fall has arrived

the temperatures took a sharp drop this week. they also had the wind to help the temperature change too. it was not fun. Aidan kept saying that there was a tornado. nope. but it certainly felt like it! no big damage, but we did have some things blow around the yard and fall over.


i volunteered with Aidan's class on Monday and it was terribly cold. i had my heavier coat on and mittens and i was freezing! the sun was actually fairly warm...when it did peak out behind the clouds. it was the wind that took the life out of us!!


fall is here. for real.



Kiara and i went out and took some photos on a nice day.



the trees are just starting to change colours now. i am so grateful that they have stayed green as long as they have.
and the s**w can stay away for as long as possible....the jackrabbits ears and tails have already turned white.....i am hoping that means absolutely nothing!!

hot days

welcome to fall!

we had another record-breaking hot day today. 34 degrees (Celsius). thank goodness for running water, backyards, sprinklers and popsicles.





we also spent a record amount of time in the community park this week.




taking a break.

this was at the beginning of the afternoon. while they were still clean. even i got pretty dirty. the kids will pretend otherwise...but i'm sure they enjoyed their evening shower. i don't think i had ever seen them that dirty from just playground sand. although we did bury our legs as part of our fun. i suppose that would do it....

anyways, loving this hot weather. we know it is going to come to an end. it is nearly October after all.

queen of the special treat

here she is. in all her royal glory.




do you think she knows what is so funny?






there is the smart girl!!




but i bet she does not realize there is powdered sugar on her nose.




nope. i think she is checking to see if anyone wants a bite....





we love moments like this. if only we could hold on to them forever....

lessons from a three year old

i blinked!

my baby girl is now a mature girl of THREE. years old.





i think this picture truly says a thousand words.

enough said for one post!

enjoying life outdoors

we drove out to Pembina River to hang out with some family. it was a wonderful hot day! the year Aidan was born (5 years ago)....it snowed on Kristian's birthday. this year the temperatures almost reached 30 degrees Celsius. still warm enough to soak up the rays on the shore, and cool off in the river.



the kids really enjoyed themselves. they found stones of every shape and size. claiming them to be artifacts of great worth. they waded and searched below the surface for treasures. there was some time spent playing in the water and trying out new toys.



there was much time spent skipping stones and trying to get them to reach the other side. married to Kristian for nearly 15 years, and i had never known he was the master rock skipper that he is! he and his brother had competitions. must be genetic?!



one highlight was the competition to make a miniature birch bark canoe using natural materials. hmmm.... i suppose fishing line and toothpaste count as natural? all i will say is that a certain canoe with some creative paper folding went the greatest distance. even if it was not floating like you would expect a canoe to float.... good times.

we are supposed to have another great week of hot weather. after our slow start to summer, this is welcome to stay for as long as possible. (just as long as the temperature dips and we get snow for two days....Christmas eve and Christmas day!)

another big first day

Kiara had her wish come true!



for the past two years, my baby girl has been wanting to go to school. i've had to pry her fingers off toys and sometimes carry her out of Aidan's classrooms. it has been pleasant.




the cute part about her day was listening to her chatter on the way to school. she commented on every yellow bus she saw. when it was time to take her photo, she really wanted me to take one of her backpack. darling.




she found her very own coat-hook. with her name written by it. changed her shoes. routines that she has watched and learned. i loved her body language when she entered into the classroom. i do think that partly she thought it was all a dream. it was surreal. i waved good-bye, and had to call her a few times to get her attention. within SECONDS she was hard at work, and playing with new playmates.

at the end of the day, she brought home 3 paintings. she said one of them was a volcano. wow. that would be her daddy's influence! she also regaled me with the alphabet song on the drive home.

the best part came later. both my babies were home. neither of them wanted to eat lunch....instead they simply wanted to play with each other. pure. simple. happiness.

i know i will enjoy this new phase.

congrats to my baby girl....today you became a big girl!!

celebrating a birthday

this is a busy week! first days of school. for two kids! parent orientation and meeting for playschool.

but.

today.

we celebrate a birthday!





