short and sweet

on leaf duty! there's still lots to come...

love this guy and his leaf-transport idea

We've had a few warmer days this week and have spent some time outside cleaning up and finding worms worms worms in a bag of dirt that we meant to do something with but didn't. We have Halloween visitors here for the weekend, and everyone is gearing up for the big night tonight - the kids wore their costumes to school this morning (Alana: Elsa, Hendrik: Ghostbuster), and there were parties and parades around the school planned; hopefully they're not too tuckered out to go trick or treating. Bah! Like that would ever happen. Jordan was completely out of sorts last night, waking up way more than he usually does, but it turns out he isn't feeling all that well (runny nose, pukey). He's having a good solid nap on Grandma right now, and I'm taking advantage of the extra help by getting a quick blog in - AFTER a workout. I worked out! Finally, I worked out, and hopefully it's not just a one shot one time deal. I met my master's basketball team on Saturday night and I know that I will appreciate some fitness come December (a tourney), Feburary (another tournament) and then April, when the World Master's Games are happening in Auckland, New Zealand. I'll let the pics do the rest of the talking - and will get another post up soon, complete with Halloween photos and news (even the house is dressed up!). Happy Halloween all!

the cleanup crew finds worms

i LOVE alana's pumpkin imitation face. her design too...

before the sickness hit - happy boy!

fall colours plus

le neighborhood

The fall colours here have been beautiful! And with still-warm days we've been outside enjoying sunshine and scenery - both around the neighbourhood and in my new favourite park. I took the kids up to Weldon Park on Saturday where we went for a nature walk (maybe sounds more appealing to kids than a hike?) on the trails that run around and through the outskirts of the park. We found what must be the shortest mountain biking trick trail with a few ramps and little hills and mini-mountains, and the kids were ripping up and down the course "I want to do it again let's do it again!"... it was great. Jordan was content in the carrier and I was happy to be in the forest amidst quiet - save for the sounds of the wind in the leaves, birds, and the kids (who were happy together).

A few weeks ago (wait, maybe a few months ago?) a friend on Facebook posted this video - Things Moms Think About #momtruths - about all the ridiculous expectations and things mom think about think about doing etc. etc. and I thought about it the other day at school when I was waiting in the hall for Alana. Two moms who I've never met or talked to were talking about how totally exhausted they were (but they were both showered with hair done and makeup and clean clothes on) and how they'd both baked that day (with honey and whole wheat flour). I had not showered and was wearing dirty clothes, had Jordan the non-sleeper with me, and had also baked that day - Chocolate Oat Squares a la Starbucks (recipe from the Joy of Cooking). If you've seen the vid you'll know why I called it to mind... and while I was tempted to chime in about how totally tired I was too (OMG) and that I too had baked (with sweetened condensed milk and sugar) I did not. The oat squares were gooooood. I'll try to remember to post the recipe at the bottom of the blog.

hiding after school

mr happy

So this one, this non-sleeping one... is still a non-sleeping one. I'm so torn about what we should do: do we sort of try to make him sleep? He'll just cry and cry and cry and cry and then maybe sleep for a bit and then wake up and cry and cry and cry and cry more... so I'm not convinced that'll work. Or do we maybe try to get him used to sleeping during the day more (i.e. naps in the stroller - where he'll actually sleep for more than 20-30 minutes)? I was sitting out on the front step on Wednesday watching the kids roll around on the front lawn and sidewalk (literally), when a couple with two young kids came strolling by and stopped to chat. It turns out that she's a sleep consultant and her baby (two weeks younger than Jordan) sleeps all night long. After waking up to feed Jordan at 11:30, 2:00 and then 4:00, 5:00 and 6:30 (to try to get him back to sleep) I'm tired but Jordan is... happy. As long as we're not trying to make him sleep, he is one happy baby. We're thinking that we'll make a very concerted effort to get into a better rhythm, and give ourselves a week or so to concentrate only (only? really?) on getting him to sleep more. Luck, we will need you on our side I think.

nature walking in arva

Lastly let me fill you in on a game that the older kids are into: they sneak into Jordan's room, steal a dirty diaper out of the garbage can and then throw it at each other and then us. (Yes really.) We've sternly told them not to do this, and so now they ask first: "Mom, will you get me a dirty diaper out of Jordan's room?" The diapers are usually requested right before bed and right after a bath when the kids are extreeeeeemely hyper - does anyone else experience this? We may as well bathe our children in a tub full of well-sugared espresso; they leave the bath on fire, and it's exhausting. Anyways, hopefully they'll get over the appeal (whatever it is) of dirty diaper toss and maybe we'll just stop giving them baths.

