September RoundUp

Well this month was a challenge for all of us.  I had two weeks this month where I worked more then full time, which is hard for me because I usually only work part time.  But I agree to extra shifts and some extra duties so 2 of the 4 weeks of September were totally out of balance.


The other really hard part of this month has been school for Lucas.  He is having a really hard time adjusting to grade one as well as all of changes that came with grade one.  He went from half a day, English, catholic walk to school, school and now it's full days, french immersion, public and on bus.   Like I said it has been a really hard month with all the changes.  I posted already that I knew it was going to a challenge, but there have been many tears shed by both myself and Lucas this month.  I think the hardest part for him is how long the days are.    The first day of school when he saw me, he burst into tears.  I hugged him and he said to me "It's no fair mom that we got to spend the whole summer together and now I have to be apart from you for so long."  It made me start to cry too and say " I agree Lucas it's no fair".  But he also has trouble with the french and not having any good friends with him.   I asked him after the first week how it was compared to kindergarten.  He said "It's so different mom.  The teacher doesn't even speak english."  It's been quite hard on me too because I could fix it in a moment for him.  I could switch him back to the school that he was in last year, but in my head I know that is not the right thing for Lucas or for all of us.   But to hear him cry or be so anxious that he can't get his work done, or that he gets stomach aches or doesn't want to go to school, it all just breaks my heart.   When I talk to people though who know Lucas and know the situation they all agree that french immersion is a really good idea for him, so I don't want to just fix it for him, but I want to teach him how to cope and deal with the situations presented to him.   We did meet with his teacher and she gave him and us some suggestions.  On the good side it is AMAZING to me how much he already knows.  And his pronunciation is so good, I'm so proud of him.  And I'm loving that we are all speaking french more to help him.  It's good for all of us (even Spanish speaking Nathan).    But if anyone has any other suggestions on how to help kids deal with anxiety, I'd love to hear them.


On the good side the weather has been so great.   Most of the month the weather has been between 15 and 25.  Which means lots of outdoor time.  Here is one night when Pop was out playing soccer with the kids. 



Today we headed to the mountains to enjoy the one (maybe two) weekends of fall we have here in Calgary. I do miss the beautiful fall that they have in Ontario. But before the snow and cold comes here we were outside enjoying it. Lucas did a fantastic job and hiked 8km all by himself.  Emma was so happy too.  I don't think we will need to give her the pills tomorrow as she will be so tired.  

The boys have been continuing to get along really well.  Now that Lucas is back in school and they are not together so so much when they do play together they usually have lots of fun.   The new thing that they have both become crazy about is Phineus and Ferb.  Which is a Disney TV show about two brothers.  Darryl even enjoys it too.

It was also my birthday!!  Oma and Opa came down and Mom and Tammy and Darryl made me a fantastic dinner.  I also went and got my hair done and straightened. 

Till Next Time Jenn

Nathan knows Spanish

Things have been kind of tough around here lately as Lucas is having a hard time adjusting to grade one.  But the good thing is Nathan is just the same and makes us laugh.  Here is our converstation at the dinner table tonight.

Nathan: I know Spanish
Me: Oh yeah, what words do you know in Spanish?
Nathan: Sasanfra
Me: Oh yeah, what does that mean?
Nathan (while looking around at the table): Chair
Me: Really, what about plate do you know that word
Nathan: Yep..... tresipa
Me: Treispa, nice.  What about eat?
Nathan: Yep I know that one too.  (thinking)  Hesires
Me: Wow, you are really good.  Lucas will be speaking french and you can be speaking Spanish
Nathan: Yep, I know. 

