Sledding part 1

Taking to the hills.  It was so, so nice to have a 4 day weekend, even if we did get snowed in and missed out on swimming- look at what we got to do instead.  By Monday it had stopped snowing.  Brian was all caught up on shoveling and the temperature was nice, so we took to a hill and got our first sledding outing of the year in!

Emora went down several times in front of Brian or I, then, fully face washed, decided she'd had enough!  I don't blame her, it got cold on the face.

I'd never sledded on this hill before.  It was pretty perfect for a good long run with plenty of speed.

Dominique had her own style too which included lots of snow in the face.

Poor Emora- I got lots of pics of her, for one thing, she looks so dramatic with all that snow and for another thing, she stayed still long enough for me to get a picture.  The others were just going up and down the hill non-stop!

a lovely day and hot chocolate at home, a friend came along after a bit so that was good too to catch up and check in.

Snow, snow and more snow!!!

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If you haven't heard, we got some snow.  We had a 4 day weekend for Remembrance day, so I had planned to take the kids to the city to swim, but everyone was saying a blizzard was coming through.  The roads didn't look bad, but I figured I'd better listen although I really wanted to go, I wasn't sure how hard it would be coming back.  The snow started Friday and didn't stop until Sun.  Brian would go out and shovel a foot of snow off the drive and in 2 hours later, you couldn't tell he'd shovelled at all.

We all had to go run in it a bit.

The kids barely wanted to be inside- it was awesome!  They even noticed that they weren't asking for "screen time" constantly!

A long, long weekend

The good news is that we get a long, long weekend... the bad news is that I had my heart totally set on buying a kayak and it seemed like it was perfectly set up for me to get it, but someone had already bought it... and I had plans to go swimming in the city, but a huge storm is coming in, so caution says to say put.  BUT we are stocked up on books, we can make play dates happen, we even have movies from the library and an art show to go see and the kids are so far playing nicely, Ivan's even reading, I've got some of the yummiest muffins in the fridge, and while our community regularly goes through intense heartache, there are people who care, people trying to make a difference, people who won't give up.

 

This was a fire prevention night at the school.  Dominique landed in the paper again.  They just love seeing themselves in the paper!  I always learn something new at these although we've been a couple of years now.  The kids love checking out the fire trucks.  Ivan was away at guitar this night.

We may be doing a lot of this this weekend.  I hope so ;)

Brian and his crew are racing to get the plywood on the roof of the house they are working on before the snow hits.  Hope they got far already, because the snows-a-comin'.

Some furry creature in our house just gets bigger and bigger.  He must have a sweet nighttime deal, because we pretty much kick him out of all our beds and then he cries and cries to go out at night.  I think his former home, my neighbor lets him in to sleep.  Come morning, he cries at our door to get in.

Dominique loves to read too and so does Emora.  Of course Emora makes up words and repeats what she remembers, but she's getting closer and closer to reading and is mostly a delight all day.  Yesterday though she had a rough one and kept crying.  At one point she yelled at me "I want Dominique"- "ah so your other mommy is nicer huh?" I replied.

Maybe I'll get to painting on Emora's portrait some too this weekend.  The drawing is nearly done and then it'll be the fun parts- or at least something different.  I can still see the little girl in Dominique as I look at her and Ivan too.  I need to get Emora's done because I know she already looks so much older!

1st snow

A few days ago this fell.  The kids were SO EXCITED!  Emora wanted to get dressed and go right outside.  She ran in the snow and threw snow balls at our cat.

The kids had a snow fight the second they got home from school.

The following days, each night had brought a little more.

They like to shake the tree and watch it all pummel down.

This year's first taste test- yep as yummy as last year's.

Eating snow is fun.  In my opinion, you can never get too old for it.  And yes, we only eat white snow.

Of course in Quebec, they pour hot maple syrop on the snow and that makes it VERY yummy- but then it's not so much the snow you're eating, but sugar on steroids.

Ivan also gave himself a face wash.  I took a picture of it, but he looks a bit possessed in it.  Maybe he was- possessed by the snow happy spirit!

Can you all stand still one second for a picture?  Our tree is not so pretty, it kind of leans and has two trunks, but it's worth really shines in the winter and spring.  It's so nice to have something green in all the white and in the spring, there are always one or several bird families that make a home and have babies in it.

As I write this, the snow has about all melted.  It's felt like spring... and so my mood is looking to summer next, but I hope that my heart will be happy again as the snow returns.  I'm sure it will.  3 days would be much too short for winter!- we didn't even get out sledding yet (at least not on a hill- I pulled Emora to school a couple of times- but that doesn't count).

