June RoundUp

June was an interesting month..... it was busy with the end of the school year an all the fun stuff that comes with it.  Although this year was quite different.  This year was the flood. 

There was an enormous amount of rain over a day that the elbow and Bow Rivers really flooded.  Many people had water filling there basement and some lost their homes.  There was also significant damage to our beloved zoo.  There are some incredible stories about water up to the giraffes belly and the hippos getting out of their cages.  We live high on the ridge here so we didn't experience any personal damage and actually saw the spirit of the city come together.  There was a local state of emergency for weeks, so the last 5 days of school were cancelled.  Mostly not a big deal as the last couple of days of school are the fun stuff, but also a big deal as Lucas missed out on a lot of the fun stuff.  He did go back for half a day on Thursday to collect his stuff and say goodbye.  It was a good year for Lucas, he adapted much better then last year and had alot of friends in his class.  He also made lots of new friends which was good for him.  I'm glad that he is slowly coming out of his shell. 


We also did lots of fun stuff this month...

 Like drumming, which we went to with my Mom and Shaun.  It was a really fun experience.  It's cool cause you are all playing the same beat.  It's like a big jam session even though you are not skilled musician. 

We also did some golfing at the driving range, which made me think I could golf and since then I have been going with the girls for the last couple of Tuesdays. 

While part of me wonders what I am doing... I don't golf.... the other part enjoys being out and having a good time with such fun ladies.   Plus I think Darryl and the boys and I will go out in July when kids golf for free this week.  So I must enjoy it...

One day in June the kids and I went to the Lego store after school as Lucas wanted to get Darryl some Lego for Fathers day.  When we got to the store it was very quiet.  Really Tuesday around dinner time, not that busy.  While in the store wandering one of the employees asked if we had some extra time.  Part of me was thinking, no I don't want to do a survey, but the other part of me thought, but what if they give me a deal if I do the survery.  Of course the deal thoughts won out and I said yes we did have some extra time.  The employees asked if the boys would like to build some Lego, they had got some new Lego set that they needed built for the display cases.  The boys were excited, said they'd love to.  It was a once in a lifetime experience.  So for any of you going into the Lego store over the summer Lucas and Nathan built some of the Lego in the display cases.  



We also bought a new couch!  Our lovely old green couch was the first couch we bought when we moved out west.  It was a comfy couch that was good for napping, but I have been coveting this couch from Crate and Barrel for about a year now.  Luckily I found it in the as-is section at the store as it had a rip in the back about 3 inches long.  While dispointed the sales lady made me feel better by giving me a great deal.  This couch is great, it's hugs your body.  It's soft but you are still able to get up from it.

 I mentioned in the start of the blog about Lucas and the end of the school year and how things were odd with the flood, but really for Nathan there were a bunch of goodbyes.  He had a great year in preschool.  Finding the preschool was kind of a last minute thing, but I would highly recommend Leap and Learn where he went.  His teachers there Miss Shanon and Miss Jillan were fantastic.  I had the opportunity to volunteer there a couple of times and was really impressed with the way they handled the kids as well as their teaching and interaction with the children.  There graduation was also very cute. 

 Lastly the end of July as signified a big change in our lives.  The end of the Lesley era.  From now on neither of my boys go to Lesleys.  The great friend that I saw regularily 3 times a week will now be different.  It was always a treat to bring the kids there.  She was always so flexible with my schedule as it was never the same.  She also let me pee in her bathroom as I often forgot to do that the whole day of work.  =)  She has so many of the same values we did and the kids spent lots of time outside.  She teaches them so many of the important things in life, life how to treat people.  I don't know how I got so lucky to have found her to help me raise my kids at such an important and developmental time in their lives.  I will be forever grateful.   Luckily we still text and swim together.  So I still get to spend time with her, and I would have it no other way.  =)

Whew this is a long one....  took me days to write, hope it doesn't take you days to read.  If you even get this far.

Time for summer!!

