spend some time working on our nature scrapbooks.

Taking a break on the bench.

A very busy little bee.

One of the many informative signs along the trail.

The kids wanted to try for a group shot...this was the best one I got!

The fuzzy caterpillar that Emma-Lyn discovered and really, really wanted to throw in the water. Sean was the rescuer and found a safe home for the little guy.

I Love this place! So beautiful, can't wait to come back again when the trees have turned colours.

Having Fun and Gearing Up for School

2011-09-05T22:30:00.003-03:00

Well summer is drawing to a close and I have so enjoyed it. We have made the most of it with excursions here and there and everywhere. I have LOVED having my own garden. We've enjoyed fresh tomatoes, green peppers, lettuce, green beans and cucumbers. I'm so looking forward to that next year.

This past week I had my birthday and it was delightful. The day itself was fun. The kiddos and I just puttered about the house and baked a cake. We had BBQ steak with green peppers and rice. We had it out on the deck and enjoyed our cake for dessert. The following evening Marko took me out for supper at the Swiss (I was soooo craving some really good ribs!) It was amazing--I don't think I've ever eaten so much meat in one sitting! We had the ribs and quarter chicken dinner deal and my it was good!
This weekend we had fun exploring some of our favourite spots. We went to Buffaloland and finally got to see the entire herd of buffalo! It was fantastic, the kids loved it and I took a crazy amount of pictures! :) Then we went off to the wildlife sanctuary and enjoyed the peacefulness out there.

Today we went with our good friends the MacGregors to Kingscastle and had a great time letting the kids play all over the place. We took a picnic lunch and played down at the beach for a bit. This evening we went to Knox's Falls and Dam--I just love this little spot. Its so scenic and peaceful. The kids love wandering about and throwing rocks and twigs in the water.

Tomorrow begins our second year of homeschooling! I am looking forward to it and I think Sean is too. We have one day on and then on Wednesday we're meeting up with other homeschoolers for the Not-Back-To-School Picnic at Canoe Cove. I'm looking forward to that!

The Falls.

And you guessed it, a buffalo!!

Sitting out on the deck for birthday supper.

Sean buried in balloons!

Mr. Cutie Pants rolling in the grass!

Sean's Last Baseball Game of the Season

2011-08-29T21:51:00.002-03:00

He had such a great time playing ball this summer! He can't wait to do it again next summer. He was really thrilled with getting a medal at the end of it too. He'd like to do something over the fall and winter so now we're looking at swimming lessons. We live close by to a public pool which should make things fairly easy.

I've been busy putting together a bookcase for Marko's office and reorganizing our books this week. As well we've gone through the kids' clothing and got rid of a lot of excess stuff, next up is our closet. We're getting geared up for the upcoming school year. Had the first homeschooler's meeting this past Thursday. It was great to reconnect and get pumped for the upcoming year. I still have some planning and sorting to do but I'm really looking forward to getting started. My good friend Jackie who is from Quebec is going to be teaching Sean and her own daughter French this year. It's just going to be some basic stuff which will be nice.

A Parade, A Ride on the River and A Trip Home

2011-08-23T22:27:00.004-03:00

This Friday was the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade in Charlottetown. The kids were uber excited to be going. Thankfully our good friend Bonnie went early and was able to secure some great seats! We all had a great time together. Nate LOVED the bands. The little lad was bopping right along and was just the picture of joy!

Also his Daddy seemed to be enjoying himself as well! :)

That very afternoon we went with Marko's boss for a ride out on the water. Kevan had promised me ride on his sailboat for several years and finally today was to be it...except that I had a choice, I could go on the sailboat or go on the FRC (fast rescue craft) And while I loved the idea of sailing peacefully on the Montague river in a lovely sailboat; the speed and maneuverability of the FRC couldn't be matched.

So here is our ride. What an amazing time!! We did doughnuts in the harbour! It was hilarious! So exhilarating! We went out the Montague river and down the Brudenell river and out to Boughton Island.

That evening when we probably should have been packing for NS, we had a fun evening of games with Brian and Bonnie.

Saturday morning came early and up and away we went trying to remember everything we'd need. I had packed the suitcase so it was just the little details that we had to remember to load in the car...like Nate's booster seat which was promptly forgotten. At any rate we made it to the Ferry in time.

We got to mom and dad's in time for lunch. We had a great visit there. They have such a lovely spot there. You can really unwind and enjoy the view of the countryside. At snack time my mom came out with Indian Curry Shrimp and they were amazing! So yummy--even Nate decided to give them a go...
And would you believe that he liked them!

That night we had a little campfire down by the pond where we sang songs, chatted and roasted marshmellows for our S'mores. The kids enjoyed every minute of it, especially the roasting of marshmellows.

The next day we went to the Fisheries Museum in Pictou. They have a great spot there. We all got a chance to hold a blue lobster! Emma-Lyn decided that she was not interested in touching one but would look on in disgust.

I couldn't resist getting Marko to hold the lobster as he does not enjoy shellfish whatsoever. He was not impressed.
And I just petted it like an old friend.

After the museum we checked out the Lobster Hatchery and the Lighthouse Museum. They were all fairly close together. The kids loved the Lighthouse Museum because they had food there! There was a dish of cookies and loaf that the kids picked at. We got around the corner and then the first thing we heard was , "Can we go back to the lighthouse?" "Why?" "I'd like another cookie!" Such funny kiddos.

And here they are in their fishing boats! Emma-Lyn picked the one from PEI...but that's probably because it's pink!

We had such a good time in NS it was hard to leave. Looking forward to our next visit!

Busy Days

2011-08-16T22:26:00.003-03:00

It seems that every day is filled with its own busyness and we have really enjoyed it. The kids find games to play in the yard and in the house to play together, there are little trips around our area and relaxing times here at home.

This past week was a bit of a blur as I was preparing for my first big gig. I did a wedding photoshoot. While it was stressful in some ways, in other ways it was a lot of fun and a great learning experience. I had a great couple to work with and the day was warm and sunny unlike most other days this summer. I met some really lovely people and came home with a LOT of photos! The wedding was in Fort Augustus so the kids came with me one afternoon to check out the church. It was huge! They loved exploring it while I talked with the mother of the bride about the ceremony. I have most of my photos ready and have a little sneak peek for you at the end of this post.

Its hard to believe that Sean has just 3 baseball games left for the summer. He has enjoyed it so much. Emma-Lyn has also enjoyed these nights out to the ball diamond as she has had the opportunity to make a little friend and play with her on the playground during the games.

Marko and I even got to go on a date this weekend which was just delightful. Marko found a lovely Heritage road to go exploring on. There was even a pond that we were able to walk around and enjoy together. We went to Cardigan for supper at the Cape Light Restaurant. It was wonderful. I had the most delicious baby back ribs ever! And Marko enjoyed chicken cordon bleu.

This Friday is the big Gold Cup and Saucer Parade which the kids are really looking forward to and then afterwards Marko and I get to go sailing! Then we are hoping to head to the mainland for the weekend. :)

Halfway Through Summer...

2011-08-09T22:37:00.010-03:00

I can hardly believe that we're halfway through summer already! We've had a great time even if the weather hasn't always cooperated. It has been a mostly wet and cool summer but whenever we got those nice hot summer days we enjoyed them as much as we could.

This week on the cooler and wet days we puttered around in the house. I finally got around to taking the rest of the bathroom wallpaper. We now have a lavender, lime green and cotton candy pink bathroom...Not that we want it that way, its just what was left after all the wallpaper was gone. There are quite a few faults in the walls that will need some attention before we slap on some paint and beadboard.

On the warmer days we've had baseball practice, excursions to the MacPhail Homestead and Roma beach and went raspberry picking and finally a visit with relatives from Holland and Nova Scotia. Its so much fun to play tourist in your own area. I am so delighted to discover all kinds of great nature trails and heritage areas so close to home. The children have loved going exploring and finding rocks and twigs and whatever else takes their fancy.

Even this week we've been to Bonshaw and Fort Augustus. So thankful that tomorrow is a stay at home day. I'm hoping to make some raspberry jam and maybe just relax and cuddle with my kiddos.

The kids have so enjoyed the sprinkler! Whenever the sun comes out they want the sprinkler out too.

This is from one of the trails at the MacPhail Homestead. Such a beautiful spot. Can't wait to go there throughout the year!

Just really like this shot of the kids.

Mmmmm, raspberries!

Roma beach. Another beautiful spot.

Nate really enjoyed visiting with family from Away. :)

U2 Concert!

2011-08-01T22:23:00.007-03:00

This past Saturday Marko and I and our friends, all 80,000 of them went to Moncton for the U2 concert! What a blast! We left Montague at 8, got to Brian and Bonnie's a little after 8:30, dropped their kids at his folks' place, then we were off to pick up Mike and Nancy. We had a great drive over and made it to Moncton for 11. We thought we'd go to Don Cherry's for lunch, but as it turns out, its no longer there. We ended up at the Pumphouse instead, which was great since the food was fantastic! The guys all had buffalo burgers (made with real buffalo!) for lunch.

We got to Magnetic Hill a little before 2 and began our wait in line in the rain. It wasn't that bad though and thankfully it was a warm rain. The gates opened at 3 and we made it in there around 4. We made a mad dash for the front and came within 15 feet of the catwalk! So cool. Then we waited until 6 for the first band to take the stage. Thankfully the rain stopped by then and we were lucky enough to be standing on solid ground rather than muddy field.

Both Carney and Arcade Fire were great. We enjoyed them but were really excited to see U2. They came out after 9:30 and, WOW, what a show they put on! They didn't finish up till after 12! And man, the crowd was amazing! I've never been in such a huge crowd of people!

We knew that when we got back to the van that we'd probably have to push it out, and boys did we ever. I fell in the mud and the van was ever so stuck. We had hoped to get a tow out but, the guy that was going to do it, couldn't find a good point to tow it from so we came up with a plan B and ended up pushing the van backwards and then back up on ground that hadn't become complete muddy mush. It was after 2 by the time we got out of the parking lot!! Marko and I finally walked through our own door at 5:45 am!!! We were so exhausted! I just fell into bed to get what sleep I could before the kids got up!! :)
The Claw!
Our group waiting in line. Left to right are: Marko, Mike, Nancy, Bonnie and Brian.

Carney.

Dude fixing the LED lighting.

The crowd playing with one of the many beach balls.

Arcade Fire.

The massive crowd!

I took this picture because of the number of tour cities left! Moncton was their last stop!

Two figther jets passed over just before U2 came on.

Me and Marko.

BONO!!

The tractor pulling folks out of the mud! :)

Guess What?!!

2011-07-29T21:38:00.002-03:00

I have a new blog!! I know, just what I need right? Cause, I'm so good with posting on this blog. My new blog is more of a project. A friend of mine invited me to start something called "Project 365." Basically it's just taking a picture every day and posting it. I'm hoping it will help me to think a bit more creatively and come up with some interesting shots...we'll see. So yeah, I have my first two posts up already. :) The blog is called Candy Coated Colours and you can visit it by clicking here

Having Fun in Our Own Area

2011-07-26T19:36:00.007-03:00

Sometimes its just fun to go to places around your own home. This past Sunday we visited Buffaloland and a local wildlife sanctuary.

Buffaloland was a bit of a bust as we saw not even one Buffalo but the kids still had fun running about and checking out the lookout. The wildlife sanctuary more than made up for it. There were lovely paths to walk down, a bridge to throw sticks from and a floating gazebo to watch all the Canada Geese. The kids loved the geese coming right over and checking us out.

Nate and the goose checking each other out.

All the geese making their way over to say hello.

Such a beautiful spot.

The kids making their way into Buffaloland...this was supposed to be the first picture but for whatever reason Blogger has screwed up the order of my pictures and I'm too lazy to do anything about it. :)
And a Canada Goose.

Today, the kiddos and I went to Roma. This was a French settlement that was established in 1732. It is a beautiful spot and the kids really enjoyed it. They have a fair amount of artifacts to look at and period costumes you can try on, children's toys that you can actually play with and you can purchase loaves of bread or cookies or if you like you can stop in for lunch. We had a picnic lunch and walked one of the trails. The kids were delighted. They loved the trails and the toys the best but also enjoyed checking out all the neat artifacts.

Emma-Lyn in her period costume. The guide informed us that all children under the age of 7 would have worn dresses. At the age of 7 they were considered mini adults and thus dressed as adults.