Now that it's November!!

I figured that I'd better post pics from Halloween before Christmas was upon us!  Yep, that time of year is just around the corner.  A little ways yet, but still...

I let the kids draw a design on their pumpkin and then carve it.  I didn't realize until I'd uploaded pics that I didn't get a picture of each kid with their own pumpkin.  Of course I had my little helper, so we got her pic done.

This was the face Emora drew I really liked the nose she made.

I'm thankful that they are happy to choose costumes either from our dress up pile or something we make.  Emora was a "pony" 'cause she could not remember the name "unicorn".  Dominique a ballet dancer and Ivan a karate/kung fo master.  He lost his black belt during the week, so he got demoted to a blue belt at the last minute.  I tried to tell him to let the shirt hang out, but he had his own idea and when he does, you just have to leave it at that!  Of course my other idea is that you will all be cold and to put your jackets under your costume.  The only one to listen was my littlest and so the older two were also frozen popsicles.  We were only out 30 min. on our street before they were crying and running home!

Left to right- Emora's pumpkin, then Dominique's and then Ivan's.  I'm not sure where the candles from the first two pumpkins came from, but they sure worked good!  Ivan's not so much.

Apart from the tears, and my staying up way too late to cook up pumpkins, we ended up with a super duper deal.  Victoria called up to ask if she and Tyler (her bf) could take the kids for a cousins time.  So they took Ivan and Dominique back out after we had done our street.  Not only did they take the big kids- who had a blast with their well dressed and used to cold cousins, but they let my kids ride in the car periodically to warm up while they took the kid's bags to the door and said there are 2 more in the car!  Can we say SPOILED and LOVED and SPOILED!

Thank you Vikka and Tyler- you guys rock!

Take 2- Ivan, Ivan, Ivan!

We couldn't miss out on our traditional pose.  Ivan was born on my birthday, so each birthday we try to take this picture, with me holding him, sitting at the dining room table (usually with birthday cake or pumpkins, but we missed on the accessories this time!)  He is getting bigger and bigger!

I had found a bow for Ivan at a garage sale for 50 cents in the summer.  It was so cheap because it had no arrows.  Ivan was so excited about that bow and I saw on pinterest how to make arrows.

So Emora and I spent the week creating.  It was fun.  Of course I always think a project will take a couple of hours, which turns into days!  And everything takes a bit longer with a little one to interact with still.

I was surprised at how well the arrows fly.  I don't know if they are accurate at all, but he has hit the target a time or two.

Vana white always wanting to help out.

He's serious, everyone make way!!

He wanted to teach his sister of course.

Ivan's had another good run with guitar.  For now, he's going to take a break from lessons.  Maybe he'll take it up again some day.  He did do a great bluesy song that I'll have to post- all about looking at his bow in the garage with no arrows, no target... oh the sorrow!

He's on again off again about skating too.  It all really depends on who is there.  He loved skating when Dominique's friend was there and swimming when his friends went.  I picked up on this over the summer and found a way to kill two birds with one stone.  Ivan loves being with his cousin Arwen, who loves being at the lake.  The girls and I also love the lake and Arwen's family is often busy with stuff- so it was a perfect marriage of sorts.  We grabbed her and everyone was happy!

Lots and lots about Ivan part 1

I realized that I hadn't posted the pictures from Ivan's party yet!  And here it is November already.  Sometimes the days just zoom by.  Now that Halloween is over, I can take a breath.

Ivan had a brother pair Konomu (the older one in glasses- who is Ivan's age), his brother Nozomu (Dominique's age) and Kellen (also Dominique's age) for an all boys' birthday and sleepover.  The theme was Star Wars- much to all of them's delight.

I was super excited to NOT have to do a big party and to let Brian take care of it.  I made the cake and decorated it and (so happy) the kids loved it even if it only took me a bit to create it.

The secondary theme to the evening was shooting daddy with nerf guns.  Apparently Brian thought he could deflect the bullets with a light saber.  As he nearly got his eye shot out, he decided some safety gear was in order.  They don't make nerf guns like they used to!

It was the Sinclair boys' first sleep over ever.  Brian got them all pizza and they were all so wonderful.

The girls were excited to go to the city with me to do some shopping (OK, they weren't excited about that part)- to eat out (MacDonalds- unfortunately for me, happy for them) and SWIMMING! 

The girls each got Ivan something with their own money- he was excited to see what they'd gotten him.

More weapons!  Another light saber and nerf gun- cause you can never have enough.

Next episode I will show you his reaction to the gift I'd made him... stay tuned.