Daddy is another year older today.
and still knows how to have fun.





given the "love" poured on him by his little darlings....he is doing well.




we'll head out to party with him. as much as the three of them enjoy this delight...we'll do our best to have something just a bit more special than this favourite treat.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KRISTIAN!!

on his own

today was the inevitable.


a certain boy had his first official day of kindergarten. with the added bonus of a ride on the big yellow school bus!




like the big boy he is, he got ready for school with a grin on his face. he was confident.

{the irony is not lost on me that we walked to the community school to catch the bus to take him to his class. for the next year, we will take this daily walk and observe the final stages of the building process}



as i had hoped, we made it to the bus stop with more than enough time to spare. he met a few other kids that he will be waiting with. he got to see a few busses drive by.

then his bus pulled up.

the bus driver came across as very kind. he showed Aidan his seat, which was at the very front with 2 girls. lucky boy!

i snapped a picture of him through the window. which is a really big deal...full bus....everyone EXCEPT my son, looking at me through the window! mr. gentle-heart-bus-driver asked if i wanted to step onto the bus to take one of my son in his seat. at this point, i couldn't say no. soooo.....



is that an embarrassed look? or nervous? i'm sure he'll tell me one day!

i need not have worried about crying. little miss Kiara took care of that for me. she was devastated that she would not be riding the bus and going to kindergarten with her big brother. the tears started before he rode away, and continued until long after we reached home. {she has done this ever since he started playschool...two years ago}.

now we wait for the morning to end and the bus to return my boy. i am sooo looking forward to hearing how his first day went.

as for Kiara...she will get her very first day of playschool in a few more sleeps. she has been waiting for this day for two years now. i hope it lives up to her expectations!

first day of kindergarten

today was his orientation day in kindergarten. he got to play at a few centres. listened to a story. got a tour of the school. met some of the older siblings of a few classmates during the tour. (including his teachers' daughter)

the moms' missed out on the story and got to fill out school forms instead.

he was hoping to make a best friend on the first day. but when only 1/3 of your class is present, that makes it rather tough!

instead he decided to show off his intellect for his teacher by writing the only word he knew, 'baseball'. i never knew that it was spelled 'cab cat'. hahaha then he copied the entire web address from the bottom of a colouring page! even the letter "a" with the 'tail' above it.



he cleaned up rather nice for his first day.

or kind of a pseudo first day.

since it was just him and i, we went to Starbucks to celebrate. on his own, he ordered a steamer with vanilla and a pumpkin scone. no joke. of course his little maturity made the staff think he was absolutely a darline. especially with his manners. a proud moment for mommy. {and for him too.}

next week will be when i need support! i will put him on the big yellow school bus and not see him until that big ol' bus returns my baby home again. i am very excited for his new opportunities. i will have plenty to keep me busy while he is away. yet i will still miss having him nearby. most likely Kiara will also provide solutions for that problem.

changes

i guess summer is officially over.

this little guy starts kindergarten tomorrow.

his school has a staggered entry. which means that only 5 or 6 students attend at a time. with a parent. this is new to me. i've done my share of "first days" being the teacher. this is an entirely new experience for me. his first "official" day is next Tuesday.

i asked him tonight what he thought kindergarten would be like. his answer? "it will have lots of learning. i'm going to learn lots. like reading and writing words." i asked if he would be sitting in a desk, like we witnessed at the old school in fort edmonton park. without a pause, he nodded. "yes, i will have to do my work at a desk".

given these expectations, i am quite confident that he will enjoy kindergarten. a lot.

for the teacher in me...i love how his teacher will be introducing letters and words. you see, just before Aidan was born, i subbed for her on a regular basis. including a short term absence. it was then that i learned why so many kindergarten teachers did not want to give up that position! i feel very prepared. very excited. she is amazing, and i know Aidan will adore her.

for the mother in me....i just keep reminding myself to keep breathing. it probably isn't a bad thing to be reminded to enjoy each moment and take delight in the simple joys at this time of our lives. while i keep a tissue on hand, that is!