The kiddos playing on a bench.

Sean trying out writing with a quill. :)

Emma-Lyn loved the little tea set.

And Sean dressed as a dashing young Frenchman. :)

My Best Friend Got Married!!!

2011-07-26T19:13:00.003-03:00

This past Saturday my bestie, Jennie MacKinnon married her best friend Troy Barton. It was a great day! All the days leading up to it were definitely worth it. A bunch of us helped set up the reception area and had great time doing it. We enjoyed putting programs and pew markers together. Marko, Sean and myself were all in the wedding. I was the Matron of Honour, Marko was a groomsman and Sean was the ring bearer. Sean was very excited to be a ring bearer and did a great job.
So happy to have the ceremony behind them, now to enjoy the rest of the day!! :)

Me and my best friend! :)

Unfortunately I didn't get any shots of Sean in his little suit. :( Hoping someone else might have and will put it up on Facebook.

Sean's First DVBS

2011-07-18T22:12:00.004-03:00

This past week Sean spent every morning at Daily Vacation Bible School at our church. He just loved it! He had a great time making crafts, memorizing scripture, and singing songs. There was one song in particular that really stuck with him and he would sing it around the house in the afternoons. Here is the video of the song "Salvation" at the closing on Friday.

Sean is right in the middle in the orange shirt. Emma-Lyn decided when we got there that she should sing with the kids so up she went. :)

Sean was thrilled when he won 2nd prize for points (they got points for being there each day, bringing a friend and memorizing scripture). He was thrilled! He got a gift certificate for Owl's Hollow which is a toy store in Charlottetown. He's been going nuts about getting a set for his cars so maybe we can get that for him.

Time For Some Videos

2011-07-11T22:16:00.005-03:00

Well, it seems I am not so good at this updating stuff and I thought that maybe if I posted some videos I took of things we did and places we went, maybe that would help...so here's to video number one.

This was our trip to the Elmira Train Station. PEI hasn't had a working railway system for decades so this was a nice way to see what the railway was like in its heyday. The kids loved the mini train ride and I have to say I was quite impressed with it myself. I thought it was just going to be a rinky dink type deal but, they had tunnels and murals and painted wooden woodland creatures to look for.

Our next clip is from our little excursion to Panmure Beach. The kids had a great time splashing in the water and digging in the sand. I was just so glad to sit on the beach and listen to the waves and to breathe the wonderful salty sea air!

And this clip is Sean jumping in the waves:

The next clip is quite short but I think its also quite cute! We went to Anne of Green Gables National Park with the Homeschoolers group. It was a wonderful time and so nice to be able to go in for free. They started a fun new program there that encourages kids to explore the park and when they do they receive a certificate and key chain as a souvenir of their trip. Nate really enjoyed the big plastic cow--I think it was his favourite because he loves to make the MOOO noise! :)

And finally we have a baseball clip. Sean has started his first organized sport this summer! And he is loving it! Its all pretty basic stuff, learning to run the bases and how to catch a ball with a mitt and batting a ball. This clip is of Sean and his best friend Abby running from second base to home.

And those videos kinda give you a little peek into what we've been doing lately.

So Much For Catching Up Eh?

2011-07-04T21:29:00.023-03:00

How did I let this happen?!

Finally the summer weather showed up and apparently my brain decided to go on vacation! Speaking of vacations, Sean is done his first official year of homeschooling! I am so proud of him! He has done a great job.

In other news my wonderful friend Amanda Longmoore came to visit. The kids were very excited to have her over. I think they may almost love her as much as I do...almost. They insisted that Amanda do the reading for bedtime and that she come upstairs for songs and hugs and kisses! Too funny. After the kiddos were in bed, she and I headed over the cottage she was sharing with her friend Dodie. The three of us had a grand time chatting and playing Dutch Blitz. My how I LOVE that game! We made plans to go to Orwell Corner the next day with the kiddos.

Sean and Emma-Lyn were thrilled to go on a field trip. Orwell Corner is a little historic village that has a blacksmith shop, a general store and post office, church, school and farm animals. The kids LOVED the animals. We spent a lot of time in the barns. After we had done the whole site we all went back to the cottages. The kids were getting a wee bit stir crazy so Amanda and I took them for a walk along the beach. Sean decided to start a rock and shell collection, while Nate thought it would be a good idea to start collecting driftwood! He found and took off with the biggest piece of driftwood I've ever seen! :)

I'm going to stop here, and hopefully I'll update again on Wednesday and Friday!! Anyone reading this and who is my friend on Facebook, feel free to remind me of this! :)

Now for the pictures:

First up, the more comical group shots:

Amanda being conscripted into doing all the reading for bedtime. I'm sure Sean is thinking, "That's not how the story goes when Daddy reads it..."

At Orwell Corner:

Amanda: "I love this thing, please guys can I just have one more turn?"
Sean: "You've had enough turns, theres lots of stuff for adults over there!!"

Dodie showing us how to get water the old timey way.

Emma-Lyn giving it all she's got!

Those are some nice looking choppers you've got there!!

Nate, the Rooster Whisperer.

I wonder if she'll ever figure this one out!

Peek-a-Boo Kitty.

We also know Dodie as the Goat Whisperer.

"So what did ya tell her eh? What was that? You can tell me!"

Now for the more artsy fartsy photos.

Sheepies.
Saw this in one of the barns.

At the blacksmith's.

Pretty rose.

At the General Store.

View from one of the homes.

The bunny family.

Nate and his big stick! Love this shot.

So Much to Blog About

2011-06-27T22:49:00.011-03:00

There has just been so much to see and do that I'm just going to have to update this blog a whole lot more this week just to keep up with it all!

Now to go back a bit, On June 10 we headed over to Sackville, NB (my old stomping grounds!) to visit with my great friend, Mary Evans and her family. She and her family live in England and had come home to visit family and friends. I was ever so thrilled to fit into her schedule! Marko took the day off and we all made the trip over. The kids did great on the drive, we made one pit stop just before the bridge where the kids could go play on the playground for a bit before getting loaded back up. It was great to visit with Mary again! The last time we saw each other we both only had one son! And now here we are with three kids each! We had lunch and then it was off to the playground for some fun. I should mention that we were also able to meet up with our friends Kevin and Janice Stockall. (Kevin was the priest at the church I went to when I went to Mount Allison)

And here they all are! The kids had a great time! Sean really loved playing with Peter and was talking about him on the way home!

Another grand adventure for the us was heading to NS for Father's day or as my dad likes to call it, Happy Thank-You day. The back story for that is, a couple Father's Days back I had run right up to dad and wished him a Happy Father's Day and his response was, "Happy Thank-you day to you." And not to be outdone this year when I called him and wished him a Happy Father's Day, his reply was, "Thank you for wishing me a happy birthday!" I love my dad! :)

The kiddos love going on the boat and have fun wandering around the decks and meeting new people. Nate made quite a few friends and even invited himself to sit on one gentleman's lap! Too funny. We landed at the Grampa and Gramma's around 11 and enjoyed yakking before getting some lunch into us. Gramma Hope fired up the grill and we had yummy burgers for lunch!

Afterwards Nate and Marko had naps, Grampa Hope had an errand to run in town while the rest of us tried our luck at fishing! We had brought Sean's fishing pole but Gramma Hope also taught him how to make his own fishing pole. As seen below:
It would have been even better if Sean had paid attention but he was just so in love with Gramma and Grampa's dog that he barely listened. Once the poles were made we were off to find some worms:
Bet you never thought you'd ever see a picture of a can of worms on here now did ya?! Ha!

With the bait in the can and poles in hand it was time to find a suitable fishing hole...We tried a couple places but, didn't come up with much...At least the worms got a bath as seen here:
Apparently Gramma hope likes to go incognito when she fishes... While no fish were caught we did have a good time and once we got home we found some other interesting sights:

Like this here frog just before he jumped into the pond.

And this pretty butterfly...

And this tuckered out ol' dog. Sean LOVED playing with Trooper!

Sean and Nate loved playing with the water pump too. Emma-Lyn had gone inside by this time to help Gramma Hope set the table for supper.

My two goofballs on a bridge.

And my Nator Tator bringing joy and love to all he meets!!!

Sean Riding His Bike!!

2011-06-20T21:23:00.001-03:00

Untitled from lauraperic on Vimeo.

Perseverance has paid off for Sean!! I am so happy and proud of him. He kept trying just about every day to take his bike out and try just balancing it, then trying just to push off on the pedals and now here he is all grown up riding his bike with confidence. Guess what he wants to tackle tomorrow -- He wants to try to do a wheelie!! That's my boy!! :)

Hannah Canfield!!!

2011-06-14T21:10:00.002-03:00

Yessiree, she is the winner. This wild gal took the initiative to go ahead and start counting my blog posts so she most certainly deserves to win! Smart girl too, since she went from the most recent blog post and was able to stop when she found the blog title that read, "This is my 700th Post" So, now you know, this is blog post 800!!

And now Hannah, your prize is a photo shoot by yours truly!! So find a bunch of your closest friends and pick a location and a date and we shall have ourselves a time!! I'm going to set you up with your very own photo album of fun shots of you and friends to take with you to BC!! What could be better?!

One More Blog Post...

2011-06-06T22:54:00.005-03:00

and I will have reached a significant number of posts!! Can you guess what that number might be? Not only will you receive a prize if you guess correctly but you will also have your very own name as the title of the next blog post! You have until next Monday to get your guess in! Just leave your guess in the comment section of this post. :)

In other news, this past week has been a busy one! We finally got our garage cleaned out! Marko and I have been hounding the previous owners' real estate agent to take care of this and finally the man has come through and I can actually see the entire inside of my garage! It is amazing. This has also meant that all the stuff we've had crammed in closets and such has now been moved to the garage!

Doesn't that look great! It was jam packed full of all the previous owner's crap plus some of our own stuff. I should have taken a picture before they came to clean up the joint but, alas, I forgot.

Now on this very same day my good friend Jackie came by for a wee visit and we had a grand time but, just as she was leaving Nate did a header off the front step onto the concrete! Yikes!! I rushed him right into the house and cleaned up the blood to take a better look at his head. After both Jackie and I checked it out we decided it would be best to head to the ER. Kindly she looked after Emma-Lyn and Sean while I took her car and drove to the hospital.

We got in fairly quickly and the doctor said that seeing as Nate didn't black out or have any other difficulties that the best course of action would be to keep the wound clean and bandaged and he should be good in no time. The doctor was right!! It has just about been a week and Nate is doing great, his cuts are all but gone and now we can take the bandage off his head. But here's a look at how the poor little guy looked the following day.

Quite the little bruiser! Sean and Emma-Lyn got a little freaked out when I left so quickly with Nate. Sean made things better by making an x-ray machine out of books and a cardboard box, using it to take care of his "hurt" stuffed puppy! Ya gotta love the imagination of kids! :)

My Favourite Hair Pulling Memory of My Kiddos..

2011-05-30T23:06:00.004-03:00

So last week I had a few fun and sweet moments to share about the kids and today I have for you the most memorable moment where you just don't know what to think, what to do next or where to send the kids!!

It was the weekend and as was our tradition Marko and I got up with the kids got them some snacks and drinks, put on their favourite Saturday morning cartoons and we headed back to bed...Ahhhh, the way weekends were meant to be enjoyed.

That is until Sean came into our room all excited and yelling, "Quick, you have to come to the living room, quick. It's Emma-Lyn she's got stuff and you have to come quick." It should be noted at this point that it would not have mattered how "quick" we were, there was no saving the situation. As we scrambled out of our bedroom and into the living room we were met with every parents horror...one child slathered in Vaseline...from head to toe. But the horror didn't stop there, then your eyes scan the room and you realize that not only is she covered in the oily cream but also the coffee table, the cushions on the couch have a good coating, the floor and yes, she also managed to get a few good globs of the stuff all over the micro suede ottomans. Yipeee?!

Should you laugh? Should you cry? I ran and grabbed Emma-Lyn and attempted to clean the Vaseline out of her. Even after 7 shampoos she was still a little oil slick! Unbelievable. Marko got the fun job of cleaning the furniture. His first job of course was to Google 'what do you do to get Vaseline out of everything!!!' We tried every possible home remedy to get the stuff out and met with some success and a whole lot of failure. That said, we still have the ottomans and the couch... And we decided to keep the daughter too. She's just too cute!!

They Make You Laugh, They Make You Cry...

