in another blur

June is an exhausting month. for everyone.

the days are long and the nights are short in this part of the world. meaning the sun will barely set June 21, before it begins to rise again. although the sky does darken, you can still see a bit of the sun shining in the northern horizon.

for a parent it is like a death sentence. especially for those of us with small children! the kids' rooms do get quite dark. and so does the house. i think it is more mental than anything. they just know it seems wrong to fall asleep when the sun is shining. especially when they are tired.

morning also arrives earlier. often it brings me children who are still tired. but won't sleep.

it really is a lovely combination!

my only goal was to survive June and welcome July with wide open arms.




this week, we finished gymnastics.




this mommy was cheering!



we were regular students for 10 months straight.



10 months of a lesson pretty much every week can really teach you a lot.

Aidan has the strength to pull his own body weight over a parallel bar and roll.



as well as climb into the rafters. i am surprised this photo is as clear as it is because my knees were shaking!! it did not surprise me when Kiara asked to climb next. without hesitation my response was "NO!!!!" well not quite like that. it was more like....'yes, when you are 5 years old'. my kids do not know that i am afraid of heights. i have missed out on some amazing opportunities because of it. i am improving, but it is a slow journey.



this little girl may look like me. but she has her fathers sense of fearlessness. (as well as his sense of direction....but that is an entirely new subject!)


today, Aidan and his classmates went off to a play place not far from their school. i think they played till their feet were ready to fall off! they ended their year with a BBQ. hot dog heaven?!

and yes, as we walked away from the school....after the good-byes....the hugs....the photos.....i cried. it has nothing to do with dreading summer or wishing for year round schooling. it just meant an end to a fabulous year for Aidan and us. in terms of school. i know he will have many more excellent and amazing school years. however it does not change that this year ended. he really had the most fabulous teacher, teacher assistant, bus drives, friends....

his summer break started with some pool time.



this pool gets drained and re-filled on a new green spot every 2 to 3 days. today is day 2. the water was actually very comfortable. they love to splash and fool around.



and sometimes they will just relax.

yes, that is exactly why i love summer!!!

today they played with some neighbours and had fun with all 4 of them splashing around in the pool.

then i noticed Aidan starting to fall apart. his stomach hurt. his head hurt. yup! i think we caught his heatstroke just in time. he normally drinks water by the bucketful. i'm not sure how much he had to drink this morning. somehow he must have sweat more than he took in. plus it was HOT HOT HOT today. he did not drink nearly as much water as usual during the afternoon play time.

i know my kids are not well when they refuse a treat like a popsicle. Kiara grabbed one as quick as she could. while Aidan just groaned. soooo out came the ice chips. cold cloths. then the advil! after about 30 minutes of slowly adding some water he began to perk up. the flush in his cheeks disappeared. his cute smile slowly returned.

after a few episodes of Design Squad, he was almost as good as new.

he had mint chocolate chip ice cream with hardened chocolate on top. the appetite returned!

but he still looked exhausted. daddy is away tonight, so we watched a movie together. of course they stayed awake, while i fell asleep! hopefully they will rest well tonight.



i took this photo a few days ago. this is not an everyday sight in our home. i hope that we will have many more moments like this together in the next couple of months.

it just amazes me how quickly the two of them have grown and matured. this will be their first summer of being on nearly even stages of play. their communication has improved. they work together more often than not. they both really want to be with each other 90% of the time. unfortunately they just don't realize the other 10% that they really need some time away from each other!

i have activities planned through the summer months that should give them a break and keep them from becoming too bored. they are becoming more independent and easier to go on outings. gone are the days when i have to be like a mother hawk and totally focused on their exact motivation to stay or 'run for it'! the boundaries are just that much larger. some days i forget that i don't have to hover and they are both responsible enough to not take off and strand me!!

i am thankful for the close community and space they have to play. often there is a friend near by. or some kind of activity to occupy them. i am looking forward to the relaxed schedule allowing walks, bike rides and adventures. Aidan wants to do a lemonade stand. it is entirely possible that it will be a huge success! they are also begging for a camping trip. or 2 or 10!

well, off to relax and welcome in summer vacation with a quiet evening to myself.

happy summertime!!!

