2010 A year in reflection

Honestly, good riddance 2010. You have been a really crappy year. Darryl lost his job and I worked like a banshee to keep the money flowing. Darryl did find a new job and he really likes it, but it's downtown and he's gone for 11 hours a day now, which means I am responsible for meals, most chores and taking the kids to and from the day home the days I work. Ian died, tigger died, one of our best friends got cancer, Emma went crazy and ripped up parts of the house and jumped off the roof. Like I said, good riddance 2010, don't let the door hit you on the way out.

On a positive note, we did have some really good times too and got some good pictures....



Till Next Year

Jenn

Christmas 2010

As I sit here late on boxing day I thought I'd type up some of the lovely details of the last couple of days. We have had 3 nights of great food and great family. At one point on Friday night, there were 3 conversations going on in different parts of our living room and kitchen. I wasn't really part of any of them, but I was so happy to be surrounded by so many people who get along so well. I felt so lucky and blessed in life. It's also been great to see the boys and there joy over Christmas. It's been nice to give gifts that they really like, it's also great to give gifts that other people really like. I got Darryl a new apple product (which has been good for me too) and Mom and Dad and Alexis some new dancing games. But most importantly we have been able to share lots of time together. Auntie Karen was here for a couple of days and the boys were so happy to have her around. She is one of those people who genuinely loves being around the kids. Here are some picture highlights.

Alexis with her Just Dance game

Grandma with the plate Nathan painted.
Pop with his bag of onions

Some of the mess after Christmas morning

Karen, Lucas and Nathan with their cake.

Nathan in his guitar sweatshirt
Darryl, Pop and Nathan putting together Lego.





We have also been working on potty training Nathan. He's 2 1/2 and showing the signs of readiness. With Lucas we waited until he was over 3, but I'd love to be done with diapers and becuase we are home with him for over a week I thought this would be a good opportunity. The first two days were hard. We were 1/6 and 2/6 for the first two days. But at the end of the second day we seemed to have a break through, which Darryl and I needed for our sanity. Days 3 and 4 now have been much better. Of course now that I'm writing this who knows what will happen for the rest of the week, but I feel like we are on the course of being diaper free.

Well I hope all of you had a very merry Christmas. I hope Santa, or someone was good to you. But most of all I hope you got to have some good times with some good people.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Christmas Time

Work is winding down and our Christmas holidays are coming up. Not that we are going anywhere, but I'm looking forward to some fun quality time with my boys (all three of them) and my sister and all my big family. Even with all the work we have been keeping up with the "non chocolate" advent calendar. Here are some cute highlights:

Cookie making


Campout around the Christmas tree

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Working and more working.....

Well sorry for the lack of posts this week. I have been busy with the accreditation and for some crazy reason I picked up a bunch of extra shifts. Luckily three more days of work then I'm off for two weeks and oh how I'm looking forward to it. Even in the spare moments of the last week, I've spent them making cookies or buying presents. I have so much respect for those mothers who work full time. Working so much does make me grateful for the extra days I have to spend with my boys and my husband. Even the time to clean the house. The good part of it all was the hard work for accreditation payed off. And I'll have some extra money with the extra shifts. But I'm looking forward to a little balance back again.

Till next time

Jenn

Brothers...

Here are my two beautiful boys with their two blond heads.



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Accreditation

Hopefully my hair won't look quite like this after the next 4 days. At work we are having the CMA (Canadian Medical Association) in to do a major review of the program. This only happens every 6 years. We have to prove we are doing a good job with the students. If we don't they could potentially shut us down. So much of it is depending on what other people say about the program.... so yeah hopefully my hair won't look like this.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Start of December

I'm traditionally known as quite the bahumbug about Christmas. I find it to be stressful and all about the gifts. I much prefer Thanksgiving, where you have the food and family and greatful-ness without the gifts. But as the boys get older I really enjoy Christmas. It's great to watch them get so excited about Santa and lights and cookies and the fun things we do. They make it magical again.

One of the fun things is the "non chocolate" advent calendar (as my sister nicknamed it) The boys do have a chocolate advent calendar but we also have an activity that we do everyday.
Sometimes it's something bigger, like skating and sometimes it's something smaller like have breakfast for dinner. It's fun to see the kids excitement over what we do each day.
They helped to put up the Christmas tree (Saturday's activity) and we loved singing one of the bedtime stories.

We have been all a bit under the weather and I have a major review at work next week, so we are all looking forward to a couple of weeks of enjoyable family time.



Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Lucas Skating

I don't really like skating. It's not my favourite winter sport. As a kid I usually spent most of my time hanging onto the edge of the boards. So when Lucas friend Elliot's grandma, who picks the boys up from school. Offered to take the boys skating once a week I was all for it. The grandma was telling us what a great job Lucas is doing, so Darryl who does like to skate took Lucas to our community centre where you can skate for free. Here's how he did:



Much better then I do on skates, and this is only his fourth time. Glad to see he picked up Darryl's gene of being good at pretty much anything he tries.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Bahamas: A funny misunderstanding.

Jenn: I won two free tickets to the Bahamas tomorrow night.

Darryl: what?

a call just came in claiming that?

Jenn: No it's the folk fest newsletter, they always give away free tickets.

I always try to win becuase I love free music.

This time I won.

The only problem is they are on really late.

Darryl: so the Bahamas are a band, not the island

Jenn: Yeah, sorry... guess I should have clarified.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Love Bombs

Not sure if you have heard about this new great thing that the internets are doing called a Love Bomb. Each week the Love Bomb team finds someone who is in need of.... love. The love bomb team sends out an e-mail with the website of the person who is in need and "the internets" all go the the website and make comments on their blogs. So someone who is going through a hard time suddenly gets hundreds of comments on their blog.

It is a great easy way to contribute to the good of the world. And it is a great reminder to appreciate everything you have.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

My Dad's the Coolest

Look at the cool tobogganing hill Darryl made with the slope beside our house. He piled up the snow and banks it around the fence and the playcenter. He is a really cool Dad.


Till Tomorrow

Jenn