2011-05-23T21:36:00.003-03:00

And sometimes they just make you scratch your head. Kids! I love my kids but sometimes I'm just left scratching my head in wonder. "Why did they just do that?" "Is there a method to their madness?!" "Do they have any idea how sweet they are?"

Here are just a few recent kids stories I thought I'd share with you all.

On Saturday after lunch when Nate and Emma-Lyn were down for naps, Sean decided he would make a snack for Marko and I. He got out the baby carrots, a cutting board and a butter knife. He dutifully cut up a good bunch of them and then asked for a pot. We gave him one and set it up on the stove for him. We gave him instructions on how to make cooked carrots (at this point we did not realize that this was for us). Marko and I went to the living room to relax when we heard the microwave beeping so we asked Sean what he was up to. Oh, just part of the snack he was making. Then came the questions, "Mommy, how much butter do you like on your carrots?" "I like butter." "Daddy, how much butter do you like on your carrots?" "Mmm not that much, don't like much butter or salt." "Do you like salt Mommy?" "Yep, I'm okay with salt." "Okay." Happy puttering after this. Soon there was a knock at the patio door and it was the next door neighbour wanting Sean to come out to play. He called to us and said that he was finished cooking and out he went...We were left with cooked carrots which were about to be brushed with butter and placed into "bowls" yogurt containers and a warmed up cheesy bun to be shared! Needless to say Marko and I enjoyed our snack. :)

One day this past week I was getting supper together while Sean played outside and Nate and Emma-Lyn amused themselves upstairs. I soon realized that perhaps things were not going as planned upstairs when Nate started howling. I quickly ran up the stairs to find Emma-Lyn chasing Nate with one of his sleepers yelling, "Nate, you have to get dressed for bed!!" Somehow she had already managed to wrangle his shirt off him, which I am sure was the reason for his howling. She had every intent to get him undressed and into his PJs! Nate, on the other hand, was having none of this. Thankfully Emma-Lyn let me take over and everyone was a lot happier.

One sunny morning when Marko was on his way out to work, the kids and I were all outside. I was finishing putting my laundry on the line and Sean was puttering around on his bike while Emma-Lyn and Nate ran around. Sean was looking for help with his bike, he wanted someone to hold the back of the seat and push while he attempted to pedal (the training wheels are off at this point). Marko was trying to get his gear into the car, I was still busy but Nate decided he would step up to help. He found a place to hold onto the back of the bike and started pushing. Sean was thrilled!

And those are my kids! Love em, love em, love em. :) Tune in next week when I share some of the more hair raising things they've done. :)

You Put The Lime In The Coconut....

2011-05-16T21:11:00.005-03:00

I said Doctor... Where are you when I need you?!

This past week I discovered that Emma-Lyn had an infected toe. I called my doctor to see if we could get an appointment (he's usually very good to get us in quickly) but as luck would have it, he was away for the week. My next plan of attack was to find a walk in clinic here in Montague--come to find out that there aren't any in this area. My only option at this point is to try out the Kings County Memorial Hospital ER. So off we walked to the hospital, full of hope for a quick visit and a quick prescription. Hardy Har, Har!

We got there at 9:20 and didn't even get into triage until 11:45!! The kids did a great job keeping themselves entertained, but by noon we were all getting a little hungry, a little tired and a little cranky. I called Marko and he came and took Sean and Nate home. Emma-Lyn and I were going to stick it out until the bitter end. After talking to some other patients I realized that this wait was going to go on and on and on. And really my best bet was to bail and try a walk-in clinic in Charlottetown the next day. We left at 1:20 and basically ran home in the rain. Next time I will give my mother in law a call or my friend Jackie, both of whom reminded me that they would have been available to help. :)

We were able to pop into a walk-in clinic the next day and get Emma-Lyn her prescription. It was so much more encouraging to wait there than in the ER in Montague. You could actually watch people go in and people go out! It was great!! :) Emma-Lyn's toe is healing nicely!

So how about this rain?!! I know it is good and needed, but oh, what I wouldn't do to see the sun again! :) That said we were able to get some more yard work done. We broke up all the branches off the bush we had taken down previously, we bundled them up and set them at the curb. Good-bye ugly bush!!

On a prettier note, here are some tulips I cut from my backyard. For some unknown reason the previous owner had tulips in random places all over the yard.

Mother's Day Weekend!

2011-05-09T20:49:00.012-03:00

This has been the best Mother's Day weekend! It was a delight from start 'til finish!

For me it began on Friday evening when Sean voluntarily washed the supper dishes. Marko was going to be late from work so that made getting things done a little tricky, but with Sean at the sink I could get Nate in bed and Emma-Lyn up to brush her teeth in no time. When I got back downstairs to help Sean, he had most of them done! He did a great job too!

Saturday morning was such an immense blessing! The kiddos slept in!!! Until nearly 8:00!! They are normally up at 7:00, so this was awesome! As soon as they got up Emma-Lyn came in to snuggle with us while Sean got dressed and headed downstairs to play...or so we thought. At about 8:30 Nate was getting restless in his crib so we decided it was time to finally get out of bed. So we all got dressed and as we were heading downstairs Sean called out to us to close our eyes. We played along and came to the kitchen with our eyes shut and at his instruction we opened them and there before us was a table set for breakfast--everyone had been taken care of. Nate had peanut butter toast and milk to drink, I had a peanut butter sandwich with hot chocolate to drink, Marko had cereal with water to drink, Emma-Lyn also had cereal and milk to drink...and Sean made himself a toasted marshmallow and honey sandwich!! It was awesome!! I was so surprised!! Especially with the hot chocolate he had made...didn't even know that he could make hot chocolate (later I came to discover that he had made the hot chocolate right in the electric kettle--thankfully it came clean.)

After breakfast we puttered about the yard, we cut tulips for bouquets for the Grammies and another bouquet for our neighbour. Marko walked with the kids to get gas for the lawn mower while I transplanted a few things in the backyard. When they returned I took the kids to the post office. I'm so glad to have the little red wagon for excursions like these. Emma-Lyn and Nate fit quite nicely in it and Sean is happy to walk along. Marko had the lawn mowed and looking great by the time we got home. Before lunch we were able to put up a shelf in Sean and Emma-Lyn's room. The shelf was made by Marko when he was in high school. It now holds their rocket ship alarm clock, their own bouquet of tulips and Sean's piggy bank...Emma-Lyn's piggy bank is currently MIA.

After lunch Sean played with our neighbour's child. Brianna is 8 and really seems to enjoy Sean's company. They had a blast together...must have played for a solid 3 hours or more. After Emma-Lyn got up from her nap, she and I headed out on our date.

I love taking the kids out for our dates. Right now it's just Emma-Lyn and Sean that enjoy this quality time but when Nate gets older he'll get his own private time with Mommy and Daddy. This has been such a huge thing for our family. What better gift to give a loved one, than your time and undivided attention! I know I love it and the kids love it too!! Emma-Lyn and I went to McDonald's and split an order of fries and an orange Fruitopia. She is one hilarious kid! I don't remember everything she said and I'm not entirely sure it all made sense but it was funny! After our snack we did some shopping. Picked up some craft supplies at Buy-Rite then we were off to Sobeys for the groceries and then stopped at the Nabuurs Gardens to pick up a hanging flower basket.

When we got home we off loaded our stuff then the whole family jumped in the car to head to the Superstore to pick up a few last things. On the way back Sean decided he wanted to walk back so he and Daddy walked home while I took the other two in the car. I had only been able to get the kids in the house and partly started supper when they got home. I took all the kiddos up for their bath while Marko finished up supper prep. We had wings, salad and garlic bread!! YUM! The kids loved the wings and gulped down as much garlic bread and salad as they could hold. It was a great day!

Sunday was another special day for us as my family came to visit! And what a visit it was--so busy. As soon as they landed we all set to work. Marko and Grampa Hope got to work putting up the kids' play set. My mom and sister and I got to work planting flowers, ripping up ground for my vegetable garden and chopping down a bush in the backyard. And all the while we chatted and had a fine time. I think the kids felt a little short changed since usually they get to play with Grampa Hope quite a bit. Gramma Hope had brought a tasty lunch of beef noodle casserole which we enjoyed eating out on the lawn. Later for snack we had some smoked salmon and dill pinwheels that I made...yummy! I can't wait to get working in my garden! But Marko and I still have a bit of work to do on the play set before that can happen.

After the Hopes left we headed over to visit Grammie Peric and Auntie Linda. It was nice to visit them and wish Grammie Peric a Happy Mother's Day. It was such a full day and a very delightful weekend! So I hope all you mothers out there enjoyed a splendid day with loved ones!

Now for some pictures...the first few are of Nate eating his first ice cream cone ever!

"Oooh I think I'm going to like this!!"

"Yep, I'm digging this..."

"Oooh Yeah Baby!!"
"Have you been holding out on me all this time?!"

"I'm gonna need more."

"On second thought...I think I had too much supper..."

"Nah, there's always room for ice cream!!"

The men working on the play set.

The garden area and Auntie Karina hacking away at the bush.

Nate decided that he would act like Trooper (my folks' dog) and drink out of her dish!

Getting Schooled...

2011-05-03T21:32:00.010-03:00

Always thought it was the kids that were supposed to learn stuff...turns out I have A LOT to learn about A LOT of stuff!! :) And apparently my kids are ever so eager to enlighten me! :)

A few things I've learned as a parent...

1) Don't leave scissors on the table...the youngest will get them and use them to cut the oldest one's thumb.

2) Find out how bad said cut is before you brush off the child's howls of pain as being overly dramatic.

3) Explain to your 3 year old BEFORE you walk to the bank that you are actually going to leave her money there and not take it back home again.

4) If you haven't heard your kids making any noise for the past 5 minutes, it is high time you go check on them...bring your sense of humour 'cause you're gonna need it!!

5) Vaseline is a horrible product to try and get out of children's hair, clothes, upholstery or anything else you can think of really!

6) Fingers are meant for holes...end of story. Good luck trying to convince them otherwise.

7) The toilet bowl is a magical place. Apparently the "wand" for the bowl of delight is way beyond awesome and must be sought after every time the bathroom door opens.

8) Dirt is now a major food group...(this is more the third one's philosophy than the other two)

9) If you want them to put food in their mouth, they will play with it instead...likewise toys which are meant to be played with, will now be in their mouth.

10) Hugs are great, kisses are wonderful but zerberts (imagine blowing a raspberry on some random part of the body) are HILARIOUS!!! And there will be much begging for zerberts...especially if the kids get to zerbert Daddy's belly!!!

My monkeys!

And the following pics are what I have found growing in my flowerbeds thus far:

Sun burnt!!

2011-04-25T21:41:00.003-03:00

I am happy to say that I am currently sporting a sun burn...okay so most normal people would not be happy about this...I am happy about it because it means that it was warm enough outside to stay outside and just enjoy the warmth without having to be bundled up. I LOVED it! I didn't think I would be out there all that long, but my was it ever nice to just sit and relax on the deck while the kiddos played in the yard.

I did manage to get some work done today too. I got two loads of laundry out on the line and did some more yard work. I piled Emma-Lyn and Nate into their little red wagon, which they have named "The Red Rocket" and off we went to the post office. Emma-Lyn had spent the entire trip sitting on her knees which meant that when we got home her legs had fallen asleep and she could not for the life of her stand up...too funny. I sat her down on one of our deck chairs and as the feeling started to return to her legs she started to complain that there were little bugs in her legs. Too funny.

With Sean away on his sleepover at Grammie Peric's, I was able to get Nate and Emma-Lyn down for their naps at the same time and it was bliss! Just to have time to myself, with no one asking me to do or be anything.

Sean got home at 5 and had had a great time visiting with his Grammie and Auntie. He and Linda had taken the training wheels of his bike and tried out getting the hang of balancing on his bike. He also got some time to practice playing baseball. Apparently he did quite well and seems to be getting the hang of hitting the ball with the bat.

I'm pretty sure all the kids were asleep even before their heads hit their pillows! :)

Fun in the Sun

2011-04-23T22:06:00.016-03:00

What an absolutely beautiful day it was today!! The sun was shining and it was actually warm outside!! You would actually think that spring had finally arrived! I wasn't so sure we were actually going to get spring after our snow storm last week which got me this photo:

These are right in the middle of the yard...not sure why but hey, they're cute.