what to do

i am waiting for my CS5 to arrive. long story there. but i miss that program!

i loved PSE3 and 4 and 5 and 6 and 7.....ha! learned how to do so many actions the long way. it was good. until i tried CS4. oh my!

since i have neither on this computer i decided to head over to picnik. it is easy and fun. i still miss my Photoshop...but this worked in a pinch too.




i made a change in photobucket later. the 'undo' is not so easy....i won't go into my sadness that this would not have happened in PS.



the return of the ice cream truck brought big smiles to the kids' faces. miraculously they were not tormented by hearing the ice cream music for hours before it came down our street. which was good for Kristian and myself.



the weekend had gorgeous hot weather. we even set up the kids pool early. they were so excited to use it on Monday. thankfully (miracles abound here lately!) there were no errands and we could return home   immediately after gymnastics. just a minor detour for a slurpee.

the kids were in swimsuits and splashing in the pool when we heard thunder. not an ominous cloud in sight. should have been our first warning! later we heard that the conditions were favourable for funnel clouds forming just south of us. yikes! so much for a few hours of backyard play. the rain continued and continued the rest of the day.



instead they huddled on the front porch wrapped in beach towels, eating a snack and watching the rain.

and they have been waiting to return to the pool ever since.


now the question is: will we ever get more than 3 days of sunshine in a row this summer?

for now the towels are washed, dried and ready. along with their swimming suits. today they swim indoors. hopefully no risk of cancellation with that?!

in his eyes

Aidan said to me on the way to the bus stop today:

"Mom, i know all about how to use my camera now. i know all of what it can do."

i am so not surprised.




his face has that concentrating look like i get when i'm taking the "perfect shot".



not too often do i post a photo of myself here.



an action shot. supper right before soccer this week.



stuffies dangling from the staircase. artistic? scary!



we had some neighbours over for supper one evening. too funny that he didn't come outside to take the picture.



this one REALLY IMPRESSED me!



so did this. they found some gigantic mushrooms near our house. i wonder what kind they are?




we also did some group shots with the timer. if it hadn't been for my camera strap, this would have been THE BEST photo of the day.


there were plenty more photos of toys and Kiara dancing. some self-portaits. even a lifestyle shot of his room....real life too. he did not bother to tidy it up before taking the shot! he does talk a lot {any idea who he gets that from?!} and we hear a lot of what he thinks of life. but it is fun to see what is important in his day too. it would be tempting to send the camera with him to school and see his day from his perspective.



i just finished a layout of Kiara from 2008. we were so glad to close the door on 2008 and welcome 2009! it was one of those years filled with far too much sadness and grief. it has been hard to scrapbook some of the photos that remind me of the pain. but we're moving on and finally able to celebrate the joy that the year also brought. finally. anyways....back to the point! if you think i ramble when i write, you should watch me ramble when i'm working on a layout! the kids change in leaps and bounds some days. and sometimes the growth and changes are so subtle that it is only visible in photos. thank goodness for photos!! when Kristian saw the photo of Kiara he didn't recognize her at first. here are a few that i took of her that same day. it's so easy to forget how little she was. to think she was just learning how to blow bubbles....now she is nearly ready to ride a bike without training wheels. the title on that layout?

"if only time could stand still for a moment...."

so true. at times.

we're going to the zoo, zoo, zoo....

seriously, it's Wednesday already?

time flies when you are having fun.

Sunday brought us to the local zoo to meet up with family. i hold my sister-in-law in much higher regard after that day. she is about to give birth to a nephew or niece any day....and she walked the zoo with as much energy as the rest of us. did i mention it was at least 30 degrees Celsius? she is amazing.





i like this one of the group reading the info sheet....




then looking for the animal.

a glimpse of the maturity we've seen growing? recognizing that words and pictures have real meaning?




ah. here are the kids we know!

another new exhibit?

what healthy kid can resist a perfect climbing tree?



they really enjoyed this exhibit of animal skins and parts. kids learn so much more when they can experience knowledge like this. i too am amazed at how much i can learn along with my kids.



you have no idea how THRILLED i was to capture this! it is tough enough to catch the tigers being active and playing. never mind the weekend crowd. or the double chain link fences.

