Soccer Time

Spring time means soccer for us.  Nathan has it on Monday and Lucas on Tuesday and Thursdays.    So we have been a busy family.  It's nice because both Lucas and Nathan play and it's really affordable.  With Nathan I've realized soccer is hard with 3 year olds.  The drills are not too bad becuase I can make them into little games, Simon Says, What time is it Mr. Wolf.  But the games are a challenge.  To try to get them to kick it the right way and then towards the goal and then stop once they are out of bounds is as much as I can handle most night (I'm the coach BTW).   Plus an hour of running around seems to be a lot for them. 

Lucas's soccer is more interesting.  The kids are more cooperative and the game is actually kind of interesting.  Still there are kids on Lucas's team who don't listen, but the have longer attention spans then on Nathan's team.  Lucas has improved over the last 10 weeks, but I'm not sure soccer is really his thing.  I wonder if he has a bit of me in him, which means he's not that competitive.  But it's been great to watch him grow and get better and better at the game.  Darryl was the coach for his team and did a great job.  He got lots of kudos after the game tonight and was asked to coach again next year, so we will have to see.  I don't have any pictures from Nathan's soccer, it was rained out the last couple of weeks, but here are some good ones from Lucas's soccer.

Till Next Time

Jenn

May Round Up

I was at work last night and I haven't been there in quite a while.  I kept thinking of all the things that happened this month, some planned and some unplanned.  I thought I should maybe start a monthly round up since the blog seems to have gone on the back burner.  But here is I"m sure a lengthy roundup of May

•  Started with Darryl and I returning from our trip to San Francisco
• We played ALOT of soccer.  More on that coming up this week
• Alexis and I went to London and Paris ( I know I still need a Paris post too)
• We finshed off the patio at the back
• I got a piece of glass stuck in the bottom of my foot, which hurt and I couldn't get it out.  After a couple of weeks of soaking it I went to the doctor.  He seemed quite uncertain about being able to remove it.  But after jabbing very painful freezing in my foot, he did get it out!!  YEAH!!  Amazing how such a small thing can cause so much pain. 
• I've done most of my vegetable planting.  I'm trying to plant them in square feet so we will have to see what the gardens look like.  I'm also trying to plant them every couple of weeks, so we will have harvest for longer.  
• Nathan has been doing some stuttering again.  It seems to be worse when he hasn't had a good night sleep.  It also seems to come and go.  It's something I'll have to watch.  They say for most kids it resolves itself by the time they turn 5, so hopefully it won't be a life long thing for him. 
• My dad got a new job, which he seems to be really enjoying. 
• My mom had her gallbladder out.  
• Lastly, we went to a U2 concert this week.  It's great to get one of those things crossed off a bucket list.  It was a really good concert and if you ever get a chance to go, I highly recommend it.   There is lots of lights and very entertaining (although a different kind of entertaining then BNL or GBS) Also very political and lots of awareness about Africa and Amnesty International.  

Whew, and June is just as busy.  Although after months of winter and staying inside it's nice to stay busy again.

Till Next time

Jenn

A Dutch Girl....

I love spring time. I love getting flowers and gardening and growing things. I get such satisfaction in growing beautiful things and growing delicious foods and even this weekend when I opened the bottom of the composter and saw lots of good dirt in the bottom, there is a real satisfaction in that. One of the first flowers that comes up is all the tulips. I am a dutch girl, I have an Oma and Opa and my Oma gives me lots of tulip bulbs. They looks so beautiful in the spring. Our privacy garden in the back is stunning.

Love the springtime and the beautiful flowers.


Till Next Time


Jenn

Easter Weekend

Last weekend we had a whole lot of family and friends over to celebrate Easter. Oma and Opa came from Kelowna and Arnie, Lucille and Shelby came from Saskatchewan. The boys were also happy to have Auntie Lexis and Auntie Karen come for a sleep over too. I love having a house full of people. I love it when there are so many people to talk to and visit with and to see Oma and Opa with all their kids was great.

As usual Darryl made a delicious turkey dinner and mom brought over a ham so we were sure to have enough food for the 18 people we were expecting.








TI

Until next time

Jenn

Go Fly A Kite.

We have a fair bit of wind here in Calgary.  I think a lot of it is the wind blowing off the praries, that and there are not as many trees here as there are in Ontario to stop the wind.  It's not as windy as Lethbridge, but we can still get some really windy days.  Yesterday was one of them.   But we took it as a perfect opportunity to use one of Nathan's birthday presents.


It worked really well. And we started a trend with the other neighborhood kids. Once we did it everyone else brought out their kites too.