Today we decided to have lunch on the deck. The kids LOVED it! They sat at their little picnic table while Marko and I used a big bucket for our table--guess we know what we need to get for the deck!

Ta-Da! It was so nice to sit out on our very own deck and enjoy the sunshine and sandwiches together.
Nate had been napping when the rest of us had our lunch but, we thought he might like the change of scenery too. And he did but he mostly just wanted to get down and start playing in the yard.

It wasn't long before Sean had Daddy out playing ball with him and he even let Emma-Lyn give it a go!
Getting ready to swing!

And Sean got a few good hits too.

Just as we were finishing up lunch I got a call from my good friend Jackie who had some flowers for me and would be dropping by to help get them planted that afternoon! I was thrilled! There are plants coming up in my little flower beds but I have no idea what they are and was hoping that Jackie could fill me in on some of them. Jackie also has two great kids that my kids just LOVE to play with. While Jackie and I were ripping through the dirt, the kids were playing in the backyard. Once we were done fixing up my flower bed, I got out the Easter egg pinata for them.
Rachel was up first and Nate was really excited as you can probably tell! :)

Sean's wack at it got a tear in it...so exciting.

Emma-Lyn and Seth also had a go at it.

Then Nate brought the whole thing home which sent lots of foil wrapped Easter eggs flying all over the backyard!

Rachel was very good at getting the booty off the ground and in her bowl! :)

Nate was all about getting the things unwrapped so he could enjoy all the chocolatey goodness.

After all that fun the kids headed inside and the adults decided to have a nice rest in the living room...that is until Sean decided that it would be a good time to roughhouse Daddy. This is the first time he's ever really invited his friends to come help roughhouse Daddy and my lands, was it ever funny!!

The good old fashioned horsey rides for three!

Followed up with leg rides!
Marko sure got a great workout today!!

I Have Great Kids...

2011-04-21T22:49:00.006-03:00

Really I do and I love them to bits, but there are days and moments that sometimes can get a little hairy...and maybe my kids aren't being as great as they normally are or maybe their Mommy isn't being as great as she could be...

Take today for example -- I woke up and everything was going great...mostly because everyone else was still asleep and I could get a head start. With the long weekend starting on Friday, I had today slotted for cleaning day. This means vacuuming, dusting, mopping, you get the idea. And now that we found the old owners vacuum that doesn't make half the noise our own vacuum does, the kids are extra excited about helping out. YAY!

I had high hopes of leisurely getting through the cleaning, letting Sean do the vacuuming while Emma-Lyn and I dusted (the girl loves to wipe stuff with cloths so I thought this would be the perfect job for her). Sean was excited about his assignment, but I have to say that Emma-Lyn was less than impressed about her job. I think that after she heard what Sean was doing she was hoping to use something a little more exciting than an old rag!

With that sorted we get to work...Emma-Lyn missed getting to the toilet in time and had to get changed..ugh...I know I need a lot more grace with this, but ugh...is all I can say. I could say more but it would take too long to type.

So with that finally dealt with and the wheels just ever so slightly coming off, I hear Sean call up to me about something Nate had done...Oh no, I thought, what now?! And then, as I turned the corner there was my vacuum with the main lid ripped off, the bag pulled out, the filter and casing off and little bits of ripped up filter strewn on the floor. It is an understatement to say that I was less than impressed. The vacuum -- the only vacuum that any of us likes -- and now it's in pieces on my living room floor?!! Ugh.

Did I mention that last night my computer died? You know, the one with all my pictures on it and my homeschooling resources on it? Yeah...so maybe I wasn't in the right frame of mind for this mishap. Maybe I could have done with a bit more sleep or maybe....well, anyways I'd had it. I sent the kids packing upstairs and had my own meltdown. Not pretty I know, and obviously I'm much too old for such behaviour, but there you have it -- reality. Not always pretty.

Now, while I was trying to figure out what to do next I could hear my kids whispering to each other that maybe they should give me a hug...then they called through the heat register, "Mommy, I love you!" No sweeter words have I ever heard.

Wow, I needed that.

It may not have been the greatest day and I may not have been the greatest Mommy but I do have GREAT kids. Is it bad to say that I'm thankful that they're all sleeping at the moment? ;)

Tea Party Time!!

2011-04-20T22:56:00.014-03:00

Sometimes routine can get a bit boring so we like to spice things up a bit with tea parties or shadow puppets or whatever comes to mind. Since there was a lovely winter storm watch for our area we thought a nice tea party would be just the thing to chase those snowflakes away! :)

The kids love it! They love getting into their dress up clothes and having Mommy dress up too. We had lemonade to drink and cheese and crackers and chocolate cookies! We had candlelight and nice music in the background. The kids brought their stuffies with them and I do believe we all had a grand time!! Wanna see?!! :)

The guests and our munchies.

Just thought this was an adorable shot of Emma-Lyn...So sweet!

And then there's Sean being his usual crazy self!! LOL So not to be out done, Emma-Lyn gave it a go...

Classy, Emma-Lyn!! :)
Then Sean pulled out his cuteness factor...Love the fact that the lamb he's holding onto used to be Marko's when he was a little boy.

Course by this time the kids wanted to try their hand at taking some photos...So here is Emma-Lyn's first attempt...
Yep, my legs...Great eh...okay, lets try again shall we?

Well, at least we got my head in this shot! :)

Ahh, now that's more like it! :)

Hmmm...

2011-04-18T21:19:00.003-03:00

Having a bit of a time here trying to figure out what to write...what's important...what do people actually want to read and when am I just blathering on?

Ooooh I know what!! Bet you'll never guess where I'm typing this post from!! Up until now I have always had to trek into the kitchen (sometimes with my warm blanky draped around me) But not anymore!! :) Thanks to my thoughtful hubby, I am no longer bound to my desk!! He got me an early Mother's Day gift! My very own little netbook!! So right this very minute I am happily typing away with my feet up on the coffee table and my bum plopped ever so comfortably on the couch!! YEEE HAW! :) Its taking a bit of getting used to but I really like it! Its a snappy blue colour too!

Today the kids and I went out to the garage and brought out the sled/wagon that Grampa and Gramma Hope got them for Christmas. It still had it's winter runners on so it was high time we got the wheels on it and take it for a spin! The kids were ever so thrilled, we circled around the driveway a couple of times and then we went for a brisk walk...man the wind was cold this morning!! Can't wait to go for longer walks maybe even picnics with this rig! :)

After Nate went down for his nap, Sean and Emma-Lyn and I got to work on our Easter pinata. We grabbed balloon and started the ol' paper mache. My lands was it ever messy! Glad I remembered to get the kids to wear their smocks before diving into the stuff! They really enjoyed it, but were a little flustered when they realized that they could no longer play with the balloon....and of course this was the last balloon in the house! :)

I was going to make cookies today but only got the dough made...it needed to be refrigerated anyways and the roast had to go in the oven! Mmmmm, yunmmy roast! Marko says he'd really like to clean out a cookie dough bowl, so maybe I should go get that done. :)

And this is our Easter egg pinata so far! Lovely eh? :)

What a Weekend!!

2011-04-11T20:35:00.002-03:00

It was a most wonderful weekend!! My folks came for their first visit to our new home on Saturday!! The boat isn't open yet so they had to drive all the way around, which meant a very long drive for them, but I'm ever so happy they had the stamina and enthusiasm to make the trip! I went running out in my sock feet to greet them and give them the backyard tour.

Marko and Sean had been out shopping and came home just after we had finished the house tour. It was so fun to show them our place and see how much they liked it too. The kids were super excited to see Gramma, Grampa and Auntie Karina too. But I think they really loved playing with their dog, Trooper. I wish I had a picture of her because she is just so sweet and the kids loved her. She even got to have a sleep over at our place. I loved having a dog again, if only for a day!

I'm happy to announce that my first real turkey dinner was a success! Mom brought potatoes and we had asparagus in a cheese sauce and stuffing, and honey glazed carrots and rolls...YUMMMY! Grammie Peric came for dinner too and we all had a fine time eating and talking and laughing with (at) the children. :)

After supper we settled in the living room and went through our bedtime routine of pray time and story time. Sean insisted that everyone pray and he even helped Grampy pray which was really sweet. Then Grampy got the honour of reading the stories. Sean decided to "read" Dr.Suess' Sleep Book for us. Apparently the boy has the book memorized! We stayed up to chat for a wee bit before the folks headed over to their suite for the night, leaving us with their sweet pooch to take care of. Trooper did really well on her sleep over, she barked only a couple times and then setttled in for the night.

In the morning after breakfast we decided to walk over to where Gramma and Grampa and Auntie Karina were staying. They had a lovely suite at Lane's Cottages...It had a most spectacular view and the accommodations themselves were awesome! My folks are looking forward to coming back often! :)

Once back at our place we settled in the living room and enjoyed visiting and nibbling on crackers and cheese and grapes and watching the children do "gymnastics" for us. For lunch we were treated to Gramma's seafood chowder (for those who enjoy that kind of thing) and pizza soup (for those who do not enjoy the seafood so much)...It was sooooo delicious! The Hopes were back on the road heading home to Nova Scotia soon after. It was such a wonderful visit! Can't wait to go over there and visit.

That afternoon after naps and quiet time we decided to go out for supper at the Dynasty Restaurant. Both Marko and I had a hankering for some Chinese food. We were finished fairly quickly so we thought we'd go for a wee drive before the evening service at church...and this all went well until we thought we'd try a road we'd never been down before...mistake!

Even as we were winding down the muddy, rutted road Marko mentioned going back, but I was confident that the car could handle it and encouraged him to keep going....mistake...

Marko listened to me and not long after we got most firmly stuck in some very hard packed snow...Once we realized the car was not going any further, I started to laugh. Couldn't help it... We got out and tried our best at shoveling and scooping and pushing, but there was no way, no how that our car was going anywhere. The kids by this time were getting antsy and we realized we needed help, so while I got the kids out of the car, Marko called his boss to see if he wouldn't mind coming down in his truck to help us out. Thankfully, the day was warm and we had mired ourselves in a very beautiful spot. There was a stream nearby that the kids and I could toss stones and twigs into, which the kids thought was the best thing since sliced bread. We convinced them that we were on an adventure and they really enjoyed it. I was also thankful to find a stroller in our trunk and I was ever so happy that we had stopped by the Superstore earlier and had some blueberry muffins to help pass the time.

It wasn't long before Kevan came with his truck and rope and slowly but surely was able to pull our car back up the hill and out of the snow... I was soooo happy and by this time getting cold as were the kids. We happily thanked Kevan and piled back into the car...This is one Sunday I shall not soon forget. To be honest, I really enjoyed our adventure, it taught me the value of having an upbeat attitude during a trying circumstance. :) I hope you all enjoyed your weekend as well.

The Hopes at our house!!! YAY!

Gramma and her great girl!

Ummm, okay this pic was supposed to be the last one, but oh well....would you look at what I found growing my backyard!!! So excited to find this! :)
Gramps and his kiddos reading together...:)

Too Busy

2011-04-04T20:59:00.003-03:00

Ever have one of those days or weeks or maybe you have one of those lives that seem oh so busy all the time?! This past week was too busy for me! 4 times I drove into Charlottetown and 2 times I drove my hubby to work. And for someone who doesn't do a whole lot of driving on a regular basis, that was a lot of driving to do in a short span of time! Phew! Looking forward to this week and less trips to town.

On Monday I had to take Nate in for his check up and I have to say it was one of the fastest doctor's appointments I have ever been to. We hardly waited in the waiting room and once in the examination room the doctor was in and out in no time. It hardly seemed fair to go right home after that so we headed over to Value Village where I picked up a sweet wok! I have been looking for one for some time and was super pleased to find this one. And I found a cute little teapot that I just couldn't resist and nice little dress for Emma-Lyn. The kids also picked out a few dinkies to take home. Enjoyed stir fry for supper on my new wok! :)

Tuesday was Bible study morning so into town we went and the kids had play time while I got to chat with other moms and read the Bible...so refreshing! Afterwards we went to McDonalds for lunch...Have I mentioned yet the Emma-Lyn is doing an amazing job with potty training?! She finally is into it. I put panties on her and she was hooked, wanted to wear them all the time! And for those few times she soiled them a good friend mentioned to tell her that the princess or other character on he panties is sad when she wets them...this worked like magic!! (Thanks Sarah for that helpful hint) Unfortunately when she is so busy playing she still sometimes forgets to go pee and so there we were at the playplace at McDonalds and she wet her pants and I had not extra clothes...ugh...Thankfully friends were there to help out and we got home without an accident.

