Continuing the School Approaching Theme

and with one week left I finally decided this morning to check on the uniform status for Leah and Sam..... hey, no one, or at least very few people, ever call me Smart Leanne.

(Only Jeff does, he's nice like that. Or maybe he wants supper. :) Thanks, Jeff! Even if it wasn't intentional and it was only once it was kind of you.) :)

Back to the uniforms. I have a few pairs of size 5 pants that may fit Sam one day but not yet. Does anyone (with the same uniform) have a pair of size 5 or 6 SLIM they want to sell? And for Leah we are going into the 3rd year in size 5 jumpers. As you can tell, I have really big kids. Does anyone have a size 6 jumper or a size 5 with extra length to sell?

I have a plaid and a khaki jumper both size 10 to give away to someone with a little girl who could use them. They were passed on to me and I didn't double check but I think they're in good condition and I would love to pass them on to someone who can use them. I can't see Leah needing them before gr.3 is done.

Is there anyone else out there with uniforms hanging around who would like to see an expanded buy/trade/sell system for used uniforms? Something other than the current newsletter system? Let me know what you think. If not on the blog, stop me on school supply day and spill your ideas.

Camping

Last week as the last bit of summer holidays was blistering by we went camping by Les & Krista's house. We picked the two most gorgeous day of the week and went and had a lot of fun.

I forgot my camera but it didn't worry me enough to spend the 15 minutes going home to get it.

Someday I'll collect some pictures from Krista's camera. in the meanwhile, she passed this one on.

I think he enjoyed this part of his camping trip.
Now I have to get going before the rest of this holiday disappears while I sit here. I am not one of those mom's who can hardly wait for school to start. Not the same for the school aged here. They can hardly wait.

(over) Prepared

Last week, on one of those gorgeous hot days, we headed to Hicks Lake to enjoy one day of the annual week long church family camp.

I sent the boys outside with the instructions to, "get 5 pails and 5 shovels ready to go." Five minutes later Sam came running inside, "Papa already had the pails ready and we added 13 trucks!"

Indeed, they had piled the outside toys container as high as they could get it, added chairs for four and called it ready to go. The best part? Watching all five work together to push it behind the van so all I had to do was open the hatch and lift it in.

Too bad for them I insisted the stroller and the cooler were already taking up vital space and the container and chairs had to stay home. I made room for 5 trucks.

And it was one more special day in a summer full of blessings. This picture sums up the entire day of water fun. Sam's expression wins a prize in my book.

Birthday Boy

Yup, it was Steve's birthday and we did our best to celebrate.

Wednesday night the kids told Steve he needed his presents tonight because he needed them before work tomorrow. I don't think Steve knew what to expect but he was delighted to be presented with extra special birthday breakfast fixin's.
The kids were happy too because Steve shared. :)

Thursday we took a "cake" to the jobsite and enjoyed some time rumbling around Uncle Brian and Auntie Leanne's new house. (I don't think I'll ever be titled gormet cook/baker. I just don't have that golden touch, you know?)

Then we skipped ahead to Saturday morning. Steve had asked that for his birthday we would give him the freedom to take part of the morning for himself and participate in the Hope Classic. We first sat down for a family photo...

Then we got to the serious business of waiting for the run to start. There's never a shortage of ideas when there are some big stumps to jump off. "Catch me, Dad!"

Sometimes this little lady JUMPS! And sometimes some of the people around us were cringing expecting a mishap.

And then our dear man got going....

And while we waited we jumped in the bouncy castle, got some tatoos,

and a little face paint. Can you hear my tiger roar?

And once Leah's butterfly was documented we decided to go for a little walk to the bridge. I looked at the time and we were about 25 minutes since Steve had left and he had figured around 40 minutes going in to a 8km cold turkey.

As we walked I watched the runners start coming back and there was one man who looked so much like Steve that my heart actually swelled thinking about my sweetie running again. There are so many memories of running with Steve back in the old days and this guy ran just like I remembered Steve running.

But it was still under 35 minutes since Steve had left. And Steve hadn't run in years. And he was running bare foot. (Not because of any particular bravery or hot shot attitude but because it was either bare foot or sandals. His running shoes fell apart long ago.)

It worried me enough that I quickly rounded the kids up and set them moving towards the finish line so we could catch Steve's arrival. But, here he came up the path toward us. Sweating to beat the band but thrilled with the experience of running again.

I tried to sort it all out. That WAS my Steve I had spotted on the road. He had made it just under 35 min. And he was glowing with delight in having ran.

And I realized that even though I've known this guy since just after his 17th birthday, somehow over the years I missed how much a part of him this running business is. Yet, he said it tonight, too, it doesn't give lasting satisfation. No, the running isn't eternal happiness but it does hold a special joy for Steve.

I can hardly wait to give him the opportunity again.

Happy birthday, Steve. I thank God for His gracious keeping of you these past 31 years and pray He will bless you this year ahead of us.

For those of you who faithfully follow us and wonder why I've been so slow to blog this week....