the little is five months old :)

thanksgiving in denver

classssssssic

so good to get these kids together!

watching baseball

Happy belated Thanksgiving! We did the planes trains and automobiles thing (at least on the way home) and headed south to Denver to visit Karin and Claire and their families, and we had a great time. Rob had never met Erik's Brinkman cousins before, and Jordan was new to everyone - as was Dave, Claire's fiancé, so it was great to get everyone together for a few days. The trip down wasn't without its challenges; as we were about to board the plane we were asked to step aside as there appeared to be an issue with Hendrik's ticket. The entire plane boarded and despite e-receipts for all four tickets, we were told we'd have to pay for one more seat or we couldn't get on the plane. And so... we did, but in all of the confusion Robyn Doggy, Alana's most loved stuffy, got left behind at the gate. We asked the flight attendants to help and the pilot called and asked someone to pick it up - but there was no response from the crew in Detroit - and there continued to be no response by United (at ALL) all weekend. I must have called 30+ times, and the phone was answered once - and it was a number I got from central reservations, one that was "private" ("How did you get this number?!" said a bothered-sounding employee when she picked up.)  When we were back in Detroit on our way home we visited the United lost and found where I was told "no, no we don't have that here. I don't see why anyone would keep something like that - it was probably just thrown in the trash." Oh really. Anyways, even though she could have been recovered, she was not... and so life must go on without Robs. And I had no idea I was so attached... to a stuffed dog! But she was much loved by all, even mom and dad. Erik gave Alana one of his "lovies" and so that is what she's taking to bed these days, and what we thought would be a serious deal (getting her to accept that Robyn Doggy is gone), it hasn't been too bad. And then on the way home (we flew back with Delta and it was WAY better) we had a flat tire - but that wasn't as big a deal as it could have been with our what-should-I-call-it... electric pump? The leak was slow enough that we could get home safely, and I had it patched yesterday at the gar-age. Steve is away in Winnipeg until Sunday so getting the kids to school on time (they didn't get out of bed until 8:15 and the tire was flat) was a big of a challenge (i.e. it didn't happen).

I made a list of four things to get done today, and this is the last (YAY) thing to cross off - items 1-3 were WALK (it was in caps on my list), go to library book sale and vacuum. I spent $19 at the annual London Public Library sale (on tomorrow and Sunday too) and came away with a good haul. Jordan was very entertained with all of the books - so much so that after an hour of kicking and grabbing in the carrier he fell sound asleep... allowing for another hour of browsing. I know there's more to write about but I've got to get to bed early tonight... J-bubs is still in newborn sleep mode, with 4-5 wakeups a night, and I am ready to call it a day!

everyone at the pumpkin patch

cousins

thanksgiving dins

the denver children's museum was AWESOME!!!

more children's museum... so fun!

this and that - a shorty

So women's league volleyball started last night and I managed to get out and play for the first time in almost a year, and it was ugly. It's hard not being remotely decent at something that you were once good at - and even though my expectations were pretty low, it was still frustrating / annoying. I know I'll get back to being halfway decent eventually - working out and being in shape might help, and since I'm planning on going to the World Master's Games next April (basketball - exciting what what!) I'd better stop talking about it (working out / making time to exercise) and start doing it; less talk more do. How about that Jordan? Less talk about sleep and more sleep sleep sleep! He must be waking up because of the routine he's in, every 3 hours (or less) and not much will get him back to quiet and calm besides mom and a feed. We head to Denver this weekend and I am SO excited - but maybe when we're back we'll do our best to get it all sorted out. Will we have to let him cry it out? I don't know. I was chatting with a friend this morning and we were talking about how this will pass and all of a sudden we'll be old and sitting with each other on a beach enjoying a beverage wondering where on earth the time went... because time flies, right? It does, and I am grateful for the time I have now with my kids. (But please don't make me confirm that statement in the middle of the night.)