On Wednesday we were back in town because the homeschoolers had set up a field trip to the Charlottetown Police Department. I left Nate and Emma-Lyn with Bonnie and took Sean to the station. It was a really good tour, but they were not ready for such a large group and they had to split us up and we ended up having to wait an hour or so before going on the tour. The kids did enjoy it and liked meeting their K-9 unit! And seeing the lights on the patrol cars is always a hit.

On Thursday I was in town again for a homeschooling meeting. I love getting out to these as often as possible. Its just so nice to get together with other moms and hear what they're doing and whats working as well as whats not and to help come up with some practical solutions. This time I brought my friend Jackie with me and we had a grand time!

Friday...oh poor Friday...I was sooo fried by this point and all my energy had left but Friday is my cleaning day...needless to say it was not the most accomplished cleaning day. We did manage to try out a new recipe but, it was in my opinion, a flop. I have been wanting to find a good lemon chicken recipe and I thought this was going to be it...but it was just soooo tart and icky...but hey, we tried it...guess I'll keep looking for that recipe or convince Marko that it's time to go out for Chinese!! :)

And now I leave you with these cute pics:

We have begun what I hope will be a wonderful routine/tradition. Cleaning up after supper together. Hopefully it will become a time to chat and discuss ideas/events and clean up all at the same time. Right now we're working on the logistics of it all, but I'm loving how it's working out for us.

Caught in the Act...

2011-03-28T21:16:00.010-03:00

So often as a parent I find strangers are always around to catch your kids in the middle of a tantrum, or the kids are acting up, or talking back...you name it and while some people share knowing glances and some the occasional nod, there are still others who glare or "tsk" as if their children had never acted up in public. I can't say I enjoy these encounters all that much. I'm pretty sure its at those times I'm hoping that the floor will just swallow me up! But today was different. We were in Value Village and having a grand time when a lady noticed the children and asked me about them and then mentioned to them as well as myself how well behaved they were!! I near fell over from the shock! It sure is nice to have someone else catch your kids doing the right thing! :) I thanked her and left feeling very much encouraged. As well, there were many patient and kind people around while we were out. People who waited patiently while I took my kids out of my car so they could get into their car. People who saw me and my brood coming and would kindly open doors for me. It was really nice. So could you, if you see a mom out with her children give her a smile, a word of encouragement or just open a door? :) Who knows, your small act of kindness could be a highlight of her day. :)

Now for a few pics of the sweeties themselves:

First up Nate...he's growing up so fast!

Then my Big Boy Sean...such a character!

And my sweet princess Emma-Lyn.

First Day of Spring!!

2011-03-21T21:07:00.003-03:00

And oh what a glorious day it was!! I was so happy to see the sun again!

Emma-Lyn was on a sleep over last night so that meant it was just me and my boys today. This morning after I put Nate down for his nap, Sean and I decided we would see how much crap we could take out of the garage and throw in our garbage bin...Seeing as both were nearly full, I only got about 2 feet inside the garage. Nonetheless we made some interesting discoveries...The previous owners loved hunting...still had a stuffed deer head mounted on the wall...ick. They also were all about the 8 tracks and had an entire case full of them. They had oodles of different types of tape, nails, screws, hinges, door knobs and just general what not... Our most interesting finds were what appears to be a functional, if a bit dated barbecue...hopefully we can get at least one summer out of it. We also found a fishing pole for Sean...He was mighty pleased about that!! There was a fully functional VCR which I promptly took and hooked up to our tv (seeing as some little hands have managed to mangle our old one) and last but not least there was a satellite dish on the floor...that, I didn't do anything with, just thought it was interesting to find.

In the afternoon both boys and I headed out to the backyard to do some yard work...okay so Nate went out to eat dirt mostly and Sean helped until he decided he wanted to pretend he was sword fighting. :) I got about half of the yard cleaned up and I think its really beginning to look nice out there! (also found the large compost bags in the garage...made the job a lot easier)

Oh and I also found a hanging flower pot...I'm excited about putting that together. I went to a Ladies Night out last week and received a potted vine to put in it, so now to just find the other flowers to fill and then hang it outside my front door. I'm so excited to really start gardening this year. I hope to have a couple of flower beds as well as a small vegetable garden.

I cut Emma-Lyn and Nate's hair this week. This was Nate's first haircut and I have to say it was a bit emotional for me. My little lad is growing up so fast! He looks like such a little boy now and not as much of a baby. I love that he is still such a cuddle bug though, here's hoping we can hold onto that for a good while longer!

The evening Daddy greeting. The kids get soooo excited when they see Daddy coming home, there is much screaming and rejoicing as well as a bit of pushing to get to him first!

My sweet goofy girl...I wonder who she gets this from?!! :)

See what I mean?! Such a little boy now...sniff

We Went Snowshoeing!

2011-03-14T20:57:00.005-03:00

The homeschoolers group set up a lovely afternoon out at Dalvay for some snowshoeing this past Wednesday. I've been snowshoeing a way back when I was a girl guide and I was looking forward to sharing this experience with Sean. He was pretty pumped to be trying it out!

I was able to leave Emma and Nate with my good friend Shirley...she is awesome...She still took them in after I explained that I had forgotten Nate's diaper bag!!! My lands where has my brain gone these days?!!

Sean and I met up with the rest of the group at the little centre out at Dalvay. We were a pretty big group so we split up and one group went snowshoeing right away while the rest of us got to listen to a lovely presentation about animals in PEI. Sean enjoyed the presentation but was anxious to get going. And unfortunately the group that went snowshoeing first took longer than expected. Once they finally got back, away we went. Sean was great at snowshoeing... I decided not to wear them since the snow was so packed you really didn't need them, and because I wanted to be able to help Sean if he needed me. By the time we got out there though, the sun was starting to set and the wind was pretty bitter. The guide was a bit long winded and as I checked my watch I was supposed to be picking up Emma-Lyn and Nate at that very moment. I was freezing by this point and most of the kids had taken off their snowshoes, we decided to bail and make our way home. We stopped in at the centre to warm up a wee bit and have some hot chocolate and cookies.

The next homeschoolers event is a tour through the Charlottetown Police Department. Sean is really looking forward to that one!

Sean's footwear.

All set to take it to the trail.

On his way. He was an old pro at this.

Just thought this was interesting so snapped a shot.

And a couple of pics of our homemade bird feeders. They seem to like the Fruitopia container the best.

Fun Busy Days

2011-03-07T21:28:00.002-04:00

It has been a full week with many ups and downs and way more snow than I ever want to think about. Thankfully right now it is raining and the snow is melting! We can actually see our entire driveway already! As Marko said this evening, "We may have more snow but old man Winter's back is definitely broken!" I sure hope he's right! :)

This week the kids and I did a little experiment of sorts. I had put up a store bought bird feeder and hadn't seen a bird near it in a week. So we set to finding some possible homemade ideas for bird feeders. We ended up with a carton style, a pop bottle style and just a hunk of stale bread slathered in peanut butter and then squished into some seeds and all hung from branches of our tree in the backyard. I'm not sure if the bread just fell out of the tree or the birds knocked it out, but it landed on the ground and was promptly devoured! It took a little while for the birds to check out the other feeders but they did eventually and do seem to enjoy it. So far we've seen Blue Jays, Starlings and a Chickadee. We think we may have seen a woodpecker at one point but it flew away before we could get a good look at him. The kids are loving watching the birds from our patio doors! And I'm ever so pleased that the crows are staying away. They sometimes hang out in the higher branches of the trees but won't come down.

Ever have one of those days? Mine was on Tuesday...the kids and I were going to Charlottetown for a playdate and everything seemed to be going smoothly... that is until I woke up...:) The kids were fine but there was heaps upon heaps of snow in our driveway...ugh! I would have to shovel that before we could go anywhere. Thankfully Marko shoveled a fair amount before his ride came to get him, so that was encouraging...then the plow guy came by and cleared the rest of it. Great, I thought, now this won't be hard at all. I got the kids ready and in the car in no time, I jumped in the car and away we went...well almost. That is we went maybe a couple centimeters...the car seemed to be stuck, quite firmly I might add, in its ruts...ugh! So out I hop and go grab one of the kid's shovels and do some quick shoveling around the car. I decided instead of taking the shovel back around to the deck I would just pop it in the side door. I am ever so glad I did as it would seem I had completely forgotten to shut the door let alone lock the thing! Yipes!! I got back in the car and with a little cajoling we were able to make a get away! Phew... I still can't believe I forgot about that door being open!

This weekend Marko and I got a new kitchen cart. And I just love it! It is so handy and looks great in the kitchen...helps me envision what the kitchen renos will look like! I've included a picture of it for your perusing pleasure.

One of our first little visitors...next time I'll have to get a shot of the actual bird feeders! :)

The new cart, don't she look grand?!! :)

Happy Birthday Gramma Hope!

2011-02-28T20:38:00.004-04:00

For my family (that is the Hopes) if its your birthday and you don't live in the same house, well then, we are going to call you up and as soon as you answer that phone we all gather about the phone and sing Happy Birthday as loudly and joyously as we can! No birthday is complete without this phone call. Gramma Hope received her call this morning with much fanfare and fun on our end of the phone! Gramma Hope seemed more than pleased to get her special call.

You will be happy to know I haven't come up with too many new projects for Marko these day so the poor man is able to come home and actually rest. Last Monday was Islander Day here on the Island so Marko had the day off which was simply grand!! I finally took the opportunity to clean out the car....my that thing was (as my father would say..) a STIG PIE!! (i.e. a pig sty...ahem) The backseat was covered in all sorts of crumbs and winter clothes, sippy cups and plain old dirt! It was great to get it cleaned up again. Together we got through our mountains of laundry and few other jobs. Sean decided we should have some worship time, so we sang hymns and read the Bible and prayed. Later we all walked to the bakery to pick up a few treats, which the kiddos enjoyed immensely. We enjoyed our dinner by candlelight and cleaned up from dinner together. Such a lovely day.

The kids (the older two) are such great little helpers. After supper we all clean up the kitchen together and do the dishes. Its so nice to have the kitchen all cleaned up before settling in the living room for stories and songs.

I am so ready for Winter to be over! So many storms...in fact one is raging out there tonight...UGH! I am not fond of winter driving and driving through white out conditions does not tickle my fancy one bit. I did it though and while I enjoyed to trip into town, I was ever so glad to pull into my own driveway safe and sound.

I am so looking forward to walks down by the waterfront with the kiddos. We went down on the only nice day this past week and it was spectacular! It is so close by and the trail is wonderful...Can't wait for green grass and warm sunshine!!

Of course, this past weekend we had another storm and lost our power but, thankfully it was back on before breakfast! I do so enjoy my coffee in the morning. The snow was over by the afternoon and we were able to get out for a bit and run a couple errands.

On Sunday we headed over to the MacDonalds' and had a super fun time! The kids headed to the backyard with the dads and had a great time sledding down the hill. I snapped a couple pics then took some of their cute little doggy, Hilda Mae. Fun! :)

Now for some picutes:

Daddy's home, time for ROUGH HOUSING!!

Time to shark slap him!! YEEE HAW!

Ride 'em cowboy!!

Nate's turn....ummm Nate?!

That's better, but what happened to Marko's hair?!!

My cuties!

And all three of them...

Time to ROUGH HOUSE!!

Nate's all tuckered out...so sweet.

Coasting down the hill! Marko is down there at the bottom to catch the kids.

And this is Hilda Mae...ain't she sweet?!!

Got her up dancing..so funny!

Love the way her tail looks like a wild headdress.

And then all the kids played house together.

And This Post is For My Hubby...

2011-02-20T20:26:00.003-04:00

Why a post for my hubby? Well the poor man has a lot to put up with being married to me! Take this week or even one day from this week for an example...

After a long hard day at work, Marko comes home to find out that I single-handedly managed to break open his coin sorter...you know the one he got from his mother- in- law for Christmas?!! Yep, I'm good that way. I had taken the thing apart because Sean and I were working on money for school time and I needed some change. And this thing was just about busting at the seams with the stuff so it seemed a good idea at the time. I thought that it was supposed to come apart and was not daunted when the thing did not come apart easily...I'll have you know it took a LOT of muscle to pry that thing apart!!! I got it apart and Sean and I had a lovely time discussing nickles, quarters, dimes and pennies and their value, but I soon realized afterwards that I had no stinking clue as to how to get the coin sorter back together...And while I was sorry that I had ripped the thing apart, I had a good feeling that Marko could get it back to working order in no time.

