Flowers

Well my garden is growing quite well. I mean it will get better and better. But here are some spring shots.



This will be my favorite spring flower.



These are bulbs from Oma. I think they are claled bluebells. But if there is another name does anyone know it?


I think this one is Salvia.



And does anyone know what these are? They came up all through my one garden. I'm not sure if it's just a pretty weed.

Have a great weekend.

Jenn

You Capture: Family

We had a neighboor friend take our picture this evening for this week's You Capture. Here we are the family.



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Specialist Apponitment

So they called today about our eye specialist appointment for Lucas's "stye/cyst". She said it was in the future, so I was thinking July.... no November. He may have this thing until November. I'm hoping it will be gone by then. But my goodness, isn't that crazy.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Monthly Newsletter- Month Forty Five

Dear Lucas,

This week you had your monthly birthday, and again I'm late with letter. I may have to find a new way to do this becuase I'm becoming forgetful. And as you are getting older things don't change as quickly with you.

We have had the adventures with your eye. You have been really great through all of it. When we have gone to the doctor I have been worried about you not wanting to co-operate, but you have been really great. I hope this continues as we go to some different doctors and that it is not just Dr. Faul who you are comfortable with.


One of my favorite times with you is when we spend time together and we are "friends". It's fun to do stuff together as a family, but I also really enjoy just spending time just the two of us. Like one of your doctors appotiements we had to get a prescription filled so we went to Starbucks for a snack while we were waiting and had fun. It was just you and me.



You started playing soccer this month and I love it almost as much as you love it. You really love it. For the first week after we played you asked if we could play every night. You even enjoy practicing during the week. We have alot of fun going and every week you continue to get better and better.



You are loving the math. You love adding. You enjoy figuring out adding on your fingers. I try to encourage it and we count things or add things in the car. We are looking at buying a new vechile and lots of vans now come with DVD players. I debate on getting one for you and Nathan, but we seem to learn alot while we are in the car driving around. Playing eye spy, looking for numbers and letters. So I think we'll stick with the computer that we can bring in the car for long car trips and not a DVD player you could watch all the time.

Well little buddy, I'm looking forward to another month of funess!

love mommy

Outdoor Weekend

We had a really fun weekend. I love that the weather is nice outside. We did lots of gardening and garage sale-ing. Two of my favorite things. Spring may just be my favorite time of year. At the garage sale we got some good kids deals. One place we went they had Hot Wheels track. It had a 15$ price tag on, we offered 5$. She didn't take it, so we walked away. Next we saw this huge thing
We offered him 5$, and he took it. At another place they had a box of books. Guess how much we got this book for? Keep in mind it is a 40$ book regulairly. (I'll tell you in the next post)

The weather was nice, so we spent lots of time outside.



Beautiful flowers from the garden



Playing on the grass, with Nathan


Lucas trying to stay away from Alexis and the camera

How was your weekend?

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

You Capture: Sweet

I have missed the last couple of weeks of doing the you capture, but I love sweet things, so thought this one would be a fun one. Plus there is a funny story to tell about sweet things today.

I know I am very lucky that I only work part time, but this week I ended up working three days in a row. That it more then what I usually do. So this morning when we were off to our the kids dayhome Lucas started whining that he wanted cinnamon buns. So we stopped at Sobeys and got a whole tray of cinnamon buns. I took them to Lesley's and I think she was making fun of me and how I spoil my kids.




So here are a picture of my sweet cinnamon buns. Which Lucas only ate 4 bites of.



I also wanted to share this super cool find. Barenaked Ladies ice cream. It's good and it helps support literacy.

Long Weekend

It was great long weekend. Two days of outside-ing and gardening. The kids love gardening too. Playing in the dirt, digging etc. We planted an apple tree. The tulips are up and giving some color to the garden. I bought a plant called Black Lace.



We planted a whole bunch of vegetables. Lettuce, carrots, potatoes, beets, beans, tomatoes, zucchini and corn. We'll see how they all turn out. But I'm hoping we'll get lots of vegetables and maybe even a few apples. Although I'm not counting on the apples.

Went to go see the doctor about Lucas's eye. About a month ago he had a stye in his eye. It wasn't going away, so we started to put a hot compress on it. Then it turned into a large bump under his eye. So last week I took him into the doctor, thinking they would just tell us to keep putting warm compresses on it and it would go away. But no, the doctor, put him on antibiotics for a week and a follow up appt today. Today we were referred to a specialist so they can remove the "thing". So the story is to be continued.


How was your long weekend?

Till Tomorrow

Spring Playlist 2009

Every couple of months I put together a new playlist. This one has been a while coming as I have been listening to the Weakerthans endlessly since the cruise. But to save Darryl's sanity I have put together a new one. Here it is:

1. Glad Girls - Guided By Voices A great song, got it from How I Met Your Mother. It's a catchy song it will be in your head all night.
2. I Can't Stop Laughing - The Trews This song and the first one are my favorites on my new playlist. This song is great for dancing to.
3. Wonderwall - Ryan Adams Remake of the Oasis song, slower
4. Heartless - The Fray Remake of the Kayne West song, Lesley I think you would like this song
5. Come On Get Higher (Live) Matt Nathanson- Lori if you like Jason Mraz, you'll probably like Matt as well.
6. Apology Song The Decemberists - My new favorite Indie band, they are coming to the Calgary Folk Fest.
7. Through & Through & Through - Joel Plaskett I loved his song Nowhere with you. This is another dancing song.
8. Sleeping Sickness - City and Colour A great Canadian song. Ian I think you would really like this one.
9. Romeo and Juliet - The Killers Another remake, but a good one.
10. Our Retired Explorer (Dines With Michel Foucault In Paris, 1961) - The Weakerthans So this is my newest Weakerthans song, great for clapping and dancing.
11. Walk On By - Bryan Adams Heard this one at the Junos, it was great.
12. Now My Feet Won't Touch the Ground - Coldplay
13. Unless It's Kicks - Okkervil River A great song that builds and builds and it's great for groving.
14. The Rake's Song - The Decemberists. A free song from Starbucks. Who knew they gave a new free song every week. If only I loved one of their beverages.
15. Long While - Barenaked Ladies. This song will probably come out on their new box set. It is such a FUNNY song.
16. Tug of War - Carly Rae Jepsen This is my new favorite "radio" song. I don't get most songs from the radio, but this is one of the few of them.
17. Fifteen - Taylor Swift . This song reminds me of Mackenzie
18. Use Somebody - Kings Of Leon I know most everyone has heard of this band, but they are new to me and I like them.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Community

This week someone wonderful from the x-ray community died. He was friendly and kind and helpful. He died tragically and suddenly and shocked us all. The man who originally told me was crying which made me start crying and I'm still sad about it.

But in all this tragedy one good thing has come out of it. The x-ray community came together to help each other. Today I worked at the hospital where this man worked and people came from all over the city to work in the x-ray department so all of his co-workers could go to his funeral. People came from all over to help each other. It was a good thing that came out of this tragedy.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Fun Day

This morning when Lucas asked to go to the zoo I was all over it. I always love the zoo and even though it rained for parts of it. And even though a bird pooped in my hair, it was still a really fun time. So we enjoyed our waffles and whip cream and headed off.
If you have been reading the blog for a while you'll know that we go all the time. So there won't be any pictures of the typical animals just the interesting moments of the day.

Here is a Joey popping it's head out of it's mommy wallaby's pouch.


And the gorilla's were awesome. Very close to the glass. Also the baby Yewande, the gorilla who turns 1 year old tomorrow was right there watching Lucas.

Love the zoo

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Guess What We Had For Dinner

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the mommies out there! My mothers day weekend was filled with dirt, good food and love.

I pretty much always knew I wanted to be a mother. I baby sat kids when I was little. Chose a job with lots of flexibility for when I did have kids.

Now I am a mother and love it. I can't imagine my life without them. They provide such entertainment and joy. They make me laugh and they make me cry (with tears of love). They make me proud and they help me with balance. They keep both my mind and my body active.

I love those boys.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Nathan's Monthly Newsletter: Month Thirteen

Dear Nathan,

Today you turned 13 months old and everyday I see you moving from the baby stage to the "toddler" stage. You are communicating although not with alot of words, but with sylablles and grunts and pointing. You have also become good at shaking your head no, when you don't want something or someone is doing something you don't want, like Lucas taking a toy from you. You will also lay your head down on the floor and cry or throw your head back and squint your eyes with frustration. It will be nice when you can talk and be able to tell Lucas or myself what you want.