School is going well for everyone, coaching is going well for me - my one night a week - and life is just generally quite busy. What else to say? I am excited to see my sisters this weekend in Denver, and traveling with the whole gang should be interesting... and hopefully stress-free. Baby is crying upstairs so I should get going... I need to take more pictures so it keeps me connected to what's been going on in our lives - and I'll have more to post here too. Signing off!

queen jordan and his most loyal subject

this is why it takes us so long to get home from school

free cotton candy on campus? yes please!

playing school

cousins + SLEEP issues!

All three of the children are sleeping AT THE SAME TIME! Hallelujah. I'd tell myself to knock on wood but I know it won't do any good - the J-bubs will likely be up again in the next hour or two. To say the sleep is not going well is a bit of an understatement; is it the 4-month sleep regression? Teething? The cold the kids brought home from school? I don't know and I don't really care - I just want it to get better! Though that's what I need to stop doing... hoping. It means I wake up disappointed, grumpy, and just a little bit angry that I'm still getting up every 1-3 hours to feed this big four-month old babe. Oh oh oh oh well - it'll get better some time. At least he's happy - when he's awake (and no one is trying to get him to sleep!).

We're back from another great weekend in Bowmanville visiting G&G and Erin and Lennon - yay! It was great to get the cousins together, something that doesn't happen often enough. We're heading to Denver in a few weeks and that'll be a wrap on getting our kiddies better connected with their relatives, hurrah. Steve is watching the Hilary vs. Trump debate and man is it distracting (and entertaining). I have lots more to write about - so here's a list for next time (maybe?): school (mine), school (theirs), volleyball. Weather (fall is here). There must be more! Anyways, here are some photos - enjoy!

cousins

pic-heavy

4 months!

The last two weeks have been great - school is in the swing of things, summer weather is still going strong, and we've made it out to some great events and happenings. PLUS! Jordan is four months old! I didn't make cake or anything but thought about it (/am still thinking about it). Since I'm running low on energy and baby JUST went to bed (and because I've been talking about going to bed early for days) I'm going to let the photos do the talking and, well, go to bed. More soon, I promise! 

A&H were pretending to be at the beach - with baby bro

my three birds :)

at the western fair and riding (sort of) high

running on the RUNWAY - we participated in an amazing even, jordan's run the runway.. we'll be back next year for sure!

alana near the finish line, all smiles!

zoom in on this if you can - hendrik is SO dramatic!

first day of school + Q&A

A week later, here's the first day of school post featuring a j-k'er and a grade one'r (!!). The first day wasn't rough; with all of the talk/prep about day one (to Alana especially), there were no tears and only a little hesitation. Hendrik seemed a bit wary and hesitant too, but that's to be expected; after two years with Mrs. B in the kindergarten room he's with a new teacher in a new part of the school (2nd floor what what). He's in a split 1/2 and it's mostly so far so good - unfortunately all of his buddies are in the Gr. 1 class, so it's time to make new friends and establish new connections (in a new environment), something that may be more easily said that done. He seems happy enough, and by the end of the week we were feeling in the groove at drop-off and pick-up. Alana asked me to stay with her every day and I did (just for a few minutes) and by the second day she was telling me about her new friends and what she did at recess (she ran away from her brother). Early in the week I asked Alana a few questions that I usually include with the birthday post, but Hendrik was keen to answer them as well, so far this year it's a first day of school inquiry; here's the Q&A:

Who is your best friend?
A: Chloe
H: Grayson

What do you want to be when you grow up?
A: A unicorn.
H: A farmer.

What's your favourite thing to eat?
A: Cheese.
H: Chicken thighs.

What is your favourite colour?
A: Purple and pink.
H: Gold.

What's your favourite movie/TV show?
A: "Dora you silly"
H: Pokemon.

What's your favourite thing to do?
A: Play.
H: Eat.

What's your favourite song?
A: Frozen song.
H: Shut up and dance with me.

What's your favourite toy?
A: Robin doggy.
H: Pokemon cards.

happy birthday!

Our girl is FOUR! We threw a small party / gathering on her actual birthday, and she loved having her friends over for what turned out to be a Frozen + Unicorn themed day. She woke up to her first gift from her big brother, a unicorn puzzle and a Frog & Toad book, and then the two kids scurried downstairs to open more gifts. There was a big box of Fruit Loops (highlight!), books (Uni the Unicorn was/is a favourite), an Elsa dress, Elsa dolls, Frozen clothes, a new scooter and Anna and Elsa dolls - and I think these take the cake. She's also really loved a new plush unicorn, a jar of paper stars and a ribbon wand. It was fun to see her so happy with the presents and attention and friends - and funny to see her picking all of them up in ferocious hugs and/or just because. Ooooooh how I love her! 

alana with her bestie | hanging with the kids | dishing out the amazing cake made by marg | unicorn cookie takeaways

alana and some of her friends... love it!