He was not entirely impressed with me and what I had undertaken with my day and as he surveyed the wreckage he asked, "Was there not some point where you thought about waiting until I got home to try to take apart the coin sorter?!" Ummmm, that would be a negatory on that one Sweetie....I was quite determined to work with Sean and money and this seemed the best option, you know, at the time...ahem... At this point I left him to his work and puttered about the kitchen. After some muddling he was successful in restoring his beloved coin sorter to its original shape and form!! I was so proud of him!! :) With that sorted, we decided it was time for a break and we'd watch a show on our DVD player...We sat down on the comfy couch, I looked over to where the player was and 'lo and behold, the DVD player was no longer in it's usual place!! I could only laugh at this point...Marko sighed, got up and found the player in behind the stand, lying on the floor. My only guess is that Nate came by and pushed the thing as hard as he could until it magically disappeared!! Marko put the player back in place and all was well and good with our little world once again!!

Hmmm, wonder what little projects I could come up with for him this week?!! :)

Now for a cute photo shoot of Nate...

"Well if you must take pictures of me I guess I can comply..."

"I'll even look cute for this one! See how I've folded my hands here? Really upping the cuteness factor in my humble opinion."

"Why so many pictures?! I think you're up to something!!!"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"What do you mean there's a rice krispie stuck under my nose!!! I'm calling my agent!!!"

Happy Belated Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T21:02:00.001-04:00

I really enjoyed my Valentine's day this year! It was a two parter!! Marko and I went out for dinner on Sunday night to a local Chinese place and had THE most delicious food!! We went for a lovely drive and came home to watch a movie and eat the BEST ice cream! (which just happens to be President's Choice Chocolate Fudge Crackle...ohhh so yummy.)

Then on Monday the kiddos and I made some chocolate chip cookies and valentines and brought them to our neighbour. Her husband works out west in the winter so we thought she might like the company. :) That evening Marko and I finished our movie and had more ice cream...I LOVE chocolate!...oh and one funny thing that happened....Marko had bought me some of my favourite chocolates...they're the "They Taste So Good I Can't Believe They Aren't Ferrero Rocher" from the Superstore...I LOVE them! Anyhoo, Marko thought he had hidden them and was going to give them to me on Valentine's Day but, Sean found them and brought them out to us in the living room saying, "Look Mommy here's more of the chocolates you love!!" Too funny! I shared them with the fam and we all enjoyed them much to Marko's chagrin.

I got my haircut finally!! I was so tired of the old ponytail look. I mean, come on! I'm 34 and still wearing my hair the way I had it in high school?!! It wasn't all that cool then and certainly not now! Its nice and short and might I say stylish?! I hardly know what to do with myself! :)

Had a bit of a day today...I LOVE Tuesdays, I could almost say I live for Tuesdays! On Tuesday we have the ladies Bible study at the church I went to in Charlottetown. So I usually pack up the kids and head in town for the day! In the afternoon I go to my best friend, Bonnie's house and have an absolutely fabulous time....but not so today...Today the weather was not one little bit interested in cooperating with my plans. It decided to snow and blow so much that schools were closed and the study was off...I do so look forward to it...And here I had the car and couldn't go anywhere. Booo!

So now to come up with a plan of what to do with the day. I decided to make some Hazelnut Chocolate Chip Muffins which did seem to turn out well. But for some reason as I took the hot muffin tray out of the oven I decided to touch it with my bare fingers!!! OUCH!! Not bright!! Thankfully the burn isn't too bad but, the incident did nothing to improve my mood. Then Nate found some time to head up to the bathroom by himself and play in the toilet....My how I love to find him in there, all covered in water and holding the toilet plunger!!!

What did save the day for me was playing This Little Piggy with the kids...over and over and over again! They LOVED it and so did I...nothing like having them jump into your arms to get tickled!!

And another highlight of this past week was at bedtime and I was taking him to his room and I told him good night and he said, "Nigh, nigh." and popped his little thumb in his mouth and rested his head on my shoulder...I could have melted!

Me and my new do!

The REAL me and my new do...If you've ever wondered if I've changed over the years, the answer is no!! ;)

This Post is For My Uncle John Hope

2011-02-06T22:16:00.003-04:00

Just why is this post for my Uncle John? Because he is obviously a dedicated reader who just had to have more posts on this ol blog!! I love you Uncle John!! There, that should put a smile on his face don't you think? ;)

Things here are going well and we've had exactly zero incidents with baby powder this week!! YAY!!! I think the highlight was when Sean announced that he was getting to be more and more like his daddy and when I asked how so, his answer was that he was beginning to burp and fart just like him!! Classy!!

This weekend we made a journey to the western end of the Island to visit our friends The Skys and go sledding down their massive hill! I had such a hoot trying to go down the hill with Miriam...we never seemed to get too far before falling over into a massive heap of snow and laughter!! Sean had a blast going down on the crazy carpets time after time after time!! Emma-Lyn seemed much more content to stay at the top of the hill and eat snow. Nate came down with me a couple of times and seemed to enjoy it.

Today our region was hit with a whole lot of stinking snow which did not make me all that happy...I had hoped to go into town to see my best friend Jennie before she heads off to Israel on Monday but it was not looking like that was going to happen...but thankfully the snow did ease off and we were able to make it into see her and Troy at the Tims! The kids were also very excited to see Jennie and Troy. Sean announced that he wanted to sit beside either Jennie or Troy and when we left he had big hugs for both of them and also had a hug for a friendly lady that was sitting at the table next to us...She was pleased and mentioned how he had just made her day...I thought that was so sweet! :)

So heres to the coming week and all the snow that they have forcasted for this area...

Here are a bunch of pics of Nate with his blankies. He is such a cuddler and just LOVES his blankies!

Like Father, Like Son

2011-02-02T20:27:00.003-04:00

This kid just amazes me! Sean decided this morning that Dr.Suess should have written a sequel to his Sleep Book that would be titled The Awake Book...of course. But seeing as Dr.Suess is dead, Sean decided to take it upon himself to write his own version of the Awake Book. He drew the pictures first and then he told me what he wanted to write and I wrote out for him which he then copied into his book.

So without further ado may I give you Sean's first book: The Awake Book.

The cover...not sure who the people are...

The mother went to work.

After work she went to the grocery store.

Then the mother went home.

Okay so, not quite as rhyming as what Dr.Suess could turn out but, these are definitely all things that I'd rather do while I'm awake! :) Guess Marko has some competition now...Sean might get his first book published before Marko. :)

Gotta Share...

2011-01-31T21:18:00.006-04:00

So here I thought I would just update every Sunday but, its only Monday and I'm back again!

I don't know if the kids realize that I'm back into blogging about our life but they have made today so very interesting that I just had to pop in and write about it.

I had such grand plans for today! I was hoping to do a whole lot of baking. Over Christmas I made a few goodies but not nearly the amount I had hoped for. I even bought a cute recipe book of tasty goodies that I only used a couple of times, so today was supposed to change all that...

I started with a Hazelnut Biscottini, which suggested that I roast my hazelnuts and then rub the shells off them before coarsely chopping them up...seemed simple enough...except the roasting on the skillet didn't go so well (their suggestion) so then I tried a little roasting in the oven before rubbing them which seemed to work better but still not fabulous. With what little I could get clean of their shells I began to chop up...until I sliced into my ring finger!!! (I just got a new knife set as a house warming present and MAN are those knives ever stinking sharp!!!) So, that quickly threw things into a bit of a tailspin and at this exact time all of the kids were hungry for snack so now I'm dancing around the kitchen trying to apply pressure to my finger to stop the bleeding while I try to get the box of cookies out of the cupboard...Fun times I tell ya!

Finally band-aid on and bleeding stopped I continue on my merry little way...that is until I realize that I haven't heard my princess in a little while and last I saw her she needed her pull-up changed so I stopped every thing and headed upstairs...There she was, nothing but a smile on her face, admiring the view in our bedroom mirror! She had her blanky from her bed and had pulled all the sheets of paper towel off the roll in front of her. It was quite the spectacle...Thankfully she had dealt with her pull-up herself so no further cleaning was needed.

That dealt with, back to the kitchen I went. I have to admit that I gave up on the hazelnut thing and tackled a couple of easier recipes instead. I made chocolate toffee cookies and some mystic bars. And while getting right into the swing of things for these recipes I could hear some impressive bumps and thumps coming from upstairs. I had to force myself to go and check it out...probably would have been advisable to go up much earlier...Emma-Lyn again with nothing but a smile on and Nate was now in on the action, he at least was still fully clothed but, he was covered from head to foot in baby powder...as was Emma-Lyn and the hallway floor had quite the dusting as well!! I actually stopped to take a picture of Nate as it was just too funny!!

I did finally get my cookies and bars made and all the kids went to bed with clothes on...All in all a pretty successful day!! :)

Ain't he cute all doused in baby powder?!!

So at supper we had cucumber slices and when I went to cut Marko a few extra slices I saw this and thought it was photo worthy. :)

And then the kids wanted to snap a few pictures...this was Emma-Lyn's handy work.

And Sean really wanted a picture of the inside of one of my pots...

Time For a Fresh Start!

2011-01-30T20:57:00.003-04:00

It has been awhile but, I'm ready to get back into writing and dedicating time to my blog. I decided to update the look and some of my personal info... it was getting a little out of date! I'm hoping to stick to a schedule of updating once a week every Sunday. I like sharing all the funny things the kids do and I've missed doing that the past little while. I have also decided to take a break from Facebook...Hoping this helps me stick to my schedule! :)

And if you are a follower from way back in October and find yourself here again and reading along, I say, thank you! Its great to have you here and I hope you enjoy the stories and goings on in my house!

It has been a busy 4 months since last I wrote! My youngest baby turned 1, my big boy turned 5 and my little lady turned 3!! My, how quickly the time flies eh?!! We also finally moved!!! YIPEEEE!! My hubby and I had been looking for our own home for the past 5 years, when this cute little 1 and 1/2 story home came to our attention! We found the house at the beginning of December and made the move to Montague on December 29th. And to keep us on our toes we decided to head over to Nova Scotia to spend Chirstmas day with my family! That was crazy busy!! But now we're all settled in and really enjoying our new place. Montague is a cute little town located in a very picturesque part of the Island. I can't wait for summer time when we can go for nice long walks with the kids and really start exploring our new surroundings!

Gotta end the post with a few pics of the fam. :)

Our new little home! :)

The crazy Christmas time of 2010! :)

The older kiddos and I try to have some special time together every day and on this day we decided on a dress up tea party! So much fun!

I LOVE this kid!! So very very messy though!! :)

I just really liked this shot! :)

Our Thanksgiving Adventure

2010-10-11T20:04:00.006-03:00

I am happy to report so speedily that we had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of little twists and turns to keep us all on the edge of our seats.

We left for the mainland a little after 8:30 am Sunday morning. We didn't wake up until 7:30....which made trying to get out the door very hectic. And me not thinking that we would be pressed for time, didn't have everything packed up and ready to go. So while I was herding the children to get dressed and eat their breakfast, I was also running around picking things up and packing them, trying to remember everything we might need. I managed to get everything together with Marko's help, but it wasn't until we were in the car that I realized that I hadn't stopped to get my own breakfast. We thought about stopping to pick up a muffin and a coffee but, thought it would be better to get to the Ferry on time.

We got there in plenty of time. We did not realize just how windy it was out on the Strait and the boat had a hard time coming in to dock, but dock it did and quickly we were all loaded in and we headed up on deck. We were surprised at just how many people were on board and seeing as it was the smaller (and in my humble opinion, crappier) boat, the seating was slim pickings! We did manage to find a row of seats together and settled in to make the best of it...And then we set off into the WILDEST and ROCKIEST boat ride we've ever had as a family...(Marko and I had a worse experience on our trip to the Magdalen Islands but we'll leave that for another story)

The boat tossed and rocked, rolled and pitched. It didn't take long to see colour draining from fellow traveler's faces and even Emma-Lyn looked like the motion was getting the better of her. So I took her over to one of the windows in hopes that this would help her feel better, which thankfully, it did. Sean and Nate didn't seem bothered by it at all. Marko was less than excited about all the rocking back and forth, but I was fine and tried to keep the kids entertained. By the time we were getting close to N.S the waves and wind were calmer and the kids and I were able to wander around some. Needless to say we were all very happy to get into our car and drive onto solid ground once again. We finally made it to my parent's door step just in time for dinner!

