busy days :)

Regular life in our house is busy; I'm in practicum (grade 5 / 6 at  French Immersion school), the kids have their activities (swimming, ball hockey, gymnastics and basketball), and with McMaster (men's volleyball) and Western (women's volleyball) in playoffs, coaching has reached an all-time busy high. This is in large part due to the fact that I've stepped into a temporary role as the acting head coach with the program - the head coach had a baby last week! Last week's pace was unsustainable; I left for school around 7:30 for an 8:15 start (Immersion schools start earlier than non-Immersion schools), taught until 2:45 and left for practice at 3:00. After practice I'd get home for a quick dinner before heading out to swimming or basketball, and then try to relax and spend some time with the kids before bed (and then deal with regular house/life/meal mess). (I also had to study for and take the MPT - a Math Proficiency Test mandated by the provincial government; new teachers must pass this test to become certified.) Steve has been full time in getting the kids ready and to school and doing pickup and most dinner prep, so he's felt the change in pace too. This weekend marks a change, and while I'm not happy about the reason (we lost to Toronto in yesterday's semi-finals) I am ready for a more manageable work-life balance. McMaster lost last night to Queen's, so Steve's team will play for a third place finish and a berth at Nationals tonight. Regardless of whether they win or lose (they should win), Steve will head to Winnipeg next week for a Bisons alumni weekend honouring their coach Garth Pischke and their championship runs over the same years that Steve was there. He's going to have so much fun! Hopefully we'll enjoy a more low key week at home - and with visitors! Grandma and Gramps are coming to help out while I'm at school.

Anyways, enough about me! Here are a few photos from the last few weeks (/month) that I've neglectfully failed to post!

H's team won their ball hockey league; playoffs were exciting with shootouts and empty net goals (H!)

Last weekend Hendrik's ball hockey team won their semi-final in a shootout, and then won the final in overtime - exciting! Hendrik even scored an empty net goal from his own blue line, though he says he didn't even know the goalie had been pulled. Ha! Kids had birthday parties last weekend too, so Saturday (with our quarter final) was crazy busy. 

Alana's acrostic poems for Mommy and Daddy ... love!

in a back yard nook - hopefully winter is on its way out!

look-ing gooooood 

Valentine's Day loot!

We play Guelph this afternoon for a bronze medal, and I'm really hoping we can play well! After the game I'll head back to Bowmanville for one good sleep (I hope!) and then it's back home and back to usual on Sunday. I'm excited to see the kids - even though it will be less than 48 hours since I've seen them. What is the deal with that?! When you're around them all the time you want a break, but then when you get the break... you want to be with them! Last thought before I watch some film and get out for a walk: I bought Frozen 2 on DVD last week, and we've watched it multiple times (including on the car ride to Bowmanville on Thursday night) and now the soundtrack (Lost in the Woods, Into the Unknown) is STUCK in my head. Oh life!