big events

There are only two days of school left this year (and three days of work for me), and it's hard to believe... time is flying! Well, it is and it isn't. The expression The days are long and the years are short rings true; some (/most) days feel like marathons (exhausted and ready to cry at the end), and then all of a sudden Jordan is waking me up nice and early the next day and we do it again. The end of the school year, my birthday (I turned 40!) and our anniversary are within the same two weeks this year, and for some reason – the big birthday? - I was / am a little more reflective about life and change and decisions this year. As a kid you think that life happens in a formulaic-ish way: you finish high school, go to uni, meet someone, get a job, get married and have kids and then... and then what? I don't know. But for us (maybe for everyone) this formula doesn't exist. We were so incredibly lucky to play sports for a living, to travel the world, to save some money, to have children and then choose careers (or second ones) – this is still a work in progress. This – the figuring out of a career – is, I'm realizing, less fixed for most people. I really do like my job, but I don't think that it's it for me. Above all I value time with my kids and family and am so grateful that it allows me to do that, to maximize my time with the people I love. But a career is such a big part of life... so if it's not this, then what will it be? Another unanswered question is our living situation; we need more space, but where? Or do we stay put and renovate? There is more to figure out at 40 than I thought there would be, but that's okay. We live in a safe place and I have a healthy and happy family – life is good! 

a cake with a donut - !! big win.

helping me celebrate (and ready to EAT)

cheers! homemade pizza on the BBQ for dinner, thanks to my amazing husband

it's the best :)

I'm going to have to edit my blog's "About me" section... no longer am I 30-something! (or a new mom)

I also have to add that Steve surprised me with a trip to Langdon Hall last weekend and it was incredible! What a place. Very suitable for a special occasion as it is très luxe, and the breakfast (the croissant especially) was to die for. My sisters treated me to a mani-pedi at the spa, so I'm feeking very fashionable and feminine with my lovely pink nails. Okay, time to run... I can't believe summer is almost here!!

around town

splash pad fun!

Gosh, the days fly by and all of a sudden I'm not just a little behind with the blogging but seriously behind. We had such an incredible time with our friend Nao who came to visit from Tokyo - the last time we'd seen each other before our Toronto airport reunion was six years ago in Italy. We spent two full days in Toronto where we ate great food (Chinese at Mother's Dumplings and donuts and incredible meal at Terroni were highlights - we would be so fat if we lived in the same city...) walked a lot, did our fair share of sightseeing (including a helicopter tour -  !) and celebrated Dan-O's birthday before we made our way to Niagara Falls on our way home to London. Everyone loved having her here, but for Jordan it was really tops; he loved Nao. Loved. And he was genuinely sad when she left (so was I). Here are a few pics from around town during - and just after - her visit.

at a mini-music park near our house

Gibbons Park on a beauty night

sibs!

Jordan and Nao - on the trampoline

hard at work in the garden

my trio at LPL

my trio at my school's Spring Fling book sale table

"hang in there little one"

Injury update!
Alana's sling came off this past weekend (in the middle of a very active and sweaty ninja birthday party), and despite a little hesitation, she seems fine. However... at her three week follow-up appointment on Friday her GP didn't even examine her but instead suggested she see a surgeon and he seemed to think that's what should have happened pronto post-accident; apparently the break was ugly. So there's an appointment scheduled for July 4, though I'm thinking everything will be healed up by then... we'll see! Hendrik is back to normal, sporting a new scar on his browline.

I took the the day off work today to chaperone Hendrik's class (and many others) to the African Lion Safari, and the kids loved it. They loved the splash pad, and the bus ride through the wildlife was a close second. Everyone was up early, so most are in bed but STILL not sleeping which is really and truly unbelievable. Does anyone else have children that will not ever go to sleep at a reasonable hour - no matter how early they woke up or how hard they played or how full their days were? I continue to be amazed. (And hopefully they go to sleep soon.) Only a few more weeks of school are left, and we're feeling ready for summer... are you?

a few injury firsts

stitches and a sling

It's been two and a half weeks since two of the three kids had their first big injuries - I'll explain Alana's first. Riding bikes to and from school has become routine, and there's always competition (/fights) about who gets to be in the lead. Hendrik usually gets going first but on the day of the accident (moments before the accident) Alana was ahead - so Hendrik did his best to catch up to her and they both started going faster and faster and according to Steve he could see the accident coming but there wasn't much he could do about it. Alana swerved to miss a pole and bit it pretty hard. Several neighbours came out to help, and Alana was being tended to by our neighbour Liz when I got home from work. She was a little scraped up and pretty teary and would only let Liz evaluate her arm and shoulder. The next morning when she was still uncomfortable, I took her in for x-rays... broken collarbone! She was tender and slow-moving for the first few days, so there was a lot of down time and ice and carrying her around (back = ouch). We went to Fabricland and bought some new sling material, and she missed a few days of school (initially she was very upset that people would see her sling / find out about her injury, but some of her friends and classmates have worn slings to school and to bed to be like Alana... sweet!). I also missed a few days of work, and got to don a sling myself on a Costco outing - it was the only way she'd agree to go out in public.  The healing process is only 2-3 weeks, so we'll check in with her family doctor in another week or so. She's been very good at keeping her arm still, but despite our pleas to take it easy the rest of her body can't stay calm anymore and she's running around and jumping on the trampoline etc. She even made it back to t-ball this morning, but that's in large part because I'm the coach and Steve is out of town.

don't mess with me fly

in Liz's backyard

before baseball

after baseball - but before stitches

And so what happened to Hendrik? Two weeks ago today I was playing in the Ontario Women's Master's basketball tournament (happening here in London), when a few hours before our last game I noticed eight missed calls from Steve and then a text: "H got ball in eye. Needs stitches." I came home, but Hendrik and Steve were already en route to the hospital. Liz was over at the house with Alana and Jordan, and she said she'd stay while I went back to play in my game (there were only seven of us - I had to go back!). The guys were still at the hospital when I got home, but arrived just after dinner - tired of the hospital but not too bothered by a new eyebrow (four stitches). Apparently Hendrik was catching pop flies and sort of missed one / caught it with his face (oops). We've been on mega high alert with Jordan, and I'm thinking that his injury was Tuesday night's fall off a climber - he missed a metal stair by four inches and got a mouthful of sand instead. 

alana's bestie in a sling too :)

Another blog is in the works, so more coming soon!

we finished the tourney in second place... so fun to get out and run!