Till Next Time

Jenn

March Break: Part One

This week Lucas is off from school on March break.  He was a little disapointed by this as he loves going to school and loves learning.  It is amazing what a little sponge that kid is.  The other day we were talking about vowels and how each word has to have at least one vowel.  About an hour later he saw something with my name on it.  He says "Mom I know the vowel in your name.  It's 'e'. "  For the rest of the day we continued to play a game naming which vowel was in a word.  What's the vowel in the word chin? What's the vowel in the word table? (a hard one) etc.  He would get most of them by sounding the word out and know what the vowel is.  The other thing my smartie has started to do a lot of is writing sentences.  Yesterday he drew a picture that said " I love my mom and dadee"  and another one that said " "The tabl is over there"  Really I can't believe how smart that kid is. 

We have been enjoying Lucas being off from school.  Today we all slept in till 8:30!! Even though I still am working we have tried to make my days off lots of fun.  Sunday we all went bowling,which the kids both loved.

Both boys smiling when we were done in their bowling shoes.

Someone was pooped after the zoo

Our next activity was the zoo, which I always love.  And it was  really beautiful day out too.  We went with our best friends. 

The boys looking at the python

Love this photo the boys in the foreground and girafees in the background

The boys watching the prahnas.

The otters!

One of the days I worked the boys went and spent it with their good friends, who are usually in school too.
 
So I think all in all it's been pretty fun for them.  Not sure what's on the agenda today, but there may be a train ride involved. =)

Hope everyone else is enjoying there week.

Jenn

Pictures from the Melting

We had two good weeks of really cold temperatures in late February early March. But in the last week we have had + temperatures all week. All the snow is melting, the kids are sleeping better because they are getting Vitamin D and fresh air and we are all happier. Here are some pictures from our playing outside.

Spending Time With Daddy

The boys have been enjoying spending time with there Dad. Even Nathan will accepted Darryl in the night if he wakes up. Two weeks ago Darryl decided to take the training wheels and the pedals off Lucas's bike. It helped Lucas to learn balance and not depending on the training wheels as much. This weekend we got Lucas to try and ride a bike with pedals and in no time he was enjoying riding a two wheel bike.





It's so amazing to see all the things he can learn. He is such a awesome kid.

Jenn

Signs of Spring

It has been so nice here over the last week. We are taking every advantage as I know it will snow again soon. But we are playing outside as much as we can, while we can.



Lucas zipping around on the plasma car.


Beautiful baby boy.


First signs of life in the garden. Yeah. Thanks Auntie Karen for the bulbs.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Fun Times with Grandma and Pop

Grandma's Captioning about the photos:

Here are the pictures that I took this morning. We had a waffle breakfast with Jenn, Darryl and Lucas. It was a beautiful day and Lucas wanted us to see him ride is bike. So off we went. Lucas did really well except when he had to go up hill. So Pop decided that he would look for a big stick. As we went up to the road there was a dumpster, so Pop climbed up on it a found a hockey stick. We then found a golf ball and Lucas knew exactly what to do. Then off to the park for a go on the slide.








It's funny how life repeats itself. I'm sure that the same sort of thing happened when I was a kid. My dad's dad (also Pop) use to collect cans with us after a big party on the beach. We'd come home with 10$ each. Now here's my Dad (Lucas's Pop) finding toys for him in the dumpster and having to carry his bicycle when he doesn't want to ride it. It was such a beautiful day and the perfect way to spend it - as a family.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Spring Has Sprung

Well it's spring here in Calgary. The weather is great, although we have had rain last week, it is beautiful and sunny. I have had kind of an emotional week. But am feeling very optimistic today. Maybe it's becuase the sun is shining or maybe it is because I am an eternal optimist.

Things at work were looking bad, but I've gotten good news today so all the craziness will get better. There are good people out there, hopefully we can recruit them.

Lucas, Grandma, Oma, Opa and I had a great morning at the zoo. We saw lots of beautiful animals. The mountains looked great.





My sister is coming to visit soon and I love her and need her help to buy new jeans.

I love the good weather. I can't help but smile when the sun is shining.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Spring

Well spring has sprung here for the next week. I'm sure that we'll have snow again next week (it is Calgary after all). My tulips are starting to poke through the ground, we enjoyed being out in the sunshine all morning. The days are getting longer as well, which means Lucas is getting up earlier in the morning. Kids are outside playing road hockey and then coming in and watch the playoffs. Speaking of the playoff I received this in my e-mail:

BTW, Wanna a wagger a dinner for 4 on the Flames series? Loser
provides dinner, winner brings the wine.
Sound good?? Let me know before Thursday puck drop time...

Don't you love to have friends?? Even if they are Red Wings fans?

My post today is not very clever, but this one is.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn