upcoming adventures!

The coming week is going to hold a few adventures for the man of the house, who has taken off for northern lands and the town of Kuujuuaq - ak! He'll be on his way up there in the morning for a week of coaching and volleyball-talk in a community that is apparently crrrrazy about the sport while we try our best to get by without him. This means I'll have some assistant coaches on the bench with me this week for some basketball games (maybe) and I'll likely have to take the week off of playing and coaching volleyball; Western WVB has a game this weekend, and I might just have to spectate instead of coach (who will I really be watching though? Hm.). Anyways, I can't wait to hear about Steve's experiences up there, especially since there may be an opportunity for me to go to another community to give some clinics and do some coaching later this year... we'll see!

My upcoming adventure is still a fair ways away, but I am getting excited about New Zealand and the World Master's Games... I should tally up the days - then I know how little time there truly is to get myself in basketball-competition-primeO-shape. Will it be the same number of days I'll have to wait for a good night's sleep? After a good stretch of through the night sleeps, Jordan is back to multiple wake-ups and I'm back to feeding him - he gets himself in such a lather that it's the only thing that'll calm him down. I'd hoped those night wakes were over but they probably won't be for another 18 years... let's just tell it like it is, right? Harumph. I must get to bed at a decent time tonight since the stores of patience were in the red tonight after the kids pushed and pushed and pushed a little too far with the rambunctious bedtime behaviour at 9:00 - after a full day of school and play and more play... aren't you tired?! Sheesh. I am. With that I'll jet; here are a few pictures of life around here over the past few days...

the kids are obsessed with bey blades - they could play all day!

the tiger needed a few stitches - thank goodness dr. alana was available!

jordan trying to sneak some popcorn ;)

movie night! we finally watched totoro and everyone loved it

a bit of a weird face from A - presenting a picture of a dragon in a sock 

kid-train home from school

a january jaunt

After last week's mini-vacation to Niagara Falls and the Great Wolf Lodge, one of the kids was excited and one reluctant to head back to school - can you guess who's who? Alana couldn't wait to see her friends and barely said goodbye to me this morning whereas Hendrik stayed close and put on a downer face... at least until he saw his friends on his way into school. They had an amazing time at the GWL - we all did really - until the flu hit. Yup, the flu. Alana was the only one to come down with it while we were there (night #1 - lots of puking and that was it) and the rest of us had some version of it back here at home over the weekend. Steve was definitely the worst and Jordan and I weren't hit too hard, thank goodness. Hendrik was only sick once - when? Get this - he puked while I was carrying him upstairs to bed on Saturday night; thankfully I was also carrying a small bucket that I was able to sling over my shoulder and catch the puke IN the bucket yes while carrying him up the stairs. You better believe I gave myself a pat on the back for that move. Anyways, we aren't sure if we caught the bug at the water park or if it was passed on by Alana as the news after school on Tuesday was that someone "kuped" at school, and that someone is in her class. More importantly really, the kids had tons of fun at the water park (the slides and wave pool were their faves) and staying in a hotel always goes over well. Steve's parents joined us and took care of breakfast and lunch and we ate out both nights we were there so it really did feel like a little vacation - minus the sickness and sleeplessness that plagued night one. A few pics:

the kids were more excited about the idea of the falls that the actual experience - very impressive and nice to not have to battle crowds to get a good look! love the look on hendrik's face...

I've been reluctant to write about Jordan's sleeping habits for fear that they might change but here goes - he's sleeping way better these days... and by way better I mean he's sleeping all night. Eight months of night feeding has (apparently) come to an end and I feel like a new person after a week of nearly no night wake-ups. Nearly means he still wakes up every other night or so, but a soother and some white noise will usually get him settled back down - and this is amazing news. Amazing! May it continue and continue and continue some more. And may the flu continue to take its leave from our house and stay away! More soon - the babe is awake and needs his mum. 😊😊

the oldest babe

January is motoring along...

this one is ready to move - but hasn't quite figured it out yet... that'll be a game changer!!

I can't believe - no wait, YES I can believe - how quickly this month is motoring along. It's been mild and the kids needed little convincing (which came as a surprise) to head out for a nature walk Sunday afternoon in Arva, where we found the frozen bog dotted with dead little tadpoles AND a frozen-to-the-surface little salamander. The kids were very interested in the salamander, and Hendrik asked me to take several pictures (close-ups) of the poor creature before he hid it under a bed of leaves where, to quote Alana, it might warm up and get better. The snow was almost all gone and with an icy path (no mud) we had to tread carefully (Steve and I did - the kids were slip-sliding all over the place on purpose); but the warm sun meant we could spend some time on the swings and the playground at the end of the walk (yay). Afterwards we checked out the Arva Flour Mill, the oldest continually operating flour mill in Canada, where we picked up a big bag of flour; will we be able to taste the difference? We got to peek in the back doors for a brief explanation of how the almost 200-year old machinery works (still partially powered by water) - check out this video that explains their operations and history. 

dad and alana

Alana had a friend over this past weekend and Hendrik surprised everyone (especially me) with what I'll call a random act of sweeteness; while the two girls were upstairs looking for Barbies to submerge in a pool of water on the kitchen table, he cut out two hearts, placed them by their seats, and then hid under the table. Oh what a guy...

siblings read 

happy birthday dad! 

2016 recap

This is ambitious of me, for sure; recap a WHOLE year without missing anything? Yar right. I'll do my best though, so here goes. The first thing the biggest thing the most notable thing is the expansion of our family. Our immediate family became five with the arrival of Jordan in May; he was a week late and I remember that last overdue week feeling longer than the (almost) eight months he's been with us. I also clearly remember the details of the night he was born, including parking in the garage and finding the doors to the hospital locked, the labour and delivery (can anyone ever really forget that? really?) and, of course, holding him for the first time. Our extended family grew too - Steve's sister's family welcomed a baby as did one of my sisters, so the clan is growing; we'll get to see everyone this spring and/or summer here in Ontario and out west in BC for the big event of 2017, my youngest sister's wedding. Other notable events include first (of their kind) jobs for both me and Steve (head coaching a CIS team for her and solar panelling for him), home improvements (bathroom, kitchen), and Alana starting school and me finishing school. This last one is a big deal I suppose, but without final exams or a big paper/project it was all pretty anticlimactic; but I did it - a master's while coaching part part-time with two and then three kids full full-time... ouf. Steve's alma mater, the men's national volleyball team, qualified for Rio for the first time in what, four quads? I don't remember, but it was a bittersweet moment for us. Steve went nonetheless, so add a trip to Rio to the highlight reel. We enjoyed our first camping "expedition" - one night, all of us smooshed in a leaky tent under leaky skies in a very nice (though overpopulated) provincial park. It was a far cry from the camping we did growing up - I should blog about this some time - but the kids loved it. How did I ring in the year? I don't remember, but I said goodbye to '16 in my sleep, so here's to hoping for some more of that this year (at night - nighttime sleep, just to be clear!).

Tomorrow is a big day - not only do the kids go back to school after a two-week break, but Steve returns from not-so-sunny California where he spent six days with McMaster's men's team. It will be good to get back into the swing of things and hopefully get started on some of the "to-dos" on my 2017 list. Thing number one? WORK OUT. I can't wait to work out - somehow it's been a challenge over the break. All the regular stuff needs tending to too, and those things that don't make it on a list, per se, but are calling - like the two books on my bedside table upstairs (Salt to the Sea and The Nordic Theory of Everything). Oh and random thing = recipe. We made one-pot Mexican Burrito casserole in Bowmanville over the break and it was delicious! Tonight I substituted cooked chicken for beef and did it with regular rice and broiled instead of baked and it was easy peasy and I had all ingredients in the house without even meaning to. Recipe is here, but in French... Bon appetit!

a first of the year, non-new-years post

rare moments of apparent - dare i say it... love?!

A New Year's post will follow - I need to dedicate some time to recapping 2016 (so much happened!) and looking forward to the year that is just getting rolling, so I'll dedicate this post to Christmas and the events of the past week or so. As usual, Bowmanville and Grandma and Gramps (and Santa) have been so so good to us, and everyone has been spoiled with good food, presents, and (lots) more good food. Christmas went down something like this: we skipped school and arrived on the 23rd; on the 24th we had an early dinner and after an early evening church service (Steve stayed home with Hendrik - he was sick because of all of the treats he snuck) the kids opened presents and got goodies ready for Santa and the reindeer. On the 25th the kids weren't up as early as we were as kids, and everyone was excited to see that the treat plate was empty and the stockings were full. We went over to the Crockers for the annual GGG (Gift Grab Game) that saw Steve as the convenor for the first time in many years (or ever? I don't know); good food was had and excellent presents were exchanged and fought for (I ended up with a Canadian Tire gift card (not my first choice) and Steve came home with a digital meat thermometer and BBQ brush - woohooooooo). A feast followed here chez the Brinkmans, and we all went to bed stuffed to the gills. The kids opened more presents on the 26th (maybe just one) and have been enjoying most if not all of the presents they received from friends, family and the one and only Santa Claus. Highlight presents for Hendrik include a heavy duty yo-yo, a remote control car/dino, and a Pokeball. Alana's favourite gifts are probably a Sky Zoomer (Paw Patrol), a Barbie, and a new Robyn Doggy - which, though much requested, doesn't seem to take the place of the old Robs in terms of time, attention, or love (sad - I still miss the old Robyn Doggy!). Jordan received a few good gifts too - a lawn mower and a play table are probably his favourites, but some cloth books and chewy toys also find lots of playing time. I didn't take many pictures - either because I'm enjoying the moment or because I'm off somewhere feeding Jordan or changing his diaper etc. or because I have no idea where my camera is. But there are pictures, and here are a few - 🍻 here's to the holidays, hope yours were happy too! 🍻

people 💗 

happy outside in the snow!

our own frosty

this was the beginning of the too many treats on the 24th... 

more love!

this is the one and only family shot we have so far... our clan, our first christmas with five

"mom, i don't want to have any more babies because i just want to have jordan as the baby in our family. mom, can you tell the dentist that i don't want to have any babies? i just want jordan to be the baby." she loves her baby brother, and is a bit unsure about what it means to be a dentist. 💓

GGG time at the Crockers

sibling love

skating has been SO MUCH better this year for both kids as they actually skate (as opposed to flop, fall and hang on us). we have no idea  what prompted this change - the first time we hit the ice they were just better... both of them!