All the talk of different languages, Nathan is making up his own (he just calls it Spanish)

Till the monthly round up

Jenn

August Round Up

The second month of summer has been super fun.  It started with our trip to Vancouver with Lori and Mackenzie, which was fun and enjoyable to go on vacation with them.  We got home on a Sunday and Monday Darryl and I were back to work, Nathan to Lesley's and Lucas did a week of YMCA camp.    He really enjoyed the camp, although as posted in the previous post it did take him a little bit to get use to it.   But he loved the swimming (one way he is certainly my kid)  On Saturday was his birthday party.  This year Lucas asked for a reptile party. So we invited a couple of his friends over and had the reptile guy come and teach the kids about reptiles. It was...... interesting. There was a 9 foot boa in my living room!  But I was okay with that.... really I was. =)

Playing Elephant Soccer before the reptile guy.

All the kids watching and intrigued. 

Petting one of the snakes

The 9 foot boa!

  After the kid birthday party we had an adult birthday party.  Where as usual Auntie Karen brough the most creative gifts and one gift that her and Lucas had to open in the bathroom.  It's always some sort of trick gift.  This year it was a whoopie cushion.  Which the boys laughed about for hours and hours. 

She also brought a pirate board

And Auntie Lexie made the snake cake

Then things quieted down for a bit.  My students all graduated and became bonfided x-ray technologists.  Which was very exciting.   Then after that Tammy and I did our triathalon.  This year we did it in Strathmore, in a pool.  So my swim time was excellent.  I also got slicks for my bike (which are skinny tires) so I thought my bike time would be great but the wind got me (and my lack of practice).  All in all I was happy to finish, and happy to have someone to train with me. 

How was your August?

Jenn

Parenting Challenge

This week Lucas starts grade one.  It will a change for both of us with him gone all day.   And the other big change is that he will be going to a new school.   I wanted to try him in French Immersion as both Alexis and I went to french immersion and did well with it.   Lucas is a very academic kid and I think he will do really well with french immersion.  But now that the time is coming I am worried about him.  He is quite introverted and we learned this summer that he gets really nervous in new situations.

This summer he went to a couple of camps.  I thought it would good to keep him entertained but a lot of it was a fight.  It was new environments with new people.  Most of the time he was happy when it was done but to get him to go was a challenge.  Even yesterday he had an upset tummy and I wonder if it was because they were having a water fight which was something he hasn't done before.

So this week he is a starting a new school and is taking a bus and there will be all new people and in a new language.  There is part of me that thinks it is good to push him out of his comfort zone. And that the more he does now maybe won't be so nervous of new situations.  But there is another part of me that thinks maybe this is just his personality and he won't change.  

What do other parents out there do?  Push your kids out of their comfort zone or let them be who they are?  Can I effect Lucas's personality at this age, or is he going to be who he is....

Ahh parenting.  Makes you think...

Jenn

To Lucas on His 6th Birthday

To Lucas on his 6th birthday,

As I sit here tonight, my memory of when you are born, is starting to fade.  I remember some of the important parts but the details have all faded away now.  For the first couple of years after you were born I use to think your birthday should be a celebration for the feat that I went through and for surviving your first years, but now as you are older and you are so much fun, and my memory of what it was like to give birth has faded, I see your birthday more as a celebration for you.  So Lucas here are some of the highlights of your 6th year!

First you started, enjoyed, excelled at kindergarten, which I know is like.. of course it's kindergarten.  But I'm glad your first school experience was a good one.   We had seen glimpses of how you were as a learner (which is SO good), but we were proven right with school.  Your teachers loved you and you loved going to school.  Plus you did quite well at it.  You can read most things now and you can write or try and sound out alot of things too. 

You continue to be SO SO much like your dad.  You love computers and games.  You are not a morning person and can eat a lot.  You love to learn and are introverted.  Lego is your favorite toy and you both love to stay home and play.   But you can belt out a song just like your mom =)

Being the first born you taught me so many first.  You taught me how strong love can be.  You taught me how to survive on little sleep and how to have my priorities straight.  You taught me about all the different types of diggers and turtles and sharks and dinosaurs.   You taught me that consistency is one of the most important things in parenting.  You showed me that Darryl is an amazing father and I love him more for that.   You taught me how to dance to "Fix You" and to burp a baby and that Ovol is a wonderful invention.   You taught me that a baby and a little boy and a big boy's laugh is the best sound in the world.  You taught me to trust my instincts and that I love being a mom, especially your mom.