I just started the same load of towels for the third day in the row. I keep forgetting to move the wash into the dryer and it's too stinky to dry by the time I remember.

That's the kind of week it's been. Good but busy. Crazy busy.

A Wonderfully Sunny Day

Some...

playing in the sand,
snuggling,

checking out the water,

practicing,

cooperative building, (and some observing) :)

surprise soaking,

fishing,

competition,

(a wise wife shows her handsome husband as the winner :) )

playing, lots of playing,

and huge doses of fun.

These Two

I know, it's become a reoccuring theme but some days I want to laugh. Really laugh. And some days I want to cry... Not really. There are a few things I will try before I cry about it, but it is a bit frustrating.

It all started when missy here discovered the freedom of this...
And up.... (no just sliding over on her tummy for this one. Nope, she has to practically stand straight up on top of the rails and jump on over. Practically, as in that's a bit exagerated.)

And over. She thinks she's quite cool.

So tonight, that acrobatic performace gained me these photos.

The box of winter stuff is in a closet in their room. Cara generously raids the closet and hands out the goods.

"Hi, Mama! Don't I look good in Leah's winter boots? Guess where I got them from?!"

"Oh, hiii, Mama, how are you tonight? Do you like my hat? You do not? Why ever not? It is all the rage to wear these in the summer heat. How about mittens? Do you think they look good with my jammies? Now, Mama, why are you getting all hot under the collar? You're not even wearing a hat or mittens. Really, is getting to bed without some fooling around really such a big deal?"

Yes, it is, sweet one, we are both much happier if you get the right amount of sleep!

And so every nap and nighttime is now become a cycle of put to bed, hop out of bed, open up the door and peek down the hallway to see how close Mom may be, throw some things into Cody's bed, hop in with Cody, play until Mom opens the door and.... puts Cara back in bed again. And around and around we go, in and out.

Good thing instances like tonight's dress up make me laugh. :)

need some help?

Molly the Maid at your service ! :)

Rest assured, the upside - down lion mask will not affect her performance in any way.

A Swimming Lesson Update

He's no Michael Phelps... but I'm thinking that's for the best.

Sometime last week I informed him I was no longer going to sit by the edge of the pool. I took the twins along so he knew it was no bluff.
Thankfully my cousin Laura has kids swimming at the same time and sweetly offered to watch the twins when I still needed to walk him to his group and touch his shoulders instead of hold his hand.
The next day he informed me on the way to lessons that I could stay on the bench he could go to his teacher himself. And that was it.

He still locks his knees when he's sincerely trying to bob all the way under but he's NOT crying.
He still puts his face up quickly after getting it wet but he IS doing his glides and floats.

Hooray for Sam!

Yesterday on the way to lessons we had a few things to do and so lots of time to sit in the van and ... anticipate. After we dropped Cara, Cody and Cam off at Gramma's (I value my sanity and 1 hour of swimming lessons + extra little ones does not = huge doses of sanity so I do cave every so often) and we were heading for the pool Sam piped up from the back seat, "Mama, my...heart is.....
My heart is... (his hand is wandering about his chest trying to console the accelerated pattering)
My heart...is... feeling a little nervous. But it's not 'cause I'm scared 'cause I love swimming lessons now!"

I don't know if we would have gotten here if Aunty Shelly wouldn't have practiced with him in the pool at home. Thanks Shelly!

One of those Days

Lots of crying and a bit (or not) of stress. A short visit to snuggle baby Brynlie. And a bit of a crazy evening.

Sam came upstairs to say, "I counted sheep and sang all the songs I know but I just CAN"T go to sleep!" He said he stopped at 100 sheep. So, instead of peacefully slumbering he's mixing up iced tea, sweeping my floor and singing songs in my back ground. "What other jobs do you have for me to do, Mama?"

In the meanwhile. Cara and Cody had a few minutes of cat nap on the way to said snuggles this afternoon and even though they are grouchy and exhausted, they are not sleeping yet. Cara has perfected the art of flipping into Cody's crib and then out of that to run around the room. I know, I should count my blessings, my mom says I already climbed out of my crib at 9 months, but really, it was easier when she stayed put! How come it's so much harder to get back in? "Mama, Mama, Mama, Mama...." at the door. :)

A Great Uncle

Thankfully for Sam, Uncle Jeff's imagination matches his own!

They played some baseball in the house, no balls, no bats, complete with (mostly Sam's) play by play action.

I had to take video but I don't think I caught Sam's self strike outs. "He misses, he misses again, strike three, he's outta there! or that's outta the park." Or something like that.

Mostly he made sure he got to first base (the couch) but a few times Uncle J caught a fly ball and tagged him out as he slid and jumped the living room obstacle course. As soon as the status (safe or tied to the runner or out) was determined he would head back to the pitcher's mound because in all good baseball you get three outs before you switch teams.

Sometimes the swing came before the pitch. :)
But it was great fun!

Thanks, Jeff, I'm not sure either Steve or I would have had the patience to pull that off for as long as you did!