{there are 5 evenings the zoo offers to photographers. an opportunity to participate in some special photographic activities. hmmmm....might be fun to learn tips from other photographers too!?}

their are a few exhibits that my kids love to see. Lucy the elephant. the Siberian tigers. the snow leopards. anything related to the monkeys. ducks.



who can resist the sprinklers on a hot day?



i got some more camera practice yesterday. i can't wait to share those photos! i got to go to a local farm with Aidan's kindergarten class. sadly, next year will be the last year they will host programs for kids. i take it for granted the lack of exposure city kids have to farm animals. the zoo does have an area with goats, rabbits and chickens for the kids to pet and interact with. however it just can't compete with a genuine farm.


i used the 'colorized' and 'quick edge burn' actions from Pioneer Woman on these photos. neither of them at 100%, i just adjusted each photo to an individual setting. i liked the real colours that came out on the camera. but it was fun to change them up even more! it helped that Monday morning was cloudy and cold. ha!

genetics

so many times i'll look over at Aidan.

then i'll look at Kristian.

like Father, like Son.

same expression on their face.




or in this case, the same stance. i have photographic evidence of this since Aidan was 21 months old.

the two of them love to ride bikes. if they could, i think they could do it for 8 hours each day. minimum.

they love to "learn new ideas". in other words, Aidan seems to have the same thirst for knowledge and love of research as his Dad. since Aidan has been able to read he has begun to take research books from the library. the human body and the solar system being the most interesting at the moment.

the best part is their sensitivity. it is already pretty apparent that Kiara and i will never be at a loss of hugs from these two. which is really good.

truth be told, i do try to sway Aidan towards thinking that teaching is the best occupation. he seems to think that engineering is where it is at. it really is a losing battle. for me.


i took a lot of photos this weekend. amazing what some great weather will do! it's good because i am needing some great photos at the moment. correction. MORE great NEW photos! ha!!


good memories.

done! {almost}

our first patio set was the plastic kind. and cheap to top it off! i think we used the table only a few times before the centre started to cave in. the chairs were moderately comfortable. we decided that this was the year to splurge on a grown up set. all things considered we actually did not spend much more than the plastic set. hopefully that will turn out to be a good decision.

the chairs are very comfortable.

as the following photo depicts!




water resistant cushions. after meal clean up is a breeze. but my kids {never} make a mess. ha!


this was the fastest project we have ever done.

Thursday had Kris rototilling the sod. he was relieved that job was over.

until the rocks arrived!



late Friday morning brought the rocks and cedar chips to our driveway. we also had a "memorable" meeting of one of our crankiest neighbours. apparently a delivery truck blocking the street for 5 minutes was too much for her to bear. it is pretty distasteful witnessing a grown woman throw a tantrum. she made our kids worst tantrums look like a fun event. no exaggeration. it didn't earn her any favours.



our neighbour Chris lent Kristian a hand with the hard labour. yes. Chris and Kris. Chris girlfriend is Krista...but also gets called Kris. not to be confusing or anything.

we were both grateful to his help. Aidan was also very helpful with the yard work. he even passed up an opportunity for an afternoon presentation at school to help with the yard!



all done! this section was a major pain to mow and take care. the grass beside the house walls was dead, and the rest was severely flattened by our feet!



i did get dirty. love my working outfit? i think it's the boots that make it so awesome.

it was the first really nice day all week and i had forgotten the power of the sun. we all did. which meant we all got nice and pink.



sigh. most of the work is done.

there is a tiny part under the gate that needs some flagstone and some thyme planted. i can handle that!

i also have a few bedding plants that i'll poke in here and there. i can't wait to add colour!!

we also have a garden patch by the sandbox. i'm not sure how well that will all work out, but i think it is a safe gamble. the kids planted some strawberry plants. they will also help with the garden planting. they are very proud of their work!



we still have some work on the north side. perhaps we should have put the rocks on this side this year. this will be next years project.


the big work this year is finished and now we can relax for a bit.


it rained for most of yesterday. perfect timing. it could be just our imagination...but the grass does look greener.

a good day

the morning skies were fairly clear. the wind very calm.

until noon.

then the remainder of the afternoon we were faced with periodic rain showers.

perfect for yard work?


Kiara woke up on the wrong side of the bed. actually the short nights and long days don't have a good effect on our kids. often they have a hard time falling asleep, then we wake them up early for school. it's no surprise really. Kris and i have a hard time getting to bed at a decent hour too. isn't it amazing how the light outside is so deceptive with the real time?

it is also Kiara's first week of not having school. there are other activities to occupy her time, but it isn't the same! having Kris at home kind of throws them off too. it's like the weekend that never ends! except for Aidan who still needs to head out to school. but he sure has enjoyed having his daddy walk him to the bus in the mornings. i am also in that club. it's a nice break for me too.


the cloudy skies proved to be an excellent day for outdoor photos. i used my 150mm 2.8 lens for the pictures of the kids. i only cropped them to fit on this page, so no photoshopping needed this time! although i know they would still alter nicely if i decided to go black and white or some cool technique. thanks to actions!



i love how the grass is so green.



perfect! i love the colours, especially how his eyes are so bright.



a little bit of hand movement. i love the focused look in her eyes.



my son turned into a rocket! this $4.98 toy should provide him and the other boys with hours of entertainment. he totally amazes me. i handed him the package and let him figure out what he needed to do. not even a single question. he definitely has his daddy's genes.

i just can't get over how vibrant the colours are.


i heard an interesting comment yesterday in regards to the auto and manual modes in dslr cameras. it was basically to not give yourself a hard time in using the auto mode and allow yourself to think you are a "bad" photographer if you shoot in auto. hmmm.... i still think some situations call for using the manual mode. but overall i do keep mine on auto. mostly because i don't have time to fool around with settings when "a moment" with the kids is happening. i guess it is so easy to forget that composition and lighting also play an important role.


so yardwork.


this photo below is what the yard looked like before Kristians sweat and hard work. of course any potted shrub, tree or plant is new. we moved in with 6 swedish aspens. only one was thriving. the other five were planted in shallow graves. literally. they also made the yard look more narrow than it actually is. we had a crabapple and a plum tree that were being beaten to death by rabbits and their shallow grave. apparently not all people are aware that the ROOTS should be planted UNDER the soil. yeah. not good. they ended up getting snagged by a friend of our neighbour one night. one aspen did not grow leaves this year. no wonder why when Kristian was able to pull a He-Man and yank it out with his hands. another aspen was dug up, half dead. one aspen was moved. one aspen turned out to produce seeds....so it is not staying. two were kept in their original spots. one of which is doing remarkably well. it also happens to be near the shared property line of a neighbour who watered his lawn religiously. amazing what a few extra splashes of water does to a tree.

anyways....enough complaining!




you can see the patch of dirt/new grass where one of the aspens used to be.



and now to the progress of yesterday....

we used our garden hose and laid out the general edging. then out came the spray paint! easy part.

Kris used a rented rototiller to chop up the sod. in all irony, the best grass grew on the edges of the lawn. again, some good watering when you first lay sod will do wonders. it also didn't help that both neighbours have stellar green and lush lawns. hopefully some more shade will help the lawn thrive. that and a good fertilizer!

this is where we begin our day today.

when it's done we're layering mulch over top. the hope is to make it thick enough to prevent regular weeding. except for one patch where we (myself and the kids) want to grow a garden this summer. don't worry, Arlene. we'll still need to help you eat some of your produce! our patch will be comparable to the size of Mikaela's personal patch.


by the end of today it should look much different.

finding time

i just finished a whirlwind of scrapbooking!

i barely finished teaching my last class (delayed) of a layout, then on to preparing kits for the next class. every single photo required a unique mat. what was i thinking? the largest one required 2 different edge punches. one of the 4x6 required me to measure carefully and do a 'punch around the page' edge punch. i have a love-hate relationship with that kind! love the look---hate the work. but i keep using it. what does that tell you? after i finished that massive amount of work, i put together the next classes. it was one time in my life that i wished i was a faster scrapbooker!


here is one class:




and now since i can breathe a bit on the paper creative side...it is time to get dirty and work on our backyard.

i can't wait to share photos.

but i must wait until i am dirt-free.