Stairs

How Chuckles takes Buddy down the stairs:

I hope she’s able to loose that darn cast soon.

Things I never thought I would say - Part One

"Why is it you won't wear a hat, but you'll run around with a toilet seat on your head??"

Um, Honey???

That’s my clothesline dear…

Not a shortcut!

Merry Christmas

Baking Christmas Cookies

Every year at Christmas, I bake far too many cookies. We’re usually eating the cookies until halfway through January.

But really… who can resist!!

Just look at the concentration that Buddy has going on here:

And Chuck is definitely enjoying showing him how to decorate:

This year we made about 40 “Neapolitan” cookies, a small batch of shortbread, tons of the cookie cutouts that he kids are decorating, and about 40 gingerbread men & women.

Advent Calendars

Buddy and Chuck each have an advent calendar that my Dad’s cousin made for them. We fill them every year from our Halloween candy.

Buddy has spent the entire month trying to figure out how to climb up and reach his. He will stand below it and yell “peaasssssssssssssssee……peasssssssssssss!!”

Although, he has figured out that we get a treat every night, after we read a Christmas story. When we’re done reading, we’ll ask him “do you think we should go find the number?” And his eyes light up and runs over to the calendar, and finds that day’s treat.

Christmas Pageant

Yesterday was the annual Christmas Pageant. Chuck was an excellent narrator, and Buddy was a sheep. Sheep are supposed to wander, right? And Mama was the chief shepherd. It was my job to herd the two (young) shepherds & two (younger) sheep on & off stage.

The pageant was very well done. The kids rehersed in Sunday school a few weeks ahead of time, but there was no time to do a dress rehersal in the actual church.

They did a "A night before Christmas' type theme, modified to "A night before Christ's birth," and told the story that way.

Week Four - Love

Last Sunday we lit the candle of joy. We light it and
the candles of hope and peace again as we remember that
Christ, who was born in Bethlehem, will come again to
fulfil all of God's promises and bring us everlasting
peace and joy.

The fourth candle of Advent is the Candle of Love.
God's love is a perfect love. It holds nothing back.
God, in love, gives us everything we need to live a life
of hope and peace.

The bible says that "God so loved the world that he
gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him should
not perish, but have eternal life." Jesus shows us God's
perfect love.

This is what love is like: Love is patient, love is
kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful or
conceited, rude or selfish. Love is not quick to take
offense, it keeps no records of wrongs, it does not gloat
over other people's troubles, but rejoices in the right,
the good, and the true. There is nothing that love
cannot face, there is no limit to its faith, to its hope,
to its endurance.

Love never ends. We light the candle of love to remind
us that Jesus brings us God's love and shows us how to
love others.

Love is like a light shining in a dark place. As we
look at this candle we celebrate the love we find in
Jesus Christ.

Source: http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-advn-candles.php

"Who's the Baby" and "Is he Sleeping?"

Two new tricks that Daddy taught Buddy this week:

1) Who's the Baby?

When we ask him this, he'll put up his hand, "I am!"

2) Is he sleeping?

When we ask him if he's sleeping, he'll scrunch his eyes clsoed for about two seconds, then open them again.

Still not Sure

About Santa:

Although he can identify Santa in pictures & dolls, and will point and say "Tanta!!" when he sees one.
He has no idea why Santa is important, but knows that he is!!

In which I (Accidentally) Steal a Cane

At church last week, one of the ladies (Buddy's Godmother actually), said that she had a spare cane that Chuck could borrow if we needed it.

We'd already borrowed one, and so said we were fine.

And then realized, that she needs two crutches outside, but just a cane inside, but has no way of getting her cane to school, when she's already on the crutches.

So we asked if we could borrow hers after all.

It was in the car, and she went out to get it.

Excellent.

It's even a folding cane, so it will fit inside of a backpack or a purse, so very easy for Chuck to get it to school.

I handed it to Chuck, who was thrilled.

After church, we went over for coffee hour, and I dumped my purse, baby's bag, and papers on a table. Chuck added her script for the pageant next week, and her papers. And Buddy's Godfather put his cane down there as well.

After coffee, Chuck & Daddy went to youth group in another building. I stuck around and talked a bit more, and then went to get Buddy, all his stuff & all my stuff, and go home. So I scooped up my purse, the baby's bag, all Chuck's papers, all the while grumbling that she'd left them there and hadn't taken them with her, and wondering if she'd remember to go back for them or not (Incidentally, she did remember, and wondered where they were), and the cane.

yup.

I grabbed the cane.

Because Buddy's God Mother's cane that we borrowed, and Buddy's Godfather's cane that we accidentally borrowed, look very similar. Although I did wonder why Chuck had unfolded it, but then not used it.

When Chuck and Daddy got home from youth group, Chuck was using the new, accidentally borrowed, cane. And then she said "I thought that the cane we just borrowed was purple?"

and I looked at her like "huh?"

And Daddy said.... "Did you steal the cane??? you stole the cane!!! Everyone was running all over the place after Choir practice and Youth group trying to find the cane!!"

oops.

So, I made a quick call, to advise of the whereabouts of the cane... luckily, they own three extras, besides the two that are at our house. So there's no rush to return it, we can give it back when we see them next week....

Week Three - Joy

Last Sunday we lit the candle of peace. We light it
and the candle of hope again as we remember that Christ,
who was born in Bethlehem, will come again to judge the
world and bring it everlasting peace.

The third candle of Advent is the Candle of Joy. When
the angel Gabriel told Mary that a special child would be
born to her she was filled with joy. She sang a song
that began with the words: "My soul magnifies the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my saviour.

Just as the birth of Jesus gave great joy to his
mother, so his presence in the world gave joy to those
who had none before.

Jesus healed them and gave them hope
and peace when they believed in him. From hope, peace,
and love grows joy. We light the candle of joy to remind us that when
Jesus is born in us we have joy and that through him there will
be everlasting joy on earth.

Joy is like a light shining in a dark place. As we
look at this candle we celebrate the joy we find in Jesus
Christ.

Source: http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-advn-candles.php


(Incidentally, Chuckles & another girl read this in church yesterday as the advent candles were being lit)

How Many....

Winter scarves does one girl need?

It snowed yesterday, so we got out the box of hats mitts & scarves.

And then I went through the box (there's no point in keeping one mitten, if you've lost it's match, right?)

And then I started thinking... we sure do own a lot of scarves..... hmmm......

So I sorted everything into piles... One for Chuck, one for Buddy, one for Daddy, and one for me.

And it seems, that every year, we think Chuck has lost her scarf. When in fact, by some miracle, she hasn't.

We have scarves that she owned all the way back in Kindergarten (She's in grade seven now), we have scarves that people gave her to keep her warm when we moved to Calgary for the winter when she was in grade one, we had knitted scarves, bought scarves, all different shapes & sizes. She had scarves that she didn't even realize were hers.

The child owned 12 (twelve!) scarves.

Last time I checked, she only had one neck.

We need to make a trip to the women's shelter up the road, to offload some of these scarves. She went through her pile, and choose three to keep. Which is fine... I can see getting one wet, and needing a spare. Or something. Odds are, the only one she'll wear all winter is the one from the Gap. That one was her favourite last year, and I'm betting it will be this year too.

Progress

Within a week of her last Dr. visit. Chuck is hobbling around the house with either a cane or one crutch.

Since there's snow, she's still using two crutches outside, and two in the halls at school.

And it is absolutly hilarious watching her bring her brother down the stairs. She sits on her bum at the top, and puts him in her lap, and the two of them "tobbogan" down together.

Every Kleenex Box in the House needs to be Moved up High.

Very high.

Because Buddy has found a new game. It's called "blow."

This is the game where either Mommy or Daddy hold a Kleenex to his nose, and says "blow!"

He scrunches up his face, bend his knees, and blows with all his little might... through his mouth.

right.

I think we're missing the point.

This has become such a fun game, that he will ask "blow? blow?" when he wants to 'play'.

Or, when I was making dinner yesterday, I turned around to find that he was systematically bringing me every Kleenex in the house, so that we could play. Not every box, mind you. Every Kleenex. Individually.

Week Two - Peace

The second candle of Advent is the Candle of Peace.
Peace is a word that we hear a lot. It is one of the
things that we hope for. Christ brought peace when he
first came to us and he will bring everlasting peace when
he comes again.

The prophet Isaiah called Christ "the Prince of Peace".
When Jesus came he taught people the importance of being
peace makers. He said that those who make peace shall be
called the children of God.

We light the candle of peace to remind us that Jesus is
the Prince of Peace and that through him peace is found.

Peace is like a light shining in a dark place. As we
look at this candle we celebrate the peace we find in
Jesus Christ.

Source: http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-advn-candles.php

Week One - Hope

A few days late.... this should have been posted last Sunday


Today is the first Sunday of Advent. Advent means
"coming" and in this season we prepare for the coming of
Christ. One of the ways we prepare for his coming is by
making an Advent wreath and lighting its candles to
remind us of the gifts Christ brings to the world.

The Advent wreath includes many symbols to help us
think about Christ and his gifts. The wreath itself is
in the shape of a circle. A circle has no beginning and
no end. This reminds us that there is no beginning and
no end to God and that God's love and caring are forever.

The light from the candles - which grows stronger each
Sunday in Advent, reminds us that Jesus is the light of
the world.

Today we light the candle of hope. The people of
Israel hoped in God's promises and were not disappointed.
Again and again God delivered Israel from its enemies.
We too have the same experience of salvation. That is
why we believe in God's promise to send Jesus to us once
again to judge the world and establish his kingdom
forever upon the earth.

Hope is like a light shining in a dark place. As we
look at the light of this candle we celebrate the hope we
have in Jesus Christ.


Source: http://www.rockies.net/~spirit/sermons/c-advn-candles.php

Still....

Chuck is still in the air cast.

And will be for another 8 weeks.

Although over those eight weeks, she's to transition from two crutches to one crutch to a cane.

I need to go buy a cane.

Keeping Christmas

For the past six or seven years, We've had a few family traditions that we keep, to remind us about what Christmas is really about. We have a storybook (that's beginning to fall apart), with several Christmas stories in it.

Every night before bed, we read a story, and the year at the top of the page (some stories have been ready every year, some only a few years, etc).

Every year, there are always friendly 'discussions' over who gets to read the 'good' stories - The Gift of the Magi, Yes Virginia, There is a Santa Clause, etc.

After reading our story, the kids get to eat their advent calendar candy. In years past, this was a store bought calendar, but my Dad's cousin made each of the kids an advent calendar, so this gets filled from the Halloween candy now.

Last year, we added in a Bible study as well.... we had a reading for each day, and then there was a discussion question at the end. This year, I don't know if we'll be able to find something similar, but I'm sure we can figure out a daily reading.

Christmas Eve, we always read 'The Night Before Christmas,' Luke, and Mathew.

How do you 'keep' Christmas?

Christmas Time

December First is the day that we start decorating.

What do you think the odds are that when I get hometonight, chuck will have hauled all the Christmas decorations upstairs, broken leg or not?

Poor Little Guy

I don't think he has EVER actually stayed still to watch Tv before...

This was after his second round of H1N1 shots... first shot - no reaction. Second Shot - fever, lethargic, and snuggly

New Wood Shed

Currently being referred to as "The manger."

We've been talking about this for a few weeks now. We even had the deck blocks in place, the floor decking bought, and the support joists already framed up.

BUT, before we could begin, we had to level the deck blocks, something that neither of us was looking forward to. Last Sunday, we were listening to the weather, and realized that it will probably snow towards the end of the week, and we really, REALLY need to get our wood for the winter off the ground.
We've previously stored it under the deck, on skids, but it was getting very very wet under there, so we needed another option.

Since Sunday was a beautiful day, that afternoon we started digging to level the blocks off. The blocks got levelled, and the support beams placed. The joists were already built into a frame. We placed the floor joists on the support beams, and attached them together. Well, WE stated attaching them together, then I hammered my thumb REALLY HARD, and retired for the day. Hubby finished attaching them, and put the floor decking in place.

Then Tuesday night, Hubby built the frames for the first three walls, and I held them up while he attached them to the frame and together.

Hopefully in the next couple of days, we can build the front wall, and figure something out for the roof, whether its a proper 'lean-to' type roof, or just a tarp for this winter. Until we have at least part of a fourth wall, we can't start filling it with the wood, because while the two back corners are very sturdy, the front two corners are still a little wobbly, they need the structure of the last wall.

Right now, we think it looks like we're building a life-sized nativity scene!

New Deck

You can see prgress Here & Here

All we have left are buidling railings for he stairs, and backfilling the bottom step (right now, that step is quite the doozy!!)

A Discovery....

When hubby gets sick, he carries on like the world is ending.

When he gets hurt, he deals.

When I get sick, I deal.

When I get hurt... the world is ending!!

A visit with Santa

Dreaming of Windy Days.....

How Early...

is too early to start 'stranger proofing' children?

In Best Buy last week, Buddy ran up to one of the sales reps & gave her a big hug. We've never seen this girl before.

Then at Guides last week, the girls were all sitting on the floor, and he started working his way down the line... giving them each a big hug in turn....

He's a very lovey little guy... but.

Oh Daddy....

Where ARRRRREE you?

Buddy noticed the other day when Daddy was downstairs getting wood for the fireplace that if he lifted the carpet, he COULD SEE DAD!!


So now, when he can't find Daddy, this is the first place he looks. 'Cause that's where we keep him when we don't need him upstairs, y'know!

Musical Dude

Making his Uncle Mike proud:

New Ways

To Waterproof a Sleeping Bag....

1. Follow this tutorial
2. Dry bag. I love dry bags. We use these for wilderness canoeing and for sailing all the time.
3. Use a Rubbermaid container. As long as the sleeping bag fits inside without bulging the lid, this will work fine (although you wouldn't want to do this for a backpacking or canoeing trip, but for car camping, its sufficient)
4. Line the stuff sack with a garbage bag. Again, I probably wouldn't trust it for canoeing, but for car camping...

Maybe it's Time to Start Working Out

At Guides on Wednesday, we had our enrollment ceremony. The girls all arrived at 6:30, and then the parents came back at 7:15 to see their girls make their promise officially.

For the first half of the meeting, we took the girls to the gym, did a little practice, and then decided that they should really burn some energy before we do enrollment.

So we played octopus (a tag-like game)

Including myself & another leader.

I couldn't figure out why I was sore on Thursday morning. And then still sore on Friday. And then it dawned on me... I spent a half hour running back and forth across a gym dodging little landmines on Wednesday night.

And if that was enough to make me hurt.... maybe I should start walking a bit or something!

A mind of his own.

Buddy has always enjoyed his food in the order of meat, potatoes, veggies. Unless the veggie that evening happened to be carrots, in which case carrots were preferred over potatoes.

However, these past few nights, the carrots have been cut into ROUNDS, not the STICKS that he is accustomed to.

Oh my goodness, the trauma.

Do you think that we could convince him that they are cooked the same way, they will taste the same, they are just CUT INTO DIFFERENT SHAPES!!

No.

not at all.

We had to stuff a carrot in his mouth and hold his mouth shut to get him to even TRY A BITE DARNIT!.

But then... after the first bite, do you want to know what happened?? he cleaned his plate. Ate every single carrot that was on there.

So then, the next night, I cut the carrots into sticks instead of the rounds I had cut the night before.

And do you want to know what happend??

THE SAME BLOODY SCENARIO!!

Those carrots, the ones that HAD TO BE IN STICKS MOM!! I DON'T LIKE THEM WHEN THEY'RE ROUND!! now... have to be round.

Again though, after force feeding him the first one, he cleaned his plate.

Remember....

all those carrots?

Last night we finished the last of those carrots.

And while they were good (they were pretty darn fresh... maybe travelled 10 km to get to our grocery store), I don't think I want to see another carrot again for a very, very, long time.

Bring on the frozen veggies though, since it's winter, and fresh veggies in winter.. not too great!

On the plus side... several stores had their frozen veggies on sale recently. And, I picked up a lot. AND, Hubby, not realizing that I had stockpiled frozen veggies in the basement freezer, ALSO picked up a ton.

I think we're good till February.

On a Cleaning Kick

A few weekend ago, I spent half the day cleaning out the basement pantry.

The next weekend, I cleaned out what was supposed to be the basement 'living space,' but had turned into a hold-all for all the junk we didn't know what to do with.

We now have a very large pile of 'stuff' to yard sale next summer. PLUS, for the kids for Christmas this year, we're hoping to turn the basement into a 'den,' or, as I keep saying, a playroom by day and teen cave by night.

We're trying to figure out how to be creative enough to make it a fun playroom for Buddy, but also a place where Chuck won't be embarrassed to take her friends, since it is a room for them both, and there's an 11 year age difference there.

Anyone have any suggestions?

New Family Rule:

No one is allowed to throw things off of the balcony to the living room, except Mama.

And she's only allowed if it's laundry!!

A Series of Unfortunate Events

1. At work Friday morning, another staff pokes her head around my cube wall... "You know first aid right?" That never bodes well as a conversation opener. One of the staff had fallen down the stairs, while on her way down to get a coffee, with her (empty) coffee cup in her hand. Coffee cup shattered and left surface scraps, but the goose egg looks bad. Send her off to the hospital with her husband. He phones later, she has a concussion. The girl who came to get me said afterwards - "I don't know sh1t. But I know you know sh1t. So I came to get you."
2. Friday afternoon, we had a staff meeting, the result of which will be some staffing changes. None of it is my fault, and my role won't change. I still feel bad.
3. Friday evening, Chuck calls to her Dad "can I toss this sheet of paper to you?" He replies yes, she does, she hits him in the eye. Essentially, he has a paper cut in the eye. He goes to bed hoping that rest will help. he's out, so Mama is taking care of the kids all night.
4. Friday night, Buddy is so congested he can't sleep. He's up crying half the night. Daddy can't really help out, since he's out with his eye injury. Essentially, Buddy can't sleep, 'cause he's too congested to use his pacifier, and every time he coughs, he spits it out. I keep bringing him into our bed, but every time I do that, he decides that it's play time. Eventually, I leave the hallway light on, put toys in his crib, put him in the crib sitting up to play, and go to bed. I assume that he fell asleep at some point.
5. Saturday morning at 5:45, the phone rings. I'm exhausted after being up all night. It's a wrong number. The phone wakes Buddy up.
6. Saturday morning, hubby still can't open his eye, and it hurts to look at anything with his good eye. We call telehealth. There's an hour and a half wait to talk to a nurse. We're trying to avoid the emerg, since we don't want to pick anything up. Telehealth calls back, and they tell us to head to emerg. I drop the kids off at my parents, and head to the emerg in Georgetown. They give him antibiotics, and say he should be fine by Monday morning. I think I prefer the emerg in Parry Sound to the one in Georgetown.

Hi!

Lately, chuck has become a 'moody' teen, who goes right up to her room after dinner.

So lately, Buddy and I have been going upstairs as well. We open up the doors in between her room & Buddy's, close the wall mounted gate on his door (generally used to keep him in), put up the pressure mounted gate on her door (generally used to keep him out), and play.

I say "If Chuckles dosen't want to play downstairs with us, then we can play upstairs with her!"

So far, she dosen't seem to have a problem with this. It isn't that she dosen't want to be with us, it's more that she wants to be in her own space.

Last night, we didn't clsoe the doors back up. I was still asleep this morning, and all of a sudden could hear Buddy 'chattering' away... "HI!" "Hi Hi HI"

He was very excited to wake up and see that he was SHARING A ROOM WITH HIS SISTER!!

Fall Harvest

Remember a few years ago, when we began planting apple tree on the other side of the creek?

Well unfortunately, that tree died after the first winter. It didn't appreciate being run over by the snowmobiles.

The next summer, we put in two more trees, but this time, a little closer to the creek, and a little more protected.

Yesterday, Hubby came running into the house, and told me I should go harvest my apple.

pardon?

yup...one apple. Considering that we put the trees in just last year, an apple was actually pretty good.

I tried taking a bite though... yuck. We fed it to the cows next door.

No time to chat Mom!

I've got places to go, leaf piles to jump into!

We remember

Lions & Tigers & Bears

Oh My!

I think he totally looks like he's dancing in this one.
Chuck said that next year, we should be the crew from the wizard of Oz... I can be Dorothy, Buddy can be the Lion, she'll be the Scarecrow, and Daddy can be the Tin Man.

They Say the Darndest Things.....

At Guides a few weeks ago, we began scrapbooks.

As part of our scrapbooks, I had the girls fill out an info sheet on themselves (favourite song, favourite class in school, etc).

They'll fill out the same sheet in the spring, so that they can compare.

I also had them do hand & feet prints. Again, we'll do this in the spring, so they can see how much they've grown.

one girl stepped in the paint, then on her book to make the print. Then lifted her foot, and put it down a second time, to make a second print (creative licence y'know. It's THEIR book, so I'm not gonna say don't do that!).

Another kid looks at her book,.....

"Oh my goodness! You have two left feet!"

I nearly died laughing.

More Laundry

I have never written about my laundry before, and here we are two posts in three days.

It must be some thrilling stuff.

Or something.

So my electric bill arrived the other day, along with a notice that 'time of day' pricing will begin in 2010. What this essentially means is that during peak electrical usage times, it will cost more to use electricity. The peak times change from season to season though (Due to air conditioning and whatnot).

Off-peak times include from ten at night until six or seven in the morning, and usually a chunk of time mid-day during the week, etc.

So they are recommending that we get washers, dryers, & dishwashers with a delay timer on them, and set them to run after ten at night. This has been promoted for at least two years now, to get everyone ready for the time of day pricing.

Now, I don't have a dishwasher, so that's not a huge issue.

But.

Should I delay my wash, and then do my drying during the peak?

Should I do my wash right when I get home from work, then delay the dryer to after the peak?

And HOW am I to process my regular three loads of laundry, that I normally do on Friday - Saturday, ALL AFTER TEN AT NIGHT??? maybe I'm a wuss, but I'm usually in bed then.

Even in the summer when the dryer isn't an issue since I'm using the line... this would be the scenario: I wash load one after ten on Friday, and hang it out to dry. Perfect. I wash load two after ten at night on Saturday, and hang IT out to dry. Again, Perfect. I Wash load three after ten at night Sunday, get up Monday morning, go to work, and come home to musty smelling laundry that's sat in the washer all day????

I dunno. I'm cheap, and I'm environmentally conscious. So these are things that I want to make work. But without cutting a weekly load of laundry, just can't see it being very effective (and the only reason that we only have three loads a week is because we already have the high-capacity front loader. For a family of four to only have three loads weekly? I think that that is pretty darn good already!).

On Customer Service...

There are things in this world I am not supposed to understand. I guess customer service is one of them.

We have been in a crisis state lately over the baby's diapers. For some reason the right tab on them continually comes detached from his diaper - the glued part, not the Velcro one. It means that his diaper finds its way down the leg of his sleeper in the night, and every morning we have to clean up a mess. At our wits end, Daddy wrote the Pampers diaper people and shared with them our tale of woe. They offered compensation. We were happy.

This past summer, our $50 (cheap) set of binoculars fell on the boat, and broke in half. Now while it seems at first that there would be an advantage to having 2 monoculars, the novelty quickly wore off. Eventually Daddy got around to writing to the people at Tasco expressing our dismay. They offered compensation. We were happy.

Through some quirk of fate, Tasco and Pampers both had their compensation packages arrive on the same day.

The Tasco package was a big box delivered by UPS Express Freight to the house, and in it was a brand new set of binoculars, an apology letter, and contact information in case further follow-up was required.

The Pampers package was a thin envelope sent regular mail with a coupon in it for $8 off a Mega-size or larger box of diapers bought within 30 days. The diapers that we bought? Were a package of 174 size four diapers, which retails for $36.97. So we have a coupon for about 1/4 the price of the box of diapers, and only available at select retailers. And even if we had bought the smallest package available, and that was what was failing, it still retails for $18.00 or so. So no matter what size package we had bought, they were not even compensating for a new package at all.

Wanna guess who is getting my business again?

Laundry

At this time every year, I feel a sense of relief that i can get my laundry for the week done in a couple of hours, instead of a couple of days.

The funny thing is, by spring, I'll feel that same sense of relief that I can FINALLY hang my laundry out to dry again, and don't have to use the dryer for several months.

I line dry from about March - mid October exclusively. The dryer MAY run once or twice in that time, if things HAVE to be dry NOW!

But generally, everything goes on the line. Even if it is pouring rain, my thought is that i am no further behind than I was when i took the things out of the washer, and the extra rinse can't hurt.

And, I love saving on the energy bill, and also that it is more environmentally friendly!!

The only problem is, in rainyt weeks, often by the time evrything is FINALLY dry & away, it's time to start over again!

Ok Mom,

I'm ready to go out & play now!

Oink

Monday night I picked up Buddy from Daycare, raced home, ran into the house and hollered for Chuck to get her jacket & shoes on, and headed up to the local H1N1 clinic.

Last week, they were 'requesting' high risk people only, but they would vaccinate every one who came.

This week, apparently not. Only high risk. Since Buddy is under five, he's high risk, so he got his shot. But Chuck & I will have to go back NEXT Monday. ugh. Not that I thought we should get ours 'first,' I just didn't want to have to line up twice.

After seeing all the hype in Toronto over it, and hearing about five hour line ups, I was afraid that we would get to the clinic (in the next town, about 20 mins away), and find that they were full for the day, since it ran from noon- eight, and the earliest I could arrive was about five thirty.

We got there, they said that they would only stab Bud, we waited ten minutes (I didn't even have the form filled out all the way), he got stabbed, we waited the required fifteen minutes to be sure he didn't react, and went home. I think we spent more time driving to & from the clinic than we spent in the clinic.

It was awesome.

Next Monday, Chuck & I can go, and then in three weeks, Bud may need a booster shot (They're giving little guys two half doses, although now they're saying that they may only need the one half. So we'll have to see)

Big Yard = Many leaves

I'll have to see if I can find the photos I took of Chuck a few years ago in the last house playing inthe leaves....

NaBloPoMo

Halloween recap

Chuck got her 'air cast' a few days before Halloween, and was pumped to go trick or treating.



So I got my little pirate & lion ready:

And bundled them into the car. We live in the middle of nowhere, so we go into town to go trick or treating every year. This year, we decided to go in the neighbourhood that Buddy's daycare is in. usually, we go back to our old neighbourhood in town.
When we parked, this was what was in my backseat:

That is one sleepy lion!!

Buddy had been hanging out with Daddy all day, and he missed naptime!!

We woke him up and Daddy took him to the first house. He had no idea what to do. Then they put treats in his bucket!! How exciting!! After that we didn't have to coax him as much... "come on now, go with Daddy.... follow your sister, where's Chuck going? can you go with her???"

He made all kinds of friends. In many houses, they'd give him a treat, he get excited, and then try to walk in the front door!!

After a block or so, my pirate was saying that her leg was getting sore, and my lion's eyes were rolling around a bit. Buddy called it quits at the house where they gave him his candy, and he promptly sat down on their porch. We had expected him to finish earlier than her though, so we had his stroller for him. The plan was that when he got tired, we'd put him in the stroller & push him, and when she got tired, we'd call it a night. She got tired a few houses after him, and that was it. There were stairs up to every house, so she was getting tired because of that more than anything.

When we got home, Mommy tried to check all the candy, but Buddy made it difficult!! Mommy dumped out the bucket... "Mom! what are you doing! That's where that belongs!!!!" As he tried to re-fill the bucket!!

I gave Chuck the bucket, and as I tossed the chips over to her (I sort while I check), he would put the chips in the bucket.

All candy got sorted and checked, and then I gave Buddy a little box of smarties "take these to your sister and she'll share them with you!"

He wanted NOTHING to do with them! he didn't know WHAT that purple thing that she was trying to put in his mouth was!! Mommy had to bite the smartie in half, and shove it in against his protestations! Once he tasted it though... "mo?!? Mo?!?"

He took a smartie to Mommy... and a smartie to Daddy... and a smartie to Chuck..... then he ate one... then he spat it out and tried to give it to Daddy.....Lucky Daddy!!

After that the kids filled their advent calendars, and went off to bed!

Cousins

Buddy, Daddy, and Cousin Sweetpea enjoying a story.

Happy Halloween!!

Mama, I don't wanna be a frog!!

This costume? Is the one he wore last year. This costume? is sized 2 - 4 (huge on him last year) This costume? Is so tight in the crotch, that my size 12 - 18 month old can't walk it in.
sigh.

So much for buying a too big costume last year to re-use this year.


Instead, he's going to be a lion.

Air cast

Chuckles received an "air cast" yesterday. Remember the 'Nike Pumps' from sometime in the nineties? it's similar to that.

She's allowed to take it off for baths & sleeping, but still needs to use crutches to walk.

So she has a bit more freedom, but stil can't put weight on it.

Next appointment, six weeks. HOPEFULLY that's where she looses it ALL and can walk again!

Let's Hope...

That this week the doctor has good news for us.

Chuck goes in to get her leg looked at on Thursday. If it's healing well, she *may* get a walking cast.

If she gets a walking cast, she can go trick or treating.

To a 12 year old, that is EXCITING STUFF!!!

She is planning on going out as a pirate with a peg leg. She already has the limp down I guess!!

Deck & Daddy's helper

We now have stairs and railings all the way around!!

We still need a railing for the stairs, and to bolt the stairs in a bit better.

The board on top of the railing is a 2 x 6, so that it is wide enough to set a drink on.

Buddy enjoyed being outside watching Daddy work!! (Mommy took a nap!  Lucky Mommy!)

Still taking after his Mama...

Just like this picture.

Poor Lonely Iris

The fenders are totally so the she dosen't hit all the OTHER boats parked in the backyard.

Pathfinder Enrollment

Wasn't it just yesterday that we attended her Spark enrollment?

When she was in Sparks, I was a Pathfinder leader

When she was in Brownies, I enrolled her

When she was in Guides, I enrolled her

Now she's in Pathfinders, and I'm still a Guide leader

And the other night, she asked how come I didn't go to Pathfinders with her.