J in his exerciser... so far so good!

How cute is this baby?! He is, at the moment, sleeping - something he's been resisting over the past three or four days (day and night, boo!). Fingers are crossed (glued) that it'll get better; I need more than two consecutive hours at a time! Last night was better than the two before (thank GOODness) and I'm hoping for another decent stretch tonight. He has a minor ear infection which he's on antibiotics for, and I have to say administering the goopy pink liquid has been somewhat of a challenge (the same goes for removing a sliver from Alana's hand tonight). The kids start school in TWO sleeps (can't believe it), and I need to soak up the last of the summer with my babes. 

3 1/2 months and cuter than ever

les kids

at the pool this afternoon - fun for all

camping +

We took an impromptu camping trip to the The Pinery last week, and despite the torrential rains and a few small (ish) leaks in our tent, had a great time. Everyone loved the outdoor meals (no rain at mealtime), the close-by beach, and the beautiful drive through farmland - fields of corn and "whatchamacallit", a crop we now know to be soy beans. The kids loved sleeping in the tent (when I asked them if they'd like to live in a tent all the time like gypsies, they said YES, "that'd be AWESOME" (Hendrik)) and eating marshmallows for breakfast, and much fun was had exploring in the woods and amassing rock collections. There was but little semblance to the camping we did growing up so it's hard for me to really think of this as camping (there are other people right there - and a road too! And cars everywhere!) but it's the perfect kind of camping for us, with the young kids. If it had been a disaster, we could have hopped in the car and been home in an hour and a half.

Other notables:

Alana turns four this week and we're having a little party/gathering at our place - complete with pizza, a unicorn cake and her best friend Chloe... should be fun!

School starts in one week! Hendrik is ready and Alana, I think, is not. Well, she is ready for school but maybe isn't ready to leave the nest... and I feel the same way. I'm ready for some more time just with Jordan, to get things done while he naps (I hope) - but not so ready for my bird to fly the coop. 

The kids are signed up for gymnastics, swimming and basketball, though we might simplify and just do the first two. We were sort of surprised that Hendrik wanted to do the gymnastics thing but he seems pretty enthused, so hopefully he enjoys himself. Inspired by the Olympics? Maybe. A 6'8" gymnast? Not so much. 

We booked a trip to Denver! Two of my sisters live there and I am pumped to be heading down to see them with the whole clan. Neither of them have met Jordan and I haven't seen where they live and it's been a while since I was there and I haven't met my youngest sisters fiancee - !! They recently got engaged (exciting!) so we'll get to talk weddings and maybe even look at dresses. It'll be great to get the cousins together too. Yay!

This fall will be busy for me: I'm doing the last course of my master's and coaching and have a newborn. When is a newborn not a newborn anymore? I'm not sure how these days can get any busier but they will. 

I have baby spit up on my shoulder and was up last night at 2:30 4:30 and 6:30 so I need to do two things: shower and go to bed. Signing off! Enjoy the pictures and more importantly, the last week of summer freedom and fun!

 3 1/2 months and growing cuter by the minute

fun all around

As per usual, we had an incredible time up at the cottage - this time with the Tukker-Reid clan from BC, the Bowmanville Tukkers and Grandma and Gramps. Alana and Hendrik loved playing with Kai and Nyla and the rest of us enjoyed games and tournaments with kids and adults alike. We did miss watching the Olympics, but got some good info from Steve (his trip to Rio was amazing), and streamed a few events. Back in town we were once again glued to the TV as much as the kids allowed (we need to get out so they don't/won't fight too too much), but now that Rio 2016 all said and done, we feel like we have our lives back. We're back in London and ready to get settled into a routine of sorts - first, an end of summer at home run followed by the get ready for school routine. It'll be old hat for Hendrik, but Alana might be a little more hesitant when push comes to shove (there will be tears for sure) - and Jordan will just go with the flow. Hopefully he'll get a few more solid night sleeps under his belt and realize that longer sleeps are better than short choppy ones. Time to catch some zzzzs!

watching volleyball | exersaucing | hendrik picking blueberries

rio pics

fishing and water fun

me and my babes!