Jenn

October Round Up

I just read over September Roundup to see how this month went and I see October was so much better then September.  My balance of work/home life was better, Lucas got better in school and the weather still stayed beautiful.

Things for Lucas have really improved over the month as well.  He was struggling with getting his work done in class.  We met with the teacher and we both suspected it was more of a confidence issue then a focus issue, as he's never had issues with being distracted before.  We worked at home with him trying to get him to write french words and Nathan and I would distract him or we would put the TV on and he'd still have to write a certain number of words in a certain amount of time.  I would make the time quite long to be sure he was always done in the time frame, again to boost his confidence.   Things at school have been steadily improving for him as well.  We have gotten a couple of notes home from the teacher when he has a really good day or writes quickly.  Even last week he put his hand up and answered questions in french.  Darryl had volunteered in the class the week before and commented on how Lucas didn't really participate.  But it's good to see that is improving as well.  We have also been working on speaking lots of french at home and he is reading to us in french.  He has learned so much and I am so so so so proud of him.  He has done a hard thing and came through it with really positive results. 

We did have Thanksgiving this year, but it was kind of a weird weekend.  I usually LOVE Thanksgiving.  It's my favorite holiday.  It has the good food like Christmas but not the commercialism.  And it reminds you to be thankful for all the wonderful things in life.  Well this year there was no turkey and most people went away.   It was fun to have a weekend alone with my sister and Auntie Karen came to have dinner with us too, but it just wasn't the same as having a house full of people and Darryl making turkey.   Although like I said I do treasure the weekends when my sister is down and I get her all to myself, so that was fun. 

We have been enjoying some fun family time too.  The boys are in a good age that we don't need naps anymore so we can go out and do something for most of the day.  Sometimes it's hiking or swimming.  One weekend this month it was Heritage Park.   Where I got some fun pictures of the boys.  We ate from the bakery.  Rode the train, fed the animals, played with the leaves, ran in the field and went on the rides.  It was fun. 

 Last night was Halloween and that was (as usual) really fun too.  The boys both dressed up as ninja's and I was a lion.  With my hair that's pretty easy to pull off.  The boys got lots of candy and there were quite a few kids here too.

 




Hope everyone else is enjoying fall too. 

Till next time

Jenn

Party Weekend

What a really fun weekend we had. On Saturday we went to my cousins wedding. We took the boys with us and it was cool to see there excitement. They saw a princess, went shopping downtown and danced their hearts out. I couldn't believe how much they danced. And they were so good at it. Kudos to Lesley for all their great dance moves. We went with Auntie Karen too, who is so so fun. Sometimes I forget how fun she is, but she makes those boys laugh with no props just sitting at a table.




It was great to see my uncle as a grandparent too. The couple who got married had a little 2 year old, who is my uncle's grandaughter.



Today we had my work kids Christmas party. It was so fun for Nathan. He had a sword balloon made and sat on Santa's lap.



Then this evening we had my mom's birthday dinner. I made lasagna and it was delicious and mom brought a fantastic bottle of red wine from 2003. Then I made a fantastic birthday cake. The kind of cake that is so good, you don't need icing for it. And it was super easy. Here's the recipe:
1 cake mix
1 pudding mix (instant)
1 cup of apple sauce or oil
1 cup of sour cream
4 eggs
1/2 cup of warm water
2 cups of chocolate chips

Mix all of it together and bake at 350 for 50-55min.

See, super easy and I made it fairly healthy (as healthy as cake can be) with fat free sour cream and apple sauce rather then oil.
Love Lucas's face in this one. Getting ready to blow out the candles. Just had to post it.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

French People

On the weekend we went to our friends house warming. Our friend is Chinese and most of her family was there. There were a lot of Chinese people there. Later that evening Lucas says: Mom, did you see all the french people there. Darryl and I though it was so funny. Lucas thinks that every other language other then english is french.

Till Tomorrow

Jenn

Nathan's New Favorite Thing To Do

Till Tomorrow

Jenn