What a scrumptious dinner it was! Lots of turkey, potatoes, crocolies (this is broccoli and cauliflower together with a delicious cheese sauce) sweet potatoes, gravy, cranberries and so much more. We stuffed ourselves silly and then sat in the living room for a wee bit. Since the boat ride over had been so extremely eventful, we were thinking that we'd drive back over the bridge, but we were not relishing that idea too much. So when Gramma Hope suggested we stay the night we were more than delighted. We were not all that sure how we would fit everyone but as Grampa said, "Where there's a will, there's a way."

That afternoon, the children helped Gramma Hope pick tomatoes from her garden and we checked out the fish in the pond and went for a little walk up the lane. While the kids watched a bit of tv, Marko and Auntie Karina and I went in town to pick up an air mattress for Marko and I to sleep on. We also picked up a few other necessities and then headed home.

The children had their supper first, while we set about our plan of action for appropriate sleeping arrangements. We settled on having Sean and Emma-Lyn sleep on air mattresses in Gramma Hope's office and Nate had his playpen set up in Gramma and Grampa's bedroom. Marko and I would camp out on the air mattress in the living room. Nate had a bath and then was tucked in for the night. Sean and Emma-Lyn took a bit of cajoling but were in bed by about 8. Then the evening was ours! We had scrumptious turkey sandwiches! We chatted and laughed until about 10:30 or so when Karina pulled out the new air mattress which came with it's own motorized pump...unfortunately that pump did not come with 4 D cell batteries and there didn't seem to be any batteries of that type handy. Also to make matters more interesting we couldn't seem to be able to use a regular manual pump to inflate it. At this point Grampa Hope and I took off to the nearest convenience store for batteries. As luck would have it though, Auntie Karina found another motorized pump that fitted the mattress and they were able to inflate the mattress before we got home.

With all that taken care of it was most definitely time to pack it in for the day. I went up to nurse Nate while the others brought his playpen downstairs and put it in the dining room. Nate took a bit of convincing but was soon off to dreamland once again.

In the morning we had breakfast and checked on the Ferry schedule to find out that all the boats were running smoothly! We decided that we'd take the 1 o'clock boat back and spend some of our morning at the Green Hill Look Out. It was a stunning day with the sun shining and all the leaves on the trees in such brilliant hues of red and yellow. A great way to also celebrate our 7th anniversary! :)

After a quick lunch of tomato bacon sandwiches, we packed up the car and headed for the Ferry. Upon our arrival we were met with the most wondrous of sights!! The GOOD boat instead of the crappy one was going to take us back to PEI!! I was thrilled!! This boat is bigger, it has much more seating and there is even a place for the kids to play! I didn't even care that the car would have to go down in the hold, I was just so pleased to not be on the other boat. The crossing was fantastic. No rocking or rolling, a bit of bumping around but nothing to compare to our previous crossing.

Once home we unpacked, threw the kiddos in the bath and threw some supper on the table. We gobbled that down and put the kids to bed. Phew! A great weekend to be sure!!

I hope you all enjoyed your Thanksgiving as well!

A star is born!

Helping Gramma Hope pick tomatoes.

Nate doing his part...
And that would be upping the cuteness factor!

Sean attempting to work the water pump...Just for FYI my folks do have running water in the house. :)

Checking out the pumpkins.

Reading time with Grampa Hope.

As we were going to leave, Gramma and Grampa's dog Trooper wanted to come with us! :)

And now just some scenic pictures:

The next two are from the Green Hill Look Out:

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2010-10-09T21:34:00.005-03:00

Yep, it's well over a month and I'm finally updating the ol' blog again. It has been such a wonderful summer!! The weather was so fantastic!! We spent a lot of time outside, at the beach or in the backyard.

I had my birthday and it was a whole lot of awesome! My bestie came over with her kiddos and surprised me with cake and presents! I was flabbergasted!! LOVED it! Then that night Marko took me out to see our friends the Skys. They also surprised me with a wee little cookie with a candle and a many facefuls of yummy nachos!! Total blast!

This fall saw the beginning of our adventure in homeschooling! We are loving it! Not every day is stellar but, over all it has been an awesome experience! Sean is quite the keener so it makes my job easier. Emma-Lyn has also been reaping the rewards of this new situation since it means new things for her to do as well.

This fall has also been a new adventure for our oldest kiddos as they are now roommates. I was so nervous to try this out... I just wasn't sure how the two of them would do. They have done superbly! I couldn't have dreamed it any better. They love being together and it has really made routines go much smoothly! They still fight over stuff and do regular sibling things but, it really has been a great change for us. Nate is now in Emma-Lyn's old room and in a crib which has been a good adjustment for him as well.

I can't believe that my sweet baby boy is going to be a whole year old in just less than a month!! He has been so much fun! He is a great little guy and I couldn't imagine our family without him. He is super smiley and loves his family. He isn't walking yet but the boy is ever so quick on his hands and knees. He loves to clap his hands and make his brother and sister laugh. He's also trying to figure out how to snap his fingers. He'll watch me intently as I do it and then he'll look at his own little fingers and try to get them to do it too. So sweet!

Tomorrow we're heading to the mainland to celebrate Thanksgiving with my folks. Totally looking forward to that. The kids and I have been making crafts all week to bring to the festivities! They had a lot of fun and got pretty messy doing it.

So here's to a Happy Thanksgiving to you all...I am thankful for any and all who actually still drop by this ol' blog...I know I haven't been a very good blogger so it's nice to know that some people are still interested in our little part of the world. :)

My surprise birthday cake.

The gal who makes everything happen!! Where would I be without her?! Probably lonely... :) Love ya Bonnie!! Thank you so much for being you!

My wonderful son showing off his amazing nose blowing abilities! I am soooo proud!! LOL

Crowding around the cake.

Our friends, the Skys. So much fun!

Summer fun!!

Love this face!

Emma-Lyn on her new to her bed on her side of the room.

Two sweethearts!

And now on Sean's bed.

Ain't he cute!
Love this kiddo! So funny too!

Out on our daily walk! Another part of our homeschooling routine that has been soo good for us and a lot of fun!

Ooooh, how could I forget our first time geocaching!! The kids had a lot of fun!

The kids painting their masterpieces to take to Gramma and Grampa Hope's!

At Long Last...My Post About Our Weekend on the Mainland

2010-08-29T23:08:00.000-03:00

So I've been working on this post for the past week...slowly so slowly posting pictures up every night...Blogger was insanely slow at getting these up so that's why it was a nightly event... :)

In any case finally I'm here to tell you how everything went from beginning to end! Hold on to your hats folks! :)

On Friday we took the kiddos to the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade in town. It was a very long parade...about an hour and a half long but still a lot of fun and the kiddos seemed to enjoy it.

Here is our happy little crew awaiting the parade...

We managed to find Troy and Jennie and what a delight it was to have them with us!! Emma-Lyn spent a lot of her time sitting with Jennie. :)

These horses were amazing! And this is pretty much my best photo from the parade as my camera's batteries died shortly there after.

After the parade we went home for lunch and naps for the kids. I cleaned the car (I know, odd thing to do, but its so much nicer to have a clean car when going on a road trip!) and then finished packing it up. As soon as the kids were up from naps, we had them in the car and on our way in no time.

The kids love the ferry ride! They amused both themselves and other passengers with their antics...I lost count as to how many times we walked up and down the decks!
I don't suppose you can tell that the lad was having fun eh?!!

There's my baby girl...all Queen of the world!! :) Doesn't hurt to have Daddy helping you up!

We landed at my folks place the same time they got home from work so you can just imagine the chaos as the kids go skittering about all over the lawn and the adults are busy setting up house in the tent and getting supper together (thankfully my folks had the presence of mind to pick up a couple of delicious pizzas from the Superstore!) It was awesome! We sat out on the veranda and enjoyed our supper, but just before supper the kids had the thrill of a lifetime when Grampa Hope showed them how to live it up country style!!...
"Yes kids, its time to play, Roll the Tires!!!" Mom's car needed new tires so this was what happened to the old tires!!

Emma-Lyn and Grampa made a fantastic duo at rolling tires!

Sean showing off his brute strength!

You can just imagine how incredibly pleased Gramma Hope was about this!! The poor flowers had no idea what hit them...
Taken from the flower's perspective!! I know I'd be shaking in my roots!

The homestead! I love this place!! After being here for the weekend, Marko and I are more determined to find a home for ourselves in the country.

The whole lot of us, minus Nate who was already in bed by now. Again, the pizza was scrumptious!!

While Nate got to sleep in the luxury of a play pen in the house, the rest of us were roughing it in the tent out back. I was a little wary, not knowing how the kiddos would react. They did amazingly well!! Emma-Lyn complained about being hungry, but then Sean told her how to go to sleep...by watching him! Too funny to hear them chatter in the back room while Marko and I tried to sleep in the front room. Nate was up through the night for a feeding so I ran in and just when I was going to head back out, the heavens opened up and the rain just came tumbling down!! I decided I'd rather not get soaking wet and headed to the living room to bunk out on the chesterfield for a bit. When it slowed down I made a dash for it and made it in the tent before it started up again.

Come morning the rain had passed and everyone survived their first night camping in a tent. In the morning the big excitement was to go with Grampa to get the paper.

Off they go, the happy trio.

Once they had the paper, each child got a section to bring in as fast as they could! Sean looks like a little paper boy shouting, "Extra, Extra Read All About It...Perics Survive First Night in Tent with Flying Colours!!!"

Emma-Lyn on the other hand would rather run and read! And Grampy was just pleased to have all the company. :)

The day started out kinda cloudy and grey but quickly became sunny and warm. We decided to take the kids to the Museum of Industry and do a bit of grocery shopping.

But first a pic of the lovely little pond out back behind Gramma and Grampa's house...
Doesn't it look wonderful...I just love this little spot. So serene and beautiful.

The kids also loved throwing apples, twigs...whatever they could find into the water. :)

And this is the Museum of Industry in Stellarton. The kids had a hoot!

They had Sean's attention right away!The boy is all about trains and I'm sure he could've spent his whole time just playing on this train.

My two little monkeys!

This is such a great museum. So many hands on things for the kids to do! Here the kids find out about the usefulness of pulleys.

Learning about the power of water!

Here they get the chance to work on a chocolate factory assembly line...I Love Lucy flashbacks anyone?!! :)

Nate had a great time checking everything out too. So thankful for the Mobi wrap. Kept him happy and my hands free! :)

Emma-Lyn and Daddy pulling the bell in the train.

A very charming look for Sean?!

I love Nate's expression in this one! :)

Okay, so this was Sean' absolute fave part of the whole museum. We'd go off to see other things and he'd always want to come back here to check on the trains! :)

It was a wonderful morning out and we headed back home for some lunch and some time just around our little home away from home...seen here:

Such a great tent!

We had bought the kids a life jacket so I took Sean and Emma-Lyn out on a tour of the pond...They had a grand time!

So happy...just sailing along.

Happy kid or what?! :)

That night we were in bed by 9:30. I didn't think I'd be able to fall asleep so early but I did! And the kids did too and thankfully, it was an uneventful night :) We decided to head to Magic Valley Theme Park for the next day.

This is just a little theme park not far from where my folks live. I worked there for two summers as Daisy the Talking Cow...as seen here:

Nope, I wasn't in the cow...she's mechanical. I stood behind that window with a microphone and chatted with people as they entered the barn. :)

Sean and Emma-Lyn weren't quite sure what to think. But as we went on different rides the kids wanted to come back to Daisy to talk to her. At one point we were half way across the park when we headed over to the barn and Emma-Lyn kept calling out DAISY, DAISY!!! It was so cute!

Here is the girl herself taking a wee car out for a spin! :)

Here is the fam on our fist train ride!! :)

Going around the bend!

Looking mighty pleased!

I used to come to this place as child but back then it was called Storybook Village. There were little houses and scenes from children's stories and rhymes set up along a path.

Sean and Emma-Lyn with Humpty Dumpty. I'm sure there's a similar pic of my sister and I kicking around here somewheres.