In this last month we started back at the dayhome. It is getting better as time goes on, but the first couple of weeks it was rough on all of us when dropping you off. You'd cry everytime. We've not had a couple of days of no crying, although you still don't like it when I leave. Once you are there I think you enjoy it and enjoy being around all the kids.



We spent lots of time celebrating your birthday. You loved the singing and the cake and the presents. Especially the ballon that Grandma and Pop gave you. It was a great birthday celebration and you did really enjoy it.


You love the animals. Really any animals. You get so excited when you see them. And what ever size the animal you want to get down to their level/in their face. So with little dogs or our cats, you lay down on the floor and babble at them.

Monkey see, monkey do, love doing what your brother is doing. Whether he is playing soccer and you want a ball to play with too. And his love for cars seems to have warn off on your as well. You now bhhhh bhhhh bhhh cars, which I love.


One of my favorite times of most days is when you and Lucas laugh at each other. I hope that you are really good friends with your brother as you continue to grow. Like I said you learn so much for him. Most everything he does you want to do as well. Whether it's playing with cars or riding plasma cars.




You are getting to an age where you can play by yourself with one toy for a while. You love to try to put lids on containers or play with the buttons something electronic. We have one of those wooden stackers and it is your favorite toy. It also helps with your fine motor skills as you can use your fingers to move the rings around to stack them. You also love to chase around a ball or a ballon. You can entertain yourself for a while by doing that too.



We have been enjoying the outdoors almost everyday now. It is dry outside so you can crawl around. You love the slide and for your birthday we got you a swing.


So you were loving both of those things while outside. Dad also is working on building you and Lucas a playcenter and you love being out there.

You also love being in the sandbox. When I make dinner we usally just open the door and let you go between playing inside with me or going out and playing in the sandbox. Although it has taking you some time to learn to keep the sand in the sandbox.




There are a couple of other cool things you have started doing. One of the things has to do with your eating. I am pretty lax with giving you your food in bite size peices and then letting you feed yourself. But I usually spend a moment blowing it off first. Which you now immitate. It's so cute to watch you blow off your own food.

We are at such a great point in your life. Your little personality is coming through. =) We do so much fun stuff together. I love to be around you and am glad that for a little while longer I'll be your favorite person.

love mommy

8 Years

8 years ago at this time I was dancing and having a great party. I loved my wedding, it was a phenomenal time. All the people there I love, dancing with my new husband and my dad and my uncles and my Opa. Looking like a princess, being with all my friends. It was a great time. Especially when I read last years post, it is amazing how much things change year to year. From 8 years ago when the best day was dancing with everyone I love to today being the best day when the only people I saw were the boys that my husband and I made.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

We'll both get better at it.

Tonight we went to Lucas's first soccer game. He has been looking forward to it for a while, we got the shoes, practiced in the yard and had lots of preparation. Tonight was the first practice and game. It was so fun. Mom, Dad and Alexis all came to watch and entertain the dog and the baby. The weather was beautiful, the coach was great and all in all it was really fun.

As you can see with three year old soccer the parents and kids both play. And there is no scoring or a goalie, just lots of running after the ball.



An action shot of us running

Lucas posing for the camera.

Another action shot.

Even Nathan got into the soccer game.


Mom and her boys.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Damn It for Forgetting the Camera!!

Tonight Darryl and I went out for our 8 year wedding anniversary. It was delicious. I do love good food, although rarely will I ever spend 200$ on a meal (and wine) for both of us. I'm fine with the Keg or Olive Garden most of the time. But we had a gift certificate, so we splurged on an expensive meal. The lamb was melt in my mouth, the scallops were cooked to perfection, the wine was so smooth, like I said it was delicious. Unfortunately I forgot my camera, because I love to take pictures of food.

And as we were walking back to the car 3 deer ran across the pathway in front of us. Probably about 3 meters away. It was so cool they were so close. Again damn for forgetting the camera.

We went and pick up the kids from our best friends who were taking car of them and drove home. On the ride home I could only think about how lucky I was. I have an AMAZING life. Married to a wonderful, good looking, kind man. Have two happy, healthy, funny and sweet kids. Work part time, have some balance, have a beautiful home. Great friends and great family. I am so lucky. I live a wonderful, blessed life.

I hope you are all having a great weekend.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn