sugar shack, hoops + why i coach

Have I blogged since we went out to the sugar shack? I don't remember - but here are some photos. It was a beautiful sunny day (last weekend?) and we managed to get our fill of pancakes, syrup, sausages and the tire swing - we went to the same pancake house last March and the kids were on the swing for a good chunk of time then too... good times!

hendrik as horse!

jordan's new favourite thing = whole apples; hendrik loved these too when he was around this age... we just have to be sure he doesn't bite off more than he can chew!

some sleep in tutus

I had a pair of basketball games this weekend in Kitchener and thank GOODness I worked out last week (multiple times) - I can't believe I used to run like that every single day. On Saturday we played a select club team and on Sunday we faced Conestoga College, winning both contests. Jordan was with me (/us) on Saturday and was SO well behaved; he hung out on the bench and had his Cheerios and toys and lots of people to keep him entertained - he even made it into our team pic:

I made this vegetarian Thai Red Curry recipe the other day and it was SO so so so good... the kids didn't eat it but it meant there was more for us so haha! no big deal. Well, annoying a little as we had to throw something together for them but it was probably tortillas and cheese - a culinary molehill! Basketball season at the school is finito - we wrapped up with a tournament on Saturday morning and came away with 4 wins and 1 loss. The girls did such a great job and improved so much and I had a great time coaching everyone; it was a first for me (coaching basketball), but hopefully not a last. Just finding time to get to it all is the challenge, and I won't ever keep myself out of the gym if I have the time (and childcare). As I was leaving school this afternoon one of the girls gave me a card and I won't lie here - I got a little teary reading it; (from mom): "I have seen such a change in (her) since she started playing basketball - her confidence, teamwork and basketball skills make me proud. Thank you also for encouraging (her), teaching her new skills and for inspiring her to always give it her all. You are a truly wonderful role model." This is why I coach. Love it!

snowy runs and reflections

After a week devoid of exercise, I finally got out this morning for a run along snowy sidewalks (my first snow-run of the year) and managed to avoid slipping or skidding on the numerous icy patches along my route. Clearly I don't do this all that often (snow-running), but when I do I can't help but think of Russia; when we lived there (in 2009 - see here) I'd gingerly run laps around the snowy park close to our our house with layers and layers of clothing on and my pink and grey toque (knit by my friend Kelly) - my only alternatives for exercise were walks and 45-minute swims at the pool (where I met my friend  Margaret). It's fun to take trips down memory lane, and Steve and I both think the years and times we spent abroad often (maybe even daily!). We've incorporated little bits of Italian and Greek (and Indonesian and sometimes French) into our everyday language - the kids know what tidak apa apa means ("no problem" in Indonesian), and Hai capito? ("do you understand?" - Italian), Signome (syngnómi - "excuse me!" in Greek) and more. I still remember a few words in Russian (our address, please, thank you) as well as the standout memories: getting beat by birch branches in the traditional spa-fashion (yes, really), meeting Margaret and visiting her school; playing kopeeks (a drinking game), eating pizza and sushi, taking the bus downtown, going grocery shopping and being followed by security guards in the grocery store due to my suspicious and very unladylike (unRUSSIANladylike) attire (Sorels, loose jeans and a down coat - alert!) - and of course there's more.

So the big game-changing news around here is that Jordan is on the move. Ak! He's going after cords and bits of paper and chapter books from the library - we need a big rearrange and more talk (more action, really) about picking up after ourselves and no bits or bobs (my mom says this I think 💓) left lying about. We'll probably pick up some gates this weekend and until that moment the kid will be in the backpack or exersaucer if we're not prepared to monitor every moment of his activity.

We have home games this weekend - we beat Trent tonight in three and face a strong Toronto team tomorrow night, so hopefully we manage to put a good game together. I suppose I should also say something about Valentine's Day other than the fact that I took zero pictures of the kids and the pile of cards that they MADE (they spent quite a bit of time on them) for all of their classmates; I also failed to take pictures of the mini-scavenger hunt we sent them on to find their Valentine's Day treats. Hendrik can be a bit of a know-it-all sometimes - when he came down on Tuesday morning and saw the heart tin on the table he said sullenly "I KNOW I already KNOW what's in the tin it's CANDY." Oh well don't you just know it all there little mister - ha HA! You don't. They loved reading the clues and hunting around for the next heart and the next heart-clue and then finally finding a goodie bag full of chocolate and sugar (YUM).

The night before last was a good night with all three kids sleeping all night long BUT... last night saw multiple wake-ups from multiple children so I'm tired and need to go to bed. I think I should also make a February resolution to take more pictures with the camera; not everything I snap needs to migrate to Instagram! I can take pictures for the blog and for the wall(s), I can I can I can. Oh, last thing - I read Melissa Sweet's biography (for children) of E.B. White and it was great; quick and interesting and with a good bibliography (LOVE a good bibliography) it was well worth my time. Over and out!

feb family update

Steve was away for eight days last week (he was coaching in Northern Quebec) and everyone survived and I managed to hold on to most of my sanity; despite a few rough patches (kids not listening, fighting), they were really well-behaved. Other challenges of me playing zone D on the three kids was trying to follow through on coaching commitments - at the school (where I'm coaching the grade 6/7/8 girl's basketball team) and at the university. Otherwise I just had to make myself go to bed at a reasonable hour (this was only somewhat successful) and prioritize: who needs what the most? Jordan has been sleeping a little bit better - some nights he manages to get through the night without eating, but he's usually up once WHICH I can handle (even though I yearn - yes, yearn (Seinfeld anyone? @ 1:20) - for through the night sleeps once again). I thought I'd do a family update post and I'm kind of mangling it so far, so let's switch it up and give people their own piece of property. Here goes...

Hendrik

This guy has been reading up a storm - check out his two piles of bedside books:

Reading is one of a few subjects / skills that, as per his recent report card, he is exceeding provincial standards; he also seems to be ahead of the game in math, data management and probability, and P.E. In the last month or so he's buddied up with a friend that lives just two doors down, and it's great to see him with a friendship that appears to be as strong as the one he had with Grayson last year (who moved schools). We signed H up for baseball (Tball) again this summer, and are in the process of thinking about a few camps that he might want to go to this summer (we're thinking Spencer Lodge again - an outdoor camp run by the YMCA and a Pokemon-themed STEM camp). What else what else... he is still obsessed with Bey Blades and asks us to battle morning noon and night. He loves swimming and his swimming lessons and is so far so-so on the Acorn volleyball that he’s going to on Friday nights. We’ve been talking about the summer and summer plans, and both kids are excited for the cottage – I can’t wait either. 

Alana

This one has been loving the social side of school, and she's been having friends over on a fairly regular basis - Audrey was over today, and the two of them dressed up as Elsa and Anna and then as Elsa and SuperGirl and her room was turned upside down and the windows were open ("we want fresh air!" - what am I supposed to say to that?!) and the only let down was the fact that they didn't get to make cookies. Like her brother, Alana has gotten right into the Valentine's Day crafts, and she's been tracing and cutting hearts and making cards for her classmates; she also made a "Family Book" this afternoon, with drawings of all members of the family (pics coming next time). Steve took both kids skating on Wednesday (Jordan stayed with me at school basketball practice) and it was a success! Alana is usually a bit hesitant with activities that are either new or challenging to her, but apparently she did just fine - and even accepted help and assistance from her dad and brother (he skated the whole length of the rink to get her a skate assist thingy... how kind!). She's also into Bey Blades but this activity is complemented with Barbies and Barbie play - I just went upstairs to ask them to turn their lights out; Hendrik is reading (Boy vs Beast) and Alana JUMPED into bed and lay as still and as stiff as a board as soon as she heard me coming up the stairs... she was playing with Barbies. She'll talk to herself and play out loud and whisper and sing and it's oh so sweet to see her get right into the pretend play. 

Jordan (almost 9 months)

This little bub sure is close to crawling - but isn't yet (maybe he's waiting for us to get baby gates). He's bubbles and razzes and knows how to clap, but he's still fairly quiet which is likely due to his hearing challenges. His next appointment with the specialist is in May, but if we decide to go ahead and do the tubes thing it's possible that he'll get in before then. He is happy - smiley and easy-going as long as his food isn't overdue - unless it's the middle of the night and he fully wakes up and doesn't get what he wants (food). Food! It's all about the food. I feed him five times a day (when he wakes up, 7:30ish; 11:00ish; 3:00ish; 7:00 and 8:30) and he eats lunch and dinner which is squash or sweet potatoes or baby cereal and fruit and sometimes meat and almost always baby mum-mums. We're going to make a more concerted effort to get him on the bottle, but Wednesday night's attempt was unsuccessful - we just have to keep trying. And like I said, he's sleeping better, but there's still room for improvement. His favourite things to do (besides eating) include playing at his little play table, putting things in his mouth (anything that he's not supposed to put in his mouth is preferred - like Bey Blades), and he loves listening to stories, being in the water (baths mostly), and being held. 

just after he ate raw caribou - WITH the raw caribou

that's a coooooold gas station

Steve

I should ask Steve to guest-blog about his time up north where he put in quite a few hours in the gym with a variety of age-groups; there were sessions for kids, for adults for teenagers etc., but they almost always seemed to meld and mold from one designation to no designation, and he had to adapt and go with the flow. The town of Kuujuuaq was bigger than he expected, and apparently there weren't just one but two bars - one of which was in the hotel where he was staying, and it was quite happening (live music some nights, full of people etc.). So he had to go to a remote, Northern Quebec town to experience night life again - ha! He also trekked out a few times to catch the Northern Lights, had a truck freeze on him (despite being plugged in), ate raw caribou, went on a snowmobile excursion with a teacher from the school, and played Inuit games. It's possible that he'll head up north again to give clinics in another town, but as of right now nothing is planned. He's adjusted to the southern climate (there were days when the temp dipped BELOW -50 up there - !!) and is back in the swing of things with dad stuff and other commitments. It's good to have him home!

Me

Time time time - there isn't enough! And I'm on Jordan's clock, so at least with Steve home I've been able to get out and do a few errands and go the gym more or less when I please. We are members at the YMCA here (Stoney Creek - it's so nice!), but the last few times I've put Jordan in the free child minding, he has more or less lost his mind and I've had to cut things short to console a red-faced and very upset little dude. But the clock is ticking, and my trip to New Zealand is only two months away (!!!!!) so I need to get myself into shape (and get Jordan on the bottle). I'm loving coaching the girl's basketball team at the kids' school - it's a great group and they're learning and improving so so much, mostly in the skills aspect as opposed to game play (spacing, vision, and running plays/an offence is challenging). With practices Monday and Wednesday and games every Tuesday and Thursday, it's fairly intensive as far as a commitment goes, so I'm guessing I'll feel blessed with a little more free time come the end of the month. Coaching up at the uni is going well too, though I feel a bit out of the loop with the once a week commitment; I'd love to go every day and to every game, but with family and practice times it's a deal-breaker... no can do. And I'm also at a point where I'm thinking about looking for work - where and when is the question (the fall I think), and how to find child care and what to do with the kids... ugh. I don't know! I'd love something part-time - so I'm going to try to keep up to date with public library postings in the area (London and Middlesex County too) but look more seriously come September. I finished On Such a Full Sea last week and despite some enthusiastic recommendations, I didn't love it. Next up is Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White - and I have a few Ontario travel books out of the library that can easily provide me with the 2 minutes of reading I manage at night before sleep takes over. And (for now), that's all folks!