Along this path there is a castle and sadly the best they could come up with to put in here was this:

They called them the Beach Bunnies...and oh how creepy there were and still are! They were the bane of my existence when I worked here. When I wasn't Daisy, I had to run up to the castle and let patrons "enjoy" the sights and sounds of these bright fellows. As you can guess they sang Beach Boy songs much to my delight/horror... I do not like the Beach Boys and whenever I hear one of their songs a part of me dies just a little bit...LOL

And the kiddos reactions...I did manage to get Emma-Lyn up to dance for a bit. Just outside the castle are a couple rides which apparently even adults can ride as seen here:

Daddy and Emma-Lyn driving their fighter plane.

Nate wondering where his family went and why did they leave him here?!

And then it was paddle boat time. We had a nice relaxing time on these. Although Emma-Lyn was a little miffed that her feet couldn't reach the peddles to make the boat go.

Our final ride of the day were the bumper boats which both Sean and Emma-Lyn enjoyed immensely!

Emma-Lyn kept asking Daddy to spin her!! She loved it!

After Magic Valley we headed back home to pack up the car so we could catch the 4:30 ferry. We made it and had a lovely trip back to the Island. The kids were all in but their shoelaces by the time we got home. We gave them a quick supper of sandwiches and sent them to bed... Ahhhh, what a great family vacation!!

Ever Have a "Tool" Moment?

2010-08-08T20:38:00.002-03:00

I have....many upon many of times...truly my life is made up of a long string of tool moments! :) What is a tool moment you may ask? Simple. Its any time you do something ever so embarrassing! Like I said, my life is made up of them...

Take this morning for instance, we were all running around the house getting ready for church...I had to get the kids dressed, change a poopy bum, get my self dressed and out the door to get to church in time, in quick order...so sometimes, somethings inadvertently get missed...not to worry, we didn't forget any of the kids at home or anything like that. :)

I was pleased as we drove off that everyone was in the car and in good spirits and I relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed a friend walking into the church and I was not only relieved to know that we weren't late but, also noticed that she was wearing cute shoes...and then an interesting question popped into my head, "Oooh yeah, what did I finally decide to wear this morning?!" Yes, I really did have this mental conversation with myself...only to realize that I had forgotten to put on outdoor shoes...I was still wearing my house "slippers" Now thankfully, they aren't pink or fuzzy or even resemble much of a slipper but, still!! I was walking into church with what I am accustomed to just bumming around the house in!! So while they looked normal enough, inside my head I'm thinking, "Do they know that, that white splot is just a bit of calamine lotion?? or "Do I look like I just jumped out of bed and ran out the door?!!" Aaaaahhh, good times!

Busy, Busy

2010-08-02T21:54:00.005-03:00

What a month and I can hardly believe that July is already over!! How does time go by so fast?! It has been a great month weather wise! So much sun shine to be outdoors and playing in! The kiddos have enjoyed afternoons in the backyard with the kiddie pool and morning excursions to the beach with friends!

My folks have been over and this month we hope to head over there for a weekend getaway! My folks are going to Cape Breton while we will hold down the fort for them and take in some local fun! I really want to take the kiddos to Magic Valley! I worked there for two summers as Daisy the Talking Cow!

We went to two weddings, both of which were so much fun!! My fav though had to be Tammy and Doug's wedding! I got to co-MC their reception and my lands, what a great dance afterwards!! Malcolm and Heather's wedding was absolutely the most picturesque I've ever been to, with it down by the water and seeing the rolling hills beyond.

I spent two weeks babysitting my friend's little ones in the mornings while they took their older children to swimming lessons! That was a hoot! It was pretty busy by times but always so much fun and I especially enjoyed the Mommy time afterward.

There have been friend's birthdays and games nights and wedding showers to go to and who could forget Canada Day to get the whole thing started! This year was a bit of a twist as Heather's bachelorette was that night so I was on a boat out in the harbour with the gals while the fireworks went off! And what an awesome display it was this year!

I went on a photo walk this month which was a total hoot! I'm thinking about joining the Charlottetown Photographer's club...Met so many great people and had a blast just taking shots of downtown Charlottetown early in the morning.

So here's to August and all that it has in store!! :)

Sean on his new bike with training wheels.

Malcolm and Heather. :)

Playing at the park.

The surf at Tea Hill Park.

One of my shots from the photo walk.

When my folks came down we played the Wii! So much fun!

Karina was really quite good at it!

Dad had a lot of fun too!

Grammie and Nate.

From the photo walk.

The kiddos playing at the beach.

Mmmmm Just One of Those Moments...

2010-07-13T23:22:00.001-03:00

One that I'm going to cherish forever. I just love my kids and this was one of those moments for really taking in and remembering every little special detail.

I had all three of them outside. It was very hot and humid so Nate was just in his little diaper and the other two in their t-shirts and shorts. We went to the backyard and set up the kiddie pool. At first Nate and I sat on the big plaid blanket near by, but then Nate really wanted to get in on the action and decided to spend some time splashing his fat little fist in the water. Then he was off to go investigate the mud under the deck. I wasn't too interested in him coming out caked in mud so I quickly scooped him up and took him to the hammock.

The hammock is so relaxing. I leaned back and laid him on my chest and oh, if you could have just looked into his eyes...such merry, loving eyes! I rocked the hammock as the summer breeze brushed over us. He put his little head down on my chest, while one little hand was balled up in a sweet baby fist on my arm and the other was grasping my other arm. He settled in and murmured a bit to me before drifting off to sleep....Ahhh this was pure heaven for me. I soaked in every minute of it...watching the older two play in the pool and the mud, listening to their squeals of laughter while rocking back and forth and holding my wee little one while he snoozed. I breathed in his sweet, soft babyness and smothered his head in kisses...mmmmmmm. I love being Sean, Emma-Lyn and Nate's mom...

Milestones...

2010-06-29T21:33:00.004-03:00

Man, these kids of mine just seem to growing in leaps and bounds these days. Nate has gone from crawling to climbing and pulling up on everything and seems to want to eat anything and everything we give him!

Sean is doing more things on his own and is quite a valuable helper around the home. He buttons and unbuttons his own shirts...this astounded me since I never spent any time teaching him how to do this. He can buckle himself into his car seat. He is learning to ride his bicycle...without training wheels. (not that we don't think that they'd help, we just haven't bought any yet and the boy is anxious to get on his bike) He loves to listen to stories...We've gone through Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, The Trumpet of the Swan and now we're tackling The Swiss Family Robinson. It amazes me to read these books to him since they have little to no pictures to look at, yet he will settle in right beside me, lay his head on my shoulder and just listen. I love story time with him!

Emma-Lyn is learning to pedal her tricycle...She loves to be able to do all the things she sees her big brother do. She can be quite the little cuddle butt these days too, which in my books, is always welcome!! :) I think she would like to help more with Nate but just isn't big enough yet. She loves to help me with the laundry...you should see her fold it!! So funny!

This week looks to be another busy one. We had hoped to take Sean to see Toy Story 3 tonight but it was sold out. :( So now we're thinking we'll try for the Sunday matinee! On Monday evening I tutored a Chinese family which has been a LOT of fun! The couple are so sweet and charming. On my first evening they sent me home with Chinese tea and a special fruit drink. And before I head home their daughter will play the Chinese Guzheng for me, which I just love! Tomorrow evening I'm headed to a friend's place for movie night, really looking forward to that!
And of course, Thursday is Canada Day and we have family fun planned. Also, I have a bachelorette party to go to that evening. Saturday is the wedding and Sunday we're going to try for the movie make up. Should be a lot of fun to say the least!

Here's the Nator Tator getting his crawl on and scooping up all the dropped cheerios!

My students at the Diverse City Event on Sunday. This is the Chinese Guzheng that I wrote about earlier. Such a beautiful instrument.

It's been raining a lot these days so I decided to go out and try a out a few shots.

Canada Day here we come!

Now just some more fun photos I took.

I love what this picture taught me about perspective. When I first snapped it, I was a little disappointed that the power lines were in the way but, now that I look at it, I love it!!

Happy Father's Day!!

2010-06-20T20:21:00.005-03:00

It has been a most fantabulous weekend!! We spent the day in NS with my folks yesterday which was awesome!!

We couldn't have asked for better weather, the sun was shining and the breeze was cool. We arrived and just had a great time chatting while the kiddos played with my old toys! So funny to see the old Seasme Street people and buildings!

After lunch we headed outside to soak up some of the beautiful sunshine!! The kids got right into it and ran around as starkers as could be! Mom and Karina filled up two dinghies with water and let the kids have at it. Oh, the squeals of delight and peals of laughter that they let out! After awhile we dumped one out and I took it out on the pond for a wee ride... it was delightful! So peaceful and serene out on the water. It was lovely to be able to dip my hands in the cool water as I floated quietly along. We also put the tent up to see what kind of shape it was in. The poor thing needs some fixing but was in good enough shape to put the suitcase of toys in so the kids had a place to go play when they tired of their little pools. We sat in the shade, ate blueberry coffee cake and sticky buns and drank ice cold pop.

For supper we had cold turkey with stuffing, cranberry sauce, a couple of different potato salads (one with diced up apple...which was extremely yummy!) and strawberry shortcake for dessert (my favourite!) Then we were off to catch the boat to head back to good ol' PEI.

I love going to my folks place. There are so many memories held in that old home. We moved there when I turned 14, so I spent my whole high school career there. I love the smells and sounds of the house. It's about 100 years old and it is so lovely and unique...one of the walls is actually curved and there is a dumb waiter between the dining room and the pantry. The stairs squeak and groan as you tromp up them and the view from any of the second floor windows are breathtakingly beautiful! Before we moved here, my grandparents lived in it and my sister and I would come to visit every other summer for a couple of weeks. There's plenty to remember from so many years gone by. A pure delight to be sure...then there's my family...I just LOVE Them!! There's nothing quite as comforting as spending time with people who know you so well but love you just the same! I know we can be loud and wild and crazy by times, but I love it and wouldn't want it any other way! I love you Mom, Dad and Karina!! You're the best!

Today, while a lot cooler and cloudier, has been simply wonderful as well. We went to church where I got to teach the 3 year old Sunday school class. What a hoot!! There were just 4 of them, but let me tell you, we had a mighty fine time together! Loved it!! After lunch, Sean and I set to work making a cake for Father's Day...Daddy even pitched in to help and now we have a lovely chocolate cake ready for frosting and then eating!!

We headed to the bookstore after Emma-Lyn and Nate woke up from their naps. We also hit the library and picked up a couple of books and the movie Madagascar 2. Then we went to a nearby park, but not for long as the rain started up and the lightning and thunder came around. We quickly came home, cleaned up and the kiddos and I sat down to watch the movie while Marko went to Superstore to pick up supper: Chicken dinner with potato salad, potato wedges, apple pie and vanilla ice cream!! YUMMMY! When he came home we paused the movie, thoroughly enjoyed our meal, cleaned up and got the kiddos in their pjs and then finished the movie. The kids were scooted off to bed and now we're just catching up on Facebook and I'm finishing this post for the ol' blog...Hope you all enjoyed your Father's day weekend!!

A Hope family portrait from way back when!! I love this picture :)

Mom and Dad's place...So love it!

I love the view!

Marko enjoying his Father's Day weekend!!

Just couldn't resist taking some pictures from my mother's beautiful Sutherland's garden.

Sean and Emma-Lyn down by the pond. They love throwing stuff into it.

My sweet Emma-Lynny... I love that hat! A friend of ours made it for her and I just think it is so sweet.

Auntie Karina and Nate sharing some quality time together.

Having Fun With Photography...

2010-06-14T20:26:00.003-03:00

I love playing with my camera and taking pictures of whatever happens to catch my eye. Today I was out with the kiddos and found some flowers that I thought were fun and interesting to photograph. The kids even got into it and would point out flowers and such that maybe I'd like to take a picture of! I wish the batteries hadn't died before we went out in the afternoon. I let the kids go scampering about in the light rain bare foot and blowing bubbles! It was such a great photo op! Oh well, I'll know for next time! Anyhoo, here are some shots of what we found today!

Found this blossom on the ground and just started turning it this way and that to get different angles...I love the colours and sweetness of it... I think a couple of these pics in an arrangement would be nice in on a wall in a little girl's room.

I just love the symmetry of this one.

These little blossoms are just so small, I had to get a shot of them!

And there is something about the vibrancy of the colour yellow.

I loved catching that little critter in the act! :)

And who doesn't love the simplicity of the buttercup! :)