Happy Birthday Lucas

Love Mom

Summer Vacation 2011

This year we took a week and a half off (or at least a week and a half with Darryl)  and did a 2600km tour of BC.   We started off on a Wednesday and headed to my Oma and Opa's (which I started referring to it as the cottage).   We go there every year usually multiple times.  Even yesterday I was driving somewhere and thought, could I fit one more visit in before the end of the summer. =)  I love it there.  It's so nice becuase we have our routines, the dog can come with us and loves it.  And the kids love it too.  This year they took cues from Matthew and brought Oma and Opa's boat with us.   Lucas had a great time paddling around in it.  As usual we ate sandwiches and strawberries and chips.   It's nice to have a routine, everyone knows what happens and it's pretty much the same thing every day.  =)

After a couple of days there, we got in the car and continued to meet Lori and Mackenzie in Vancouver.   It was a great vacation.  We had fantastic weather the whole time, which makes me love Vancouver.  I love how it's so pedestrian friendly and you can tell everyone is active.  We rented a really nice condo, so we all had lots of space and there was a kitchen so we could cook some of our own meals too. 



The first day Darryl and the boys went to Capilano Suspension Bridge, for those of you who know me well I'm scared of heights, but really only in certain situations.   One of those situations would be on a bridge where you can see down.   So I stayed with Emma and walked 12km, to find Kits Beach and Davids Tea and the dog beach.    Emma loved the dog beach, although she kept drinking the water even though it tasted horrible. 

The next day we headed to the aquarium.  We put Emma in doggy day care and then headed to Stanley Park and the aquarium.  The aquarium was smaller then I remember, but still saw lots of cool stuff.   We did have one of those horrible parenting moments in the gift shop after.   One of those times when you know other people are looking at you thinking you are not a very good parent - or maybe, the other parents thinking - Oh I feel for you, I've been there too.  =)

 

The third day we went to Granville Island and the beach and saw the big fireworks show in the evening.  I forgot how much I enjoy swimming in the ocean.  It was quite windy so there were lots of waves.  We went back to the dog beach and did a bit of exploring with the boys.  The tide was out so we were walking around and Darryl moved one of the rocks and there were all sorts of crabs underneath it.  The boys thought it was super cool.  We also collected some nice shells from the beach too.  In the evening was a big fireworks show and it was beautiful.  I forgot how when there is a competition of fireworks how impressive they can be. 

The next day we headed up to Whistler, which was very fun.   It was one of the days that we brought the camera so I have lots of pictures from it. =)  One other fun part for me was all the Davids Tea I drank, and was able to introduce Lori and Mackenzie to something we love. 

Outside the Davids Tea in Whistler

Someday my boys and I will be back here with snow on that hill

Pretending we are skiiers!

Family Photo

Lucas and Nathan standing in the Olympic Rings

Pretending we are snowboarders.

Shannon Falls, on the way to Whistler

Mackenzie dancing on Shannon Falls.

Mackenzie and Lori at Shannon Falls. 

It was a great vacation.  It was fun for us too to see Lori and Mackenzie in Vancouver and make new and fun memories with them.

Till Next Time

Jenn

July 2011

Long time no see.... luckily we have been having a great summer.   My favorite part so far is that in the mornings we get up when we want to not when we "have" too.  I usually wake up before the kids and exercise, then Nathan and the Lucas.  It's another way that Lucas takes after his Dad, they both like to sleep in.  We have also been keeping busy, Kelowna and the zoo and bugs and the pool in our backyard. 

Kelowna was tough this year because Lucas got sick right before we left.  He threw up on the way there, which we are thinking is a combination of the medicine and wondering if he has motion sickness.   He did have fun with his friends there, but often just watched them.   Last week we went to one of my favorite places, the zoo and walked around.  We learned lots about gorillas at the talk they did about them too. We have also been going to the waterpark they have here in our community and the bookstore and the pool.  So far it's been a great summer.

Hope your summer is going well too.

Jenn